RATIONAL VINDICATION

OF THE

CATHOLICK FAITH:

BEING

THE FIRST PART

OF

A VINDICATION OF CHRIST'S DIVINITY;

INSCRIBED

TO THE REVEREND DR. PRIESTLEY,

BY J. FLETCHER,

VICAR OF MADELEY, SALOP.

LEFT IMPERFECT BY THE AUTHOR, AND NOW REVISED, AND

52232

FINISHED, AT MRS. FLETCHER'S REQUEST,

07990

BY JOSEPH BENSON?

Unto what, then, were ye baptized?" Acts xix. 3.

BALTIMORE:

PUBLISHED BY ABNER NEXT

JOHN D. TOY, PRINTER.

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.

1. IT seems necessary, here, to acquaint the reader, that, as Dr. Priestley had asserted the doctrine of the Trinity to e irrational, and that of our Lord's divinity to have no foundation either in the Old Testament or the New; Mr. Fletcher, in opposition to these assertions, had intended this work to consist of three parts; the first containing a rational defence of the Catholick faith, respecting the Trinity, and the divinity of our Lord; and the two last, a vindication of the prophets and apostles, "from the anti-christian service (as Mr. Fletcher's phrase is) to which the doctor had pressed them." But being unexpectedly called to his reward, he left them all in a very imperfect state. Even of this first part, here published, (which indeed seems to have been begun after the others,) he had only written the introduction, the first letter, and four chapters; and, of these, the third and fourth seem not to have been quite finished.

2. I was in doubt, for some time, whether it would not be best, just to correct the manuscripts, and give them to the publick in their unfinished state, especially as I could not learn, either from any hints left in writing, or from any thing he had said to Mrs. Fletcher, or any one else, what plan Mr. Fletcher intended to have pursued in the further prosecution of the subject. But after more maturely considering the matter, it appeared that this would by no means answer the end the pious author had in view in beginning this work, as he did not seem to have proceeded far enough to have formed what could be called a proper vindication of the doctrine of Christ's divinity. It was judged necessary, therefore, to carry the argument a little further to render the work, in any tolerable degree, complete. In doing this, as I could form no judgment concerning Mr. Fletcher's intentions, I have been under a necessity of pursuing that plan, which seemed most likely to answer the end proposed; endeavour