4. Laftly, I would obferve, that though at prefent there are but few who disbelieve the miraculous conception, there have always, I believe, been fome, and those men of learning and character among christians, who have thought as I am now inclined

to do with refpect to it. I have seen a fmall tract of Mr. Elwall's, written about fixty years ago, the defign of which was to difprove it. It made no impreffion upon me at the time, and I have not been able to procure it fince. Dr. Eaton, a learned and refpectable diffenting minifter, late of Nottingham, though he never wrote upon the subject, is well known by his acquaintance to have been decidedly of the fame opinion with Mr. Elwall; and fo have been, and are, feveral others, inferior to none that bear the chriftian name for understanding, learn ing, or probity. To my certain knowledge, the number of fuch perfons is encreasing, and feveral of them think it to be a matter of great confequence, that a doctrine which they regard as a difcredit to the chriftian

fcheme,

scheme, should be exploded. They also think it far better that this fhould be done by chriftians themselves, than by unbelievers, who may fay that we never give up any idle notion, till we can maintain it no longer.

Ob

Having premised thus much, I proceed to the confideration of the fubject before me, and I fhall do it with the greatest freedom, and as far as I can judge concerning myself, with perfect impartiality. ferving that, though I frankly acknowledge the arguments against the miraculous conception confiderably preponderate in my mind at present, I fhall not form an abfolutely decided opinion, till I fhall have had an opportunity of seeing what weight may be thrown into the oppofite scale, by any perfons who shall candidly examine what they will find advanced in this chapter.

SECTION I

Of the Nature and Importance of the Doctrine of the Miraculous Conception,

IN the first place I would obferve, that the importance of this doctrine has been unreasonably magnified in modern times. It is one on which the ancient unitarians held oppofite opinions, without, as far as appears, having ever thought the worfe of one another on that account; and, therefore, there can be no reason why we should not exercife the fame mutual candour at this day. The value of the gofpel depends not at all upon any idea that we may have concerning the perfon of Chrift. All that we ought to regard is the object of his mission, and the authority with which his doctrine was promulgated. The doctrine of immortality, which is the great object of the whole revealed will of God, is just as acceptable to me, from the mouth of the son of Jofeph

and Mary, as from the mouth of any man created for the purpofe, from that of an angel, or from the voice of God himself speaking from heaven.

When the doctrine of the miraculous conception is not particularly attended to, we all readily fay, that it is the belief of the doctrines, the miracles, the death, and the refurrection of Chrift, that makes the chriftian; and alfo that the fewer things of an extraneous nature, that we connect with these, and maintain to be infeparable from them, the better; efpecially if we thereby make the defence of christianity the cafier. And certainly no circumstance relating to the birth of Chrift has any more connec-. tion with the articles above mentioned, than the opinion of his having been a tall or short man, of a fair or a dark complexion. It does not at all concern us to know how Chrift came into the world, but what he taught when he was in it, and what he did and suffered, as a proof of the authority by which he taught it. Every man, therefore, who believes that Chrift had a divine com

miffion

miffion to teach the great doctrines of a refurrection, and of a life to come, is as much a chriftian, and has as ftrong motives to govern his life by the precepts of christianity, as he who likewife believes that he was without father, or without mother, that he was the maker of the world, or the eternal God himself. Such articles of faith as thefe can only ferve to puzzle, to amaze, and confound men; but they have no tendency to mend the heart or the life.

I would farther obferve, that the doctrine of the miraculous conception itself is not, in fact, of any more confequence to the Socinian, thar. it is to the Arian, or even the Athanafian hypothefis. For it is no impediment to the union of the Arian or Athanafian logos to the human nature of Chrift, that his body was derived from Jofeph. For any thing that we can judge, a body produced in the natural way, was just as proper for the refidence of this heavenly inhabitant, as one made on purpose. And if, on any scheme, it was fit that Chrift fhould have human nature at all, it may