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pothesis at which he had only glanced hi preceding publications , that Philo and Josephus were Christians ; and that under the name of Jewish believers , they were , in fact , recording-the history and delineating the character of professors of the Gospel . A sequel to this work was
published in 1813 , in which the author pro * posed to trace the origin of the introductory chapters in Matthew and Luke ' s Gospels from Josephus , and to deduce the peculiar articles of the orthodox faith from the Gnostics , who opposed the Gospel in the days of Christ and his Apostles .
Under the name of Essenus , Dr . Jones published , in 1819 , a New Version of the first three Chapters of Genesis . The work was occasioned by Mr . Bellamy's translation that had then just appeared . In the following year , the appearance of numerous Deistical works induced Dr .
Jones to print , in one volume , 8 vo . '" A Series of important Facts , demonstrating the Truth of the Christian Religion , drawn from the Writings of its Friends and Enemies in the first and second Centuries . " Dr . Jones's next publication was " A Reply to two Deistical works entitled , A New Trial of the Witnesses , &c , and Gamaliel Smith ' s Not Paul but Jesus . " In the title of this work he assumed the name of Ben David .
His last publication of a theological character , which appeared in 1825 , was entitled " Three Letters addressed to the Editor of the Quarterly Review , in which is demonstrated the Genuineness of the three Heavenly Witnesses i 1 Johnv . 7 , by Ben David . " The aim of of Dr . Jones in this tract is to prove that this much-disputed verse , which nearly all the most eminent scholars and writers of modern
times have pronounced to be a forgery , was the genuine composition of the author of the epistle ; and that instead of being foisted into th > e text , as is commonly maintained , for the purpose of supporting the doctrine of the Trinity , it was actually expunged by the earlier
fathers , as furnishing a strong argument in favour of the proper humanity of Jesus Christ . This pamphlet exhibits , in the liveliest colours , the sanguine temper of the author's miftd , and displays great ingenuity , as well as enthusiasm in the maintenance of a favourite hypothesis .
Before we quit this class of Dr . Jones ' s writings , we may remark here , that he was , for many years , a frequent contributor to the former Series of the Monthly Repository : we shall not attempt air enumeration of his articles . A larfcc ? portion of our readers are already await ?
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Obituary . ~ -l ) r . Joltn Jmes . 295
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resided at Halifax , he published his first work , in two volumes 8 vo « , under the title of " A Deyelopement of Remarkable Events , calculated to restore the Christian Religion to its original Purity , and to repel the Objections of Unbelievers . " His original design was to embody in these
volumes all the facts which he meant to adduce to elucidate the meaning , and establish the credibility of the historical and epistolary writings of the New Testament . But his materials having unexpectedl y accumulated as he advanced , he was able to carry on his plan no farther than the end of the Acts of the Apostles . These volumes contain a vindication of the
authenticity of the disputed passage in Josephus ; and the work is remarkable as conveying the first intimation of the hypothesis , for which he was afterwards so greatly distinguished , of Josephus and Philo being converts to the Christian faith . In the year 1801 followed a second part of this work , which the author entitled " The Epistle of Paul to the Romans analysed , from a Developement of those Circumstances in the Roman Church
by which it was occasioned . " In the former volumes he had intimated bis doubts as to the success of his undertaking . He now became convinced that he had failed to interest the religious- public in his speculations . He therefore discontinued the prosecution of his original plan , meaning , however , to resume the subject at a more advanced period of life , — " When , " he
writes , " the fashionable levity and scepticism of the times should , in some degree , subside , and the spirit ofpartygivewaytoa rational inquiry and a zeal for the truth . " In the year 1808 , Dr . Jones published 1 ' Illustrations of the four Gospels , founded on Circumstances peculiar to our Lord and his Evangelists . " This work is distinguished by a mode of thinking peculiar
to the author , and evinces an intimate acquaintance with the sacred writings and with Christian antiquity . It is , unquestionably , one of his ablest theological publications . Many of his " illustrations " are strikingly original , and as felicitous as they are orignal . They discover an acute mind , always feelingly alive to the unrivalled excellence of our Lord ' s
manner of instruction , and to the unstudied but exquisite beauties of his historians . Dr . Jones's next work of this class appeared in 1812 . It was entitled , * ' Ecclesiastical Researches , or Philo and Josephus proved to be Historians and Apologists of Christ , ' of his Followers , and of his Gospel . " ' The title of this work sufficiently explains its object . The author here maintains at length > the hy-
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1827, page 295, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1795/page/63/
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