■'■-'■■ ■• " ' ■ '•■• ' " - v ' -' " 
 
 THREE LETTERS, 
 
 ^ B M 
 
 PHILEMON TO ONESIMUS; 
 
 m WHICH THE DOCTRINE OF THE 
 
 / TRINITY, 
 
 IS BEAUTIFULLY HANDLED ; AND A VARIETY 
 OF OTHER SUBJECTS DWELT ON. 
 
 Puhli shed from an European Author by 
 
 ELIJAH CRAIG, 
 
 " And this is Life Eternal, that they might know tke only tni© 
 GOD, and JESUS CHRIST, whom thou had fent." 
 
 JOHNi IG. 3(/ TJ- 
 
 LEXINGTON : 
 Printed by DANIEL BRADFORD. 
 
 1803. 
 
\ I . " 
 
 \ 
 
THREE LETTERS, 
 
 f R M 
 
 PHILEMON TO ONESIMUS; 
 
 IN WHICH THE DOCTRINE OF THK 
 
 TRINITY, 
 
 IS BEAUTIFULLY HANDLED ; AND A VARIETY 
 OF OTHER SUBJECTS DWELT ON. 
 
 Puhli shed from an European Authcr hy 
 
 ELIJAH CRAIG. 
 
 " And this is Life Eternal, that they might know the only tnie 
 GOD, and JESUS CHRIST, whom thou haft fent." 
 
 LEXINGTON: 
 Printed by DANIEL BRADFORD. 
 
 1803, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 FROM a real belief that the 
 following sheets will be an advaii-i 
 tage to thousands at this crisis, I 
 have directed 1000 copies to be 
 printed ; and although they will 
 cost between forty & fifty pounds 
 (including the paper) yet I believe 
 so soon as the thinking part of the 
 people can become acquainted with 
 them, I shall be reimbursed. I 
 can heartily recommend them to 
 the perusal of all those who have 
 been long labouring to content 
 themselves on deistical sentiments j^ 
 and those especially, who have 
 been wavering between deism and 
 the Christian Religion. I can hear-- 
 tily recommend them also, to all 
 real Christians, and the teachers of- 
 the Christian Religion in particular, 
 
IV 
 
 as there are none of them, in my 
 opinion, but would profit by the 
 reading them ; and that it will 
 grace the library of the greatest 
 Christian in the state, and be a 
 companion to his end. I am inter- 
 ested in the sale , but believe I should « 
 speak the same thing was I not. 
 
 The publication contains three 
 out of sixteen letters, wrote on . 
 different subjects. — Some referen- 
 ces will be seen in reading the fol- 
 Imving pages, to former letters, 
 but not so as to injure the sense — 
 and as I have avoided in a great 
 measure, harangueing on the na- 
 ture of the Trinity and Deity, for 
 certain reasons, I have thought 
 proper to make this publication, & 
 to annex the recantadon of the 
 Baltimore Deist. 
 
 E. C. 
 
LET T E fe L 
 
 PHILEMON TO O N E S I M US. 
 
 Bear O^simus, 
 
 YOUR kind favor came fafe to my hand : and I have now 
 to inform you, that according to my promife I waited on 
 my dying' friend, on the day I had fixed. ^ — —He is exceedingly 
 weak ; the clay-tabernacle is fall mouldering down to its primi- 
 tive earth. '' J9uft thou art, and to duft thou ihalt return," is 
 among the firft leffons taught our firft parents immediately af- 
 ter thtir fatal revolt from their gracious iovereign ; and through 
 all fucceeding ages death hath paffedupou all their natural ofF- 
 fpringbecaufe they all, by reprefentation, and in their own pef- 
 fonshave finned. — Superbus is quite fennb'e that in a few days 
 he muft lleep in the duft, from whence he fliall not refcrrn, initit 
 
 the Heavens be no more. -O I may he lleep in Jefus, O \ 
 
 may that cold and filent grave prove a bed of reft to his vMiri-; 
 ed, and emaciated body. May his precious and imiroffai fouP 
 be carried by the Angels into the celeftial paradife, and enrolled 
 among the number of the fpirits of juft men made perfe6\. — ^ 
 After infiiiing a little on the nature and prevalence of his difor- 
 der, and the impoffibility of his holding ©ut much long'er, confi- 
 dering the debilitated ftate of his frame, and rapid g!:'Owth of the 
 difeafe ; he addreffed me after the following manner : 
 
 *' My dear Philemon^ you have removed all my doubts ; and 
 *' as aninftrumentin the hand of a kind and gracious providence, 
 *' have poured day-light into my darkened and benighted mind, 
 ** refpedling this important, and felf-interefting queftion, how 
 ** a man is to be juftified in the light of an infinitely holy and 
 " juft God ; and in the iflfue obtain the end of his faith, the 
 
 " falvation of his foul. 1 cheerfully acq"uiefce in, and cor^ 
 
 *' dially embrace this gracious and benign device of Heaven, 
 " in bringing many fons and daughters to glory by the propi- 
 " tiatory and vicarious obedience of the Captain of our falva- 
 *' tion. My heart's defire and prayer to God is, that ray fins 
 ** may be pardoned, my perfon and fervices accepted upon the 
 " fole footing of the finlefs and perfect obedience, and nioft ex- 
 
L 6 r 
 
 ** quifite fufferings of the one Mediator.- ^" God forBid thJIt 
 
 *' I fliould glory \n any thing elfe, fave in the crofs of our Lord 
 '' Jefus Chrift." My fole confidence is in " Jehovah my righte- 
 " oufnefs and mv ftrength," Since I have Teen the glory of 
 " his perfon, and the perfe6\lon of h's atonement, " the (hadow 
 •* of death is turned into the morning." I now no longer view 
 ** thelail enemy armed in all his horror : nor the grave, that 
 ** irkfome dreary place, as I once did. I can triumphantly fmg, 
 ^' O death, where is thy fting, O grave, where is thy vi^lory " 
 " I know that my redeemer liveth :" And that he fliali ran- 
 '* fom me from the power of the grave, and will redeem me 
 ** from death. 
 
 " Ever fmce the commencement of our acquaintance, you 
 " haveexprefTed a more than ordinary concern about the eter- 
 *' nal intereftsof my foul ; you have followed me with your fa- 
 *' lutary iiftruc^tons, and friendly- advice, almoft to the very 
 
 *^ brink of the grave. -I hooe, while this fluttering foul con- 
 
 " tinues in this clay-tabernacle you will not fupeicede your 
 '* confbant attendance, nor remit your ufual diligence in inftru6t- 
 *' ing, comforting, and ilrengthening my mind in the good ways 
 " of God. — ^—Tbere is yet one article, concerning which I 
 *' would wifli. for further information ; I mean ChrilVs siiprems 
 *' Deity. You know, that you have all along rather taken this 
 *• for grarrted than dire6lly proven ijt^ This 1 defire, not tliat I 
 '^ am in ahy hefitation r-bout the do6lrine; but I wifli to have 
 *' fome obje61ions -which I have heard raifed againfl: it, anfv/er- 
 " ed ; and the truth of it from fcripture elucidated: and if my 
 ** Rrength permit, I will fairly propofe the objeilions, and I 
 ^^ hope you ry'M be ai^'caridid and ingenious, as to give a fair 
 ^^ an3 an impartial folution," 
 
 My dear friend, you may believe me, that I would think it my 
 honor as well as my duty, to be the happy inftrument of contri- 
 buting in the lead degree to the confinnation of your faith and 
 belief iii this, or any other article of our holy religion : and par- 
 ticulariy fuch as have an immediate connexion with, and a par- 
 ticular influence in the eternal falvation of our fo'ds. 
 
 ** Fbilemon^ I have often heard it faid that the do6lrine of 
 *^* Chrift's fupreme deity, is rather of the fpeculative than pracli- 
 *^ eal kind : And that it is fo exceedingly difficult and obfcure, 
 ** that tl>e generality of men cannot underhand the terms in 
 ^'' which it is exprelfcd ; and therefore, that it would be farbet- 
 ^*»ter not to intermeddle in it, nor infill upon it ; and indeed to 
 '^acknowledge the truth, tiiis in a great meafure hindered me 
 ** from purfuing thib fubje6l with that carefulnefs and diligence 
 
[71 
 
 «>* which I fhould have done, and the nature of the fubje<!n: re- 
 "** quired." 
 
 Superbus^ I apprehend none will look upon this article of our 
 faith to be a matter of littleorno confequence, nor applaud thofe 
 wife and prudent men, who upon all occafions induftriouily fliift 
 ^ the theme, but fuch, who are indifferent about vital religion 
 and real godlinefs, in any point of view ; And ftiould the un- 
 . meaning cavils of perfons of fuch a ftamp deter you, or any one 
 from making a fcriptural inquiry into the conititu'tion of the 
 Mediator, the Saviour, " by whofe ftripes we are healed ;" and 
 : thro' whofe fuffering we have redemption, even the forgive- 
 iiefs of our (inS I Bu^ granting this article was a point purely 
 speculative^ if it be a divine truth, and capable of being proyen 
 from the holy Scriptures, yoUv and every one elfe muft agree 
 •■with me in this, that it ought to be believed, and if God requires 
 pur aflent even to a merely fpeculative do6lrine, he has reafon 
 'for it ; and in this cafe, how dare any be fo bold and prefumptu- 
 ©us as C(;^.tradi6l him. — -^But befides this, the aifertion is not 
 true ; the fupreme deity of Chrift is by no rajsans a matter of 
 mere theory, but in a great meafurepra6tical. Did the eternad 
 Son of God alTume human nature with a view to deliver from 
 the guilt, and cleanfe from the pollution of fin ; and doth not the 
 confideration of this tend to practice ? Doth it net fhew clearly 
 as in a glafs, the exceeding evil and malignity of fin, which made 
 fuch a propitiation neceffary ? This it doth beyond any other 
 argument whatever. If every ovr would wifli to obtain a view of 
 fin in all its enormity and bafenefs, you muft repair to Mount 
 Calvary, and there behold the Son of God fuffering, bleeding, 
 and dying for its e^ipiation 1 And if everwe would raife in our 
 own fouls, or infufe into the minds of our fcllow-finners, a juft 
 indignation againft this vile and abominable thing, we muft look 
 to Jefus who endured the crofs, and defpifed the fliame, to put 
 an end to-fm, and to bring in an everlafting righteoufnefs.-r — -= 
 Viewing fin in this glafs, and through this medium, will, you 
 may credit me, be infinitely more efficacious for the deftru6lion 
 of fin in our fouls, than all the thunders from Sinai's flaming 
 mount ; or the colledted examples from thofe who are reckoned 
 virtuous heathens : yea, than from all the examples of tl.e moQ; 
 pious and.hdy men recorded in the divine oracles. What is the 
 reafon that iniquity of every kind is rearing up its accurfed fore- 
 head without a bluih? This is one great and principal reafon, the 
 denial of Chrift's divinity, and of confe(^ence, his propitiatory 
 4nd vicarious fufferings : And hence the main and mofl efficaci- 
 ous argument for all manner of holinefs of life and.converfation, 
 is loft in the rubbifh of do^rines little fuperior, and of as little 
 
t 8 T 
 
 value to anfwer the purpofe of univerfalhoIineCs, as heathe^i 
 morality. But, 
 
 That the do(5lrine of Chrift's fupreme deity is not purely mat- 
 ,ter of theory, but in a great meafure pra61;ical will appear, and 
 in conne6lion with v^hat was juft now obferved ; that if there was 
 fuch a malignity in fin that nothing elfe, and nothing lefs, than 
 the fufferings of Chrift could expiate ; it teaches us alio at the 
 fame time, that if we do not lay hold on this redemption we are 
 Joft for ever, becaufeit isimpoflible there flioulcTbe any greater. 
 How hazardous a venture muft they run, who depreciate his glo- 
 rious dignity, and thus undermine as far as poflibly they can 
 that foundation which God hath laid in Zion, for finners to build 
 on fjpr eternal falvation ? How can they be fecure of that life and 
 immortality he hath brought .to light by the gofpel, while they 
 renounce that faith which, according to that gofpel is neceflary 
 to it ? And howdifmal and irretrievable muft their difappoint- 
 inentbe at the laft, when they come to appear before his awful 
 and dreadful tribunal, if after all, Chrift iliould prove to be the 
 moft High God, *nd ftiould reje6l them for rejecting him under 
 that chara6lernow,contrary to his plain revelation of it, and of 
 its vaft importance to ourfelves? Can it be a matter of pure theo- 
 ry, how we are ''to be faved? Whether by the infinite dignity 
 and efficacy of the furety, or by the *' filthy rags"^of our own 
 righteoufnefs. -Let us fappofe for .once, that thofe who be- 
 lieve the divinity of Jefus expected more from him,and his righ- 
 teoufnefs than what he will really anfwer ; yet ftill they have a* 
 much from him as they whoexpe6ted lefs than they did. And 
 they have moreover the fame perfonal righteoufnefs to truft in, 
 as well as others have. And undoubtedly it will be no blemifti 
 in their righteoufnefs, nor any bar to its acceptance, that it is 
 overlaid with fo much humility, as to make them own it to be 
 wholly of God, and utterly renounce all truft and confidence in 
 it. , But if it fliould prove at the great day of accounts, that fal- 
 vation becomes ours no otherwife than through the infinitely per- 
 fe6l righteoufnefs of the Saviour God and man ; what a dange- 
 rous cafe muft they be in, who have never received or trufted in 
 him as fuch, and will never have the benefit of his atonement and 
 fatisfa6lion to anfwer for them. — I think if men are not entirely 
 loft to all fenfe of religion, and perfectly indifferent with regard 
 to the prefent and future intereft of their precious and immortal 
 fouls, they can never appear as advocates for the non-importance 
 of this point, or reckon it a matter of mere indifference whether 
 Chrift the Mediator appear to therai in the chara6ter of the true 
 God, or only a creature. 
 
f 9 ] 
 
 But further, will it not appear that this point is hj no means 
 a matter of mere theory, when we take into the account the re- 
 ligious worfliip that is paid to Chrift. It is to be expe6led that 
 the generality of chriftians are not fo far loft to all fenfe of religi- 
 on as to reftrain prayer before God. Tofuchwhoare habitually 
 guilty of a neglect of this part of religious worlhip, it will be a 
 matter of no great moment, whether they confider the Mediator 
 to be God equal with the Eternal Father, or a creature formed 
 by his Almighty hand. I fay then if the Son, (and I may add 
 here; the Holy Ghoft be God ; ought they not to be honored^ 
 adored, prayed to, and glorified as fuch f If they be not God^ 
 ought they tobehonoied, adored, prayed co, and glorified as 
 fuch ? if they be not, tlie believers of this do6lrine are in the 
 ilri(5l fenfe of the word idolators, becaufe they worlhip an objedl 
 which is not by nature God. Again, if they be God, the oppo- 
 fers of this f.rtem, and oppugners of this do6lrine are blaiphe- 
 mer-;. Nay all the Arians^ and thofe of the Soclnians^ who pay 
 divine honors to Chrift (for they are divided on that point) are 
 in a moft mifcirable dilemma upon this fubje^l. If Chrift the Me- 
 diator be God, they are guilty of blafphemy for denying his di- 
 vinity. If he be not God, they are idolaters for worlliiping a 
 creature : And i'''the true worfliip of God, and idolatry, recog- 
 ni2i;ig him on the one hand, and blafpheming on the other, be 
 not pra6lical points, [freely acknowledge I know not what are. 
 But 1 ihall explain m)i"clf more fully to yoiL on this head in itS- 
 proper place. 
 
 I ihall juft add here, thzt that can be no purely fpeculative 
 point in which our fairhisfo much concerned. Is it a matter of 
 no moment whether our faith be Fixed on the Saviour as " the 
 true God, and eternal life," or only as a made God, or a mere 
 creature ? I maintain that without a true faith, there can be no 
 true chriitiaR pra6lice. The adveriaries of Chiift's fupreme deity 
 value themfelvcs upon their high. encomiums of inoralit}^, or a 
 good life ; as if none but they had.any regard to it>'. But alas \ 
 do they not inculcate diriftian practice, while they deny the 
 chriician faith ? What to tecure the fupesHruciuTe, by undermi-- 
 ning, and diggi-ng up the foundatio-n ! Doth it notappear evi- 
 dently throughout the whole of the New Teftament, that a 
 right faith is as ncceffary to falvation, as a right praclice ? Nay, 
 th \x. without the former^ there c^nnotbe the latter. Or, (if yon 
 plcafe) in a large fenfe, pra6lice includes faith; And! prefume^ 
 if we carefully confult the fame Scriptures of truth, we will find 
 that the beft of our morality is unavaihble without the merits ot 
 Jefus Chrift ; and that the atonement and iatisfa6lion of Jefus 
 cannot b« of any fervice to us, unlefs we have a^ true faith ia 
 
 B 
 
[ lO ] 
 
 him ,• and that we cannot have a true faith in him, unlefs we 
 bel4e\'e him to be the true and Eternal God^ as I ftiall fliow you 
 afterwards. 
 
 As to the other prejudice you mentioned agatnfl; treating on 
 this fubje61:, viz. that it is exceeding difficult, and even unintel- 
 ligible, efpeciaily to the unlearned and common people. »I 
 
 have already lliev/n you, that the do6lrine is important, and 
 fliall endeavour afterwards to fliov/ that it is true ; and certainly 
 that v/hich is important, and capable of being proven to be true, 
 can never be fo difficult as to be incapable of being underftood, 
 it is very true, that the moft learned Vvrill never be able to com- 
 prehend the myftery ; but even the unlearned, and the common 
 people are capable of apprehendingenoughtoyield the obedience 
 uf faith to the article: and indeed the do6lrine of the trinity is as 
 intelligible as the docliine oF God's omnifcience, omniprefence^ 
 eternity, fimplicity, and felf-exillence. Is not the whole nature 
 of God iniinitely beyond the grafp of the mod enlarged capacity ? 
 And yet we all profefs our faith and belief in this ever -glorious, 
 and firft caufe. How fublime and myfterious is the doctrine I A 
 being which neither made itfelf, nor was made by any other ; 
 a firll caufe, without a beginning ; infinite without extenfion ; 
 in every place, yet eircumfcribed in no place ; eternally and 
 perpetually exifting, without any fucceffion of time ; a prefent, 
 without paft or future ! &c. 
 
 " Philemon^ I would v/ifli to know what are the particular te- 
 " hets which the Socinians and ^r/^wj- hold." — -It would be a 
 very difficult talk Sz//'£?r3wj',to point out the various antifcriptural 
 pofitions which are fcattered here & there in their writings ; and 
 perhaps it would be very unfair to charge the Socinians in 
 grofs with all the abfurd tenets maintained by fome of them.— . 
 The Socinians according to a very eminent writer* maintains a 
 plurality of Gods, (this I willlliew you afterwards) they under- 
 mine the authority of the holy Scripture. They deny not only 
 the imputation, but the contagion and corruption of original fin ; 
 thefatisfa6lionof Chrift ;theeternit) of future punifhments,nay 
 the certainty of any future punifliment at all. They maintain 
 that God is not angry with men for their fins ; and that Jefus 
 Chrift did not come into the world to redeem it. They advance 
 human reafon above divine revelation ; and affirm that nothing 
 as to be admitted into religion as the objedl of our belief which 
 exceeds the reach of our underitanding. They teach that God is 
 not infinite in his eflence, but confined to the Heavens; that he 
 is not omnifcient, but limited in his knowledge j particularly, 
 
 ^ Dr, Ejdward's prefervative againll Socinianifm, 
 
[ tl ] 
 
 t"hat h~ is ignorant of future events. They moreover teach us', 
 that Godis mutableyOr fubje(51: to change ; that he has the fame 
 paffions that we have ; andfinally, that he is material, or made up 
 of bodily parts. — Thefe pofitions are- certainly as abfurd as they 
 are impious ; and as contrary toreafon, as they are to revelation. 
 As for the Arians, they agree with tho^Sccinians in degrading the 
 Son of God to the rank of a creature : Although they diifer in 
 this, that the former look upon him as the firfi:, & moft excellent 
 creature the Almighty formed ; whereas the latter maintain that 
 he never exifted prior to his conception in the womb of the Vir-- 
 gin Mary. Aria?js io'm hands with SceinlanSy in denying the" 
 infinite merit and atonement of Jefus ; & confequently if ever 
 we are faved,we muft be our own Saviour s» rhey are both unani- 
 mous in this, that the death of Chrift was neither propitiatory, 
 nor vicarious. Arians tell us that the Holy Ghoft is the creature 
 of the Son, and fubfervient to him in the work of the creation ; 
 while fome of x.\\q So ciniaiis ^tnyhis perfonality altogether & 
 look upon him only as the power and wifdom of God. Arians 
 look upon the Holy Ghoft to be a perfon chief of the heavenly 
 Spirits, prime minifter to GodSc Chrift ; and deny that he is to 
 be woriliipped, gloryfied, or prayed to. f They teach us that our 
 Saviour^s eternal generation is a mere romance, the contrivance 
 of fame idle trifling perfon w^ho had little elfe to do, but to in- 
 vent fuch incredible & abfurd notions. — I may juft add here, that 
 it is even fliocking to the human mind to confider the impious 
 and abominable practices of the ArianBisops^ when that fa6lion 
 was countenanced by the fecular power; efpecially Eusebius of 
 Nicomedia^ and George of Alex&ndria» How was that excellent 
 and pious man i4^/6^«^j-/Mj- calumniated, and perfecuted by them: 
 Banifhed and hunted from place to place ; accufed of the moft 
 horrid crimes, treafon, murder magic, &c. But all thefe accu- 
 fations were difprovenby fach clear and inconteftible evidence, 
 that even their malice and power made his innocence & virtue 
 ihine the brighter ; particularly, as to the charge of murder the 
 perfon upon whom it was pretended to have been committed be- 
 ing produced alive in open court. J At that period, and in main- 
 
 t See the Athanafian Creed analyzed and refuted. — Alfo M^* 
 Charles Leflie on the Socinian controverfy. Dial. 4. 
 
 \ Upon the appearance of Arsenius^ (the perfon fnippofed to have 
 been murdered, and whofe hand he had cut off) Athanasiiis addreffed 
 the court thus ; Gentlemen, Arsaiius you iee has both his hands, but 
 
 "Where 
 
[ la ] 
 
 tenance and defence of that herefy, chriftian blood was fpilt like 
 water, by Arians, Heathens and ^ews, aaing in conjunaion ; 
 Yea, great numbers of all ages, and both fexes, were maffacred 
 and butchered by them, even in the churches, and in time 
 of divine fervice. The Arian perfecution againft the Ortho- 
 dox, was as bloody, if not more fo, than ever any of the heathen 
 perfecutions had been. 
 
 ^ '' CanyouinfornimeP^//^wo«,of thecircuraftancesof^r/w/' 
 ^' death ; I have often hsard, that he died in an extraordinary 
 ^ manner." ^ 
 
 He did Superbus^ in fuch a particular and extraordinary fnan- 
 ner that I think without breach of charity, it may be affirmed, 
 that the immediate hand, and juil judg nent of God, were vifi-' 
 ble in it ; awd that ths God to whom ve-ngeance, and ( 'i - vindi- 
 cation of the true religion belong, did by the death o^ chis man 
 declare his abhurrencr of the herefy. It was wh-n he was i.^ the 
 very height of his profperity & greatnefs, that he met with his 
 tragical end. Alexander, bifliop of Constantinople received an 
 exprefs order from the emperor, to receive Arius into communis 
 on; the biHiop abfolutely refufedto obey the command ; & O.mt- 
 ting himfelfup in the church the night before, prollratedhimfelf 
 at the altar, implored Almighty God to take the matter into his 
 own hand.* 1 he next morning Arius going to the church at- 
 tended by his followers in great pomp a^'nd triumph, was upon a 
 neceffity of nature forced to turn afide out of his way, where his> 
 fpiritsfuddenly Failing him,the fate of treacherousyz^J^j- became 
 his portion, he.fell head-long^ and burft afunder in the midit, and- 
 immediately expired. His friends all the while impatiently ex- 
 peOedhis return ; and ftaying longer than they thought he 
 fliouIJ, fome went lo call him, and Eitsehiusmor^ forward than 
 the reft, reproachedhis backwardnefs and negle^ both of himfelt 
 and his friei.ds 3 but hearing no anfwer, tb.ey went in and found 
 
 xvhere the third hand v/as cut off, 1 leave my accuCors to difcover 
 
 See Dr. Cave's life of Athauafuis. 
 
 * Dr. Gave gives the form of prayer u fed on this occifion by the Bi- 
 Hiop, which was to-the foUovving piirpof.--,.^ If Lord, thou pernHttcit 
 *' Arius to communicate to-morrow, Tuff-r m.^ thy fervant to depart,, 
 " anddeftroynot the righteous with ihe vv:ck:d. ' But if thos fparefl 
 " thy church, as 1 know thuu wilt, have -efpec^ to the threatnings of 
 " the Eusehian^'\xXy, and .^ive not over thine ht-ritage to ruin and re-^ 
 " praach. Take Ariu^ our of the way, left enterin,< into the church, 
 " herefy enter in with hint ; and hereafter piety and impiety be ac- 
 « counted both alike." Thus he prayed, and hcj^ven heard his prayei>. 
 and hgned » warrant for the execution. 
 
E 13 ] 
 
 him walloli^ing in his own filth and blood. Nor is it to be won- 
 dered (tisone remarks J) that he who denied our Saviour as to 
 his divine nature, fliould not feel a lefs heavy punifhment than 
 he who betrayed him in his human. 
 
 '* Can you inform me Philemon^ of the lineage and pedigree 
 *♦ of both thefe herefies V 
 
 Yes Super btis^thty may be both eafily traced up to their foun- 
 tain-head and true original. The bocinians liad theirs from 
 
 Photiiius^ as he had it from Paul o{ Samof eta. The herefy of Arl- 
 3/j- as I already told you is indeed different in feme refpe6ls, altho' 
 thev agree in this, that they deny the Son, or fecond perfon of 
 the Trinity to be ecnfubftantial with the Father. CarpoctateSy 
 Ebion^ Cerinthtis^ and many more maintained this heref)-, prior 
 to any of thefe above mentioned. And to what fe61: did thefe 
 belong? Why, to the moft wild, enthufiaftical, lewd, and in all 
 refpecls diabolical fe(Sl of the Gnosticks^ who were the (fifciples 
 oi Simon Magus. Therefore to trace the pedigree of thefe here- 
 fies upwards to their original, they pafs through Socinus^Photi- 
 nus^ and Arius^ to Pauloi Samoseta ; from him to Ebion^ Cerin- 
 tbus^ Carpocrates^ &c. and fo on to Simon the iorcerer the firft 
 broacher, and renowned father of herefy. f 
 ♦ Permit me now Super btis^ to propofe a few arguments in order 
 .to the further eftablnhingof your mind in this important article 
 of our liply religion. And the firft that I Hull mention is ta- 
 ken from that name fo often afcribed to Chrift in Scripture, the 
 Son^ the 07tly begotten Son of God ; and his being thus fo called, I 
 would conclude that he is confubftantial, or of the fame elTence 
 with the Father. That he is the Son, the only, the only begot- 
 ten Son of God cannot be denied. He that believeth on him, 
 • (are the words of our Saviour himf^lf ) is not condemned ; but 
 he that believeth not is condemned already, becaufe he believeth 
 not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He that believ- 
 eth not the Sony (liall not fee life. But thefe are written that ye 
 might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and that 
 believing ye might have life through his name.* 
 
 From thefe fcriptures we are taught this among other things, 
 that this do^lrine is not a purely fpecuiative potiit. Eternal lif® 
 
 J Dr. Trapp's Sermons on the Trinity. 
 
 f Vide Rieron. Zanchius de tribus Eiobim, Page %. 
 
 * John iii. 18. v, 36. Chap. xx. 31. 
 
 C 
 
L 14 J 
 
 js referred to our believing in the name of the only begotten Son 
 oi- God. Now, they who believe that his being called the Son^ 
 and the only begotten Son of God, becaiife confubft^ntial with 
 the Father, place their falvation in him as thus co-equal with 
 him in all the effential perfe6lions of deity ; and that he in the 
 fulnefsoi time, affumed the hu'^ian nature, and in that, obeyed, 
 furTered an,d died ; put an end tofm, and brought in an everla^- 
 iug righteoufnefs, imputable to all who believe for their juftifi- 
 cation. Avians again, they believe in his name for eternal life, 
 as foniefuper-anf^elic creature, the fiift of the handy-works of the 
 Almighty. Socinians believe in him for eternal life, only as a 
 Godly office ; and that fo far from being eternal, or firft crea- 
 ted, that be never' exiiled until his conception in the womb of 
 
 the Virgin Mary, What an immenfe. difference between the 
 
 faith of thefe believers! Upon what a different footing muft they 
 wear the, crov/n in glory I 
 
 That Ghrirt being called the only begotten Sonof God^ proves 
 him to be God co-eternal, and co-equal with the Father in all 
 the eflential perfe<Slions of dsity, from the import and propriety 
 of the phrafe Jifelf — and from all thofe places of Scripture in 
 Vv'hich the term only begotten is applied to him. — Hear his own 
 v/ords on this head. " God fo loved the world that he gave lis 
 only begotten Son, that whofoev©i'believ-£th in him,'^&c. Now 
 if the term only begotten Son doth not imply much more than 
 either the Socinians pretend, or will admit ; yea, if it doth not 
 imply Godhead in the ftri6lefl and.higheft fenfe, then the argu- 
 ment urged by our Lord and his Apoftles, y/illbe found to be in- 
 conclufive and vain ; and God by thus giving and fending his 
 Son, flievved more love to him, than to the world. I prove what 
 I have juft now advanced thus — if he v^^ho is called Chriil is by 
 the mere good pleafure of the Father fo highly honored, that af- 
 ter a.iliort life of obedience & fufferinghere on earth, he is made 
 a God^ receives divine honors, not only from men, but from An- 
 gels and Archangels, anduniverfal empire and dominion over 
 •ill creatures in Heaven and earth granted him. Do you not 
 i^t Super bus ^xk\'e^X. according to this fcheme, that God's love to 
 Chrift rcfe far fuperior to his love to the .world? I'c which I 
 may aifo add, that for the fame reafon, that Chrifl's love to a 
 p-uiltv world in coming to obey, and fuller in their fteadsdoth not 
 appear fo very extraordinary, and doth not deferve the magnifi- 
 cent character it bearskin bcripture ; becaufe, upon the Sccinian 
 and Avian hypothefis, he himfelf was the greatefl gainer. It 
 would have been indeed an acl of great and undeferved love to 
 have faved fuch vile and execrable finners as we are, by any 
 means becoming God's infinite w'lfdom, jullice andholinefs, and 
 
[ 15 ] 
 
 certainly that love would have commanded thehighed admira- 
 tion, and would have been deferving of our higheft praife, in giv- 
 ing up to the death fuch an excellent creature as Arians fuppofe 
 Chriil to be. If the death of such a creature could haiJt purchas- 
 ed salvation. But what would that love have been to the love o£ 
 God in freely giving up to the death fuch an infinitely great, & 
 glorious perfon as his beloved and onlybegottenSon,vvho is con- 
 iubllantial with himfeir. And if Chriit had been merely a crea- 
 ture, however excellent, he might have got fuch gloiy and ad- 
 va'ntage to himfelf, by his humiliation and death, as would have 
 m-ide it infinitely worth his VN^bile, for his own intereft's fake to 
 be born, fuffer and die. He might have been a real gainer by a 
 death from which he was to be raifed to fuch degrees of glory h. 
 honor, as are the confequences of it. Therefore whatever en- 
 Coniium.s the.Scripturespafs on Chrift's love to us, yet accordinsj 
 to the Arian znd Socin/an fcheme what he did and fufFered was 
 really for his own advantage, he was truly the gainer. — But let 
 us confider Jefus in another point of view, as the true God, be- 
 caufe the only begotten Son of God, and fo infinitely glorious 
 and bleffed in himfelf, to which nothing can be added ; andfo he 
 can f^et nothuig bysil^ that h^hath doiie and fufFered for vis, or 
 by all that we can do in rctuni for his jovej ud real accemon o?" 
 glory, or advantage can by any means be mads to bin), v.'ho is 
 exalted in himfelf "' above all blefling and praife." Upon this 
 principle then, and this only, doth God's love to finners in fend- 
 ing, and Chrift's love in coming to do and fuflPer, appear tran- 
 fcendent and amazing, as it is every where in Scripture faid to 
 be. And upon this principle only, will the argument urged by- 
 cur Lord and his Apoftles fetting forth the love of both the Fa- 
 ther and the Son as non-fuch, be found conclufive. 
 
 Again, that his being the only degottenSon of God proves hun 
 to be confubftantial, or of the fame nature andeffence with the 
 Father, will appear from the very import of the phrafe itfelf. — 
 For he alone can be called the OJiIy begotten Son who is folely &; 
 fmgly the Son of his Father, has no co-partner in the Son lliip, 
 no brother in that kind of filiation or Son-ftiip ; and moreover 
 who is a Son by nature, not by adoption, of the fubftance, and 
 not by the choice, or mere good will of tlie Father. That this is 
 the plain meaning o^ only begotten is evident of itfelf, and muft 
 be acknowledged by every one. I come then to prove, that Chrift 
 cannot be called the only begotten of the Father any otherwife, 
 than by his divine and eternal generation from the Father. 
 
 That this title cannot belong to him as mjan, or a creature 
 however excellent,_will appear from thefe four confiderations by 
 which Chrift as man is faid to be eminently the Son of God 5 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 and it will appear in the fequel, that by them he is not the. only 
 begotten Son of God* 
 
 1. He is eminently the Son of God as he was conceived by 
 the Holy Ghoft. But the firll man Adatn-, was formed by the 
 power of God without a Father or Mother either ; and is there- 
 fore expresily called the Son of God.f Now, if Chrid be no 
 otherwife the Son of God than by creation^ it will neceflaril}' fol- 
 low, that he Qannot with propriety be called the only begotten 
 Son of God, feeing he has Ad(zm a co-partner in this kind of fili- 
 ation or Son-iliip. 
 
 2. He is the Son of God v/ith "refpecl to his extraordinary 
 inilTion and office. Bat with regard to this, he is neither begot- 
 ten, nor only begotten. In this fenfe he is a Son by grace, not 
 by nature ; and has as many brothers, as there were prophets 
 fent with any fpecial miiiion or mandate. 
 
 3. Neither is he the Son, the only begotten Son of God by 
 virtue of his refurrecj'tion from the dead ; for this reafon, all good 
 men who rife from the dead to a bieflcd & glorious immortality 
 are ftiled the Sons of God, as being children of the refurrec- 
 tion.J Nor, 
 
 Laftly, can he be called the only begotten Son of Ged upon 
 the accoui.t of his being made foii Lord and heir of all things. 
 tje could not upon this account be called the Son of God at all, 
 much lefs, the only begotten Son of God. For this reafon, an 
 heir, (as every one knows) is not neceffarily the Son of him 
 whofe hair he is. 
 
 Now Siiperbiis^ is it not evident that in all the afore-menticn- 
 cd reipe6ls, Chriil: is not neither can be the only begotten Son 
 ©f God. — But concerning the two lall of which reipe6ls, I may 
 obferve, that in all tl^ofe places of Scripture in which the term 
 only begotten^ is applied to him, fuch as when the Father isfaid 
 to have fent his oi.ly begotten Son into the world, &c» it evi- 
 dently carries this if) it, that he was his only Son, prior to his 
 manifeitation in the ilcili ; and did not become fo by his incar- 
 nation, or his being raifed from the dead, or conuicuted heir & 
 Lord of all things. 
 
 Again, we find wife Agiir giving this title to Chrifl antece- 
 dent to his incarnation,. and without any rerpe6l to his mediato- 
 rial charadter. When ipeaking of the omnipotence, niajeftyand 
 incornprehenfiblenefs of (^od, reprefents his name, and his Soiis 
 nair^e as equally unfearchablo. Who hath afcended up into 
 Heaven, or dcfcendeu I Who hath gathered the winds in his 
 fift ? V/ho h:ah bound \\r) the waters in a garment ? Who hath 
 cftabliditd ;.ll tlit ends of the earth \ What is his name, or his 
 
 \ Luke iii. 38. % Luke xx. 36. 
 
t 17 1 
 
 Son^s name, if thou canft tell ? Doth not this man fpeakof both 
 their names as alike inexplicable ? Which I conceive is- true, 
 not of the name of God, and of Chrift confidered merely as the 
 Messiah ; but of thofe ineffable and glorious perfons, Father Sc 
 Son, confidered in their divine nature, and original relation to 
 each other. — And it is very obfervable here, that he fpeaks of 
 omnipotent virorks in the creation, prefervation, & government 
 of the world, which are common to the Father and Son ; but 
 can relate to the Son only as he is a divine perfon, the fame in 
 nature with the Father who made the worlds by him, and by 
 whom aH things do confift* 
 
 Further, in order to convince us that this title the Son of God 
 has a reference to his pre-exillent nature, or in other words, to 
 his int rinfic relation to the Father in the Godhead ; let us take no- 
 tice of the account he gives of it himfelf,f The Lord po fie fled 
 me in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old. When 
 there were no depths, before the mountains were fettled ; before 
 the hills was I brought forth, then was I by him as one brought 
 up with him ; like a. Son in the bofom of a Father — In this 
 account I apprehenJ, we will find Chrift the perfonal wifdom of 
 God, fpeaking of hinifelf in a two fold chara6let ; the one point- 
 ed out by this phrafe, **• The Lord poll^fled me, (or begat me) 
 in the beginning of his ways." The other, by this " I was fet 
 up from everlafting.'^ He was fet up from everlafting, as Medi- 
 ator and head of the church, to fliev/ that he was then really fub- 
 fiding with the Father, and therefore w^as capable of bearing a 
 part in that eternal(jovenant-tranfa6lion. There is therefore a 
 plain difference between his being brought forth, ?nd his being 
 fet up ; the one refpe6ls his peculiar manner of fublillence, and 
 the other his offi-ce. 
 
