knowledge of this mystery. Other particulars, relative to the nature and pre-existent state of Christ, it might be superfluous for them to reveal, as not being essential to salvation. But that Christ and his Apostles should withhold, suppress, or leave in doubt, a mystery, that formed the very essence of his religion, the only title to the name of Christian, the grand source of consolation, and confidence, the chief motive to holiness, and condition of acceptance, as some pretend; and thus leave all the primitive disciples "to die in their sins," is a most incredible and profane imagination.

Here is a complete harmony and concord among all the writers of the New Testament, on the whole of the doctrine of our blessed Lord. Can any thing, then, be more evident than this, that, if any passage can be found, which seems to dif fer from this representation, it must be misunderstood; and should either be interpreted in conformity to the general strain of Scripture, or left entirely out of the account, in judging of the analogy of faith? Is it not clear, that the authority of our Lord is paramount to every and that if any of his Apostles differ from him, their authority must be set aside? Is it not absurd to suppose, that they should; and most of all, that any of them should contradict their Master, and one another, and even themselves?

other;

This, however, is not the case: there is no discordance among them, when rightly understood.

But it is obvious, that parts of the Epistles must be liable to misconception, from the nature both of the subjects, and of the composition. The explanation of such topics to Jews and Gentiles, in a language, in which they had never been discussed before, must be difficult to the writer and obscure to his correspondents. The mode of illustration must sometimes be unintelligible to any but the parties; and most of all to us, who live in such a different state of society, at such a remote period, and read the Epistles in a dead and obsolete tongue, or in a translation.

This obscurity will sometimes arise from the different modes of expression used in different languages, distant countries, and remote ages. Even in the dialects that prevail at present, there is such a diversity of idioms or phrases in two neighbouring nations, that, if translated literally, they would be mutually unintelligible. The consequence of this obscurity in the Epistles is, that although our Saviour's doctrine, as delivered by himself, is inimitably perspicuous and plain, it could not be applied to the peculiar circumstances of Heathens and Jews, without losing much of its perspicuity to them, and much more to us. All these observations tend to shew, how preposterous it is, even in the learned, but most of all in the ignorant, to rely on the Epistles in preference to the Gospels.

Among those texts, in which the Apostles are thought to differ from their Master, there is one

remarkable passage, once relied on as decisive of this question; but now abandoned by the learned: "There are three, that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one: and there are three, that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, the Water and the Blood; and these three agree in one."* Though these words were all genuine, they would be of little moment in the controversy, to which they are applied; for they evidently relate only to agreement in testimony; as the similar expres sions of our Lord related only to harmony and concord between him and his Father, and between them and his disciples. That this was the only thing in the Apostle's mind, appears from the preceding and following verses. If it be posed, that any comparison, as to unity, is intended between the two sets of witnesses, it is certainly a strange addition to the great variety of systems, already devised on this incomprehensible subject.

sup

But, in fact, all the words contended for are now acknowledged to have been interpolated at a late period. The authentic text ran thus: "This is he, that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood and it is the Spirit, that beareth witness; because the spirit is truth: for there are

three that bear record, the spirit, the water and the blood; and these three agree in one" testimony. The words omitted, are spurious; and though they were authentic, they would not be conclusive; for they imply neither unity nor equality; but only that the witnesses agree in opinion; and conspire to the same end. The genuine words are understood to signify, that the water, the blood and the spirit attested the Divine authority of Jesus; at his baptism, the water; at his crucifixion, the blood; and the Holy Spirit, at Pentecost.

6

There are, no doubt, several other texts, on which very learned divines have relied with much confidence, and which have furnished matter for cumbrous volumes, abounding with criticisms, which I should be ashamed to expose to intelligent and unprejudiced men: for you could not refrain from smiling, when you heard the nature of the Supreme Being, and the faith and salvation of Christendom, suspended on the transposition of a letter, or the construction of a particle, the insertion of a dot, or the omission of some grammatical or rhetorical mark.

On the other hand, divines of a different description object to our doctrine, which ascribes the creation of the world to Christ, that, if he created this earth out of nothing, he must have created the whole system; and, if our system, other systems, which are connected with it.

Now, if the word create, be necessarily understood in this sense, the objection is directed against the sacred writers, not against our doctrine: if not, it falls to the ground. But this I do not conceive to be the Apostle's meaning. There is not, perhaps, a word in any language, that exclusively signifies production from nothing. This metaphysical notion would never enter the minds of the first framers of human speech: nor do the terms used in the original language imply it. We believe, that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing: but the Hebrew verb has a much wider signification; and often implies to fashion, or form matter already in being. Our word create, is formed from the Latin, and is used in the same variety of significations with its primitive, being equally applied to the creation of the world, and the appointment of a magistrate. Whether creative power be an incommunicable attribute of the Almighty or not, we have no ground for deciding. If not incommunicable, it may have been imparted to Christ: but whether or not, the creation of the world by him, may signify no more than arranging and ordering it, according to the will of God."

To conclude the scheme, on which I have explained the doctrine of our Lord, is the mean between two extremes. It is true, that the middle path may lie between truth and error; and may partake of either, or both. When chosen