''..■/ 
 
 //"X 
 
1 
 
 -'•■'■ 1 " — - 
 
 5^- 
 
 I^ ^ O^ O^ .j;x, o^^^2^ 
 
 CIF THK 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 SAMUEL AaNEW, 
 
 or 1" H J I, A n K 1. P H I A , PA. 
 
 
 |) _€ase, _ BDivi r-,T.... ||! .,,, 
 
 If Bo«A-,;_ ■^w,.,,.,,..,,^^.JL. 
 
 vn*n«j.. 
 
 e<^^c = vssi-'oo.^5— -'«.-^..«s*''.t(.^siii>Qe<^sS>S'*> ..^(j^, 
 
 .55'.- 
 
 ^,='-'^' 
 
"Jto^ /^i-^^/^'=^- 
 
A N 
 
 EXAMINATION 
 
 O F 
 
 Mr. ROBINSON of Cambridge's PLEA 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 DIVINITY of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 By a late MEMBER of the UNIVERSITY. 
 
 In the Preface, a part of Mr. White of Oxford's Appendix 
 to his late Bampton-Sermons, is confidered. 
 
 Tantamne rem tarn negUgenter 
 
 Terent. An'CR» 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, N°. 72, ST. PAUL's 
 CHURCH-YARD. 
 
 M DCC LXXXV. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 The Preface. v 
 
 The Introduction. I 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 Whether the /acred writers /peak of God, in 
 peculiar J appropriated terms ? 5 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 Whether Je/us Chrifi is the Supreme God? S 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 IVhether the /ame Titles are given to Chriji in 
 the chrijiian Scriptures, which are given to 
 God in the jewijh Scriptures ? 20 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 Whether the Perfections which are a/crihed to 
 Je/us Chrifi in the Scriptures^ are the fame 
 with tho/e that are a/cribed to God? ^3 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 Whether the Works which are afcrihed to Je/us 
 Chrijiy are the /ame with tho/e that are 
 a/cribed to Jehovah, :he Supreme God? 54 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 Whether the like worfhip is given, or commanded 
 to be given, in the Scriptures, to Je/us Chrijly 
 as to Almighty God? 70 
 
 A 2 SEC- 
 
W CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 Page. 
 
 J'Fh ether there he any ^ajfages lelongiyig to Je- 
 hovah, the Sn-prerae God in the Old Tejia- 
 ment, and applied to Jejus Chr'ijl in the New 
 'Tejiamenty which prove Jefus Chrifi to be 
 'Jlhoy Ally the Jupreme God? 90 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 Whether the Scriptures y which foretell the de- 
 ftru5iion of idolatry by the go/pel, have not 
 been fulfilled y although J ejus Chrijt he wrongly 
 worjhiped as God ? no 
 
 SECTION IX. 
 
 Whether, if JeJus Chrifi he not the Jupreme 
 God, Mahomet has written more clearly on 
 the nature of J ejus Chrifi^ than the apoflles 
 have ? and whether Mahomet was right in 
 his do^rifie of the Unity of God ? 133 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 Whether numherlejs pajfages of Scripture^ have 
 nojenjey or a very abjurd one^ if J ejus Chrifi: 
 he a mere man? 157 
 
 SECTION XI. 
 
 What is the Jour ce of men's erroneous opinions 
 about the Perjon of Chrifi y according to our - 
 author? 176 
 
 SECTION XII. 
 
 Concluding ohjervations. 183 
 
 The 
 
[ V 3 
 
 THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 '^he following work not controverftal. Anecdote of 
 Father Paul of Venice. Chrift's true chara^er 
 to be chiefly fought for in the New Hefiament. 
 Juftin Martyr, a fanciful interpreter of Scripture, 
 'The Koran of Mahomet right in reJpeEl of the 
 true dodlrine of the Unity of God. Prejent State 
 of opinions concerning the Perfon of Jefus Chrijl. 
 Mr. White's very reprehenfible language concern- 
 ing Socinianifm and Socinians. Remarks upon it, 
 AJketch of the Scripture-evidence for and againfi 
 the preexijlence of Jefus Chrift. Citation from 
 the late Lord Barrington. 
 
 TH E title of this work may caufe it to be 
 looked upon by many as mere theological 
 controverfy, of which they have heard fo much 
 and been fo heartily tired; and determine them 
 to look no further. If the writer knows any thing 
 of himfclf and his difpofitions, there is nothing 
 to which he is more averfe than to wrangle and 
 difpute about any thing, and particularly on fuch 
 a fabjedt. His engaging himfelf therein at pre- 
 fent, took its origin, as is intimated in the Intro- 
 duction, from a concern to fee the Scriptures ex- 
 A 3 hibited 
 
 X. 
 
vi The P R E F A C E. 
 
 hibited in fuch a manner, on a very important 
 point both of faith and pradlice, as to impofe on 
 the greater number who are wont to take bold 
 aflertion for demonftration, and fo as to difcou- 
 rage all rational inquiry. An atteiiipt to fhew the 
 wrongnefs of fuch treatment of thofe facred writ- 
 ings, and to point out the way to arrive at their 
 true meaning, willj 'tis hoped, be found to have 
 nothing of contentious divinity in it. Indeed the 
 Author here examined has feldom given himfelf 
 the trouble of doing any thing more, than barely 
 to bring together texts of Scripture, without ex- 
 plaining them, or even {hewing how they apply 
 to his purpofe, in proving Jefus Chrift to ht truly 
 and properly God: prefuming that it would be 
 taken for granted, at fight, and upon his authority, 
 that they prove the point for which he afligns them. 
 So that the title of this trad of mine might with 
 very great propriety have been j " An explanation 
 of all the texts of Scripture produced by Mr. R, 
 m proof of the Divinity of Jefus Chrid." How 
 far it may afford any thing new or ufeful, the 
 reader will judge. 
 
 Billiop Burnet, in his life of Bedell, Bifhop of 
 Kilmore, in Ireland, who had been chaplain to 
 the Englifli embaffy at Venice, and on terms of 
 intimacy v/ith the great Father Paul; mentions, 
 in one place, " that {a) Bedell found the Father 
 
 («) •* Life of Bedell, Bifhop of Kilmore, in Ireland, 1685. 
 •'p. 9." 
 
 1 " had 
 
The PREFACE. vii 
 
 *f had read over the Greek New Teftament with 
 '' fo much exaftnefs, that having ufed to mark 
 ** every word, when he had fully weighed the 
 '^ importance of it, as he went through it; he 
 " had, by going often over it, and obferving 
 *' what he pafled over in a former reading, grown 
 *• up to that at laft, that every word v/as marked 
 " of the whole New Teftament ; and when Bedell 
 *^ fuggefted to him critical explications of fome 
 " paflages that he had not underftood before, he 
 ** received them with the tranfports of one that 
 ** leapt for joy, and that valued the difcoveries of 
 *' divine truth beyond all other things." I 
 Ihould be glad to emulate the diligence and 
 cxatftnefs of thefe two eminent perfons, as I 
 profefs an equal regard and reverence for thofe 
 divine writings : and to fee any juft illuftration 
 of them, or an error of my own reftified, would, 
 I truft, o-ive me pleafure above any worldly ac- 
 quifition. If I have been miftaken in what is 
 here put before the Public, it has not been for 
 want of application and pains to come at the 
 truth. And I have been as careful not to fet 
 down any thing for which I had not good grounds, 
 and not to give a falfe colouring or undue weight 
 to any interpretation, as if I had been telling out 
 money to a child. 
 
 I am very far however from imagining, that I 
 
 have always given the true meaning, and fallen 
 
 into no errors in explaining the many pafTages 
 
 A 4 that 
 
 V 
 
viii The PREFACE. 
 
 that have come before me 3 efpecially thofe from 
 the Old Teflament, which are Co numerous, and 
 by which our author would continually prove 
 Jefus Chrift to be Jehovah, the fupreme God. I 
 have not indeed the leaft doubt, but that I have 
 always clearly Ihewn, that they make not for his 
 purpofe ; though I am not always fo certain, that 
 1 have affigned the true fenfe. 
 
 A Divine of the church of England, cited with 
 refpeft in the following pages, who has given 
 proof of fuperior knowlege of the Scriptures ;* 
 though himfclf approving the Divinity of Chrifl, 
 does neverthelefs remark, with great judgment, 
 that it is " a doclrine which draws its decifive 
 proofs from the New Teftament only." The 
 contrary opinion and method has been a mod 
 lading caufe of much mifconftruflion of the 
 Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and of many- 
 errors. ■ It had its rife from the cuftom of the 
 Jews in our Saviour's time, of applying their 
 Scriptures to religious fubjeds, upon all occafions. 
 Some inftances of the kind, Grotius, Hammond, 
 and the mod efteemed commentators have obferv- 
 ed, even in the writers of the New Teftament; of 
 their applying the words of their antient prophets 
 to the matter they were treating of, by way of ac- 
 commodation only, when the prophet himfelf was 
 far from intending any thing of the kind. The 
 chriftian writers, after the apoftles, gave flill more 
 into this cuftom. In the catholic epiftle of Bar- 
 2 nabas. 
 
The P R E F A C E. ix 
 
 nabas, whoever was the author of it, for the learned 
 are not agreed, though he was probably coeval 
 with the times of the apoftlesj we are prelented 
 continually with fpiritual fignifications of the ce- 
 remonial law of the Jews, applied to Chrift and 
 the gofpel. But Juflin Martyr takes a wider 
 range, and leems to have entertained the wild opi- 
 nion, that whatever was injoined to the Ifraelites 
 in the Old Teftament, might be myflically ap- 
 plied to the New, and had its fulfilment in it. I 
 put in the margin (^) one inllance out of a 
 
 thoufand, 
 
 (^) In the prediftions, which the Patriarch Jacob was made to 
 utter upon«his death-bed, relaiing to his Tons and their fut.ure 
 deftinations, he faysGen. xlix. 1 1 . concerning J udah ; that bind- 
 ing his foal unto the 'vine, and his afs colt unto the 'vine ofSoreJ:^ 
 he wapcd his garments in ^ine, and his clothes in the blocd of 
 grafes. The bell commentators, and among them ourBifhop 
 Patrick, interpret this of the fertility of Judah's country, 
 abounding with vineyards and paftures, which is fet forth 
 in hyperbolical expreflions, viz. that the vines fhouJd be 
 as common there, as the thorn-hedges in other places; 
 fo that they might tie afies witii their colts to them; 
 and that wine would be as common as water, fo that they 
 (hould have enough, not only to drink, but to wafh their 
 clothes in it. But Juflin fays ; " That which is related here 
 " by Mofes, and foretold by the Patriarch Jacob; that he 
 " Jhall ivaj}} his garments in nuine, and his clothes in the blood 
 *' of grapes, fignified that Chrill fhould wafh thofe that be- 
 ** lieved on him in his blood. For the holy Spirit called 
 " thofe his garments, who received remiffion of fins by him, 
 " among whom he is always prefent by his power, and fhall 
 •' be evidently fo at his fecond coming. But that which the 
 
 ** Scripture 
 
X The P R E F A C E. 
 
 thoufand, that continually occur in his writings. 
 Whether he borrowed it from Barnabas, or rather 
 perhaps from Philo, the Platonizing Jew of Alex- 
 andria, who deals much in allegorizing the fads 
 of the Bible, and giving them a moral meaning ; 
 Juftin's fruitful imagination improved upon it. 
 And coming to the reading of the Bible, full of 
 veneration for Plato, and his philofophy ; as what 
 we wifh to be true we eafily believe, he there foon 
 finds, that Plato agreed with Mofes (r), that the 
 world was made by the Wotd\ and taking it for 
 granted upon very weak proof, that this Word was 
 Jefus Chriit, he runs away with it, and aftually 
 in a manner -finds nothing elfe in the Old Tefta- 
 ment. For he makes Chrill God's minifter in 
 the creation of the world 5 a fubordinate God, ftill 
 keeping to Plato's idea 5 his reprefentativej who 
 
 " Scripture mentions of the blood of the grape, with great 
 " nicety fignifies, that Chrill himfelf fhould have his blood* 
 " not from the feed of man, but from the power of God. 
 ** For in like manner as man did not generate the blood of the 
 ** 'vine, but God : fo he here predicted, that the blood of 
 *' Chrift fhould not proceed from human feed, but from thtf 
 " power of God. And this very prophecy. Sirs, fhews, that 
 *' Chrift was not a man of men, born after the common way 
 " of men." JulHn Martyr. Dial, cum Tryph. p. 149, 150. 
 
 He repeats the fame in his iirit Apology, p. 6. The reader 
 will judge with what caution and referve a writer who in- 
 dulges fuch fancies continually, is to be trufted, in his inter- 
 pretations of Scripture. 
 
 (c) Apol. i. p. 78. See alfo Apol. ii. or more properly i. 
 in many parts of it. 
 
 appeared 
 
The PREFACE. xi 
 
 appeared and adted for the fupreme God. It was 
 Chrift, according to him, who appeared to Abraham, 
 to Jacob, and to Mofes. In fhort, Jehovah, the one 
 fupreme God, is little fcen in Juftin's fyftem of the 
 Old Teftament : but only Chrilt, his agent, and de- 
 legate, //^^/r/? of the creatures that he made : for this 
 pious, myftic interpreter, does not fall into the 
 extreme of aftertimes, in making Chrift the mofi 
 high Godi though he principally led the way to it. 
 I have dwelled the more on this matter j be- 
 caufe this early writer has milled the whole chrif- 
 tian world in this fancy of making Chrift the chief 
 tranfactor of every thing in the Old Teftament ; 
 and alfo becaufc it is owing to the like prepofTef- 
 fions and prejudices, by which he was milled, that 
 to this day, we are ft ill in our infancy as it were, 
 with refpeft to our underftanding the language of 
 the Scriptures, and their true interpretation, in 
 many refpects. The right way certainly would 
 be, to endeavour to attain a juft knowlege of the 
 facred, as we would to underftand other antient 
 authors, the Greek and Latin hiftorians and phi- 
 lofophers. To thefe latter we come, to find out 
 what they relate and teach, without any partiality 
 in favour of particular fafts, or dodtrines. But 
 this method is intirely reverfed in the common 
 way of ftudying the Scriptures. All perfons in 
 general go to them, not to fearch out what they 
 teach, but to confirm themfelves in what they 
 have been taught already from their childhood, 
 
 or 
 
xii The PREFACE. 
 
 or have taken up on the authority of the church 
 or fetl to v/hlch they happen to belong : and be- 
 ing thus refolved beforehand, their jaundiced eye 
 can fee nothing in the Scriptures, but what in- 
 tirely agrees with their own fentinments. 
 
 The method efpoufed by the Author here ex- 
 amined is of this kind. For laying it down as a 
 dodlrine, of which he was moft fully perfuaded 
 himfelf, that Jefus Chrift was truly mid properly 
 God; in which he was furely at his full liberty, 
 as others, to declare their contrary perfuafion : in- 
 Head of fhewing, by a proper refearch into the 
 Scrjptures, that they teach this do6lrine ; he con- 
 tents himfelf with heaping up a great nunriber of 
 texts, which, he ftrongly aflerts, do prove it ; but 
 never takes any pains to fhew that they do fo, ex- 
 cept -by fetting his invention to work, and boldly 
 maintaining the fame point; under various aflumed 
 charafters. And thus his readers are allured im- 
 plicitly to rely on his authority, and never to go 
 any farther, in making ufe of their own eyes and 
 underftandings. And when the blmd thus lead the 
 blind, I beg pardon if the expreffion be too ftrong j 
 the Scripture-proverb tells us what will be the 
 confequence. 
 
 I hope it will not be deemed a necdlefs detain- 
 ing of the reader, to point out by one example, 
 what a wrong bias is hung upon the mind by this 
 fummary way of proceeding with the Scriptures, 
 fo as to hinder its coming at the truth. When 
 
 our 
 
The PREFACE. xili 
 
 our Lord fays, John vi. 38. / came down from 
 heaven^ not to do nnine own will, &r. And in 
 another place, xvi. 28. / came forth front the Fa- 
 tbery and am conae into the world : the genera- 
 lity of chriflians immediately conclude, that Chrift 
 thereby fignifies, that he lived in a former ftate, 
 before he v^as born at Bethlehem -, and are ready 
 to think thofe perfons mofl unreafonable, if not 
 impious, that do not allow fo obvious a conclufion 
 as they think is neceiTarily to be formed from it. 
 And yet this language conveyed no fuch meaning 
 to our Lord's apoftles j nor would it to us, if we 
 properly examined into it. For, with regard to 
 the firft inftancci if we quote the whole verfe, of 
 which I have only given a part, it will fliew, that 
 our Saviour meant no more by his coming down 
 from heaven, than that he was the Meffiah, God's 
 chofen meiTenger. For I came down from heaven ^ 
 fays he, not to do mine own will, but the will of 
 HIM THAT SENT ME i whcrc evidently the laft 
 claufc explains the former, and fhews its meaning. 
 But ht'ing Jent frojn God, or from the Father, im- 
 plies -no more than being a divine meflenger, or 
 prophet. For of John the Baptift it is faid, 
 John i. 6. that he was a n-\2LnJent from God. And 
 in like manner our Lord himfelf expounds his own 
 coming forth from God, John viii. 42 ; when he 
 fays to the unbelieving Jews ; I proceeded forth, 
 and came from God: neither came I of mylelf, but 
 kefent me^ W^\% proceeding forth and coming from- 
 
 God 
 
xiv The PREFACE. 
 
 God therefore, was his being God's extraordinary 
 meflenger, the MefTiah. See p. 48. 
 
 It is by dedudtions thus made diredly from the 
 Scriptures themfelves, that chriftians fhould be 
 informed concerning what is therein revealed, 
 relating to the Perfon and office of Jcfus Chrift, 
 or any other important point i and not from fepa- 
 rate, detached palTages of Scripture, any how 
 patched together, and thus feeming to have a dif- 
 ferent fenfe from that which they really bear in 
 their proper connection. 
 
 In examining what Mr. Robinfon has brought 
 to oppofe the unity of God as taught by Mahomet, 
 in the following work j it was judged proper to 
 take under confideration at the fame time, what 
 has been offered by a very {d) late writer upon 
 the fubjeft ; and we have found nothing advanced 
 by them of any weight whatfoevcr. And though 
 neither of thefe gentlemen have treated the fub- 
 jeft on fet purpofe, but incidentally ; I am per- 
 fuaded that neither they, nor any other perfon, 
 will ever be able to produce any thing, that (hall 
 invalidate the do6lrine of the falfe prophet in this 
 refpect, as delivered in the Koran : for he had the 
 wifdom and the art to build his foundation on the 
 jewidi and chriflian Scriptures. 
 
 {d) " A comparifon of Mahometifm and ChriiHanity'* 
 —Sermons at the Bampton-Ledlure ; by Jofeph White, B. D. 
 Fellow of VVadham college, and Laudian ProfefTor of Arabic. 
 1784. 
 
 As 
 
The P R E F A C E. xv 
 
 As this will be found to be the truth, the more 
 it is fought into J it will fliew that Mr. White has 
 given a very defedlive, and in one refped too un- 
 favourable an account of the Mahometan reli- 
 gion (^). For dreadful as the ravages were, which 
 its votaries at firft committed, and fatal as its 
 efFefts have been in many countries j yet in the 
 hands and under the direflion of that Divine Pro- 
 vidence, which overruleth all things, and bringeth 
 good out of evil, it has retained, and prefcrves in 
 
 {e) I am glad to infcrt the opinion of a venerable writer, 
 in concurrence with what is advanced in the following work, 
 of the benefits of Mahometifm to the world, as it was at the 
 time when he appeared : though he does not touch upon the 
 great advantage which I truft the chriftian nations will derive 
 from that religion, falfe as it is in many refpedls. *' All 
 ** authors agree, that what gave Mahomet the greateft room 
 " to advance his new religion, was the diftraded, ignorant, 
 *' corrupt ftate of the eaftern church at that time ; the mifera- 
 " ble contentions, and mofl horrid perfecutions, on every re- 
 *' liglous pretence ; the diffolutenefs of all fe6ls and parties : 
 *' and 'tis evident that he contributed not only to reform the 
 '* morals of a great part of the world, but likewife reduced 
 '* them from polytheifm and grofs idolatry, to the belief and 
 " worfhip of one God ; which was the principal dodrine he fet 
 ** out with at firft, and gained great reputation by; and which 
 " he made the ground of his pretended miffion. His fyftem 
 " contains a great deal of pure chriftianity ; it enforces the vir- 
 " tues of charity, juftice, fidelity, temperance, in the ftrongeft 
 ** manner ; it prohibits extortion, and all kinds of cruelty, 
 *' even to brutes ; and binds its votaries to the Ilrifteft order, 
 ** regularity, and devotion." Confiderations on the Theory 
 of Religion, by Dr. Law, Bifhop of Carlifle, p. 162, 163. 
 %d. iv. 1759. 
 
 its 
 
xvi The P R E F A C E. 
 
 its purity, the do6trine of the Divine Unity, 
 taught byMofes and Jefus Chrift; and niay, and 
 probably will be the means in time of bringing 
 back the chriftian nations to the acknowlegcmenc 
 of it. 
 
 Imperfefb knowlege, miftakes, prejudices in 
 favour of particular opinions, belong to mortals. 
 We are none of us exempt from them. But all 
 ihould watch over themfelves, that thefe natural 
 infirmities do not kindle unreafonable paflion 
 againft thofe who diflent from them, and hurry 
 them into mifreprefentation and untruth. It 
 will be judged, whether this has not been the 
 cafe and conduct of Mr. White, from the extrad 
 I fhall make from him. But I would firft put 
 down a very brief ftate of fads relating to the 
 fubjedj of the truth of which the learned and 
 impartial will decide. 
 