 Doth not an infpired prophet in the moft explicit terms con- 
 firm the fame truth ?t But thou Bethlehem Ephratah th-mgh 
 thou be little among the thoufands of judah, yet out of thee 
 ilivtil he come forUi u to nie, that i<^ to be ruler in Ifrael whofe 
 g iiigs foith live been from of old, from everlafli»,g, or J\ om 
 the days ofcterniiy. Here is plainly intimated a two-fold egrefs, 
 org )ingforth of Chrill J the one iii his incarnation, as mediator; 
 the other in his eternal generation froin the Father as his only 
 begotten Som. The expreiiloH is the fame by which the eternity 
 of God is pointtrd out, Pfal. xc. i. From everlailing to ever- 
 lafting thou art God. 
 
 We find the Eternal Father confirniirg the fame truth, in this 
 addrefs to his Son, Pfal. ii. 7. Thou art my Son, this day have 
 
 t Prov. viii. 22, 23, 24, 25, 30. % Micah, v. 2. 
 
t 18 J 
 
 I begotten thee. His generation here is fpoken of as a perma- 
 nent thing, pointing at its Eternity : hence fome render the 
 words, and very juilly too, '* I am this day begetting thee :'* 
 holding forthhis generation as a permanent thing of which it 
 hath ever been, is, and will be faid, '•■ this day have I begotten 
 thee,'' to denote an eternal, abiding, unbeginning, and never- 
 ending adt. 
 
 Again, that he is the only begotten Son of God a-^to be con- 
 fubftantial with him, will appear from the foUov/ing Scriptures. 
 John X. 3/ I and my Father ai^e one. He is io elTentially, 
 and neceffarily one with hiin, that '' he th t liath feen the Son, 
 hath feen the Father aJfo." For he is in the Father, and the 
 Father in him.* And moreover he is that Son who is thebright- 
 nefs of his glory, and the exprefs chara(51:er of his perfon.-j- And 
 in John v. 18. he calls God his own proper Father, and there- 
 by {l:iowed ^is equality with God, as the Jews rightly underftood 
 him. And he is alfo the Father's ovjy\ proper Son, and the Son 
 of birnself:'^ And he is thus denominated to diftinguifli hini 
 from Angels, who are the Sons of God by creatio'ii ; and believ- 
 ers, who are his Sons by adoption ; and alio from thofe v/ho are 
 called his Sons by olHcej as are ioriietiraes mag'Ciri.tcs — He is 
 alfo caHed the Son of tlie living. God,H *•* gin^ ibe Son of the 
 Father in truth and love," truly, and really partaking of his na- 
 ture, and beloved by him. 
 
 What do all thefe, and feveral other Scriptures of alike ftraiii 
 mean? But that the title the Son of God, and the only begotten 
 Son of God, rs-not to be taken in an improper, and diftantly me- 
 taphorical fenff ; but in as proper and natural a fenfe as poffibly 
 can b'j, to etprefs the famenels of his nature with the Father, or 
 to deaiote, that he is fuch a Son as naturally proceeds from, or is 
 begotton of the Father, in diilin^lion from all others who may 
 be called the Sans of God m the afore-mentioned fenfes. 
 
 To corifirm this fenfe of the words only, and only begotten 
 as ap;>lievl t > our Savi^Hr in the highellfignification by thefa-tred 
 writers, w. h »ve the ju l.^ fV^nt & interpretation of the primitive 
 ch.irch. F )r thi thr^j fi.d centuries and prior to the Nicene 
 CO mcil, the title of the only begott.^n, or only Son of God, as 
 applie I 10 our Suviour was bv the conilani and perpetual ufe of 
 it b)' the Catholic Doflors, d.ternined to fignify his eternal ge- 
 BeratioH tVo n God the Father. That of Tertullian is in fubftance 
 common to them all, and with cue voice affirmed by them all. 
 
 * Johnxiv. 9, 10. f Heb. i. 2, 3. 
 
 4 Roil., viii. 3, 32. J| Math, x, 16. 
 
L 19 J 
 
 ** He is the firft born, as begotten before all things ; only as a- 
 *' lone begotten by God, truly and properly."* 
 
 Before I proceed further on this fubje6\, allow me to make 
 thefe few remarks from what has been^faid above. 
 
 Is it not evident that the article of our Savior's divinity is 
 of fuch vaft iropprtance, that the faith of a chriftian, yea chriiUa- 
 nity itfelf, cannot fuhfiH: v/ithout it i That Jefus is the Chrill : 
 that Jefus is the only begotten Son of God andthat.it is neceH^a- 
 ry to falvation to believe both, all feels and p rties who can in 
 any tolerable fenfe be called chriftians doexprefsly acknowledge, 
 and zealoully contend. But I prefume from ^^hat has been ad- 
 vanced that he can be neither th^ Savior, nor the only begotten 
 Son of God, if he be not God ; I mean God in the i'iridell; I'enfe, 
 and of the fame elTence and fubftance wiih the Father. What 
 then can we think of thofe who pretend to be the true difciplea 
 of Jefus, and yet deny his divinity ? 
 
 Again I would obferve, that although. the diftin(5l manner of 
 the divine fubftances,'and confequently the eternal generation 
 of the Son, and their relations ad intra are inconceivable, and 
 infinitely beyong all that we are acquainted with ; yet I prefume 
 if there be not eternal intrin^Tc relations between them, by which 
 they are diftin6l perfons, without regarding their economical 
 a6\ions, Sabbelmnism'\h unavoidable. Itfeems therefore neceffa- 
 ry to confider thefe diftin6l titles of Father and Son, as names 
 belonging to, and expreflive of their originaLrelations to each 
 other. And while thefe relations, and confequently the genera- 
 tion of the Son,.are confidered -s,^ absolutely necessatyh. eternal^ 
 they neither can be proved to be impoffible, or ijiconfillept with 
 the independency and neceffary fubfiftence of the Son, in the 
 felf exiftent God-head, 
 
 it will therefore neceflarily follow, the Sonexiftsnotby a mere 
 a6lof the Father's will, as all creatures do ; & therefore his ex- 
 illence is not arbitrary as theirs is — There was no neceliity of 
 nature why any of the^m fliould have been broughtinto a ftate of 
 exiftence : and that they a6lually do exill, is entirely owing to 
 the fovereign good will and pleafure. of the great Creator: ''For 
 thou haft created all thiir^s, and for thy pleafure they are, and 
 were created.'* But we i%id of nothing like this of the exigence 
 of the Son. He being the So7t in the highefh fignification of the 
 word, his exiftence cannot but be abfolutely neceffary. He could 
 not but exift, & that from everlafting to everlafting. He claims 
 this very eflential attribute of Deity I am^ denoting the neceffiiy 
 and eternal permanence and exUlence of his being. The Father 
 can no more fubfifl: without the Son, than the Son without the 
 
 * See Dr. Trapp's Sermon on tbe > rlnity. 
 
I 20 ] 
 
 Father : the non-fubfiflence of either is changing the God- 
 head, and making it infiiiitely different from what it is. But 
 the infinite perfedlion of the Godhead unavoidably requires the 
 neceffary fubfiflence of the Son, as well as of the Father. 
 
 In a word, I think -we may fee how much of the infinite wif- 
 ■dom, love and goodnefs, both of the Father and Son is difplay. 
 ed in the w^rk of our redemption ; particularly in the preparV- 
 tion and affumption of our human nature- > I have already 
 •fiiown you Superbvs^ that Chrift is the onlj^ begctten Son of 
 God, and therefore confubfiantial with him. But he is alfo 
 real man, and his n^aniFeilation in the fltfli was to purchafe a« 
 eternal redemption for us, by his obedience and fufferings. That 
 he is as truly and really man as he was God, is evident from his 
 being called a man,- the fe&d of the woman, the feed of Abraham, 
 and the Son, and the offspring of David. Tiie accounts w« 
 have of his conception and birth, and of his whole, liFe and death 
 on the crofs, in which he appeared, a6led, and fuffered altoge- 
 ther as man, and in vv^ays peculiar only to himfelf, irrefragably 
 prove the truth of his manhood. He had a true hunian body, 
 of the fame flefli and blood with the church which he redeemed. 
 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is 1 m)felf; handle me 
 and fee, for a fpirit hath not fiefli and bones, as ye fee me have. 
 He had a true human foul; for he as man increafed in wifdom, 
 fls well as in feature. This could not, without the higheftblaf- 
 phemy be faid of his God-head. And his foul we find was fub- 
 jedl to the fame paffions of grief, joy and forrow as ours are ; 
 although without fm. Hence we read of his rejoicing in fpirit, 
 of his being grieved in fpirit, and of his groaning in the fpirit ; 
 and that his loulwus exceeding forrowful even unto death ; and 
 that he poured out his foul unto the death, and gave up ths 
 Ghclr. All iheie, and fuch like expreflions iliow that he had a 
 true human foul, as v/ell as body. He was fent to redeem the 
 fouls as well as the boiies of men, therefore he muft have a foul 
 to be made a facrifice for our fouls. In a word, he is faid to be 
 made like unto hi& brethren ; which is fpoken with refpc<Sl to 
 his talking our mature that he n.ight be fit to a6l therein as a 
 fubJtitute Kigh-|)rieft for us finful men, and therefore imports 
 that he is as truly a nuiu as any of us tire. And on ihis account, 
 he IS frequentl} called the Son of man^ as on account of his di- 
 vine nature he js called the Son of (jod.^ 
 
 \ ^\it Avians Super-Angelic Spirit, the firO created of alt God's 
 handy works, and wJiich fupplied the place of Chrill's human foul, the 
 Scriptnreh. know net] ling; of. As the Socini(ms make him all man, the 
 Arians rob him of his hmnan nature entirely. Seeing a human foul & 
 body are the conftituent parts of human nature. 
 
[ 41 1 
 
 And from this two fold confideration of Chrift, as the Son of 
 God, and the Son of man, we can conliftently explain the doc- 
 trines and a(?lions of Jefus while here on earth, and the various 
 accounts which the facred penmen both of the Old and New 
 Teftament give of him ; which from any other confideration are 
 entirely inexplic-^ble, e, g. when he is faid to be fent; upheld ia 
 the execution of his Mediatorial offices ; that he of hinifelf could 
 do nothing ; that the Father was greater than he ; that he knew 
 not the hil: day ; that he came to do the Father's will not his 
 own : and tlh;t the words which he fpake were not his, but the 
 Father's that lent hi.n, &c. Now all thefe phrafes aiid others 
 of a iimiiar niture maybe juftly afiirmedof Jefus as n:an, and in 
 his oHiciil capacity. But how are we to reconcile what is pre- 
 dicated of him otherwife, without taking into the account at the 
 fame time, that he is as truly and really God, as he is as man ? 
 Can a creature raife the dead, create all things in Heaven St in 
 earth, fupport univerfal nature in its exiftence ? Can a creature 
 be endowed with the divine properties and eifential perfe6lions 
 of cleit}^ as omnipotence, omnifcience, omniprefence, Stc. Can 
 a creature authoritivcly forgive rin,juliiry and fanclify linners, 
 be the objeclof religious worlliip, be prayed to, honored, and be- 
 lieved. in equally with God the Father? All thefe things be- 
 long to Jefeus ; but how? As a creature^ as a mere man. No, 
 
 but as God, and that God who was manifefted in the fleili. 1 
 
 fay then Supcrbus^ that viewing Chriil in this two-fold charac- 
 ter, we can eafily, and confiftently reconcile what is affirmed of 
 him with reg'.rd to each of his natures refpe<jliveiy, v/hich oth- 
 ervvife would be impolhble 
 
 '^ P'')ilemon^ I perfe6lly coincide with yourfentiments on this 
 " hc;ad. I freely confefs that:! have been proiigioufly puzzled 
 ** how to reconcile the seemingly inconfillent account the Scrip- 
 '* tures give of Jefus. When I read his Ovvn wo»'ds •■' the Son 
 " can donothinnp of hi.nfi:;lF," ' I was naturally led out to con- 
 " elide, that he behoved tohe vuflly inferior to the Father ; & 
 '' yet at the fame, that he created the v/orlds, Forgave fm, raifed 
 '* thedjad, and openedthe eyes of theb'lnd ; i could not recon- 
 *' cile ih-fe actions with that impotence he at the fame afcrib- 
 *' ed to hiinfeir. When J[ read that he was ignorant of the day 
 *' af judgment, and yet.that he knew all things ; and n^rticular- 
 '* ly,th.it he wjs to be the judge. Thefe things feemed eniire- 
 *' iy paradoxical to me. % But viewing Jefus as God and man I 
 *' can nov/ account for all thefe diiTerent phrafes confi:l:ently, 
 '^ and to my entire fatisfaclion. I now behold him not only 
 *' inferior to the Patlier, but made a little lower than the An- 
 *' gels y yet Godfupreme, ''exalted above allblefling & praife." 
 
[ « ] 
 
 " But before you proceed any further to confirm the do6lrine 
 ^* or Chrift's fupreme deity^ I williyou would iolve an objeclion 
 *' which 1 have heard' produced againll a Trinity of peribas iiv 
 " one Godhead, viz-^that it implies a contradiction '* 
 
 To give you all pollible fatisfa61ion on this head, and fliow 
 you at the fame time how groundlefs this objedlion of the adver- 
 faries to Chriil's dr.d'iity is ; let me obferve that according to 
 the unanimous language of the facred Scriptures on this head; 
 in the unity of the God-head there are three dirlindl perfons, 
 Father^ Son^ and Holy Ghost, •■' There are three that bear re- 
 cord in Heaven, the Father," &c. By the term person is gene- 
 rally underftood, ^' a particular manner of fubfiiting and ailing, 
 in an intelligent Beir*g.'' Or according to a very learned writer, 
 2^ person is an intelligent agent, having the didinclive chara6lers 
 ol /, 7bou^ He^ and not divided or dillinguiilied into more intel- 
 ligent agents capable of the faine ehara6iers.* By the perfons 
 in the God-head, we do not mean three diilin6t attributes of de- 
 ity; this would land us dire;jUy into Sabbellianlsmy asv/hen the 
 fame man may be at the fame lime a king, a prophet, and a fa- 
 ther. The Scriptures manifeftly make a greater dlftinciion be- 
 tween them than this amounts to. Nor on the other hand, we 4a 
 not mean tliree diil:in6l fubftances, minds, or fpirits ; for then 
 (each of tliem being God) it Vv'ould, according to the ideas which 
 we have annexed to thefe other words unavoidably follow, that 
 there were three Gods ; a ]5ofiLion, not only contrary to Scrip- 
 ture, but to reafon and common fenfe. But pofitively we mean 
 as I already hinted, an underftanding and voluntary agent. 
 
 Neither is there any contradi61ion in thedoclrine of the Tri- 
 nity, as is mod unjuftly alledged. Becaufe the terms are not af- 
 firmed of the fame thing, and in the fame refpe6l, as they al- 
 ways muft be to make a contradiction. To fay that three Gods 
 are one God, or that three perfons are one perfon would be a flat 
 contradi6lion. But to fay that there are three perfons in the 
 God-head, or that the three perfons are one God, is no more a 
 contradi'ilion than to fay that there are three lines in one triangle 
 or that there are three faculties in one foul, the underllanding, 
 "Will & memory, I may here further obferve to you, that that may 
 be a contradiction in oae nature that is not fo in another. For . 
 2nftance,is it not a contradidlionthat with us, yederdayfliouldbe 
 to day, or that to day iliouldbe to-morrow? But God is the fame 
 yefterday,today, and forever. With him all things are ptefent, 
 there is no pail or to come in eternity. Would it not be a flat 
 coniradi61ion for me to fay, that at the fame time that I am 
 
 "* Hx. Water 1. a def. fxgm page 364 to page -ifi^. 
 
[ i3 ] 
 
 here, I am in another place at a thoufand miles diftance ? But it 
 is no conti adj6lion in the nature of God to fay, that at the fame 
 time that he is in Heaven he is alfo on earth, yea in the fame 
 inftant every where, and filling all things. — In a word I think 
 it would be the highefl: prefumption to charge the account which 
 the Holy Scriptures give of this facred myftery, viz. that there 
 are three that bear record in Heaven — and thefe three are one, 
 as a contradiclion. 
 
 The believers of thts doclrine never prefume to explain the 
 manner of this ineffible myftery ; (for it would ceafe to be a 
 myiltny, if it could be explained) yet it is clear from Scripture, 
 that there is a diftin<?tion between the three perfons as fuch ; fo 
 that what is perfonaliy afcribed to one, cannot be perfonally 
 afcribed to tJie other two; though they are the fame God and 
 theelfefUiaiattri-butesofdeit) common to them all. They are not 
 throe di(liii6l perions as three men are ; but in a manner of fub. 
 filling to us quite incomprehenfible. I fliall fum up the whole 
 in the words of a very pious and learned author.^ 
 
 *' We uiaintain, (fays he) that the perfons in the bleffed Tri- 
 " nity are truly diftin6l,in oppofition to Sabdlianism ; &yet that 
 ** they are pr6per perfons fubfilting in the fame undivided fub- 
 *' ftance or effcnce. That the generation of the Son is a pro- 
 " per generation ; the proceffion of the Holy Ghoft is a pro* 
 *' per proceffion ; fuch as doth properly, and did eternally take 
 *' place among the glorious perfons fubfifting in the Godhead, 
 *' But we deny that they are proper perfons in the fenfe that 
 " men and Ange's are proper perfons, who are diftincft fubftan- 
 " ces, and have diftincSl underftandings and wills. — The perfons 
 " of the Trinity are not fo diftindl as to be independent of, fe- 
 " parate from, or alien to each other. They are proper diftin6l 
 *' perfons, though no man, nor perhaps Angel, can define what 
 *' a divine perfon is, or account for the diftin6lion among them- 
 " felves. The like may be faid of the generation of the 
 *' Son, which is, no doubt, moft proper, though not to be d.- 
 *' fined by the notions of generation among mtn. '"• For who 
 ** can declare his generation." And therefore ihe generatioa 
 " of the Son will Hill rensain a myilery, let bo!d men quibble as 
 '* they will. Among men, i-i the very name of Father, the»e is 
 ** implied fomething gre.iter than in that of Son. But it doth 
 " not follow, that it muft needs be fo in the deity, where the Son 
 ♦' no more had any beginning i)f bei'g than the Father ; nor 
 *' c Hild in any inftant not have been, any more than tlie Fa- 
 ** ther himfelf could not have been. A parallel between Fa- 
 
 * JMonwicff on the fupreme deity of Ghrift,jpage 194, 195. 
 
ii 
 
 U C 
 
 [ 24 1 
 
 *' ther and Son aniongft men, and Father and Son in the deity 
 " cannot with any fliow of reifon, bs drawn ; the difference 
 '' being fo wide between th^m as mig'u be Ihovvn in many par- 
 " ticuiars. 
 
 *^ Among men, Father and Son ar two, not only divided per- 
 " fons,but they have different en i »w!nents : In the deity, Fa- 
 " ther and Son are one ; not one perfon, but one in all excel-' 
 *' lencies and perfet-Stions. Amongil: men, the Father has his 
 things, and the Son has hjs ; but in the deity, the Son hath all 
 things, without exception that the Father hath. Among men 
 the Son doth fome things, a.nd the Father other things ; but 
 in the deity, whatever things the Father doth, theie doth the 
 Son like wile. Amongft men, though the Son is from the 
 ^^ Father, yet he is not in the Father ; and tliough the Father 
 '' produced the Son, yet he is not in the Son ; and th vigli a Son 
 " maybe like the Father, yet it cannot, llrillly fpeaking, be 
 " faid, that he that has feen the Son has feen the Father. But 
 " in the deity, the Father is fo in the Son, and the Son in the 
 *' Father, that he that has feen the Son, has alfo feen the 
 " Father.^' 
 
 But I proceed .y^/jfr^z/ J to another argument in favor of the 
 fupreme deity of Chrift ; and this I found upon the name God 
 given him in Scripture. The adverfaries of Chrift's deity rather 
 than acknowledge their Saviour to be God, have laboured hard 
 todiilinguifii away the meaning of the term God hy affixing this 
 idea to it, as if it was no more than merely an official word. So 
 that we mud not think(as it has been vulgarly and erroneoufly 
 imagined) that the word Gc?^ in tiTv facred writings denotes ef- 
 fcnce, nature or fubftance, but office only, dominion or authori- 
 ty, particularly when applied to C-iriit. But if this be true I 
 ani afraid that fuch an explication of the term will affi26l the 
 Father, as much as the Son ; and this way we will foon have no 
 God at all. Is he not in John i. i exprefsly called God ? In 
 the beginning was the word, and the word v/as with God, and 
 the word was God, is not the term G^^:/ appi'ed toChrift in as 
 abfulute a fenfe, as it is or can be applied to tiie Father, with^nit 
 any limitation or note of infeiiority ? Would yuu not think it 
 ftrange Superbus^ tliat the Holy Ghoil: would give the fame id-^n- 
 tical term to the Son that is pvQn to the Father, and leave us to 
 explain it thus ? Tho Father is called God, becaufe he is Ood by 
 nature, the Sun is called God, becaufe he is fo by office, as being 
 the Falhtir's deputy and ambaffiaJor to men, juft as x^Ioles was a 
 G^c-/ to Pharaoh, by giv7i,g iVim uthority to fpeak unto him in 
 his name. 1 have ma.U thee E '<bim a God to Pharaoh*^ And 
 
 5 Exod. iv. 16* chap, vii, 1. 
 
t ^5 } 
 
 magiftrates are fomctimes called God, " Ifaid ye are Gods.^^ — 
 But what is this to the point in hand ? Is it any where predicated 
 of Mofes, or thofe other Gads^ that they are eternal, omnifcient, 
 onnniprefent, and the like ? Was Moles tc be worihipped by the 
 liraelites ? Is it anywhere faid that he made the worlds, or that 
 he is God over all bleffed for ever ? Is he any where called Jeho- 
 vah ? Neither is he absolutely chiliad £iobim. but only with regard 
 to Pbaraob and Aaron to whomhev.-as to deliver God's mcifage. 
 Is it not fomewhat {lrange,if he be but a God by deputation, and 
 not in the ftri6l and abfolute fenfe of the v^ord as applied to the 
 Father, that he is faid to be Eternal, and works afcribed to him 
 which none but God properly fpeaking^an do ? He was in the 
 beginning,!, e. from eternity with God, and from Eternity he 
 vas God, and in time created allthings ; and without him was 
 not any thing made t-hat was made. Now is not creation-work 
 the peculiar prerogative of deity ? In the beginning God created 
 the Heavens and the Earth. But we have no account Iiere, nor 
 any >A here elfe thivt God created the Son. Ajid if the Son be 
 simong the rank of the creatuj^es, yea in very deed a creature, 
 and yet atxhe fame time the Creator, he n^adehimfelf j which is 
 certainly as great a con tradition as a Trinity in unity. All 
 things were made by him, and without him was not any thing 
 made that was made ; which exactly anfwers to the Mofaic ac- 
 count of the creation in Gen. i. i. — — He is expreslly called 
 " the mighty God," and '\ God manifeited in the flcfli." And 
 he is fo denominated by the Father himfelf, Heb. i. 'i'hy throne 
 C) God is for ever and ever. According to forae the term Elobim 
 here abfolutely ufed, Qgnifies as much a&Eiobe Elobim the God of 
 Gods. What a bold attempt to;pervert the words of the Holy 
 One, and without any fenfe, to render the phrafe tlius — -God 
 ihuil be thy feat or throne for ever and ever. This is direclly 
 contrary to the received opinion even of the Jews themfeives. 
 The Targum on the 45thPfalm from which this is borrowed reiir 
 ders the words thus — '•''Thy throne O God is in Heaven f r ever 
 *' and ever." We would wiih to know in what fenfe God is the 
 throne of Chrill ? What idea doth it convey ? Has it any coun- 
 tenance from the originali i look upon this addrefsof tlie Father 
 to the Son as a plain and explicit acknowledgment of the Sen's 
 fupreme deity. 
 
 Again he is emphatically calle'« tlve great God, Looking for 
 that hleiTed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, 
 and our Saviour Jefus Chrill, or the great God, even our Lord 
 Jetus. Thefe titles belong to one and the fame perfon as that 
 form of fpeech is commonly ufed, and often tranflated ; particu- 
 larly when the Father is called " The Qod and Father of our 
 
 E 
 
[ 2^ ] 
 
 -** Lord Jefus," which very phrafe,a£ other times is rendered ^'God 
 "even the Father of o;;r Lord Jefus Chrifl.''* And the ApoftJes 
 iptakingof the .apj;earing of this ^reat God, determines us .to 
 underftand it here. Doth he jiot ceruinly mean Chrill's fecond 
 and glorious -<ippeacance ? The Scripture never reprefents the 
 Father as.the perfon who wiii make thiit appearance; but con- 
 ftantl}- appropriates it to Chriil:, who lliall come in all his glorv, 
 and tbeglory of his Father to judge the quick and the dead. And 
 although Chrift (Irall come in his Father's glory,, as well as his 
 own, -yet it is not the perfon of the Father, but that of the Son 
 that fiia41 then come *ind make his gloripus-appearance. 
 
 But in order to remove all jealoufy of any thing figurative or 
 improper in this appellation of Ghrift, he is called the true God^ 
 Eot a true God, as if there might be more true Go.ds than one, 
 but by way of efiipliafis, the tnie Qod^ as having the true arid only 
 God head in himfelf. j .- And we are in hirn that is true, even 
 in his Son Ji:-fus ChriO:. This is the true God, ^nd eternal life.'* 
 This is, or, he is the true God and eternal life. Now the true 
 God whom the Apoltle here fpeaks of is Jefus ; and vdiat more 
 can poftiblv be ainrmed of J:he Father thai} that he is the true 
 God? Doth not the natural order and grammatical conftru6i;ion 
 of the words lead us to tlus fenfe t Apd^particularly doth not his 
 joining- the title oi eternal, life \\:ixh that of the true God clearly 
 point us to Jefus, as the true God here fpokenof? We find that 
 as the beloved difciple began, fo he concludes Ids epiRle, with 
 thefe titles of Chriil, bis son Jesus Christy znd eternal life ^ 2.Xidi 
 inferts betw^een them, thi? is the true.God, that we might be fure 
 not to miftake, who he means thereby. So that if the plaineft 
 words taken in their genuine ienie and connexion, are of any 
 weight with us, Jetus Chriil Ls declared to be thr true God to the 
 eKclurionGfaliinferior notions of. his God-head, as if it was diffe- 
 rent from that, which is the. only true one,. Soci-nians and Arians 
 m order to get free of this crabbed tje:a, are reduced to this pitiful 
 fliift, which by the bye is not true, viz. th.at the .article is here 
 added to the v/ord God, vV/hi-ch, is neverdor.e when Chrirt is cal- 
 led God. Among other places, which prove the falfity of this we 
 Tiiight- refer them to John xx. 0^8. where the article is added both 
 to Lord and God. Now if the adJitlon of ilie Greek article to 
 the word God, infallibly prov^s-tlijjt.t'ie, perfon meant is God in 
 the mofi: ftri6l and abfolute ienfe. ; our Lord Jefus Chriil is fo. — 
 But if this obje6\ion is..ur. tenable, they. have,^ another yet in re-- 
 ferve ;but it unfortunately happens /that it is of as little validity 
 as tlie other to overturn the genuine meaning pF this text ; Cheir 
 objection is this, that relative panicles^ fuch as that iti the te^t, 
 
 . « i John v.,^0. 
 
[ ^7 ] 
 
 ott^rntimes refers to what is more remote. To this it may be an- 
 iweredth.it the neceiiity of referring the particle to what is nior^ 
 remote is evidc^nt frbm the text, and neceflary from the nature 
 of the th^iig.'*'^ In a word, to refer this to th6 true God goVng 
 before makes the Apostle gmhy of atautology, by faying, tbe true 
 Go.i Wia 'tb/ :rue God. Perhaps' they'may objeA againlt hrs true 
 confabrU'itiality wich the Father and fay, that h.e is a true made 
 God ; but' to fvvailow futh an interpretation requires more rea- 
 Ibn and cummon fenfc, than ever ftll to the fnare oF' any man, 
 fmce God creaiei man. A true created God^ is a poritiou at 
 Whith reafon urc;ir revolts. 
 
 I iliali only n.icntijn one text more on this head, and this 370a 
 will fiiv:r in Romans ix. 5. Whole are the Fathers, and of 
 v/hoin as concerning the fi^fii Chrift came, who is God over all, 
 bleffed for ev^r. Amen. Some in order to evade the force of 
 this test a^ an argument for the fupreme deity of ChriH:, would 
 moil perverfely turn the lafl claufe of the verfe into an Ecpbone- 
 ma andg'-ateFui exclumation for thebleffings conferred upon the 
 Jews, thus, God "Ujbo is over aU. be blessed forever. But this founds 
 fo harlh, and withjut any like example in the New Teftdment, 
 that (according to a very learned author p) it never came into 
 the head of any An'an / and Sochius himfelf rejects it for this 
 very good reafon, that God be blessed^ is an unufual and unnatu- 
 ral conlh'U'vStion. The phrafe occurs twenty times in the Old 
 Teftament, but in every place the term blefled goes before, and 
 the article is prefixed to the word God, which is-a plain demon- 
 flration that this is no Ecpboncrna^ or grateful exclamation. 
 The plain and moft obvious fenfe of the words is this ; the Apoltle 
 having f^id in the preceding context, that Chrift came from the 
 Fathers according to the flelli, or as to his human nature ; is it 
 not reafonable to conceive that he fliould proceed to fliow what 
 he was as to his divine nature ? Is it not unreafonable to think 
 he Oioiild fay noticing of the fuperior nature of Chrift? Efpeci- 
 ally if we coniider, tliat the X\\i\ii-At\QX\ according to tbe fiesb^y^X-^ivi- 
 \y iminated that there was another nature in hi^n, according to 
 which he came not from the Fathers. Upon the whole, I pre- 
 fume that the argument from hence to prove him truly and pro- 
 perly God is iavinciljle. God over all^ is x.\\q peripbrasis by which 
 
 * See Aas iv. 1 1. Acts vii. 1§. Chap. x. 5, 6. 
 
 2 Their, ii. 9. 2 John vii. 
 
 t I>r. Whitby on the place. 
 
[ a8 J 
 
 all the heathen Philofophers did ufually reprefent the fupreme 
 God ; And fo is God the Father defcribe i both in the Old and 
 Kew Teitament, as he that is over all.:}: This is the conftant 
 epithet of the great God in the Old Teftamcnt.H And this 
 charader here afcribed to Chriil, is given to the moft high God, 
 as diiunguiilied from all creatures whatloever ; Rom. i. 25, 
 where the Apoitle charges ^he Gentile v/orld with worfliipping 
 and Cerving the creature more than (or beude) the Creator ; 
 
 v/ho is God bleiTed for evermore. Amen. The creatures the 
 
 Gentiles ferved, were demons, and fuch deceafed heroes as they 
 luppoled to be fubordinate powers, but railed to the dignity of 
 Cods ; from all thefe, the Apoftie dlftingaiflies the true God, the 
 Creator ^i the world by this title, " God over all^ blessed for ever- 
 more Z"* q. d. that God to whom alone the blefTmgand adoration 
 of all intelligent cre:jtures is, and will be forever due. The 
 polytheifm of the Geniile world is here expofed by the Apollle, 
 reprefenting the weaknefs and folly of any fubordinate deities 
 under one aslupreme, v/hich the God of Ifrael always difclaimed. 
 His conitant language was this ; ^ I am the Lord and thsre is 
 
 none elfe : There is no God befides me." -'' I am God, and 
 
 there is. none like me." " Before me there was no God form- 
 ed, neither will there be after me." V/hat abfurdity for chrifti- 
 ans to talk of one God that is fupreme, and another that is God 
 in a fubordinate fenie! — I apprehend upon the whole, that no- 
 thing but the moft determined oppofition to the fupreme deity of 
 the Son of God, could ever induce any one to force and ftrain a 
 text from ils* plain, genuine, and grammatical conftru6tion ai>d 
 meaning, as the otber interpretation doth. The Scripture was 
 certainly written for the common ufe of all, and is g-nerally to 
 be underftood in its moft obvious and eafy fenfe ; but if this text 
 15 not to be underftood in the fenfe already given, but muft be un- 
 derftood (the latter claufe I mean) as a doxology, I defpair of 
 ever underftandiiig any one text delivered isi the plaineit terms 
 imaginable. The truth is, it requires a great deal of the moft 
 unhappy ingenuity to bring divine revd.tion seemingly^ to fup- 
 port a bad caufe. Iconclude tlien, tnat [efus Chrift is truly and 
 properly God confubftantud v.-ith his Eternal Father ; even the 
 moft high, and infinitely blefted God. 
 
 In connexion w^ith the foregoing '^criptures. permit me Sttper- 
 bus to offer another to yonr coniidci ati' n in fupport of the fu- 
 preme deity of the Son of God. — Who being in the form of God, 
 thought it not robbery to be equal wiih God ; but made himfelf 
 of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and 
 
 \ Eph. iv. 6. g 1 Chron. xvl. 36. Pfal- xli. 13, and 89, 62. 
 
[ 19 ] 
 
 Was made in the likenefs of men.f The Apoftle in this text 
 feems to have forefeen, and obviated the Socinian herefy ; for he 
 doth not only call Chrift, God^ but he informs us how he is God* 
 Not by gift or donation, or that he was made God : That "be- 
 ing a contradiction in the very terms ; but that he was in the 
 form and eflence of God, and fo equal to God, which he could 
 not pretend to without the higheft robbery. '''' 
 
 ** But Philemon^ might not the form of God (as I have often 
 " heard it fo explained) be underftoodas to mean only, that there 
 *^ was a cornmunicaiion made to him of divine, and miraculous 
 ** powers over difeafes, Devils, the grave, the wind, the feas," 
 &c. 
 
 I anfwer Superbus. by afl^ing yon this queflion, was there not 
 a communication'^of this divine aiid miraculous power given to 
 Prophets, Apoftles ? &c. But where do we ever read, that they 
 were in the form of God? Every one that underftands terms, 
 knows what is meant by matter 'A\\<i form. The form of a thing 
 is its eOence, not its (liadow or likenefs. And therefore whate- 
 ver is in the form of God, is of his eflencc, and confequently muft 
 be God. And this is the inference the Apoftle here makes ;— 
 that becaufe he was in the form of God, therefore he was equal 
 to God ; and it was no prefumption in him to claim this equality, 
 becaufe being in the form of God, he v/as by nature truly and 
 properly God. 
 
 But if Chrift was originally a creature as Socinians and Arians 
 maintain, and only advanced through the mere goodwill of the 
 Father to divine honor, then indeed he could not be excufed 
 from the charge of robbery and prefumption, yea of. plafphemy 
 to pretend to be equal to God. 
 
 " But Philemon^ I have heard feme read the words thus—v/ho 
 *' committed not robbery by equalling himfelfto God, i. e. did 
 " not rob God of his honor by arrogating to be God, or eqilal to 
 " God." 
 
 Superbus this was explainingthe text like an oracle I It bears 
 thefe two meanings, either that Chrift did not arrogate to him- 
 felf to be God, or equal to God ; and therefore did not rob God 
 of his honor. Or otherwife, it may be underftood, that though 
 he did arrogate to himfelf to be Cod, or equal to God, yet 
 this was not a robbing God of his honor. In this hft: fenfe 
 then it muft mean that Chrift is God, or that it is no diflionor to 
 God to have a creature made equal to him. But what a grofs per- 
 verfion of the phrafe,w^o thought it not robbery to change itint* 
 
 f Philip, ii. 6, 7. 
 
t 3° ] 
 
 this, wTio committe(^ not robbery; as if the Greek ward meant 
 feoth thought and committed ; or that thought iind committed are 
 the fame thing; 
 
 Th2 form oF a fervant which Chrift is here faid to taVe, was 
 his taking upon him our ft e(h, or our human nature, as appears 
 from the followiajr wor^.s. ^'' And was made in the likenefs of 
 '*'' 2iien, and being found in firifhion as a man." And this form of 
 a fervant, is compared witKthe form of God, in which he was be- 
 fore he took upon him the form of a fervant.- The fume word is 
 ufedinboth branches of the comparifon, and therefore muft be 
 taken in the fame fenfe, un'efs v/e would make the comparifon 
 fallacious. " Being in the Form of God — ~he took upon him 
 *' the form of a fervsnt.'^ Therefore he ;was as truly God as he 
 was man ; he was asreallv poffeffed of a div?,-e, as^e was of a 
 human nature.— And moreover, he was God before he was man ; 
 iQV obferve, it is not here faid, that hw took upon him the form 
 of God, beeaufe he was always in th it form, and fo could not 
 \ake it. 
 
