preme Lord over all," are often emphatically applied to Jehovah, but never to Jesus. The first of the titles, "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," is certainly applied to him in the following places in this book:-In the 11th verse of this same chapter (which passage, in the opinion of Griesbach, and Newcome, and Parkhurst, and many other learned men, is decidedly spurious, not being found in any of the most ancient manuscripts and versions), in the 17th and 18th verses, in chapter ii. 8 and xxii. 13; from which passages we gather, that the meaning of the title is, that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending of the Christian Dispensation. He is the beginning of the New Creation, the first-born from the dead, the first that has burst the bonds of death, and ascended up on high, leading captivity captive; and as he was, under God, the author, so will he be the finisher of our faith. He hath been appointed to be the final Judge of the whole earth; and "he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet; and then shall he deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; and then shall the Son also himself be subject to Him that hath put all things under him, that God may be all in all."—(1 Cor. xv. 24 to 27.) It is thus that he is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; for these titles refer, in my opinion, to the office which God gave unto Jesus Christ, when he appointed him to be the Redeemer of the world.

Acts xx. 28, "Feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." The true reading is unquestionably" Lord," instead of "God." This is the reading of ten manuscripts, of the highest antiquity and value, and of different countries. All the readings, in which these manuscripts agree, are, by the best critics, admitted as genuine. (Belsham, p. 222.) This reading genuine.-(Belsham, is supported by all the most ancient versions, and ecclesiastical authorities, particularly by Athanasius, who says, "Our Scriptures no where mention the blood of God; such impudent expressions are only used by the Arians." (Belsham p. 221, and Imp. Vers. in loc.) This reading is supported also by the opinions of Grotius, and Wetstein, and Griesbach, and many others.-(See Aspland's Plea, p. 21.)

Acts vii. 59, "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, 'Lord Jesus receive my spirit,"" has

been brought forward as an example of prayer to Christ; but the word God has no corresponding word in the original; and Stephen had just before been favoured with a vision of Jesus, standing at the right hand of God. What, then, could be more natural, than that he should address him as if present, especially as he had devoted his life to his service, was then about to die in defence of his religion? (See Carpenter, p. 243.)

The other passages, 2 Cor. xii. 8; Rev. xxii. 20, &c. which are also supposed to afford examples of prayer to Christ, are evidently no more than pious aspirations or wishes; and the texts which speaks of the disciples calling upon the name of Jesus (not now to mention that they might be equally well translated, "were called by," or appealed to, the name of "Christ"), mean, in my opinion, no more than that they acknowledged his authority as the Messiah, and as their Lord and Master. (For a farther illustration of all these texts, see Carpenter, 245 and following pages.) And as for those passages, in which the disciples and others are said to worship Jesus, I need only remark, that the word worship was used in a much wider sense, when our present translation of the Scriptures was made, than it is now. There are many parts of the Scriptures where the word is used merely to denote respect. (See, for instance, 1 Chron. xxix. 20; Dan. ii. 48; Mat. xxviii. 26; Luke xiv. 10; Rev. iii. 9, &c. &c. Our magistrates are yet styled "worshipful," and "your worship;" and the expression "with my body I thee worship," still remains in the marriage service of the Church of England. And, even if these were examples of prayer to Christ (for these few and doubtful ones are all which can be found), when we consider the numberless passages scattered through every page of the Holy Scriptures, all inculcating, in the strictest manner, prayer to Jehovah, and to Him alone-when we reflect on the uniform example of all the Prophets, and of Him who was greater: than the Prophets, even Jesus Christ, and of his Apostles, surely two or three doubtful passages can be of no weight, no authority whatever, in opposition to all this mass of evidence.

Another class of evidences, which some Trinitarians are very fond of, is found in those passages in which Christ is supposed to ascribe to himself the attributes of Jehovah, such as omniscience, omnipresence, &c. What degree of

knowledge, or wisdom, or power, short of infinite, God can or will communicate to a created being, it is not for man to determine; but of this we may be certain, that he to whose knowledge, or wisdom, or power, there are any limits, cannot be God. Christ tells us that there was a day and an hour in the counsels of Jehovah, which it was not permitted him to know (Mark xiii. 32). That there was a request it was not in his power to grant (Mat. xx. 23). He tells us that all the wisdom, and the knowledge, and the power, which he possessed, was given to him by his heavenly Father (John v. 30; vii. 16; viii. 28; xii. 49; xiv. 10 and 28; xvii. 7 and 8; &c. &c.) How, then, can he be God? How, then, can he be equal to that Father from whom he derived all that he possessed?