 The facred writers of the Old and New Tefta- 
 ment, are ftrangers to any God, but one; one 
 fingle Perfon, Jehovah, as he is ftiled in the hebrew 
 Scriptures ; and in the New Teftament, the Fa- 
 iber, who is in heaven. Our Lord knew no other 
 God, fpake of no other, prayed to no other, nor 
 direfted his followers to pray to or worlhip any 
 other. After he had left the world, and before 
 his apoftles were all dead, the learned heathen 
 converts, not able to endure, that a mortal man, 
 who had been crucified, lliould be the founder 
 of their new religion, took upon themfelves to 
 
 main- 
 
The PREFACE. xvii 
 
 maintain, that this was mere appearance, and no 
 reality. Thofe that came after went on miftaking 
 Chrift's true perfon, till in the courle of a few 
 ages, it was eftabliflied by the firft chriftian em- 
 peror, that he was God equal to the Father. By 
 other emperors the Arian doftrine concerning him, 
 was revived and enforced. That of the council of 
 Nice however prevailed, and continued,during the 
 more than midnight darknefs that overfpread the 
 whole chriftian world, till the Reformation. The 
 learned divines in our own and other countries, 
 who then feparated from the church of Rome, were 
 contented with what had been handed down to them 
 concerning Chrift, without farther inquiry. Others 
 doubted, and fearching the Scriptures, found 
 there was no foundation for its and fome of them 
 publiflied their fentiments, embracing either the 
 Arian, or what then began to be called, the Sod' 
 nian opinion concerning Chrift ; but which was in 
 reality the doflrine of the apoftles. About a cen- 
 tury ago, were publiflied, what are ^WtdUnit arian 
 Tra^s, of different anonymous authors; among 
 whom the famous Mr. Locke is named as one. 
 From the reception thefe met with, it was ima- 
 gined the learned inquifitive part of the clergy 
 and laity were difpofed towards the fentimenc 
 they held forth: but foon after that, thofe two 
 great and good men, Mr. Whifton and Dr. Clarke, 
 appearing openly upon the lifts, defenders of the 
 Arian do(5trine, and maintaining it moft ably by 
 a their 
 
xvlii The PREFACE, 
 
 their writings ; it became after that a very pre- 
 vailing opinion among the learned in the efta- 
 bliihed church, and with the more liberal Dif- , 
 fenters. In 1759, Dr. Lardner publiflied a 
 Letter, written by him in the year 1730, and 
 addreffed to P^pinian ; who was the Rev. Mr. 
 Tomkins, a learned and worthy diffenter, of the 
 Arian perfuafion. The publication of this letter, 
 toc^cther with two additional Poftfcrlpts, foon 
 made a oreat revolution in the opinions of learned 
 men. For the piece was foon known to be his, 
 though without his name j and his numerous writ- 
 ings were already in the higheft requed, his cha- 
 rafter alfo for probity, impartiality, for critical 
 ikill, and the knowlege of the Scriptures and 
 of ecclefiaftical hiftory, inferior to none, and in 
 fome of thefe refpeds, fuperior to any of the age 
 in which he lived. The doctrine he defended 
 was what Mr. White calls Socinianifm : but Dr, 
 Lirdner had drawn it not from Socinus or his 
 mllowers, but from a better fource, that of the 
 Scriptures themfelves (/). In one of his Pofl- 
 
 (/) " I muft acknowlege, that I have not been greatly 
 " converfant with the writers of that denomination, viz, 
 " the Socinians. — 1 have formed my fentiments upon the 
 *' Scriptures, and by reading fuch commentators, chiefly, 
 " as are in the beft repute. I may add, that the reading 
 '* of the ancient writers of the Church has been of ufe to 
 " confirm me, and to aflift mc in clearing 'Up difficulties.** 
 '* Lardner on the Logos, p. 55. 
 
 A fcriptsV 
 
The PREFACE. xijj 
 
 Icripts, that learned man has alio demonjlratedy if 
 I may be allowed to ufe the term, that the Holy 
 Spirit, is no third part of the Deity, no diflind 
 divine agent, but only the power and intluence of 
 Almighty God. From that time, and by the labour 
 of others, the Scriptures have been more diligently 
 and accurately invefcigated, and the early chrif- 
 tian writers examined as to this point j adifquifi- 
 tion, which is ftill carrying on. And by the open- 
 ings thence already made, and the farther iiluftra- 
 tions given of the Scripture-language concerning 
 Chrift, many have been brought to fee, that he 
 was really what he declared himfelf, and his apof- 
 tles declared him, a man^ (John viii. 40. Ads ii* 
 ^o.) a human being, but invefted with extraor- 
 dinary divine powers : and this opinion is daily 
 gaining ground. 
 
 In this ftate of things among us, one v/ondera 
 at the extreme ignorance, or whatever elfe we 
 mufl: call it, which could put Mr. White of Ox- 
 ford upon writing the followi/ig Philippic againlt 
 the learning, the principles, the chriftianity, of 
 thofe whom he itiles Socinians. After infinuat- 
 ing, that " the dodlrine of the Divinity of 
 *' Chrift is alike unknown to the Koran of Ma- 
 " homet, and the Creed of Socinus : he pro- 
 " ceeds -, 
 
 " Yet notwithftanding this remarkable coinci- 
 
 " dence of opinion, fays he, there is fcarcely any 
 
 *^ thing the modern Socinian affects to regard with 
 
 a a *' greater 
 
Kx The PREFACE. 
 «^ greater abhorrence and indignation, than a 
 " comparifon that aflbciates his tenets with thofc 
 " of Mahonnet. To the eye of reafon, how- 
 " ever, the fimilitude is clear and apparent. The 
 " title of Unitarian is equally boafted of by the 
 " difciplc of S '.tniis and the Arabian prophet, 
 " Both of thenn rejefl tlie Divinity of our Lord ; 
 *' and, with a confidence wholly unbecoming a 
 ** being, whofe faculties are fo overclouded as 
 " man's, both of them maintain the impoflibi- 
 " lity of a threefold mode of Juhfijlence in the 
 " divine nature^ becaufe the human intelleft is 
 " incapable of forming any prccife idea of the 
 " fubjecSl : as if nothing could be real in the 
 *' c^ence of the divinity, which is not level to 
 " the comprehenfion of man." 
 
 " The Socinian and the Mahometan objeft to 
 *' our do6lrinc its inconfiflency with human rea- 
 *' fon. The objeftion fuppofes, that man is 
 'f polTeiTed of a larger comprehenfion than falls 
 ** to the lot of mortality ; and that what he can- 
 " not comprehend, cannot be true." 
 
 " We appeal to the Scriptures. But the Ma- 
 ^* hometans and Socinians have both difcovercd 
 " the fame methods of interpretation j and either 
 *' by falfe gloffes pervert their plain obvious 
 " meaning ; or when the teftimony is dire6t and 
 " explicit, that no forced conitrudion can evade 
 " it, they have recourfe to the laft artifice of 
 
 *' abortive zeal ; the cry of interpolation." 
 
 " There 
 
The PREFACE. xxi 
 
 " There is no period of the Chriftian Church 
 ** in which the Divinity of Chrift was not ad- 
 *^ mitted as a primary article, &:c." 
 
 "If Chrift was nothing more than a Vnere man, 
 ♦* how can it be accounted for, that his Divinity 
 " Hiould be the gener:il and current fentimcnt 
 *' of the Church in fo eariy a period as the pre- 
 " fent enemies of the dodrine are obliged to ac- 
 " knowledge it was ?" 
 
 " Socinianifm makes every thing doubtful. 
 
 " And no wonder while it makrs fo little of 
 
 " the moft exprefs declarations of Scripture, we 
 " need not be furprized that it Ihould pay fo 
 <* little refpedt to the plaineil evidence of 
 « hiftory, &c." 
 
 " The gradation from Socinianifm to Deifm 
 <* is very flight (^), &c." 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Remark i. Such general, fuperficlal declama- 
 tion, as the greater part of what is here pro.- 
 duced, without fads to fupport it, would not 
 have merited the lead regard^, had it not been in 
 a book, where the author has difplayed learning 
 and judgment in other refpefls j which may there- 
 fore give him too much credit in this, with 
 his numerous readers. But deficient as he is 
 
 (j-) " Notes and authorities to Mr. White's Sermons/* 
 
 p. Iv J Ivi. 
 
 a ^ \^X\ 
 
sxii The PREFACE. 
 
 here in good reafoning, there is one fpecies of 
 aro-ument, of which he knows well how to 
 avail himfelf, "Siz. the argumentum ah invidia 
 du^um\ in trying to excite the prejudices and 
 bad paffions of his readers, againft the per- 
 fons he oppofes, if he cannot confute their ar- 
 guments. This is fludioufly purfued through 
 many paragraphs, in his coupling Socinians and 
 Mahometans together; as if the former were 
 equally enemies to the gofpel with the latter, and 
 their opinions equally obnoxious and to be 
 avoided by thofe who feek to become true 
 Chfiftians. 
 
 He is however much mifinformed, if it be not 
 a flight of imagination, in his aflertion, that there 
 is fcarcciy any thing the modern Socinian affefts 
 to regard with greater abhorrence and indigna- 
 tion, than a comparifon that afTociates his tenets 
 with thofe of Mahomet. They who are per- 
 fuadcd from the Scriptures, from which alone 
 they can learn any thing of him, that Jefus Chrif^ 
 was a human being, and not God j and that there 
 is but one God, who is the Father of Chrifl; and 
 of all beings J fo far from looking upon it as a 
 reproach, or being angry at being ranked with 
 Mahometans in the belief of this great truth, 
 they would rather glory in it ; and do fincerely 
 rejoice in the thought, that fo large a part of 
 their fellow-creatures, in numbers furpalTing 
 chriftians, retain a knowlege of fuch infinite im- 
 portance 
 
The PREFACE. xxiii 
 
 portance as the unity of God j which cannot but 
 have the befl effect upon their minds, and may 
 in time turn out a great blefllng to the whole 
 chriftian v/orld; as is particularly mentioned in 
 the following work. 
 
 Remark 2. In the body of his Sermons, and in 
 this Appendix, Mr. White repeats over and over ; 
 that the grand objeclion of Unitarians to the doc- 
 trine of the Trinity and the Divinity of Chrifi:, is 
 its being incomprehenfible to human realbn, and 
 inconfiftent with it. I will frankly own to him, 
 that I muft reje(5t whatever comes to me under 
 the latter predicament, as inconfiftent with and 
 contradiftory to my reafon ; becaufe this is the 
 only light and direftion which my Maker lias given 
 me, by v/hich tojudgeof any thing, even of his own 
 charafter and perfections, and the credibility of 
 any farther difcovery he may make of his will, than 
 this his light of nature affords. And I am perfuad- 
 ed, he cannot require the belief of any thing which 
 fliocks and goes againft the natural underffanding 
 he has given m.e : for that would be to put me 
 vnder different and impoffible obligations at the 
 fame time. T cannot therefore believe the greater 
 part of the Creed falfely afcribed to Athanafius j 
 that for inftance, the Father is eternal, the Son 
 eternal, and the Holy Ghoft eternal : and yef 
 that they are not three eternals, but one eternal j 
 and/<? on. Flowever I do not find that Almighty 
 God calls upon me in the Scriptures to believe 
 a 4 an/ 
 
xxir The PREFACE. 
 
 any thing of this kind. And I am happy, that X 
 can exprefs my faith, agreeably to the gofpel, in 
 more intelligible terms than our author is con- 
 flrained to make ufe of in explaining his; where 
 he talks of ^he ejfence of the DivimlVy and a three- 
 fold mode cf fuhfiflence in the 'Divine nature \ which 
 it is very well if he himfelf can underfland. I 
 neither pretend to it, nor defire it. But I would 
 :cemind him, that no Unitarian that I know, or 
 have read of, did ever objcdt to any part of a Di- 
 vine revelation, becaufe it was beyond his, com- 
 prehcnfion. Let me but know clearly, that God 
 has fignified his mind and will; and then, let the 
 fubjefl be ever fo unfathomable by me, I will re- 
 ceive and believe it; becaufe no better reafon 
 can poflibly be given for any thing, than that God 
 hath faid it. 
 
 Remark 3. It is tafy in word 3 to afTert, that 
 the Divinity of Chrill, or his being the fupreme 
 God; was the general and current fentiment of 
 chriftians from the firft : but the inquiry is, what 
 was the fad. At the clofe of thefe remarks, Mr. 
 White will fee a brief flzetch of the Scripture- 
 evidence relating to it. And an author to whom 
 he points, but whom his invecflives cannot reach, 
 ha^ produced fuch evidence to the contrary from 
 this and other fources, as it would have well be- 
 com.e him to have confuted, before he ventured 
 ro pronounce upon it with {o much confidejice. 
 The fublbncc of what that author has elfewhere 
 
 exhibited 
 
The PREFACE. xxv 
 
 exhibited more at large, is to be found in a very 
 fhort compnfs, under this title : Arguments from 
 hijiory agaiuji the divinity and p'cexijlence ofChriJfy 
 and is contained in a fmall Traft, entitled a Ge- 
 neral View of the Unity of God, &c. {h). 
 
 Remark 4. *' But the Socinians, fays Mr. White, 
 '« imitate the Mahometans j and either by faifc 
 '* glofles pervert the plain and obvious meaning 
 " of the Scriptures ; or when the teftimony is fo 
 " direft and explicit, that no for<:ed conftru6tion 
 " can evade it, they have recourfe to the lad 
 " artifice of abortive zeal ; the cry of interpola- 
 f ^ tion ! and it is no wonder, while they make (o 
 " little of the mod exprefs declarations of Scrip- 
 " ture, that they Ihould pay fo little refpe<5l to the 
 ** plained evidence of hidory." 
 
 As thefe refleflions are cad on modern unita- 
 rians, it becomes him to name who they are that 
 
 {h) By Jofeph Prieflley, LL. D. F. R. S. This trad is fo 
 compleat and comprehenfive for its fize, that I know few that 
 are to be named with it ; except a fmall piece, on a very dif- 
 ferent fubjedl, admirably drawn up, and calculated to teach 
 the common chril'tian the ufe of his rational powers in reli- 
 gion, as well as his duty, at the fame tune : the abridgment 
 of a larger moft valuable work; which has exkaulted and ex- 
 hibited every thing that good feufe or exaft criticifm could 
 furnifh on a fubjeft of much coitrovrfy among chriftians, 
 but to which it has probably put an end : I refer to " A 
 '* praftical enquiry injo the authority, nature, an4 <iefign of 
 " theLoRu's SvppER, as they are explained in the New 
 « Teftament itfelf." By William Bell, D. D. Prebendary 
 Cjf Weftrainfter. 
 
 arc 
 
xxvi The PREFACE. 
 
 are guilty of fuch unfair arts; or where they 
 allege that the Scriptures are interpolated, when 
 there is no ground for it. Such infinuations will 
 recoil upon their accufer, unlefs he gives proof 
 of them ; and will lliew, that he fpeaks from no 
 good fund within. 
 
 To praife the living would be invidious and 
 aukward : but of thofe who have finifhed their 
 courfe weil^ we may fpeak freely and be heard. 
 Is there a literary charafler, that flands higher 
 upon the lifts of fame, as a man, a chriftian, and 
 a divine, than the late Dr. Lardner ? After an 
 education in an Univerfity abroad, at that time 
 not inferior in learned Tutors to either of our 
 own, on his return to his own country, he became 
 early acquainted with the worthy and learned in 
 the Church eftablifned, and out of it. Archbifhop 
 Seeker, bred a DiiTenter, like himfelf, cultivated 
 and courted his friendfiiip through life. His 
 Vindication of fome of our Lord's miracles againft 
 Mr. Woolfton's attacks, is among the firft upon 
 that occafion, and (i) the mod candid. But his 
 Credibility of the Gofpelj in 17 vols. 8vo, and 
 Jewiih and Heathen Teflimonics to its truth, in 
 4 vols. 4to, have exhibited fuch a mafs of evi- 
 dence for it, and eftabliilied it on fo broad a 
 foundation as nothing can fhake, In this he gives 
 
 (/) See his preface to that work, and correfpondcnce upon 
 it with the Bifhop of Chichefter. Memoirs of Dr. Lardner's 
 life, p. 14—31. 
 
 continu- 
 
The PREFACE. xxvii 
 
 continually curious and ufeful inftances of critical 
 fkill and judgment : but his love of truth and im- 
 partiality is without example, in fairly repl-efenting 
 every argument and objection, without theleaftdif- 
 cernible biafs to any opinion or party. His piety and 
 humility are confpicuous in all his writings, and 
 particularly in his Sermons in three volumes j the 
 lad containing Memoirs of his life and writings ; 
 fome of which are among the beft models for pul- 
 pit-difcourfes in our.- language, in explaining im- 
 portant paflages of the gofpel, and pointing out the 
 eafy and natural inftruftion to be deduced from it. 
 
 And yet this Dr. Lardner, to whom chriftianity 
 and the chriftian world, and our own nation in 
 particular, in that refpedl, owes fo many obliga- 
 tions, fhall be clafled with Mahometans, as an 
 equal enemy to the gofpel ; fhall be reckoned by 
 Mr. White one remove only from a Deiff", be- 
 caufe he was in his phrafe a Socinian j i. e. becaufe 
 on the fl:ri(5le{l and mod ferious examination of 
 the Scriptures upon the fubje6l, he could not find 
 that Chrifh was any other than a human being, 
 divinely and extraordinarily enlightened and im- 
 powered by Almighty God. I hope v/e fhall hear 
 no more general harangues againft Socinianifm 
 and Socinians as fuch -, left they be found to be 
 in reality pointed againft the gofpel and its divine 
 founder himfelf. 
 
 (Remark 5. Mr. White is very frequent in his 
 aflertions, that the caufe of the rejeftion of the 
 
 dodrine 
 
sxviii The PREFACE. 
 
 doctrine of the Trinity and of the Divinity of 
 Chrift by unitarians, is merely becaufe they can- 
 not account for it, nor reconcile it to reafon. 
 The chief caufe however is, that they can find no 
 fuch doftrine concerning Chrift in their Bibles, 
 but intirely the contrary; and that they have 
 taken fome honeft pains to come at the truth, the 
 following account will (hew; and whether they 
 have attained it, vhe reader muft judg^e, 
 
 A general Jketch of the Scripture-evidence^ for^ 
 and aga'wjij the Preexijience of Jefus Chrift, 
 
 For the Preex'tftence of 
 
 Chrift. 
 
 Old Teftatnent. 
 
 Ifaiahvii. 14. Beholdy 
 a virgin ftoall conceive 
 and bear a Son, andfhall 
 ^all his name Immanuel : 
 cited Matth. i. 23. See 
 this explained p. 14. 
 
 ix. 6. His name 
 
 Jhall be called, wonder- 
 ful, counfellor, the mighty 
 Qod, the everlafting Fa^ 
 iber, the prince of peace. 
 ?eep. 37, 38,39,40, 
 
 Againft it,, 
 
 Old Teftament, 
 The prophecies which 
 point out to the Ifraelites 
 the promifed Meffiah, as 
 a defcendant of Abra- 
 ham, of the tribe of Ju- 
 dah, and fanrjily of Da- 
 vid, an4 as a prophet, 
 one of their brethreq, 
 like unto Mofes : thefe 
 cannot be underftood 
 as referrible to any q- 
 ther than a human be- 
 ^, — liii^ 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 xxix 
 
 For the Preexijience. 
 
 liii. 8. {k) In- 
 
 ftead of-^ivho /hall de- 
 clare his generation ? it 
 fhould be tran dated ; 
 and the men of his gene- 
 ration who will be able 
 to de/cribe ? 
 
 Micahv. Whoje goings 
 forth have been from of 
 oldyfrom everlajiing. See 
 p. 105, 106, 107. 
 
 Malachi iii. i. The 
 Lordy whomyefeekjjhall 
 Juddenly come to his tem- 
 ple. 
 
 The Lord here nam- 
 edj is not Chrift; but 
 Almighty God : who 
 Came to his temple, in 
 or by Chrift, his mef- 
 fenger and great pro- 
 phet. See p. 104, 105. 
 
 Thefe are all the paf- 
 fages I know, in the 
 
 Againfi it. 
 ing; and as fuch the 
 jews conftantly and uni- 
 formly looked for their 
 Mefliah. Gen. xxii. 18. 
 xlix. 10. Deut. xviii. 1 5. 
 18. Ifai. XT. 1. 
 
 All thofe paflages, 
 which fpeak before of 
 Chrift, as receiving all 
 his powers from God ; 
 and as being \\\%fervant\ 
 denominate him to be a 
 creature, like all others, 
 depending upon God 
 for every thing. If. xi. 
 2, 3. xlii. II. 
 
 Thofe texts which de- 
 fcribe beforehand his 
 birth, his death, and 
 burial, plainly and evi- 
 dently define and be- 
 fpeak him a human be- 
 ing i and moft certainly 
 forbid the very thought 
 
 (i) See Bifliop Lowth upon the place : or rather fee a New 
 Tranllaticn of Ilaiah, Iii. 13. — liii. iz. in " Commentaries, 
 *' &c. by the Society for promoting the knowlege of the 
 •' Scriptures," p. 36. &c. Juftin Martyr reckoned much 
 upon this text for ChrilVs prcexiftence. 
 
 Old 
 
5XX The P R 
 
 For the Preexijience. 
 Old Teftamenn, that are 
 fuppofed to favour 
 the preexiftence of 
 Chrift. For ^ I make 
 no account of the chi- 
 merical Platonic idea of 
 Juftin Martyrs that Je- 
 fus Chrift was an infe- 
 rior, created God, the 
 delegate of the One Su- 
 preme : who, he fup- 
 pofes, never appeared 
 or afted himfelf^ but 
 Chrift for him. 
 
 New 'Tejtament. 
 Matthew. 
 There is nothing in 
 thisevangelift,thatgives 
 the leaft countenance to 
 Chrift being any other 
 than the Great Prophet 
 of God, the Meffiah, 
 with high powers from 
 him J except i. 23. For 
 which fee p. 14. 
 Mark. 
 There is no trace in 
 this writer's account of 
 
 E F A C ]?. 
 
 Againji it. 
 of his being God, or 
 any thing but a limits 
 ed, dependent creature. 
 Micah v. 2. Ifaiah liii. 
 8,9. 
 
 New Tefiament. 
 Matthew. 
 This evangeHft de- 
 fcribes the birth, life, 
 and death of Chrift, as 
 of any other of the ha- 
 man race-, and therefore 
 affords no ground to 
 conclude him to have 
 been any other. 
 