 I mjo^ht juft add here, that we have two other phrafes fimilar 
 to this which I have been fpeaking of, and as exprefiive of the 
 fupremeddi'iy of Chrjft, Heis called the image of the invifible 
 Oo-».-* And the exprefsimage of his perfon.f Now a piclure 
 or a fliadow is a man's image, but not in the fame refpe61; as his 
 Son, who is the exprefs image of his perfon, beeaufe he partakes 
 of his identical nature. 
 
 Would you -will) Superhus to know the hypothefir. of the Soci- 
 ^.lans on this head ; whic!\, in the ifliie maybe applied to the 
 -^'r/V/;?^ aifo ? -Their do6lri]ie then is this, thac our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift is by- nature a mere man ; but by the will of the Father 
 advanced to the dignity of a God, And beiog fo advanced, he is 
 Dims veriis truly and properly a God. Allow me to prefent to 
 your-ylew their principles on this head, from the learned Dr, 
 £dmafd'' s Dii^icwdtivt dg^'^n^ Socinianism^ ^ud that in his own 
 word Sip 
 
 *' If vveconiider God in his attributes, we will find that the 
 **'firft greiit, and(if I may focall it) fundamental attribute which 
 ^' the Scriptures reveal, and indeed natural reafon di6lates, con- 
 ** cerning him, is the unity of the God-head. Deut. vi. 4. — 
 ** Hear O Ifrael, the Lord thy God is one Lord, Deut. xxxii. 
 *' 39. ' See now, that Leven I am he, and there is no God with 
 ** me. ==Here undoubtedly it will be faid, that the Socinians 
 
 ^Coliof. i. 15. |'Heb;i. 3. 
 
 « 
 
 J Vol. I. pag. 8 and feq. 
 
I 3^ ] 
 
 " are beyofid all fufpfcion, orthodox. All tlreirfadies ^nd labors 
 ** being emploved in aiftrtiiig and vindicating-thfe unity of the 
 " God-head, in oppofition to the do6\rine of the Tri.nuy ; whif^h 
 " according to their apprehenfion muil infer a plurality pf Gods. 
 " But for all their boafts con-cerning this, matter, and affuming- 
 t' to t>^emfelves uponthat fcore the name of U7ntarians, we mull 
 »^ not be too lialfy in acquitting fhem from the imputatioi) of Fo^ 
 ^' lytheisnu For although-they <;eny the eternal, generation. of 
 " Chrift and his divinity, and fay I e had no exiftenpe before his 
 ** beino- formed in the womb of -th^e Virgin Mary, and his ap- 
 " pearanc6 in the world ; and thatiUvbeJng which he then, bad 
 »' was purely human. Yet after his rcfurreclion from the grave, 
 *' and afcenfion into' H,-a-ven, they %, that God the \^x^\qx^. 
 " as the reward ©f his obedience a-nd fufferings exalted him to 
 " the honor a-nd dignity of a God ; -not indeed to be .ihefuprerne 
 " and eternal God, but \/d^iivtx D ens verm, ^\^\xs^u, and fepa- 
 " rate from the Father. K^d^SGcinm takes it ill of his adver- 
 *' faries that they fiiould charge him with denying Chrift to be 
 " God; and complains againa them.that will not be brought to 
 " confefs and worfnip hirn for their Lord and Cx)d, who was 
 *^ once a weak and infirm man. And herein he faith the power 
 " and^oodnefs of God was difcovered, andhis admirable wif- 
 ^* dom difplayed, in extolling, and deiKdng this man, beyond 
 <* what we can imagine. 
 
 '-' And to theobjeaion againft this opinion, -as that which ^id 
 " unavoidably infer a plurality of Gods. Wohzogenius^^V. tell 
 « you that if by two Gods vou mean (^ne ot whom are all things, 
 " and we in him, and the c/^^r by whom are all things, and we 
 *^ by him ; we are fo^ far, faith he, from being afimmed of wor- 
 *' fliiopin^ two fuch Gods, that we rather glory in it. But if it 
 *' fliall be further faid, that to do them right, they acknowledge 
 '' but one fupreme God by nature : and that Chnft 14 only God. 
 '• by apDointment and office, not .?2^/z/j,but/^m/x, uot begotten, 
 *^ but made ; andd^ified after his afceniion by a communication 
 " of the divine power, wifdom, and Goodneis to him. 
 
 '^ I anfwer that this is fo far from abating, that it rirther m- 
 '^ creafes the difficulty, and makes the Socinian notion both im- 
 " pious andabCurd; as may be iliown nio^re at iarp;e hevtalter, 
 " when we come to lay the charge of idolatry at th^ir door.--.. 
 " Indeed one would think it (liouldbe a debafing of the name, and 
 " honor that IS -due to God, to give either of them to any hut 
 .^ him who is i-rom all eternity. The fame Wolt%oge^ws will 
 « tell you, you may if you pleafe reproach them^ for fo doing ; 
 " but he values it not a rufli, nos non erubescimus^ lays he, we are 
 
C 3* 1 
 
 ♦* not afliamed to own tiiat we worfliip Detim factum velfactlii" 
 '^ UTUy a made God ; not made by a goldfmith, or engraver, ab 
 " aliquo sculptore^ vel auri fabro. But they acknowledge witU 
 " Peter^ A6ls ii. 36. That Gojd hath made Jefus who yas eru- 
 " cified Lord and Chrifl, i. e. faith he, Deum eximium feceritj 
 ** hath made him a great and eminent God. 
 
 " If this be not enough, if you pleaCe to confiilt Smalcius j he 
 ** will give you all the fatisfaClion on this head that you can pof- 
 *' fibly defire. For firfth^ will tell you, that whereas the Scrip- 
 ** tures aflure us that there is but one only true God; yet thi§ 
 ** muft be taken sano sctisu^ not as if there were no other true 
 ** God, befides God the Father; but that there is noae that is 
 ** God eode7n prorsus viodo^ juft in the lame manner as he is.— r- 
 " For otherwife the thing is certain and paft all doubt, that there 
 •** are more true Gods than one. And let the infpired writers 
 ** be never fo pofitive ; yet he and his friends can, and will, with 
 ** equal confidence advance this contrary pofition that the true 
 ** God is not one only true God. Nay, it is not an indifferent 
 •*' matter ; but a truth which they firmly believe, and earnefdy 
 '* contend for ; and therefore pronounce it without hefitation, 
 ^' that there aremorje true Gods than one. 
 
 *' And indeed they have reafon to contend earneftly for this 
 " opinion ; if it be true what he faith in the fame place, that to 
 " acknowledge and confefs, and adore one only chief and sm- 
 *' preme God, is purejy judaical, and a renunciation of the chri- 
 '' ftian religion. Here he fpeaks as home to the point as you 
 '' can poffbly defire; and it is enough in all confcience. Thus 
 *' whereas the Scriptures tell us there is but one God ; the Soci^ 
 *' 7iians fay there are two; one God by nature, another by grace 
 '* — onefupreme, another inferior ; one greater, another itfier ; 
 "" one elder and eternal; another a junior and modern God. — 
 ^ /^nd this by Socinus is made the great m)il:ery of the chrifrian 
 " religion I Greater indeed, if true, and more incompreheniible 
 '- than any other ; or rather than ail the ftupendous and adorable 
 *' m.ylleries of our fiiith put tozfether." 
 
 What this learned auihor obfeives v/ith regard to the Socini- 
 ans^xs applicable at the fame time to the Arians, Tht-fe latter 
 make Chriit a creature (though a more excellent one) and a made, 
 yet real God as well as the former. But L pray vvhat notion 
 can any one have of & iniidc\ or created re:x\ God ? i. e. a God and 
 no God? Is there not an infi.iite diflance between God and 
 any creature, be that creature never fo excellent ? In a word, 
 is our Saviour in their opinion, ftrictly and properly God ; or is 
 he not ? If he be, why do they not fay fo ? If he be not, why do 
 they worCUip him ? Seeing the Scripture is to the Uft degree, 
 
[ 33 J 
 
 and indeed beyond exprelTion^ careful to guard againfl idolatry. 
 But ot this more afterwards. 
 
 '' But Philemon, if Chriil be God in the flrid and abfolute 
 " fenfe of the words; why is -God the Father faid to be the only 
 *' true God, in exclufion of all others. John xvii. 3. — To 
 " know th.^e the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou 
 '' haft fent.»* 
 
 The meaning of thefe words Sitperbus^ I apprehend is this ; to 
 know thee the only true God, &c. i. e. that the Gentiles quit- 
 ting their dumb idols, and falfe Gods, may own thee alone to be 
 the living, and true God, who made Heaven and Earth ; and 
 that the Jews may own me to be tfay Son fent to them from 
 Heaven, and that IVIeifiah, which according to the promife to 
 Abraham and David, ihou hall fent to them : for by knowing 
 thee fully, they fliall know me aUb, whom all men are to wor- 
 fliip as they woriliip the Father ; and whom he that doth not 
 wojfliip, doth not truly honor the Father ; for I and the Father 
 are one. 
 
 But more particularly here ; the term God is to beunderftood 
 of God e(f<;ntially confidered, in oppofition to all falfe Gods, and 
 by no means rxclufive of the Son or Holy Ghoft,but inclufive of 
 them as divine perfons with the Father in the fame God-head. 
 If the adverfaries of Chrift's upreme deity fliould fay that the 
 word solus Oiily, excludes all oiher things from any communion 
 with that of which it is predicated, andfo imports that the Father 
 alone is the true God ; this affertion may be confuted from manv 
 inftances both of the Old and New Tefta.ment. Doth not Solo- 
 mon fay of God, ^*' vhou only knoweft the hearts of all men," and 
 yet faith Chrift,"' all the churrches llvail know I am he that 
 fearches the heart and tries the reins, to give every man accord- 
 ing to his works." It may further be remarked here^that Chrift 
 fpeaks of himfelf in diftin6tion from the only true God, not Vs^th' 
 regard to his own nature as God, but with refpe6lta liis office- 
 capacity, as he intimates by adding thefe words, ^' whom thou 
 haft fent," viz. to be Savior, the knowledge of v/hom, a« fuch, 
 is as neceftary to eternal life, as the knovvledge of the true God 
 in diftinclion from idols. If Chrift be excluded here from being 
 the true God, I cannot poflibly fee but there muft be the moft 
 palpable contradi6lion. between this and the firft verfe of this 
 gofpel, where the Evangelift plainly informs us, that the word 
 was not, only with God, but that the word was God^ ftri611y and 
 properlv taken. 
 
 This will receive further confirmation from Jude, v. 4. deny- 
 ing the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. Thefa v^/ordr 
 may be as properly rendered thus ? denying thaonly Lord God, 
 
 F 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 even our Lord Jefus Chrlft : or accordi ag to fome ; and denying 
 Jefus Chriil our only mailer, God, and Lord."* Now that they 
 ought to be fo rendered is evident ; becaufe one article only is put 
 before all thefe words ; and becaufe the perfon who is the only 
 mafier and God, is by Pinter called the Lord that bought us : 
 Now was it not Chriil that bought us with his own blood? 
 
 '' But Philemon would not what we have in i Corinth, viii, 
 *' 6. feeoi to exclude Chrifl from being God in the {lri6l andab- 
 '' folute fenfe of the word : but to us there is but one God the 
 *' Father, of whom are all things and we in him, and one Lord 
 " Jefus Chrlft by whovii are all things, and we by him.". 
 
 6M/;cr/y7,\f, I hope it will not be urged here, that when the Apoftle 
 fpeaks of one Lord Jefus Chriil:, that the Father is excluded from 
 being the Lord o^. Chriilians, neither by faying, there is but one 
 God the Father, ought it to be fappofed, that he excludes Jefus 
 Chrift from being alio the God of Chriftians. Efpecialiy if we 
 coniider, that he is here ililed that one Lord by whom all things 
 are created, Eph. iii. 9. all things which are in Heaven or in 
 Earth, Coll. i. 16 for he that made all things is God, Fleb. iii. 
 4. and by rhe work of creation is the Godhead known, Rom. 
 i. 10. And tliis is elfewhere made the very defcription of 
 God the Father, that it is he by whom are all things. Rom. 
 
 xi. 35. Again it is here faid that all things wei'e not only 
 
 created by this Loj-d^hni for 61771-, alfoCoU. i, 16. confequently 
 as he IS tije laft end, he mull: be the firil: caufe, and therefore God 
 in the moil ftri<5l and proper fenfe of the word — But further, 
 it is evident that the ApoRIe in this place is fpeaking of God in 
 oppofition to idols ; for he had laid down this poii'.ion, viz. that 
 an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God 
 but one. And he goes on in the fubfequent verfes to prove this 
 alTertion ; for though there be that are called Gods many, &c. 
 but to us there is but one God, &c. and one Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 etc. Now can v/e fuppofe that the Apoftle here meant one fub- 
 ordinate God, diftin6l in iiature from the one fupreme God ? If 
 he did, he at once overthrew what he w^as proving : and at the 
 fame time doth he not land us in the very bofom of idolatry, 
 by fuppofing one fupreme, and another fubordinate God? And 
 at the fame time alfo, did he not give a very ftrong handle t.j the 
 Heathens to defend their idols and the w.^'^Oiip of then) ? For 
 many of them believed there was but one fupreme God, but at 
 the fame time thought divine woriliip w^s due to fome inferior 
 deities ; and therefore if Chrift was not truly the moft high God, 
 and yet is to be worfliipped, as moil of the oppofers of hisGod- 
 
 * See Dr. Y\^hltby on the place. 
 
L 35 J 
 
 head allow ; would not this rather confirm than confute the Hea- 
 thens ophiion, that inferior deities may be worfliipped. 
 
 But fuppo'ing that the Apoftle here fpeaks of the one God, 
 according to two different manners of fubfiftence and operation, 
 viz. the Father of whom are all things, and the Son, the caufe 
 by whom are all things, the Father working by the Son according 
 to their order of perfonal fubfiftence in the Godhead, then he 
 argues fuitably to his defign of proving that '* there is no other 
 God but one," and that all inferior deities are nothing, 
 
 "" Philemon^ is not Chrift called the firft-born of every crea- 
 " ture ? Iffo, how can he be truly and properly God? Can 
 " any thing be the firft-born of creatures, but a creature ? Is not 
 " the ekleit Son of the number, and of the fame nature with the 
 " reft of the brethren ?"* 
 
 Suj)^rbiu^ this text can never fit Socinians for proving Chrift 
 to be a creature and not the true God equal to the Father. For 
 if he was the firft-born of every creature, (granting him to bt no 
 more than a mere creature) he certainly had a being prior to his 
 conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary ; which yet they 
 deny. It will neither fit Arians nor Socinians^ for this reafon ; 
 becaufe the Apoftle afterts all things were created bv him : 
 now if all things were created by him which are in Heaven, and 
 which are in earth, vifible and invifible, &c. muft he not be 
 among the number of thefe creatures ? Or elfe there were fome 
 things which were not created by him ; but this would be a flat 
 contradiclion to what the Apoftle aflerts. But if all things were 
 created by him it will neceftarily follow, that he created himfelf. 
 But very properly is our Lord here called the firft-born, or ra- 
 ther, as the words may be very properly rendered the heir of all 
 things. Now to a6l as an heir, is to a6l as a Lord. And this is 
 the grand chara6ler of Jefus : he is the heir or Lord of all things, 
 ^ecaufe he created all things, animate, and inanimate, rational, 
 and irrational, which are in Heaven above, or in the earth 
 beneath. Is he not exprefsly called w. i8. the firft-born from 
 • the dead, as being Lord over the dead ; fince for this caufe he 
 dwed, and rofe again, that he might be lord over the dead and 
 over the living. Rom. iv, 9. The firft-born is neceffarily the 
 heir, and fo Lord of the family; therefore the firft-born was by 
 the ancients denominated Lord as well as heir ; pointing out his 
 g^eat authority over.the other branches of the family. The right 
 of prii^iogeniture is folely lodged in our Lord Jefus Chrift. He 
 is prince over, and liigh above all creatures, they being the work- 
 rn inihip of his hands. And therefore the Apoftle affigns a reafon 
 why he is called the firft-born, heir, or Lord of all creatures, 
 
 * Coll, i. 15. 
 
C 36 ] 
 
 becaufe he is their Creator ; all things were created by him as 
 the firft caufe, and for him as the laft end. 
 
 Accoi^ding to a very learned author,^ the Soclnians glofs on. 
 the foregoing text is to the following purpofe, viz. that to Chrift 
 here is not afcribed the creation of the old world and all things 
 that are in it ; but only the creation, that is, the renovation of 
 all things under the gofpel-ftate, or the reformation of mankind 
 by Jefus Chrilr. 
 
 What an antlfcriptural interpretation 1 how foreign and re- 
 mote from the raoft ufual fenfeof the words. How fiat and un- 
 couth to fay, that Jefus Chrift was before every new creature, 
 i. e. before the renovation made by him, or rather his ApoRIes 
 after his exaltation. Is it not evident, and that upon the flight- 
 ell: obfervation, that the Apoitle fpeaks hereof fuch things as are 
 incapable of this moral crccition, viz. the creation of all things 
 viiible upon earth? Doth not thefe ^//things comprife all things 
 v/iihout life, inanimate as well as animate, metals, flones, ele- 
 ments, all vegetables, and all beafts ? And did Chrift, and his 
 Apoilles preach to Uones, trees, and beafts for their renovation ? 
 Did he come to make a moral renovation upon things invifible, 
 viz. the Angels f Good Angels needed it not, and bad Angels 
 are fliut up in utter darknefs beyond the reach of mercy. And 
 yet Crellius tells us that Jefus is exalted, and hath received pow- 
 er and authority to reform and renew men and Angels. The • 
 moft favorable conflruclion we can put upon this man's hypoth- 
 efis on this head is, that he had certainly forgot himfelf.f 
 
 In a word I would prove the confubftantiality of the Son of 
 God from this obje6ted text, from what he is called in the pre- 
 cediiig verfe, '' the image of the invilible God." Did he not 
 make him who is invifible in his effer.ce, conspicuous to us by 
 the divine works which he wrougiU, they being fuc;h as plainly 
 fliowed, th ." '-'• in him dwelt all the fjljeis of the Godhead bo- 
 dih/." For an invifble God can 01 ly be ^^^n by his efFe^^is of 
 power, v/ifdom, and goodnefs, by which fatTVtTie Apoftle, from 
 the creation of the wo Id'the invilible things oF God, viz. his 
 eternal power and Godhead, have been made known by the 
 things which are njadc.| He is fo the image of God, that he 
 
 * Dr. "Whitby en the place. 
 
 t Qnia ex C'lrTli rKr.ltatione et divino pnod acceplt imperjo. confe- 
 ctita eft hxc A-ir^eioriim, homini^ t>qL.e r^ fc- matio, ac reiiovatio per 
 ilium, etin Ulr f,;<*'>i rlTe dicitur, fcu ilia creati^ id eft renovati dicua- 
 tur. Creilius i.i iOCuiiu 
 
 % Rom. i. 
 
I 37 ] 
 
 that hath feen him hath feen the Father ; becaufe in their nature 
 they are one, and in their glory undivided. I conclude then 
 that he who is ^' the image of the invifible God," the Creator of 
 all things in Heaven and earth, muft be far more excellent than 
 the mod excellent among all creatures ; that he is the firft-born, 
 the fupreme Lord over all. 
 
 I have juft to add Onesimus, that for the prefent I was obliged 
 to leave my fore afHicled, and dying friend. I received the call 
 to return home with great rejuclance, and with far greater did I 
 leave my affe6lionate ^'/z/^er^zfj-. However my heart is with him, 
 and my moil: earneft requeft is for him. — Do not forget to ac- 
 quaint me firfl: opportunity of the ftate of your aft*.iirs — And may 
 the Lord Jefus Chrift, the Eternal Son of the Father in truth 
 and love ; who is God over all bkiTed for ever, be the God and 
 S'aviour of my dear 
 
 ONESIMUS. 
 
 LETTER IL 
 
 P H I L E M O N TO ONESIMUS. 
 
 Dear Onesimus, ^__— — r- 
 
 ■\7"OUR favour of the 7^/j inft. cr.>i<? fafe to my hand. It 
 X breathes the language ot one who is acquainted with vital 
 religion and experimental godlinefs. May your path be like that 
 of the juO; maiVs which flaineth more and more unto the perfect 
 day. May you go on from one degree of glorious grace unto 
 another, uritil you appear before God in Zion, when grace lliall 
 be fwallowed up in glory ; when you fliall "fee no more darkly 
 " as in a glafs,but face to face." 
 
 I returned as foon as poffibly I could to my dying friend. I 
 found him quite difconfolate. The comforter that can only re- 
 lieve the diftreffed foul ftood (in his apprehenfion) aloof from his 
 fore. He addreffed me £s far as I remember in the following 
 terms. ^' My dear Philemon^ fince you left me I have had a 
 ** fore conflisSl ; nothing prefents itfeif to my viewbut what is 
 *' truly alarming and (liocking. Wfcen I take a view, of my paft 
 ** lire, 1 am filled with tlrsutmofl confufion ; when Hook before 
 *' me I tremble. I am about to die ; and immediately I am to 
 " be fifled before the impartial "tvibunal of an holy, juft, and 
 ^* righteous judge. V/ha'c muft I do to efcape condemnation? 
 
 G 
 
I 38 J 
 
 *' My bypafl offences are mudered up before in horrid array.-— 
 ** I find a veil hung up between rne and pardoning mercy, that 
 " I cannot behold ihat darling attribute of the divine nature. 
 '' Satan is inje6ling this horrid fuggeftion that " the Lord hath 
 '^ fliut up his tender mercy.in his wrath»" I find little or no 
 " comfort either from the abfolute promifes 01 the new cov- 
 '■' enant, or from the all-atoning merits of the Son of God. O 
 " that the " Son of righteoufnels would arife on me with heal- 
 " ing in his wings ;" and diffipate my fears, Rrcngthenm)/ faith, 
 " invigorate my almoft dying hope, and pour into my dilconfo- 
 *' late benighted foul, the oil of joy and confolation. Have pity 
 " upon me dear friend, have pity upon me, and tender me your 
 *' bell advice in my prefent melancholy cafe.'' 
 
 lAy d.QZX Superbus^ I feel with you in your prefent downcafl 
 {Condition ; may he " that turneth the fliadow of death into the 
 *•' morning," come and refolve your doubts and chafe away your 
 fears, — Perhaps you are laboring under a very fad miflake, and 
 a very fatal one too with regard to your prefent comfort, viz, — 
 that if the genuine humble chriftian has given his aflent to this 
 true and faithful faying, " that Jefus Chrift came into the world 
 *^ to fave fmners," and to fave him, that he fliould no more doubt 
 c>f it. To eafe your mind with regard to this, remember the ex- 
 •^ffflTion of a very exercifed chriftian on this head. " Doubtlefs 
 " that faith (f^id he) which is never afifaulted with doubting, is 
 *' but a fancy ; ^ 'Turedly that affurance which is ever fecure, is 
 *' but a dream. "f Although there is no intermixture of faith 
 .and unbelief, yet where the former is ir^planted, there the latter 
 Is fare to haunt it. There are indeed fome happy intervals in the 
 .chriftian's life in which this celeftial grace arrives at its pkro- 
 fhoria or full affurance, and in this cafe, the mouth of his unbe- 
 lief may be ftopped, but even then it is far from being extirpated. 
 God for v/ife and holy ends permits it to be thus vt^ith the chrifti- 
 an ; particularly to keep him humble. My dear friend, pride and 
 a fond conceit of ourfelves are interwoven in our very natures. 
 The Lord in mercy thus, exercifcs his people to keep them from 
 fpiritual pride, and to teach them to live habitually on that grace 
 that is fn the fountain. The Apoftle's thorn in tlie flefli feems 
 rather preventive than corre61ive. To keep him humble after 
 Iiis rapture, ratfeer than to chaftife him for any prefent prevail- 
 ing pride of foul. And if fo holy a perfon needed it, what do 
 we think of ourfelves ? 
 
 But Svpcrbus^ in order to reftore peace to your troubled mind 
 confider, that no fenle of your u:iv/orthinefs fliould drive you 
 
 '(• Bolton's diredionsfor walking v/ith God. 
 
C 39 I 
 
 from that phyfician who can reftore health and curs tc yourfoui. 
 lleHeve in hi in now as if you had never done it prior to this ve- 
 ry period. If you were as bi-im full of fin as the fea is of water, 
 the fun of light, and hell of darknefs ; yet remember your fins 
 are not infinite, but the mercy of God, and the merits of Chrift 
 are. Let your cafe be as bad as the D«vil and an awakened 
 wrangling conference can make it ; yet here lies your comfort, 
 ** the blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanfeth from all fin." Has 
 God heard thoufands as it were out of the belly of hell, and fiiali 
 you now defpair of mercy ?• Is his hand Oiortened that it cannot 
 iave I Or his bowek fiiut up that he will not ? Is that glorious 
 luminary the fun emptier of light, for fli-ining ? Or weary of be- 
 ftowing his beams on dunghills? Dare your unbelieving hears 
 fay that there are no- rays in the Son or righteoufnefs for you ? 
 When you fee tiiey have darted on benighted fouls, upon the 
 very verge of the bottomlefs pit. Would you be willing to give 
 up your part in the all-atoning merits of the Son af God, and 
 refign up the exceeding great and precious promifesof the new 
 covenant to others. — '^ No Philemon I never wilL" Your own 
 unbelieving, heart and the accufer af the brethren have kindled 
 this flame in your b(jfom. Satan's finger is in this finifhing 
 ilroke of wickednefs, in order to diflionoryour God, and d^fturb 
 yourpeace. Though walking in darknefs^ feeing no light ; yet 
 llay yourfelf on the Lord, whofe thoughts of mercy are as much 
 above yours, as the heavens are above the earth. — Wreftle with 
 him in prayer till he return and blefs you, A holy violence and 
 reiterated importunity will never difpleafe the Holy One of Is- 
 rael. Say with the leper^^"- Lord, if thou will thou canft make 
 "• me clean." Wait with the Syropbenician woman, in great 
 humility, though his countenance be ftern, and his anfwer rougli 
 at the firft, yet in due time you will find him the meek, gentle^ 
 Lamb of God. If the Devil and your mifgiving heart attempt 
 to ftop the breath of your prayers, cry the louder with the blind 
 man, "thou Son of David have mercy on me." " He waits to 
 " be gracious," and by poor broken penitent finners, he will be 
 intrcated.* 
 
 In a word my dear friend, believe me that notwithftanding of 
 all this combuftion raifed in your foul by the Devil and your un- 
 belief, God has gracious defigns towards you. Be of gpod cheer, 
 
 * Grcenbam informs us of an Arian put to death at Nor-joich^ who a 
 little before his execution, aiked if he might be faved by Chrift ? And 
 being told he might ; broke out into this blafphemous fpeech. "If your 
 *^ Chrift is fo eafily to be intrcated as you f^iy, then I defy him, and. 
 ^' care not for him.'' 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 the great phyficlan calls you, though by harfli n'.elhods, yet with 
 gracious intentions. 
 
 Perm'^tme now S'uper5us, to offer to your c^nfiderat ion anoth- 
 er argument in fupport of the fupreme deity of that great Lord 
 by whofe obedience and death in the human nature, you expect 
 juftification at the great tribunal of God, and eternal gloiifica- 
 tion. 
 
 That he is the true God I prove from another name attributed 
 to him in Scripture, viz. ye.bova/j.'^ Now this is the incommu- 
 p.icablename of tlie one true God : a name fo peculiar to him, 
 " that he whofe name ahfie is Jehovah is the mofc high over all 
 " the earth.'' This name is ib peculiarly appropriated to him- 
 felf, that he will not give it, nor the gloryand perfe6\ion fignified 
 by it, to another. ^^ It is equivalent to that name which the great 
 God takes to hirnfelf, Exod. iii. 14. la^n that I mn, I ani that 
 \ was, I will be that I am. The primary fgnification of the 
 ijume Jehovah is being ; and the mcft obvious reafon of the name 
 is, that God is being itfelf, independently, necelTarily, and im- 
 mutably e'xifting. ■*' I am Jehovah, I change not." In him is the 
 whole nature of entity : and nothing hath any abfolute perfe6l 
 being but GodhimfelF. It is avv-ordof ablulute fignificaucn ex- 
 preiiing th^ eternity, independuncs., and immutability of the one 
 true God. And that this is the impori of tlie word is plain from 
 Scripture, and obtains thefufTrage of all critics, Jews andChri- 
 ftians, ancient and modern. The queftion then is, hath our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift this name attributed to him in Scripture ? l^ he has 
 it will neceffarily follow, that he muft pofTefs ail the glory and 
 perfeclions ligninedbv it. Pvluft he not le eternal, independent, 
 immutable, and necelTirily esifting ? Muft he not be the founda- 
 iion and fountain of all that is, or that can poiTibly be ? 
 
 That this name belongs to h.lm is evident Fri>m Jer. xxiii. 6« 
 This is the name whereby he riiali be called the Lord (or Jeho- 
 vah) our righteoufnefs. Jehovah, exprelTive of his abfolute fupre- 
 macy, eternal and independent nature : And yet aftonifliing ! he 
 is our righteoufnefs. He,by the aiTumption of our nature into 
 A perfonal union with the divine, becomes by his obedience and 
 death, the ground and foundatio:^ of our juftification before G^od. 
 That the name Jehovah is a naipe peculiar to him i*. evident 
 from a number of other texts. f And in all thofe places where 
 the Angel of Jehovah is called Jehovah ; which can relate to 
 «one but Jefus the Angel of the covenant. — Avians fometimej 
 
 "^ Ifai. xlii. 8. t See Jer. xxxiii. 6« 
 
 Zech. iii. 8, 13. Ifai. vi. 3, &;c^ 
 
I 41 ] 
 
 aniufeiis with tlie phrafe ycbovab Angel ; if they mean tliis or 
 any created Angel, be who he will, let them reconcile their idea 
 witli the term Jehovah, as implying eternal, neceffary exifl:e"nce^ 
 To talk of a Jehovah-Angel, and yet his exiftence purely arbi- 
 trary, depending upon the mere good will and pleafare of God, 
 is the grolTeft abfurdity, if not the greatelu impiety. For this, 
 reafon it is attributing that incommxunicable name which God 
 will yield to no creature whatever, whether angelic, or supcr- 
 angelic. It is feme what fcra nge to talk of a yebovah mutable 
 in his being and exiftence ! But fuch a Jehovah do Arianr and 
 Socinians make Jefus the Son of God. Time was when this- Je- 
 hovah had no^exiftence; time was when he was only a creature; 
 afterwards he afiuiTied another fornj, he v/as made a God ; and 
 who can tell but he may be undeified after all I By the fame mere 
 goodpleafure of God, which created him, aiid deilied him, he-may 
 be reduced to the rank of a mere creature again. Vvho can fay- 
 to the conarary ? 
 
 Seeing then thefe names of the only true God are given to 
 Chrift in a proper and (Iricl fenfe ; and fome of them are fo pe- 
 culiar to God, that they can be given in no fenfe at all to others. 
 Seeing he is frequently (tiled in Scripture, Lord-^ivA God^ ^' the 
 " I.oid God of the piophets,' 'King of kings and Lord of lords ;* 
 *' th'i true God,'' " the only v/ife God," *"' God over all, bleffed 
 *' for evermore ;" and particulariy Jehovah ; he muR needs an- 
 fwer thefe high titles, and be by nature true and proper God. — 
 To fuppofe oiherwife, is to fuppofe that thefe high titles, pecu- 
 liar to the only true God are applied to Chrifc without their 
 meaning, to amufe or deceive, and lead us into miftakea ; but as 
 that would be blafphemy once to imagine, fo the names given to 
 ChirR (hould fiandin our thoughts for the things they are figns 
 of, and command cur belief, that he really is what they declare 
 him to be, the great and true God, God over all. immutable, and 
 eternal in his being and exiilence. 
 
 What an infinite andcondefcending (loop did this great Jeho- 
 vah make, in the aiTumption of human nature in its mean, left, and 
 ruined ftate ! How diftinguifliing and fovereign was the grace 
 that prompted this infinitely great perfonage to pafsby the more 
 excellent nature of the angelic tribe, and apprehend the finking 
 nature of men. To what an amazing height of dignity is human 
 nature now raifed ! God will furely dwell with men, and men 
 Oiall dwell with God. Hear the aftonifliing news ye fons of li- 
 ■entioufnefs and riot ; ye who by your prodigal courfes do all 
 that in you lies to debafe that nature in you, which in the perfon 
 of the Son of God, is fo highly exalted. Hear the awful threat- 
 nin^ pronounced by this incarnate Jekovab himfelf ; '' if ye be- 
 
[ 41 T , 
 
 " lleve not that I am he, ye (hall die in your fms." And if it 
 come to this iflue with you, ye fliall never fee buc 07ice your dig- 
 nified nature in the perfon of the Son of God. And this, inflead 
 of raifing your advuiration, and attra6lingyour efteem, will cover 
 you with everlafting fliame and confufion. Hear it ye who with 
 the inoft: ftrenuous efforts, endeavour all you can to rob the Son 
 of Qoft of that divine glory and niajefty, which as Jebovab he 
 eiTentially and necclTarilv poffefles. And, what if in fome future 
 period you find him to be, what the Scriptures unanimouily de- 
 clare him to be, yebovab^ the true and eternal God, as true to his 
 thrtatuings, as to his promifes. " They that honor me I will 
 '' honor j and they that defpife me fliall be lightly efteemed."^ 
 
 What a comfortable refieiSlion my dear Superbus^to think that 
 you and every humble chriftian who have taken up your ftand- 
 i':ig for time and eternity on this foundation which God hath laid 
 in Zion, the righteoufnefs of Jehovah. What infinite perre6lion 
 and value (as I Tately informed you) muR be in that facrifice 
 which he offtred, wlien he offered up himfelf. And what a glo- 
 rious as well as unexceptionable righteoufnefs mutl: that be, which 
 he by his obedience and death hath wrought out, and by the offer 
 of the gofpel is brought nigh, to all to whom the glad tidings have 
 reached. Believe me jou may venture your deareft interefls on 
 this bottom ; you may, without being afraid venture your ap- 
 pearance before his awful tribunal, by laying hold on him, who 
 •• is made of God unto us risrhteoufnefs." And feeinp; he is God 
 as well as man, he cannot but be mighty to fave. He is the fame 
 yel^erday, to day, and forever, fie is Jehovah, he changes not. 
 He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Pie is infinite in wif- 
 dom, to teach and guide us with his counfel while we are here ; 
 he is infinite in his power, to prote6l and defend us, to help and 
 fuccour in every exigence and ftrait ; he is infinite in his holi- 
 nefs, tofa.n6tify and renew our natures, and to make us haly as 
 he is holy ; he is ii^finite in his gocdnefs, to fupply all our wants, 
 to perfe<5l our felicity. In a word, he is infinite in his truth, to 
 make good all his promifes to us, and all this becaufe he is Jebo- 
 vab ; and therefore they that know, and acknowledge this name, 
 may wkh the greateft fafety put their truft in him, who never 
 did, and never will forfake them that truly feek his face. 
 
 I proceed now SuperbuT^ to confirm the truth of Chrift's fu* 
 preme deity from fome of thefe properties and attributes which 
 cffentially belong to deity abfolutely confidered ; aod if we can 
 find any, or all of thefe attributed to Jefus, no one can deny but 
 this confequence will unavoidably follow, that he is truly and 
 properly God. If he that hath the true nature, and effen- 
 tial' diftinguilliing properties of man, is in the propcreft ienfe 
 
r 43 ] 
 
 true snd real man ; fo he that hath the true nature, and eiTential 
 diftinguiihing properties of the only true God, is in the propereft 
 fenfe truly and really God. It ceitaii.ly muft be the greateft 
 nbfurdity and contradiclion in nature to fuppofe otherwife. — 
 With regard to the relation he ftands in to us in his oiiice-capaci- 
 ty as Medi'rftor, he is faid to be '^ full of grace and truth ;" with 
 regatd to the relation he ftands in to his Eternal Father, as tli« 
 fecond perfon of tlie ever blefTed Trinity, the *^fulneis of the 
 " God-head dwells in him bodily," i e. perfonally or fubftanti- 
 ally. The God-head dwells in him, that is, the nature or effence 
 of God, yea, all the fulnefs of the God-head, which takes in all 
 its efteniial perte61ions, glory and bleilednefs ; this not only 
 dwelt, but dwells, that is, abides conflantly and for ever, not on- 
 ly with him, but in bim. So that he has the fame fulneff of the 
 God-headin him, as the Father has, which fpeaks him to he truly 
 and properly God. 
 
