two schemes of Socinianism and Mahometanism into one consistent aggregate. If, on the other hand,

This work they

are to be found in the writings that go under his name. declare themselves willing to undertake, for the vindication of Mahomet's glory. They intimate that the corrections which they would propose would render the Koran more consistent; not with itself only, but with the Gospel of Christ, of which they say Mahomet pretended to be but a preacher. They tell the Ambassador, that the Unitarian Christians form a great and considerable people. To give weight to the assertion, they enumerate the heresiarchs of all ages who have opposed the Trinity, from Paulus Samosatenis, down to Faustus Socinus, and the leaders of the Polonian fraternity. They celebrate the modern tribes of Arians, as asserters of the proper unity of God; and they close the honourable list with the Mahometans themselves. All these, they say, maintain the faith of one God: and "why should we forget to add you, Mahometans, "who also consent with us in the belief of one only Supreme Deity."

Such is the substance of a letter which they presented to the Ambassador with some Latin manuscripts respecting the differences between Christianity and the Mahometan religion, and containing an ample detail of the Unitarian tenets. They apply to the Mussulman, as to a person of known discernment in spiritual and sublime matters: and they entreat him to communicate the import of their manuscripts to the consideration of the fittest persons among his countrymen.

This singular epistle may be seen entire in Leslie's Socinian Controversy discussed.

Dr. Horsley, in whose controversial writings with Dr. Priestley this is inserted (Letter 16, page 307, ed. 3), by way of stamping its authen ticity, has added a note, in which he says, that in consequence of Dr. Priestley's questioning the veracity of it, he examined the Archbishop's library at Lambeth, from whence the copy was originally taken, where he found it in a thin folio, under the mark 673, among the Codices MSS. Tenisoniani; and entered in the catalogue, under the article Socinians, by the title of Systema Theologia Sociniana.

On the preceding leaf are these remarks:-" These are the original 66 papers which a cabal of Socinians in London offered to present to the "Ambassador of the King of Fez and Morocco, when he was taking "leave of England, August 1682.-The said Ambassador refused to "receive them, after having understood that they concerned religion."The agent of the Socinians was Monsieur Virzè.-Sir Charles Cottrell, "Knt. Master of the Ceremonies, then present, desired he might have

Jesus Christ be God incarnate, then "every spirit "that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the "flesh, is of God; and every spirit that confesseth "that Jesus Christ is not come in the flesh, is not of "God:" "whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the "Father," while he "that acknowledgeth the Son hath "the Father also:" "he that hath the Son hath life, "and he that hath not the Son hath not life;" (c) they are as opposite in their nature as the dead and the living, and it is as impossible for them to unite cordially together in religious worship. The one party contends, and contends naturally, that by worshipping a creature he should dishonour God, to whom alone worship is due: the other affirms as naturally, and (as I trust you will now allow) more consistently with the uniform tenour of the Gospel, that, by withholding worship from the Saviour, he should deny his Divine

"them, which was granted; and he brought them, and gave them to 66 me, Thomas Tenison, then Vicar of St. Martin's in the Fields, "Middlesex."

Dr. Horsley adds, by way of farther confirmation, "I do most so"lemnly aver, that I have this day (Jan. 15, 1789), compared the "letter to Ameth Ben Ameth. as published by Dr. Leslie, in his So"cinian Controversy discussed, with the MS. in the Archbishop's library, "and find that the printed copy, with the exception of some trivial 66 typographical errors, which in no way affect the sense, and are such as any reader will discover and correct for himself, is exactly conform"able to the MS., without the omission or addition of a single word."

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(c) 1 John, iv. 2, 3. ii. 23. v. 12. In the first of these passages, the phrase in the flesh either clearly indicates a possibility or capability of other ways of coming, or it is nugatory. If it be not merely expletive, which is not easily to be admitted, it is, therefore, decisively in favour of the orthodox doctrine respecting the person of Christ. The Socinian interpretation of the passage is refuted by Bishop Horsley, Letters, p. 120, and by Abbadie, sect. iii. cap. 2, 10.

perfections, dishonour and degrade Him, and thus lose his title to eternal glory.

The character the Redeemer now sustains renders this a matter of infinite moment. Jesus has "" as"cended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand "of his Father," "far above all principalities and "powers." Here he was our prophet and teacher, and died as our atoning sacrifice; there he is incessantly pleading for his people; nay, there he both intercedes as our High Priest, and sits and reigns as King; reigns with inexpressible dignity and glory, rich in power and grandeur, rich in compassion and tenderness, rich in adorable perfections, as the SON OF GOD, the SAVIOUR to the uttermost, the PRINCE OF LIFE. He governs all things in heaven and on earth, that he may defend his Church, adorn her with his Spirit, and procure and accomplish her eternal salvation. But "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the "dead" "for the Father judgeth no man; but hath

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given all judgment to his Son, that all may honour "the Son as they honour the Father." (d) May the contemplation of this great event stimulate us, my friend, sedulously to seek, and heartily to embrace, the truth. For, "behold he cometh with clouds, and

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every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced "him." (e) Then will they "say to the mountains "and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of " him that sitteth upon the throne, even from the wrath "of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come,

"and who shall be able to stand?" (ƒ) while the meek and humble and upright followers of Jesus, rejoicing that at length" they are indeed becoming like "him, for they see him as he is," will exclaim in grateful triumph, "Lo, this is oUR GOD; we have "waited for him, and he will save us this is THE LORD, we have waited for him; we will be glad and "rejoice in his salvation!" (g)

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(f) Rev. vi. 16, 17.

(g) John iii. 2. Is. xxv. 9.

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LETTER XVI.

On the Nature of Conversion, and its Necessity.

THE subject which I have selected for discussion in the present letter is one of the highest moment, and yet, unfortunately, is one, respecting which the greatest and most lamentable mistakes have prevailed. Some have imagined that religious conversion, or regeneration, is effected by baptism, so that whoever is baptized is, of necessity, regenerated. This, however, is neither consistent with Scripture nor with fact, except in those very rare instances in which the "bap"tism with water," and that "with the Holy Spirit," occur at the same moment. Gibbon and Hume were baptized in their infancy, but lived and died infidels : Simon Magus was baptized, but certainly not regenerated, for he was subsequently declared by an apostle to be "in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity:" and you and I have known some who, though they were baptized when adults, on a profession of faith, afterwards relapsed into an open denial of the truth, and a daily neglect of the duties, of Christianity: from which it is evident, that baptism and regeneration are not necessarily connected. Others have considered repentance to be regeneration; but neither is this correct. True repentance often terminates in regeneration, and, indeed, is commonly con

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