 Mark. 
 In perufing this fa- 
 crcd writer, we fee all 
 Chrift, 
 
The PRE 
 
 For the Preexijlence of 
 
 Jefus Chrifi. 
 Chriftj which is related 
 to have been infpefted 
 by the apoftJe Peter -, as 
 if he had any idea, that 
 Chriil had lived in any 
 other worldj but this. 
 
 Luke. 
 There appears no- 
 thing in this evangeliil, 
 which implies that he 
 had any thought that 
 Chrift had exifted in any 
 other ftate, before he 
 was born at Bethlehem, 
 
 FACE. xxxi 
 
 Againft it. 
 
 caufe to reverence the 
 holy Jefus, as a charac- 
 ter of perfedt goodnefs, 
 indued with divine 
 gifts and powers : but 
 nothing to lift him up . 
 above the condition of a 
 human creature fo dig- 
 nified by its Maker. 
 Luke. 
 Defcribes Chrift 
 throughout, as one of 
 the human race : born a 
 fenfelefs infant atfirft; 
 and acquiring knowlcgs 
 and ftrength with his 
 years, like all others of 
 mankind i applying to 
 God for help on all oc- 
 cafions, efpecially under 
 his extreme fufFerings, 
 and having his prayer 
 heard, and affiftance 
 given J and when expir- 
 ing at laft, refigning his 
 life to God, in full aflur- 
 ance of having it fooii 
 reftored to him. Luke ii, 
 7- 
 
^rxxli The P R E F A C F. 
 
 For the Preexijlence of Againjl ii. 
 
 Jefus Chrift, 
 
 7. 16. 52. xxii. 43« 
 (Heb. V. 7.) xxiii. 46. 
 
 John. 
 
 Through long preju- 
 dice, and inattention 
 to the true meaning 
 of Scripture-language, 
 fome parts of St. John's 
 gofpel have been 
 thought fo much to 
 favour the notion of 
 Chrift being God, and 
 having lived in a former 
 ftate J that fome perfons 
 are ready to think ill of 
 thofe who can doubt of 
 what appears to them fo 
 clear : but a proper in- 
 quiry,would fhew them, 
 how greatly they are 
 miftakcn. 
 
 ^exts in this evange- 
 Jift Jiippofed to prove 
 Chriji's preexijience. 
 
 John i. I, 2. See p. 
 10, II, 12. 138, 139; 
 that it is God himfclf, 
 
 John. 
 
 There is a prefump- 
 tion, though it be no 
 proof, againfc John's 
 teaching that Chrift was 
 a preexiflent being, and 
 the fupreme God ; be- 
 caufe the three other 
 evangelifts never men- 
 tion any fuch things in 
 their gofpels, which they 
 wrote for the inftrudlion 
 of the world after them- 
 felves were dead, with- 
 out knowing that John 
 would write after them. 
 If they had known or 
 believed fuch things 
 concerning their Mafter 
 Chrift, it is not credible 
 they would have con- 
 cealed and not told 
 them. 
 
 John having (een the 
 
 writings of the other 
 
 who 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 xxxin 
 
 Por the Preexijlence of 
 Jefus Chrift. 
 
 who is the Wordy orWif- 
 dom here fpoken ofj 
 and not Chrift. 
 
 15. For he was 
 
 before me , i. e. was my 
 principal ; to whom I 
 was to lead men. 
 
 1 8 . TVo man hath 
 
 feen God at any time : 
 the well-beloved Son^who 
 is in the hojom of the Fa- 
 therj he hath declared 
 him: i. e. No man has 
 a perfe6t knowlege of 
 the will and defigns of 
 God for men, but my- 
 felf. 
 
 iii. 13. is much the 
 fame as the above j 
 highly figurative : as is 
 his whole difcourfe with 
 Nicodemus. None fup- 
 pofes the Son of man^ to 
 have literally afcended 
 into heaven, or to have 
 been there at all. 
 
 Againfl it, 
 
 evangelifts, ofriifs in 
 general what had beeh 
 before noted by them, 
 and therefore fays no- 
 thing of the birch and 
 parentage of JefUs, and 
 the like : but mentions 
 his mother and rela- 
 tions, and fpeaks of his 
 being weary and faint, 
 and fufFering and dy- 
 ing ; circumftances that 
 belong to mortals^ and 
 to no other creatures 
 that we know of. And 
 as he records more of 
 our Lord's ■' own d?f- 
 courfcs than the other 
 evangelifts, no one can 
 avoid obferving his con- 
 tinual declarations, that 
 he received his being, 
 his extraordinary know- 
 lege, and all his powers 
 from God : which (liews, 
 how very far Ghrift was 
 b vi« 
 
xxxiv The P R E F A C E. 
 
 For the Preexijience of Jgainjl it, 
 Jefus Chrift. 
 
 vi. 6. is very highly from claiming to be 
 
 figurative alfo. 1'heSon any thing but a crea- 
 
 of man had literally ne- ture dependent upon 
 
 vcr been in heaven i God, and infinitely in- 
 
 whatever be to be un- 
 
 dcbtcd to him for his 
 
 derftood by it. 
 
 favours. 
 
 viii. 42. See Pref. 
 
 
 p. xiii. 
 
 
 58. See p. 24, 
 
 
 25, £6, 27. 
 
 
 xvi. 28. See p. 48* 
 
 
 and Pref. xiii. 
 
 xvii. 5. See p. 162, 
 163. 
 
 — 8. they have 
 
 known of a certainty that 
 1 came out from thee, 
 and they have ^ believed 
 that thou didjl fend me. 
 The former claufe is ex- 
 plained by the latter. 
 
 "ihe Atis, 
 
 In this fecond treatife 
 of St. Luke, fo far is 
 there from being any 
 
 the A5is, 
 
 It is remarkable, that 
 this book which parti- 
 cularly treats of the 
 thing 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 XXXV 
 
 For the Preexijience of 
 
 Jefus Chrijl. 
 thing to prove Chrifl to 
 have been the fupreme 
 God ; that there is no- 
 thing whatfoever, which 
 indicates him to have 
 been any other than one 
 of human kind, for his 
 virtues highly promot- 
 ed in the heavenly 
 world. 
 
 Againft it. 
 
 manner in which the 
 gofpel was preached to 
 the world after Chrift's 
 refurreflion and afcen- 
 fion into heaven, dif- 
 tin6tly informs us, that 
 his apoftles defcribehim 
 as a man, highly fa- 
 voured by Almighty 
 God, and nothing bf- 
 yond this. Adls ii. 22. 
 xvii. 24.31. Chrifl alfo 
 fpeaks of himfelf, as 
 having been a man, and 
 nothing more. xxii. 8. 
 In (hort, if any one be 
 difpofed to give names, 
 he may call this a So- 
 cinian book, and St, 
 Luke aSocinian. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Romans, 
 . Sec p. I 
 
 Remans, 
 19. This epiftle begins 
 with declaring Chrift to 
 have been a mortal man, 
 but inveftcd with extra- 
 fa 1 ordinary 
 
xxxvi The PREFACE. 
 
 Jgainji it. 
 
 For the Freexijience of 
 JcJusChrift. ,. 
 
 I Corinthians. 
 
 i. 2. ^iih all that in 
 every flace^ call upon 
 the name of Jefus Chriji 
 our Lord. It fhould be 
 
 tranfiated with all 
 
 that in every flace are 
 called by the name of 
 Jefus Chriji our Lord : 
 viz. that are chriitians. 
 See Hammond. 
 
 X. 4. ^hey drank cf 
 that fpiritual rock that 
 followed them ; and that 
 rock was Chriji. This 
 is only a reference and 
 allufion, which the a- 
 poftle makes to Chrift ; 
 and no proof that Chrift 
 had any concern with 
 the Ifraclites, or lived 
 at that time. 
 
 ordinary powers from 
 God J and {0 continues 
 throughout. Sec p. 
 157 — 160. 
 
 I Corinthians. 
 Throughout this e- 
 piftlcj Chrift is fpoken 
 of as no other than a 
 human being ; the great 
 prophet and lawgiver 
 of the chriftian church; 
 who fuffered death for 
 the truth, but was foon 
 raiffd to an immortal 
 life, as a pledge to his 
 followers of their being 
 alfo raifed from the 
 grave in their appoint- 
 ed time. And the a- 
 poftle in one place ex-- 
 prefsly declares, that 
 Jefus Chrift was equally 
 a man as Adam was. 
 XV. 21, 22. 
 
 X.9. 
 
The PREFACE. xxxvii 
 Againji it. 
 
 For the Preexijience of 
 Jefus Chrift. 
 
 X. 9. Neither let us 
 tempt Chrijl^ as Jome of 
 them alfo tempted (God,) 
 and were defiroyed offer- 
 pents. That the word 
 God, here put in dif- 
 ferent charafters, is to 
 be underftood, has been 
 the opinion of good 
 critics. But in fome 
 manufcripts, the read- 
 ing is — Let us not tempt 
 the Lord : which is pro- 
 bably the true read- 
 ing- 
 
 XV. 47. See p. 32, 
 
 2 Corinthians. 
 viii. 9. For ye know 
 the grace (or kindnefs 
 towards us) of our Lord 
 Jefus Chriji i that though 
 he was rich, yet for your 
 fakes he became poor, 
 that yc through his po- 
 verty might be rich. 
 b 
 
 a Corinthians: 
 No one can read this 
 epiftle, but muft fee that 
 God isoncfinglcperfon; 
 and Chrift his great 
 prophet, and lawgiver 
 of his church, and the 
 appointed future judge 
 of all. 
 2 Chrift's 
 
Xxxviu 
 
 The PREFACE, 
 
 For the Preexijience of 
 
 Jejus Chriji, 
 Chrift's riches were the 
 high powers and com- 
 munications lie had re- 
 ceived from God} which 
 he made no ufe of for 
 his own eafe or benefit, 
 but folely for the good 
 of others. There is no 
 reference to any fuppofed 
 powers in a former flate 
 ofexiftence. 
 
 Jiainfi it^ 
 
 Philippimis, 
 ii. 5—9. Sec p. 76, 
 77. 164, 165. 
 
 Philippians. 
 ii. 5 — 9. This paf- 
 fage proves Chrifl to 
 have been a human 
 being ; who received 
 his great powers and 
 dignity from Almighty 
 God. 
 
 Colojfians. 
 i. 16, p. 54—61. 
 
 Colojfians, 
 See p. 54 — 61, 
 
 Hebrews, Hebrews. 
 
 i. 1, God hath in Of all the epiftles of 
 theje lafi daysfpoken unto St. Paul, there is none 
 us by his Sorts 'whom he in which he is fo full 
 
 bath 
 
ThQ PREFACE. 
 
 XXXIX 
 
 For the Preexijiejice of 
 
 Jejus Chriji. 
 hath af pointed heir of all 
 things ; by whom alfo he 
 made the worlds. This 
 laft fliould be tranflated 
 — By or for the fake of 
 whoniy he confiituted the 
 ages. See Dr. Dod- 
 dridge on the place. 
 
 3 . Who being the 
 
 brightnefs of his glory ^ 
 and the exprefs image of 
 his perfon. — See p. 140. 
 
 — ■ — But unto the Son 
 he faith-. Thy throne, o 
 God, h for ever and 
 ever. It IhOuld rather 
 be tranflated: But con- 
 cerning the Son he faith, 
 God is thy throne /or 
 tver and ever. 
 
 ii. 14. 16. Foraf- 
 much then as the children 
 are partakers offlejh and 
 bloody he alfo himfelf 
 likewife took part of the 
 fanac. For verily he 
 took not on hinn the 
 
 Againfl it. 
 
 and particular in de- 
 fcribing our Lord as a 
 human being, like b- 
 thcrs of mankind, as ia 
 this to the Hebrews: 
 vizy that he was equally 
 mortal i was placed here 
 upon his trial, as we 
 are j and difciplined and 
 made perfcd thereby: 
 ii. 9, 10. 14. 18. iv. 15, 
 V. 7, 8, 9, xii. 2. 
 
 nature 
 
9(1 
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 For the Preexijience of 
 
 Jefus Chrijl. 
 nature o^ angels ; hut he 
 took on him the Jeed of 
 jibraham. Itfhouldhave 
 been tranflated : For- 
 efmuch then as the chil- 
 dren are ■partakers of 
 flejh and bloody, he alfo 
 himfelf in like manner 
 was a partaker of the 
 fame. For verily he 
 Ijelpeth not angels j but 
 he helpeth the feed of 
 Abraham. 
 
 xiii. 8. Jefus Chriji, 
 the fame ycfterday^ and 
 1 0-day ^and for ever. See 
 
 P-43- 
 
 I Feter, 
 i. II. Searching zvhaty 
 or what manner of time 
 the fpirit of Chrift W)6/V^ 
 ■ was in them did figjiify, 
 when it teflifed before- 
 hand the fufferings of 
 Chrif, and the glory that 
 fhould follow. The fpi- 
 
 Againji it. 
 
 1 Peter. 
 It is not pofllble to 
 read this epiftle with- 
 out feeing, that Jefus 
 Chrift is as diftinfl from 
 God, as a creature fub- 
 ieft to deathj can be 
 from its creator. But 
 then it alfo appears, that 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 xii 
 
 For the Preexiftence of 
 
 Jefus Chrift, 
 rit of Chriji in the pro- 
 phets, was not, properly 
 
 Againft iu 
 
 the blefled Jefus had 
 been one highly diftin- 
 
 fpeaking, any power of guifhcd by Almighty 
 Chrift, but of Ged him- God, and defigned be- 
 
 felf, by which they were 
 enabled to declare things 
 to come. And it is 
 called thefpirit ofChrifiy 
 becaufe Chrift was the 
 
 fore his birth to fill a 
 moft important ftation 
 in the moral world, to 
 promote the virtue and 
 happinefs of the whole 
 
 objeft about whom it is human race, by his di- 
 here faid to be employ- vine inftruftions and ex- 
 
 emplary holinefs, forti- 
 tude and integrity, in 
 dying in the caufe of 
 truth, i. 19. 20. 21. iv. 
 II. 19. V, lO.II. 
 
 ed ; in the fame man- 
 ner, as the miraculous 
 power to be communi- 
 cated to the apoftles, 
 Joh. xiv. 17. is called 
 thc/pirit of truth, be- 
 caufe it was to teftify 
 that the dodlrines deli- 
 vered by them were 
 true. 
 
 (/)iii.i9.20. By which 
 (fpirit,or power of God,) 
 after he was gone (into 
 
 (/) I give this obfcure text, with fome addition. In other 
 charaflers, to explain its meaning : for which fee the mofl 
 judicious commentators ; particularly Beaufobrc. 
 
 heaven) 
 
xlii The PREFACE. 
 
 For the Preexijience cf Jgainft it, 
 
 Jejus Chrifi. 
 heaven) he p-e ached {hj 
 his apoftles) to thefpirits 
 in -prijon (i. e. to the 
 heathen world, men of 
 the fame race with 
 thbfe,) which at one time 
 'were dijohedtent, when 
 the longjuffering of God 
 waited in the days of 
 Noahy i. e. during thai 
 patriarch's preaching to 
 them. But now he 
 would have it inferred, 
 the cafe was different : 
 many of thefe heathens 
 repented at the preach- 
 ing of the gofpel. 
 
 I John. I John* 
 
 iv. 1. 3. Every fpir it 
 that confejfeth that Jefus 
 Cbrifl is come in the 
 flefli, is of God. And 
 every ffirit that confejfeth 
 not that Jefus Chrifl is 
 come in flefh, is not of 
 God* To come in the 
 
 PA 
 
The PREFACE, xliii 
 
 For the Preexijience of ^gainjl it. 
 
 Jcfus Chrift. 
 flejhy is to be a mortal 
 man, liable to fuffer- 
 ings and death. And 
 this is faid by the apol- 
 tle againft fome chrif- 
 tians who denied this. 
 
 Revelation of S t. John . Revelation, 
 
 I am Alpha and O- 
 mega, the firfl and the 
 lafl. See p. 27. 28. 
 
 ii. 8. The/e things 
 faith thejirjl and the lafl ; 
 which was dead, and is 
 alive. See as above. 
 
 1. The reader will obfcrve in the preceding 
 iTcetchjthevaft amount of Scripture-evidence which 
 there is for Jefus Chrift being a mortal man; and 
 neither the fupreme God, nor a great angelig 
 Ipirit, the maker of the world under God : 
 
 2. That Matthew, Mark, and Luke, appear to 
 have lived and died, without knowing that Jefus 
 was any thing more than their Great expected 
 Prophet, and meflenger of the divine will to 
 mankind for their final happinefs and falvation ; 
 which may rcafonably give men paufe, and make 
 
 th^m 
 
xliv The PREFACE. 
 
 them reflect i whether they arc not miftaken in 
 their interpretations of the writings of their fel- 
 low-evangelift, when they make hini maintain 
 that Chrift was the moft high God : 
 
 3. That this evangelift, St. John, the fa- 
 vourite difciple, in the general flrain of his hif- 
 tory, fpeaks of Chrift, as being a dependent crea- 
 ture, receiving life and every thing from God, 
 even more than the other evangelifts ; and that 
 thofe few pafTages in comparifon, in his gofpel, 
 which have been fuppofed to declare him to 
 have been a preexiftent fpirit, or the fupreme 
 God; are, in general, capable of a moft eafy 
 folution, and may be Ihewn to relate to his office 
 and dignity from God, in being his highly 
 favoured creature, meflengcr and fervant, and 
 not the fupreme Being himfelf, or a fubor- 
 dinate God and creator under him : where men 
 will attend to the connection of the difcourfe, to 
 the idiom of the language, and the fenfc, and 
 not merely the found of the words made ufe of: 
 
 4. That St. Paul, in his famous fpeech at Athens, 
 before the court of Areopagus, as well as in all 
 his epiftles ; fometimes diredly afierts, that Je- 
 fus Chrift was merely one of the human race, 
 raifed up for the greateft purpofes, for the benefit 
 of mankind, which he nobly anfwered, and was 
 therefore exalted to honour j and never at any 
 tiipe, fays any thing in^^onfiftent with this, or 
 
 which 
 
The P R E F A C E. xW 
 
 which might argue our Lord to have been God, 
 or any thing above the condition of a human 
 being, fo diftinguilhed by the fupreme Father : 
 
 5. That the fame may be averred of the epiftles 
 of the other apoftles ; and of the ReveIatio7i of 
 St. John : 
 
 And, if, upon the whole, a few pafiages fhould 
 not appear to be fatisfaclorily cleared up and 
 folved, yet a wife man will judge of a point fo 
 important, by the general tenour of a book or 
 difcourfe ; by what is plain, evident and uncon- 
 trovertible ^ and will always be decided by the 
 greater weight of evidence. 
 
 I would therefore now afl^. Mr. ProfefTor 
 White, and many others ; who betray fuch a 
 profound ignorance of what Deifm, Chriftianity, 
 and that which they termSocinianifm,reallyisj and 
 who by fuch little paltry arts and infinuations 
 affe6l to depreciate the integrity, fimplicity, and 
 general chara(5ler of thofe againft. whom they 
 write : whether fuch men as the late excellent 
 Dr. Lardner, and thofc who now are in his fen- 
 timents concerning Jefus Chrift, which they be- 
 lieve on the grounds offered above, to have been 
 the very fentiments and doflrine of the apoftles 
 concerning ihe per/on of their lord and mafter, 
 Jefus i whether they are to be calumniated as 
 enemies to the gofpel, and infinuations thrown 
 out in the dark without proofs of their ufing 
 
 finifter 
 
xlvi The PREFACE. 
 
 finifter means to fupport their peculiar opinion ? 
 whether the do6trine of Chrift being truly and 
 ■ properly man, and not God, be not as favour* 
 able to piety, and virtue, as the contrary, nay 
 more favourable ; though this is not the proper 
 criterion by which the point is to be decided ? 
 whether they who maintain this opinion, do not 
 manifeft an equal love of truth, and zeal for the 
 gofpel, with thofe who hold the contrary ? whe- 
 ther alfo they do not hold forth to others the 
 grand peculiarity of the gofpel, the hope of an 
 eternal exiftence after death, with God and Chrift, 
 and all virtuous and good beings j and whether 
 their own lives do not appear to be regulated 
 and governed by this hope, as much as thofe of 
 their opponents ? 
 
 It is to be hoped, that ingenuous men, and 
 fcholars,will inform themfelves better, and change 
 their languagej left they give room for fufpicion, 
 that they are influenced by other motives, than 
 thofe that belong to the honeft man, and the 
 chriftian. 
 
 The late Lord Harrington, in one part of his 
 works, pafTcs the following cenfure on fome con- 
 troverfial writers of his time, which contains 
 hints and admonitions, worthy the attention of 
 many in our day. " I {m) cannot but have a very 
 
 {m) MifccIIanea Sacra. Vol. i. p. 157, 158. ed. 1770. I 
 ain obliged to the lall valuable edition of the Singraphia, 
 uader the article Barrington, for this citation. 
 
 mean 
 
The PREFACE. xlvii 
 
 '^ mean opinion (fays this truly noble perfon) of 
 ** writers, who will put on the appearance of 
 " afifurance and certainty, that they may carry 
 ** the guile of perfed: knowlege and judgment 
 " to the bulk of their readers, in points where 
 *' they are far from being at tiiat certainty which 
 " they affetft lb much to be thought to have ; 
 " and every one muft have a much worfe opinion 
 " of thole who give themfelves the air, only to 
 " ferve party or private views. The firft pro- 
 " cceds from a degree of pride to which human 
 " nature is too ealily carried j while the fecond 
 " arifes from a degree of difhonefty that has 
 ' " been contrai^ed by lower arts of it repeated 
 '* from time to time, till it has grown habitual, 
 " and ends in venturing on ibis high injury to 
 " mankind. Thejirji moral "jirtues of a writer are 
 '' to dhcjl himjelf of thcfe e7iormous -pajfions \ to 
 '* fearch for truth alone^ and to propofe it to his 
 *' reader, 'luith that degree of evidence or certainty, 
 •' of doubt or difficulty, which it has in his own 
 *' mind : confidering himfelf as accountable to God 
 •' for mifleading any man by the fuperiority of his 
 *' talents ; and as accountable to his reader, for the 
 '* infolence of endeavouring to impofe on him, by the 
 '' means of any real or imagined advantage he has 
 " over him. If thefe virtues were praflifed by 
 " every writer, we Ihould receive more profit 
 ** from the bcft, and lead harm from the worft, 
 
 « than 
 
jilviii The PREFACE. 
 
