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were encouraged , and the Scriptures in French and English in parallel columns were printed at his own expense for general distribution . " That he was a disinterested and incorruptible friend
of Ilaytian freedom is beyond all dispute . He rejected , when only a subordinate general , all the splendid baits held out to his ambition by Buonaparte . He was found the same upright and inflexible patriot by Malouet and Louis . In both instances he braved
all the terrors of exterminatory war , when the alternative was wealth and honour , and even the chief command of the island for himself , but slavechains and whips and drivers for the peasantry of Hayti . " In short , when we consider his whole history * raised as he had been from the debasing condition of a West-Indian bondsman to
the command of armies and to the possession of absolute power , and the disadvantages of various kinds with which he had to contend ; and call to mind his distinguished military achievements , the propriety and dignity with which he exercised the functions of
government , and his unwearied efforts to improve the intellectual and moral state of his countrymen , we may fairly regard him as entitled to rank among the eminent men who have brightened the page of history in different ages of the world-
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Bloj ? amf Sir , March 28 , 1821 . HAVING seen Dr . Priestley's large work on the Person of our Lord , and part of his History of the Christian Church , I sent him a letter , dated 1791 , in which I suggested some things concerning the pre-existence of
Christ , and of his being employed in creating our world ; observing , that a person who was employed by the Supreme Being to create loaves and fishes , and eyes and limbs , might also be employed to create a world ; that some of our Lord ' s miracles contained
in them real creation ; for that no person , when he wrought them , saw matter rise from the earth and form itself into bread and flesh , and eyes and arms , &c . I also observed , that it appeared very desirable that what he had said in these
two works concerning the Gnostics » hould be published by itself ; and that it should be accompanied with » n ear-
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nest exhortation to all , and especiall y to philosophical Christians * not to fall into the same error , by making Scripture bend to their philosophical principles . His answer , which has no date , is as follows :
" Rev . Sir , " I am not able to read the tette ? you was so good as to write to me , as I use a different short-hand , but Mr . Scholefield read it to me . tc I am far from saying that it is impossible that Christ may have pre-existed ; but 1 say it is both unscriptural and
improbable that it should have been for the purpose of creation . While he was on earth , he declared that he could do nothing of himself 9 but that the Father within him did the works . He himself , therefore , could do no more than Moses or any other prophet ; and of what use could Moses have been in the creation of
the world , if he had pre-existed ? That God should perform a miracle at the indication of a man may be of use as a part of the divine mission of that man , but the other could riot have been of any imaginable use .
iC If that part of my History of Early Opinions relating to the Gnostics could be of use for the purpose you mention , I am far from having any objection to you or any other person making that use of it ; but I have too many other pursuits to attend to it .
" I am , " Reverend Sir , i € Your very humble servant ,. " J . PRIESTLEY . " I still think it is a desirable work , and would continue to the end of time ,
and that very many Christians , and more than a few ministers , greatly need the information ; and for want oi it are continually making severe remarks on Unitarians , which are totally void of foundation ; I , therefore , hope , some person will get it printed by itself . JOSEPH JEVANS .
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SrR , May 6 , 182 L MAY I be permitted to hazard what appears to me a plausible explanation of the memorable apostrophe from- Thomas to the Christ , John xx . 28 ?
For reasons that have been assigned over and over again , I cannot but consider the exclamation as a confession of faith immediately addressed by the
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Orig inal Letter < $ f Dr . Priestley s to Mr . Jevdhs—^ Thomtuf * . Exclamation , % 8 ii
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vol . xvi . 2 i *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1821, page 289, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2500/page/33/
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