 More particularly here, he is EiernaU ViW^U {o he muft be 
 God in the moft ftrid; and abfolute fenfe of the word ; for eter- 
 nity is an incommunicable andeffentialp^rfexSlion of deity ; and 
 if he is eternal, he neceffarily exifts. The firft Scripture proof 
 I fliall produce in order to confirm the eternal exiftence of Chrift 
 you will fin.d in Prov. viii. 2a, &c. The Lord poffefTed me in 
 the beginning of his ways, before his works of old. I was ftt 
 up from everlafting, from, the beginning, or ever the earth was. 
 When he prepared the Heavens I was there ; when he appoint- 
 ed the foundations of the earth, then was I by him, as one bro't 
 up with him ; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always be- 
 fore him, &c. That it is a perfon,and not an attribute or per- 
 fection of the divine nature that here fpeaks, I apprehend no man 
 v.'ill queftion. Some of the Arians them.ielves own, that the 
 fpeaker here is the Son of God. Now what is predicated of 
 him ? Juft the very fame that is affirme-d of the one God in 
 Pfjlrns xc. 2. From everlafting to everlafting thou art God. — 
 The Lord poffefled me (by generation) in the beginning of his 
 ways, before his works of old,i. e. before any thing was created I 
 exifted -, and if fo he was from eternity; for tiiis reiifon, no- 
 thing was before creation but eternity ; the creation of the 
 world and time were coeval. The Apoftle Paul we find ufes a 
 phrafe almoft ftmiiar to what we have in the foregoing text j 
 CoU.i. 17 — And he is before all things. Now what is it to be 
 before ail things ? Hut to be from eternity. Ar.d if he was be- 
 fore all things, i. e. from eternity, he muft necefiatily be God 
 fupreme,for an eternal creature is a flat contradiftion. Why 
 doth the Apoftlein the foregoing text, fay the Chrift was before 
 all things ? But to prove him the Creator of all things j and is 
 
[ 44 1 
 
 it not abfolutely requifite that the Creator exift before the thin o> 
 created ? 
 
 Again, we have another iHuftrious text to the fame purpofe 
 in Ifai. ix. 6. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, 
 &c. If you would wifli to know the expofition of this text by a 
 certain Socinian^ I will give it in his own words. ** Unto us a 
 *' child is born, unto us a Son is given — the wonderful counfel- 
 ^ lor; the mighty God, the Everlafting Father, ihallname him 
 " the peaceable prince, his government fliall be multiplied, i. e. 
 ^' he (liall reign long, even twenty and nine years, and he fliall 
 ^' have very great peace — from henceforth to the end of his life, 
 " The zeal of the Lord of hofts Ihall perform this, i. e. God's 
 " love to his chofen people, Riall make good this prophecy."'^ 
 What prodigious trifling not to fay worfe of it is this, to inter- 
 pret fuch lofty, andinyfterious words, each of which iliould com- 
 mand the higheft adiniration, only to mean that King Hezekiah 
 ihould reign twenty and nine years in peace. The words in the 
 original literally run thus — a child is born to us, a Son is given 
 to us, and the principality inall be upon his (lioulder, and his 
 name fliall be called admirable counfellor, God ftrcng. Father of 
 eternity, prince of peace, to multiply principality, and to peace 
 no end. With what folemnity flid'uld the word of God be treat- 
 ed, how fliould men take care not to add, nor diminifli from the 
 words of the holy one. — Now is not the child born, and the Son 
 given, e-prefsly by the Holy Ghoft called the Father of eternity. 
 And is it poffible, that either the Ar'ian or Socinian hypothefis 
 can agree with the name here given him. The Father of eter- 
 nity, and yet the firft creature ever God made ; the Father of 
 eternity, and yet never had an exigence before his conception 
 in the Vv'-omb of the Virgin Mary, Sliould we hefitate a mom.ent 
 Super bus^ whether we ought to refolve our faith into, this faiih 
 Arius, this faith Socinus ; or this faith the Holy Ghoft ? In a 
 word is it pollible to believe that Chrift is the Father of eternity,, 
 and yet himfclf not eternal I 
 
 A¥e find our Lord Jefus Chrift bimfelf appropriating tills attri- 
 bute and perTtcSlion of the^ivine nature to himfelf, Rev. i 8. i 
 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end faith the Lord, 
 which is, which was, and which is to come the Almiglity. In 
 the fourth verfe of that chapter, we find the Father defcribed 
 from his eternal being, without all beginning or ending j and our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift afferts in the aforecited t£Xt in the very fame 
 terms his own abfolute eternity, and that the defcrlption there 
 ^iven is to be underftood of Chrift, and as fpoken by hunfelf, is 
 
 * See tii£ hiftory of the Unitarians, page 57. 
 
[ 45 ] 
 
 evident both from the preceding and fubfequent context. But 
 if our adverfaries difpute this, can they call iaqueftion, that our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift is the fpeaker in Rev. xxii. 13? And behold 
 I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man 
 according as his works fliall be. Here he gives an account of 
 himfelf, as he into whofe hands all power and authority to judge 
 the world is committed. After this account of himfelf a3 co- 
 ming quickly'to judgment he adds, I am Alpha and Omcga^ the 
 beginning and the end, the firll and the laft.f — Might it not be 
 alked,what doth God mean by that defcription he gives of him- 
 felf in Ifaiahxlvi. 6. I am the firfi: and I am the laft, and befides^ 
 me there is no God t Is it not defcriptive of the abfolute eter- 
 nity of the one God I Wherein then lies the difference of this 
 phrafewhen applied by God to himfelf, and fignificative of his 
 eternal exiftence, and the fame phrafe when applied by Chrift to 
 himfelf ? If the one is defcriptive of God's abfolute eternity, fo 
 muft the other be of Chrift ; or elfe our Lord has arrogated to 
 himfelf an effential attribute and perfe6lion of the divine nature 
 v/hich did not belong to him, and in fo far, the accufation of the 
 Jews againft him for plifphemy was not groundlefs. But Super- 
 l^us^ faithfulnefs is the girdle of his loins, and righteoufnefs the , 
 girdle of his reins ; let our Lord Jefus Chrift be true and every 
 man a liar^ 
 
 ' \7e have another illuftrious proof of Chrift's eternity in Heb. 
 i. lo, II, l^, And thou Lord in the beginning haft laid the 
 foundation of the earth, and the Heavens are the works of thine 
 hands. They (hall perilli, but thou remaineft ; and they fhall 
 wax old as doth a garment ; and as a vefture flialt thou fold them 
 up, and they lliall be changed ; but thou art the fame, and thy 
 years fail not. That thefe words have an immediate reference 
 to Chrift is evident from the connexive particle Ac?/, and which 
 connects this v/ith the former citation, and makes it to run thus^ 
 — of the. Son it ^s faid thy throne O God is for ever and ever, 
 Kai^ and of him it is alio faid, thou Lord in the beginning haft 
 liid the foundation of the earth. Again from the fcope of the 
 Apoftle, Vv/hich, both before and after, is, to bring teftimonies to 
 prove the excellency of the Messiah^ and the truth of wh^t he 
 had aflerted of him, v, 2, 3» and therefore he purfues the fame- 
 
 t " The Author of the hiftory of the Unitarians reads the words 
 " thus — Chrift (fsv^; he) WHS the fird, that is the moft honorahle, and 
 " the laft, that is thf moft deipllbd ef^mcii ; the firft ^/hh rood iv.sn,- 
 ^' and th.- hi ft ^^lth evil men," 
 
C 46 ] 
 
 Jefign here. Now is it not evident that thefe words, they fliall 
 periih, but thou remaineft, are plainly fpoken of the fame perfon 
 who founded the world in the beginning, and therefore muft be- 
 long to Chrin: ? The foregoing words are taken from Pfalms 
 ci;. 26, 27. and fpcke of there as defcriptive of God's eternity j 
 s^nd mentioned here, and applied by the Apoftle to Chrift to 
 point out his eternal exiftence. And there are two thino^s attri- 
 
 buted here to Chrift ; the creation of the Heavens and the 
 earth ; and the abolition, or change of them. And then the 
 Apoitle proceeds to point out the eternity and immutability of 
 their Creator. It is here affirmed of Chrift that he remainetb or 
 abideth ; that he is the fame, and his years fail not. One ^d 
 the fame thing is intended in all thefe expreffions, even his et'er- 
 rial and abfolutely immutable exiftence. Eternity is fometimes 
 defcribed as a nunc stans y wherein, or whereunto nothing is paft 
 or future ; it being always wholly prefent in, and to itfelf. — 
 Thefe phrafes are fynonynious with that name God defigns him- 
 ielf b}^ to Mofes, I a?n ; that is, who is of himfelf, and in himfelf, 
 always, abfolutely and unchangeably the fame. The laft expref- 
 fion although metaphorical, is of the fame import, "thy years 
 ** fail not.'' That is, the creature whofe duration is reckoned 
 by years (liall fail and come to an end ; but of his being and ex- 
 iftence who is Creator, there is neither beginning nor end j be- 
 eaufe he is abfolutely eternal. | 
 
 A^ain our Lord Jefus Chrift is omnipotent, and If fo, he muft- 
 be the fupreme God, and confubftantial with his Eternal Father. 
 Is it poihble that the term J/w/^Z>^)', without the higheft blaf- 
 phemy can be attributed to any creature however excellent in its 
 nature? Can any being whatever, v/iihout being pofteiTcid of 
 Almighty power create the world, preferve the creatures in their 
 being and exiftence ; raife the dead ; forgive frns ; redeem the 
 world ? &c. But thefe works are expreisly attributed to him ; 
 coniequently he muft be omnipotent. But do you aik, is this 
 perfection and attribute of deity aay wherein Scripture afcribed 
 to Chrift ? I anfwer it is in Rev, i. 8. I am Alpha and. Omega, 
 the beginning andthe ending, faith the Lord, which is, and 
 
 t The author of the Athanafian Creed airalyzed and refuted, in nig 
 endeavouring- to prove the non-eternity of Chrift, very artfully paiTes 
 over the Scripture texts above mentioned. ''-The only confiderable 
 *^ text produced (ftiys he) in firoport of it, viz. Chrift's eternity is, I am 
 •* Alpha and Omega, the beg"], •♦".ng and th- end, the iirft and the l.:ft." 
 He either thouQ^ht thai the texts wlilch h'V'/ been mentioned were not 
 y/orth his while to take notice of: thetTi ;cr too ftubborn to confute 5 it 
 is very likely the liift was the truth. 
 
[ 47 ] 
 
 which was, and which is to come, the Almighty* In the preco- 
 ding verfe Chrift is defcribed in his appearance to judgment ; 
 behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye fliall fee him, and 
 they alfo which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth (hall 
 wail becaufe of him, &G. Immediately upon this it is added, 
 to ftrike us with the greater awe at the thoughts of his tremen- 
 d'ous and awFul appearance, and of our appearance alfo to be 
 judged, I am Alpha aad Omega, the beginning and the ending, 
 faith the Lord — the Almighty, 
 
 In order to convince you SuptrbuSy that this title peculiarly 
 belongs to Chriil, I cannot do better than give }ou the fentiments 
 of a pious and learned Divine on this head, and that in his own 
 words. — *•* But that which feems to me to put the cafe beyond 
 '^ all difpute is, that it is Chrift, and not the Father, who fpeaks, 
 " or is perfonated in fpeaking through this book of revelations, 
 " and Alpha and Oinegu are conftantly ufed by him, as his fpe- 
 " cial diiiinguifliing denomination. In the beginning of this 
 " book we are told, "this is the revelation of JeUis Chrift — " 
 " and he fent and fignifiedit by his Angel to hisfervant John." 
 *' And at the clofe of the book, Chrift calls himfelf Alpha and 
 ^' Omega, and adds, *^ I Jefus have fent mine Angel to teftiy 
 '' to you thefe things in the churches." Though feveral things 
 " are faid of the Father in this book, yet I cannot find, that he 
 " ever calls himfelf, or is called Alpha and Omega, or that he is 
 " ever reprefented as fpeaking at all in any other parts of it j 
 ** which makes it highly irrational to fuppofehim to be the per- 
 " fon fpeaking of himfelf under this character here."* What 
 fhall we ftiy of the boldnefs and effrontery of the aforementioned 
 author, who roundly tells us, " that there is no text in the New 
 *' Teftament wherein our Saviour is defcribed by the chara61er 
 *' of the Lord God Almighty."! I am afraid in the ifiue he 
 will be found to have given Chrift the lie. He knew perfectly 
 well, that to yield up this text, and call Chrift Almighty, his 
 viigBty fabric fell to the ground at once. So the eafieft and the 
 moft expeditious way of getting rid of it, and impofing en his 
 credulous readers was, to deny at once, that Chrift never fpoke 
 thtfe words, and that he is no where in all the Nevi^ Teftament 
 c ill led Almighty. 
 
 I may further confirm the truth of Chrifts fupremc deity from 
 his C7nniscience» He is Almighty and can do all things; he is 
 omnifcient and knows all things. Is he not exprefsly faid to 
 knov/ all men and all things absolutely and without limitation ? 
 We are told that Jefus did not commit himfelf to them, viz. the 
 
 * See Dr. Guyfe's Sermons en the Trinity, page 71. 
 t See page 39. 
 
E 43 ] 
 
 Jews, becaufehe knevv all men, and needed not that any fhould 
 teftify of man, for he knew what was in man."^ And now (fay 
 the difciples) are we fure that thou knoweil all things. — By this 
 we believe that thou cameft forth from God, viz. in his divine 
 nature by eternal generation. If it be here replied that the dif- 
 ciples only underliood him of his coming forth from God the ¥i\- 
 ther as a prophet, or in his official capacity complexly. How 
 were they fure from this that he knew all things I They certain- 
 ly were apprifed of this truth that it was by no means effential 
 to the prophets to know all things. And further, our Lord 
 plainly diftinguidies between his eternal generation and his tem- 
 poral incarnation in thefe words. I came forth from the Father, 
 •and am come into the world. f It neither was, nor poffibly coiild- 
 be, that by the Father's miffion of him into the world he knew all 
 things, but entirety owing to his confubftantiality with the Fa- 
 ther. It might be queried here, whether or not is it pofuble for 
 infinite power to caufe a finite creature to knov/ all the thoughts, 
 defires, and motions which pafs through the hearts of all men at 
 once? Or in the laft judgment to have all the thoughts, words 
 and a^lions of all men, in all ages, fo immediately before him, 
 as to pafs fentence accordingly ; but fuch, I may fay, infinite 
 kno\\"ledge ChriH niull have, as he is to be the judge at the lad 
 day? 
 
 That to know the hearts of all men, is the fole prerogative of 
 Jehovah, is clear from i Kings, viii. 39. Thou only knoweftthe 
 hearts of all the children of men. And this Jehovah himlclf 
 claiuis as a peculiar perfe61ion of his nature. I the Lord fearch> 
 the heart, and try the reins, Jer. xvii. 9, 10. God here fpeaks 
 of the abfolute impoffibility of any other knowing the heart as the 
 foregoing verfe fliows. V/hat fliall we fay then, v/hen we are 
 aiiTured that Chriil is polTeiTed of this very knowledge? **• He 
 " knew what was in man." He infpecfls the heart of every man ; 
 he knows their thoughts, and the inward reafoning of their fouls. 
 But what if he knows before hand v/];at will be the particular 
 incliiiations of men's hearts, before thefe inclinations fpring up, 
 or are formed in them? And that this is tlie truth is evident 
 from J'ihn vi. 44, for jefus knew from the beginning who they 
 were that believed not, and whofliould betray him. 
 
 y/e find when Feter exprefied his ftrong refolution that he 
 would never forfake his Mafter, and boldly avowed that though 
 all men (liouid be offended, yet h€ v;ould not ; ven although he 
 Ihould die with him, yet he would not deny him in any wile ; 
 th« fame lan^^uage was adopted by all t:ie difciples : Yet Chrill 
 
 * John I'l. 2.4, oj. I j^jhp, xvi. 23, 
 
( 49 ] 
 
 at this very time knew that he, and all his fellow difciples would 
 drop their rcfolution and bafely defert him. He hath the moil 
 perfe6l knowledge of men's hearts on earth, although now in glo- 
 ry, & hath left this peculiar prerogative of his Godhead fo clearly 
 on record, ascertaining to himfelf, that it is become a common 
 principle of faith, and a known maxim in all the churches. For 
 fays he, all the churches fliall know that I am he who fearcheth 
 the reins and hearts, and will give unto e\;ery one of you accor- 
 ding to your works, f And that his knowledge is infinite is evi/-. 
 dent from what he himfelf tells us with regard to his knowledge 
 of the Father ; viz. that he knev/ the Father, even as the Fa» 
 ther knew him. J 
 
 Thatobjedlion which is the grtzt Aclil/ei <i£ Atizus and Soci- 
 nians, viz. Chrift^s ignorance of the day of judgment, miiitatec 
 nothing againft what was ju^l: now obferved ; and is impoflible 
 that it could be true of Chrili:, in that confideration of him as 
 God, which I have been juft nov/ fpeaking of. For the infinite 
 knowledge which the Scriptures afcribe to him, and which he 
 claims as the eifential prerogative of his nature, abfoluttly ex- 
 cludes this ignorance: As 1 already told you, Chrift is to be 
 confidered here as man, and fo the context leads us to under- 
 ftand. For he there fpeaks of himfelf as the Son of man, and in 
 his official chara6\er in human nature. " Then fhall they fee 
 the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glo* 
 ry," &c. And in the next verfe, "the Son of mati, is as a man 
 *^ taking a far journey,'" ccc And we are fure, that he increaf- 
 ed in wifdom and knowledge ?.s man, and fo had not all know- 
 ledge in that confideration of him ; but that this is no way in- 
 confiftent with the perfe(5lion of his God-head, I have already 
 fhown. — T hat Chrift as rnan could be omnifcient we flatly deny, 
 unlefs we were to maintain with the Lutherans that the infinite 
 perfe6lions and attributes of the divine nature were communi- 
 cated to the human, which is abfurd, yea abfolutely impoflible. 
 His infinite knowledge of all perfons and things, proves him to 
 be God ; his increafing in wifdom and knov.dedge proves him to 
 be truly and really man. — The fame anfwer will ferVe to folve 
 any diflSculty which may arife fromfuch expreflions as thefe ; — 
 that all things which he had heard of the Father, he declared to 
 his difciples ; and ** I fpeak to the world (fays he) the things 
 " which I have heard of him,"&c. 
 
 I may obferve to you here Supcrhus^ that the author of the 
 Atbanaslan Cretd analyzed anctrefttted^\ooks^x^on Chrift's claini- 
 
 t Rev, ii. 23. J John X. 15. 
 
50 ] 
 
 ing this prerogative of fearchlng thereir.s & hearts, to be onem 
 the llrongeft proofs in all the New Teftaiient for the deity of the 
 Son of God. And he falls upon a very ftrange method to evade 
 the force of that text, Rev. ii. 23. by conne6\ing it vi^ith the lat- 
 ter claufe of verfe 27. *''I am he which fearcheth the reins and 
 " hearts" — Even as I received of my Father. With as great 
 propriety he might have conne6\ed it with thefe words — " In the 
 ^*' beginning God created the Heavens and the earth." If any 
 one will be at the pains to read ! he intervening verfes in the m.oil 
 tranfient manner, he v^ili imn^ediately fee the truth of the obfer- 
 vation. Such a far-fetclied connexion may pafs with fuch who, 
 inftead of looking into tiie Scriptures, only louk into the book. 
 But with regard to fuch as wifli to refolve their faith into the di- 
 vine teftiniony, they will certainly be cautious oF f wallow ing 
 down every thing that this man avers to be true, without fearch- 
 .ing the Scriptures to fee with their own eyes, whether it will 
 quadrate with the unerring rule of God's word. 
 
 I might alio confirm the truth of Chrift's fupreme deity from 
 anotlier effential attribute of the divine nature alcribed to him, 
 viz. omnipresence* Isit poffible to conceive that a creature how- 
 ev.er excellent, and dignified in its nature, can be every where 
 prefent ? " Do not I fill Heaven and earth," is the language of 
 the one true God. But what if we find the fame attributed to 
 Chrift ? We have his own word for it ; John ii. 13. And no man 
 hath afcended into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven, 
 jeven the Son of man, who is in Heaven. Chrill: as God was in 
 the beginning with God, and came down from Heaven to do, and 
 declare his Father's will. He came down from Heaven, not by 
 iiny local defcent, or by quitting Heaven, but only by a manifef- 
 tation of himfelf on earth. Now is it poflible to conceive that 
 3 mere creature can be in Heaven, and on earth at the fame 
 time ? In order to evade the force of this text for proving the 
 omnipresence of Chrift, the Socijiians and Arians will tell us, 
 that the latter claufe of the verfe fliould be rendered thus — 
 ** even the Son of man which ^ojas in Heaven ;" and this fay 
 they is apparent, becaufe Chrift fpeaks of himfelf as the Son of 
 man. In anfwer to this, I might obferve that Chrift here fpeaks 
 of himfelf, as '' the Son of man who is in Heaven," as Peter 
 fpeaks of the prince of life being crucified, and PauU that the 
 Lord of glory fuffered, and that God purchafed the church with 
 • his own blood. The Son of man is in Heaven, not as the Son of 
 man, but as the Son of God. But what fundamentally deftroys 
 this anfwer is this confideration, that it is not true that Chrift, 
 as to his-iiuman nature ^\is ^itb God^ or was in Heaven. Yes 
 fay SoclnianSf afier his baptifm he was taken up into Ileavejjp 
 
[ 5« ]• 
 
 there to be made- acquainted with the will of God. But if a n^' 
 one can fwallow luch an abfurd notion they may — it is fcarcely 
 worth the refuting. If men would not {but their eyes againft 
 the cleared light, they muft learn from the above test, that our 
 Lord Jefus Ghrill is omniprefent ; in one and the fame time fil- 
 ling Heaven and earth with his prefencei 
 
 When about to leave his difciples he teaches them the fame 
 comfortable truth, and inculcates the belief of it on them in or- 
 der to fupport them in all the trials, difficulties and dangers they 
 had to encounter with. Lo I am with you alway, even to the 
 end of the world. 
 
 " Philemon^ I have heard it obj e6led 'by the adverfaries of 
 " Chrift's fupreme deity, that there are forne titles and attributes 
 '* which fingularly belong to deity, and are the principal criteri- 
 '"•' on of the one God, which are never applied to Chrift ; fuch as 
 *'' the one God and Father of all." 
 
 It would be ftrange indeed Supcrhus^ if thefe titles were appli- 
 ed to the Son ; becaufe taken all together they are perfonal ti- 
 tles, peculiarly belonging to God the Father. And it muft re- 
 main a fianding monument againft the adverfaries of ChriiVs deity 
 to their fliame and confufion. that after th$ do6lrine has been 
 clearly proven from the word of God; that no proof fnair' be 
 thought fufficient, unlefs it be a proof of what was never pretend- 
 ed, of God the Son's being the very fame perfon with God'the 
 Father. And herein lies the m.yftery of their herefy, viz. in 
 this one falfe principle, that the Son cannot be ftrialy God, 
 unlefs he be the perfon of the Father. 
 
 " Philemon, I have often heard it urged, and that with great 
 *' vehemence againfi; your hypothe&s, that all the glory, digni- 
 '' ty, veneration and worfliip, which is diae to the Son of God, 
 " follows in confequence of his humbling hlmfelf, and becoming 
 " obedient unto the death of the crofs ; and that the names, ti- 
 '* ties, and attributes, which yD'J have been difcourfing- of, did 
 *' not originally belong to him, but conferred on him by Tirtue of 
 " his obedience to the will of the Father. Do not you think 
 " this notion has forae countenance from what an infpired pen- 
 " man informs us? Philip, ii. 8, 9, 10. And being found in 
 *' falhion as a man, he humbled himfelf, and became obedient 
 ** unto death, even the death of the crofs. Wherefore God alfo 
 hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is abov<i 
 *' every name : That at the name of Jefus every knee fhould 
 bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things un- 
 der the earth : And that every tongue fliould confefs, that 
 Jefus Chrift is Lord, tc the glory of God the Father.'* 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 In anCvver to this Superbiis^ allow me to oLferve that the Apof- 
 tle is not here fpeaking of the exaltation- of Chi id's divine na- 
 ture, but of the exaltation of that nature which fuffered. — Be- 
 
 caufe he became obedient unto death Wherefore God hath 
 
 highly exalted him. This exaltation is reprefented in Scriptare, 
 either as the rewardy or the consequence of his fufferings unto 
 the death ; for "we fee^Kim (laith the Apostle^ who was made a 
 *' little lower than the Angels, for the fufTering of death crown- 
 " ed with glory and honor.'^ And the elders about the throne 
 lay, worthy is the Lamh that was flain to receive power, and 
 riches, and wifdom, and ftrength, and honor, and glory. f More- 
 over the Evangelift John exprefsly informs us, that this doniini- 
 on and power was given to the Son of man,becaufe he v/as fo. — 
 The Apoftle doth not fay of ChriHias ths S'ocinians contend, that 
 he is exalted to the glory of God the Father, though that be true 
 of the exaltation of his human nature ; but he faith, that being 
 thus exalted, he is to be acknowledged of all tongues and nations 
 us their Lord, to the glory of the Father ; nothing more tending 
 to his glory, than that all perfons owning Chriil as their Lord, 
 and yielding obedierce to him, (ho'jld abound in thefe works of 
 righteoufners, *• which are through Jefus Chrift to the glory of 
 ** Ood the Fath^er."^ 
 
 There are fome Divines who rather view tlTe Apoftle's words 
 £s intended to point out a more illuftrious manifeftation of Chrift, 
 and a folemnly proclaiming him to be what he alway was. I 
 fhali give you the fentiments of a very celebrated Divine on tins 
 text. '^ Certain it is, fays he, that one who is in a proper fenfe 
 ** God, cannot be exalted. Hence it is, that as many of the an- 
 *^ cients zz have iinderftood this text of a proper exaltation, 
 *' have interpreted h of the human only, not the divine nature 
 '-' of Ch'riftc So that here again the Arlans underftandin^ it 
 '^ or a proper exaltation to a better ftate, and of Chrift confi- 
 ** dered in his highef: capacity, run counter to the ancients 
 ♦^ before the Nicene council, in a very material article refpe6l- 
 ^* ing this controverfy. — If a proper exaltation be intended ; it 
 ^'' canonly be meant of Chrilt, as receiving thefe honors and ti- 
 '■''' ties in his hwnan or mediatorial capacity, which he had al- 
 
 *^ ways enjoyed in another. This, in the main, is true, and 
 
 " right : But there is fome reafon to think, that it is not pre- 
 *"' cifely and accurately the meaning of this text, which feems 
 ** not to fpeakof any proper exaltation, but of the more illuftii- 
 '* ous manifeftation ei him for the folemn proclaiming him to 
 *^ be what he always was. Bat even this though true iii part, 
 
 f Rev. V. iZa 
 
t 53 ] 
 
 *' I take not to be the fall meaning of the text before us.— 
 
 " Though the abfolute eflential dignity of our bleffed Lord was 
 " always the fame, and in refpedl of which he was ever equal 
 " with God; yet his relative dignity towards us, founded in the 
 '' obligations we have received from him, never To fignaily ap- 
 *' peared, as in that amazing condefcenfion, and goodnefs, his 
 ** becoming man, and dying for us. We are hereby **> bought 
 " with a price," becoming fervants to Chrift, and Chrift a Lord 
 " to us, in a peculiar fenfe, and under a new and fpecial title. — 
 ** Upon this occafion, and upon this account, it pleafed God in 
 ** the moft folemn and pompous manner, to proclaim the high dig- 
 " nity of God the Son, to reinforce his rightful claim of homage, 
 *' and to command Heaven and earth. Angels and men to pay 
 ** him all honor, reverence, and adoration, fuitable to the dignity 
 ** of Co great, fo good, fo divine a perfon, as the Son of God. 
 '* We may obferve how, under the Old Teft^ment, it pleafed 
 ** God often to inlift upon what great things he had done (though 
 ** Iliglit in comparifon to the work of redemption) in order to 
 " move the perfons concerned to receive him as God. Thus 
 *' Gen. XV. 7. I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of thfc 
 '* Chaldees ; and Exod. xx. a. Deut. v. 6. I am the Lord thy 
 *' God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, To omit 
 " many other places, proving that even God the Father aflerted 
 *' his claim to the adoration of his people from the good and 
 *' great things he had done for them."* 
 
 I proceed now to confirm the truth of Chrift's fupreme deity, 
 from the works afcribed to him in Scripture ; and if we find they 
 are fuch as none but Go<^ftri<Slly and properly fpeaking can per- 
 form, or arc claimed by him as his sole prerogative, then we may 
 warrantably conclude, that our Lord Jefus Chrift is co-equal 
 with the Father. 
 
 Lbferve how our Lord fpeaks of his joint operation with his 
 Father, in the fame abfolute and fovereign way with refpe6l to 
 all thefe works in general, when he fays, *' my father worketh 
 '^ hitherto, and I work." — *'And what things foever he doth, 
 *' thefe alfo doth the Son likewife," or in the fame manner. 
 
 The woi'k of creation is afcribed in a proper fenfe to Chrift.—— 
 In the firft place let us attend a little to the roice of Scripture 
 on this head, and fee how peculiarly and exclusively it appropri- 
 ates this great and glorious work to the one true God. Thus 
 faith the holy one of Ifrael : — I have made the earth, and created 
 man upon it ; I, even my hands have ftretched out the Heavens, 
 
 * Dr. \7aterland's Serra, page 170, &«. to i8i. 
 
C 54 ] 
 
 and all their hofthave I commanded.*" I am the Lord that m a- 
 keth all things, that ilretcheth forth the Heavens o/o?zc, that 
 fpreadeth abroad the earth by inyself.'\ Accordingly we find him 
 diftinguilhing himfelf from all that are not the true and living 
 God, by his creating all things. The Lord is the true God, he 
 is the living God, and an everlafting King. — Then (liall ye fay to 
 them, the Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, 
 even they fliall peridi from the earth, and from under thefe hea- 
 vens., , He hath made the earth by his power ; he hath eftablifli- 
 ed the world by his wifdom, and hath ftretchud out the heavens 
 by his difcretion. Now Supcrbus I will appeal co you : Do not 
 ttiefe, and many other fimilar places of Scripture which might 
 have been cited, afcnbe the work of creation to the one Jehovah, 
 fo peculiarly as to exclude all others from being fo much as in- 
 flruments, much raore from being principal agents in it t For he 
 could not be faid to do it alcne^ and l?y himself^ if he employed- 
 any others in it. Vv hat is it to create ? Or what is the proper 
 work of the efficient caufe ? Creation is an immediate cffe6l of 
 the divine will, exerting abfolute omnipotence. God fpake and 
 it was done, he commanded, and it ftood fafta Believe me my 
 dear friend, the notion of an agent fubordinatie-tothe Godhead 
 in creation-work, vhen there was nothing for that agent to work 
 rpon ; and the notion of an infinite ^o\\Q.r rcfiding in, and exert- 
 ed by any being that is not abfolutely infinite, ihocks all the prin- 
 ciples of natural reafon, and carries the moft open face of an 
 impoiTibility. And therefore the Apoftle fpeaks of the creation 
 of the world as a clear evidence and inco-nteilible proof, and that 
 to the very Heathens, of the eternal power and fupreme God- 
 head o-f him that made it. For the invifible things of him from 
 the creation of the world are clearly feen, being underftood by 
 the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, 
 fo that the}^ are without excufe^ From alt this we may alTured- 
 iy depend on the truth of this maxim, " He that built all things; 
 *^ is God." 
 
 Now doth not the Scriptures affert in the propereft and plain- 
 eft terms, that Chrift created all things? — "All things were 
 '* made by him, and without him was not any thing made that 
 *' was made. — He was in the world, and the world was made by 
 *' him, and the world knew him not." In order to favour the 
 fcheme of our adverfaries, the above words fhould have run thus : 
 in the beginning God created his Son, and then, by him all 
 things were made. &c. But the words as they run, plainly im» 
 
 ^ Ifaiah xlv. ii, 12. 
 t Chap. xliv. 24. | Rom. i. %a. 
 
[ 55 3 
 
 port, that he ws.& never made himfelf ; but was from eternity 
 with God, and was God. The Apoftie Paul in his epiftle to the 
 Colofllans, chap, i. i6, 17. exprefsly extends the work of cre- 
 ation by Chrift to all things of the upper and invifiblc, as well 
 ;is to the lower and vifible world, to all which he had a prior ex- 
 iftence. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, 
 and that are in earth, vifible and invifible, whether they be 
 thrones, dominions, principalities or powers ; all things were 
 created by liim, and for him : And he is before all things. Is it 
 pofiible that Chrift's creating all things, and his exiftence before 
 any created being, could be exprefled in more clear andcompre- 
 henfive terms? What can be moie fully, and clearly faid in 
 the cafe? Are we not taught in the moft explicit terms, 
 that all things were made by Chrift as the firft caufe, and for 
 him as the laft end ? All things were created /5jy him, fay Socin- 
 ians as the inilrumental caufe; but what if we find creation- 
 work as performed by the one God, exprefled in the very fame 
 terms as is here fpoken of with regard to Chrift ? I am Jehovah, 
 — that fpreadeth abroad the heavens by myfelf. I hope it will 
 never be faid the great Jehovah was only an inftrument in the 
 work of creation. Neither can we look upon the Son^ of God 
 in this light, unlefs we are determined at all events to contra- 
 dict the cleared and plaineft Scripture teftimonies. The diftinc- 
 tion which our adverfaries make between /5jy tvbom^ and yVom 
 whom, can fland them in nofteadto prove the Son only an inftru- 
 ment in creation. The prepofition dia^ by^ with a'genitive after 
 it, is frequently ufed to exprefs the efficient caufe, e. g. Rom. 
 xi. 36. of whom, and through ^hom^ and to whom are all things. 
 To whom be glory forever. If they underftand this of the Fa- 
 ther : then by their own way of reafoning, they make him no 
 more than an inftrumental caufe ? Are we not faid to be called 
 by God the Father ? Is he onl)- the inftrumental caufe ? If he be, 
 who is the principle efficient caufe I God is faithful by whom ye 
 were called to the fellowfliipof his Son Jefus Chrift.'^ New,' it 
 cannot with any propriety be inferred againft Chrift's creating 
 the Vv'crlds by his ov/n proper efficiency, from its being faid that 
 God made them by him. But what if we find creation-work 
 exprefsly appropriated to Chrift, by God the Father himfelf? 
 And this we will in Heb. chap. i. 8, 9, 10, 11. But to the Son 
 \\^ (viz. God the Father) faith, thy throne O God, is for ever 
 uiid ever. — And thou Lord in the beginning haft laid the foun- 
 dation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine 
 ]>;inds. They fliall perifti, but thou remaineft, &c. This is quo- 
 
 ^ 2. Cor. i. 9. 
 
I 5« J 
 
 ted word for wcrii, from Pfal. cii. 25, %6^ 17. where without all 
 cont rover fy the proper work of the one only true God, as the 
 firft ruprtine caufe in the creation of all things, is fpoken of. 
 And the whole conttxi in the Hehrews fliows, that ChriR is the 
 perfon to wliom that text, and the efficiency there fpoken of 
 belongs ; for it is placed in the midft of a difcourfe, wherein the 
 Father all along fpeaks to the fon. From the third verfe there 
 is a comparifon carried on between Chrill and the Angels, and 
 feveral particulars are reckoned wherein he had the pre-eminence 
 above th-e Angels, all joined together with the copulative and^ 
 viz. Chrift had the pre-eminence in thefe refpe(Sts : unto which 
 of the Angels faid he thou art my Son. And again, I will be to 
 him a Father. — ^ — And again to the Son, he failh, let all the 
 Angels of God worfhip him.--.^??^, thy throne O God, is for 
 ever and ever. — jind^ thou Lord in the beginning haft laid the 
 foundation of the earth. What a wonderful arbitrary and ab- 
 lurd interpretation, to turn copulatives into disjandives ; which 
 is d©ae by Soclnians and Arians in the text now under confidera- 
 tion. To refer all the copulatives mentioned to Chrift in tlie 
 chapter, except that in the \otb verfe: And good reafon they 
 have for fo doing, for grant tliis and their Babel building falls to 
 theground. But I am afraid info doing, they give the lie to 
 the " Holy One of Ifrael." Upon the whole can any thing be 
 more plain, than that Jefus Chrift is in his original nature the 
 only trae, and moft high God ; fince this work which is done by 
 that Godi himself and alone^ and can be done by none other, is 
 fo often in fuch exprefs terms afcribed to the Son, yea by the 
 Father himfelf, as done by hijn. 
 