 •' than we now reap from either of them ; and 
 " writing would then be in the befl: ftate that this 
 " ftate of imperfection would allow *." 
 
 * The following extraft of a letter from this nobleman, 
 who was himfelf a DifTenter, to Dr. Lardner, fhevvs on 
 what intimate terms they converfed together, and is inferted 
 ^lere as it does equal honour to the memories of both of them. 
 , — — '• Thus I think our controverfy ends. Butour friend- 
 •* Ihip and correfpondence I hope never will, but with our 
 ** lives. And our friendship, I hope then, but for a feafon. 
 ** I have had fo much fatisfaftion and inftruftion from your 
 *' great learning and judgment, and from your patience, 
 ** candour, opennefs, and obliging manners, that whenever 
 *' I have difficulties to put, in the future courfe of my en- 
 *' quiries, or want to fee what difficulties my fentiments are 
 *' liable to, I fhall take the liberty to trouble you, unlefs 
 ** you forbid me ; or (if your great civility will not allow 
 " you to do that) f forbear, from the fenfe I have, of how 
 *' much I rob the world, in the refult of the learned pur- 
 *' fuits they juftly expeft from you, by fuch kinds of inter- 
 •' ruptions as thofe I have given you." Memoirs of the 
 life and writings of Dr. Lardner, p. 41. 
 
 POST- 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 Thofe whom Mr. P r of e for White calls Socinians, 
 are known greatly to differ from Socinus in many 
 things \ particularly in not -paying religions worjhip to 
 Jefus Chrift, or praying to him : zvhich 'u.'as a point 
 that Fauflus Socinus vehemently infiftcd on, though he 
 confidered Chrifl as a r.ian only., v:ith divine poivers 
 conferred upon him. If fuch are to he diflinguifhed by 
 any other namCy than that of Chriflians, one^ who 
 canfpeak for many of them, would fay , that they are 
 Unitarian chriftians \ as holding the unity of God 
 in theflriSlefifenJe^ to the exclufion of Jcfus Chrift, 
 and of every other Ferfon whatjoever, from being 
 named or compared with The Supreme Father, as 
 equal to him, or as any thing but dependent on him; 
 
 WHO IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE, THE 
 KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS; WHO ONLY 
 HATH IMMORTALITY; DWELLING IN LIGHT UN- 
 APPROACHABLE; WHOM NO MAN HATH SEEN, 
 NOR CAN see: TO WHOM BE HONOUR AND POWER 
 
 EVERLASTING. Amen. 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16. 
 
 INTRO- 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 5?5. for Gaciiis read Gaius. 
 
 -^ 97- J- i5-y«>-givc into the weaknefs, &c. /-z^il fall greatly fjclt 
 
 J]in)fclf. 
 
 —^ 1. ??8. for to be hereafter /)«i: as above. 
 
 — nj. 1. lo. dclt fimllar to them. 
 
 19;. 1.6. from the bottom, iiifert Titus ii. Ij. 14, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IN reviewing and examining this " Pica for the 
 Divinity of our Lord jefus Chrift," I have la- 
 mented to fee a great deal of pains and ingenuity 
 wafted, as it appears to me, in fupporting popular 
 errors; which might have been ufefully employed 
 in illuftrating and propagating the genuine truth 
 of the gofpel. 
 
 It was alfo a continual mortification, to find the 
 whole (train of the facred writings, which relate to 
 God and to Chrift, miftaken, and turned from their 
 true meaning, to exhibit Jefus Chrift as being truly 
 and properly God ; where the writers, or Chrift him- 
 felf, whofe words are fometimes quoted, never 
 thought of any thing of the kind. 
 
 And it has been an infinite drudgery to go over 
 again an old beaten track, in remarking numberlefs 
 mifreprefentations of the Scriptures, dindjal/e read- 
 ings of them cited as genuine, which are weli known 
 to fcholars ; and which one wonders fhould have 
 cfcapcd a perfon, who had advantages of being 
 better informed. 
 
 When an author ftcps forth, and boldly main- 
 tains Jefus Chrift to be the God over all, after 
 fo much written and dcmonftrated to the contrary, 
 by our Clarke, and Whifton, by Whitby, (a) 
 
 Peirce, 
 
 {a) Thefe pious confdentious men, Whitby and Peirce, 
 two of the moil learned men of the learned age in which they 
 Jived, are remarkable for h.iving been at iirft llrcnuous main- 
 tainers of the do(ftrine of the Trinity, and of the divinity of 
 Chrilt; but by their own honcft enquiries and the llrong 
 force of evidence, they were brought to fee their error, and 
 publicly confefTed it. Jn Whilton's memoir^ of his own life, 
 (Vol. I. p. 139.) thorc is a curious letter of Feirce's to him, 
 B i<) 
 
i: ^ ] 
 
 Peirce, <lc ; not to mention celebrated names, Ben 
 Mordccai, and others, ftill living; he will be fure 
 to find admirers and favourers of one clafs or other, 
 according to the ftile of his compofition, fo long as 
 what he pleads for is the eltablilhed and prevailing 
 doflrine. And as too many are difpofed to hold 
 the book laft publiflied if no reply be made to it, 
 incapable of being confuted; fome good Phila- 
 ddphian fliould have undertaken the taflc however 
 tedious and irkfome : to fhew this writer his mif- 
 takes ; to undeceive the ignorant and unwary, who 
 may have been mifled by him ; and to vindicate 
 the incommunicable, peculiar honour and worfnip, 
 due to the only true God and Father of all, to the 
 exclufion of all other beings or perfons whatfoever 
 throughout the univerfe, and efpecially of luviy 
 whom chrillians have forced into a throne of equa- 
 lity with the fupreme Father, but than whom none 
 could be farther (Jb) from claiming fuch honour, 
 JefiiSy (c) the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee. 
 
 to bring him back to the orthodox faith. Whitby confuted 
 Bifhop Bull's arguments for the Trinity, in his Difquifuiones 
 modefta;, and in his anfwers to Waterland. The latter of 
 thefe irafts being in Englifti, together with his last 
 THOUGHTS, or retraftation of his Trinitarian fentiments, 
 {hould be bound up and fold along with his Paraphrafe and 
 Notes on the New Tellament, that the readers may have the 
 benefit of the author's maturer judgment, and juftice be done 
 to him, and to them. 
 
 {h) Matth. xxi. 1 1. xi. 29. Learn of me, for I am ?neek and 
 ioi.vly in heart, xix. 16, 17. Bthold one came and f aid unto 
 him, good tnajier, ivhat good thing f^ull I do that I may ha've 
 eternal life? Andhe faid unto him, why calleil thou me good? 
 there is 710 ne good but one, that is God. Chriit here manifellly 
 owns Ylu deptndance upon God, and difchims his having 
 any thing good in himfelf, but what he received from the 
 almighty Parent of him and of all. 
 
 (f) Ivl.itth. xxi. ii. Our Lord did not blame the people 
 for proclaiming him under this title ; but the contrary. 
 
 o 1 have 
 
[ 3 ] 
 
 I have long wondred, that a treatife fo juftly 
 repreheniible on many accounts, as this will appear 
 to be, has not been animadverted upon by iome 
 judicious and liberal hand in that famous leat of 
 learning, in the neighbourhood of wliich Mr. Ro- 
 binfon has his abode. 1 was the more induced to 
 exped it from a local confideration, which con- 
 cerns themfelves, and is not, I believe, much known 
 abroad. For although this gentleman is a Minif- 
 ter among the Dilleniers in the town of Cambridge, 
 his book was much circulated and recommended, 
 in the Univerfity, at its firll publics tion 1776, by 
 fome perfons of the eftabliflied church, who were 
 glad to lay hold of any reed however flender, to 
 fupport a tottering caufe, and to guard the youth 
 of the place againft the opinions and writings of 
 fome of their own body, who had openly aflerted 
 and made many converts to the belief of the ftritl 
 unity of the Supreme Caufe and Author of all 
 things. 
 
 When I at any time inquired, why no notice 
 was taken from the Prefs of this new Plea, which 
 had much vogue at the firlt ; all I could learn was, 
 that it was looked upon as fo very fuperficial, and 
 had fo little argument in it, that it could not long 
 deceive any one, and needed no confutation. 
 
 But this realbn of fome able ingenious men for 
 declining to lay a jult account of the weaknefs of 
 the performance before the Public, proceeded from 
 the want of a proper attention to thofe who would 
 be moll likely to be mil'guided by it, and Irom 
 meafuring others too much by the fize of their own 
 undcrltandings. For as it is written with great 
 fmartnefs and an air of triumph, and deals through- 
 out in aflcrtions without proofs ; this method, how- 
 ever difgulting to every intelligent mind, is pecu- 
 liarly calculated to win upon the unlearnisd, and 
 B 2 ' thofe 
 
[ 4 ] 
 
 tliofe who arc unaccuftomed or unwilling {o be at 
 the trouble of judging for themfelves ; whom nt- 
 verthelefs it would have been right and ncccffary 
 to have put upon their guard. 
 
 There is moreover I'omcthing very impofmg, 
 and that would weigh more than a thoufand argu- 
 ments with common readers, in the very pofitive 
 and decifive tone with which our author fpeaks, 
 where the ftrength of his argument often but ill 
 fupports him; and alfo in the liberties he takes in 
 cenfuring even the apoftles and their writings, if 
 they are not to be undcrflood and interpreted, in 
 the way that he prefumes they ought to be. 
 
 It will fuffice to give one fpecimcn here; as 
 others will unavoidably prefent themfelves in the 
 courfe of our inquiry. 
 
 After having produced divers texts of Scripture, 
 to fliew that the perfeQions of God, which are 
 afcribcd to Jefus Chrift, prove him to be the Su- 
 preme God; but without any argument to fhew, 
 that the inllanccs brought by him are real divine 
 perfedions, or that they really belong to Chrilt ; 
 he thus pronounces upon them, p. 17. 
 
 *' If they who afcribe the perfe6iions of Deity 
 " to Jefus Chrill, have fallen into an error, they 
 " may have been led into it by the writers of the 
 « New Teftament. — If Jefws Chrift be God, the 
 *^ afcription of the perfetlions of God to him is 
 ** proper: if he be xNot, the apostles are 
 
 *' CHARGEABLE WITH WEAKNESS OR WICKED- 
 
 *' KEss, and either would dellroy their claim of 
 " infpiration." 
 
 The few who examine and decide for them- 
 felves, are not to be dazzled and over-awed by 
 thefe confident declarations, knowing that mortals 
 are oftentimes mod ignorant, where they are mod 
 prcfumptuous and afllircd. But it is not fo with 
 
 others ; 
 
[ 5 ] 
 Others; cfpccially if their prejudices lean that 
 way ah'eady. Such violent language overpowers 
 them before they are aware of it, and puts an end 
 to all cool and fair inquiry, fo that they will hear 
 no rcafon from thofe of a contrary fentiment ; 
 and it will be well, if even their rcfcntments are 
 not inihmtlv kindled againft them. And tliough 
 Mr. Robinlbn is not unmindful to inftill principles 
 of benevolence and kindncfs towards fellow-chrif- 
 tiansof different rclij^ious perfuafions, his admirers 
 will be in danger of becoming bad fcholars under 
 him, by fuch llrong paintings of the fatal confe- 
 quences to the moral characters of the apoflles and 
 to the divine authority of their writings, which 
 refult, according to him, from denying Chriit to 
 be God. 
 
 It may be doubted whether upon any fubjcQ or 
 occafion, thefe vehement oratorical cxprcllions, 
 tending to inflame the pafTions, ought to be uled : 
 but they ought furely to have no place in difquifi- 
 tions of fo ferious a nature as that in queftion ; viz. 
 " whether the Scriptures teach Jefus Chrifl to be 
 " the Supreme God, or a creature." Here every 
 one fhould be left to form his judgment calmly 
 according to evidence, and to be wholly indifferent 
 with refpeft to confcquenccs, on >vhich fide of the 
 balance the truth fall$. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 IFhether the facred writers /peak of God, in peculiar,, appro- 
 priated terms. ■ 
 
 THERE is one obfervation, with which our 
 author fets out, and often recurs to, and 
 which will appear plaufible at firft fight; but is 
 jieverthelefs a capital miflake. This is, the fup- 
 pofition taken up by him, that the facred writers 
 B 3 >yere 
 
[ 6 ] 
 
 were exceedingly careful and exa6l in the terms 
 in which they fpeak concerning God, not to apply 
 them to any others but to him alone; left they 
 fhoLiId give occafion to and countenance idolatry 
 and the woffliip of a multiplicity of gods, to which 
 the world was then, and has ever been moft prone. 
 
 " If Jcfus Chriil (fays he, p. 9) were not God, 
 •^ the writers of the New Teftament difcovered 
 " great injudicioufnefsin the choice of their words, 
 ** and adopted a very incautious and dangerous 
 
 " ftile.' Paul and Barnabas had fecn a miracle 
 
 " and a fermon procure an offer of their own deifi- 
 •' cation at Lyftra; and the general defcription of 
 " the heathens afforded them a flrong probability 
 " that the hiflory of Jefus Chrift, which is made 
 '* up of miracles and fermons, exprefTive of extra- 
 " ordinary wifdom and power, would procure a 
 
 " deification alfoof him. We naturally expeft 
 
 *' that men who rent their clothes (A 61s xiv.) in 
 " abhorrence of confounding the creature with the 
 " Creator, fhould exprefs the nature of God, and 
 *' the natures of all creatures, in the moft circum- 
 " fpe£llanguage. In fpeakingof JefusChrirt:,where 
 " the temptation to idolatry was the ftrongeft, we 
 " naturally expeft a more than ordinary caution : 
 " the cafe required it." 
 
 In making remarks of this kind, perfons fliould 
 beware of indulging imagination, and taking upon 
 ihem beforehand to prei'cribe and determine what 
 ought to be the conduft of Divine Providence, till 
 tliey have examined and feen what is the real fa^y 
 and the language of the prophets of God, concern- 
 ing his adoreable majeity : And it happens to be 
 quite the reverfe of what our author lays down and 
 decides in fo peremptory a manner. 
 
 For, on a peruial of the books both of the Old 
 aiid New Teltament, we immediately dilcovcr, that 
 
 the 
 
. [ 7 ] 
 the writers ufe not any cautious management or 
 curious nicety in their phrafes concerning the 
 Great God and other beings, his creatures. They 
 never Teem to have been under any apprehenfions, 
 that they, for whole immediate ufc they compofed 
 their writings, fhould ever miRake, or forget the 
 facred evcrlafling diftinflion and infinite diRancc, 
 between the Great Creator, and any one, however 
 highly gifted and favoured, whom they mention 
 along with him ; or that from any ambiguity of 
 cxpreffion ufed by them ; or application of the 
 fame terms, or affignment of the fame afts, to Mofes, 
 to Chrift, or to any other; they fhould be led to 
 conclude, that there was any other Perfon, who 
 was Jehovah, truly and properly God, but the fingle 
 Perfon of the Father, the Almighty Maker and 
 Governor of all things. Thus 
 
 {b) " 1. Mofes is faid to be a God, Exod. vii. i. 
 And the Vor ojaid to Mofes ; Sec, I have made thee 
 a God unto Pharaoh. And iv. 16. Thou (Mofes) 
 Jhalt be to him injlead of God. 
 
 " 2. Mofes is prayed unto, and that to forgive 
 fins. Numb. xii. 11. And Aaron /aid unto Moles; 
 AlaSy my Lord, I befeech thee, lay not this fin upon us, 
 wherein we have done foolifliJy, and wherein toe have 
 filmed. There is the like again in Excd. x. 16, 17. 
 where Pharaoh calleth for Mofes and Aaron, and 
 faith ; / have finned ogainfi the Lor d j'our God, and 
 againf you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my 
 fin only this once. Sec. 
 
 " 3. Mofes is worfhiped, Exod. xi. 8. All thcfe thy 
 Jervants fall come down unto me, and bow down them- 
 flves unco me, or worfiip me, as the word fignifics. 
 
 {l>) Thefc remarks I find ready made to my hand, in the 
 remains of a refpccluble Engliih writer, a moll pious and vir- 
 tuous man ; who fjffcred in the caufe of the Divine Unity, 
 in the lafi: century, dying in a loathfome jail. 
 
 B 4 "4. It 
 
C 8 ] 
 
 "4. It is faid of Mofes, Exod. xxxii. that he 
 brought the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, ver. 7. 
 
 And the Lord fat d unto Mo/es, go, get thee down ; for 
 thy people which thou broughlejl out of the land of 
 Egypt have corrupted them] elves: and xxxiii. 1. But 
 in the preface to the ten commandments, Exod. 
 XX. 1,2. God /pake all thefe words faying, I am the 
 Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the 
 land of Egypt. See alfo Deut. v. 6. 
 
 ** It is faid, the Ifraelites did believe in Mofes as 
 well as the Lord, Exod. xiv. 31. And Ifrael faw 
 that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyp- 
 tians, and the people feared the Lord, and believed 
 the Lord and his fervant Mofcs ; (Heb. believed in 
 the Lord a77d in Mofes his Jervant.) Again, Exod. 
 xix. 9. Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the 
 people may hear when Ifpeak with thee, and believe 
 thee for ever-, (Heb. believe in thee.)" 
 
 Tliis fingle fpecimen is fufficient to evidence the 
 vvcaknefs of our author's affertion, concerning the 
 fuppofed referve ufed by the facrcd writers, in 
 never fpcaking of the Great God, but in fuch lan- 
 guage as was appropriated to him alone. And it 
 fliews how little is to be inferred, towards the prov- 
 ing Chrill to be God, from what is attributed to God 
 in one place, being attributed to Chrill in another; 
 becaufe, according to the fame way of arguing, we 
 may prove Mofcs alfo to be God. But there will 
 be frequent occafion to note the fallacious conclu- 
 fions into which this unhappy miftake, and flumblc 
 at the very threfhold, has led this writer. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 JVhciher Jefus Chriji is the Supreme God? 
 
 XT OWE VER formidable the undertaking, I 
 •*•-*■ only (peak as to the irkfomencfs of it, I fhall 
 
 not 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 not decline tlic labour of furveying and weigliinf^ 
 one by one, I mud nut fay Mr. Robinfon's /;ro^/1 
 of the Deity of ChriO, but his allegations of Scrip- 
 ture-words and phrafcs, of fimilar found and ap- 
 pearance, applied to Chrift, with thofc afcribcd to 
 God hiitifclf; from which he would have it in- 
 ferred, that Chrill is the Supreme God. 
 
 That I may not mifreprefent or injure, him, I 
 Hiall commonly give his own words, printed alio 
 exaflly in hi.-; own wav. 
 
 Under his firfl head, to fiiew ** that the writers 
 '" of the New Teflament meant to inform their 
 " readers, that JksusCijiust is truly and pro- 
 " I'ERi.Y God (d) ;"— I take up (fays he) the New 
 '' Tcltamcnr, and read thefe words of truth and 
 *' fobernefs, in which the Holy Ghoft teacheth me 
 " the nature of Jefus Chrift; and I find thefe 
 " propofitions. 
 
 " The Word was God. John i. i. God was ma- 
 " nijefi ill the Jkjli. i Tim. iii. 16. His name is 
 •* Emanuel, God with us. Matth. i. 23. John turned 
 " many to the Lord their God. Luke i. 16. 
 *' The Jews crucified the Lord of glory, i Cor. 
 *f ii. 8. God pur chafed the church with his blood. 
 " Aas XX. 28. Jefus Chriji Z5 Lord of all. Aas 
 " X. 3^. Chrifl IS over all, God blessed for 
 " ever. Rom. ix. 5. Wefiall all Ji and before the 
 *' ]iit\gment fat of Christ, fo every one of us JJiall 
 " give account of him f If to God. Rom.xiv. 10. 12." 
 
 Nothing more is offered; no interpretation or 
 illullration of thefe texts; no argument to fliew 
 that they are applicable to his purpofe : only a la- 
 boured defcanting upon them in a general way, in 
 the following, and the like high terms, contrived 
 to captivate the incautious unlearned reader:-^ 
 
 (•0 Mr. Robinfon's Plea, Sec, p. 10. 
 
 " By 
 
[ 'O ] 
 
 *' By the richeft words (fays he) in this copious 
 " langaage, (the Greek) the New Teftament- 
 " writers delcribe jefus Chrift. The language 
 " would have afforfl- d lower terms to exprefs an 
 ** inljrior nature : hut it could have afforded none 
 " higher to exprefs the nature ofthe Supreme God." 
 
 His firil indance then, in proof of Jefus being 
 the fuprerne Gjd, which he alleges, is; 
 John i. 1. The Word was God. 
 And he fuppofes, it will be taken as a thing quite 
 certain, upon his word, for he offers no argument 
 in its fupport ; that by the term. Wordy logos, Chriil 
 is intended ; and that thefe words of the evangelifl 
 contain an exprefs declaration of Chrili being the 
 Supreme God. 
 
 But no one who would a6l a wife and reafonable 
 part, fhould take up a belief, without very great and 
 flrong proof, that a Jew by defcent, and education, 
 like the apoftle, owning Mofes for a divine lawgiver, 
 could begin his book with declaring, what was 
 never known or publifhed before ; viz. that there 
 was another perfon, who was Jehovah, the Supreme 
 God, and Creator of all things, befides the one Je- 
 hovah, God of Ifrael, by whom Mofes profefled 
 himfelf to be fent; and thus affert two Jehovahs, 
 t.wo Creators, where Moles had afferted but one, 
 and the prophets after hirn had declared no other : 
 all of them ufmg the words He, Him, Thou, Thee, 
 when fpeakingof him or to him ; and I, me,, when 
 this Being is himfelf introduced fpeaking; terms 
 which admit of no, plurality of perfons whatfoever ; 
 and cfpecially, that this fame writer fhould begin 
 with declaring Jefus to be the true God, when 
 be foon after defcribes Jefus, in a folemn a6l of 
 prayer, invoking the Father as the only true 
 God ; and declaving his own highcil character, and 
 
 molt 
 
f " ] 
 
 moft honourable diftinftion, to be that of being 
 Jent by him, his mcOenger. John xvii. 3. 
 
