I. P. 191. A passage has been pointed out to me in Grotius, (Opera, vol. ii. p. 5.) in which he speaks of the Nazarenes as "holding the common faith of other christians with respect to Christ, which the Ebionites did not." But as the opinion of the Ebionites, of which he is there speaking, was that Christ was the son of Joseph, all that can be inferred from the passage is, that, in his opinion, the Nazarenes differed from the Ebionites, by believing the doctrine of the miraculous conception. By the common faith of christians in that early age (supposing him to have had a view to the doctrine concerning Christ more extensively considered) Grotius, no doubt, meant his own opinion, which was far from that high orthodoxy which Dr. Horsley ascribes to the Nazarenes.

Grotius also says that" it is well observed by Sul. pitius Severus, that all the Jewish christians till the time of Adrian held that Christ was God, though they ob, served the law of Moses," in the passage which I have quoted from him, p. 41. But the sense in which Grotius understood the term God in this place must be explained by his own sentiments concerning Christ. As to Sulpitius himself, he must be considered as having said nothing more than that "almost all the Jews at Jerusalem were christians, though they observed the law of Moses." This writer's mere assertion, that the Jewish christians held Christ to be God, in the proper sense of the word, unsupported by any reasons for it, is even less to be regarded than that of Eusebius.

II. The latter part of the quotation from Chrysostom, p. 242, 243, will admit of a translation more favourable to my purpose, by introducing a parenthesis and

a note of interrogation, as follows: "How could men who were then first taken from their altars, idols, &c. (for such was the worship of the heathens) and being then first brought off from these abominations, readily receive sublime doctrines?"

at once; frankly acknowledging any mistakes I shall appear to have fallen into, and vindicating whatever I shall think capable of it, and deserving it.

As this is a controversy that will probably have lasting consequences, let all who engage in it, on either side, be careful to acquit themselves in proportion to the character which they apprehend they have at stake; but above all, let truth be our great object. Our readers will easily perceive whether it be so or not. We shall sooner deceive ourselves than them. And least of all can we impose upon that great Being who is the God of truth, who secretly guides all our pursuits, and whose excellent purposes will be answered by them, with whatever views we may engage in them.

PREFACE.

WHEN, in the advertisement of my History of early Opinions concerning Christ, I pledged myself to show that Dr. Horsley's Remarks on my Letters to him were "as defective in argument as they are in temper," I did not mean that I would animadvert upon them immediately, or very soon; but intended to wait till I should hear what would be objected to that larger work, and then reply to him and others at the same time. I found, however, that the advertisement had raised a general expectation of a speedy reply to Dr. Horsley in particular; and being unwilling to disappoint any expectations I had even unintentionally excited, and more unwilling to appear desirous of shrinking from this discussion, I have done at present what many of my friends will probably think might as well have been deferred a while longer.

Besides, as Dr. Horsley's Remarks were written before he had seen my large History, I thought it might not be amiss, in this manner, to close the first act in our drama; the second being reserved for what may be occasioned by that work, which will probably be much more considerable than any thing that has been produced by the History of the Corruptions of Christianity. And my design (after the termination of the present discussion with Dr. Horsley, which must soon come to an issue) is to wait a year or two, till I see what the publication of my large work on this subject shall produce, and then to reply to all my opponents