furely reafon and common fenfe could no more have an hand in dictating this than the fpirit of inspiration!

And what has common fenfe to do with the following paffage, which we read in the next Chapter. Say not in thine heart who shall afcend into heaven, that is to bring Chrift from above? or who fhall defcend into the deep, that is, to bring him back from the dead?For if he be a mere man, who had no exiftence, till begotten by Jofeph, and conceived in the womb of Mary, why does the Apostle fpeak of bringing him down from above? Surely if the latter claufe, who fhall defcend into the deep (that is into the grave, or into the ftate of the dead) to bring him back from the dead, would imply an abfurd enquiry, if he never had been in the grave, or in the fate of the dead fo the former claufe proposes a queftion equally ridiculous, if Jefus Chrift, before his appearing among us, never had been above.

The Apoftle goes on, according to the Socinian principles in the fame ftrain of abfurdity, verfe 11. The Scripture faith, whofoever believeth on him' a mere man though he be fhall not be afhamed: for the fame Lord over all', though but a man! is rich unto all that call upon him :-for whofoever fhall call upon the name of the Lord, fhall be faved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him' the mere man!of whom they ave not heard? And how fhall they hear without a preacher, and how fhall they preach except they be fent?'*. There are fundry other paffages in the remaining Chapters of this Epiftle, which, I am perfuaded,

* In proof that this is to be understood of Christ, sce VINDICATION, Part ift p. 161, and Part 2d p. 5o.

fuaded, no perfon that believed the doctrine of Chrift's mere humanity, and was poffeffed of common fenfe, could have dictated or written. The following are among the most remarkable. Chap. xi. 26. The Deliverer (a mere man) fhall come 6 out of Zion, and (mere man as he is) fhall turn away iniquity from Jacob.-Chap. xiv. 6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord, (viz. unto a mere man !)—and he that re'gardeth not the day, to the Lord (the fame mere man he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, (a mere man!) and he that eateth not, to the Lord, (the fame mere man) •he eateth not. For none of us (real Chriftians) liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself, 'for whether we live, we live unto the Lord (that is unto a mere man!) or whether we die, we die unto the Lord, (the fame mere man) whether living or dying, therefore we are the 'Lord's (that is we are the property of a mere • man!) For to this end Chrift both died, and rofe, and liveth; that (though a mere man!) he might be LORD both of the dead and " living-For we fhall all ftand before the judgment feat of Chrift, (the judgment feat of a mere man !) For it is written as I live, faith the Lord, every knee fhall bow to me, and every tongue fhall confefs to God. So then every one of us fhall give an account of himself to God. know and am perfuaded by the Lord 'Jefus (a mere man that there is nothing unclean of itfelf. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteoufnefs, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft. He that in these things ferveth Chrift, (that is, ferveth a mere man!) is acceptable to God.

Chap. xv. 7. Receive ye one another, as• Chrift alfo (a mere man !) hath received us to

the

the glory of God. Verfe 12, Efaias faith thère fhall be a ROOT of Jeffe, (viz. a mere man, not • born till many hundred years after Jeffe, and yet the root from which Jeffe fprung!) and he that fhall rife to reign over the Gentiles, in him, • (though a mere many and though it be written, • Curfed is the man that trusteth in man ;-yet in · HIM, I fay) hall the Gentiles TRUST!-I will not dare (verfe 18,) to speak of those things • which Chrift, (a mere man) hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and • deed,-through mighty figns and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, fo that from Jerufalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gofpel of Chrift.-Now I beseech you brethren, for the Lord Jefus • Chrift's fake (that is for the fake of a mere man!) and for the love of the Spirit that ye ftrive together with me in your prayers to God for

me.

Chap. xvi. 3. Great Prifcilla and Aquila, my helpers in Chrift Jefus, (that is, in a mere man!)-Salute my well-beloved Epenetus, who is the firft fruits of Achaia unto Chrift (a mere man!) Salute Andronicus and Junius my kinfmen and my fellow prifoners, who were in • Chrift (the mere man) before me. Salute Urbane, our helper in Chrift (who you know, is a mere man.) The Churches of Chrift, (that is the Churches of a mere man falute you. Mark ⚫ them that cause divifions, for they that are such, 'ferve not our Lord Jefus Chrift (that is ferve 'not a mere man!) but their own belly. The grace of (this mere man) our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you! Amen! (I fay again, verfe 24.) The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, (the fame mere man!) be with you all!'

Thefe

Thefe, Rev. Sir, are a few of the many paf fages in the Epistle to the Romans, relating to Christ, which when opened with Dr. Priefly's key, and interpreted according to his doctrine, appear to be lo abfurd, that I think, no perfon pretending to common fenfe would have written them. And as a proof, that the Doctor and his brethren confider them as abfurd, or at least incompatible with their scheme, they are rarely oblerved to use fuch language either from the pulpit or the prefs-Serving Chrift, Preaching Chrift, Being in Chrift, The Spirit of Chrift, The grace of Chrift; Chrift made of the feed of David atcording to the fiefh; fent in the likeness of finful flesh Chrift dying for us, reconciling us to God by his death,-giving us redemption in his blood, being the end of the Law for righteoufnefs, &c. &c. are expreffions feldom if ever heard from their pulpits, or read in their books. And no wonder; for they are expreffions which but ill agree with their doctrine of Chrift's mere humanity. They are like the head of gold, and breast of silver, in Nebuchadnezar's image, joined" with feet and toes of iron and clay.

I am

Rev. Sir,

Your's affectionately, in

Chrift Jefus, the Word

made flesh,

JOSEPH BENSON

LETTER

KEV. SIR,

LETTER II,

N the laft Letter we reviewed fundry paffages

found, I think, that on the fuppofition of the Author's holding the doctrine of Chrift's mere humanity, he paid little regard, I will not fay to divine infpiration, or to conclufive reafoning, but even to common fenfe in writing that Epiftle. I now proceed to the 1ft. Epiftle to the Corinthians, the very infcripfion of which, and benediction pronounced immediately after, demonftrate, either that the Socinian doctrine is falfe, or that St. Paul wrote, to fay the leaft, very abfurdly.

upon

Paul, an Apoftle of Jefus Chrift,(that is an Apoftle of a mere man!-unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Chrift Jefus (viz. fanctified in a mere man!) called to be faints, with all that in the name every place call of Jefus Chrift our Lord, both their's and our's(that is, call upon the name of a mere man!) Grace to you, • and peace from God our Father, and from the • Lord Jesus Christ,'who though no more than a man is able, conjointly with the felf-exiftent Jehovah, to confer grace and peace upon all the

churches.

6

I thank my God, (proceeds he, verfe 4) always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Chrift Jefus (that is by a mere man!) that in every thing ye are enriched by him (a mere man though he be!) in all utterance, and in all knowledge, even as the teftimony of • Chrift (this mere man was confirmed among you, fo that ye came behind in no gift, waiting

*fer