 Such contradiBory afl'ertions belong not to the 
 facred writings; but are the offspring of unhappy 
 prejudice, and of human contrivance and autho- 
 rity : otherwife it would eafily have been perceived 
 by all, that it is not Jefus Chrift, who is the Word, 
 the Logos, here intended, but God himfelf; who 
 is denominated and chara£lerized by his attribute 
 of Wifdom, or his commanding v/ord and energy, 
 which gave birth to all things ; as in other places 
 of Scripture, by other attributes. Thus God is 
 love. 1 John iv. 16. God is light. 1 John i. 5, 
 By this laft, the apteft and moft (triking emblem in 
 nature, the facred writer would denote his moft 
 perfcft wiidom and knowledge. Such language is 
 readily underftood, and without difficulty applied 
 in thefe inftances : and why not here, in that be- 
 fore us ? 
 
 Writers alfo of oppofite fentimcnts on this fub- 
 je61-, have feen and owned, that St. John in ufmg 
 this language, has a reference to Proverbs viii. 
 where IViJdom, though brought in as a Divine Per- 
 fon fpeaking and afting, is acknowleged to be no- 
 thing but an attribute of the Supreme Mind; and 
 the whole of that profopopoeia orperfonification in 
 Solomon, is confidered in no other light than as a 
 beautiful animated defcription of the God and 
 Creator of all things, afting every where by the 
 rules of the moft confummate wifdom. And what 
 fhould hinder us from interpreting the apoftle here 
 in like manner ; not as introducing a new Supreme 
 God, called the Word, Logos, quite unknown be- 
 fore, and never named by the other three evange- 
 liits; but affcrting, that all things were made by 
 God, at firft, with the moft perfc6l wifdom ; and 
 that from the fame fourcc of the divine wifdom, all 
 
 the 
 
C '^^ ] 
 
 the differpnt communications of light and inflruc- 
 tion to mankind have been derived fince ; eipeci- 
 alJy that bed and chief of all, which we have by 
 Jefus Chrifl ? 
 
 And that this is tlie intent of the introduBory 
 part of his gofpcl, St. John himfelf explains to us, 
 if we only liave tlic patience to lilten to him. For 
 having aflerted with that fimplicity of (liie for which 
 he is remarkable ; In the beginning was the Word, 
 end the Word mas with God — he immediately fnb- 
 joins (Ihewing himfelf incapable of a thought that 
 there was any perfon, who was God, but one ;) and 
 ike Word was God ; or as, rather more agreeably 
 with the original, the fentence might be tranfpofcd, 
 and Go'Q was the Word: viz. that ^For^i, of which 
 he was fpeaking, was none other than God himfelf. 
 It was his Word, or Wifdom, by which all things 
 were made; which planned all the divine councils 
 and defigns, thofe efpecially that related to the 
 human race, and their deliverance out of their dark 
 and degenerate (late by Jefus Chrifl ; to whom a 
 portion of this wifdom was in an extraordinary man- 
 ner imparted, fufficient to enable him to acl the 
 great part affigned to him. Which is the meaning 
 of verfe 14. that follows ; and the Word was (f) made 
 JleJJi^and dwelt among us, &c. i. e. This wifdom was 
 communicated to a nH)rtal, dwelt in the man Chrift 
 Jefus, and was by him difpenfed to the world [/.) 
 
 {e) It fhould rather be tranflatcd, ihe Word was fiejht 
 e Xo^a? coL^'i, (ytnro, as before verle 6. lyivno ai6f«'!ro5, there 
 was rt 7nan Jciit, &c. 
 
 (/) Our author in a fubfequent part of his work, has thefe 
 words : p. 62. 
 
 ♦' I appeal to anyone of you, my brethren,— —Whether 
 ** thf fe confiderations ought not to induce us to allow St. 
 *' John's propofition ; He who was UMitfeJh, •zuajGod." 
 
 But it has been juft now (hewn, how far the apoftie is from 
 afierting any thing fo very degrading, concerning the Su- 
 preme Being. 
 
C '3 ] 
 
 Mr. Robinfon next introduces 
 1 Tim.iii. 16. God xjuch mon'jfej} in tkcJleJJu 
 
 And here alfo it mull be taken upon trufl; from 
 him, for he afTigns no proof of it, that Chrift is 
 the God of whom the apoitle fpeaks. But others 
 will conlider, that in agreement with the common 
 phrafeology of Scripture, as well as with the pre- 
 ceding interpretation of The Word being madefle/h, 
 cKic. it may be afferted of the Almighty, invifible 
 God, even the Father, that uk was vianifejl in the 
 jiejh ; that is, was made known in a manner truly 
 glorious and worthy of him, by the communica- 
 tions of his wifdom and power which were given 
 to the man Chrift Jefus, and by the difcoveries 
 and revelations which this his iionoured inflrument, 
 great prophet and melfenger, was thereby impower- 
 ed to make of the divine will and benignity ; and 
 all this in perfect confiltence v%Mth, nay in no other 
 Tvay to be explained than by Chrjft being truly 
 and properly man, a creature of God, and not 
 truly and properly God ; which our author would 
 hence infer him to be. 
 
 In the fam.e way of fpcaking, the fame apoftle 
 afl'erts, 2 Cor. v. 19. Godzvas in ChriJ}^ reconciling 
 the -world to him/elf ; or as the fame thing is cx- 
 prelfed in the preceding verie, God hath reconQikd 
 us to himjt/j by Jc/us Ckrijt ; i. e. Chrift was God's 
 inftrument in bringing men to holincfs and the 
 divine favour for ever. 
 
 This eaiy explanation may be given of the 
 apoIHc's language, even as our autiior has quoted 
 it, without countenancing fuch conclufion as he 
 would draw from it. But after the (trift, impartial 
 fcrutiny that has been made in the prefent gentury 
 concerning the pallage, and efpccially by the la- 
 bours and rcfearchcs of Sir Ilaac Newton, Wet- 
 fteni, Griefbach, ^:c. upon it, the learned in ge- 
 f) ncral. 
 
C M ] 
 
 ncral are convinced, that the apoRle wrote, not, 
 God wai manifejiin the flejhy but, which was ma~ 
 nifeji inihe flejhy referring to the myftery of god- 
 linefs he had immediately. before mentioned. Of 
 this our author fliould not have been ignorant, nor 
 his readers unapprized. 
 
 Then follows Matth. i. 23. 
 
 His name is Emanuel, God xinth us(g). 
 
 Mr. Robinfon again prefumes his reader will put 
 implicit confidence in him, that this text is an evi- 
 dence of Chrift being the fupreme God : for he 
 offers not a tittle to make it out. 
 
 The words are cited by the evangelift from 
 Ifaiah vii. 14. where they immediately relate to a 
 child, that was to be born at that time ; and no more 
 prove Chrift to be God, than they prove the like 
 of the child fo defcribed by the prophet. But as 
 that child, who was to be called Immanucly God -with 
 uSy was not therefore God; but fo called, to fig- 
 uify according to the known idiom of the Hebrew 
 prophetic writings, that God would at that time 
 afford his peculiar prefence and affiftance to Ahaz: 
 fo the application of the fame name and phrafe, 
 Immanudy God with zw, to the child Jefus, implies 
 not that he was God : but only that God would 
 manifeft himfelf and his .goodncfs, in an extraor- 
 dinary manner, by him. 
 
 We have afterwards, Luke i. 16. 
 John turned many to the Lord their God. 
 
 This quotation upon the face of it certainly 
 needed fome explanation from our author, though 
 none is given, to fliew how it applies to Chrifl, and 
 proves him to be the fupreme God. For it is fo 
 
 . {g) The words in the evangelift are ; Behold, a 'virgin 
 Jhall be njuith child, and pall bring forth a /on, and they Jhall 
 call his name, or h? pall be calhd, Emanuel, 'which being in- 
 terprettd, is, Ccd -with us, 
 
 far 
 
[ '5 ] 
 
 far from being felf evident, that it is not eafy to 
 difcover, in what way Mr. Robinfon can make out 
 what he muft be fuppoled here to intend, viz. that 
 Chrift is THE Lord God, to whom many were to 
 be converted by John the Baptift : for Chrift is 
 not at all referred to or mentioned. Perhaps it 
 is prefumed, that he is the perfon intended here, 
 from the verfe immediately following, which is 
 capable of being applied to him, viz. And he JJiall 
 go be/ ore him in ihx jpirit and power of Elias ; and 
 that this indicates Chrift to be the Lord God 
 before named, as the Baptift was to be his fore- 
 runner. But though John the Baptift went before 
 Chrift in the fpirit and power of Elias, he may in 
 a juft fenfe be fa id alfo to go before the Lord God 
 himfelf, bccaufe in and by Chrift the Lord God 
 appeared and manifcfted himfelf. So that John 
 might turn many to Chrift, and turn them at the 
 fame time to the Lord their God, without making 
 Chrift, God ; or any thing but his great prophet, 
 and meflenger. 
 
 He next produces i Cor. ii. 8. 
 The Jews crucified the Lord of glory. 
 
 The fad is unqueftionably true ; but what argu- 
 ment this language affords that Chrift is God, the 
 author tells not, but would have it taken for cer- 
 tain on his authority, that ftiling Chrift the Lord of 
 glory was the fame as ftiling him the fupreme God, 
 and that the apoftle here declares, in other words, 
 that the Jezus criicfied God. 
 
 But in whatever fenfe Chrift is called Lordy it is 
 to be remembered that he is fuch, merely by the 
 conftitution and appointment of God. For the 
 apoftle Peter in his firft difcourle after our Lord's 
 refurrettion, fays (Ads ii. 36.) Therefore let all 
 the hduje of' Ifracl know ajjuredly, that God hath 
 
 made 
 
[ '6 ] 
 
 made that famt Jefus whom ye have crucified, both 
 Lord and Chrijl. 
 
 Befides, St. Paul, in this place, is far from intend- 
 ing to fpeak of Chrift, as any other than an ex- 
 cellent creature, highly gifted and honoured by 
 Almighty God. In the preceding ver. 7. defcrib- 
 ing the true glory of a chriftian, in oppofition to 
 the vaunting and boafting which was among the 
 Corinthian converts, on account of the pretended 
 Superior eloquence and talents of an ambitious 
 man among them, whom they would fet up in pre- 
 ference to the apoftle ; We [peak (fays he) ike -wij- 
 dovi of God in a myftery, even the hidden wfdom 
 rvhich God ordained be/ore the world, unto our gloiy : 
 which none of the princes of this world knew : for 
 had they known it, they would not have crucified the 
 Lord of glory : that is to fay, in other words ; 
 " Why do ye make divifions by glorying as ye 
 " do in your teachers for their fine rhetorical 
 " abilities and learning ? The glory that God has 
 " ordained for us teachers and profeflbrs of the 
 " gofpel, is to be the preachers and expounders 
 " of thofe revealed truths and benevolent pur- 
 " pofes of God, which though contained in the 
 ** Scriptures of the Old Teftament, were not un- 
 ** derftood in former ages. To teach this wifdom, 
 " is all the glory that belongs to us ; and it is 
 " what none of the rulers of this age attended to ; 
 " for otherwife they would not have crucified the 
 " Lord of glory ; would not have put hira to a 
 " violent unjufl death, who was the Lord, the 
 *' giver, the difpenfer of this glory and honour 
 " of which we boaft." See Locke and Fearcc 
 upon the pafTage. 
 
 Next comes AOs xx. 28. 
 
 God purcha/ed the church with hii bkcd. 
 
 u 
 
[ '7 ] 
 
 It is well known, that the beff and moft antieiit 
 manufcript copies of the New' Teltamient read 
 here ; fctd (he churchy not of God, but ofi}i^, LorJ^ 
 (i. e. of" Chrift) which he hath purchajtd zoitk h s 
 Mood; and fo alfo il is cited by the mcfl aniient 
 chrillian writers. 
 
 Hovsr can our author leave his readers unac- 
 quainted with a circumftance,of fuch importance, 
 and fufFcr the prefent reading to pafs as genuine, 
 without informing them of thefe jufl reafons for' 
 rejecting it, and for believing that fuch words as 
 the blood of God, never fell from the apodle ? 
 
 Of the fame kind is what follows i John iii. 16. 
 God laid down his life for us. 
 
 To deliver this text, as it is here put, without 
 hefitation, as a proof of Chrift's being the fupreme 
 God, is a token of very inexcufcabie negligence 
 in our author. He ought to have known better. 
 Dr. Doddridge (^), whofe fentiments concerning 
 the divinity of Chrift are well known, plainly faw 
 that the word God had nothing to do here, and 
 accordingly expunged it out of his New Teftament. 
 See Mill, Wetltein, and Bengelius. Inftead there- 
 fore of God laid dozvn his life for us, it is to be 
 read, he (i. e. Chrift) laid dozun his li/efor us. 
 
 One cannot but lament the injury and injuflice 
 done to the englijh reader, by permitting thefe and 
 other acknowleged fpurious readings to remain in 
 our Bibles as the real words of the facrcd writers. 
 IF they were marked out or removed, as ti^ey ought 
 to be, chriftians woitjd entertain a juft horror of 
 language to which they have been too much famili- 
 arifed ; viz. of God dying, laying down his life, 
 being crucified, fhcdding his blood, and the like ; 
 
 (^■) Sec h.'s paraphrafe upon the place; 
 
C '8 ] 
 
 as they would perceive the ftiocking idea to be (a 
 wholly without foundation in the facred writings. 
 
 Our author proceeds to cite Ads x. 36. Jejus 
 Chrijl is Lord of all. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon would have it believed upon his 
 bare affertion, that Lord of all in this place 
 fignifies the fovereign almighty Being, the fiipremc 
 God, and that Jefus Chrift is he. But the Scrip- 
 tures inftruft us better to interpret thefe fayings, 
 and give us another account of the origin, nature, 
 and extent of the lordfliip and dignity of Jefus 
 Chrift. According to them, Jefus Chrift is Lord 
 of ally becaufe God hath fo conftituted him in the 
 things relating to the gofpel, and for accomplifli- 
 ing his purpofe in bringing his creatures of man- 
 kind to virtue and an eternal felicity. And thefe 
 Scriptures alfo affign a reafon for this high honour 
 conferred upon the Lord Jefus ; that it was for the 
 fake of his eminent virtue and tried obedience to 
 God. Says the apoftle, Philip, ii. 9, 10,. 11. ht- 
 CAuJe he was obedient unto death, even the death of 
 the crofs : Therefore God alfo hath highly exalted 
 hiviy and hath gracioufly given him a narne which is 
 above every name : That in the name of Jefus every 
 knee fiould bozo, of things in heaven, and things in 
 earth, and things under the earth.: and that every 
 tongue fiould confefs that Jefus Chrijl is Lord, to 
 
 THE GLORY OF GoD THE FaTHER. 
 
 We are next prefented with Rom. ix. 5. Chri^ 
 is OVER ALL, God blessed for ever. 
 
 It has often been fliewn, that this our prefent 
 cnglifti tranflation is not a juft rendering and rc- 
 prefentation of the apoftle's words and meaning. 
 He does not fay, Chrijl is over all, God bless- 
 ed FOR ever: but his words fhould be tranflated 
 Oftuhom (i. e, of the Ifraclites) Chri/l. came: God, 
 
 wlw 
 
C 19 3 
 
 Tvho is over all, he bkjjed for ever ! Or, as 6ther» 
 conftrue it ; Whofe arc the fathers ; of whom, as 
 concerning the flejh^ Chrijl came ; whofe is the Goo 
 OVER ALL, blefjed for ever. It is not needful to 
 allege thofe very probable arguments by which 
 learned men have proved one or other of thefe to 
 be the words and genuine fenfe of the apolUe. 
 But it affords a farther prefumption that fo it is, 
 and that our englifli vcrfion is wrong, becaufe 
 Origcn, that honelt man and mofl: diligent ftudent 
 in the Scriptures, in his time, charges thofe per- 
 fons with being guilty of a precipitate rafhnefs, 
 who ftilcd Chrifl, thk God over all. This 
 fhews, that he did not hold it to be St. Paul's doc- 
 trine, nor underllood the claufe in queftion to re- 
 late to Chrift, but to God (A). " Be it fo, fays 
 *' he, that in the vaft number of chriftians, and 
 " aniidft the diverfity of opinions which is un- 
 " avoidable among them, there fhould be found 
 " fome fo rafh as to fuppofc the Saviour to be 
 ** THE God over all: yet we are not of that 
 " fort, but pay more regard to his own account 
 " of himfelf; My Father , who hath fent vie, is 
 " greater than I (i)." 
 
 hu T-/i» 'OTfo'KiTna.t t/W0Ti9i9-9jt» To» auTHfot citcn rot !«■• c?a9-» 3«0»* 
 aX>.' tfTi yt r.fjiin; toistoi, at ■witSo/ixti'oi avru Xiyovr*, e •aarr)^, » 
 
 Origcn. contra Celfum. 1. viii. p. 387. Ed. Spenc. 
 (/) " The known phrafe, f7r» 'moarut Sto?, Go// o-ver all, 
 *' both in tlie Scripture, and moft primitive antiquity, di- 
 " reftly and fingly means, God, tie Father. And it was 
 " thought in thofe ancient days, that to fay tlie Son was 
 ** £?ri 'oa.fTut Sts?, was little Icfs than ignorance, hcrefy, 
 *' blafphemy." Whillon's Primitive Chriftianity revived. 
 Vol. I v. p. 14. where is much more on tlie fubjcft deferving 
 perjfal. 
 
 C 2 The 
 
[ «o ] 
 
 . The laft of Mr. Robinfon's citations of Scrip-* 
 ture direftly declaring, as he imagines, Chrift to 
 be the fupreme God, is, Romans xiv. lo. 12. 
 We Jhall all Jland before the judgmeM - feat of 
 Christ ; -Jo then every one of us fall give ac- 
 count of himjef to God. This is all moft true: but 
 we fee no proof in it of Chrift being God ; for 
 which our author produces it. For St. Paul explains 
 to us, upon another occafion, in what manner it is 
 that we fall f and If ore the judgment- feat of Chrifi, 
 and give account of our f elves to God at the fame time, 
 yet without making Jefus Chrift, God, or any 
 thing more than a human being, high in his fa- 
 vour. God hath appointed a day, faith he, in the 
 which he -will judge the world in righteoufie/s, hy that 
 MAN whom he hath ordained ; lohereof he hath given 
 ajfurance unto all^ in that he hath raifed him from the 
 dead, A6ls xvii. 30, 31. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 Whether the fame Titles are given to Chrijl in the 
 Ch7-iflia:i ScriptureSy which are given to God in the 
 jfezoi/Ii Scriptures. 
 
 /^UR author's next head and pofitlon is^ p. 
 ^^ T 2, that " the writers of the New Teftament 
 ** defcribe Jefus Chrift by the very names and 
 " titles, by which the writers of the Old Tefta- 
 ** ment had defcribed the Supreme God :" whence 
 it is to be inferred, that Jefus Chrift is the Su- 
 preme God. And to confirm this, he produces 
 the following arrangement of texts from the Old 
 and New Teftament. 
 
 The 
 
C 21 
 
 The titles given to God 
 in the Jewifli Scrip- 
 tures. 
 *Thoii p alt Jay ^ I am 
 
 bath Jen t me. Exod. iii. 
 
 14. 
 
 / (Jehovah) am the 
 
 FIRST AND THE LAST. 
 
 llai. xliv. 6. 
 
 Jehovah your Gcd is 
 Lord of lords. Deut. 
 
 1 
 
 The tides given to Chrift 
 in the Chriftian Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 Bejore Abraham was^ 
 I (Jefus) AM. Johnviii. 
 58. 
 
 /(Jefus)tfWTHE FIRST 
 AND THE LAST. Rev. i, 
 11. 17. 
 
 The Lamb is Lord of 
 LORDS. Rev. xvii. 14. 
 
 X. 17. 
 
 The highest hi-mjelj 
 Jhall ejhzblijh Zicn. Tf. 
 Ixxxvii. 5. 
 
 The Lord oj hojls is 
 
 THE King OF GLORY. 
 
 Pf. xxiv. 10. 
 
 I will SAVE them by 
 THE Lord their God. 
 Hof. i. 7. 
 
 Beljkazzar lijted up 
 himjelj againji t h e Lo r d 
 of HEAVEN. Dan. V. 23. 
 
 Jehovah is exalted as 
 
 HEAD above ALL. 1 
 
 Chron. xxix. ii. 
 
 John 'X'ent bejorc the 
 
 Jace oJ THE HIGHEST. 
 
 Luke i. 'j^. 
 
 J ejus Chriji is Lord 
 OF GLORY. James ii.i. 
 
 The Saviour bcrn is 
 ChriJI THE Lord. Luke 
 ii. 11. 
 
 The Jecond man is the 
 Lord from heaven, 
 1 Cor. XV. 47. 
 
 Chriji is the head 
 of all priricipality arki 
 -power. Col. ii. lo. 
 Here, in like fafliion as under the former head, 
 Mr. Robinfon is unfortunate in all his inftances, 
 whereby he would maintain Chrift to be the fu- 
 prcme God. For it will be found, that the titles 
 which he alfigns to Chrift for this purpofe, are either 
 fuch as are not fo peculiar to God as to be incom- 
 patible with the condition of any creature highly 
 favoured by him ; or, if they are titles peculiar 
 to God, they are by our author wrongly afcribed 
 to Jefus Chrift. 
 
 C3 But 
 
C 22 ] 
 
 But what is wanting in argument, is made up by 
 much too confident affertion ; which will fupply its 
 place with many : for hefcruples not to fay here ; 
 
 " If they who defcribed Jefus Chrirt to the Jcv;s 
 *^ by thefe facred names and titles, intended to 
 *' convey an idea of his deity, the defcription is 
 " juft, and the application fafe : but if they in- 
 '* tended to defcribe a mere man, they were furely 
 " of all men the moft prepofterous. They chofe 
 '* a method of recommending Jefus to the Jews, 
 " themoftlikely to enrage and alarm them. What- 
 •* ever they meant, the Jews underftood them in 
 " OL'T fenfe, and took Jefus Chrift for a blas- 
 ** PH£MER. PFdy2on^/Aff, faid they, Johnx.33, for 
 " BLASPHEMY ; becaufc thou, heingaman, makest 
 " THYSELF God." 
 
