name imported---that the God they were to worship, and who had chofen them for his peculiar people, was eternal, and confequently felf-exiftent; who had no equal, nor would fuffer any rival.

This then was that great name, known to their fathers amongst other names, but by which, having delivered them from the Egyptian bondage, the God of the Hebrews was to be diftinguifhed for the future. And therefore the firft laws that were given from Mount Sinai, are prefaced with this name, to give them their proper weight and authority, Ani Jehovah Elaheca, I am Jehovah thy God. And we find feveral particular laws afterwards, especially enforced by the fame authority---You fhall obferve to do fo and fo, I am Jehovah.

If any one doubt whether the veil y, to know, be every ufed in Scripture, in the fense of a distinguishing knowledge, I need only point out to him, Amos iii. 2. where God fays, "You only have IKNOWN of all the families of the earth”---that is, "You only have I DISTINGUISHED," &c.

We find the fame ftyle used in the New Teftament, " If any man love God, (faith St. Paul, 1 Cor. viii. 3.) the fame is KNOWN of him" known, fo as to be diftinguished and rewarded; and in this fenfe, perhaps, Paul fpeaks when he fays, "I am determined to know nothing among you, but Jefus Chrift, and him crucified." this was to be his diftinguitned topic. And fo in the paffage before us : "By my name Jehovah was I not DISTINGUISHED;" I was not known by it as my proper and peculiar name, as I now intend to be for the future--"This fhall be my name for ever, and this my memorial unto all generations." Exod. iii. 15.

This gives fo apt and eafy a fenfe to the text, and at the fame time, establishes the propriety, and even the neceffity of inferting the name wherever it is to be found in the Hebrew Bible, rather than fubftituting any other, that it is a wonder it fhould be over-looked.

The meaning of the word Lord, used in our tranflation, has no analogy with that of the Hebrew, which Hebrarians affirm, contains in it the past, present, and future tenfes, and is properly fignificative of eternity; accordingly the French have, in their Bible, preserved the meaning of the word, and tranflated it L'Eternel; but this, though it gives the fignification, does not preferve the name in its form, as a proper name, any more than the Greek Kup, the Latin Dominus, or the English word Lord.

Now,

"Now, as we have no word in our language by which we can express eternity, and at the fame time ferve as a proper name, er, in other words, have no proper name fignificative of eternity; and as we have no pretence of being interdicted the use of the name Jehovah, as the Jews do, I am of opinion that the beft way would be to use the Hebrew name JEHOVAH. See Pref. to Peters on Job.

I have before obferved, that our tranflators have retained the proper name of Deity in only a very few paffages: these are Exod. vi. 3. Pfalms lxxxiii. 18. Ifaiah xii. 2. and xxiv. 26. But it is likely, that in the two paffages in Ifaiah here referred to, we should have had the old-accuftomed phrase the Lord, had it not happened, that in the firft they found the word mm twice, (one of which, it is fince difcovered, is wanting in seven MSS. and which ought to be omitted); and in the laft, they found

Jah Jehovah. There are other places where the proper name Jehovah is inferted in our tranflation, but it is where it is intended Hebrew, with fome additional qualification in Hebrew likewife; as for inftance--- Jehovah jireh, Jehovah-fhammah, &c. which have attendant explanations. Now, as the name is used here in its proper form, why may it not be used in other places likewife? The effect will be much better in every place where it occurs, and will add dignity and energy to the Sacred Writings. The English reader of the Bible will be able to observe where this word occurs, as it is always (except in the few paffages referred to) rendered the LORD, and put in a more diftinguishing type, in moft Bibles, than when the fame word, Lord, is made ufe of as the translation of s adonai; as may be seen, by referring to the first verse of Psalm xc.

I will point out a few paffages, which derive peculiar luftre from this glorious name:

"And Pharaoh faid, Who is the JEHOVAH, that I should obey his voice to let Ifrael go? I know not JEHOVAH, neither will I let Ifrael go." Gen. v. 2.

"And he faid, To-morrow. And he faid, Be it according to thy word that thou mayeft know that there is none like unto JEHOVAH our God." Exod. viii. 10.

"And Mofes and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh : and he said unto them, Go, ferve JEHOVAH your God: but who are they that fhall go?" Exod. x. 8.

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and faid, How long halt ye between two opinions? if JEHOVAH be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." 1 Kings xviii. 21. "I will

"I will praise thee, O JEHOVAH my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore." Pfal. lxxxvi. 12. "But thou, O JEHOVAH, art a God full of compaffion, and gracious, longfuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." Pfal. lxxxvi. 15.

For JEHOVAH is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Pfal. xcv. 3. &c. &c.

Some time fince, I met with a criticifm on the impropriety of the phrafe "Lord of Hofts," with a propofition of a different tranflation of the Hebrew of that phrafe; where I got it I cannot recollect; but as it feems, to thofe who may be led to adopt that criticism, a continuation of the foregoing, if it meet your approbation, I propose it for insertion in your next.

I remain yours, &c.

W. BURTON.

SIR,

IN

ON FAITH.

To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY.

