and Luke, as have the other parts of their gofpel-history. Other perfons acknowlege thefe to be difficulties in reconciling the narratives; but do not think thofe difficulties of fufficient force to counterbalance and fet afide the pofitive evidence, which appears to them to remain for their authenticity, after all deductions made. You, who are able, are to form your own judgments. It is of no conféquence to us as christians, what is the decifion, any farther than as one at least of the evangelifts has delivered a peremptory account of the fact, it is defirable to have fatisfaction concerning it. There must be a freedom in difcuffing doubtful points in history, facred or profane, to come at the truth; in the fame manner as in inquiries on natural fubjects, you make many experiments that fail, before you arrive at the experimentum crucis. If any one can solve Dr. Priestley's doubts, and restore the credit of the history in his mind, no one will be more ready to retract what he has advanced. And if the miraculous conception has been the invention of fome early over-zealous christians to do honour to Chrift, when this is

made

made to appear, and fatisfactory evidence obtained how it was adopted or foifted into the facred code, in any degree like that which we fee of the fpurioufnefs of the text of the three witnesses, John. v. 7. all judicious christians will readily give it up.

Chrift's fhedding of his blood, how to be underftood. Sacrifices, their origin, and intent. Nothing done by Chrift to atone for mens' fins, or to make God more favourable and propitious than he was before. Repentance is all that is necessary to recommend finners to the divine mercy and favour. Chrift's interceffion, what intended by it.

VERY much diffatisfied with the explication of the apostle Paul's language of Christ entering into heaven by his blood, given in the sequel to the apology for refigning the living of Catterick, p. 90, as fignifying only his meritorious obedience unto death, which

1

gave him admiffion there and favour with God: Dr. Horne thus expreffes himself But is this the parallel intended by the apoftle to the cafe of the highprieft, who entered not without blood, which

upon it.

be offered for himself and the fins of the people? Muit not this man (Chrift) as the apostle himself argues, have something also to OFFER? And did he not therefore offer his own blood for the fins of the people? (himself he had none). He did; and the apostle by the parallel meant to say that he did: he actually does fay fo. But Dr. Priestley and Mr. Lindsey say, there neither was nor could be any fuch thing. Their reafon tells them, there was no atonement by the blood of Chrift; and ⚫ their confciences, as we are to suppose, • tell them, they need none.' Undergra duate's letter to Dr. Priestley, p. 42, 43.

Persons who have long been in the habit of impofing on themselves by the use of figurative terms of fcripture in the gross, as if there was fome great mystery contained in them, may thus tlk crudely of Chrift offering his blood: but you, who are learning from

from your inftructors, and from the excellent Locke on the human understanding, to analyze the proper meaning of words in the authors you read, would not have fat down fo contented, but would have tried, if some more light into the matter was not to be attained.

You would have confidered, that a man's entering into heaven by his blood, cannot be taken literally. Entering into heaven, in the cafe of Christ, you would have found to have been, his being tranflated from this earth, after having been raised from the dead in three days, to a state of high favour with God, and the poffeffion of immortal life, by the divine power.

You would have next inquired, how could this be effected by his blood, by fhedding or offering his blood? Blood itself, the red fluid, is a thing of no moral value. But blood being the life of man, the shedding of it, or voluntary giving up of life, may be praife worthy, according to the motives influencing to it.

What was there then, you would have proceeded to afk, in Chrift fhedding his blood,

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blood, or voluntarily parting with his life, which was fo acceptable to the Divine Being, and procured him fuch honourable distinction, not only for himself to enter into heaven, as now explained; but also to be the means of drawing others thither after him, to obtain (p) ETERNAL redemption for us, as the apostle speaks in the fame place? The fcriptures you would farther perceive, inform us, that it was Chrift's zeal, and labours, and fortitude, in preaching the truth,

(p) Redemption is the recovery of a thing by purchase or price of some kind or other, as men were redeemed or delivered from flavery, in antient times, by money paid down for them. Hence the word is transferred to fignify a redemption or deliverance of any kind, or procured in any other way. Thus the Divine Being is called the redeemer of the Ifraelites, in bringing them out of flavery in Egypt; and Mofes is also faid to be their redeemer, as he was the divine instrument employed in it. And thus Christ is our redeemer, in being fent and employed by almighty God, to deliver mankind from their fins and the fatal confequences of them, if perfifted in. The means used by Chrift were the doctrine and powerful motives of the gofpel, to which he gave atteftation as coming from God, by dying or fhedding his blood in its defence. The redemption of the world therefore by Chrift, is their deliverance from fin, and restoration to the divine favour for ever by the means and motives of the gospel.