had within him that principle which afterwards affumed a perfonal character. Befides, all the chriftian fathers, before the time of Arius, fuppofed that Chrift had a human foul as well as a human body, which no arians ever admitted; they holding that the logos fupplied the place of one in Chrift. Upon the whole, the arian hypothefis appears to me to be destitute of all support from christian antiquity. Whereas it was never denied that the proper unitarian doctrine exifted in the time of the apostles; and I think it evident that it was the faith of the bulk of chriftians, and especially the unlearned chriftians, for two or three centuries after Chrift. To To the preface to the account of the trial of Mr Elwall in p. 59, 60, Dr. Priestley in 1788 made the following addition. SINCE the writing of the above the editor has had the pleasure of knowing many of Mr. Elwall's acquaintance, and particularly Mr. John Martin, of Skilts-Park, between Birmingham and Alcefter, who was present at the trial. He is now in his eighty-fourth year, and perfectly remembers that it was in 1726, and he thinks it was the fummeraffizes, because the weather was very hot. The reputation of the trial drew many perfons to hear it, and himself among the rcft; and being acquainted with fome of the fheriff's men he got a very convenient station, at about an equal diftance from the judge on his left-hand, and Mr. Elwall on his right, where he faw and heard to the greatest advantage. The trial, he fays, was in the morning, and the figure of Mr. Elwall, who was a tall man, with white hair, a large beard and flowing garments, ftruck every body with refpect. He spake about an hour with great gravity, fluency and prefence of mind, but what is printed is the fubftance of what he faid. The judge gave the most obliging attention to him, and the confufion of the clergy, when he paused and waited for their anfwer, as mentioned in the trial, was very vifible. During the trial, Mr. Martin fays he was ftruck with the resemblance of it to that of Paul. He does not recollect that the jury brought in any verdict, but the judge faid he was at liberty to go where he pleased. It is poffible that the trial might not come to a regular termination, on account of Mr Elwall not having had a copy of the indictment, as mentioned in this account. FINI S. |