 In his application of this laft paffage from St. 
 John's gofpcl, our author himfelf miftakes, and of 
 courfe mifreprefents the fentiments of the Jews 
 concerning Chrifl. Grofs as the apprehenfions of 
 that people were, they never entertained an idea, 
 that there was any but one Perjon^ who was Jc- 
 liovah, the fuprerne God. It is an extravagance 
 that none ever fell into but chriftians of the race 
 pf the heathens, to hold mort perjons than one to be 
 the fvfreme God, 
 
 Our Saviour's anfwer here, and modell vindi- 
 cation pf himfelf, fliews, that all that his advcr- 
 faries meant by their aggravated expreflion of his 
 MAKING Hj?4SEiF GoD, was his affuming the cha- 
 ra6ler of theMeffiah, without what they thought the 
 proper credentials for it : though as he tells them 
 in his reply, th works of the Father which he did, 
 i. e. lf\\s mirgculous wprks, proved him to be the 
 Son 0/ God, i. c. the Mefliah, the Chrift : for the 
 f erms ^re equiyalpnt ; and the Son of God, the Son 
 
C «3 ]" 
 
 tf the living God, the Son of the Blejfed, are fy- 
 nonymous phrafcs, by which the Jews at that time 
 were wont to Ipeak of the great divine prophet 
 and deliverer whom they expected. This is far- 
 ther demonltratcd, if a thing fo plain can need it, 
 by this ; that when our Lord was capitally con- 
 vifted by thcJcwifliSanhediim,the charge brought 
 againit him was, not that he made himfeif Jehovah, 
 the fupreme God; but the Chrift. Again, it is 
 faid, the high friejl aj}ied hwi and faid to him ; 
 yfrt fhon THE Christ, THE Son of the Blessed? 
 And Jfjus faid; I am. Then the high priejl rent 
 hi\ clothes, and faid ; What need have we of any other^ 
 iejlimonv ? Ye have heard the blasphemy : What' 
 think ye? And they all condemned him as guilty of 
 a capital crime. Mark xiv. 61, &c. And after this, 
 when the fame perfons accufed him before Pilate, 
 they make no mention of his deity as our author 
 fpeaks, but of his pretended claim to be the Mef- 
 fiah, their king and prophet. The Jews onfwered 
 Pilate ; We have a law, and by our law he ought t9 
 die, hecaufe he hath made himfeif the Son of God. 
 John xix. 7. It may be hoped, that wefhall heat 
 no more of the Jews in our Lord's time imagining 
 him to claim to be the moft high God, or to 
 be any thing more than his great prophet, the 
 promifed Mediah. 
 
 We turn ourfelves then to confider the titles 
 given to Chrift in the New Teftamcnt, which being 
 the fame, according to our author, with thofe at- 
 tributed to God in the Old Teftament, indicate 
 Chrilt alio to be in like manner God. Still how- 
 ever as before, all is to be taken upon his word; 
 thai his texts of fcripture prove that for which he 
 brings them : for he contents himfeif merely with 
 quoting them. 
 
 C4 He 
 
[ u 3 
 
 Ke fift brings. Be/ore Abraham was^ I am., 
 John viii. 58. 
 
 It is a miftake into which many have fallen, as 
 "well as Mr. Robinfon, that our Lord here alludes 
 to Exod. iii. 14. Thou JIi all fay, I am hath fent mc ; 
 and that he thereby afierts himfelf to be G.05, 
 ]ehovah, the felf-exiftent Being. But had' thjs 
 been Chrid's deiign, the evangelift, who could not 
 but have Tome knowlege of the Greek language 
 in which he wrote, would not have couched it i;i 
 fuch ambiguous terms, as very imperfe611y con- 
 veyed it, and fo that in the fame way of con- 
 ftru8ion it might be maintained, that the man 
 blind from his birth, whom Chrift healed, was alio 
 tl^e fupreme God. For this poor beggar's reply 
 to thofe who were making this inquiry about him, 
 was; fyto st[Ai, I AM. Job. ix. 9. And fartlicr, as the 
 facred hiHojiians of the New Tefiament appear to 
 have been acquainted with, and to have made ufe of, 
 the Septuagint verfion of the Old, which had been 
 raade fome few hundred years before, thq apoflle 
 John, if hq had fuppofed his divine Mailer had 
 referred tp Exod. iii. 14. would moll probably 
 have expreifed himfelf in the words of that Greek, 
 tranOatignj^yuj f!/.t» wi'(/^)a I a7}i he xoho cxijiy-j the 
 
 felf- 
 
 {k) Mr. Pv.obinfun however aflerts the title of 4?», the 
 fqlf^exiilent Being,, to be given to Chrift, in another part of 
 his work ; introducing it with very great pomp, a ifmall part 
 of which only 1 l;^y before the reader. 
 
 P. 07. " Tiie Jews, it is well known, having lofl the 
 *' ufc of •tlii'il' pure native Hebrew tongue, had a Greek 
 «<• tranflation oi their Bible in high repute among them. 
 " The New Tcllamcnt writers all quoted fcripture from this 
 " tranfiation. All the Greek churches, to whom St. John 
 «' wrote, had no other copy. The tranflators of the Greek 
 '« Bible had rendered the incommunicable name, uv. 'I'he 
 ** LordTaid to Mofen, lyu nyn uv. The perfon appearing 
 «* to St. John (quotes this pafTage, and fnys to John; lyu inu 
 f !-r-u uVy'y.cci r,v, y.on o tpp^ofXEXo?," i.e. I a!7t—T-hC) Vjbich is, 
 
 ,^pd\vbich ^i^aSf and 'which is to ceme. JRut 
 
[ =5 ] 
 
 felf-exiftcnt God : which would have put the mat- 
 ter out oF all doubt. 
 
 As it is not therefore likely, for thcfe and other 
 rcafons, that ChriiVs anfvr'er in this place had any 
 relpecl to this name, which God gave himfelf 
 formerly to Mofes, the words he here makes ufc 
 of, / tf7«, cannot be brought as a proof of Chrill 
 being God. ^Vhat he really intended by them, 
 he himfelf has furnifiied us with a key to unfold, 
 in the very difcourfe that he is holding with thefe 
 Jews. For vcrfe 24. he fays ; If yt believe not that 
 I AM he ; ye Jliall die in your Jim : and verfe 28. 
 When ye /hall have lifted up the Son of man, then 
 JJiall ye knozu that I am he. In both thefe inftanccs, 
 our engliih tranflators have held it necelfary to 
 add he to I om^ I am he, i.e. I am the Chrift, to 
 make proper lenfe of it ; plainly feeing that the 
 holy jefus intended only to declare that he was 
 the Chrill:, the promifed Aleffiah, whom they ex- 
 
 But it will be evident, that the perfon who fays this, is not 
 Jefus Chrill, the perfon who appeared to John; but one 
 totally and infinitely different, the Almighty Being himfelf. 
 For the apoltle's falutation to the churciics of Afia, four 
 verfes before, thus opens ; Grace be unfs you and peace, from 
 him 'wbicJj is, and nxhich nuas, and ixihich is to come ;• — and 
 from Je/us Chrijl, the faithful ivitnefs, the firji born from the 
 dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Chrift is here 
 defcribed as a man who futfercd death for the truth, and 
 tn confcquence of this, had the honour of being raifed to 
 an immortal life for his confumrnate virtue and loyalty to 
 God, and exalted above all others of mankind. And he is 
 hereby as exprcfsly dilb'nguifhed, as words can mark the 
 diftinftion, from the eternal God, ivho is, and --who iLas, 
 und ivbo is to ccme, o ut, >.x\ o rt, r.»t o t^x.'^ixivo^, who cannot 
 die. Therefore in the 8th verfe, it can be none other than 
 Jehovah, the felf-exiftciit God, who is introduced thus de- 
 claring hi^ eternal being and perfeclions, pervading all time, 
 paft, prefent, and to come ; I am Alpha, and Omega, the be- 
 ginning and the ending, faith the Lord ; 'which is, and ivhich 
 nvcis, and luhith is to come ; the Almighty, 
 
 ? pcQcd I 
 
[ =6 ] 
 
 peBcd; which his countrymen would not admit 
 him to be notwithflanding the miraculous proofs 
 he gave of it, on account of his low outward ap- 
 pearance and condemnation of their worldly anv 
 bitious views and purfuits. 
 
 Thefe tranfiators, to have been confiftent with 
 theinfelves, fliould have rendered the fame phrafc 
 here in the fame way ; viz. Before Abraham was^ 
 1 AM ke; that is, the Chrift. And this they would 
 have done, had they not been prepoireffed with 
 the notion, that Chrift was the fupremc God, and 
 i+lad to lay hold of any thing that favoured it. 
 For they would otherwile have perceived, that our 
 Lord intended the fame thing here as in thofe other 
 palfages. And although he was not to fill the office 
 of the Melhah till many ages after the time of 
 Abraham, he might fay that he was the Meffiah 
 before that patriarch was born. Before Jbraham 
 zuaSy I am he, by rcafon of his dellination to that 
 office by Almighty God, known unto whom (A61s 
 XV. 18.) are all his works from the beginning of the 
 world. See Gen. xxii. 18. And perhaps our Lord 
 might have in his mind, that obfcare oracle con- 
 cerning himfelf, delivered immediately after the 
 tranfgrcffion and forfeiture of our firft parents, 
 (Gen. iii. 15.) o^ the feed of the zooman being to hruife 
 the ferpents head. 
 
 They muft moreover be great (irangers to the 
 ftile of the facred writings, who have not obferved, 
 that it is cultomary with them to fpcak of future 
 things and perfons, intended by Almighty God to 
 take place and to exift, as if they already had a 
 being. So (Ifai. xlv. 1.) Thus faith M^ Lord to 
 his anointedy to Cyrus, zohom I holdfafi by the right 
 hand : although that prince was then unborn. Thus 
 alfo (Luke xx. 37.) Mofes callcth the Lord (Jeho- 
 vah) the God of Jbraham, of Ifaac, and 0/ Jacob , when 
 thofe patriarchs were dead ; bccaufe on account 
 3 ^ 
 
[ «7 ] 
 of God's purpofe to raife them from the dead, they 
 were in his fight as alive: for (as our Lord him- 
 felf cxprefTcs it, vcr. 38.) all (they) live unto liim. 
 OurLtud iikewife (John xvii. 5.) prays for the glory 
 ivhich he had with the. father before the world was ; 
 i. e. the glory of being the chief inftrument of 
 bringing a dark and degenerate world to virtue 
 and eternal life. For that, and not any thing he 
 liad before been poUefTcd of, is the glory that he 
 there fpeaks of; and for which he prays. Which 
 way of fpeaking, the apolllc Pctcy well explains, 
 when he fays concerning Chrilt, (1 Pet. i. 20. J 
 who verily was foreordained before the foundation 
 of the worlds hut was made manifefl in thefe latter 
 times. And fo here, our Lord, though he had no 
 being.till he was brought forth by his mother Mary, 
 at Bethlehem in Judca, 1785 years fince, accord- 
 ing to the vulgar era; was neverthelefs the MefTiah, 
 the Chriit, before Abraham was born ; becaufe 
 God had foreordained, that there fhould be one of 
 human kind raifed up to fultain that charatter, at 
 fome future period. 
 
 His next inftance of the fame title being given 
 to Chriit, as to God himfclf ; is, 
 
 /(Jehovah) am the / (Jefus) am the 
 
 FIRST AN'D THE LAST. FIRST AND THE LAST. 
 
 Ifai. xliv. 6. Rev. i. 11. 17. 
 
 It is a mark of very blameable negleft or igno- 
 rance in Mr. Robinfon to refer his readers to 
 Revel, i. 11. as an example of the title of the fir fi 
 and the lafi being given to Chrift; when it is a 
 point well known to and allowed by [k) the learned, 
 that the words, / am alpha and omega^ the firfl and 
 
 {k) See Mill and Wetflein. Griefbach has, to his honour, 
 left them out of the text in his late molt valuable edition of 
 the New Teftament ; where they ought 10 have no place. 
 
 the 
 
C 28 ] 
 
 ilie lafiy \n the beginning of this eleventh verfc, are 
 an interpolation, being wanting in all the beft ma- 
 Tjufcript copies and antient verfions of the New 
 TeUamcnt ; having probably been inferted in later 
 times by Tome miftake of Tranfcribers. 
 
 And although in the 17th verfe of this chapter, 
 Chrift undoubtedly calls hi-nfelf, the firjl and ike 
 h/i } yet this does not prove Jefns to be Jehovah, 
 the moll high God ? It is not I'ufFicient evidence of 
 it, that Almighty God ufed the fame terms in fpeak- 
 jjQg concerning jiimfclf, many ages before, by his 
 prophet Ifaiah. Unlcf-; the reader be difpofed at 
 all events, to take it on triift from Mr. Robinfon, it 
 may very naturally be prcfamed, and he will ealily 
 perceive, that God niay ftile liirafelf the firjl and 
 the laji in one fenfe, and jefus be fo termed in ano- 
 ther ienfe, fo as not to give the lead colour to fuf- 
 peQ Jefus to be the-moft high God on this account. 
 
 Goi>> for inflance, is moil truly the jlrft and the 
 Inji, in that he is before all things, and all things are 
 from him, depending upon him, and which v/ill for 
 ever depend upon him, for their exiftence. They 
 may perifli, but he endureth for ever and ever. 
 Chriil, on the other hand, was thcfirfi and the laji^ 
 in the divine difpenfation of the gofpel, as the 
 %vhole was appointed to begin with and had thus 
 its origin from him, and flrall be carried on to its 
 final completion, by his miniftry, and according to 
 his predictions, whatever oppoiition be made to it 
 by the povvcrs of this world. That thefe tenns, 
 the firjl and the lafty are here to be applied to our 
 Lord, in fome fuch qualified {zrSc as this, is moll 
 apparent from the words immediately following; 
 viz. I am he that liveth ond zvas dead. And behold I 
 am alive for evermore, i. e. " Although I once 
 " fuffered by the hands of unrighteous men, and 
 " was put to death ; I fhall now live for ever, and 
 
 *• be 
 
[ =9 ] 
 
 ** be enabled to reconipenfc all my fincere follmv- 
 ** ers, who fliaU. after my example fuffer for the 
 " truih."' Such things as fuffering, dyings can 
 never in any lort be predicated of, or belong to 
 the ever bli'jjf.d, eternal God. 
 
 A third mlhnce of the fame title given to Chrift 
 as to God hiniictf, whence our author would 
 fuppofe and have it inferred, that Chrift alfo is 
 God; is 
 
 Jehovah yciir Gal is '^hc Lamb is Loro 
 Lord of lords. Deut. of lords. Rev. xvii; 
 X. 17. 14- 
 
 He might likewife have brought to the fame 
 purpofe, as is fometimes done; 
 
 God is the blejfed and Jefus, the faithful and 
 cnly Potentate J King of tru.", is King of kings 
 HiKGS AND Lord of and Lord of lords, 
 lords. 1 Tim. vi. 15. Rev. xix. 11. 16. 
 
 None can deny, for it is obvious to fight, iliat 
 the fame titles are here given to Chrill as to God 
 himfelf. But then they are not titles fo peculiar 
 to God, as not to be afcribed to his creatures alfo. 
 For Nebuchadnezzar is by the prophet (tiled king 
 cj kings, hut Nebuchadnezzar was nr,: tlicrcfore the 
 mod high God; nor was Chriii, becaufe of his be- 
 ing called King of kings and Lord of lords. Mr. 
 Robinfon fliould have confidcrcd what is fo fre- 
 quently inculcated in the Scriptures, that our Sa- 
 viour is only Lord and King as appointed by Al- 
 niigiity God, and therefore as Daniel faid to Ne- 
 buchadnezzar (ii. 37.) ThoLiy ki7ig, art King of 
 ¥.i^os;for the God of die av en hath given ihee a 
 kingdom, pouevt and Jirev.gth, and glory : So Chrift 
 is King of kings and Lord of lords, becaufe 
 the God and Father of him and of all, hath made 
 and conlliiuted him fuch. Philip ii. 8, 9, lo, 11. 
 
 Another 
 
C 30 ] 
 
 Another example of the fame fupp6fed title 
 afcribed to Chrift as to God, from which it is 
 to be concluded, that Chrift is the moft high Cod ; 
 is. 
 
 The Highest him- John went before the 
 Jclf JJmll ejiablijh Zion. face of the Highest. 
 Pf. Ixxxvii. 6. Luke i. y6. 
 
 Here is unqueftionably a title peculiar to God; 
 and Mr. Robinfon, according to cuftom, expefts 
 we Ihould take it upon his word, without any 
 proof, that it belongs to Jefus Chrift. But he im- 
 pofes on himfelf and his readers, as in a former in- 
 ftance, (p. 14.) by not confidering and diftinguifh- 
 ing ; that although John the Baptift was Chrift's 
 forerunner and harbinger, who went before him to 
 prepare the Jews for his reception ; the fame John 
 might alfo in very cullomary, intelligible language, 
 be (aid at the fame time to go before the moft high 
 God : bccaufe God was in Chrift, in this fenfe, in 
 that he manifefted himfelf by him, and fpoke to 
 men by him, as his prophet and meflenger. Mr. 
 Robinfon by the fame kind of arguniNsnt might 
 infer that the twelve apoftles were each of them 
 God, as well as their Matter Jefus, becaufe he told 
 them, (Matth. x. 40.) He that receivdh you, receiveth 
 me, and he that receiveth we, receiveth him that Jent 
 me. 
 
 A farther inftance of a fimilar tide affigned to 
 God and to Chrift, from which it is infer'd, that 
 Chrift is the fupreme God, is; 
 
 T'he Lor a of hojis is Jefus Chrifi is Lord 
 THE King of glory, of glory. James ii. i. 
 Pf. xxiv. 10. 
 
 Our author ftiould here again Ir.ive paid fome 
 attention, that Lord of glory ^ king of glory, or any 
 the like title, though afcribed to God., yet does not 
 in fo abfolu^e a mannex belong to liiin., but tluit it 
 
 may 
 
[ 3' ] 
 
 may be afcribed to his creatures, whom he quali- 
 {les for it. Chrifl: is Lord of glory, and King of 
 glory, without all doubt ; yet he is not therefore 
 LoHD and King of glory at> Jehovah, the fu- 
 preme God ; but fuch a Lord and King as God 
 made and appointed him. 
 
 Another inftance to his point, as he fuppofes, is; 
 / will Jcive them by 'The Saviour horn is 
 
 THE Lord their God. Chrijl the Lord. Luke 
 Hofea i. 7. ii. 11. 
 
 If Mr. Robinfon would have his readers under- 
 fland this pafTage in Hofea, as if Almighty God, 
 the Lord of hojls^ had faid he would fave hi:i people 
 by another Almighty God befides himfelf, (as fomc 
 have fuppofcd,) and by the latter would have it 
 concluded Chrifl to be meant: it is fufficicnt to 
 fay, that fuch conftru^lion is owing to a total igno- 
 rance of the idiom of the Hebrew language, fo 
 frequently recurring, in repeating the noun, inltead 
 of fubftituting the pronoun for it. So we read 
 I Kings viii. 1. Then Solomon ajjnnbled ike elders of 
 Jjrael, and all the heads cj the tribes, the chief of the 
 Jathers of the children, unto king Solomon :—\\o\, 
 furcly to another king Solomon, but to himfelf. 
 In like manner Pfahn 1. 23. The Almighty Bein<T 
 fays ; Whojo offereth praife, glorifieth rae : and to him 
 that ordereth his converjation aright will IJhcw the 
 Jalvation of God: not again, the falvation of ano- 
 ther God ; but my falvation. So Gen. xix. 24. 
 The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah 
 Irinijlcne and fre, from the Lord out of heaven: 
 i. c. from himfelf, not from any other Lokd or 
 Jehovah. And St. Paul expreffeshis devout wifhcs 
 for his friend, (2 Tim. i. i^.)TnLLoKu grant unto 
 him that he may find mercy of in e Lord in that day : 
 i. e. may find mercy from him. 
 
 But 
 
[ 3^ ] 
 
 But If our author would have it fuppofed, that 
 there is Ibmething that denotes Chrilt to be the 
 fupreme God, by his being called the Lord, the Sa- 
 viour ; he fhould have recollefted, what we have 
 fo often mentioned, that in whatever way he is 
 Lord, and the fame might be fhewn that in what- 
 ever way he is ihe Saviour, it is God who made 
 him fuch, and impowered him to fxll thofe cha- 
 rafters refpeftively. 
 
 It next follows ; 
 ■ Bsl/Ijazzar lifted up Thejecond man is the 
 •i>im/e/fagain/i THE Lord Lord from heaven. 
 OF HEAVEN. Dan. V. 23. 1 Cor. xv. 47. 
 
 Siippofing the true flate of the facred text to 
 be given, in this quotation from St. Paul, which 
 is not fo, there is great inattention to its true 
 meaning in contrafting it with the palfage from 
 Daniel, and propofing them both together as 
 furnifliing a proof of Chrifl being the fupreme 
 God, for having the like title afcribed to him 
 as to God; which is however by no means true 
 here. For the apoftle fays. The firjl, man is of 
 the earth, earthy, or created out of the dull : i. e. 
 Adam was perifhable, like the materials out of 
 which he was framed. But the fecond man, to 
 Avhom belongs the fpiritual body he had mentioned 
 jufl before, who is Chrifl the Lord, is from heaven, 
 of a heavenly or divine Fabric and confiitution. 
 
 But waving this, the learned know, and Mr. Ro- 
 binfon fhould have known, that the term. Lord, m 
 tliispaflage, has crept in by the miftake of Tran- 
 fcribers, and was not Written by St. Paul ; whole 
 words are only, the fecond man is from heaven-, 
 leaving out Lo7-i. N.B. Luther omitted Zor^ in 
 hisGenTian tranflation of the Bible. Others alfo 
 of the Reformers rejecled it, as not being a part of 
 Scripture. 
 