 The Author of the Athanafian Creed analyzed and refuted, 
 in one fentence contradicts all that the Prophets and Apoftles, 
 yea what the great Jehovah himfelf hath faid, refpeCling Chrift 
 as the Creator of all things ; and at once gives them the lie. — 
 •* Let it be obferved (fays he) that our Saviour is never ftyled 
 ** the Creator of Heaven and Earth." A bold and moft im- 
 pious fentence indeed. One would be apt to imagine that he 
 entertained fome inward rancour and fpite againft the Son of 
 God ; yea, that he had an underftanding far fuperior to Prophets 
 or Apoftlcs, or the great God. Thefe all unanimoully ftile him 
 the Creator of Heaven and Earth. No fays our author, he is 
 never fo ftyled. But let us purfue him a little further. — ** We 
 ** read (fays he) in the New Teftament, that God created all 
 *' things by J-efus Chrift; that God made the worlds by his Son, 
 *' or eftabliflied the ages by his Son ; and that the world was 
 " made by him, and through him." But granting he wa? 
 an inferior inftrument as he maintains he was in'the ' 
 
t 57 ] 
 
 doth he not deferve the name of Creator ? Doth not the Scriptures 
 plainly and exprefsly attribute this chara6ler to him? If "all 
 " thino-s were made by him, and without him was not any thing 
 " made that was made;" is he not the Creator in fome fenfeor 
 other? Our author might be aiked, what degree of power doiU 
 it require to create, or bring a thing out of nothing into being? 
 Infinite power he muft reply. I would afk then, is it poflible 
 for infinite power to refide in a finite creature ? I would all: 
 again, how did Chrid upon his own principles as an iiifirior in- 
 strument^ CO operate with the Father in creation ? What hand 
 had he in creation? Was he a mere fpectator ; or did he really 
 create the world? Why would God employ an inferior inftru- 
 ment in creation, when he could do nothing without infinite 
 power ? And if he could bellow infinite power upon a creature, 
 this was in very deed making that creature eqaul to himfelf, 
 which is an abfurdity. Let us hear his own wor^s with regard 
 to Ghriil's inftrumentality in the work of creation. "He (viz. 
 *' Chrift) is plainly reprefented as an inferior inftrument whom 
 " God employed in the creation of the v^^orld. Neither is this 
 " inconfiftent with what we read in the Prophet Ifaiah, xliv. 24. 
 " I am the Lord that maketh all things, that ftretcheth forth 
 '^ the Heavens alone, that fpreadeth the earth by myfelf. Al- 
 '' mighty God may confillent-ly be faid to be the alone maker of 
 '* Heaven and Earth, becaufe be received help from none ; he 
 *' worked by his fupreme and underived power, though he might 
 " think fit to employ another as an inferior inftrument."-— 1 
 " Again, fays he, there is no fort of difficulty in God's being re- 
 " prefented as the alone Maker of Heaven and Earth, although 
 *' it be declatedin the New Teftament, that God creatJid all 
 " things (by or through) Jefus Chrift," But plight it not be en- 
 quired at our author, where do we read in all the New Telta- 
 ment, thai God employed his Son Jefus Chrifl: as an inferior in- 
 ftrument in the work of creation ? How is onv cojnmon sense 
 to inform us chat this is a. fcriptural truth ? Have we no other 
 proof but this; that Ahr.ighty God created all things (by or 
 through) Jefus Chrift ?. Bit will not the fame common fenfe 
 inform us that of God and thrcugh bim, are all things."* Here 
 our common fenfe is at a 11 a ad ; were both Father and Son only 
 ijiftrumental in this great and glorious- work ? And if what our 
 author fays be true, they were no more. And who vas the ef- 
 ficient caufe ? He thinks there is no fcrt of difficulty in viewing 
 God as the alone Maker of Heaven aud Eurtn ; and Jefas Chrift 
 
 •^Hom. xi. 36. 
 
 K 
 
I 58 3 
 
 a fubordinate inftrunient. I freely own there feems to he fuch a 
 difliculty in it to me, that I have not the lead conception of it, 
 And I, mightafk any one, how they can reconcile the idea of a 
 ■ creature and Creator together ' 
 
 I proceed x\q\w Superbus^ to confirm the divinity of Chrift from 
 another glorious work afcribed to him, viz. the prefervation of 
 all thinjs. No one I fuppofe will queftion the truth of this com- 
 mon maxim, that it requires the fame Almighty po-.ver to prefervc 
 the world in exigence, which gave it-^a being. Prciervat'on has, 
 and very juftiy too been commonly called a continued creation. 
 'J'he Scriptures countenance fuch an expreihon, when ihey fpeak 
 of God's a6ls of providence towards his creatures, under the; no- 
 tion of creation. Thou fended forth thy Spirit ; they aie cre- 
 ated.* ilndthe fcope of the Apodle's argument icads u^ to un- 
 Jerilandhim to fpeak of God iis a pr^spi ver^ when he calls him a 
 faithful Creator.f And we will find thefe two, \iz. creation, 
 and prefervation joined together as the diitinguifhing criterion of 
 the one true God. Thou, even thou, art i.ord alone, v/ho has 
 made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, with all tb.eir hods, the 
 «arth, and all things that are therein — and thou preferveft them 
 alLi 
 
 And hence by way of emphafis and peculiarity, and in exclu- 
 fion cf all others, the one true God is faid to preferve man and 
 beaft.lj Bat what if v/e find this peculiar prerogative of the one 
 true God afcribed to Chrift ? Will it not neceffarily follow, that 
 ie is God ftriiSlly and properly fpeaking ? But this godlike work 
 of prefervation is, with great fulnefs and ftrengtli of exprefhon 
 i;lcribed to him. He is before all things, and by him all things 
 do consist. All thofe feveral ranks and individuals of creatures, 
 o^ both the vifible and invifible worlds ; from the higheft Cherub 
 that lurrounds the throne of his glory, to the meaneil infe6l that 
 erav/ls on his footftool; his Almighty arm preferves al! ; they all 
 Hand and continue in him. In him we live, move, and have our 
 being.§ Upholding all things by the word of Z^/j- power. 1 Not 
 by any delegated power from the Father, as a fubordinate agent 
 as Socinidns would teach us; but by a power efl^^ntially refi- 
 ding in him as the great God. Fiie fame almighty word of his 
 that gave the Vi-^orlds a being, preferves them in exigence. •' He 
 " commands, and tliey ftand faft." H;? a'5ls the God, or the 
 part which God only can a6l, in con Rant and almighty energy to 
 miintain th.e world, and alicreatmes in it, andfpeaks of himfelf 
 as a6ling herein jointly with, and in the fame abfolute fovereign 
 
 ^- Pfal. ciy. 30. t J ^et. iv. 19. t Neb. ix. €, 
 
 li Pfal. xxxvi, 6. V Ails xvii. x6, 1 Heb. i. 3. 
 
[ 59 1 
 
 wianner as the Father doth. " My Father worketh hitherto, 
 *' and I work ;" viz. in a way or fupreme providence, vvlh a conj- 
 manding power and influence on the courfe of nature, which e- 
 qually and at all times obeys me and h^jn ; as you fee by v/hat I 
 have now done in niakin:^ this impotent man whole by the word 
 of my power. And this the Jews unde'-ftood him lo fpeak ki 
 fuch an abfolute ilrain, as befpok'e him equal to their or.lv trucf 
 God, and therefore fought to kill him. 
 
 The author of the' Athanafian Greed analyzed and • ciiuud. 
 Sec. exprelles himfelf on this article to t-he following purpafe, 
 " As to the prefervation of all things being afcribed to Lhriil, 
 " ColoiT. i. 17. by. him ail things confiiV;. the form cftliuex- 
 " prefiion is the fa.Uii with that already examined; as God cre- 
 ated all thiiigjj by (or through) Chrift, fo he prcfervcs. or 
 governs all things by (or through) Chrid ; to which Heb. 
 i. 3. is parallel, upholding all things by the word of his power, 
 his power means th<^ power of God the Father." — Bui is it 
 God tne Father that is defcribed in the firft claufe of the verfe ; 
 " who being the brightnefs^of his glory, and the exprefs image 
 " of his peribn." Was it God the Father that purged our iiiis, 
 and fat dov/n on tlie right hand of the Majefty on high? The 
 very fame perfon who was tiie brightnefs gf his glory, &c. and 
 who bv himfelf purged our fins, upholds all things by the 
 word of his power. But perhaps our author's meaning is, that 
 both Father and Son are joint in this glorious work of preferva- 
 tion ; as undivided in eflence fo in operation ; & in fo far he was 
 right. But alas ! if v/e read on our expectations from this quarter 
 are blafted. '"' The full import of thefe expreflicns (i'ays he) 
 " taken in the higheft fArianJ fenfe, is, that God employs 
 " Chrift as an inferior inftrument in the government of the 
 " world." To fpend any in ore time on the abfurd impious no- 
 tion of Chrift's being an infcrioj- instrument in the work of crea- 
 tion and providencu, would be entirely fruitlefs. I fliall leave 
 him and his friends in the full poffeffion of a doclrine, which I 
 am fare they can put no determinate fenfe upon. 
 
 The truth of Chrtft's fupreme dc:ity may be confirmed from the 
 miracles which ht wrought, while in his (late of humiliation here 
 on earth. A miracle indeed of iti(-lP, >s no proof that the imme- 
 diate vifible agent therein is God ; but it always imports, that th? 
 power of the only true God is put forth to work it. Vv'e find that 
 both the Prophets under the Old, and the Apofrlcf: under the New 
 Teftament difpenfation did iu?tnv miracles ; but they to^k fpeci- 
 al care todcclareby ex-prefs words, orby tiiep'aiu interpretative 
 manner of their deportment, tiKit it was not bv *heir own pow- 
 er, but only by the power or another that they did fuch thingr. 
 
[ 60 ] 
 
 So tliat none could, without the moft flupid ignorance, miftake 
 them for God. But our Lord Jefus Chrift in the general courfe 
 of his working miracles behaved in a quite different manner ; 
 And his high fovereigii and abfolute way of a6\ing peculiar 
 only to the true God, is a llrong and undeniable proof of his 
 Godhead. 
 
 Our Lord ufually wrought his miracles without the leaft ap- 
 pearance of a previous application to his Father, thereby pra6li- 
 cally avowing to the world, that he was fuilicient of himfelffor 
 them ; and thereby alfo teilifying to the world that the works 
 which he wrought were fuch as none but God could work, and 
 are even recommended by our Lord as fuch, 1 lie Prophets 
 before Chrifl, and the ApoRles after him, perFoimed miracles : 
 God alfo bearing them wiuiefs both with figns and v/onders, 
 and with divers miracles, and gifts of the H&ly Ghoft, Heb. ii. 
 4. But the Propjiets did all tl.-e'r miracles by calling upon the 
 rame of (rod, invrking the divine power. Eliji-b vvhen he raif- 
 ed the widow's i^'>n, he laid the child upon his own bed, and he cri- 
 ed unto the Lord, and faid, O Lord my God h.ift thou alfo 
 brought evil upo-i the widow with whom 1 f)joura by flaying her 
 fon ! And heiheutched hisnfelt upon the child three times, and 
 cried unto the Lurd^ and fald O Lord my God, I pray thee, let 
 this child's fjui come i no him again : and he rtvived."* When 
 the fame Elijah had challenged the Priefts of Baal to bring with 
 them each a fiCrifice, and wait for an anfwer from Heaven by 
 prayer, lie prays to God to hear him, and to work the m.iracle, 
 and to vindicate his own glory, by fending fire, v/hich was done,' 
 to the amafement of all that beheld it.f 
 
 When EUsba was mocked by the children of Bethel, he curfed 
 them in the name of the Lord. 2 Kings ii. 24. When the 
 fame Prophet divided the waters of Jordan, he calls upon the 
 name of the Lord God of Elijah. 
 
 Again when the Apoflles wrought miracles after the afcenfion 
 of^ their l^ord, they wrought them in the name of ChriO:. The 
 healing of ihe impotent man is tlie flrft inftance ; and obferve 
 Peter^s words en tJiis ocraficn ; in the name of Jefus Chriil of 
 Nazareth rife up, and walk. J And fo far was the Apollle from 
 aiTuining any power to do thut mirccle in his ovv^n name, that he 
 declares to the peopleth.it came about hiin, on that occafion, 
 that he dirdaimed all pretentions to it. V//;) marvel ye at this? 
 And why inok ye fo carneftly on us, as though by our own pow- 
 er, or holinefs, we h.id made this man to walk ? The God of 
 Abraham, and of Ifaac, and of Jacob, the God of our Fatliers 
 
 '^ I Kings xvii, 2,0 f 1 King: xviii. 37. J Aels iii* 9. 
 
[ 6i ] 
 
 hath glorified his ^Son Jefus. — And his name, through faith in Ma, 
 name, hadi made this i^ian ftrong whom you fee and kpow."^ — 
 The fame Apoftle being queftioned before the Rulers and Elders 
 of the people on the fame fubjedls, anfwers to^he fanqe puipofe. 
 If we this day be examiHed of the good deed done to the impotent 
 man, by what means he is made whole — be it known unto you 
 ajl, and to all the people of Ifrael, that by the name of Jefua 
 Chrift of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raifedup 
 from the dead, even by him doth this man ftand here before you. 
 whole.f — Thus the ApoUle P-aui a6led aftf^r the fam.CrmanneT 
 in the cafe of the damfel poffefled with a fpirit of divination; 
 A61sxvi. 1 8. Paul being grieved, turned andfaid to the fpirit^ 
 1 command thee in the name of Jefus Chrift come out of her. — 
 And he came out the fame hour. •,. 
 
 Many other examples might be brought in to fupport this ob- 
 fervation, that the m-iracles, figns and wonders wrought by the 
 Prophets and ApolUes, were not wrought in their o^ivn names ^ but 
 upon the invocation of the name of Jefus. Whereas our Lord 
 put fortli his a6ls of fovereignty and omnipotence, in bis on^z 
 namey 2i6ied opQuly by his own authority, and comrfeande^d th« 
 Devils, the winds, the feas, and the dead without invocatiliV 
 any name, or any fuperior power. - ^ 
 
 It is noobje6lion againft what was juft now obferved that our 
 Lord addrefled himfelf to his Father, when he was about to raife 
 Lazarus out of hisgi^ave. He lifted up his eyes, and faid, Fa- 
 ther I thank thee, that thou haft heard me.'f But let us obferve 
 what he immediately adds, to convince us that his condu6l on 
 fuch an occafion, was not owing to any infufficiency in himfelf; 
 " but becaufe of the people which ftood by, that they might be- 
 " lieve that the Father had fent him." He fuitable to his me- 
 diatorial chara6ler, made this application to the Father for this, 
 yery.good reafon ; tha-t the people might be.-i€onvinced of the 
 wickednefs apd falfehood of their frequent blafphemies, whererby 
 thevvaccufed him, as^-pevforraing his miracles by a confederation 
 with the Devil, or by a power which the Devil poffeffing him ex- 
 erted by him. And therefore to convince them that h<? a6led 
 by no diabolical power, but that as the true Meffiah, he came 
 from God, and a6ced by a divine power, he in the prefence of 
 them all applied to his Father,' as owned and approved of him 
 in what he was going totlo. And yet, at the fame time to con- 
 vince, them, that he .a6led.not merely as a delegate, in a ^epen- 
 
 * A(5ls iii. 6, 12, i6. f A6\s iv. 9, 10. 
 
 t John xi. 41, 42,43. . . 
 L . . . ■ . 
 
[ 6» 1 . 
 
 4ent way, and not immediately by his own power .toother \Tjch 
 -the Father, he adds in the next verfe, and I knew that thou 
 liearefb me always, thereby intimating that his will and the Fa- 
 ther's were always the fame, To that he never willed any thing, 
 but the Father willed' it likewife ; and therefore 'he, in a moll 
 fovereign abfolute manner, like the moft High God, fpoke in hia 
 own, and not in his^athcr's name, and "cried with a loud voice 
 *^ Z^z^rz// come forth," and he came forth immediately. He 
 managed this whole affair with admiral fkiil,f^i table to his dif- 
 ferent chara6lers^ as God on the one hand, and as man and his 
 Father's fervant in human nature on the other, andfo as tofliow 
 that he was really theMefliah, the sent of God, whom he owned ; 
 and at the fame time what an infinitely great Meffiah he was."* 
 But Super-bus^ what think you was the grcateft miracle of this 
 kind ever our Lord wrought ? I think you will be apt to reply, 
 Jiis raifing'himfelf from the dead : And that this was his own 
 a6l, is evident from his own words ; " deftroy this temple, and 
 *' in three days I will raife it up." — But he fpoke of the temple 
 «f his body."!" And to evince to the world that he had an inherent 
 power fufficient for this, he peremptorily declared, that he had 
 power " to take his life again." This is fo evident a proof of 
 his God-head, that the Apoftle took it for a demonftration, faying, 
 he vas declared or demouftrated to be the fon of God wit-h power, 
 according to the Spirit of holiijefs, or Iks divine nature, by the 
 5*cfurre6\ion from the dead. 
 
 Another ftrong argument for the divinity of our Lord Jefus 
 Ghrift, may be-^rawn from the power committed to others to 
 worktniraclesin his name. The Apoftles.werefr^e on all occa- 
 ,£ons, and embraced every opportunity to declare, that all the 
 ppwer which accompanied them for working miracles, was fim- 
 piy and wholly a power derived from Chrift; a power entirely 
 tis^ and not at all iheir own ; and that they a6led therein altoge- 
 ther in bis name, and in no refpe6ls in their own. Hence we 
 find Peter y^o cyred JSneas of the palfy, afcribing.-the cure en- 
 tirely to Chrift; */Eneas, Jefus Chrift maketh thee whole ; a rife 
 and make thy bed ; and he arofe immediatfly.J And when he 
 lent forth his twelve Diftiples, we are^told, he, like an abfolute 
 and forercign Lord " gave them power and authority over all 
 ** Devilfi, atnd to cure difeafes." With what an abfolutely au- 
 thority doth he deal out thefe coir.miflions in his own name, 
 fpeaking of himfelf as their principle, and ais the fountain of all 
 the power they had for all thofe marvellous works.- — And wheii- 
 
 ^ See Dr. Guyfe Serm. on the Trinity, page 96. 
 j- John ii, ,t9, A I. t A6lfi lie. 34» 
 
r 63 1 
 
 «verTi2 '^nxs pleafed to fufpend his power, and did not own zn 
 attempt to do any thing in his name, alifuchan attempt was in- 
 efre6li'al ; as appeared in thofe feven Sons of Sceva^ v/ho pre- 
 tended to caft out Devils, in the name of Chrift j but the men- 
 tion of his name not being owned by him on that occafion, nor at- 
 tended with his power, they were fo far from fiiccecding, that 
 the Devils prevailed agai nil them and infulted them. In a wprd, 
 we m^ confidently afSrm, that none of the Difciples could have 
 performed fuch miracles as they did, except God had been with 
 them. AndVfieGo^ who was with them was the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift. 
 
 Permit me Superbus to infift a little on the fovereign and ab- 
 folute manner in which Chrift performed all his miracles; and 
 this was always in fuch a ftile and manner as became the gjeat 
 and all-fufEcienc J'jhovah'^/^;*^,.and plainly fliowed he was that 
 Jehovah, who by \iU own power performed them. With what 
 fovereignty and auihority did he, as the God of nature and pro- 
 vidence, rebuke the unruly elements, the winds and the feas, and 
 they inftantly obey him. He arofe a^d rebuked the winds and 
 the feas, and there was a great calm ; abd the men marvelled, 
 faying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the 
 fea obey himi In this glorious a£l of fovereignty over' the ele- 
 ments, our Lord doth not rebuke them//« tbc name of God^hu.i ia 
 his own name^ and by h's own authority.^' In what a lofty pe- 
 remptory and God like manner did he at his pleafure command 
 away Devils, difeafes, and death. The prince of the power of 
 tha air was fliocked at his prefence, and never could make a 
 ftand againft him. They were forced to own that he was the 
 Son of God, and could expel them from this terreftrial globe, and 
 fliut them up in the prifon of darknefs, and at once complete 
 their mifery. When he a6led like hiaifelf as God, and appeared 
 in all the awful majefty of his God-head, legions of Devils trem- 
 bled at his appearance. I'hey were conftrainedto cry out with 
 confternation, fear and agony, "what have we to do with thee 
 •' Jcfus thou Son of God ? Art thou come hither to torment us 
 " before the time ?" With what uncontroulable majefty did h« 
 command the legion of Devils to come out of the man, and they 
 dared notdifpute his command? " Come out of the man thou 
 ** unclean Spirit." 
 
 In the fame fovereign God-like manner he rebuked and heal- 
 ed difeafes. " I will (fa'd he to the leper) be thou clean." And 
 to the man with the withered hand, " ftretch forth thy hand; and 
 •* he ftretched it forth, and it was reftored whole like as the oth- 
 
 ^ Math, vili.. 2,6* 
 
[, 64 ] 
 
 " er.**" And to the impotent man^" rife, take up thy bed and 
 " walk, and immediately he did fo.*^ In all thefe, is there the 
 leaft appearance of his acling as an inferior fubordinate infArii- 
 raent ? No, he acled by no other power than what was necelTari- 
 ly and eflentially refident in himfelf, as the true and eternal God. 
 Virtue we are told came outof hinj and healed many. And was 
 he not the fubjedl of that virtue and power ? Was it sofa 
 principle- inherent in himlelf, which he could exert whenever 
 he pleafed? 
 
 And what fhall we fay my dear friend, to that fovereign Al- 
 n ighty power whicli foglorioully difpla)ed itfelf in raifing the 
 cead.' When he raifedthe Ruler oFthcfynauogue's daughter, he 
 proceeds without the leaft ftop ; takes the father and mother of 
 the miid, and thofe who were with them in the room, and fpeak- 
 ingiii'his own name, he fays with all the authority of an omni- 
 potent God, ** Ta'litba cumi^ which is being interpreted, damfel 
 ** I fay unto thee arife/' He only touched the .bier, on which 
 orie lay, when they were carrying him to his grave, and faid 
 *^ young rhan I fay unto thee arife," and immediately he was 
 reflofed to life, to the amazement and v/onder of all prefent.— - 
 What 'grandeur, majefty, and fovereignty difplayed themfclvei 
 in this Godlike way of expreffing himfelf, and making the dead 
 to live at his word. If the Eternal Father had vifibly appeared 
 a.q[i'6ng the fon^ of .vien, and exerted the power of his God -head, 
 cbuM he have acled in any other manner ? The manner of our 
 Lord's a6ling on thefe occafions carries the faixie Ptate, fuprema- 
 cy, and efficacy with it, as he a£led at the creation of the world, 
 faying, let it be fo, and it was fo. He commanded, and it was 
 done. • 
 
 Now, can any but that great and Almighty Being which crea- 
 ted all things by the vT'ord'of his pov/er, and by the fame power 
 rules'and governs all, could thu'. both inimeJi.jtcly and !«edi- 
 ately over-rule, controul, and change tli-e laws of nature at liis 
 plearure,andfnnke all its powers yijldtohim, rindcbey his Word? 
 We know the fliort cut the author of the Atbdnasian Creed ana- 
 ly.zei(,h.c, would, have taken to evade the force of this argutnent 
 (but in his wifdom he paffes it over) viz. tlrat he did all thefe 
 riuractes, juft as he created and preferves the world, 'as an infe- 
 rior insirument. ' ' 
 
 I proceed now to anot^her Godlike a6\ion of our Lord Jahis 
 Chrift, which will in the ilTue'demonpLratively prove his fuprenie 
 deity ; I m.ean hisjr(?r^/tj/;^ j-/;z. Who can forgive a ckbt but 
 tli^creditor? Who can pai\ion the aifrents offered to majefcy, 
 but the fovereign hinjfelf ? The moral law being a tranfcript of 
 '^tw divine nature, noue but the leg^iL-^tor can pardoa- the coib*- 
 
t 65 1 
 
 mijTion of thofe fins which that law prohibits, or the omiflion of 
 thofe duties which it requires. But if Chriftbe but a creature^ 
 ov a mere mait^ that lawis not hisv neither can he authoritatively 
 pardon a breach of that law. We findforgivenefs of fins is claim- 
 ed bv the great Jehovah as his fpecial prerogative. I, even I am 
 he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions,^ But if our Lord Jefus 
 Cliriil IS not God, he cannot be the party finned againft ; for fin 
 1!^ a tranfgreffion of the law of God i it is only the great God 
 that is the formal object againft whom, fin, as fin, is immediately 
 conrmitted. " Againft tbee, thee only have I finned," faid David ; 
 but Chrift being truly and properly God, the fame in eiTence with 
 the Father, all our numberlefs and aggravated hns are as imme- 
 diately and dire6lly againft him, as againft the Father. They 
 are committed againft God as God, againft the God-bead \n all 
 the peffons of it, and fo againft the Sen as wcl] as the Falher. 
 he together with the Father being Lord of the law, as bein^ 
 ** Lord of the fabbatlr' imports — (in cc by his Lordftiip ove 
 the fabbath, he could interpret his own law concerning it, an;; 
 transfer th« obligation to obferve it from the seventh to "the 
 firftday of the week. Yea, the Apoftle Paul views him as that 
 God who gave the law at mount Sinai, whofe voice tiien fiiook 
 the earth. "t* H;*nce the rebellions, murmurings, and provoca- 
 tions v/hich Ifrael committed againft God in the wildernefs^ 
 whereby they tempted him, are i\3oken bras committed againft 
 GFvrift, and as tempting of him ;, on which' account the Apoftle 
 cauu.ons us to take heed of iho like fins againft him. Neither let 
 us tempt Chrift, as fome of them alfo tempted, and were deftrojr- 
 ed of ferpents.J 
 
 Now it is a common and rational principle,that non« cm au- 
 thoritatively and properly forgive fins but God, becaufe he is th« 
 objeQ againft whom fm is immediately committed. Hence the 
 Jews were fo far right when they faid, who can forgive fins but 
 God only Vi And yet Chrift at that very time, and in that very 
 fenfe, i«n which they fpoke, claimed and exercifed that atithori- 
 tv, and proved it was his right, by removing the effe6l of fin in 
 heaiing the fick cTthe pally ; faying to him, *' Son. thy fins be 
 **'-fcirgiven thee." • The Jews who were -prefent, hereupon rea- 
 forledin their hearts, faying, vvhy doth this' man fpeak blafpht- 
 my ? Who can forgive fins but, God only ? Our Lord/ jefus 
 Chrift who Icridws the fecret reafoningp of all men's hearts, wa^ 
 fenfible of the' inward reafonings of th'iir minds ; and to takeoff 
 the charge of blafphemy, he did not tell them, that he forgav* 
 
 * Ifaiah xliii. 25. t ^^^' *"• ^^* 
 
 X I Cor. X. 9. Mark ii. 7. 
 
[ 65 1 
 
 fins only declarativcly, or as his Father's delegatie pronounced 
 it in his name j but vindicates the power of doing it in his awn 
 name, by doing another God-like work in as abfolute and autho- 
 ritative a way, which alfo took ofF the temporal puniflimentof the 
 fins he had then forgiven. " But that ye nia)^ know that the 
 '' Son of man hath power on earth to forgive fiss (he faith to the 
 " {ick of the palfy) I fay unto thee arife, and take up thy bed, 
 " and go thy way into thine houfe." In the fame authoritative 
 ftrain he faid unto Mary^ " thy fins are forgiven thee.'' So that 
 they who were with him were aftonilhed at the majefty and gran- 
 deur of his behaviour therein, and faid, Who is this that forgiv- 
 eth fins alfoj'^ 
 
 And now in his exalted ftate he more fully difplays his abfo- 
 lute fovereign authority, to this purpofe ; being exalted — to give 
 — forgivenefs of Gns.']" And according Stephen in his laft 
 prayer applied to him in an abfolute way for forgivenefs of his 
 «nennes, faying,- Lord Jefus receive my fplrit, and he kneeled 
 down, and cried with a toud voice, Lord, lay not this fin to their 
 charge.t 
 
 I proceed again .yw/er^M/, to take notice of ariother Godlike 
 work alcribed to our Lord Jefus Chrift, which will alfo ilrongly 
 evince his eternal power and Godhead, vi^.- tbe renif notion of 
 the dead. 
 
 Doth not the refurre6lion of the dead carry in it an evidence 
 of fuch an immenfe wifdom, domi^) )n, power, and prefcnce, as 
 infinitely exceeds all our thoughts ; yea, the moft exalted con- 
 ceptions •f Angels, and Archangtls; and for this rtafon, the 
 doctrine has been denied by many, becaufe they cannot conceive 
 how God can work through all the difficulties, and mafter all 
 the impoffibilities, which they imagine their reaCon can fu.^geft 
 againft it. There is indeed fomething v-ry awful, ailoniniing, 
 and incomprehenfible in this amazing effect of infinite power. 
 And we chriftians, who believe the truth of that do5\rine which 
 is fo clearly and exprefsly revealed in God's word, believe it 
 barely upon the unerring veracity of God's own teilimony con- 
 cerning it, adoring his infinite greatnefs and almighty power, 
 who is able to make good his own word. W'^e by no means pre- 
 tend to adjuft the condu(5l of the great God in this matter, by 
 our inquifitive rcafonings about it. Muft it not appear altoge- 
 ther impoflible that any but the only true God fliould raifc the 
 dead, though not irapoffible that be fhould do it t Hence the apof- 
 tle lays the belief of this great and intcrefting article merefy 
 iipo« the greatnefs of God, when he fays to king Agrippa^ why 
 
 * Luke vii» 4.8, 49. \ A^s iv. 31. J A6ls vii. 59, 6ov 
 
i .^1 1 
 
 fiiould it be thought a thing incredible with yon, that. God fhoulS 
 raife the dead ?* To fuppofe this great and glorious work to b€ 
 done by any being inferior to the great and Almighty God, is 
 indeed of all things the ntioft incredible. Is not the do6irine 6f 
 the holy and blefiTed Trinity far more comprehenfible, than a 
 mere man's raifing the dead to life? And yet this incredible 
 thing, upon any other fuppofition than that of the abfolute pow- 
 er and omniprefence of the Godhead, is familiarly fpoken of in 
 the Scriptures as done by Chrift, and that by his own power. 
 This is the will of hirp that fent me, that everyone which feeth 
 thf Son, and believeth on him, may have everlafting iife ; and / 
 ««j/// raife him up at the laft day.f Yea, he fpeaks of himfelf a« 
 having equal liberty and power with the Father for it ; for as 
 the Father raifcth up the dead, anxir qiiickeneth them ; even fo 
 the Son quickeneth whomhe will. In what a fovereign and in- 
 dependent manner doth he fpeak thefe words, even when he is 
 fpeaking alfo of the father t And with what ft.ipreme majefty 
 and grandeur doth he inform us how he, the Son, will effedl this 
 tremendous and glorious work ? Verily, verily, I fay unto you, 
 the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead fliall hear the 
 voice of tlie Son of God, and they that hear fliall live. But if 
 thefe words Ihou^ld be meant of the powerful energy of his voice 
 attending the gofpel difpenfation, for raifing up finncrs morally 
 dead in trefpaffe* and fins ; the following words are confinedly 
 to be underftood of the refurre6lion at the laft day. Marvel not 
 at this : And the reafon he afTigns, why they fnould not marvel 
 at it, is, becaufe he was a perfon every way equal to it, having 
 , ftill greater power in himftlf ; for the hour is -coming, in the 
 which all that are vin their ^aves fliall hear hi» voice, and fliall 
 come forth ; they that have done good, unto the refurre6lion of 
 .life ; and they that have done evil, unto the refurre6tion of dam- 
 nation. J And is this aftonifliing event to be the produ6lion of 
 a mere man, or of any creature, however dignified? No ; let vl& 
 cbferve the Apoftle^s reafouing on this head, and we will learn 
 that this is not to be eife^ed by any power delegated to Chrift 
 (which fuppofition by the bye is impoffible) but by a 'power inhe- 
 rent in himfelf; when fpeaking of the fecond coming of the Lord 
 Jefus, faya, he fhall change our vile body, -that4t may be faflii- 
 oned like unto his glorious body ; and obferve, according to the 
 working, whereby he is able even to-fubdue all things unto him- 
 f«;lf.i) Undoubtedly, inch a work wrought by that mfinkc inhe- 
 
 * A<5ls xxvi. 8. f John-vi. 39,40, 44^ 54. 
 
 % John V. 2;8, a9, . IPhil. iii, xi. 
 
f C8 ] 
 
 rent powQ.r in Chrift is a pregnant evidence, that he is more tliaft 
 a": creature, yea, the true and moft high God. 
 
 Superbus^ I may again add here the confideration pf the fu- 
 ture judgment, which is in a full and proper fenfe afcribed to 
 Chrift. He ihall judge the quick and the dead, at his appear- 
 ing and kingdom.* ** For the Father judgeth no maa, but hath 
 committed all judgment to the Son." Hence it is alfo faid, that 
 we muft all appear before the judgment feat of Chrift, that ev- 
 ery one may receive the thirig^. done in the body, according tcr 
 tiiat he hath dcfhe, v/hether it be good or bad.:f 
 
 It IS freely acknowledged, that the fpecial plei^^ry execution 
 of all judicial power \?, by difpenfation from the Father commit' 
 ted to the Son, in his cilice capacity : For otherwife the principal 
 part of that judgment would fall into the Father's hands, as the 
 firft perfon of the adorable Trinity : But that the nature of this 
 work is fuch, as peculiarly belongs to the only true God, and is 
 manageable by none but him. All our natural notions, as well as 
 the Scriptures, refer this work to the fupreme God on^y. And 
 therefore had not Chrift in his original nature been a divine fub- 
 fiftent in the Godhead, the full decifive unrepealabk exercife of 
 this ultimate judgment would not have been committed to him4 
 And who but the only true God can judge the world ; devils and 
 men? Who but he can exa6\ly and p6rfe6lly know the fecrets 
 of all hearts, the innumerable thoughts that are continually 
 fpringing up there, and the different .principles and ends that 
 govern them all, and determine their moral nature refpsclivc'ly ? 
 What mind but bis^ that is abfolutely infinite, can find out all the 
 train of thoughts, words, and actions of all that have been, are, 
 or fliall, be and comprehenfive enough to take them all in, and 
 to know them exacSlly and infallibly in their feveral orders, rela- 
 t?ions, and circujiiilances, and pafs a right judgment accordingly^;-? 
 In a word, it fecms beneath the dignity of the Godhead to com- 
 mit the full, finrl^ and irrefiftable decilion of all its rights with- 
 regard to us, to any creature whatever, but toGed m-anifeilcd in 
 the fiefli. Kow doth it ioxiwaSvperbtis^ to be taught that a crea- 
 ture^ or a mere man, or a made God, faall, at the confummation 
 of all things, Uiount the great white throne, and there ilt .umpire 
 
 * .2 Tim. iv. 1. t 2 Ccr. v. 10. 
 
 \ To prove Chrifr Mf-^jitor, is to prove hrrn God :" To prove h'? 
 ■economical Kipremacy, i? at the fame time, to demonftt ate bis eir-ntiaj 
 dl;;nity. Chrift, as Mediator had not been capable, pf an econonVif-l 
 fuprcmacy, if he had not, as God, been natm*al]y fupreuie gpveriJc^ of 
 'iho. wor-id. MoncriefF on the deity of GhrMi, 
 
[ h 3 
 
 atid judge for God. Is not this a burden too weighty for any, 
 but he who poflefles infinite wifdom, and omnipotent power ? 
 Yes : The great Jehovah clothed in human nature, will be '^^judge 
 of all the earth." 
 
 Onesi?nuSy I have juft to inform you that Superbus having f.xed 
 this day to fettle his family affairs ; I begged leave to return 
 home ; promifing at the fame time (God willing) to return the 
 next day. A few days I think will put a final period, to my 
 friend's exiftence in this world; he is quite fenfible of it him- 
 felf, and entirely refigned to the will of providence. Since his 
 laft vi6lory over the temptations of fatan, and the unbelieving 
 fuggeftions of a wicked heart, his faith is growing more confift- 
 ent, liable, and ftrong. He has learned, that the moft comfort- 
 able way of living, and the moft glorifying to God, is to live by 
 faith on the Son of God, and to truft in God v/hen he cannot 
 trace him. He has learned that however changeable and fleet- 
 ing his frames and exercife are ; the foundation upon which his 
 faith is built cannot be removed. He has learned that although 
 the Lord for the exercife of his faith, p'atience, and humility, 
 may hide his countenance, and draw a veil between his benight- 
 ed foul and the glorious Son of righteoufnefs ; yet he that hath 
 begun the good work, will in his due time confummate the fame. 
 
