And it so happens that the largest of these treatise had been privately printed, though not published by Watts. "The manuscript," says his biographer, "mentioned in the list No. VII., "A faithful Inquiry after the ancient and original doctrine of the Triniy," &c., was actually printed in 1745, while the author was living, but for certain reasons suppressed; A COPY OF THIS VERY PIECE has, however, been recovered, and a new edition published in 1802.*

We have now then the means of ascertaining whether Dr. Lardner's representation of Dr. Watts' sentiments from his unpublished papers, was well founded or not. The manuscript of this curious piece, let it be remembered, was among the manuscripts which the executors destroyed. From the following extracts it will be seen, that the suppressed papers assert precisely the same doctrines that the author had for years maintained, and that he expresses himself in the same characteristic manner. He here asserts the pre-existence of Jesus Christhis intimate union with Deity-and his atonement for the sins of men-sentiments decidedly adverse to the Unitarian scheme. He also asserts the doctrine of the Trinity, which Unitarians deny in every form of it.

"OF JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD."

"He was born as a man here on earth, he lived and died as a man having a human body with a rational soul; yet it must be acknowledged, that there is some part of the constitution of the complete person of our Lord Jesus Christ which existed through all ancient ages, for he had a glory with the Father before the foundation of the world. God the Father created

*The Editor observes further, "in a blank leaf of the original work, was written in a fair hand the following sentence verbatim: "The Doctor printed off only fifty copies of this work, and showed them to some friends, who all persuaded him that it would ruin his character in his old age, for publishing such dotage, and at length he was prevailed on to burn them; so the whole impression of fifty was destroyed without publication, except this single copy of it, which by an accident escaped the flames.'

Chalmers in his biographical dictionary, vol. 31, p. 253, says on this point: "Upon a careful perusal of the whole, we are inclined to think that Mr. Palmer has not removed all the difficulties attending the question; although on the other hand he has ably and fully vindicated Dr. Watts from the least evidence to be produced from his own pen; and all that remains to affect the character of the Doctor, rests on an anonymous accusation in a literary Journal, (Month, Rev. vol. 66, p. 170;) the author of which we suspect to be Dr. Kippis, who is no longer to be called upon for the proofs of his assertion. With respect to the reports propagated by some Arian and Socinian writers, that the author revised his Hymns and Psalms a little before his death, in order to render them, as they say, 'wholly unexceptionable to every christian professor,' they are generally discredited."

the world by Jesus Christ; by him all things were created. He had an existence, therefore, early enough to create this world, and to enter into councils of peace with God the Father for the reconciliation of fallen man to God.

"It is evident, also, that he is often called God in scripture, (John I. 1, &c.) and since he is true God as well as man, we have plain directions from scripture to suppose, that this second person, or this man Christ Jesus, has the true Godhead united to him, or dwelling in him, in a peculiar manner; so that they are often represented as one complex person. It may properly be called a personal union, since many personal actions are ascribed to these two Spirits, the human and the divine united. He is said to have all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in him. He is called God manifest in the flesh. He is of the race of the Jews concerning the flesh, and he is also God over all blessed for ever: Rom. 9, 5. In the Old Testament, as well as in the New, he is called both God and man; Isa. 9, 6: a child born, a son given, yet called the mighty God. And Jer. 23, 6: the Lord our righteousness; and Emmanuel, or God with us.

"The benefits which we are to receive from Jesus Christ, are pardon of sin through his full atonement of satisfaction for which the dignity of his person is sufficient, as he is one with God. The dignity of this union spreads itself over all that Christ did and suffered, and makes it divine and all sufficient. This union enables him to raise his church out of this world, to change the hearts of men and turn them to himself; to give his presence to his people in their worship; to preserve his church from all their enemies, to rule and govern the nations, to raise the dead, and to judge the world.

"The duties we are required to perform to him are, to honor him as we honor the Father; to trust in him; to obey him; to pray to him as dying Stephen did, 'Lord Jesus receive my spirit;' or as Paul, 2 Cor. 12, 8; to give praises to him and doxologies, as Paul often does, and as the whole creation does, Rev. 5: 12, 13: 'Every creature in heaven and earth said, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.'

"OF THE HOLY TRINITY."

"The doctrine of the blessed Trinity, or of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with their peculiar characters and offices, is a special doctrine of the christian religion. This

sacred three in the Trinity are plainly represented in scripture, and have been generally represented by christian writers, like three persons, or three distinct personal agents, as acting different parts and sustaining different parts, and sustaining different characters in the affairs of our salvation; and yet it seems to be abundantly evident also in scripture that they are all three represented as having true and proper Deity some way belonging to them, and that the names, titles, attributes and operations of Godhead are ascribed to the three in the Old Testament, and in the New. This is the substance of doctrine itself, as revealed in the Bible, and the writers on the Trinity have so often proved it, that I need not repeat the proofs here. Yet there are sufficient guards in the New Testament, that the ancient doctrine of the eternal unity of God must have no inroad made upon it by christianity."

