DR. PRIESTLEY'S PREFACE. AFTER examining the foundation of our Christian faith, and having seen how much valuable information we receive from it, in my Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion, it is with a kind of reluctance, that, according to my proposal, I must now proceed to exhibit a view of the dreadful corruptions which have debased its spirit, and almost annihilated all the happy effects which it was eminently calculated to produce. It is some satisfaction to us, however, and is more than sufficient to answer any objection that may be made to Christianity itself from the consideration of these corruptions, that they appear to have been clearly foreseen by Christ, and by several of the apostles. And we have at this day the still greater satisfaction to perceive that, according to the predictions contained in the books of Scripture, Christianity has begun to recover itself from this corrupted state, and that the reformation advances apace. And though some of the most shocking abuses still continue in many places, their virulence is very generally abated; and the number is greatly increased of those who are most zealous in the profession of Christianity, whose lives are the greatest ornament to it, and who hold it in so much purity, that, if it was fairly exhibited, and universally understood, it could hardly fail to recommend itself to the acceptance of the whole world of Jews and Gentiles. The clear and full exhibition of truly reformed Christianity seems now to be almost the only thing that is wanting to the universal prevalence of it. But so long as all the Christianity that is known to Heathens, Mahometans, and Jews, is of a corrupted and debased kind; and particularly while the profession of it is so much connected with worldly interest, it is no wonder that mankind in general refuse to admit it, and that they can even hardly be prevailed upon to give any attention to the evidence that is alleged in its favour. Whereas, when the system itself shall appear to be less liable to objection, it is to be hoped, that they may be brought to give proper attention to it, and to the evidence on which it rests. Disagreeable as must be the view of these corruptions of Christianity to those who love and value it, it may not be without its use, even with respect to themselves. For the more their abhorrence and indignation are excited by the consideration of what has so long passed for Christianity, the more highly will they esteem what is truly so, the contrast will be so striking, and so greatly in its favour. Both these valuable ends, I hope, will be, in some measure, answered by this attempt to exhibit, what appear to me to have been the great deviations from the genuine system and spirit of Christianity, and the causes that produced them. The following work has been so long promised to the public, that I cannot help being apprehensive lest my friends, and others, should not find their expectations from it fully answered. But they should recollect, that it was originally promised on a much smaller scale, viz. as the concluding part of my Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion, which were drawn up for the use of young persons only. I have since seen reason to extend my views, and to make this a separate work, larger than the whole of the Institutes; and perhaps I may not have succeeded sufficiently well in the uniform extension of the whole design. If, therefore, in any respect, either the composition, or the citation of authorities, should appear to be more adapted to my first design, I hope the candid reader will make proper allowance for it. I have not, however, taken notice of every departure from the original standard of Christian faith or practice, but only, or at least chiefly, such as subsists at this day, in some considerable part of the Christian world; or such as, though they may not properly subsist themselves, have left considerable vestiges in some Christian churches. I have not omitted, at the same time, to recite, as far as I was able, both the several steps by which each corruption has advanced, and also whatever has been urged with the greatest plausibility in favour of it; though I have made a point of being as succinct as possible. in the detail of arguments, for or against any particular article of faith or practice. If my proper and ultimate object be considered, I flatter myself it will be thought that I have given reasonable satisfaction with respect to it; having shown that everything which I deem to be a corruption of Christianity has been a departure from the original scheme, or an innovation. It will also be seen, that I have generally been able to trace every such corruption to its In one article, however, I have conproper source, and to show what cir- siderably extended the argumentative cumstances in the state of things, and part, viz. in my account of the doctrine especially of other prevailing opinions of atonement. To this subject I had and prejudices, made the alteration, in given particular attention many years doctrine or practice, sufficiently natural, ago; and Dr. Lardner and Dr. Fleming and the introduction and establishment having seen what I then wrote, preof it easy. And if I have succeeded vailed upon me to allow them to publish in this investigation, this historical what they thought proper of it. This method will be found to be one of the they did, under the title of The Scripmost satisfactory modes of argumenta- ture Doctrine of Remission, in the year tion, in order to prove that what I 1761. When I published the Theoobject to is really a corruption of logical Repository, I corrected