NOTES. (A) P. 6.—The falsehood of their versions. As it may fairly be presumed, that every one who can read Greek has ready access to a Greek Testament; and these Notes are intended chiefly for the use of persons who cannot; I shall abstain, as much as possible, from the introduction of Greek words, lest the sight of those unknown symbols should deter any from reading such appeals to the original language, as are rendered necessary by the industrious propagation of Hyper-Socinian delusions in the parish with which I have hitherto been most nearly connected, and in whose spiritual welfare I must ever feel the most lively interest. Should I be induced, in a few instances, to consult the convenience of the Greek student, or to avoid a clumsy circumlocution, by putting down a Greek word or phrase, those who are unacquainted with the characters will find no difficulty thus introduced. The utmost notice I shall ever require them to take of such words is, occasionally, when two of them stand near together, to observe that they are different words. In other cases, they have only to read straight without taking any notice of the Greek; or, if the on, sentence require it, to substitute "the Greek word,” or " phrase," in the place of the unknown symbols. Of the versions by which Anti-Trinitarians have tried to destroy the force of the words, "Thought it not robbery to be equal with God," the following have fallen in my way. 1. "Thought not of the robbery of being equal with God." 2. "Did not arrogate (or lay claim to) any equality with God." 3. "Did not catch at, or vehemently desire to be equal with God." 4. " Did not think he ought to make an ostentatious display of his resemblance to God." 66 ; Of course, none of these renderings will avail them, till they have first made good the assertion of their champion, Belsham, and his associates, that the preceding expression, being in the form of God," implies merely an external resemblance, an appearance to the sight; and shewn how it can be applied to Christ, as he existed upon earth that is, how the Man of Sorrows, who "was without form or comeliness," and who," when we saw him, had no beauty that we should desire him," can be truly said to have had an external resemblance to God, which appeared to the sight. The Anti-Trinitarians profess to banish all mystery from religion; but surely here is a mystery of their own creation. And, in order to get rid of one great mystery relating to the nature of the Deity, whom it is manifest no finite being can ever find out to perfection, they create thousands such as this, relating to human language as applied to earthly occurrences, which are completely within the grasp of human intellect, and concerning which there ought to be no mystery at all. But, supposing them to have proved the truth of this wonderful paradox, and so to have convinced the world, that by Christ's" being in the form of God," is meant that he was nothing more than man; still any person of sound understanding, without knowing a word of Greek, might see that none of the three first of the above quoted renderings of the words that follow can be true. The Apostle's declared object is to exhibit Jesus as a pattern of humility and freedom from self-love; and according to these glosses, the first instance he produces of those virtues is, that being nothing but a mere man, he did not claim or aspire to equality with God. There is no danger of our adversaries' persuading any sober-minded Christian, that the inspired Apostle could talk such nonsense as this. They must first subvert the whole fabric of revelation, by shewing, as they labour so hard to do, that inspiration gave no security from mischievous error, and establish their blasphemous assertion, that the inspired penman, St. Paul, is a very blundering theologian and inconclusive reasoner. It is unnecessary to bring forward any separate argument against the fourth of the above versions; for even if the words of the original could be tortured into that meaning, (and I shall shew they can not,) it would, as we have seen, avail the Socinians nothing, except they could first satisfy the world, that the despised Nazarene had a resemblance to God, which had nothing to do with internal nature or essence, but which was altogether external and apparent to the sight. As to their connexion with the original, the first of the four is the only one that has even the appearance of a translation; and it affords a very fair specimen of the fidelity of Socinian translators in general. The word yncato is very properly rendered in our Bibles by the word "thought," that is, judged, esteemed, considered, or held (in opinion); but it never does, nor can signify "thought |