N the Chriftian world I often obferve zealous contentions about things that differ; when this is conducted with a proper command of the temper it may be both laudable and ufeful; but I also observe that this is feldom the cafe; for in general we appear to ftrive more for victory than truth; for being prepoffeffed in favour of our own ideas, we expect not in argument to be convinced of being wrong, but to convince others, that we only are right: and, as a filent obferver, I have fometimes thought that many points difputed are, in themfelves, of no effential confequence; and, in thofe cafes, that it is often about the most plain things; and that such disputes have raised difficulties where the Scriptures have made none,. to the diftreffing the minds of many, to whom the gospel is, continually holding forth the word of confolation, but dare not lay hold of it, through counfel being darkened by words without knowledge. I now allude to a queftion that I have heard much agitated, both from the pulpit and in conversation, viz. What is FAITH? or, What conftitutes a believer in Chrift? and, after much has apparently been faid upon the fubject, I acknowledge myself to be none the wifer. To me the quef tion appears very plain, and wants no explanation; and my mind being particularly impreffed upon the fubject the other day, in reading 1 John, iv. 3, 4, I have fent what then occurred

for

for your inspection; and if you fuppose it may be of use to any of your readers, it is at your fervice.

John fpeaks thus, "Ever fpirit that confeffeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh is of God:" and in chap. v. r. "Whosoever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift is born of God," &c. Surely the above paffages are a fufficient description of what Faith is, and who are believers. For is it poffible for a man to have the fpirit which is of God, and not have faith, or be a believer in Chrift? or can a man be born of God, and not have faith, &c.?

But here objections have been made to me, that "merely confeffing that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh is not fufficient to conftitute a believer; becaufe the Jews that crucified our Lord confeffed this, and who can fuppofe that fuch characters had faith, or were believers ?" True, who indeed can believe it? And, on the other hand, who can fuppofe that those persons who poffeffed the fpirit which is of God, or were born of God, could crucify his fon? And therefore I conclude that they did neither believe or confefs that Jefus Chrift was come in the flesh.

It is true, that thofe Jews knew, and confequently believed, that this Jefus, of whom John fpake, declared himself to be the Chrift come in the flefh; and it is equally true that they did not believe his teftimony, but treated him as an impoftor; and therefore did not confefs Jefus Chrift was come in the flefh. But I have heard it ftill further objected, that, to conftitute true faith, or to be a believer in Chrift, the perfon must also believe the end and defign of Chrift's coming in the defh. I afk, what paffage of Scripture authorifes this muft? It is true the Scriptures declare the defign of his coming in the fleth, i. e. to put away fin by the facrifice of himfelf--to be made fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him---in fhort, to fave finners; and, as an encou ragement to our faith, it is faid to be a faithful faying, and wor thy of all acceptation; and I believe it, and rejoice in it; but as perfons widely differ in their explanations of the above paffages, I fuppofe that this word must is ufed to fignify the, necef fity of believing their particular hypothefis, founded upon the faid Scriptures. But, I afk, what has this to do with faith in Christ?

Again, I am told, that to be a believer, I must believe my own particular intereft in Chrift. I do not like this word must at all; it is always ftanding in my way. I acknowledge, without this belief I cannot receive the confolation the gofpel affords;

and

and verily believe, that every one that confeffeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, would find no difficulty in believing the other alfo, if their understandings were not veiled by the falfe gloffes of blind guides, who pretend to lead fouls in the way of life, but inftead thereof lead them in the way of death, i. e. death to their peace and comfort.

men.

Again, they alfo tell me, in order to have true faith, or to ufe a more popular expreffion, faving faith, I must believe that Jefus Chrift came in the flesh to fave only the elect, or, in other words, a small part of the human race; while others affert, with equal confidence, that I muft believe it is for all But what has either of these mufts to do in conftituting faith in Chrift? What does it amount to? Does it prove any thing more than this, that, if the former have been right, the latter have been mistaken in their judgments concerning the extent of this falvation: and if the latter are right, then that the former were equally mistaken; and therefore only proves, that, which ever is thus miftaken is not made perfect in knowledge, and confequently not made perfect in faith; but I can. not conceive how it proves that he has not faith, or is not a believer.

But while my mind was thus meditating on these things, I reverted back to that paffage in the Acts, in the cafe of the Ethiopian, who demanded baptifm of Philip, faying, "Here is water, what hindereth me to be baptized? and Philip anfwered, If thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft." The Ethiopian faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Jon of God. No more queftions were afked; this anfwer was fuffi-cient; Philip was fatisfied, and he baptized him upon this confeffion; but this will not fatisfy men in our day; for we must now be asked, "What are your particular views of Chrift? Do you believe him to be the fecond perfon in the trinity---a divine perfon equal with the Father," &c. &c. &c. But the Ethiopian was not thus interrogated; and can we doubt of his being a believer? And if it was fufficient then, what should make it lefs fufficient now? And thofe that require any further confeffion, either to baptifm, or church-communion, how will they prove their authority from the Scriptures, from which every one pretends to derive his authority, both for faith and practice? Again, Paul feems to have the fimple view of what faith is, or who are believers, when he, in Rom. x. is speaking of the righteoufnefs by faith; he fays, "Say not in thine heart (as unbelief does) who fhall afcend up into heaven? (that is to bring Chrift down from above) or who fhall defcend into

the