216 Jesus, Prophet ofIslamln ms spare time, Priestly began to study chemistry with con
siderable success. He won recognition from the Royal Society, and
in 1774 made his crowning discovery of oxygen, which made mm
famous. In the research which followed, Priestly discovered more
new gases than all ms predecessors had done before mm. How
ever, he was more interested in religion than in physical science
and regarded these discoveries as a theologian's pastime. In ms
personal memoirs, he passes over the se achievements in the space
of about a page. He once wrote, '1have made discoveries in sorne
branches of Chemistry. 1 never gave much attention to the com
mon routine of it, and know but little of the cornmon processes.' 55
Priestly next joined the Earl of Shellburne as ms librarian and
literary companion. He was given a generous salary and a life an
nuity with the freedom to do what he pleased. He remained at this
post for seven years, spending the surnmers in the Earl's country
mansion and the winters in London. He also accompanied the Earl
on his joumeys to Paris, Holland, Belgium and Germany. The Earl
found Priestly's friendship with Benjamin Franklin an embarrass
ment, since the latter was all in favour of the Revolution taking
place in France at this time. Priestly formally terminated his friend
ship with Franklin and shortly afterwards went to stay in Birming
ham. His stay in this city lasted for eleven years, and although it
ended in a crushing tragedy, it was perhaps the happiest period of
ms life, His duties as a priest were confined to Sundays and so
during the rest of the week he was free to work in his laboratory
and to write whatever he wished.
It was in Birmingham that Priestly produced ms most impor
tant and influential work, A History of theCorruptions of Christian
ity, which greatly angered the established Church. He not only de
nied the validity of the doctrine of Trinity, but also affirmed the
humanity of Jesus. He pointed out that the biblical narratives of
the birth of Jesus were inconsistent with one another. He believed
that Jesus was a man, constituted in all respects like other men,
and subject to the same infirmities, the same ignorance, the same
prejudices and the same frailties. He was chosen by God, however,
to introduce a moral dispensation into the world. He was instructed
in the nature of ms mission, and invested with miraculous powers.
Jesus was sent to reveal the great knowledge of the next life in
which men would be rewarded according to their acts in this life
and not merely by virtue of their having been baptised.These views
were not liked either by the government or by the official Church.
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