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    con was ever convinced of the futility of the arguments of the * PleaJ by the Examination of Mr . Lindsey . " There is , however , some evidence on this point , presumptive and positive . Had the Archdeacon been convinced of

    the futility oi the main arguments contained in the " Flea / ' surely the circumstance could not have escaped the attention of his friend Liudsey , with whom he so frequently corresponded , who must have possessed some curiosity , if not anxiety , on the subject , and and whose satisfaction at the

    conversion of so eminent a man , must have been so great , that it is highly improbable it should have remained a secret : but what follows affords direct and positive evidence , that the opinion ef the Archdeacon , respecting the general merits of the * ' Plea , " remained the same to the close of his life ; for in the

    quotation from the Archdeacon ' s biograpker , his son , the present worthy rector of Brignal , he thus expresses himself : — * We have not been able to discover that the

    Archdeacon ' s sentiments , " [ respecting the " Plea , " ] underwent any change ^ as he recommended the serious perusal of it , to some young clergymen , a very few "weeks before his death . " That the Archdeacon had attentively examined the answer of his friend

    Lindsey , which had been presented to him when first published , cannot be doubted ; and it is as free from doubt , that he would not , at the dosrc of his life , have

    recommended the serious perusal" of the " Plea" to the young clergymen of his acquaintance , had not his opinion of its general excellence remained unaltered .

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    From the popularity of the " Plea /* and the deep impression it mad *? on the public , we are informed that a reply was at length thought advisable ; Mr . Lindsey ,

    therefore , in 17-85 , about nine years after its first appearance , published , anonymously , his " Examination- " A second edition ? vvith the name of the author was

    publisher ! in 1789 ' . of this performance Mr . Belsham presents us with a brief analysis , which he concludes as follows : — * ' The success of this

    Examination was complete : from the time it was published , no person , who had the least pretension to biblical learning , was heard to open his lips in defence of this famous u Plea : " not a syllable was

    written in confutation of the reply . Those who would not retract were , at least , compelled to be silent ; and it seemed to be universally

    coneeded i that if the Divinity of Christ was to be defended at all , it must be upon a very different ground from that which was occupied by this much-vaunted performance . "

    To this statement , I beg leave to reply that , confident as is the language of the writer , there is no evidence to support it ; on the contrary , there is much to confute 44

    it . The Examination , " whatever are its merits , appears to have excited but little attention , compared with the " Plea ; " four editions of the latter sold in less time

    than one of the former . In flat contradiction to Mr . B . ' s assertion , " that it seemed to be universally conceded ^ that if the Divinity of Christ was to be defended at aU it must be on very different ground ^ &c « " I affijrp , without fear of

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    SO On Mr . Belsham ^ s Account of R . Robinson .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1813, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2424/page/20/