and genuine Christianity, and no part of enlarged that tract, and intended to the original scheme. For after the write a still larger treatise on the subclearest refutation of any particular ject, with the history of the doctrine doctrine, that has been long established in Christian churches, it will still be asked, how, if it be no part of the scheme, it ever came to be thought so, and to be so generally acquiesced in; and in many cases the mind will not be perfectly satisfied till such questions be answered. Besides this, I have generally given a short account of the recovery of the genuine doctrines of Christianity in the last age, though this was not my professed object; and a full history of the reformation, in all its articles, might be the subject of another large and very instructive work, though I apprehend not quite so useful as I flatter myself this will be. annexed to it. I shall now, however, drop that design, contenting myself with giving the substance of the arguments in this work. In the Conclusion of this work, I have taken the liberty, which I hope will not be thought improper, to endeavour to call the attention of unbelievers to the subject of the corruptions of Christianity (being sensible that this is one of the principal causes of infidelity), and also that of those who have influence with respect to the present establishments of Christianity, the reformation of many of the abuses I have described being very much in their power. There is nothing, I hope, in the manner of these addresses that will give offence, as none was intended. I trust, that from a sense of its infinite importance, I am deeply concerned for the honour of the religion I profess. I would, therefore, willingly do anything that may be in my power (and I hope with a temper not unbecoming the gospel) to make it both properly understood, and also completely reformed, in order to its more general propagation, and to its producing its proper effects on the hearts and lives of men; and, consequently, to its more speedily be coming, what it is destined to be, the greatest blessing to all the nations of the world. As this work was originally intended to be nothing more than a Fourth Part of my Institutes, as mentioned above, I had contented myself with taking authorities from respectable modern writers, such as Dr. Clarke, Lardner, Jortin, Basnage, Beausobre, Le Clerc, Grotius, Du Pin, Fleury, Mosheim, Le Sueur, Giannone, &c. As my views extended, and I was led to imagine my work might be of some use to a higher class of readers, I found it necessary to have recourse to the original authorities in everything of consequence, especially for such articles as might be liable to be controverted in this country. been of my own. I can truly say that I have omitted nothing, the authority for which I think to be at all suspicious; and it will be seen that I have generally made use of such as, from the nature of the subject, are the least liable to exception. Where no writer is quoted, I suppose the fact to be well known to all who are conversant in these inquiries, and for which the common ecclesiastical historians are a sufficient authority. To have compiled such a work as this from original authorities only, without making use of any modern writers, would have been more than any one man could have executed in the course of a long life. And what advantage do we derive from the labours of others, if we can never confide in them, and occasionally save ourselves some trouble by their means? It will also be proper to observe, that I have sometimes made use of my own former publications, especially those in the Theological Repository, which, indeed, were originally intended for farther use. Thus I have partly copied, and partly abridged, what I had there written on the subject of Atonement, as mentioned before, and also on that of Baptism. Some things, too, will be found in this work copied, or abridged, from other works that Accordingly, I have taken a good deal bear my name, as the Essay on the of pains to read, or at least look care- Lord's Supper, on Church Discipline, fully through, many of the most capital and the Disquisitions relating to Matworks of the ancient Christian writers, ter and Spirit. But the whole of such in order to form a just idea of their extracts will not much exceed a single general principles and turn of thinking, sheet; and I did not think it right to and to collect such passages as might leave any of the pieces imperfect, occur for my purpose. Still, however, merely to avoid a repetition of so small some things remain as I first wrote a magnitude, especially considering them, and sometimes from not having that the several publications may fall been able to purchase or conveniently into different hands. procure the original writers. But my object is not to give my readers a high idea of the extent of my reading, but simply a credible account of such facts as I shall lay before them; and I doubt not they will be as well satisfied of the fidelity of such writers as I have quoted, as they would have Since, however, I have written so largely on the subject of the soul, and the history of opinions relating to it, in the Disquisitions, I have omitted it altogether in this work, though it would have been a very proper part of it. I have only taken from that work a few particulars relating to the state of the dead, and a few other articles, without which this work would have been strikingly defective. The whole of what I have called the As to friend or an enemy, I shall be glad to avail myself of the intimation, in case there should be a demand for a second edition.1 