 Wifhing that my Onssimus may obtain a fafe condTi6l through 
 this troublefome, dangerous, and fmful world, and a glorious en- 
 trance into EmmanueVs land, where the inhabitants fliall not faj 
 I am fick, I remain yours moft affe6lionately. 
 
 PHILEMON. 
 
 M 
 
f 7^ 1 
 LETTER ill. 
 
 PHILEMON TO O N E S I M U S/ 
 
 Dear Onesimus, 
 
 1AM very fbrry to learn in yours, that our beloved friend 
 Aristobulus is no more. Hclinefs is no fecurity againft af- 
 ili6lions, trials, and death. From the external difpenfations of 
 providence in this life life, no conclufive argument can be drawn 
 from God's love or hatred, to any man. In this refpe6l all things 
 happen alike to all : As the fool dies, fo dies the wife man. It 
 is more than probable, that the conclufion of this will carry to 
 you the melancholy news of the death of my dear friend. The 
 glimmering taper of life is almoft burned into the focket ; here 
 I think he cannot (hine much longer ; but I hope he dies to live, 
 and fljine in eternal giory. 
 
 I: waited on Superbus according to my promife. After infor- 
 ming me how he had fettled the affairs of his family, and whoiie 
 had appointed his executors ; he took me by the hand repeating 
 the following wards — -" Philemon^ I fee that faith in the fatis- 
 *' fa61:ion of Jefus is my fureft holding for eternity, more fure 
 *' than prefent fenfe, or pad experience, or even begun poflefli- 
 *' on ; for all thefe may be interrupted and overclouded; but 
 " faith in the promife of God will hold faft when all things elfe 
 *' f^.' I wifli you would in the mean time purfue the argument 
 *' in fupport of Chrift's fupreme deity. I find my love enfia-- 
 " med,rny foul comforted, whenever I either think or hear of 
 '' that glorious perfonage who loved me, and gave himfelf for 
 '' me. . May he be my Alpha ^Lud Omega,- the laft in my thoughts, 
 *' and on my lips here, and the firft in glory." 
 
 Supti^bus^ I moft cheerfully embrace the opportunity of hold- 
 ing forth to you that Jefus in all the dignity, power, and glory 
 of his eternal Godhead to your contemplatien. Who can efti- 
 mate his worth, or fathom his boundlefs love? 
 
 I lliall proceed to fliew you that he is the true and eternal God, 
 confubicantial with the Eternal Father, from the confideration 
 of the Hjjork of mans redemption. This you know Superbus^ I 
 have already infifted on at large in fome of our former confer- 
 ences, but if your ftrength and my time will permit, I will offer 
 a few thoughts farther on this head, in confirmation of the pre- 
 fent argument. 
 
 Let me obferve here then, that the rights and honor of God's 
 juftice, holinefs, veracity, law and gov-ernment require, that a 
 proper legal fatisfa6\ion be made_ for finj in cafe any of the de- 
 
[ 7t ] 
 
 fcendants of fallen Adafmbe faved; andbecaufe as far as we can 
 learn from the Scriptures, no fuch fatisfadlion could be otherwifc 
 made than by Jefus, he became our great High Prieft, and offer- 
 ed up himfelf as an expiatory facrifice for fin. But unlefs Chrift 
 is God^ the facrifice he offered could not anfwer its end in fatis- 
 fying divine juftice, and fo obtaining eternal redemption for us. 
 The notion of a true and proper fatisfa6lion imports two things, 
 viz. that reparation be made equal to the offence ; and that the 
 perfon who makes it did not owe it on other accounts to the of- 
 fended party. And the real Godhead of Chrift was necelTary to 
 boththafe. 
 
 Satisfa(5lion imports, that reparation be made* equal to the of- 
 fence. Whatever is admitted fhort of this, is mere mercy aad 
 grace ; and to fay that juftice is fatisfied by yielding to mercy, 
 and giving up its right to a mere a6l of grace, is the greateft im- 
 propriety and contradiction in terms, and a dire6l oppofition to 
 the Apoftle, who fays in the cafe before us, God hath fet forth 
 Chrift to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare 
 his righteousness^ — that he might be just^ and the juftifier of him 
 that belie veth in Jefus. But if the Mediator waa not Gpd, he 
 could not make this full reparation to the law and juftice of God 
 for our tranfgrefliong. For fin is an offence objeSlively confider- 
 ed of an infinite nature, as it is committed againft an infinite God, 
 and is the higheft treafon and rebellion againft his crown and 
 dignity : and therefore proper fatisfaflion for it muft be fome way 
 infinite too, or clfe it is not proportioned to the offence : And no 
 fatisfadlion can be any way infinite, but either by an infinite 
 .continuation of it, or by its infinite dignity. For want of infi- 
 nite dignity or worth, it muft be continued to an infinite dura- 
 tion, on which account thofe who are not interefted in Chrift's 
 fatisfacSlion muft fuffer to an endlefs eternity, without ever being 
 able to give that fatisfa6lion requifite to anfwer the high, but 
 juft demands of law and juftice. And it would be hard to re- 
 concile the eternal duration of their fufferings with the juftice 
 and goodnefs of God on any other footing, than that juftice de- 
 mands an infinite fatisfa6lion for fin. But where there is an in- 
 finite worth and dignity in the fatisfa6lion itfelf, this entirely fu- 
 percedes an eternity of fufferings j but fuch was Chrift's fatis- 
 faiSlion, ag(.I elfewhere told you. 
 
 And although ftriclly fpeaking, it was Chrift's human nature 
 that fuffered and died, his deity being abfolutely impaffible ; yet 
 that human nature being perfonally united to the divine, and {o 
 his fufferings became the fufferings of himself^ and rofe in value 
 and dignity in proportion to what he was who underwent them. 
 As fuppofe a perfon ftrikes his foverjeign, he doth not properly 
 
i n 1 
 
 fpeaking {Irifce \i\% dignity ^ for that is inpoft'jbl'e, it not being Cub- 
 je6l to corporeal impreflions ; he only ftrikes his body ; and yet 
 the injury done thereby is rated by the dignity of the perfon, 
 more than by the natural hurt of the body, which was no greater 
 than the fame ftxoke might have done to the body of his meaneft 
 vafTel. But the difference of their chara6lers makes fuch a vaft 
 difference in the law's account of thefe wounds, that one is rec- 
 koned high treafon tobepuniihed with death, and the other hard- 
 ly criminal enough to be punifhed at all, or at mofl but very 
 nightly. Thus although Chrifl could not fulFer as to his God- 
 head, yet the juft and proper cftimate of his fufferings arofe from 
 the dignity of his perfon. 
 
 Accordingly, as his perfon is fo are his fufferings. If his per- 
 fon is not of infinite worth and dignity, it is impoffible his tem- 
 porary fufferings, and the fatisfadlion made thereby fhould be fo. 
 And this infinite dignity could not be in his perfon ; unlefs he is- 
 properly and by nature God. For according to all the notions 
 we have of infinite^ the true God can oxAy\iQ properly fo. And 
 let us advance the chara6ler of Chrift as high as ever we can, yet 
 if he is not by nature the only living and true God, he is fo far 
 ^om being infinite in dignity, that he is infinitely lefs^ worthy 
 »hd excellent in himfelf than the infinite God is ; and confequent- 
 ly every one muft fee how impoffible it is that his fufferings and 
 fatisfa6lion thereby, fhould be subjectively infinite, after the 
 fame manner that our fin is objectively fo. But feeing our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift is originally the fupreme God, his fufferings in our 
 nature, and his fatisfacSlion thereby, is subjectively as infinite, as 
 our fins are objectively fo ; and confequently reparation is there- 
 by made every way equal to the offence, and no fins can be tod 
 great or many, for fuch a facrifice to make a complete atone- 
 ment for them. 
 
 Hence the Scripture fpeaks of Chrift in his higheft chara6ler 
 as God^ when it difplays the dignity and eflicacy of his facrifice* 
 He is reprefented as the brightnefs of the Father's glory, andlhc 
 exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word 
 of his power, who by himself purged our fins. And it is very 
 obferveable that the main defign of Paul in his epiftle to the He- 
 brews, being to demonftrate the infinite perfe6lion, and never 
 failing efficacy of Chrift's moft excellent priefthood and facrifice, 
 he made his way to that defign by firmly eftabiiiliing his higheft 
 chara<5^er as God^ throughout the flrft chapter of that epiftle. He 
 like a wife mafter-builder, carefully lays the do6\rine of Chrift^s 
 God-head, as the foundation on which he builds the whole glory 
 and virtue of his priefthood and facrificCj in the following parts 
 of the epiftle. 
 
[ 73 ] 
 
 Satisfa6\>ion as I obferved imports, that the pcrfon who makes 
 it, did not owe that, by which he makes it to the offended party 
 on othcr^ccounts, or was not bound by prior obligations to pay 
 it, for ali that fuch an one doth, is only paying the offended party 
 with what was his own before, and in anfwcring obligations and 
 demands of a different fort from thofe, which fatisfa^lion for an 
 ©ffence requires. And to pay many debts oidijfertnt kinds, by 
 the payment of one of thofe kinds, deflroys the nature of fniis- 
 faiSlion. Much lefs can one pretend to fatisfy for another by 
 yielding that, which could be demanding from himfelf on his own 
 account, and which it would be his fla torefufe. 
 
 It will follow tlQien of courfe, that if Chrift is not truly and by 
 nature the fupreme God, he owed himfelf, and all that he is and 
 haih to God, and was infinitely obliged, as an entire dependent 
 on him, to do and fuffer all that he could for his honor, and at 
 his comrcand. He had no pretence of right to refufe or decline 
 it, but it was his duty to do and fuffer whatever the fovereign 
 God (hould call for, audit "vvould have been his fin, and deftruc- 
 tivc to himfelf, X^ have defignedly negle6ledit. Hy yielding to 
 k he did but pav the debt, which he owed to God's iupremacy, 
 and therefore .that could not anfwer for others, much lefs could 
 it be a payment of their debts of that and a different kind too, 
 which they owed to God's juflice, as well asiiis fupremacy. 
 
 And how excellent a being foever we fuppole Chrift to be, yet 
 if he was not by nature the fupreme God, it does not at all help 
 'the matter.; for that vaft excellence of his being, if he owes it to 
 ,'God, and is obliged to him, and depends on him for it, is fo far 
 from diffolving this obligation to do his utmoO: for God's glory, 
 efpecially at his ^xprefs call ^to it, that it really increafes that 
 obliga-tion, and makes it fo much the more his duty. For the 
 more anyone receives from him, the rnarc he is indebted to him ; 
 and he is the lefs at "his own .difpofal. So tliat on fuppofition 
 Chrift was not really and properly God ; all that he did and fuf- 
 fered for his Father's glory was unavoidable bv him, and was ra- 
 ther a proof of God's abundant grace to him, than a fatisfadlion. 
 to his juftice for others. 
 
 But on tlie other hand, if Chrift wa5 in his original nature 
 truly God, and neceifarily «xifted in that nature, he was Lord 
 and Mafter of himfelf, an'dfo was accountable to none antecedent 
 to bis own will and choice. Prior to this obligation, he might, 
 qr he might not have affumed human nature, he was not obliged 
 to doit ; and after he had affumed it, fetting afidt his agreement 
 to the contrary, he might have refufed tofubmit to that ftate of 
 humiliation, which was ueceffary to make faiis&i^taTi for fin. — 
 
[ 74 ] 
 
 It could not liave been impofed upon him without his own free 
 choice. ' His will determined his obligation to this obedience, 
 and not his obligation his will. His will was to do the will of 
 his Father, before it could be faid he ought to do it. The eflen- 
 tial rights of liis proper God head plainly imports all this, and his 
 abfolute fupremacy therel)y Td fully exempts him from all origi- 
 nal obligations to debafe hin-felf in order to a difplay of the glory 
 of vindi'J'iive ju'iice in his redemption of loft finners, as makes 
 his voluntary fufFerings in our nature for that purpofe truly fa- 
 tisfa^iorily. 
 
 Upon the whole Superbws^ it unavoidably foUows, that to deny 
 the natural and abfolute fupremacy of Chrift, is to deny his fa- 
 tisfa6l:ion. And this is fo evident, that they who deny the for- 
 mer, have likev/ife expressly and profededly denied the latter. — 
 But my dear friend, if we would not lofe the benefit of Chrift's 
 fatisfa6lion, and all our hopes of falyation founded upon it; if 
 we would not run the defperate rifk of having the righteoufnefs 
 of God's nature, law, and government againft us; if we would 
 not venture to acfwer for ourfelves to an unfati^fied, unappeafed, 
 and provoked deity ; let us believe v/ith the lieart, and confefs 
 with the mouth, that Jefus Chrift is in his original nature, the 
 fupreme God, and that by his death we have redemption, even 
 the forglvenefs of our fins. 
 
 I may juft add here, that his intercessory work now within the 
 vail, and the pievalence of that interceffion is an irrefragable 
 proof of his fupreme deity. If you afk upon v/hat doth the pre- 
 valence of his interceffion depend ? I anfwer, upon the value of 
 his facrifrce. His interceffion is the plea of his blood, as a righ- 
 teous advocate for us. If any man fin, we have an advocate with 
 , the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, and he is the propitiation 
 for our fms.-^, He entered into the holy place by his own blood.f 
 "And he appears Jn Heaven as a Lamb that had been (lain, pre- 
 fentino- the virtue and value of his death before the throne of 
 God for us. If therefore that blood hath not fatisfied divine 
 iuftice, and purchafed all bleflednefs for us, his interceffion can 
 be of no efTeClual avail to us, fince it is only by the intereft of 
 that blood that. he intercedes for us. But if that precious blood 
 was truly fatisfa6iory, its real value is unexceptionably infinite, 
 its plea for us at the throne of God, cannot but fecure our inter- 
 eft there ; juftice itfelf will readily admit them, and yield to me 
 cy's triumphs, in all the inftances of gracious vouchfafementfi 
 that are needful for us. 
 
 * I John ii, }, z. t Heb. ix, i^. ' 
 
t 75 3 
 
 Moreover, doth not his interceffion at the Father's right "hand 
 fuppofe that now, while he appears in our human nature there, 
 he hath an infinitely perfect knowledge of all the perfons for 
 whom he intercedes, and all their cafes, of all the fecret thoughts 
 of their hearts, of all the diftrefles they labour u nder, & of all tbj 
 fuitable fupplies of mercy they wanJ- in every tin^.eof need? Nov^ , 
 he could not have this omnifciencre neceffary to his interceffion, 
 unlefs he was God ; but if he is really God, all our wants an^l 
 ftraits are conftantly under his eye ; and none of our groaning?? 
 are hid from him. Hence the Apoille, encouraging us to co\ne 
 in all our ftraits and troubles to the throne of grace, draws his 
 argument from the greatnefs of our High Prieil, as the Son of 
 Gor/, that is pafTed into the Heavens for us ; and fo knows all 
 our wants, and is able to fuccour us ; as weli-as his being in our 
 nature well afFe6led towards us. Seeing then that we have a 
 great HighPrie'ft, that is palTed into the Heavens, Jefu'S the Son 
 of God — Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, 
 that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of 
 iieed.* 
 
 Before I proceed to the laft head of argument in favor of the 
 fupreme deity of the Son of God, I Hiall niake a little digrefTion 
 toreview a few pafTages in the Aibanasian Creed cnalyzed and 
 refuted. The author gives in a very few words a confeffion of 
 his faith on the article of the Trinity. I fliall prefent you with 
 his fentimentson this head in his own words. *' Admittingthat- 
 '* by means of this treatife, or any other help ryou are deeply 
 " convinced that God Almighty is one fupreme intelligent Be- 
 '* ing or perfon ; one fupreme Lord and governor ; the God and 
 " FiTther of our Lord Jefus j and that Chrift and the Holy Spirit 
 " are perfons inferior to him, and employed by his fupreme 'au- 
 " thority in very high oflices for the falvation of men — Chrift 
 " being appointed Mediator, Head, and King of the Church, 
 " and the Holy Spirit firfl Minifter in its government, who has 
 " Angels for his afTiftants. In this cafe, as chriflians and difci- 
 " pies of Chrill, you have an undoubted right to make n ferious 
 '* and folemn protefl againft the do6lrine of the Atbanasian 
 " Creed." 
 
 Now what doth our^author mean by this fummary of his faith 
 on this head ? Would he have us condemn the Atbanasian CvGed, 
 and adopt his in its Ifead ? No doubt; for he elfewhere informs 
 us (as fliall be noticed afterwards) that unlefs this be done, we 
 need never expe6l the converfion of the fews^ Heathens^ and 
 Mabometans to the Chriftian faith. It would appear that Avians 
 
 * Hcb. iv. 14, 15, 16, See Dr. Guyfe's Serms. page 132, &r. 
 
[ 76 ] 
 
 are by no means enemies to creeds and confeflions ; for htrewe 
 have our author's in fo many words. But might it not be en- 
 quired, in what part of divine revelation will we find, '* that 
 ** Chrift and the Holy Spirit are perions inferior to the Father, 
 ** and employed by his fupreme authority, in very high offices 
 ** for the falvalion of men — Chrift being appointed Mediator, 
 *' Head, and King of the Church ; and the Holy Spirit firil Mi- 
 *' nirter in its government, who has Angels for his affiftants f 
 Is there not as little foundation for this man's ftrange Creed in 
 the word of God, as for the Atbanasian ? With regard to the 
 latter, the Scripture is plain and deciiive. There are three that 
 bear record in Heaven, the Father, the word, and the Holy 
 Ghoft, and thefe three are (?«ts* one thing, viz. eflence or fub- 
 ftance. God we are told has employed by his foverign authority 
 thefe two perfons in very high offices refpe6ling man's falvation. 
 If he had been as candid and explicit as he fliould have been in 
 fuch an important article, upon which the converfion of Jews^ 
 &rc. depends, lie Ihould have told us the particular offices which 
 thefe two perfons execute in the bufmefs of man's falvation. He 
 indeed informs us that Chrift is appointed Mediator, &c. of the 
 church. But what is the formal ground andreafonof his medi- 
 ation ? Is it by Qiedding his blood tor the purgation of our hns ? 
 Is it by offering himfelf to God through the Eternal Spirit, to 
 purge our confciences from dead works. f Or in a word, is it by 
 making a vicarious fatisfa61ion as our furety to the law and juftice 
 of God, for the fins of a guilty world ? But this I already told 
 you was impoffible without his fupreme deity. We may reafon- 
 ably fuppofe then, th^t according to him, the mediation of Chr<ft 
 in its fulleft extent here on earth amounted to no more, than what 
 was merely exemplary with regard to his death, & inftru6live with 
 regard to his do61rine. But what if it was objecled to our author, 
 that we are faid to have redemption through his blood, even the 
 fofgivencfs of our fins.J What if he had lillened to the fong of all 
 the redeemed from among men, who applaud the divine Saviour 
 for wafliingthem from their fins in his own blood. || What if he 
 hadfeen that blelTed company which ftand before the throne of 
 God and the Lamb, having their robes waflied, and made white 
 ifl the Lamb's blood F I apprehend, fuch is his attachment to an 
 inferior God, that if he had explained himfelf on this head it 
 would have been to the following purpofe ; " I aflure you my 
 " Chriftian brethren, (for whofe fake I c?iFer my creed to your 
 
 ^ I John V. 7. t Keb. ix. 14. 
 
 { Eph. i. 7, II Rev. Y. 9. f Chap, vii. 14* 
 
[ 77 r 
 
 **■ ferious Confideration) that although I have faid that Chrift i« 
 *' the Mediator of his church, you are not to fuppofe that he is fo, 
 ** by any satisfaSlion he made lo the law and juftice of God as 
 '* your lurety. If you want pardon, I refer you not to the blood 
 *' of Jefus, but to the unbounded mercies of the one Tupreme 
 " God ; if you wi(h to appear in glory with your robes walhed 
 ** and made white, this muft be accomplifhed by the tears of 
 ** repentance, and a good life. For you may credit me, that all 
 " thefe high expreffions in Scripture with regard to the effe6ls 
 ** of Chrift^s death are to be underftood rdetapborically^ ot fignra- 
 '* tively. For oonfidering Chiift as infinitely inferior to the 
 **" fupreme God, all that he did and fufFered be was bound to, 
 ** by the law of his ^K^ation, and the will of his heaveirlv Father. 
 '^ And although h;^ is every where in^the New Teftrimcnt ftiled 
 '* the Saviour of finners, yet not- exclufively of others ; for I 
 " may tell you, if ever yoa ure faved, you muft be your own 
 *' Saviours / and not any fatisfa^iion he hath giveiv in Ins life 
 *• and death, or any atonement he hath made will fa ve : tiuft in 
 " you-r good works for your future happinefs ;' for if there is n& 
 " merit in thefe, youmay believe me ther: is none in Chrift's." 
 Such fentiments as thefe are the neceffiry oonfequence of his 
 abfurd impious do6lf kie of Jvn inferior God,- 
 
 Andthatlmayn^be'Iumedibrputtingfu^b-./ordsmthemouth 
 of our author which he iiever fpokc, neither ever thought, we will 
 find in his book a brief lirmmary of the Chriftian doviirine he lay* 
 down to his readers, »? the ^vou^nd of theiri/o^crffing that glori- 
 ous and in>mortal life, [*■ ' '^^ ! ♦■•'» 1 .d'*- f ".tiKiJ fervants. Now 
 in order to obtain this, 01) : . thought he might have 
 
 had as much regard to the fioly >rcs, and paid as much de» 
 
 fereriCe to the fiicred penmen^ yt- ;.) v.iiiift himjelf, a6.to have 
 followed their exampk in diredlinv^ his Chriftian brethren how 
 to obtain the eternal falvation of their fv.uls. V/hat is the lan- 
 guage of our Lord on this head ? *' Uniefs ye believe that lam^ 
 ** ye (hall die in your fins.'* '' God fo loved the world .that he 
 " gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth^ in. him, 
 ** fhould not perifh, but have everlafting life." Paul exhorts the 
 Philippian jailor to faith ip Jefus in order to falvation. '* What 
 *• muft I do to be faved ?" ** Believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift 
 ** and thou (halt be faved." And we find the Apoftle Peter fol- 
 lowing the fame example. To him gave, all the Prophets wit- 
 nefs, that through hjs name, whofoever belicveth in him, fhall 
 receive remiflion of fins. A6ls x, 43. But our author feems to 
 entertain a very mean opinion of faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift 
 in order to eternal happinefs ; and yet after all, it is the very 
 root and principle of all our good works, " purifying their hearti 
 
E 78 ■] 
 
 " by faith/* " And this is the vicStorythat overcometh the world 
 ** even our faith." And from this divine pripciple ilcvv^s all our 
 love to God, and to one another ; for '* faith worketli by love." 
 Did our author imagine that the performance of the duties hb 
 exhorts to, were of any avail in the light of God, without his 
 celeftial principle ? If he did, he forgot '' that without failh it is 
 " impoflible to pleafe God.'' But he has a falvo for this — '•' I 
 *' make no doubt (fays he) but that, if you riroiefs and pra6ljre 
 *' according to your confciences, in religious 'tiatters, you will 
 ** be enabled by God's Spirit, to conquer all the temptations of 
 ** the Vvcrld, the Devil, and the flefn, and go on in the uniform 
 *' difcharge of every Chriftian duty." Strange 1 at once the 
 word of God is laid afide as the rule our faith and pra6life, and 
 co?iscIerzce^ no matter whether- it 'be right of wrong, is fet up as 
 the unerring rule ; and faith hiffed out of doors, and confcience 
 laid as the foundation and ground- work of all our religious prac- 
 tife. Bat what if upon reading the 'Alcora:i\, I was perfuaded'iri 
 my confcience, that Mahomet was a prophet' far fuperior to Chrift, 
 and that I iliould view hiin'as an objetSl worthy of my adoration, 
 STid that the accoum he gives cf a future itatewas truly genuine, . 
 and Tar fuperior to the S'criprure account— 'That there are milli- 
 ons who believe, and that i". thii'w conscience too, all the idle, un- 
 accountable and abfud iluiF contained in the Alcoran^ no one 
 will queftion. Now, becaufe they believe thefe things consci- 
 €7iciously^vA\\ they be enabled by God's Moly Spirit, to conquer 
 "all the temptatio'-.s of the world, the Devil, a^;d the flefh, ? &c. 
 I fee Superbus. vou' fliudder at the inference. I firmly believe 
 that Jezebel and her vaft train of prophets, did from confcience 
 believe that fome divinity refided in the image o^ Baal. If they 
 ■did, O cruel, narrow-minded, and bigotted Elijah^ for putting 
 tkefe men cf confcience to death. But it makes no odds what 
 the great God reveals, what hisunerringworddi6lates, although 
 our auihor and his Chriftian brethren believe the very reverie 
 (pr^A iding they bslieve it confciencioufly) they may expe6l the 
 aififtance f God's Holy Spirit to conquer all the temptaiions oF 
 the world, fee. 
 
 But for our auther to have mentioned the grace of faith in the 
 Lord Jefus Chrift as eiT^ntially neceffary to falvation, and alfo 
 in the pra6lice of every moral virtue, fo as to render them accep- 
 table ; perhaps he was aware that this queftion might be put ; 
 what are we to believe ? " Negatively, you m.uft not believe 
 " the Athanasian creed, for that would be the height of abfurdity 
 " and impiety ; this teaches you that there are three that bear re- 
 " cord in Heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, 
 " and thefe three are one ; but you muft, as I have from the 
 
[ 79 3 
 
 " Scriptures abundantly demonftrated to you, that Chrifl: and 
 *' the Holy Glloft are perfons inferior to God, and employed by 
 {^ his fupreme authority in very high offices for the falvation of 
 *' men ; Chrift being appointed the Mediator, Head, and King 
 ** of the Church, and the Holy Spirit firft Minifter in its govern- 
 " ment, who has Angels for his affiftants : and although this 
 " my creed is not fo very clearly expreffed in. the Holy Sjcrip- 
 ■^^ tures, yet my Chriftian bre.thren, from the unbounded afFe6li- 
 *' on which I have fo.r your fpiritual and eternal intereils, you 
 " ought; to believe it. And I expect your compliance with it the 
 *' more readily, becaufe you are men of reafon and common 
 " fenfe, and will not 1 am fure fet your feal to the fenfelefs 
 *' Atbanasian Creed, nor admit any thing as an article in your 
 " belief which your reafon cannot comprehend." 
 
 It plight be.here enquired at our author, what particular hand 
 lias the Holy Ghoft in our falvation ? For he, together with 
 Chrift, is employed in v.ery high offices for the falvation of men. 
 As he has left us in the dark on this head, I fliall leave it to his 
 Chriftian brethren to bring him to the light any way they think 
 proper. But let it be briefly noticed here, that all the offices of 
 that Eternal Spirit refpe6ting our falvation as fuch, as the one 
 true God appropriates to himfelf,3nd which cannot be performed 
 by any thing lefs than Almighty power. What an. impious horrid 
 expreflion 1 how derogatory to the dignity of the ever bkffed 
 Spirit. "The Holy Ghoft is appointed firft Minifter in the 
 " government of the church, and has Angels for his affiftants." 
 This is indeed blafphemy againft the Holy Ghoft witlia witnefs 1 
 I perfe6lly agree with our author in the inference he draws from 
 the belief of the confeffion of his faith by his Chriftian brethren. 
 In this cafe, as Chriftians and difciples of Chriil, you have an 
 undoubted right to make a ferious and folemn proteft, againft the 
 do6lrine of the Atbanasian Creed. Amen. You cannot be of- 
 fended if I, in the name of all who believe that there are three 
 that bear record in Heaven, and thefe three are^one, to make, as 
 furious and folemn proteft againft your creed. ,r 
 
 Permit me now Siiperbus^ toprefent tAyour-vicAV, the account 
 which our author gives of the fentim&ut.s of the, church prior to 
 the council of Nice. " It is very remankablt? (f^'ys.he) the Chri- 
 *' ftian do6lrine is fet forth very ftrongly^ij^ th,c, liitft article (viz. 
 " of the creed.") *^ I believe in one God theiFaf^her Almighty 
 *' maker o-f Heaven and earth." I am very gl^d by the bye, 
 that he is fo candid as not to impute to, the :Antfc- Nice if^e Fa- 
 thers the groffeft idolatry, in believing in two^ Godg,- as, h.e;and 
 his friends the Sociniam do. — But adds he,/* this .was, "the old 
 " Chriftian language in all the Chriftian eliurches;for die>. firft 
 
** three hnndrcd years after Chrift. And it is well known t® 
 " the learned, that the expref^ons excepted againft in the Ni- 
 ** cenc Creed, or rather in the Constantinopolitan Creed con- 
 *^ cerning our SavioiK, as not warranted by the Scripture, did 
 " not obtain in any genuine Creed, till the year 315, and that 
 ** the anti-fcriptural expreflions concerning the Holy Spiiitwer^ 
 ^* not added till the year 381." 
 
 Now might thei^e not be an appeal made to the common fenfe 
 of every man, wheth&r or not, our author has not laid himfelf 
 out to impofe upon his readers, m a moft egregious manner t I 
 Wftiiid aik anyone who hasin the moft tranfi^nt manner read his 
 Bible, if he can find his Creed in it, vig. that the Son and the 
 Koly Ghoft, are perfons inferior to the Father. — And that the 
 Holy Gheft is prime Minifter in the government of the Church, 
 and has under him Angels for his affiftants ^. Stand forth ye rea- 
 ders of the book of God, and declare if €ver you found any fuch 
 cxpreffions from the beginning to the end of divine revelation* 
 And yet he would impofe this Creed upon you — But I advife 
 y©u not to fwallowit too ha{lily,left it turn out to be lik-e Ezeki- 
 el^s roll, fweet in your mouth, but bitter in the ilTue. 
 
 But why does he think to impofe this untruth on his readers, 
 byiirfinuating that for the firft three hundred years there wa« 
 f>.ot fuch a doctrine known or taught, as the co-equality of the 
 perfcns 'in the ever bleffed Trinity? — I iliall prefent to your 
 view SnJjerf)Uiya. few teftimonies to the contrary. 
 
 Dior'isius of Alexandria^ a little before his death, in an epiftle 
 to P^j*7 of ^""^/^foj-a//^, afferts i.he do6lrine of the Trinity m the 
 clearvftan^ mcftexprefs manner ; he mentions the Son as being 
 ^^ the true Goc^and to be worfhipped by every creature, 'with 
 " the Father ^^\6. the Holy Ghoft,"* According to fome ancient 
 Arabick manufirripts at Oxford, it was required chat ever}- church 
 fliould have tiiree gales, to reprefent the Holy Triiixity-^-The 
 Son is ,declaredt§ have been from Eternity, ^^^ci«^ff?i, not made ■; 
 and there is this expiefs form of doxology : -iPr^ife and honour 
 and glory is due to thte (the Father,) and to him, (the Son,) and 
 to the Holy Ghoft, before all the worlds, and now and alv/ays, 
 even to eternity.-|* 
 
 Justin Martyr ^\^ his dialogue with Trypbo the Jew, page ^85, 
 explains how Chrift was the image of God, viz. Not on account 
 of his corporal generation, but of his eternal generation from 
 the Father, by which he was with the Father before ail crea- 
 
 -# 
 * See the fecond review of Mr. Whifton's account> &c. pag. 74. 
 
 f Second review, &c. pag. 75* 
 
L 8i J 
 
 tures.* He calls it a Rerefy to fay that thefe words, *' let us 
 " make man after our own image," was fpoken to the Angels, ov 
 that the body of man was the workmaniliip of Angels. But he- 
 feys the Father here fpeaks to the Son, who came from the Fa- 
 ther before all creatures. He confutes tho{d Rabbis who depra- 
 ving the Scripture, (fays he) pretend that God fpoke to hiaifelf, 
 when he faid let us make man, or to the elements, or to the earth, 
 or any the like. He fays that exprefiion (liows there was a, 
 number, at leaft two that were to'.^ether, and th jfe he makes-to 
 be the Father and the Son : And that without all doubt, fays he, 
 the Father there fpeaks to one numerically diuinct from himfelf» 
 and to an intelligent perfoTi.j' 
 
 1 ertulUan is liiilniore exprefs on this head. God, fays he iri' 
 . the afore-mentioned text, did not fpeak to the Angels as the Jews 
 interpret, who do not acknowledge the Son, but that -he; fpoke. 
 to the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, and from hence he proves the 
 Triiiiiy in unity, in exprefs words, and as pofnivdiy as Atbana^ 
 sius hlmfelf. He fays. Scripture omnes et demonstrationtm^ et 
 diBin6liQ7iem Trinitatis ostendunt/i. e. all the Scriptures fliow 
 both a c errc r,ftr[.tion zv.d. dif ".r,c''icr o;" tl:e 1. linity.! , 
 
 Justin Martyr^ in his explication of this text, the Lord, (Heb* 
 J^ovah) rained fire from the Lord (J ehovah) out of Heaven^ 
 interprets it of the Son, as a diftii!6i perfon fronr the Father—— 
 Irenei'j fays the fame, and proves Chrii^ to be definitive et abso' 
 In e Deum^ & tbi'at he is v%rus Deus et tx s-.ia persona — True God 
 abfoluttly, and in his own perfon, and that the Lord rained fire 
 from the Lord, wr-5 meant of him. — TertiiUian fays the f^me, 
 ^and proves both he i .inity in unity. Deos duos non pr^feri' 
 mtis^ we do not u.ofefs two Gods ; and then he explains hitnfeif, 
 — non quosi non t Pater Deus^ et Filiiis Deus, et spiritus sanC' 
 tus DeuSy et Deusimusquisque, Not that the Father is not God, 
 and the Son God, and ihe Holy Ghoft God, and each of them 
 GodJI 
 
 I might have added to the foreseeing a great many more tetli- 
 rnonies from the Ante-Nicene Fathers in fupport of the prefent 
 argument ; and to convince you how iniincerely our author deals' 
 with his chriftian brethren when he infinuates that for the three 
 firft centuries the dodlrine of the Atkanasian creed, concerning 
 the confubftantiality of the Son and the Holy Ghofl with the 
 Father was neither alTerted nor known. 
 
 ^ Leflie on the Socinian controverfy, p. 48. 
 
 tP-35- tp.S^- II P-3S. 
 U 
 
[ 8a ] 
 
 I fiiall iuft quote one evidence more of thefupport of wKatl 
 have juft now faicl ; and that from as bitter an enemy to chrifti- 
 anity as alniofl ever it had ; I mean the vile, but ingenious Lu- 
 cian^ v/ho lived about 170 years after Chrift. A man of his fa* 
 gacity, and who took upon him to ridicule the chrilUan fdith, 
 could not but know what it was, as then generally owned and 
 profeiTed by chriiVians. Efpecially if as fome tell as, that he was 
 o«ce a chriftian and turned apoftate. Among other reproaches 
 cad upon the chriftian religion in his Pb'ilopatrisy the follow- 
 ing expreffions are remarkable — '* God reigning on high, great, 
 " eternal, heavenly, the Son of the Father, proceeding from the 
 '* Father, one out of three, and three out of one." I know not 
 what thou fayeft ; one that is three, and three that are one. — 
 Some imagine that the Ph'tlopatris was not wrote hj Lu^ian^ but 
 by ft>me #ther about the year 261 ; which ani'wers my purpofe 
 juft as well, to prove that the do6lrine of the Trinity was recei- 
 ved and believed in the chriftian church long before the council 
 of Nice. 
 
 I fliall have done with our author for the prefent, after fliow- 
 ing you of what importance the belief of his creed is to the 
 v/orld at larga, and how detrimental to the interefts of true chrif- 
 tianitv, the belief of the Atbanasian creed is. I lliall prefeut 
 you his opinion on this head in his own words. 
 
 " There have been of late years, very humble and chriftian 
 applications made to the governors of the clurch, to reform 
 feveral parts of our public fervice. But no point can, I think, 
 " more deferve the attention of chriftian governors, than what 
 *' I have thought it my duty to propofe to your examination, as. 
 '' it has done infinite mifchief to the caufe of Chrift's religion ; 
 *' it being in vain to expe6l the converfton of j'ews^ Mabometans^ 
 ** and Heatbens^ whilft they are taugiit to believe, that the doc- 
 '* trine of the three perfons and one God, and the worftiip prac- 
 " tifcd in confequence thereof, are fundamental points of the 
 *' gofpel of Chrift. But if this great offence was removed from 
 '•• the churches of Chrift, we might then reafonably hope, that 
 " the time was drawing on apace, when, according to the pro- 
 " phecies of Scriptare, the gofpel will be preached in its origi- 
 *' nal purity and fimplicity, among all nations ; and the king- 
 *' doms of this world fhall become the kingdoms of our Lord, 
 *' and of his Chrift. In that day fliall there be one Lord, and 
 *' his name One. Rev. xi. 15. Zech. xiv. 9." 
 