Another class of evidences of the deity of Christ, has been found in the names which are given to him in the Scriptures, such as "Immanuel, or God with us;" "the Lord our Righteousness," &c. But, if we recollect that the name Elijah means Jehovah God, Eliaphat the God of Judgment, and many others (for a list, see Christian Reformer, vol. ii. p. 540), this difficulty will also vanish. The names given to different persons, in the Scriptures, are generally nothing more than promises; thus Immanuel, God with us, means no more than that God was with us in Christ, which he undoubtedly was, in an eminent and a peculiar degree.

To conclude this part of my subject:-There is not one passage to be found in the whole of the Scriptures, in which Jesus Christ is clearly and indisputably spoken of as the very and eternal God, equal in all respects with the Father; and if the few passages, in which there is a semblance of it, be compared with numberless passages in which he is spoken of as a man, and as inferior to the Father, and deriving all his power and authority from Him, and those in which Jehovah is declared to be the only true God, the only proper object of religious worship, they will be found to be but as dust in the balance. Which, then, shall we believe the doubtful or the clear-the few or the many? God has, for his own wise, and to us inscrutable, purposes, permitted his holy religion to be corrupted and defiled with priestcraft, and superstition, and error; but he hath also appointed a time, when superstition and error, priestcraft and corruption, shall be as a dream that is over, or a tale that is told. And shall not we, my fellow Uni

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tarians, who conceive that we have attained to the pure faith, as it is in Jesus, and who can look up to the one God and Father of all, with undivided love, and fear, and reverence; shall not we exert all the talent, and the energies, and the power, and the influence, which God has given us, in assisting to remove the clouds of darkness, and superstition, and error, which have so long obscured and hid the purity of that faith from mankind, and to make its transcendent beauties and glorious consolations everywhere known? And shall we not strain all our powers to hasten that happy and glorious period (foretold in the records of Revelation), when “Jehovah shall be One, and his name One;"-when all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, and people, shall acknowledge Him as the only true God; and his Son, the glorified and exalted Jesus, as the only Lord and Master of all?

Γαμμα.

Letters addressed to a small Unitarian Congregation, by their former Minister.

CHRISTIAN FRIENDS,

LETTER IV.

My last letter was occupied with the subject of family worship. I then showed the reasonableness of the duty, its important beneficial tendencies, and the high claim which it has on the heads of families, and the professors of religion, especially. I promised you, in my next, to consider the excuses which are commonly made for the neglect of this most interesting duty. I know not that I can fulfil my engagement so well, as in the words of one of the most pleasing and instructive writers of the present day-the Rev. Wm. Jay, an Independent minister at Bath. I shall, therefore, quote pretty largely, from a very admirable sermon of his," On the Christian in the Family,' the third division of which, is devoted to the answering of objections to the practice of domestic devotion.

Under this head the preacher observes," I have been hesitating whether I should pass over this division of our

* See "The Christian Contemplated," a course of Lectures by Wm. Jay. This is a beautiful and highly useful work; it ought to be read by Christians of all denominations, and is worthy of a place in every family. Sold in London, by Hamilton, Adams, & Co. 33, Paternoster

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subject; not only because we perceive that we must trespass on your time, but because objections can be raised easily against any doctrine or practice. The weakest reasoners most frequently advance them; and no wise ones will ever be influenced by them. They will look at argument and proof; and if a principle be established by sufficient evidence, they are satisfied, even if there should be difficulties which they must leave unsolved. I will, however, glance at four or five things."

"The first regards Leisure. We are so much engaged, that our affairs leave us no time for their exercises." But what time do they require? And is there one of you, that does not waste more time every day of his life than is expended in such devotions? And if more time be really necessary, could you not gain more? How do you manage your concerns? Could nothing be saved by your diligence and order? At what time do you rise? Could nothing be saved from late slumberings on the bed, without any injury to health; yea, with the likelihood of improving it? If time falls short for any thing, should it not fall short for things of less moment? Is not the serving of God the one thing needful?' And cannot He, by his grace and providence, more than indemnify you for every sacrifice you make? Is there not truth in the proverb, There is nothing got by stealing, or lost by praying? Are you more employed than David was who presided in his council, and gave audience to ambassadors, and orders to generals who reigned over an extensive and distracted empire? Yet he found time for domestic worship; and even on a day of peculiar activity, returned to bless his household.'

"The second regards Capacity. We envy those who are qualified for such a work; but we are unable to perform it as we wish, and as we ought.' This is perhaps the only instance in which you think and speak humbly of yourselves. But we will not accept of your voluntary humility, till we have obtained from you an answer to a few inquiries. Is it not the want of inclination you feel, rather than of ability? Have you ever fairly made the trial? Have you done every thing in your power to gain a fitness for the duty? Would not your capacity increase by exercise? Is refinement here necessary? Is not the most imperfect performance preferable to neglect? Suppose you were to do nothing more than (after reading a