We will only add that on the Holy Spirit the views of Dr. Watts in their most latitudinarian state were these: "In his Scrip. Doct. of the Trinity," he asks, "Is it proper for us to address ourselves in a way of prayer or praise, directly to the blessed Spirit, since we cannot find it plainly commanded or practised in the word of God?"

"Answer. I confess we cannot find in scripture any such positive and express precepts or examples of petition and praise, so directly addressed to the person of the Holy Spirit, as there are to the Father and the Son. Yet, since we have proved before, that the Spirit hath real, true, and proper communion in the Godhead, there is sufficient ground in my judgment, to address ourselves to him by way of prayer for the spiritual mercies we want, and by way of praise for the blessings we receive." Again, in his "Arian invited to the Orthodox Faith," he remarks, "Though the scripture has not taught us distinctly to offer praise and honor to the Holy Spirit, yet it has taught us to hearken to the voice of the Spirit, to obey the Spirit, to hope and wait for the enlightening and sanctifying and comforting influences of the Spirit, and not to resist him; and since the Holy Spirit is true God, I think it follows by evident consequence, that we may offer him the sacrifice of praise for the blessings which he bestows."

So much then for the oft reiterated charge that "THIS GREAT AND GOOD MAN WAS ON THE SIDE" of Unitarianism.

And as to the report that he had actually prepared, or intended to prepare a revised edition of his Psalms and Hymns adapted to Unitarian sentiments, Mr. Milner concludes his

examination by stating that, "Upon the whole I think it may be concluded, that Mr. Watts admitted that his hymns were open to correction, to accord them in several instances with his last sentiments, that such corrections were not, however, in his estimation of moment, enough to induce him to make them; and that the report of his leaving an altered copy of his hymn book behind him, is without any just foundation."

DR. WATTS A BAPTIST.

[We give the following traditionary rumor respecting Dr. Watts, without vouching for its correctness. It is from the London Baptist Reporter for January, 1846.]

Whether any intimation of such a fact has ever been given to the public, I know not, but I have heard it stated in such a way as leaves small doubt of it in my own mind. The statement is this, namely, that when Dr. Gibbons visited the sweet singer in his last illness, Dr. Watts thus addressed his friend:

"Dr. Gibbons," said he, "I have been lately reviewing our controversy with the Baptists, and my conviction is, that they have the best of the argument, and I die a decided Baptist."

This interesting reminiscence of Watts has come to the writer through the following medium: Dr. Gibbons communicated it to his wife, and this lady, being a Baptist, communicated it to her friends, the Stennetts, and a member of this family communicated it to my venerable and pious informant. Such a statement ought not to die away; and if it can be controverted or confirmed, so let it be.-Baptist Memorial.

WAS DR. WATTS A UNITARIAN?

In our last number, under this title, we discussed the evidence, on the strength of which Dr. Lardner, Mr. Belsham, and other Unitarian writers, affirm that Watts was not a Trinitarian.

But what, on the other side, can be produced to show that he was one? We reply, his own writings and assertions, the best sort of evidence, as it seems to us, which can be produced respecting the sentiments and opinions of any man.

In one of his manuscripts, published after his death, there is a solemn address to the Deity, invoking direction and assistance in his studies respecting the Trinity, in the course of which prayer, Dr. Watts thus speaks of Christ:

"I believe he is one with God; he is God manifested in the flesh; and that the man Jesus is so closely and inseparably united with the true and eternal Godhead, as to become one person, even as the soul and body make one man."

The last of his posthumous papers on the Trinity, published some years after his death, entitled, "A faithful inquiry after the ancient and original doctrine of the Trinity," contains the following among other like passages.

"The doctrine of the blessed Trinity, or of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with their peculiar characters and offices, is a special doctrine of the christian religion. This sacred Three in the Trinity are plainly represented in Scripture, and have been generally represented by christian writers, like three persons, or three distinct personal agents, as acting different parts, and sustaining different characters in the affairs of our salvation; and yet it seems to be abundantly evident also in Scripture that they are all three represented as having a true and proper Deity some way belonging to them, and that the names, titles, attributes, and operations of Godhead, are ascribed to the Three, in the Old Testament and in the New. This is the substance of the doctrine itself, as revealed in the Bible."

"The benefits which we are to receive from Jesus Christ are, pardon of sin through his full atonement or satisfaction, for which the dignity of his person is sufficient, as he is one with God."

This is one of the manuscripts, it will be remembered, to which Dr. Lardner refers us as containing Unitarian sentiments!

The last works published by Dr. Watts, the one in the beginning, and the other near the close of 1746, are entitled, "Useful and Important Questions concerning Jesus Christ," and "The Glory of Christ as God-man," displayed in three discourses. These works being his last, may be regarded as his final testimony, and the latter of the two, if not the former, was written, as we have already shown, subsequently to the manuscript left at his death, in the hands of his executors.

In the preface to the "Useful Questions" the writer says of himself that:

"He freely and delightfully confesses these following articles borrowed from the Athanasian creed, viz.: 'We believe and confess the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man; God of the same substance with the Father, a man of the