 The 
 
[ 33 1 
 
 Tlic lail iiiRance alleged, of a fiiniJar title givcj^ 
 to God and to Chrili:, intended to Ihew the latter 
 to be the rupreme (iod ; is ; 
 
 Jehovah is exalted as Cbrijl is the head 
 
 HEAD ABOVE ALL. I OF AI.L principality f.tld 
 Chron. xxix. ii. po-iver. Col. iii. lo. 
 
 The producing together thefe parallel places, 
 and marking them lb as to point out their refem- 
 blance to the eye, which is done throughout, and 
 which I have copied, does more credit to our au- 
 thor's diligence in turning over the lacred pages, 
 than to his difcernment in f'urnilhing the means of 
 interpreting what is contained in them. What if 
 Chriit be, as he is undoubtedly (liid to be, the head 
 of all principality and power ? Whatfoever fenfe 
 you put upon this defcription of him, it does not 
 therefore follow that he is [ehovah, God, exalted 
 as head above all. The lame apollle, who thus 
 defcribes Chriit in this place, when he (peaks of 
 him in another, (i Cor. xi. 3.) as being the head of 
 every m^/z, declares at the lame time, lelt there 
 Ihould be any miliake about the origin or extent 
 of his power; I xuould have vou knowy that the 
 HEAD OF Christ is God. So that however ex- 
 alted he is, whatever principality or power Chriit 
 polfefTes, there is oxe who, in the apoftle's account, 
 is tranfcendently and infinitely above him, and who 
 controuls and governs him, and all things, ami 
 perfons, whatfoever. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 Whether the Pcrfediom which are afcribed to 'ffus Chriji in 
 the ScriptitrcSy are th: fame with thsfe thai are aCcribed to 
 God? 
 
 AyTR. Robin fon's next head is, that " the writers 
 
 IVl. « (^f Revelation afcribe the fame perfections 
 
 " to Jefus Chriit, which they afcribe to God." 
 
 U And 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 And from certain texts of Scripture, colleflecl antl 
 ranged together for the purpofe, but without any- 
 proof offered, either that they are the incommu- 
 iiicabie perfedions of God which are therein de- 
 fcribed j or, if fuch, that they are really afcribed to 
 Chrift : he neverthelefs fcfuples not to fay, as was 
 -above noted, *' that if Jefus Chrid be not God, 
 " the apoflles are chargeable either with weaknels 
 " or wickednefs." 
 
 To work upon the paffions of his readers, for 
 our author is no where unfl^illed in that art, 
 he touches beforehand upon *' the moft alarming 
 " confequences that would follow, were the im- 
 *' perfe6lions of creatures to be afcribed to God, 
 ** or the perfeQions of God to creatures. — And 
 *' yet, adds he, notwithftanding fo many rcafons 
 *• for, precifion, Jefus Chrill declares, all ■ ihingSy 
 " that the Father' hathy are mine ; a very dan- 
 *' gerous pofition, if he were not God." How 
 cafy is it for a perfon of a fruitful imagination, 
 and ready volubility of fpeech, to give an impofrng 
 turn to words, intirely different from their real 
 meaning ! For our Lord is far from intending 
 here all things throughout the wide univerfe of 
 being ; (as our author would have it luppofed,) 
 when he fays (John xvi. 15.) All things, that the 
 Father hath are tnvne : but only all the things of 
 which be was f[oeaking at the time, as every one's 
 unbiaffcd reafon would di8atc to him ; namely, 
 what related to the divine afliftance, which he had 
 been promiflng, v/ould be given to his apoflles after 
 his deccafc and rciloration to life and aJcenfion to 
 heaven : All the/c things, faith he, that the Father 
 hath, are mine: i. e. he has promifed them to me, 
 and they will be imparted to you. In his prayer 
 to the heavenly Father, our Lord ufes fimilar 
 phrafcs; mine arc tl tine ^ and thine are mine , not to 
 
 befpeak 
 
[ 35 ] 
 
 befpcak himfelf equal to the fupreme Father and 
 I'oUcllor c •' I^eaveii and earth, whom he was hum- 
 bly lupplicaiiiig at the time for favour and alhlt- 
 ance; but to denote, with all thankfulnefs, that 
 every thing relating to the gofpel difpenfation and 
 Talvation of mankind, had without referve been 
 communicated to him. 
 
 \\'ith the fame defign, ofprepofleffing the reader 
 by flrong aflcveration without proof, our author 
 goes on to fay ; " The writers of revelation afcribe 
 " to Jefus Chrifl the fame perfections which the)f 
 ** afcribe to God. They affirm; InChriJi dzvdlcth 
 
 ** ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD bodily." 
 
 Col. ii. 9. 
 
 But before this had been fo peremptorily alfert- 
 ed, it fliould have been confiuered, that whatever 
 perfedions are here implied, Chrill, in our apo- 
 file's account, received them from. God, and de- 
 pends upon him for them. For a little before, in 
 the fame epiflle, he had faid. Col. i. 19. It pleafed 
 the Father, that in him JJiould allfidnef'i dwell. And 
 moreover, the fame apoftle prays, Eph. iii. 19. 
 that the chriftian brethren at Ephefus, TdigJit be 
 filled with all the. fulneji of God. So that the gifts 
 or perfections here intended, were in fomc degree 
 common to Chrift with thofc his firfl followers. 
 
 The phrafe, fulnc/s of the godhead, does not fig- 
 nify all the perfc6lions belonging to the deity ; nor 
 is that fenfe countenanced by any fmiilar language 
 throughout the Bible. But all that is intended by 
 it, is; that in Chrift dwell all thofc excellent gifts 
 which were communicated to him from God, and 
 were to be bellowed upon his followers, in that 
 firft age of the gofpel (/). 
 
 (/) See an admirable note cf Peirce'i upon the place ; 
 whole int'jrprttation is here folio vved. 
 
 D 2. JKr. 
 
[ 35 1 
 
 Mr. Robinfon employs fome pains in clafiing 
 the Teveral texts of Scripture, which in his eftima- 
 lion, declare Chrift to have the perfe8,ions of God, 
 and therefore to be truly and properly God : a 
 labour he may well beftow, for he takes no other ; 
 but according to cuftom, prefumes the reader will 
 implicitly rely upon his judgment, that they prove 
 the point in queltion. I tranfcribe him exactly. 
 
 Perfections afcribed Perfections afcribed 
 to God. to Chrift. 
 
 ETERNITY. 
 
 God is an ever last- The name oft h e c h 1 1. d- 
 IK ti king. Jer. X. lo. zsilA^ everlasting Fa- 
 
 ther. Ifai. ix. 6. 
 Jehovah Jhall reign Unto the Son he faith, 
 
 for EVER AND EVER. THY THRONE, O GoD, 
 
 £xod. XV. i8. is /or EVER and ever. 
 
 Heb. i. 8, &c. 
 
 OMNIPOTENCE. 
 
 The name ofthehoRD The name of the child 
 OF hosts is the mighty is the mighty God. 
 God. Jcr. xxxii. i8. lied. ix. 6. 
 
 /Jehovah appeared I the Lord a7n the 
 by the name of God Al- Almighty. Rev. i. 8. 
 mighty. Exod. vi. 2, 3. 11, 12, 13. 18. 
 immutability. 
 / Jehovah change The heavens and the 
 
 kot. Mai. iii. 6. earth fiall he changed: 
 
 but tHou (the Son; art 
 the same. Heb. i. 10. 
 12. 
 T//<?:i MY God cr^ the Jesus Christ the 
 .&ASIE, and thy years have same ycfle^rday, to-day^ 
 no end. Pi', cii. 24. 27. and/or escr. Hcb.xiii.8. 
 
 O M N I- 
 
C 37 ] 
 
 OMNIPRESENCE. 
 
 Do not I Jehovah Chrift is he, who 
 
 FILL HEAVEN AND FILLETH ALL IN ALL. 
 
 EARTH ? Jer. xxiii. 24. Eph. i. 20. 23. 
 
 In all PLACES where Where two or three 
 
 I Jehovah record my are gathered together in 
 
 ti AUTLy there '•j:;ill I come my name, there am I 
 
 unto thee and ble/i thee. (Jcfus) in the midfi of 
 
 Exod. XX. 24. them. Matth.xviii. 20. 
 
 O M N I S C I E N C E. 
 
 Jehovah is a God of We are Jure that thou 
 
 knoiulege. 1 Sam. ii. 5. (]ci\is)knoweJ^ all things, 
 
 John xvi. 30. ii. 24, 25. 
 
 xxi. 17. 
 
 I Jehovah search I the Son of God, 
 
 THE HEARTS, I TRY THE AM HE, WHICH SEARCH- 
 REINS. Jer. xvii. 10. eth the reins and 
 
 THE HEARTS. Rev. ii. 23. 
 
 We are now to examine this pompous exhibi- 
 tion of texts, in their order, to fee how far they 
 indicate Chrift to be polfefFcd of the divine per- 
 feQions, and therefore to be the moft high God. 
 
 Texts to prove the eternity of Jefus Chrill. 
 
 1. God is an ever- Thenameof the child 
 LASTING kifig. Jer. X. 10. is the everlasting fa- 
 ther. Ifai. ix. 6. 
 
 One may wonder, that in the year 1782, for 
 that is the date of the edition of our author's book 
 before us, there (hould be found any one fo inad- 
 vertent to the true rendering of this paffagc in 
 Ifaiah, as ftill to give it a Icnfe that refJetls fo 
 much difcredit on a prophet of God ; as if he could 
 affert that a child, or that any Perfon but one, could 
 be the cvcrltijlLng Father. The old Greek interpret- 
 ers, who lived before and foon after our Saviour's 
 D 3 time, 
 
t 38 ] 
 
 time, and the Vulgate, render it •srarT!^ ts ajw^o? 
 rs fAsXXovTocy pater futuri feculi, the Jalher of the 
 age or the zuorld to come. So it is (w) rendered by 
 Mr. Lowth. His fon, the prefent Bifhop of Lon- 
 don, tranflates it, the father of the evcrla/ling age. 
 Grotius ; Pater leculi, qui multos pofl fe reH8urus 
 fit pofteros, et in longum tempus; i. e. the father 
 of the (chriftian) age, as who fiiould leave a nu- 
 merous and lafting pofterity of believers behind 
 him. Munfter; Pater cternitatis, i. e. Temper 
 gignens novam fobolem in ecclefia : i. e. the fa- 
 ther of eternity, in this fenfe, as having a new 
 offspring in the church continually born to him. 
 In which fenfe alfo Martin, in his French tranf- 
 lation renders it ; le Pere d' eternite. 
 
 I hope, for the fake of truth and decency, that 
 we fliall hear no more of a child, the child jefus 
 being the everlajiing Father; and that fuch ob- 
 noxious language will in tii:pe be removed out of 
 our Bibles. 
 
 2 . J E H o V A ujkallreign Unto the Son he fat thy 
 
 for EVER AND EVJtR. THY TH RON E O G"0 D, /j 
 Exod. XV. 18. for EVER AND EVER. 
 
 Heb. i. 8. &c. 
 If the words of the apoltle to the Hebrews are 
 to be thus tranllated, Mr. Robinfon in jufticc to 
 his readers fhould have apprized them, that al- 
 though Chriil be ftilcd God, he is at tlie fame 
 
 (»/) " The Septuagint render the words, trx-rr.^ i^novro^ 
 *' etiftjic;, the father of the world to come ; and the vulgar 
 *' Latin follows this tranllation : which fmce the PIcbrew 
 " words c.driiit of, I c^n't but have a particular regard for 
 *' it, becaufj 1 am pcrfuaded it is from the authoriiy of this 
 " text, that the ilate of the gofpcl, or the kingdom of the 
 " Mcffiah is called in the New Teftamcnt by the title of 
 *' l^i7\\av atuv, the world to Come. See Matth. xii. 32. 
 " Hebr. ii. 5. vi. 5."— r-Lowth, on Ifai. ix. 6. 
 
 time 
 
[ 39 ] 
 time declared to have a God over him and above 
 him, \vho made him what he is : for it follows 
 immediately after, in the fame addrefs Hill con- 
 tinued to Chrift ; — A Jceptre of right eoiijnejs is the 
 Jceptre of thy kingdom : Thou hafl loved righteouf- 
 nefs and hated iniquity y therefore God, even thy 
 God, hath anointed thee with the oil of glndnefs 
 above thy fell ozvs -, i.e. hath conferred luperior 
 honour and felicity upon thee. 
 
 But the better reading and tranfiation of the 
 words, which they equally admit, is ; To the Son 
 he faith, God is thy throne for ever and ever ; i. e. 
 God is the citabliPner of thy throne ; thy Ibpport. 
 See Peirce upon the place. Whatever therefore 
 is here laid of Chrilt, is very confident with his 
 having a beginning of exiftence like all the other 
 creatures of God ; is far from implying, that he 
 is the eternal God, as our author would make 
 him. 
 Texts to prove the omnipotence of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 1. The name of the The name of the child 
 Lord of hosts, is the is the mighty God. 
 MiGHTYGoD.Jer. xxxii. Ifai. ix. 6. 
 i8. 
 
 Bp. Lowth, no Icfs than our author, appears to 
 me wiiolly unjuftifiable in tranflating this palfage 
 in Ifaiah, the ^nighty God -y and letting it pafs, as 
 if the mofl high God was intended by it; without 
 giving any notice of the different verfions and 
 readings of the place, ancient and modern ; which 
 may affure any one, that the prefent reading in 
 our Bibles is not to be depended upon. I Ihall 
 barely tranfcribe fome of them, as they lie before 
 me in Calmet ; who, by the way is very angry with 
 the antient Interpreters for leaving the word, God, 
 out of their tranflations. Aquila renders it: His 
 name fhall be called^ luondir^'Al, cou7iJellor, the 
 D 4 firong^ 
 
C 40 ] 
 
 ftrongi the mighty :, the father of the age. Symraa- 
 chas : His name pall be called vicfi extraordinary ^ 
 a cQurJellor^ the Jhong^ the mighty, the father of 
 the age. Theodotion : And he called his name, 
 ivonderfid, a cciinfellcr; the firong, the mighty, the 
 father of the age. The Vulgate has it : IVonderfal, 
 God, powerful, the father of the age. The Ro- 
 man edition of the Vatican has alfo : His name 
 ftjall be called the angel or mejfenger of the great 
 coimjel : for I ivill make peace and health to come 
 tipon his princes. Le Clerc follows the antients, and 
 tranflates the word Jlov El, powerful, and not God. 
 Martin underftood it fo, in his French tranflation, 
 but added the word God, as he thought, to make 
 out the fenfe, " le (Dieu) fort et puifiant." Vata- 
 ble, the learned French profefibr renders it, hero* 
 fortis, as Martin Luther is faid to have done in 
 bis German tranflation of the Bible, viz. the 
 mighty hero, or prince. I would hope again, as 
 I exprefi'ed mylelf upon another ill interpreted 
 part of this verfe of the prophet Ifaiah, that the 
 comraon unlearned chriftian will not much longer 
 continue to be impofed upon by high authority, 
 as if a CHILD could be the mighty God, thk 
 EVERLASTING Father, the Infinite eternal Being. 
 2. J Jeuovab appear- J the Lord am the 
 .ed by the name of God Almighty Rev. i. 8. 
 Almighty. Exod. vi. ii, 12, 13. 18. 
 
 It will readily be perceived, that there is not 
 any pretence for our author to affert Chrifl to be 
 the omnipotent God, by dating jultly and at length 
 the whole of the palfage to which he appeals for 
 it ; which is as follows : 
 
 Ver. 8. / am yllpha and Omega, the beginning 
 and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and 
 zvkich wasj and which is to come, the Almighty. 
 
 11, Say» 
 
[ 41 1 
 
 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omegci, the firft 
 and the lalt, Sec. 
 
 12, 13. yiW / turned to fee the vcice that /pake 
 with me. And being turned, I Ja'w Jeven golden 
 candlefticks \ and in the midjl of the candlefiicks, 
 one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment 
 down to the footj and girt about the paps with a 
 golden girdle. 
 
 18. I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and be- 
 holdy I am alive for evermore y Amen ; and have the 
 keys of hell and cf death. 
 
 The 8th verlb here contains evidently a defcrip- 
 tion of God, the one fiipreme alnnighty Governor 
 of all things, who i^s ever the fame, unchangeable, 
 and able to accomplilh his purpofes throughout 
 all time. But the part of the eleventh verle, [/ 
 am Alpha and Omega^ the frj} and the lafr^ which 
 Mr. Robinfon prefumes to be defcriptive of Chrift, 
 and to indicate him to beihe Almighty Being de- 
 fcribed ver. 8, are not the words of the facred 
 writer, as was above noted. As for the 13th and 
 18th verfes, they fpeak of Chrill exprefsly as a 
 human being, and point at his fuffcring death in 
 the caufe of God, and being on that account raifed 
 to life, never to die more, with a power alfo of 
 conferring a bleffed immortality on his true dif- 
 ciples. 
 
 Texts to prove Chrid to be the unchangeable 
 God. 
 
 X . / Jehovah change The heavens and the 
 
 >J0T. Mai. iii. 6. earth fhall be changed: 
 
 but T HO V (the Son) art 
 
 THESAME.Heb.i.10.12. 
 
 Although Mr. Robinfon here infcrts the words 
 [the Son] in a parenthefis, to afcertain that this 
 addrcfs is made to the Son, he is very unfortunate 
 in it ; for it is God, and not Chrifl, to whpni the 
 
 words 
 
C 4^ 1 
 
 woids arc applied, as v;as thus many years fince 
 fhewn by an able v.'riLer, and fl^ilful interpreter of 
 Scripture. 
 
 " Here we may obfcrve (uiys Mr. Emlyn, vol. 
 ii. p. 340, 341.) that the tenth verle, And thoUy 
 Lord, &c. (though it is a new citation) is not pre- 
 faced with, ylnd to th€ Son he Jaith^ as ver. 8; or 
 •with an Again, as vcr. 5, 6. and fo ii. 13 ; but 
 barely, And thcu^ Lord, Now the God lad men- 
 tioned was Chrift's God, who had anointed him ; 
 and the author thereupon addreifing himfelf to this 
 God, breaks out into the celebration of his^ciwr, 
 and efpecialiy his unchangeable duration; which 
 he dwells upon, as what he principally cites the 
 text for, in order, I conceive, to prove the {la- 
 bility of tbe Son's kingdom before fpoken of. 
 ^by throne, .0 God, is (or God is thy throne) for 
 ever and ever : God, thy God, has atiointed thee : 
 and thou, Lord, i. e. thou who haft promifed him 
 fuch a throne ; art he vjho laidfi the fcundation of 
 the earth, and by thy hands madeji the heavens^ 
 'which though of long and permanent duration, 
 yet will at length perijlo ; but thou rernainefl ; thou 
 art the fame, and thy years fjall not fail. So that 
 jt feems to be a declaration of God's immuta- 
 bility made here, to afcertain the durablenefs of 
 Chrift's kingdom before-mentioned: and th>e ra- 
 ther fo, becaufe this paftage had been ufed ori- 
 ginally for the fame purpofe in the Clld Pfalm, 
 viz. to infer thence this conclufion in the lall 
 verfe ; the children of thy fervants foal I continue, 
 aytd their feed fi>all be efablifsd before thee. In 
 like manner it here proves, the Sen's throne fliould 
 be cftablifhed for ever and ever by the fame argu- 
 ment, viz. by God's immutability; and lb was 
 very pertinently alleged of God, without being 
 applied to the $cn\ to (hew how able his God, 
 
 who 
 
[' 43 ] 
 vho had anointed him, was to make good and 
 maintain u!iat he had granted him, viz. a durable 
 kingdom lor ever." He then f^ocs on to fliew, 
 that thcle words were io underwood by the early 
 chriftian writers, Irena^us and Tertuliian ; and 
 that no one antient writer ever applied tliem to 
 Chrill during the three firft centuries ; and that 
 Dr. Wateriand does not pretend that they were 
 ever fo applied till the fourth or fifth." 
 
 2. Thou, MY GoD^ art Jesus Christ, the 
 THE SA^iEy aud tby years %.\uz yejierday, to-day ^ 
 have no end. Pfal. cii. and for ever. \\^\i.y,\\\'^. 
 24.27. 
 
 This text Heb. xiii. 8. from which Mr. Robin- 
 fon would have us conclude, that Chrift is the un- 
 changeable God, fpoken of by the Pfalmifb, is 
 much bcfide his purpofe ; as it relates not to 
 Chrill: himfelf, but to his do6lrine, which is often 
 fo called. Thus Eph. iv. 20. ji? have not Jo learned 
 Chrift, i. e. the chriftian dottrine. Phil. iv. 13. 
 I can do all things through CWi^zvho ftrengtheneth 
 aie ; i. e. through the teachings of Chrift. Eph. 
 iii. 17. that Chrift may dwell in your hearts by 
 faith '^ i. e. the doctrine of Chrift. And takino- 
 in the preceding verfe, and the connexion of the 
 difcourfe, it will be evident, that the Apoftle Ik 
 here fpeaking of the doctrine of Jefus Chrift, not 
 of his perfon. Remember them ivhich have the rule 
 over ycUy who have fpoken unto you the ivord of 
 God : zi-'hofe faith foiiozvj conjidertrig the end of 
 their converf at ion : Jefus Chrifi, the fame yefler day ^ 
 to-day^ and for ever. Be not carried about with 
 diverfe and Jhange doctrines. " For there would 
 ** be no force in the argument, to fay ; Imitate 
 *' your faforsj becaufe the Perfon of Chrif: is aU 
 ♦* ways the fame. But the other vyay, it is a clear 
 
 '' and 
 
C 44 ] 
 
 ** and very good argument. Adhere to the faith 
 " cf the apjiles who fir fi injiru^ed you, and be not 
 " carried about "juith a variety of new doc$)ines : 
 *' For the dooirine of Chrift is always one and the 
 " Jame, and cannot be changed by men." Dr. 
 Clarke's Reply to the Objeftions of Mr. Ncllbn, 
 
 p. 169- 
 
 Texis to prove Chrift to be the omniprefcnt 
 God. 
 
 1. Do not I J EHOVAH Chrif is he who f i l- 
 
 FILL HEAVEN AND LET H A LL 1 N AL L. Eph. 
 