 Now Superbus^ if this be all true, what fliould be done ? Here 
 J 3 a point of do6lrine believed, and a form of worfliip pra6lifed 
 according to that belief ; and v/hat is the confequence ? Infinite 
 
 (( 
 
[ 83 1 
 
 mift:l5ief IS 6one to thecJaufe af Ch rifles ^eilgidn ; t^e ^ar y-em^^'^ 
 Mahometans^ and H&athems are all kept clofe in the chains of un^ 
 belief, igno-rance, and idolatry, in confequence hereof; the glory 
 of the latter days is retarded by a judicial ftroke from the one 
 mprcnie God for teaching and believing the do6lrine of the Atba- 
 nasian crdlsd, in which we are commanded to believe and wor- 
 fliip a Trinity in unity. It is fomewhat furprifing that«o great- 
 er efforts have been made within thefe thirty years^ for fo long 
 as I can learn this expedient has been propofed by our author ; 
 and yet except a very few, none have had either the courage or 
 honefty to engage in this god-like work (as our author expr^ffts 
 it) of purging this Athanasian leaven out of the church* 
 
 In order then to extirpate this noxious weed, that it fliould no 
 longer do fuch infinite mifchief to the church, and hinder the 
 fpreading of thegofpel throughout the world, there lliouid be a 
 general council held of the clergy, Archbifliops, and Bifliops, &:c. 
 along with the Prefbyterian clergy, of all denominations, who 
 are infected with this deadly poifon. The clergy of the church 
 ef England to bring along with them the ^/6/r-fj-w/w^ articles ; 
 thofe of the Prefbyterian perfuafion, the confeffion of faith ; and 
 there and then, in the face of the fun, confign thofe pellilential 
 wicked creeds, confeffions, and articles to the flames. But do 
 you reply, why burn the whole thirty-nine articles and the con- 
 feilion of faith, for one fingle point of do<Strine ? By all means — * 
 for this reafon, the moftof the other points of docSlrine contain- 
 ed in the vile wicked books, are fo infeparably conne6led with 
 the do6lrine of a Trinity, that there is no Separating th^m j.and 
 if the belief of this has done fuch infinite mifchief to the Chriftiaa 
 church, fo muft the belief of thofe other points which are fo in- 
 feparably conne6led with it ; particularly the do6lrine of Chrifl's 
 £atisfa6lion and a^tonement. The doclrine of Chrifl's fupreme 
 deity, and his vicarious and fatisfa6lory fufferings, and his pre- 
 valent interceffion, ftand and fall together. With regard alfo to 
 our manner of worftiip, we are taught you know, to worfliip Fa- 
 ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft— now we are the grofleft idoJators 
 for paying any divine worQiip to perfons who are not by nature 
 God. So that to cut the work fliort, and effe6lually pur^ge the 
 church, let all go the fame way. 
 
 Do you reply, is the work then finiflied \ After thefe mifchie- 
 vous do6lrines as contained in the aforefaid articles and confef- 
 fion of faith are'condemned, may we expe^l the glorious day our 
 Prophet predi6ls ? Will the Je^s own the Messiah^ the Mabo- 
 tnctans quit their Alcoran, and the Htatbens abandon their idola- 
 try ? My dear friend you ought not to be in fuch a hafte ; the 
 work is not hsif done^ eveji when creeds and confefliojis are fo- 
 
[ 84 1 
 
 iemnly condemned, — To ftrike effeiflually at the root of the evil, 
 ^le Bi^k muO: come under review. The do brines co itained in 
 che thirty-nine artichs and conFaiiion, are Co built upon the word 
 of God, that unlefs you dig U) th.^ Toundition you never can 
 cleanfe the leprous house, VViiat, alt;i?-j^i-i) 'h^re was no creeds 
 or confeflions aiT.-rting a Trinity of v. < t',. • y ; what, 3l'h)ugh 
 the chriftian governors of Chrift'scho.c) v/o.;Id take it in thv^ir 
 h-j'ad to conde.-nn thefe to perpetual oblivion, becauf- they con- 
 tained the doclrine of the Trinity in units', and the: other d >c- 
 trines which are infeparably co!ine61ed th rewitii ; yet if the 
 common people ifi ^reading their Bible^ would light upon thefe 
 texts, ''there are three that bear record in heivri, — and thefe 
 " ihree are one." — " I and n»y Father are o.ie :"" &c. Wbat, 
 although we fliould get our creeds deftroyed which aOert, that 
 bv'ChrilTs obedience and death we are JLuVified b.-f:M'e God ; yet 
 would not the people murmur, and almo.l be ready t > rife in re- 
 bellion, when they read in the Scriptures, '' thu by the obtjii- 
 "" ence of one^ Ihcili muny be made righteous f ^Yould not the 
 people, think you, fooner belivve the word of God, than they 
 would their chriilian governors ? and would in a fit of Jefpera- 
 tion condemn them, for condemning their creeds and (^onfeliions, 
 which, according to God's word, contain fuch doclrines ? i he 
 greateil obftacle that I fee in our author's plan of reformation, 
 as a happy omen of glorious days, is the Bibh. For the doc- 
 trines which he wants out ot the way in order for the pu' gal ion 
 of the church, the Scriptures are lo exprefsly and decidedly in 
 their favour, that '•'• he that runs may read." 
 ■ O ftrange infatuation I thus to treat the prime diftinguiOiing 
 articles of our holy religion ; to deny '^ the only Lord God, who 
 '• is our Saviour;" "" to count the blood of the covenant an unho- 
 *' ly (a commo^i) thing," not adequate to anfwer the great and 
 gracious purpofes v»-hich Heaven defigned by it ; to join with the 
 peerlefs majefty of Heaven, a creature^ in our religious a6ls of 
 worflifp, to do defpite to the Spirit of grace, to blafpheme his 
 holy name, and deny his d'vine nature, and all this with a view 
 to the converfion of yew/, Mahometans-, and Heitthens. Can 
 we believe that our author wns ferious w!ij8-n he fo roundly tells 
 us, that the do6l:ine()f the Trinity has d^ne infinite mifchief to 
 the rehgion of Chriit ? A doctrine which I as obtained a plafce 
 in the moft ancient creeds and doj^ologies in the chrif^ian church 
 from its earliel^ infancy, to this very day, as will b( fli own after- 
 wards? Is it noiiible to conceive that an i|Br.itely holy, wife, 
 and good God, would have fuffered fuch a plant to continue fo 
 long in his church without roc^tir.g it up i* 1 here is I thi'ik, one 
 ftanding evidence of the Lord's difpleafure againit the Kaftern 
 
■ [ 85 3 
 
 thurcbes for their virulently oppugning this article, and their 
 bitterly perfecuting the orthodox, viz. his judicially giving thefhr 
 up to ftrong delufions to believe a lie. Who without ilieddinga 
 tear, can view the ftandard of Mahomet fet up in many famous 
 and renowned ch\irches in As'ia^ Africa^ and Europe^ where thfe 
 Lord Jefus Chrift once difplayed the banner of the everlafling 
 gofpel ; when to this enfign the nations fled as clouds, and as 
 doves to their windows ; where inftead of this divine anthem, 
 ** glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft," we hear nothing 
 but, " there is no God, but God, and Mahomet his Prophet."-^. 
 Would this laft be fweeter melody in the ears of our author, thaa 
 the former ? 
 
 In the Lord's own time and way, he will open the eyes of the 
 blinded Jeivs^ whom for a time he, in a way of righteous judg- 
 ment '* hath concluded in unbelief." God hath concluded them 
 all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.* In his own 
 time, he will deftroy the falfe Prophet which hath deceived fuch 
 2. confiderable part of the world. The ftone cut out of the m.cun- 
 tains without hands, fhall crufh to pieces all the iritereft of thai 
 abominable deceiver. In Constantinople itfelf, lliall yet fongs be 
 heard, '• even glory to the righteous one." The time is ap- 
 proaching, God haften it, when thefe nations which never faw 
 the glory of our Emmanuel^ nor heard his fame, fliall fee the for« 
 mer, and gladly embrace the latter. Tes, although Jefus is now 
 defpifed, and that by his profeffed friends, and moft injurioufly 
 vilified in his nature, perfon, offices, atonement, and intercefiion ; 
 yet I fay the time is on the wing, when they that dwell in the 
 wildernefs fliall bow before him : And his enemies fliall lick the 
 dufl:. When the kings of Tarfliifli, and of the ifles fliall bring 
 prefents : The kings of Shcba and Stba fliall offer gifts. Yea^ 
 when all kings flia:li fall down before him : When all nations 
 {liall ferve him.f But in the mean time we may fay with Ea-, 
 laam^ Alas, who fliall live when God doth this 1 And when the 
 Lord will bring about this happy sera, you may believe, my dear 
 friend, it will never be in a way of fl:ripping divine revelation 
 of its glory, nor the Son and the Holy Ghoil of that divine ho- 
 nour and majefl:y, which is their natural and eflentia.1 right, as 
 ■diftirict fubftanct's in the one Godhead, as our author wildly im- 
 :<gine3. 
 
 1 proceed now to anct-lier argument for proving the fuprenie 
 deity of the Son of GcJ, viz. that the fame religious or divine 
 worfliip is given to liirn in the holy Scriptures, which is appro- 
 priated to the mofl high, aif'd only true God. And as the nature 
 of -.he argliujcn: will.ot* itfelf lead me out to fpeak of God ef- 
 
 '■■'' i?ora. xi. -^i, -j- Ffai. lx?iii. 9, 10, 1 1. 
 
L 86 '] 
 
 . ...lally confidered, as the only proper object ot all our reiig*io^i 
 worfliip and adoration, I fliall at the fame time prove, that. the 
 Holy Ghoft is equally the objedl of religious worfhip with the Fa- 
 ther and Son. Upon our entry on the argument, it may not be 
 amif^s to alk the adverfaries of the fupreme deity of the Son and 
 Holy Ghoft, wherein confifts the formal reafon of all the religi- 
 ons worfhip and adoration, due to Deity from :his creatures ? 
 Doth it not confift in, and is it not founded upon the abfolute, 
 and unlimitted fupremacy of the divine nature, and all its other 
 infinite & unlimitted perfe6lions ; fuch as cmnifcience, omnipre- 
 i'ence, all-fufficience, omnipotence ? &c. Agtim, might it not be 
 enquired, whether, when the objecl is not pofTeffed of thefe per- 
 fedions, or where there is not this formal reafon of divine wor- 
 iliip, ought it to be given ? And is it not the moft grofs idolatry 
 to offer it? For certainly It is giving that glory to another, which 
 is due to God alone, and which he, in his jcaloufy for his own 
 honour, hath folemnly declared againft : '* How fliould my name 
 *' be polluted:" ** I will not give my glory to another." To 
 f^ive religious woiChip where there is not this formal reafon for 
 It, is the groffefl idolatry ; to withhold it from that ,obje6l which 
 is, effentially and naturally infinite, eternal, and omnipotent, &c. 
 is downright atheifm. That the Lord Jefus Chrift is pofrefTed 
 of thofe truly divine perfedlions, which entitle him to divine 
 ivorOiip, 1 have endeavoured already to prove, in the foregoing 
 confiderations of him according to the Scriptures. I fliall now 
 prove the fame thing by an argument a posteriori^ and likewife 
 the divinity ^f the Koly Ghoil by the fame mai-ftierof reafoning. 
 That divine religious worfliip is folely and exclufively attri- 
 buted to the only true and mod high God in Scripture, and is to 
 be given to none elfe, i^ fo plainly exprelTed in the firft command- 
 Tuent, as that there can be no jufl reafon to doubt of it : And is 
 fo placed in the very front of the moral law, as fundamental to 
 all the reft, and fo fundamental, that without it, it would lofe its 
 Tiioral nature, and obligation upon us. Obferve the language of 
 the great Jehovah upon this head. '' TIou flialt have no other 
 *^' Gods before me.'' This command is repeated afterwards more 
 fully and exprefsly, "hear O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one 
 "■ Lord," one y^i^or^/?, one felf-exiftent original Being ; and with 
 regard to this great and glorious Jobovab it is added, ** thou flialt 
 *' love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thv 
 *' foul, and wi^h all thy might." — " Thou flialt fear the Lord thy 
 *' God, and ferve him," &c. And to fliow that this command is 
 «i eternal obligation, and is exclufive not only of xh'Q godT of the 
 U»>t»thens, but of all th.-.t are not tlie only living and true God, 
 ^-hriit hath re&ited it again, with a ftill pjore exprefs and.evident 
 
I 87 J 
 
 limitation of it, ta that Ood alone. It is written thou tlialt wor- 
 fijip the Lord thy G-?d, and him only flialt thou ferve.* Thcfe 
 t^'ords of Chrift are an anfwer to fatan's propofal, that hefiiould 
 fall down and worihip him.'}' The vvorflnp fatan demanded was 
 of a rellgiGUS nature, otherwife this aniwerof Chriil, taken from 
 the divine law, would have been nothing to the purpofe, for that 
 law only refpe<5led religious worfiiip : And yet the religious wor- 
 fliip fatan demanded, feerns not to be that of the higheft kind, 
 but only of a relai.vc and fubordinate nature ; for the reafon and 
 
 * ground of his demand was his pretence, that he could give to 
 Chriil all the kiingilotrs of tlro world, and the glory of theni.t^ 
 But he did not pretend to give them, as things that were origi- 
 n.illy his own, but as depolited in his hands to be a* his difpofal. 
 All this power will I give thee and the glory of then., (viz. of 
 the kingdoms of the world) for that is delivered unto me, and to'' 
 wSomfoever f will give it. Here he only fpeaks of himfelf as- 
 a constituted God, and demanded only a worQiip fni table to that' 
 r-haructer, winch might be pi^^tended would ultimately and re- 
 du6livt'ly terminate in che true God, who gave that power ta 
 him. Now Chrill in anfvver to this, does not fay (as he juitly 
 might) that the devil's claim of that power v.'a's but a vain and 
 falF^ pretence, or that Chrift was a greater perfbii than fataja 
 could pre!.end to be ; but he tells the devrl, that even on fuppo^ 
 lition that what he aliedged was true, (which Chrift did not theti^ 
 thnk fit to difpLite with him) yet he ought not to be worfliipped, 
 
 ♦ for this plciin reatbn, becaufe he was not that only true God, who 
 had faid, '' thou llialt worQiip the Lord thy God,; and ilialt ferve 
 " him." And to make the fenfe ftill more evident and convinc- 
 ing, adds, ** him only flialt tiiou ferve." The plain meaning of 
 
 ^ our Lord's anlV/er is this, viz. that there is no power or authori- 
 ty delegated to any, no generous or beneficent a6\ion which any 
 one may be authorifed by God to do us, is or can be the formal 
 cailfe of our worftiippingthat creature. The objecl of our reli- 
 gious woriliip and fervice rruill be a God by nature. 
 
 Arlans and Socinians will tell us, that God alone is to be wor- 
 ijiipped as the firft and fupremc caufe of all things, and the chief 
 caufe of our Talvation ; but yet religious worfnip and fervice may 
 he paki to Chrift as the immediate caufe of that falvation, which 
 , God intended by him to procure, and bring to pafs for us. But 
 the que.ftion is, where is fiich a ditVin6lion found in all the Scrip- 
 varcs ? W«re not Mofes and Aaron intermediate caufes of tht; 
 
 ^ Luke iv. 8. Math. iv. 10. 
 
 t Math ''' o. + MtJi ^^ O- 
 
[ 88 
 
 1 
 
 p^efervation and hupplriefs op the liVaelites, whom God by them 
 bvought out of Egypt ? Did they not by their prayers, fuppli- 
 cations and jntcrce^fion;;, preferve them many times from pre- 
 ftnt death ? Might they therefore pay religious wotftiip to ihera, 
 provid-cd it was diresSled to the glory of the one true Godwhofe 
 minifters they were? Might they not do this to Jofliua, who ear- 
 ned falvatlon in his very name ? The apoflles are called co-wor- 
 kers with God for our falvation, their do6\r3ne is called " the 
 '* Saviour of life, unto life," and they are faid to " fave them 
 " ihat hear them :"' Muft we therefore pay religious adoration 
 CO them ? Vain therefore is this fubtertuge by which the Sociii' 
 :ans ender-vour to jullify their religious adoration of that Jefus 
 ^vhum they maintain to be a creature only, and whofe divinity 
 they deny. Eience alio we find the apoftle blaming the Oala- 
 '^ions when, in their ftat€ of heathenilli idolatrv, t'ney '=' did fer- 
 ~" vice to tliem which by nature are no Gods." The ftrength 
 iVid^ emphafis of the apollle's argument to iliow the blind idola- 
 try ef their Gentilifm, lies in the objedl of their worihip, that 
 t\\<iy ferved not the true God, who is God by nature, originally 
 vo, but gods of another fort, who, liOwever they can^e to be gods, 
 ^'ere'not fo ^jy nature^ and therefore had not^>6^/in them, which 
 IS the only proper groand and formal reafon of divine worfliip. 
 If Ghriflis not God b\- r.atiiyc^ might not the Galations have 
 retorted the ai'vumertt. on the apoille, and faid, you worfliip Chrift 
 and have taught us to do fo too, and therefore bj' your own ar- 
 gument, both you and v/e are guilty of the like idolatry ftill, vx 
 worfliiping one that is not by nature God ? We have only chan- 
 ged, th^ objecli, but are ftill committing the fame fm againft the 
 only true God. But is it pofTible to conceive, that the apoftle 
 would have argued at fuch a rate as would have overthrown the 
 whole worftiip of the Chriftian church, fuppofing Chrift to be 
 then wordiipped by it, as I fliall fliow afterwards ? And by this 
 very argument we may be affured that the apoftle believed and 
 preached that Chrift is by nature God. 
 
 And further here let it be obferved, that io fully pofTeffcd were 
 the apoftles of this fundamental principle of all true religion, 
 that when any pretended to oiFer religious worfhip to them, they 
 utterly rejedled it, and that with the higheft indignation. Thus 
 when Peter apprehended that Cornelius meant him religious wor- 
 fliip, by falling down at his feet, he immediately put a full ftop 
 to him on this ground, that he was only a man, and therefore no 
 religious worfliip was due to him ; Peter (we are told) took him 
 up, faying, ftand up, I myfclf alfo am a raan.* And when the 
 
 * A6ls X. 25^a6> 
 
, [ 89 ] 
 
 apollles Paul and Barnabas^ were treated with religious rites a t 
 Lystra^ becaufe of the miraculous power God had there put forth, 
 with what deteftation and abhorrence did they rejc6l that affront 
 to the deity ? They dire6led them to pay all religious worfliip to 
 the deity only, who made the world. They rent their clothes, 
 and ran in among the people, crying out, firs, why do ye thefe 
 things? We alfo are men of like pafiions with you, and preach 
 unto you, that ye fliould turn from thefe vanities unto the living 
 God, who made heaven, and earth, and the fea, and all things 
 therein.* We find alfo, tb»at when the beloved apoftle offered to 
 worfliip an angel, he forbad him for this reafon, becaufe he was 
 not God, and dire6led him to pay that honour to God only. " See 
 ** thou do it not, I am thy fellow fervant. — Worfliip God." 
 Thus it is evident, that divine worfhip is by the do6lrine of the 
 Scriptures to be confined wholly and alone to the only true God, 
 and to be given to him, and to none befides him. 
 
 Before I quit this I fhall give you the fentiments of a very 
 learned and ingenuous author on the text already cited in Gal. 
 iv. 8. '* Hence we learn (fays he) the confequence of the Soc:- 
 " w/«« hypothefis, that Jefus Ghrifl: is not God by nature, and 
 " yet is to be worfliipped with the fame wordiip which all chrif- 
 " tians give to him who is by nature God, feeing it teacheth u^ 
 " to do what Paul here condemneth in the Heathens. And fure- 
 " ly it mufl be abfurd to make that an article of chriflian faith, 
 " and a part of chriflian worfliip, which the apoftle here makes 
 ''the great crime of the heathen world, and a certain evidence 
 '' of their ignorance of the true God- — That the Socinians zzw' 
 " not anfwerthis obje6lion, appears from what they here return 
 " to, vi^. that Gods by nature is not oppo.fed to Gods by grace, 
 " or to thofe who have received their divinity from the one true 
 ^* God, for to ferve and worfliip fuch a God by reafon of the em- 
 " pire which he hath received from God is not profane and wick- 
 " ed, but piou,? and neceffary. Now in anfer to this, I fay, 
 
 " That it is very evidentTrom the text, that thofe who. are 
 " not Gods by nature, are oppofed to him who is God by nature, 
 *' viz. to him whom the PJeathens knew not, and to him whom, 
 *' the Galatians, heing Chriflians knew, and by whom they were 
 " known. Since then the. Soczmans^ God bx'-grace, is not a God 
 •* by nature ; fince he is not the God intended in thefe words, 
 " ye know not God ;'V**he muft be ranked among thofe which 
 *' are here oppofed to him. 
 
 " I have elfewhere fhowed (fays he) that the Heathens had 
 " tjhe very fame fentiments with the Sochiians, as to the worlhip 
 
 *A^xiY. 14, 15. 
 
[ 90 3 
 
 ** oi their inferior Deities ; and it is wonderful, to fee how they 
 *' concur in fenfe,and almoftin words. Indeed there is fcarce 
 *^ any plea they ufe for the worlliip of Jefus Chriit as 2i7nade God, 
 **^ which was not before ufed by the Pbilosopbers for the worfTiip 
 *•■ of iheir inferior Deities.*^^ 
 
 But to be a little more particular here, if we particularly at- 
 tend to the voice of divine revelation on this head, we will nnd, 
 that that divine worlhip which is pecidiarly appropriated to the 
 only true God, is by Scripture warrant given to Chrifl;, and rt- 
 quiri:d 10 be paid to him. 
 
 We will find thole Angels who r^fufe divine wordilp from 
 others btcaufe they are not God, pay it to Ghriil becaufe he isv 
 Cod; and that by tlie Father's exprefs coinmand. When he 
 bringeth in his firft begotten iiuo the world, he faith, and let all 
 the anjj^CiS of God worlhip hlm.-j* And in order to obviiite any 
 difficulty which might arife rcfpedlingliis being the proper objecl 
 of religious v/orftiip, the Faiher calls him by ^i title expreffive of 
 his eternal, independent, and necefTarily exiftent Being, which 
 perfedlions as 1 already told you, are cuniiitutive of the formal 
 reafon of all our worfliip : "^ Thy throne, O God, is forever and 
 ** ever.'' Jacob we Find on his death-bed worrnlpped nim, when 
 he applieJ'to him for blefungs on Jofeph's fo}i3, fciying, the An- 
 gel which redeemed me from ail evil, blefs tlie lads ; -.vhich An- 
 gel could be none other thm Chrifl:, the Angel of the covenants 
 
 When our Lord Jefus Chriti vvas here upon earth in the days 
 of his tabernacling among men, he admitted of divine woiiliipvt; 
 ashis dae, and never made the leaft objedlion, or entered the 
 lead caution againft it, or put the leaft reilraint upon thofe who 
 offered it. Now is it poiTible to conceive, that he iliould be lefs 
 careful of his Father's honour, than the angels or h"s difciples 
 w^ere ? Or can we imagiiae, when he ff d thofe who worflnp- 
 ped liim running headlong into the groi eft idolatry by paying 
 divine honors to him, that he would not have protcfted againiV 
 it? But we meetvvith no reproofs, nor thf Icafb hir:t to chofe 
 who worfliij^ped him, that tliey were in an error ; .but infttad of 
 this he readily accepted of :;«11 that religious wo. lliip and fervice, 
 that was given liiftj. We are tolc that feverals who came to this 
 gloiious phyfician to be healed of their bodily difordtrs, fell down 
 and woriliipped him. And that thefe inftanccs are t© be under- 
 wood of religious worfuip, appears from th-Av fai id ex pre fled in 
 him at the fame time, as in one that was able to do whatever 
 they wanted ; which faith in him was an exalted i^ti of divirif 
 worfliip. — 1 here came a leper, we are told, and woriliipped him, 
 
 ^ Dr. Whitby upon the plaee. f Heb. i. 6, 
 
[ 91 ] 
 
 faying, " Lord, or Jehovah, if thou wilt thou canft make me 
 '' clean." Chrift we*find,in a godlike manner, replief, ** 1 will, 
 *' be thou clean." Chrift we find, approved of this man's faith 
 in him as an Almighty agent, and granted his requeft. When 
 Peter at the command of Chrift, left the fliip to go to him on 
 the water, and when in this attempt be found himfelf ready to 
 fink, he cried out, ** Lord favre me :" And it is very obfervable 
 that Chrift was fo far from reproving him for this a6l of worfhip, 
 that he reproved him for not being more ftrong and confident in 
 it, faying unto him, " O thou of little faith, wherefore didft thou 
 '* doubt?" 
 
 And when he came into the fliip, and had by his godlike pow- 
 tr ftilled the wind, the whole company joined with Pet^r in wor- 
 fliipping him, as the Son of God : Then they that were in.the 
 ?A\p came and worfliipped him, faying, thou art the Son of God."*" 
 We find aflb when Jefus arofe from the dead, and appeared to 
 his difciples, tliat lame worfliipped him, while fome doubted : 
 they who worshipped him did their duty ; and it was the fin of 
 thofe that doubted. And is it to be queftioned that this was 
 divine worfliip ; fince by that his appearance to them, he proved 
 his Godhead, according to what he had told them, that he would 
 raife himfelf again ? And as foon as Thomas faw the proofs 
 of his rerurre61ion, he worfliipped him in an addrefs of faith, 
 faying to him, " my Lord, and my God." And we find, that 
 Chrift was fo far from finding fault with that adoring expreffion 
 of his faith, that he commended him for it. 
 
 And we find Superbus^ after his afcenfion into Heaven, and 
 the efl^ufion of the Holy Ghoft on the day of Penticoft, (by 
 w)^ich the evidence and glory of his God.head appeared in^reat- 
 er liiftre than was confiftent with his humbled ftate) the Scrip- 
 tures fpeak abundantly of the divine worfliip that is paid to him 
 and demanded for him. Is he not reprefented as well as the 
 Father, the obje<5l of our f,»ith. love, obedience ? &:c. 
 
 He is the obje6\ of prayer equally with the Father. Stephen 
 in his laft moments, apd when he was full of the Holy Ghc»(} di- 
 rciSled his piayer to Jefus. " Lord Jefus, receive my fpirit.f 
 
 * Math. xir. 33. 
 
 t So'Tir have fuch a rc!u£l»ccp in allowing anr thing tiat vs aivine 
 to Jcf\j3, read the word» thus ; Lord of JcTds rrcfive my fpirit. One 
 v'ould lina,^ii>e "by (vi^'inpc iuch a turn to the text, that thi» was the laft 
 Kit-atbings of a delperste carfe. But vhat re.^fon is a{n,':;ncd for fucU 
 ? reading? Tsone bnt this; beca'ir<! the word Jeitis is ipJ.^clina'ole ; 
 that #.akes it no move of Jt*fus, than m, (n\ xi-itb or from Jt^st-s, An^i 
 
[ 93 3 
 
 " And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay 
 " not this fin to their charge." Is not the prayer of thisproto- 
 martyr exa6lly the fame for matter and form, with that which 
 Chrift prayed, as man, to his Father in his laft moments ? — ^^The 
 great appftle of the Gentiles did, in as dire6l a manner, and as 
 far as appears, ultimately directed his prayer to Jefus as the pro- 
 per obje(St of this a6i of religious worfhip. For this thing (viz. 
 the thorn in his flefh) I befought the Lord thrice, that it 
 might depart from me. And he faid, ray grace is fufficient for 
 thee : and my flrength is made perfedl: in weaknefs. Moft glad- 
 ly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of 
 Chrill may reft upon me. ^ Cor. xii. 8." 9. 
 
 We find it made the diftinguifliing chara6ler of Chriftians as 
 fuch, that they are thofe who call upon the name of Chrift, which 
 includes the whole of religious worfliip, and prayer particularly 
 as a leading part of it. Obferve the Apoftle's defcripiion of them 
 is, that they " call upon the name of Jefus Chrift our Lord." 
 And Annanias fpeaking to Chrift of Saul's commiflion againft 
 his people faid, he had authority from the chief Priefts to bind 
 all that call on thy name. A(51s ix. 14. And as foon as God 
 by his grace had called Paul to the work of the miniftry, and 
 when he a6lually exercifed that fundion, " all that heard him 
 '^ were amafed, and faid, " is not this he that deftroyed them, 
 " which called on his name in Jerufalem ?" And to ftiow ftill far- 
 ther, that Chrift was addrefled in prayer in the fame manner 
 with the Father, they are frequently joined together iin the fame 
 petitions, without the leaft appearance of a higher honor given 
 therein to one, than to the other. Now God himfelf, and our 
 Father, and our Lord Jefus Chrift dire6l our way unto you. 
 I Their, iii. 11. Many inftances of this joint worfliip of the 
 Father and Son, in a way of prayer for grace, mercy, and peace, 
 are to be found at the beginning and clofe of moft of the epiftles. 
 And fometimes grace is aiked abfolutely froin Chrift, without 
 any notice taken of the Father. The prayer of ti.e -a bole church 
 to Chrift, and the Apoftle's prayer to him for tht«;,ftuits up the 
 whole canon of the Scripture. — Surely Qfays Chrift) I ccme 
 quickly. Amen, fays tlie church even^^lo con^e Lord Jefust, 
 The grace of our Lord J^fos Chrift, (fays the Apoftle) be with 
 you all. Amen. Wl-jat can more exprefs tbe fauuincfs np this 
 kind of worfliip, which is oflered to the Son, with, that which i.>3 
 oftered to the Father. 
 
 Again, Chrift is the obje^ of praife equally v.idr.hc Father. 
 
 this text is as mucli Lord JesuSf au it is poiliblc for either G*"i< » 
 Littin. tQ exprcis it. 
 
[ 93 ] 
 
 Are they not joined together iji thefe acls of adoration with e<- 
 qually lofty and exalted (trains ? I beheld, (fays John) and I heard 
 the voice of many Angels round about the throne, and the beafts 
 and the elder;, &c.^ 
 
 Now Superbus^ is not every creature here reprefented as pav- 
 ing this folenin lupreme homage equally to the Lamb, and to 
 the Father \ And doth not this evidently exempt Chrift from 
 being a mere creature, fmce he, together with the Father, is the 
 objeSh and not the off'cr o^ this adoration? I beheld. (fays the 
 fame iafpired penman) and io a great multitude, which no man 
 could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people and 
 tongues, ftood bei'ore the throne, and before the Lamb, — fay- 
 ing, f.4ivati.on, to our God, which fitteth on the throne, and un- 
 to the Lamb. Kev. vii. 9, lo. Now if the expreffions in 
 thefe places are underftood as a6ls of the moft adoring fupreme 
 worilii*) when applied to tl>e Father, why faould they not be fo 
 underftood when applied to tl^^e Son I Since they are offered to 
 them jointly in the fam.e breath, and in the fame fublime man- 
 ner, without. any appearance of different degrees of regards to 
 them refpe61ively. When thefe, and fuch like adis of adoration 
 are given only to the Father, SGcinians and Arians never call in 
 queftion, but the Father is the proper objeCl of thefe i and why 
 fliould it.be queftioned, when the very fame are oftentimes gi- 
 ven onl) to the Son, without raentioning the Father at all ? 
 Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; 
 to him be glory both now and forever. Amen.f And " to him 
 " that loved us, and wafhed us from our fins in his own blood, 
 '** to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen." 
 Thefe and the like doxologies, which are applied to Chrift, are 
 exa6lly of the fame ftrain, and in the very fame words, with 
 thofe applied to the Father. Now unto God and our Father, be 
 glory for ever and ever. Amen.J But the God of all; grace, 
 who hath called us into his eternal glory by Jefus Chrift.— To 
 him be glory, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 Permit me Superbus^ to offer to your confideration what the 
 author of the Atbanasian Creed ^c, offers on this head, — '' To 
 " worfliip one fapreme God, (fays- he) and him only, does not pre- 
 " elude God from a right to appoint an inferior worfliip to be 
 *' paid to a perfon in the capacity of a Mediator : which we 
 ** find to be a plain matter of fa6^ recorded in the gofpejs." 
 
 One. would imagine that our author hact colIe6led a great part 
 of the New Teftament in fupport of his hypothefis ; but let the 
 reader perufe thefe Scriptures never fo carefully, he will (I can 
 
 "*Rev. V. II, 13, 13, &c. t^^ Pet, ill 18/. IPhil. iv. ^o. 
 
t 94 1 
 
 iiillire liiiii) not meet with one» either dire6tly or indirectly to 
 tsR^blifh this point, which he has the effx'ontery to palm upon his 
 incautious reader, as an article beyond alldiipute authenticated 
 by the Spirit of truth. I could wifli to be informed where in all 
 divine revelation any fuch pofition can be found; viz. *'that 
 *' God has a right to appoint an inferior worfliip to be paid to a 
 *' perfon in the capacity of a Mediator.'' — And that this muft 
 ibe true our author fpeaks with all the afTurance of an oracle ; 
 *' which we find (fays he) to be a plain matter of fa6l recorded 
 *' in the gofpels." But perhaps you will reply SuperbuSy that I 
 am not doing the author juftice : has he not been endeavoring 
 all along to introduce the word of God, to fupport the do61rine of 
 an inferior God; why fhould we now be blamed to fummon in 
 the fame evidence in fupport of an inferior lubordinate worlTiip ? 
 But might it not without any impeachment on the good fenfe of 
 our author be enquired, what are the things eflcntially re'quHite 
 to conftitute an inferior God ; and an inferior fubordinate wor- 
 fhip ? Might it b« aiked again, whether in his opinion this inferi- 
 or God is really and elTentiaily God? If he anfwer in the affir- 
 mative ; I afk again what divinity, or philolbphy will endure 
 fuch do61rTne ? If this fuppofed inferior God be not truly and 
 eirenlially God, then he is a mere creature ; for there is no me- 
 dium between thefe two: and doth not the Scripture&over and 
 over aflure us, that no divine honors whatfoever are to be paid 
 to any creature? 
 
 While we are difcourfing upon the worfbip and nature of God 
 y/ho made its, we are certainly treading upon holy ground, and 
 consequently (hould take good heed to our fteps, and walk with' 
 all manner of holy reverence and caution. I ib.all fuppofe then 
 thai our author, or any of his adherents, enter their ciofet, and 
 thut the door upon them, according to our Lord's dire6\ion, and 
 in an a6lof religious worfliip, sddrefs the Saviour of fmners in 
 the words of Peter, *' Lord fave me." Again, in the fame religi- 
 ous eiercife, let them adopt the Publican's prayer, " God be mcr- 
 *• ciful to methe frnner.'' What an intermixture and confufion of 
 ideas in the fame duty. That Chrift is to be worfliipped is ac- 
 knowledged, but. care mun; be taken that in our offering him the 
 facrifice of prayer and praife, that wc thus v/orihip an inferior 
 God, with inferior worluip. Even the Saints in glory muft be to 
 eternity on their guar^, that when th'ey are afcribing falvation, 
 power and glory to the Lamb, they attribute thefe not in their 
 full latitude and extent, but in a limitted manner and degree. 
 
 Our author argues ie defence of inferior Mediatorial v/oriliip 
 to Chriil, and lays a great ftrefs upon it, from his appearance on 
 the throne under the charafler of a Lamb. Let us hear bis own 
 
[ 95 ] 
 
 words. — ^" This is really arguing in defiance of the plain do6lrine 
 " of the New Teftament, wherein we are required to pay abfo. 
 *' lute fupreme honor and worfliip to the one God and Father of 
 " all, and inferior or Mediatorial worfhip to the one Mediator 
 " Jefus Chrift, who is reprdfented at the very time he is receiv- 
 " ing the greateft honor recorded of him by the facred writers, 
 " under the charadler of a Lamb that was (lain ; a chara6ler ab- 
 *' folutely inconfiftent with the notion of his title to fupreme ho- 
 " nor and worfliip."* It is very ftrange to find our author fa 
 peremptory and dogmatic, v/ith regard to the New Teftament 
 command to pay inferior or mediatorial worfliip to Chrift : God 
 no lefs than requires us fo to do. I am furc fuch a command ij 
 not contained in the moral law; for there, we are pofitivel}^ pro- 
 hibited from acknowledging, or worfliippi ng any but the one on- 
 ly living, and true God : And if contained in the New Tefta- 
 ment, I own I never found it. But he imagines, the appearance 
 our Lord Jefus makes on the throne as a flain Lamb, is a mofl; 
 invincible argument to prove both the inferiority of his nature, 
 and of that worOjip which is to be given him. But I afk^ in 
 what other form, and under what other chara6ler can the Son 
 of God the Saviour, appear in the midft of the throne, than that 
 of a Lamb? Although our author and others, fliould improve 
 this aftonifliing condefcenfion to his diflir>nour and degradation ; 
 yet thanks be to God, that the fame God who was " manifefted 
 " in the flefti," and feen wearing our human nature her6 on earth, 
 hath not laid it afide, now when he is on the throne ! And as I 
 already told you Supcrbiis^ that very fame divine, and ijifinitely 
 glorious perfon, appearing in the form of a Lamb ; has falvati- 
 on, honour and glory afcribed to him, as well, and with the fame 
 breath as to the Father. As an inferior God, fo inferior and me- 
 diatorial worfliip, is a do«5lrine unknown in heaven: I wiQi it had 
 never been heard of on earth. 
 
