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Anecdotes of the life of Richard Watson, bishop of Landaff : written by himself at different intervals, and revised in 1814 / published by his son, Richard Watson
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duction: His Graces distinguished patronage of Griesbach isproperly estimated by the present age, and it will still be morehighly estimated by posterity.

I am, &c.

R. Landaff.

Letter to Dr. Falconer , on his sending me Ms Observations on theWords which the Centurion uttered at the Crucifixion of Christ.

My dear Sir, July 12. 1808.

I thank you for your criticism, which is ingenious, and tomany will be convincing. The Roman soldiers who attended thecrucifixion had probably heard how tauntingly the great men ofthe Jews had mocked Jesus as he hung upon the cross, for havingsaid ©68 tipi vioq ; and being frightened by the earthquake, theyboldly, and perhaps in the hearing of the Jews , contradicted theiraccusation of Jesus being a blasphemer, and declared that ccXyduq@£8 vioq yv x]oc, hoping it may be to atone, as it were, by thisdeclaration, for the insults which they themselves had offeredhim.

Whether the Roman Centurion and the Jewish High Priestannexed the same ideas to the words ©£8 vioq must ever remain,I think, amongst the harmless dubia Evangelica which occur inmany parts of Scripture. Pilate indeed knew, that by vioq ©sathe Jews understood Xptrjoq, and the Roman Centurion may haveknown as much of Jewish theology as Pilate did; for all Romancenturions were not so ignorant and incurious as Persius describesthem generally to have been, when he says :