As some of my materials Sequel to the Disquisitions (or The bear an equal relation to several of the History of the Philosophical Doctrine subjects into which the work is divided, concerning the Origin of the Soul, and the reader will find a repetition of the Nature of Matter, with its influ- some things, but they are so few, and ence on Christianity, especially with so useful in their respective places, that respect to the doctrine of the Pre-exist- it hardly requires an apology. ence of Christ, Vol. III. pp. 384-446) the repetition in the Appendix, the imI wish to have considered as coming portance of the subject must apologize properly within the plan of this work, for it. and essential to the principal object of it. Indeed, when I published the Disquisitions, I hesitated whether I should publish that part then, or reserve it for this History. But the rest of this work was not then ready, and it was of too much use for the purpose of the other not to go along with it. I wish the general arguments against the preexistence of Christ, contained in Sect. VI. of that Sequel (pp. 421-439) to be particularly attended to. In a subject so copious as this, I am far from supposing it probable that I have made no mistakes, notwithstanding I have used all the care and precaution that I could. If any such be pointed out to me, whether it be by a Though I have made no formal division of this work, except into separate Parts and Sections, the reader will perceive that I have, in the first place, considered the most important articles of Christian doctrine, and then those that relate to discipline and the government of the church. this History, is a page containing a few correc1 At the end of the Reply, which will follow tions, &c. of which I have availed myself for this edition. The author says, "Having given the best attention that I can to the several remarks which have been made on this work, I have not yet seen any reason to make more than the following corrections and additions. It will be easily perceived that they are rather favourable than unfavourable to my principal object. Had I been convinced of any other oversight, I necessary alterations.' [Rutt.] should with the same readiness have made the Dedication by Dr. Priestley. TO THE REVEREND THEOPHILUS LINDSEY,' A.M. DEAR FRIEND, WISHING, as I do, that my name may ever be connected as closely with yours after death, as we have been connected by friendship in life, it is with peculiar satisfaction that I dedicate this work (which I am willing to hope will be one of the most useful of my publications) to you. To your example, of a pure love of truth, and of the most fearless integrity in asserting it, evidenced by the sacrifices you have made to it, I owe much of my own wishes to imbibe the same spirit; though a more favourable education and situation in life, by not giving me an opportunity of distinguishing myself as you have done, has, likewise, not exposed me to the temptation of acting otherwise; and for this I wish to be truly thankful. For, since so very few of those who profess the same sentiments with you, have had the courage to act consistently with them, no person, whatever he may imagine he might have been 1 This excellent man died Nov. 3, 1808, in the 86th year of his age, having exemplified, both in active and declining life, the benign and cheering influence of Christian truth, while he laboured with the purest zeal to expose the corruptions by which it has been obscured. Dr. Priestley's first interview with Mr. Lindsey was in 1769, "at the house of Archdeacon Blackburne, at Richmond, where," says Mr. Belsham, "they passed some days together in that unre served and delightful interchange of sentiments, would naturally take place among persons of high intellectual attainments, in whose estimamost honourable place, and who were all equally animated with the same ardent love of truth, and with the same generous zeal for civil and religious liberty." Mem. of Lindsey, p. 34. See also Dr. Priestley's own Memoirs. and in those free and amicable discussions which tion the discoveries of divine revelation held the equal to, can have a right to presume that he would have been one of so small a number. No person can see in a stronger light than you do the mischievous consequences of the corruptions of that religion, which you justly prize, as the most valuable of the gifts of God to man; and, therefore, I flatter myself, it will give you some pleasure to accompany me in my researches into the origin and progress of them, as this will tend to give all the friends of pure Christianity the fullest satisfaction that they reflect no discredit on the revelation itself; since it will be seen that they all came in from a foreign and hostile quarter. It will likewise afford a pleasing presage, that our religion will, in due time, purge itself of everything that debases it, and that for the present prevents its reception by those who are ignorant of its nature, whether living in Christian countries, or among Mahometans and Heathens. The gross darkness of that night which has for many centuries obscured our holy religion, we may clearly see, is past; the morning is opening upon us; and we cannot doubt but that the light will increase, and extend itself more and more unto the perfect day. Happy are they who contribute to diffuse the pure light of this everlasting gospel. The time is coming when the detection of one error or prejudice, relating to this most important subject, and the success we have in opening and enlarging the minds of men with respect to it, will be far more honourable than any discovery we can make |