 But Superbus^ it is not eafy todifcover what out author means 
 by mediatorial worfliip. Is it poiflble to define it ? Is it religi- 
 ous inferior worfliip? Doth it confift in conftituting Chrift the 
 medium of worftiip ; or, in worfliipping him under the chara6ler 
 of Mediator? Let us examiae thefe a little more particul'irly. 
 An image has been fometimes thought a mediutn of woribip, 
 when God is fuppofed to be worfliipped by, and through the im- 
 age ; as in ths inftancc of thi; golden calf, and the calves fet up 
 at Dan znd BjibeL Such mediatoiiitlVorili'ip as this, leaves 
 very little honpur to the medium : Ail is fuppofed to pafs through 
 to the ultimate object. Thus the Egyptians in worihipping tht- 
 
 ^ Page 95. 
 
[ 96 3 
 
 facred animals, fuppofed the worftiip to pafs to the deity "whei'e- 
 unto the animals belonged. Our author has fome exprefiions 
 which would feem to look this way — " It being declared by them, 
 *' (viz. the apoftles) in great numbers of inftances, that th> one 
 *' God and Father of all is the only fupreme object to whom, 
 " or to whofe ultimate glory, all religious worQiip lliould be di- 
 *' reeled.'^—- " Again, (fays he) abfolute fupreme worfliip aiad 
 " honour are due to the perfon of the Father, as the one fu- 
 ** preme God; and the worfliip of Chrift is inferior or mediato- 
 ** rial, redounding to the glory of God the Fatber,"* I will 
 not from thefe exprefiions abfolutely fay, that our author meant 
 that Chrift is to be confidered in no other point of view than 
 merely as the medium of worfliip, if it was fo, his notion of medi- 
 atorial worfliip is low enough. 
 
 Again, doth our author mean by mediatorial worfliip, as if we 
 were to pray to Chrift only to pray for us ? Thus Saints and An- 
 gels are prayed to by the Church of Rome, in order that they 
 may be thwir interceflbrs. This brings the Son of God to a very 
 low ebb — he can give nothing to us, n©r do any thing for us, 
 but only afks another to give, and do what we want. But is 
 there any warrant to pray to any but God ? How diflionorable 
 to the ever blefled Redeemer tofuppofethat hj^can of himfelf do 
 nothing for us ! Has he not declared the very* contrary. f But 
 we need not be at any great lofs to find out our auth.^r's mean- 
 ing, which feems to be this, that **• Chrift is to be worfliipped 
 *^ with an inferior mediatorial worfliip redounding to the glory 
 *' of God the Father." And again, adds he, ** the one God 
 " and Father of all is the only fupreme obje6l to whom, or to 
 " whoTe ultimate glory, all religious worfliip fliould be direcSled." 
 Now here he fuppofes, that Chrift may be direftly worfliipped, 
 but that that worfliip redounds to the glory of God the Father, 
 through him, as through a mediutn. Now might notour author 
 be alked, whether the worfliip that he fuppofes may be paid to 
 Chrift, is fupreme, or ii>ferior ? He has anfwered this query him- 
 felf, by plainly, and in the moft peremptory terms declaring, that 
 fupreme worfliip is- not his due. It muft then be inferior; and if 
 fo, I maintain that it can never pafs on to the fijpreme obje6^ 
 who would not be honored, bur. greatly afFront^'d with inferior 
 worfliip. It muft therefore reft in the inferior obje6l, and fo 
 cannot be called mediate, but ultimate worfliip. And I may 
 juft add- here, (let our author andliis friends fay wbat they will) 
 that no worfliip of a creature^ fuppofmg that creature, never ^o 
 highly dignified, can termiiiate in the Creator^ or be for his glc* 
 
 * pag. px, I John siv, 13, 14. 
 
[ 97 1 
 
 ly, becaufe he has abfolutdy forbidden all creature-worfiiip ; 
 and in the very higheft confideratron of Chrifl in the opinion of 
 the Arians^ he is but a Creature* DotKnot the Scriptures alw'ay 
 fiippofe that all our religious worlliip terminates in the obje^to 
 "which it is directed ? Is it not evident^ that all image-worfhip, 
 or creature-worfliip, terminates in the image, or creature t® 
 which it is dire6led ? When the Ifraelites worfliipped the calf, 
 they offered facrifices to an idol, not to God ; and they worfliip- 
 ped the molten image, not Godwin doing it ; however they might 
 intend, and m^an it (as certainly they did) for Jehovah. They 
 are faid to have " forgot God their Saviour," notwithflanding 
 their intention to remember him in it ; becaufe it was not re- 
 membering him in a manner fuitable to his commandment, which 
 was to offer worfliip to God only : So alfo Jereboam is faid to 
 have made other gods^ and to have caft God behind his back, not- 
 withftanding his intention to terminate all the worfhip in the true 
 Jehovah. Might it not here be queried, whether paying religi- 
 ous woHhip to any thing* ijinotin Scripture ftile, making a God 
 of it? This is true even of what is called mediate, or relative 
 worfhip : e. g, in the cafe of the golden calf, and the calves of 
 Dan and BetbeL 
 
 What then, doth our author afk, is the refult of all this ? Dotk 
 not the worfhip of Chrirt terminate in the glory of God the Fa- 
 ther? Admit that it does f o : Then certainly the worlhipfof 
 Chrift isnotcreature-worfhip. 
 
 For, fince all vvorfliip terminates in the obje6l to which it is 
 dire61:ed, or offered, if the fame a6l of worfhip offered to Chrifl 
 ^terminates in God the Father; then the cafe is plain that it ter- 
 minates m botby and both in this cafe are one undivided obje6l. 
 
 I may juft obferve here Superbus^ that all religious worfliip has 
 an immediate refpe6l to the divinity of the perfon to be worfliip- 
 ped. That mufl be prefuppofed in all religious worfhip ; other- 
 wife fuch worfliip muft be downright idolatry. This foundation 
 being laid, whatever perfonal chara6lers, or offices we confider 
 the perfon worfhipped under; divine gots along with it. Chrifl 
 is a divine Mediator, a divine Priefl, a divine Prophet, and a 
 divine King ; And fo our worfhip of him never wants its proper 
 obje6l, Hever move»s from its proper foundation, but remains con- 
 flantly the fame. Our confidering the Son of Qod under the 
 chara6ler, or office of Mediator, does not hinder us from confi- 
 dering him as God at the fame time ; (indeed, ftri6liy fpeaking, 
 if he had not oq^w God, he could not have been a fit Mediator) 
 any more than'our confidering the Father as King, Judge, Pre- 
 fervci:, hinders us frera confidering 4aim alfq as divine* 
 
 R 
 
[ 98 ] 
 
 Ail the a6ts and offices of Chrift relative to us, are only fo 
 tTrany nianifeftations of his goodnefs, power, vvifdom, :ind other 
 attributes ; which attributes are founded in his divine nature, 
 ^vhich nature is common to the Father and him: Thus all our 
 religious yxknovvledgments centre and terminate in one and the 
 fame divine nature, and all our particular a6\s of wordiip, amount 
 to no more than on^ v/orlliip, one divine worQiip belonging equal- 
 ly to the Father and Son. 
 
 " Philemon^ I would be very glad if you covjld inforra me of 
 *' the praclife of the Chriftian church, with regard to the article 
 " of religious worfhip, for the three firft centuries ? Did they 
 *' pay divine worfliip, and give divine honor, to Father, Son, 
 " and Holy Ghoft, as three co-equal, and co-eternal perfons ?'• 
 ^^Superbus^ lam very happy to think that I am able to fatisfy 
 yoii on this head ; and to give you inconteftible proofs, that the 
 conftantpra6lifeof the church in that period was, to afcribe all 
 praife, honor and glory to the undivided Trinity. 
 
 The brethren of Smyrna conclude their epiftle concerning the 
 martyrdom of Pa/yc^r/>, in thefe words : Brethren we bid you 
 farewell, adhering to the precepts and gofpel of Jefus Chrift ; 
 through whom, and with whom, be glory and honor, to God the 
 Father, and the Holy Ghoft. — Parallel to this, is that in the 
 a6ls of /^«tfr/wjV martyrdom : Glorifying our Lord Jefus Chrift ; 
 through hira, and with. whom, to the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, 
 be glory and power, in the holy church, throughout all ages. — 
 Amen.^ Nothing can be more exprefs on this head than the 
 following paft'age of Gregory Thaumaturgus — For fo I believe, 
 and may whofoever is my friend agree with me to worfliip God 
 the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghoft, three perfons, 
 one God-head, not divided in glory and honor, and eflence and 
 kingdom.f 
 
 I may juft obferve to you here Superbus^ that the chriftians 
 ^during the three firft centuries, as they believed that in the unity 
 of the God-head, there were three diftin6l fubfiftences, and whilft 
 they worfliipped thefe three divine diftin6l perfons from this 
 principle of faith, they were not fo careful with regard to the 
 mode of expreflion : But when the fubtletiesof the Arian heresy 
 had fpread a very dangerous contagion through the church, and 
 wrefted fuch general expreffions, which were ufed, while " the 
 '^ multitiide of believers were of one heart and of one foul," to 
 
 ^ See Trapp's Serm. page 86. 
 
 t See more to the famepurpofe in the Lord BiQiop of London's Let 
 ^4«Cendcd, page 37 » 
 
[ 99 ] 
 
 that pernicious fcherae of divinity, departing from the orthodox 
 fenfe in which they were originally intended, and framing fuch 
 new modes of worlliip as to fuit their hypothecs, the famous coun- 
 cil of Nice was affembled under Constantine to remedy this grow- 
 ing evil. The Fathers in that council declared the Catholic doc- 
 trine of the confubftantialit)"of the Son with the Father in the 
 moft explicit terms, as is to be feen in the Nicene Cr^ed. 
 
 The queftion which was then agitated with fo much heat and 
 contention, related only to the nature of the Son. In that mat- 
 ter therefore the Nicene Fathers declared themfelves at large, 
 and in forae fubfequent councils confirmed and ratified what they 
 had done. Bat with regard to the Holy Ghoft, they only brief- 
 ly profeffed their beiitf in him, as not thinking it needfi^. to en- 
 .V large farther upon a fubje6l which was not then in debate. 
 
 But it was not long until the Macedoriian^ or pneuniatomacbiari: 
 herefy gave the church the fame difturbance upon this article^ 
 as the Arian had done upon the other. Whereupon another 
 council in the fame century was held at Constantinople^ wherein 
 the Holy Ghoil was declared to be Lord and giver of life ^ 'eoho 
 proceedethfrcm tbt Fatter and the Son^ who together is worship- 
 ped and glorifitd ; and this v/as added to that creed or confeflion 
 of faith, v*'hich the Nicene Fathers had drawn up before. We 
 are by no means to imagine as our adverfaries alledge, that this 
 was the firft rife of fuch <lo6lrines being held in the church, for 
 
 though theufe offomen'*"' wo>-J- - ** ^ \ '^ —^-^T'the 
 2 , '-• »vM5 louiia iiccc"iiiy Av- .... 
 
 clearer explication of the primitive faith, and to guard it agarnH 
 
 the new fubtleties of thofe who were ftudying to pervert it, yet 
 
 -j^hefe councils naver afTumed an authority to alter " the faith 
 
 "which was once delivered to the faints," but only to declare 
 
 what had been taught from the beginning. 
 
 '^ Philemon^ is it true what I have oftentimes heard afTerted, 
 " that few of the learned and impartial Atbanasians, from the 
 *' very xiays of their founder, till fome controverfial writers fuch 
 " as Bp. Bull, Dr. Grabe, and Dr. Waterlajtd ^tm^di the truth 
 ** of this faa, viz. that the ^«/7-?z/ct;z^ Fathers were generally 
 " againft the Atbayiasian.^ud for the Eusebi an ^o6Xrmts ?"* 
 
 Superbus^ it would be a moft a material point gained if it could 
 be proven \ y the Arians, that the tenets embraced by them were 
 handed down fuccelfively from the Apoflles, and generally err:- 
 braced by the Chriftian church until they caTie to be found fault 
 with, and even anathematized by that hot-headed innovator 
 Atbanasiui : That is, if they could prove that the Apoftles, agj 
 the Chriftian church for the three firft centuries were Arians 
 
 * See. Mr. Whifton^s reply to the Earl of Nottingham^ page 3. 
 
[ 109 ] 
 
 In this cafe it it is certainly high time for thofe whom we call the 
 Orthodox to be looking about them. If this be true, the Lord 
 knows, they are in a moft horrid miftake. 
 
 In order to find out whether this be truth or not, let us trace 
 this matter down from the firft beginning of Arianism^ about the 
 year 319. Audit maybe known from Alexander Bifliop of 
 Alexandria^ what opinion the Catholics in general then had of 
 the novelty of the Arian^ or Eusebian"^ do6lrines. 
 
 In toe year 321, he with his clergy, in their circular letter, 
 repreients the Arians as fallen into a great apoftacy, and as fore- 
 runners oi Antichrist, Theyexcl:iim rio^ci-nfl: the /fr/^w dodlrines 
 in this irilinner, and in thwfe words. Whoever heard fuch things 
 liS thefe ? Or who, that now hears them, is not aftoniflied at 
 them, or doss not ftop his ears for fear of polluting his ears with ' 
 fuch impurity of doclrine ? Who that hears John declaring that 
 " in the beginning was the word," does not condet;in thofe that 
 fay that he once was not ? In the conclufion of the epiftle, they 
 compare them with Hymaeus and Pbiletus^ & the traitor Judas. 
 And they anathematize them as enemies to God, andfubverters 
 of fouls. Now can any one fuppofe that thefe good men would 
 aver have gone thefe lengths in their eenfure, liad they had the 
 leall fufpicion, that the Arian do6lrines were at all agreeable to 
 the faith of the Ante-nicene churches ?f 
 
 Two years after this, the fame Alexander in his letter to Alex- 
 ander of Constantinople^ goes on in the ramC 'NTamith of seal 
 againft the Arian do6lrincs. The abettors and favorers of them 
 he ranks with the Ebionites^ Artemonites^ and Samosatenians 
 (condemned heretics) brands them as novelifts of late appear-''^ 
 ing, as men that thought none of the ancients worthy to be com- 
 pared with them, pretending to be the only wife men themfelves, 
 and to be inventors of do^rines which never before entered into 
 man's head. Little did this man imagine that the Ante-nicene 
 church adopted the do6lrines introduced by the Arians, 
 
 About the year 352, Atba?iasius wrote his epiftl^ concerning 
 the decrees of the Nicenc Council. What was his opinion of the 
 Ante-nicene church, will fufficienily appear from this onepaflage, 
 which runs thus — We give yoa demonflration that our do6lrine 
 bias been handed down to us from Father to Father. But you, 
 ye revivers of Judaifm, and difciples of C^//>/&^j, what writers 
 can you bring to father your tenets ? Not a man can you name 
 
 * They were called Fusebians from Eusebius of Nicomediay ^nt of 
 the chief promoters of the Arian cuufe. ^ • ^ 
 
 t See the preface to Dr. WaterlanJ's fcconddefence^pag^e 1'* . 
 
[ lel ] 
 
 ©f any repute for fenfe or judgment— all abh©r you excepting 
 only the Devil, who has alone been the Father of fuch an apo-f- 
 
 I may add further Superbus^ the teftlmony of Epiphanhis O'U 
 this head; who about the year 371 fays, that the Apoftolical faith 
 continiied pure and uncorrupted 'till the time of J;7WJ,vvho di- 
 vided the church ; — and who by the infligation of the Dvvit^ and 
 with an impudent forehead let his tongue loofe againfthis Lord. 
 So little did he imagine that Arianism was primitive Chriftiani- 
 ty. He farther obferves, that had it not been for the fubtle 
 pra6lices of Eudoxius^ Bilhop of Constantinople^ in perverting 
 and corrupting the mod pious Emperor Vakus. the very vvoniea 
 and children, and all that had been in any tolerable meafore in- 
 ilruiled in Chriniau principles, would have reproved and routed 
 the Arians^ as blafphemers and murderers Oi their Lord. Giicii 
 was the afTurance the Athanasia7is thenhad, that their faith was 
 the fettled and (landing do6lrine 01 the primitive churches, all 
 tlic world over, till the time of Arius.^ 
 
 My diQ2t.vOnes'imus^ I have jull to inform you. that I had fcarce- 
 ly finillied the laft fentence, when Superbus fainted away ; and 
 continued for fuch a length of time in that ftate, as made me ap- 
 prehenfive that he had indeed paid the laft debt of nature ; no- 
 thing elfe was judged by the difconfolate family. Loth was the 
 afFeiSionate wife to part with the object of her afre6lions. Faia 
 would Qie have recalled (as (he imao^'M^cd) tht 4cp^l^^^'i-^°^^» ^ ' 
 with what reluflance did the tender offspring of a tender heart- 
 ed parent yield him up, who was their prefent conafort, and the 
 hope of their future fupport. But alas ! who can retain the 
 Spirit winging its way K) another world ; or who can obtain a 
 difcharge in that war ? However for the prefent, we were all 
 difappointed, agreeably difappointed. Enfeebled nature made 
 one ftruggle more. The foulieemed unwilling to leave its pre- 
 fent habitation, and launch into unknown regions. He opened 
 his eyes once more, andfpeech returning. Ire Toothed the griefs, 
 and comforted the hearts of his difconfolate weeping family.— 
 He tendered each of them refpe<5lively his dyiag advice. Grace 
 feemed to be poured into his lips. Raifing himfelf on his piljow, 
 he took an affe<5lionate farewell of all prefent. Holding his 
 wife by the hand, he addreffed her in the following terms. 
 
 You, the dear obje6l of my affe6lions I mud leave. Thfe u- 
 
 nion between you and me mullfliortly be diffolved". You will 
 " be no more mine — I will be no more yours. Where I am go- 
 
 • See more to th? fame purpofe in the preface to Dr. "Watcrland's 
 ^ defence. * 
 
 
[ : loa ] 
 
 ** ing, all the relations by which we {land conne6ledto one ano- 
 ** ther in this worlds fhall only be remembered as waters that 
 " fail, I leave )'ou under a burden of cares ; but remember, God, 
 *' the Almighty God, defendeth the caufe of the widow.' Truft 
 " his faithfulnefs pledged in his promife ; '" let your widows 
 " truft in me." Let this fupport the wife of my bofoni, and 
 *' the objedl of my tendereft affe6li6ns. What more could you 
 ** defire than the promife of an infallible Jehovah. Confidcr 
 ** that "he is not a man that he fliould lie; nor the Son of man 
 *^ tliat he fliould repent. Hath he faid it and fliall he not do it, 
 ** hath he fj^oken it, and fliall it not come to pafs?" Let this 
 " then comfort vouin all vour fl;rait8 and fupport you in every 
 '' difficulty." 
 
 After ihjs, with an eye of the moft complacential afFe6\ion he 
 looked round upon his children, addreflinp; them in the foUov/ing 
 terms : — " I die my dear children, but God, theeverlafling God, 
 *' and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, v»'ill be v/itb. you. It is 
 *' your mercy, it is my prelent comfort, that you have a Father 
 *• in Heaven, which lives for ever and ever. You have I often 
 *' dedicated to the fatherly care and protection of ibis kind and 
 *' generous Parent. You are no more mine — O ! may you be 
 *' the Lord's. Seek him early, and ye fliall find him. When 
 *' fmners would entice you to go along v/ith them into the paths 
 " of immorality and vice, tell them you are not, you dare not 
 '^ be the f^^l^y^';^^^ ^f fir.*^' tdltb^?^ '^^^ ^^^ children of the living 
 " God, and him you will ferve, and him you wiu ob^y^ I leave 
 '* you my dea^ children j but I leave you on the paternal care 
 " and protedlion of that God before whofe tribunal I mufl: in 
 *' a few moments appear : Let thefe my dying words have tneir 
 *' due influence on you ; a^nd () 1 may the blefllr'g of the God of 
 '* Jefliurun, '■'^d t-.hc bk'lirig cF y-'ur dying Father rell on you 
 *' through lif^." 
 
 After a fliort paufe he caftl^is eyes onme who was fitting clofe 
 by his bed flde, full of the inoft pungent grief, and fliretching out 
 his hand, he faid, " Pbilemc-n,'^ here the tears came trickling 
 down his pale cheelcs ; this £;;:ve fome relief, and added new 
 flrergth to more than over'airdened nature. Being fuppqrted 
 in his bed, and ordered all prefent to liften attentively to what 
 he had to fay, he thus began. 
 
 " My dear Philemon, what I am now to declare needs not to 
 *' be conftrued as the effufions of a weak and difturbed imagina- 
 ** tion, but as the words of truth apd ibbernefs. I blefs God, 
 *' my underl^anding is as quick, n^" meraory as ftrong as ever.— 
 " To know that we are mortal, and to depart out of this mortal 
 *' ftate, are, I And yery different things. When our breafts are 
 
[ 103 ] 
 
 *^ full of milk, and our bones moiftened with marrow ; if we ad- 
 *' nut the thought of a future difTolution, we admit it rather as 
 " an intruding gueft. Seldom do we ruminate on this great 
 " truth as we ought, that w^ are morSaL In the gaiety of our 
 " fpirits, how tranliently do we think upon an bereaffer. It ia 
 " not the happinefs of every one to die daily. This grim mef- 
 *' fenger has now a hold of me j I can neither plead a difcharge 
 ** nor a delay. All sirgumcnts would be of no avail to that re- 
 *' lentlefs tyrant. I die — in a fliort time, I muft depart to that 
 ** place from whence I (hall not return until the Heavens be no 
 " more. I muft fay to corruption thou art my Father, and to 
 " the worm thou art my fiftcr and brother. Dreary thought I 
 *' And if it was not for the joyful profpe6l of a blefled immor- 
 " tality, the thought would be entirely infupportable. I blefs 
 *' God that I can in fome meafure fay with Faul, I know in 
 " whom I have believed. 
 
 " Philemon^ I blefs that kind aufpicious providence that fent 
 " you my way. You know my dear friend, that the current of 
 " our difputations turned upon points with which the falvation 
 *' of our fouls are nearly, and neceflarily connedled. I fpoke 
 " my mind without referve ; and I fpoke nothing but what 
 *' from my^infancy I was taught, and eagerly imbibed. Long 
 " did my mind waver — fometimes almoft a profylite to your 
 " principles ; no, but to thefe contained in the oracles of the 
 " living God. At other times, new obje6lions were ftarted to 
 ''■ my mind which drove me back, and I foon loft what I had 
 '* gained. But he that commanded the light to ftiine out of 
 ** darknefs, hath fliined into my benighted mind, and hath given 
 " me an underftanding to know him that is true. He hath gi- 
 *' ven me his Holy Spirit, as the Spirt of wifdom and revelation 
 " in the knowledge of Chrift. 
 
 " And now Pbi/emcn^ I will, if your time and my llrength 
 " will permit, give you a brief fummary of my faith and belief, 
 " thefincerity of which I think you cannot difputc. — I believe 
 *' that there are three perfons in the one undivided God-head, 
 *' Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, equal in power and glory. — I 
 '* believe that none but one who is poffefled of infinite power, 
 *' could have expiated our fins, and made an atonement for our 
 '' fouls. I believe therefore, that the fecond perfon in the ever 
 '^ bleffed and adorable Trinity, and who is the fupreme God, 
 '' equal with the Father, in |he fulnefs of time affumed our hu- 
 '' man nature into a perfohal union with the divine ; and in that 
 '' human nature, lived a forrowful life, and died thecurfed death 
 '' of the crofs ; and that from this union of the two natures, 
 ** flows the virtue aod efficacy of hi^death as a r«nfo«ic for our 
 
[ 104 ] 
 
 fins. — I believe the obedience of his life to the law precept^ 
 and his fufferings unto death in confequence of the lav. 
 threatening, conftitute that righteoufnefs, upon the footing c^ 
 which 1 nmft ftand juftified before the impartial tribunal c' 
 God. — I believe that no righteoufnefs of the creature will b- 
 pleadable at God's bar as the ground of our acquittance there 
 On this head I utterly and forever renounce my former pha» 
 rifaical Creed : this I cordially difclaim and for ever aban* 
 don. I look upon all my moral endowments and qualifies* 
 tions to be but filthy rags ; yea, but lofs and dung for the ex-» 
 cellency of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift my Lord. I be- 
 lieve independent of Chrift's atonement and fatisfa61:ion in 
 the room of the guilty, no flefti living can be juftified; and I 
 am p§rfuaded, that all who believe in him, iliall be juftifi.ed 
 from all things, from which they could not be juftified by the 
 law of Mofes. — I believe the abfolute neceffity of the vica- 
 rious death of the Lord of glory, in order for pardon and ac- 
 ceptance with God; and that all ihofe who have reached the 
 throne, obtained the end of their faith, the falvation of their 
 fouls, upon the footing pf his atoning righteoufnefs. — I be- 
 lieve that thofe who lived prior to his incarnation and death, 
 were received into glory by virtue of their faith in him as the 
 future Meffiah ; who was the Lamb (lain from the foundation 
 of the world — And that he was the fum and fubftance of all 
 the promifes under the Old, as well as under the New Tefta- 
 ment difpenfation — That he was the fubftance of the whole 
 cerimonial law ; and that the Jews had the gofpel preached 
 to them under that legal difpenfation, as well as we who live' 
 under the gofpel economy, although vaftly different with re- 
 gard to perfpicuity and evidence. — I believe alfo, with regard 
 to the fecondperfon of the ever blefled Trinity, our Lord Je- 
 fus Chrift, that he is the centre where all the great lines of 
 divine revelation do meet — That he is the fum and fubftance 
 of all gofpel preaching; and that to preach Jefus and him cru- 
 cified, as the great ordinance of Heaven for the falvation of 
 finners, is the only and effe61ual mean, to put a ftop to the 
 progrefs of vice and immorality, and to promote the interefts 
 of holinefs among gofpel profeflfors — In a word, that to 
 preach Jefus, and his Ticarious propitiatory -eath, will be 
 found in the iflue^to be the only grand mean to promote the 
 glory of God, humble the pride of human nature, and promote 
 piety in the world. 
 
 '* I believe that the third perfon in the Holy Trinity, the 
 Holy Ghoft, is equal with the Father & the Son, in all the ef- 
 fential and gbrious perfe6lions and attributes af deity ; that 
 
I 105 J 
 
 '* he is equalty the objecl of our religious worfliip and fervices' 
 " with the Fathsr and Son. — I believe, that in the economy of 
 " man's redemption, he is that diviae'agent who works in the 
 " hearts of finners, and begets in them all faving gift% and gra- 
 " ces ; and that independent of his gracious fupernatural agen- 
 " cy, no man will ever be convinced of fin, or converted to the 
 *' love and pradlice of holinefs. I am perfuaded, that fooner 
 " can the Ethiopian change his fkin, and the leopard his fpots, 
 ** than men who are accuftomed to doevil, learn to do well, in-- 
 " dependent of his all gracious operations on their fouls. — I 
 " believe that moral fuafion is entirely incompetent to anfwer 
 " this great end. — I am perfuaded, that men, along with their 
 " holinefs, have loft all power and ability to perform any a6liori 
 "** acceptable in the eye of infinite purity j and that although 
 " the religious a6lions of wicked men may be, as to the matter 
 " of them, fuoh as the law requires, yet formerly confidered 
 " they are but fplendid fins in the fight of God. 
 
 " I am further verily perfuaded that, to deny a Trinity of 
 " perfons in the one undivided God-head, is fubvcrfiv*e of the 
 " whole fcherae of falvation as revealed in the Scriptures. 
 '' That it tends in tHe ilfue to pour the greateft contempt on th« 
 " grace of the Father, and to vilify the blood of the 3on, in 
 " counting it a common thing ; and that alfo, fuch an opinion 
 *' doth defpite the Spirit of grace, by diverting him of his fu° 
 ** preme deity, and taking thefe offices which he executes in 
 " the application of redemption out of his hand, and lodging 
 '' them in the hands of poor, finful, and impotent creatures. 
 
 " I believe the abfolute neceffity of faith to incereft a finner 
 ^* in Chrift's atonement and fatisfa(5iion ; and that it is only 
 '* through faith in his blood, that we come to be a6lually and 
 ^' formally pardoned. I am perfuaded that this^- grace is thfe ■ 
 *' gift of God; an efFe6l of his omnipotent power: and that' 
 *' wherever this fupernatural grace is implanted, it wfll evi- 
 *' dence its genuine and faving nature by its fruits ; it will work 
 '* by love, purify the heart, and overcome the world. In a 
 *'■ word, its genuine tendency will be to lead forward the belie- 
 " verin the privflifeof univerfal holinefs. ---And I am alfo per- 
 " fuaded, that there is no man living that will lead a godly irfe, 
 *' or can do it, bui; a genuine believer in Jefus. - 
 
 •' I further believe in the abfolute fovereignty of Gcd^^who 
 " may do without any impeachment on the holinefs and juftice 
 " of his nature,in the armies of Heaven, and among the inha- 
 " bitants of this lower world, what he fees meet. I am perfua- 
 " ded, that he may do with, by, and upon his creatures what 
 " pleaieth him : and thatthe fovereignty of diis gr:ice and love 
 
 S ^ 
 
[ io6 ] 
 
 '^ t* finners, runs through the whole fcheme of our falvatioi^ 
 '^ from its commencemeiU, to Its final confummation. 
 
 ^' I believe the abfolute necellity of hollnefs in order to rend» 
 " er us meet for happinefs ; and that without holinefs nd 
 '' man Iliall fee the Lord ; and that no man living and dying h) 
 *' the pra6lice of any known fin, or in the omiilibn of any known 
 *' duty, fliall ever fee God-s face in glory. And I am firmly 
 '^ perfuaded, that without faith in Chrift's blood, there can b(^ 
 " no holinefs of heart or converfation ; that his blood which i'. 
 " the meritorious caufe of our juftification, is alfo the meritori* 
 " ous caufe of our fan6lification. I believe there is no fchema 
 ''• that willfully anfwer the end to promote holinefs and virtue, 
 *' but that which directs the fmner immediately to that blooil 
 ^* which cleanfeth from all fin, and to that Holy Spirit, the be- '' 
 '^ ginner and promoter of all genuine holinefs in the heart of a 
 *' believer. 
 
 '' I beli'eve and am firmly perfuaded, tkat all true believers 
 *' fliall perfevere unto the end, and in the end obtain the falva- 
 ^ tion of their fouls; that Chrift fliall never lofe one of thofe 
 " whom the Father gave him to be faved from wrath, through 
 '*" the virtue and efficacy of his all-atoning obedience and death, 
 ^' but fliall be preferved through faith unto complete and eter- 
 ^^' nal redemption.'' 
 
 After ha vring expreffed himfelf in the foregoing manner, he 
 defired to be laid down on his pillow, which was accordingly 
 done. After paufing a few n:inutes, I afKed him, if he was under 
 any dread of his approaching difiblution ; to which he replisd^V 
 *•' no. I know in whom I have belroved. Infupportable w^ouM 
 '^ the thoughts of my entering into the world of Spirits be, if it 
 " was not for this, that I know that my Redeemer liveth." — I 
 afked him again, if he was now thoroughly fenfible, that there 
 is more requifite to beget confidence and courage in a dying 
 hour, and fecure a happy death, thsn the obedience and right- 
 eoufnefs of the finful crer^ture. To which he replied: ""Ves 
 *^ Pbile7non^ how could I face death with comfort, or appear be- 
 ** fore God with fafety, upon the footing of that riglrtcoufnefs, 
 *' which at beft is as filthy rags. I thank God he hath effe6lual- 
 '^ ly broken my proud heart, and hath difcovered to me a rock 
 " upon w^hich I may build with fafety." With a low and faul- 
 tering voice he addsrd, '' i have waited for thy falvation O Lord.'* 
 *' Though I walk through the valley and fliadpw of death, I will 
 *' fear none evil." '* Lord Jefus receive my fpirit." And ha- 
 ving thus fpoken, he fell aileep in the Loixl. 
 
L 107 ] 
 
 Farewel my de^ir Oncnmus : that you may die the death of the 
 righteous, and that your laft ead may be like his, is, and ever will 
 be the moft fervent prayer of 
 
 PHILEMON. 
 
 RECANTATION^ 
 
 or THE 
 
 Baltimore Deist, 
 
 ^ THE late oppofition I have made to deism in the Polemic Hall^ 
 has anfwered my expe6lations to the full. It has caufed the 
 Chriftians to doubt, enquire, and with high feafoned fufpieion 
 alk, '* Can any good come out of Gallilee .^" On the other hand, 
 it half caufed the open and avowed deift to reprefent me as one 
 of the moft hateful and abominable pefts ; as one that never wafs, 
 nor never will be ftable in any caufe ; but like a weather cock, 
 ever changing with the (hifting breeze. In fliort, one in whom 
 no dependence can be placed, in any fituation, circumftance or 
 ftate of life. 
 
 Had this ever, been my difpofition, I fhould have kept my ex- 
 cellent bufmefs in London, and at this time been as I then was, 
 dyer and calender to the queen and princeffes of England; but 
 my ftable and invincible attachment to equal rights and equal 
 laws, forbade me to fhift with the times, but rather facrifice nry 
 all, and caft myfelf almoft pennylefs upon a foreign fiiore. Had 
 I not done this, I ftiould have been a mere despicable slave — -a 
 wretch that did not deferve exiftence, who for a little vile, con- 
 taminating trafli, nicknamed wealth, could barter his integrity, 
 join with defpotifm againft the poor, ai^d bafely betray that caufe 
 for which a thoufand Sidneys bled. 
 
 But my moft formidable en-emies are amongft thofe deifts who 
 wear the Chriftian m.aik ; for they can vent their acrimonious 
 fpleen Vv'ith double the eftecl, becaiife their words are tipped 
 with apparent fan6lity, and come from hearts that feem to feel 
 a decent and refpe61ful zeal for the Chriftian caufe. This clafs 
 of men are aft'uredly the moft infamous that have exiftence. 
 Some of them were fickle enough, as well as I, to leave their 
 
t 108 3 
 
 Rative land: and what are they doing her^ ? I v;ill tell you* 
 In private they are republicans ; in public drinking fuccefs to 
 the caufe of kings ; in private they are deifts ; in public Chrif- 
 tians ; and frequently at church humbly watching for the loaves 
 and filhes, if peradventure there fliould be a few to fpare. 
 From fuch {lability as this, with all the fincerity of my foul I 
 pray God to deliver me. 
 
 They have however put one truth in circulation about me, 
 and fo doing, have inadvertently paid Chriftianity a deferred 
 compliment, for which I return my hearty thanks. Say they, 
 *' whatever bis pretensio7is may he^ he is no Christian.^'* To this 
 I plead guilty. There is indeed, a wide difference between be- 
 ing a Chriftian in fa(5t, and talking about Chriftianity ; but this 
 is a truth they have as yet to learn, and the time may come, 
 when to know it, will only ferve to agravate remorfe, feed the 
 flame of bitter anguifh, and blow refle6tion into an inward hell. 
 Though I can call God to witnefs, that as it refpedls hypocrify, 
 I am guiltlefs, yet my mind, my affe6lions, ray every faculty, 
 have been too long buried in the rubbish ofdeistical delusion^ and 
 fed too greedily in the company of filthy fvvine, on the hulks of 
 Pagan darknefs, to be eafily or fpeedily reftored, fo as to affume 
 even the name of Chriftian. 'Tis an eafy thing to fport and 
 play upon the fmooth furface of an ebbing tide, till we have 
 gone beyond our depth, andalmoft out of light of land, but how 
 to return with fafety is always exceedingly difficult, and fomc- 
 times, alas, impoftible. 
 
 Others make a neceffary inquiry — How say they^ came this 
 man so suddenly to change his principles ; and from a fierce de- 
 fender of deism^ instantly become an apparent zealot in the cause 
 of Christianity ? To this I anfwer, that the change was by no 
 means fo fudden as they imagine ; for I had doubts long before I 
 knev/ their meaning, and when I did I kept them within my own 
 breaft ; and I candidly confefs that I was determined not to part 
 with favorite principles on flight or flimfy proof; efpecially as 
 I faw that the recantation would bring upon me every fpecies of 
 imputed infamy th'at malice could invent ; but doubt fucceeded 
 doubt, and circumftance after circumftance occurred, till at laft 
 I was refolved fully and freely to inveftigate tlie two oppofite 
 fyftenis, and bring them both to that toucliftone by which «U 
 profeilions, all religions, all men and fyftems muft be tried and 
 fully proved, viz. " By their fruits ye shall kno-v them*'''' 
 
 The refultof my inquiry then, take as follows : — 
 
 I. That I never faw, heard or read of any man, woman or 
 child that was reformed, either in the v/hole or in part, by em- 
 bracing the principles of deifm>