BY JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL. D. F. R. S. &c. Sİ juxta apostolum Paulum Christus Dei virtus est, Deique sapientia, et qui nescit scripturas nescit Dei virtutem ejusque sapientiam, ignoratio scripturarum ignoratio Christi est. JEROME IN ESAIAM. NORTHUMBERLAND: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY ANDREW KENNEDY, Franklin's Head, QUEEN-STREET. THE DEDICATION. To WILLIAM RUSSEL, Esq. AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION OF PROTESTANT DISSENTERS OF THE NEW MEETING AT BIRMINGHAM. MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, REMO EMOVED as I have long been from you, and to a diftant part of the world, the idea of our happy connexion, which fubfifted more than ten years, is always prefent with me, and the reflection upon it affords me peculiar fatisfaction. My feparation from you by ruffian violence, which received too much countenance from the general fpirit of the times, and to appearance, from the government that should have protected us, is à fubject of great regret; tho', together with all other evils that are permitted to take place in the unfearchable ways of providence, we cannot doubt but that it will ultimately appear to have been productive of good. To the will of the greateft and beft of Beings it clearly behoves us to fubmit without repining; and our enemies, tho' on account of the unworthy motives by which they were actuated, they are by no means excufable, yet being confidered as the inftruments in his hands, should be regarded with pity rather than refentment. By this time too, it may be prefumed that the moft inveterate of them aré convinced of the unreasonablenefs of their con. duct and truly repent of it, which will intitle them to the forgiveness of every chriftian. It has been impoffible for me not to take an interest in every thing that has befallen you fince my removal, and I rejoiced in your uncommonly flourishing ftate presently after your fufferings, through your noble fortitude, and the peculiarly ardent and valuable fervices of my. fucceffors in the miniftry; and I have lamented fome circumftances of an unfavourable nature, with refpect to which your fentiments have not been unanimous, tho' they have terminated without any ferious inconvenience. Diffentions in chriftian churches, are, no doubt, greatly to be lamented, but they give occafion to the exercile of many chriftian virtues, efpecially thofe of meeknefs, forbearance, and mutual It was while I was with you that I firft undertook the business of expounding the fcriptures from the pulpit, and began with this view to compose the Notes of which the following publication confifts; and therefore it is to you, and to fhew my grateful remembrance of our happy connexion, that I take the liberty to dedicate them. Had it not been for the ready concurrence of the fociety, and the active co-operation of Mr Ruffell, and the other leading members of the congregation, who concurred with every propofal that I made, neither this courfe of exposition, nor the fyftem of catechetical lectures to the young people, with the appointment of elders to aflift me in it, or the establishment of your congregational library, could have been carried into execution. But by this means all my schemes for improving the difcipline, and promoting the edification, of the foci. ety had the advantage of the fairest trial; and being found, in fome good measure, to answer the valuble ends propofed by them, they have been adopted by other focieties in different parts of the king dom. Happy will it be for the chriftian world in general when all chriftian focieties fhall adopt whatever promifes to tend to their edification, and |