 EARTH ? Jer. xxiii. 24. i. 20. 23. 
 
 A common reader, who fubmits to our author's 
 judgment, will imagine from thefe two pafTages 
 compared top;cther, that he has made out his point, 
 and that Chrilt is God, prefent every where. 
 But he greatly deceived himfelf, and mifleads 
 others, by putting together paiTages that appear to 
 4^he eye to agree, without confidcring their real 
 meaning and difference. For that which is here 
 fpoken of Chriit filing all in all^ or " filling all 
 things with all things," has not the leaft reference 
 to his being God, or being omniprefent as God. 
 For going back to verfe 17. we findj^tliiit it is, 
 the God cf cur Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of 
 'glory, from whom he received this power, what- 
 ever it be. Ver. 22, 23. He, i. e. Chrilfs God, 
 hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to 
 he head over all things to the church, which is bis 
 body, the fulnefs of him that fillet h all in all. 
 
 The fulnefs then here fpoken of evidently re- 
 lates to the church, which is itiled the fulnefs of 
 Chrift, conlidered as the head of a body, which 
 confilts of divers members, all together conftituting 
 a perfe6l body. Chriftians therefore in general, 
 compofcd of Jews and Gentiles, were the fulnefs 
 
 of 
 
[ 45 ] 
 
 of ChriR, by which he was complcated ; and lie 
 lilled all things with all things, by imparting to the 
 members oF his church ail thoic ipiritual and di- 
 vine bleifings of which they partook, and which 
 were derived from him as their head, and which 
 he received from God : for (as our apolHe fpeaks 
 in a parallel pallage, Coloff. ii. 19.) ;'/ fleajed the 
 Father that in him jJoould allfulnefs dwell: or, as 
 the original Greek is better tranflated by Caftellio 
 and Peirce, it plcafed the Father to ijihabit all ful~ 
 nejs by Chrifi : i. c. God appointed him to be the 
 head of the church, that he might in or by him, 
 inhabit, dwell among them, by communicating 
 his extraordinary gifts and blelTings to them • as 
 our apoftle elfewhere exprefl'es it (Eph. ii. 22,) 
 in or ly whom^ (i. e. Chrid,) you alfo are huilded 
 together for an habitation of God, through the 
 Spirit. 
 
 2. Im all places IVhere tiuo or three 
 
 'juhere I Jehovah record are gathered together in 
 MT NAME, there •will I my name, there am f 
 come unto thee and blejs (Jefus) in the midft of 
 thee. Exod xx. 24. them. Matth. xviii. 20. 
 
 If Mr. Robinfon had paid due attention to our 
 Lord's words in this place, he would have I'een, 
 that they arc very far from implying him, either 
 to be God, or to he prefent every where. For 
 Chriih is not fpeaking of chriltians in general, at 
 all times, when joining together in the worfhip of 
 God, as his diiciples; but only of a particular 
 rare cafe of his apoltles, in that lirlt age of his 
 religion, when miraculous powers were afforded, 
 and their prayers and requcds for particular things 
 immediately anfwered. This is evident from thtprCf 
 ceding verle, where Chrift addrefles himfelf imme- 
 diately to his apollles, and conhncs what he fays to 
 
 them 
 
[ 46 ] 
 
 them only. Ver. 19. I Jay unto you, that if two 
 cfYO\jJJoall agree on earth as touching any thing that 
 they Jh all ajky it Jhall he done for them of my tather 
 which is in heaven. Here it is to be obferved, 
 that it is to God, the Father, that Chrid direfts 
 them to offer up their prayer, and not to himfelf. 
 And to flrengthen their confidence of their requeils 
 being granted on fuch efpecial extraordinary oc- 
 cafions, he fubjoins; for zvhere two or three are 
 gathered together in my name ^ there am I in the midfl 
 of ihem.y or among them. Not that he was to be 
 perlbnally prelent with them, when they were thus 
 afl'embled for prayer to God : but he fhould be 
 with them, by that extraordinary divine power 
 which would be vouchfafed to them, when thus 
 affembled in his name. In other places we find 
 him expreffing himfelf in the fame manner, as if 
 he himfelf was to be in perfbn with his difciples, 
 when all he intended by it was, that he fhould ^o 
 far be with them by the extraordinary divine af- 
 fiftance that would be granted them, that it would 
 intirely fupply his place, and be the fame to them 
 for their diretlion and aluftahce, as if he were 
 aflually prefent. Thus John xiv. 3. 18. And when 
 J go and prepare a place for you, I will come again 
 mid receive you unto myfelf — I will not leave ycu 
 orphans: I will come to you {0'). In thefe pafiages, 
 Chrift fpeaks of the gifts of the holy Spirit, wliich 
 after his refurrection he promifes to his difciples, 
 and which would as effc61ually fupply his place, 
 and help ihcm, as if he himfelf were to be again 
 actually prefent with them. 
 
 (0) See CommentaKies and Efiays of the Society for pro- 
 mohng Scriptural kiiovvkge, No. 1. 
 
 Texts 
 
[ 47 ] 
 Texts to prove the omnireicnce of Jefus ChriJfl. 
 I. Jchovnh is a God We are Jure that thou 
 of know lege. i Sam. {]e\u<,)knoa'eJl all things. 
 ii. 5. Jolm xiv. 30. But Je- 
 
 fus did not commit himjelf 
 unto them^hecaujeh; knew 
 all men j and needed not 
 that any Jhould tcjtify of 
 man : for he knruj what 
 was in man. ii. 24, 25. 
 Peter was grieved ^ be- 
 caiife he J aid unto him thi 
 third time J lovejl thou me ^ 
 And he /aid unto him. 
 Lord, thou knowefi all 
 things; thou knowefi that 
 I loi'e thee. xxi. 17. 
 There can be little doubt but that all, who judge 
 from what appears to the eye, and net from \vhat 
 is really intended by the words they read in a book, 
 will be impoled upon, as our author is, by this 
 heap of texts; that Chrift is all knowing as God. 
 But with thofc who will make the leaft ufe of their 
 own underftandings, the veil will foon be with- 
 drawn, and they will fee that infinite wifdom and 
 knowlege belongeth only to God, and a limited 
 degree of it, more or Icfs, according to his good 
 plcafure, belongeth to Chrilt, or any the moit 
 exalted of his creatures. 
 
 In the hrlt inflance, if Mr. Robinfon had only 
 taken the trouble to look to the end of the verje 
 he quotes ; or had produced the whole of it before 
 his readers; both he and they muit have been fen- 
 fible of his great miflake, in alleging it for fuch a 
 purpole. Our Lord fcems to have removed fom^ 
 pcrplcxitywhich his apollles were under, concerning 
 
 fomething 
 
C 48 ] 
 
 fomething not. mentioned to \\%, before they had 
 even propofed their doubts to iiirn, and when they 
 were perfiiaded he could not by any merely human 
 power have known the flate of their minds at the 
 time; they fay to him, (John xvi. 30.) Now we 
 are Jure J that thou knoivefl all things , and yieedefi not 
 that any man jhould nf/c thee: by this we believe that 
 thou camefi forth from God, It is evident, that by 
 their divine Mailer knozving all things^ his dif- 
 ciples did not mean hispofleffing all poffible know- 
 lege, fuch as belongs to the ali-comprehenfive 
 mind of God ; but merely the fecret knowlege 
 he had juft been fhewing, of what related to them- 
 felves, of their doubts and difficulties; and fuch 
 as belonged to him as a divine mefienger and 
 prophet of God. This is confirmed by their far- 
 ther adding, what our author omitted; by this we 
 know that then caniefl forth fro'm God — not, by this 
 we know that thou art God, or that thou art all- 
 knowing as God, (fuch a thought never entered 
 into their hearts, or could be fuggefted by the 
 occafion) — but that thou, camefi forth from God, 
 that thou haft fuch extraordinary knowlege and 
 communications from God, as fully convince us, 
 that thou art the Chrift. 
 
 That, coming from God, and coming forth from 
 God, was well underftood by the Jews, as fignify- 
 ing nothing more than being a prophet of God, 
 is demonftrated by that declaration of Nicodemus 
 to Jefus, recorded by this evangclift. (John iii. 2.) 
 The fame ca;ne to Jefus by night j and f aid unto him^ 
 Rabbi, we know that thou. art a teacher come from 
 God : for no man can do thcfe miracles that thou 
 dcfi, except God be with him. Obfcrvc, that tliis 
 learned jewifli ruler believed Jefus to come from 
 God, to be a prophet, though he was not yet con- 
 vinced, that he was their great promifed prophet, 
 the Chrift, the Mefliah. ' Our 
 
[ -i9 ] 
 
 Our author's next iiiRancc will appear ftill to 
 have as little foundation as the former. Therein 
 the evangel ifl remarks, that at the beginning of 
 Chrift's public minillry and difplay of liis mi- 
 raculous power, great numbers reforting to him, 
 and witli different views profefling a refpe6\ for 
 him, he was neverthelefs much upon his guard ; 
 knowing many of thefe to be falfe hypocritical 
 characters, and having a full difcernmcnt of their 
 fecrct thoughts and bad defigns. But Jejus did 
 not commit himjclf unto them^ becauje he knew all 
 men ; and needed not that any Jhould tejlify of man : 
 for he knew "johat ivas in man. This language 
 does not imply his being all-knowing as God; but 
 that he had a knowlcgc of the hearts and charac- 
 ters of men, fuch as was proper and necefl'ary for 
 the due dilcharge of his great office of a divine 
 teacher, and Saviour of the world : i. e. // was 
 given to him thus to know what was in man; 
 agreeably with what the facred writer foon after 
 mentions; (iii. 34.) that God gave not the fprit 
 hy meafure unto him. 
 
 The third text produced by our author in proof 
 of Chrift's oninifcience, is but another inftance of 
 the fame nature as the foregoing. For in this, 
 his forrowful apoflle Peter appeals to his knowiege 
 of what paffcd in the hearts of men, for a proof 
 of liis own finccrity and affection for him; Lord, 
 thou knoiueft all things: thou knowcfl that I loue 
 thee. Thefe general expreffions in all writings and 
 difcourfes are limited by the particular fubjetl and 
 occafion. ThusChrift fays tohisdilciples,Markxiii. 
 23. Behold, I have foretold you ^ll things ; i.e. 
 all things that were ncceflary to prevent their being 
 mifled by thofe falfe Chrifts and deceivers, that 
 he had been mentioning immediately before. He 
 fays of hinifclf, Matth. xxviii, 18, All power is 
 £ given 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 given to ms in heaven and in earth : but by what 
 immediately follows in the next verfes, it appears, 
 that he intended only that fuch an extraordinary 
 divine power was bellowed on him by Almighty 
 God, as would be fufficient to propagate the gofpcl 
 with effeft, and give it an eltablifhment among 
 different nations. And the apoftle John fays to 
 fome hncere chriftians in thofe days, who had 
 extraordinary divine gifts imparted to them ; 
 (i John ii. 20.) Te have an untJion from the holy 
 oney and ye know Ah-L things. They did not kno\v= 
 all things that were to be known ; they were not 
 all-knowing as God, which is the interpretation 
 our author heedlefsly gives of fuch language ; but 
 they had all that knowlege of the true gofpel of 
 Chrift, communicated to them, which was fufficient 
 to fecure them from the error of thofe antichrifl.s, 
 he had juft before mentioned; who, in thofe very 
 early days, began to be afliamed of Chrift being" 
 a real man, who fuffered and died, and wanted to 
 make him fomething [p) different from a human 
 being. 
 
 The whole then of the three inftances produced 
 by our author under this head, of Chrifl being 
 omnifcient, and therefore God; amount only to 
 this : that he had an extraordinary divine knoW' 
 lege communicated to him, fuch as was fufficient 
 for the proof of his miffion from God, and to 
 enable him to {q) finifli his important work, which 
 \vas committed to him. 
 
 (/)) That mofl: indufrrious and ufeful commenrator. Dr. 
 Benfon, upon 1 John ii. 19. fays ; " The perfons, whom 
 Sc. {oun had his eye more particularly upon, denied that 
 lefus, '■Mhc came in the Jlejh, was the Chriil. (See ver, 22, 
 iv. T,. 2 John 7.) 1 take them to have been of the num!)cr 
 of the Docette, who held that Chrij? only fcemed to havefep, 
 And to J'ujftr.^'* 
 
 {q) I hanje glorifcd thee en the earth : I have Jinijhcd the 
 'Wftrk 'which thou ga'vejl mi te do. John xvii. 4. 
 
 2, 
 
C 51 3 
 
 2. /,JeI!OVAH, SEARCH /, THE SoN' OF GoU, 
 
 THE HEART, I TRY THE AM HE, WHICH SEARCH- 
 REINS, [e':. :Jtvii. 10. eth the rlins and 
 
 Jehovah; thou, hearts. Rev. ii. 23. 
 evernHQU only, Ino'uj- 
 eji the hearts of all the 
 children of men. 1 Kings 
 viii. 39. 
 
 In bringing tlicfc words of Rev. ii. 23. to prove 
 Jefus Chrifl to be jcliovah, the omnifcient God, 
 Mr. Robinfon forgel.s, that in the beginning of the 
 book, it is. declared to be, The Revelation of Jefus 
 Chrifi, WHICH God gave unto him, to jhcuj 
 unto bis Jervants things 'which mufl fjcrtly come to 
 pafs. This therefore limits his knowlege to the 
 particular things and fubjcds fpecified in the book; 
 and forbids us to confider Chrilt in the lead de- 
 gree, of in the mod diflant manner, as being the 
 Searcher of hearts j fo as to be all-knowing as God 
 himfelf, from whom he received the revelation of 
 ihefe things, of which he was before ignorant. 
 When therefore our Lord here fays, / am he, 
 which fearchcth the reins and hearts : he is ncccffa- 
 rily and of courfe to be underftood, as fpeak- 
 ing of that vaft knowlege which he had received 
 from God, in being made acquainted with the 
 inward hearts and mod concealed principles of 
 action of fome falfc and wicked teachers in thofe 
 early times of the gofpcl, whom he charatlerizes 
 under the name of fezchcl^ who defiled Ifrael 
 with her lewd and idolatrous pra8ices. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon thus concludes this divifion of 
 his book. " Whatever other excellencies we can 
 ** conceive in the divine nature, are afcribed to 
 " God and to Chrill, in the two following paf- 
 " fages. The laft is evidently a quotation from 
 " the hrR." 
 
 E 2 Whether 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 Whether any of the excellencies in the divine na- 
 ture are afcribed to Chrift ; and whether what is 
 fpoken of Chrift in this place, is copied from that 
 f?ne hymn of David to the Almighty Being, utter- 
 ed a little before that prince's death, will be feen 
 
 ithor's manner, over- 
 
 Worthy is the Lamb 
 that was Jlain, to receive 
 'power and riches^ and 
 ivijdom^ and. Jlrengthy 
 and honour, and glory ^ 
 and hlejfmg. Blejfing^ and 
 honour i and glory ^ and 
 power he unto him that 
 fitteth upon the throne, 
 and unto the Lamb for 
 £ver. Rev. V. 12, 13. 
 
 by placing them in our 
 againft each other. 
 
 Blejed be thou, O Je- 
 hovah, God of Ifrael our 
 father, for ever and ever. 
 Thine, O Jehovah, is the 
 greatnefs, and the power, 
 and the glory, and the 
 vi^ory, and the majefly: 
 for all that is in the hea- 
 ven, and in the earth, is 
 thiyie. Thine is the king- 
 dom, O Jehovah ; and 
 thou art exalted as head 
 above all. Both riches 
 and honour come of thee, 
 and thou reignefl over all-, 
 and in thine hand is 
 power and might ; and 
 in thine hand it is to make 
 great, andtogivefirength 
 unto all. Noiv therefore, 
 cur God, ive thank thee^ 
 and praije thy glorious 
 name. 1 Chron. xxix. 
 10—13. 
 
 Does now the afcribing bleffmg, and honour, and 
 power to the Lamk, to the innocent Jefiis, in any 
 degree refemble that fublime language ; Thine, O 
 Jehovah, is the greatnefs, and the power, and the 
 glory: for all that is in the heaven, and in the 
 
 earth 
 
C 53 ] 
 tarlh is thine : thine is the kingdom^ and thou art 
 exalted above all ? 
 
 Is not the Lamb that was JIain, he who died 
 fo nobly in the caufe of the divine truth upon the 
 crofs, as dillind as pofTiblc, and at an infinite dil- 
 tance, from him that fit let h upon the throne -, from 
 God that cannot die; who a little before is dcfcribed, 
 as he that liveth for ever and ever ? And what if 
 this holy and exalted fuflcrer be claflcd together 
 with Jehovah, the mofl high God, in having blclf- 
 ing, and honour, and glory given to him at the 
 fame time ? This does not take him out of his 
 creature-like ftate, or equalli/.e him to (iod, any 
 more than king David being in like manner rank- 
 ed and worfhiped together with Jehovah, tranf- 
 formed that king into the moft: high God. And 
 how could this author take upon him to fay, of 
 this worfhiping of the Lamb, Jefus, together with 
 him that fat upon the throne, that it is called wor- 
 fhiping him that liveth for ever and ever^ on ac- 
 count of it being immediately added, ver. 14, 
 Jnd the four and twenty elders fell downy and wor- 
 fhiped him that liveth for ever and ever /'If he had 
 ufed the leaft reflection, he nmft have perceived, 
 that this language, and the pronoun /'/;;/ denotini^ 
 iiccefHirily one {ingle perfon, could refer only to 
 him that fat upon the throne^ as the only pcrfoii 
 living for ever and ever. 
 
 The real Hate of the cafe however is, of which 
 this writer ought to have taken notice; that the 
 words, him that liveth for ever and ever^ are not 
 in the original as it came from tlie lacrcd penman ; 
 but have been added in later times, from ch. iv. 
 10. either by millake, or by the officious ill-judg- 
 ed zeal of fome tranfcribcr. Upon this matter, 
 Mill, Wetllein, and Bcngclius, will latisfy the 
 reader who can confuli them. Tlic reflection 
 E 3 which 
 
[ 54 3 
 
 which the latter makes upon thefe words that have 
 been foilled in, is ; " that it is even an aft of piety 
 " to cut out fuch patch-work, without any fcru- 
 '* pie :" " Talia additamenta, dcpofito timore, 
 " refecare pium eft." 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 Whether the IVorks which are cijcrihed to Jcjus 
 Chrijiy are the fame with thoje that are ajcribed 
 to Jehovah, the Supreme Godf 
 
 T N his next divifion, Mr. Robinfon maintains 
 -^ Jefus Chrill to be the fupreme God, on account 
 ^f the fame v/orks being afcribed to him as to 
 God ; and after terrifying his reader, according 
 to CLiftom, with the dangerous confequenccs, and 
 the injujiice done to God, by a flip here ; conclugics 
 with faying, that "nothing can account for the 
 " condu6l of the writers of the new Tcftament in 
 ** what they qdvance in this refpeft, except in 
 " their fyftem Jeius and Jehovah be the finnc." 
 
 But here again, he only produces certain por- 
 tions of Scripture, which muft be taken upon his 
 ^are word, to be fuch as rqally afcribe to Chrifl, the 
 works that are peculiar and appropriated to God: 
 for he gives himfelf no trouble to afcertain their 
 true meaning, or to (hew that they are at all ap- 
 plicable to his purpofe. And having fo haftily 
 and fuperficially formed his ovy'n jud,ifment, his 
 whole manner and language is calculated to pre- 
 vent and lay afleep all farther inquiry in others. 
 He begins ; 
 
 " Is CREATION a work of God ? By Jefus Chriji 
 *' were all things created, that are in heaven ^ 
 " or that are in earth, vifible and invifihle, whe- 
 " thcr they be thrones i or dominions ^ or principalis 
 
 '' ties. 
 
[ 55 ] ' 
 
 *' ihs, or powers ; a /I t Lings were created by hif,i, 
 *' and for him. Colof. i, 16." 
 
 That the apoftle docs not mean here to afcribc 
 the creation of the vifible world and all things in 
 it to Jefus Chrili, is plain from thefe following 
 reafons. 
 
 1. All the other apoftlcs are reprefentcd as 
 joining, foon after Chnfl's refurreftion and alcen- 
 iion into heaven, in the following folemn prayer 
 to Cod ; (Afts iv. 24.) (;•) O Lord, thou art the 
 God^ who haft made hecrjcn^ end earthy and the 
 fea^ and all that in them is. The language here 
 is exact and decifive : Tiiou art the God who 
 HAST madcy befpcaks one lingle perfon only to be 
 God and maker of the world, Jehovah, the Lord, 
 and no other : there is no way of evading it. In 
 this very prayer alfo, foon after the above, Jefus 
 Chrift is cxprefsly and by name excluded from 
 being God, the Creator of all things; ver. 27, 
 For of a truthy both Herod and Pontine Pilate, 
 'With the Gefitiles and the people of IJraely zvere ga- 
 thered together agai7ift thy holy fervant (j) Jefus, 
 whom thou haft anointed: and again, ver. 30. 
 grant, that ftgns and wonders may be done by the 
 name of thy holy fervant Jefus. 
 
 (r) The cxprellions in the original are exceeding ftron^ 
 and emphatical, and declare theabfolutc fupremacy, as well 
 as the unity of" God, as being one fingle perfon, in a moll 
 remarkable manner; ^lav-ra., av Sio?, 'sroir.a-x^, x.t.a. 
 O thou fovereign Majler of all ; thou art the God, i:ho hajl 
 made. Sec. 
 
 (j) N. B. Jefus is here by the apoftles in their prayer (tiled 
 the fer-vant of the Lord Ciod, who made heaven and earth. 
 That the original Greek is rightly trauflated/'ra//^;//, rather 
 thanyo// or child, cannot be doubted by thofc who are capa- 
 ble of confulting it. Bengelius honcftly fo renders it. See 
 him on the place, and alfo on the chapter before, 01^ AtJtii 
 iii. 13. 26. 
 
 E 4 2. St. 
 
, [ 56 ] 
 
 2. St. Paul himfclf alfo, who in the paffage be- 
 fore us. Col. i. 1 6, is inconfiderately prefumed 
 to aflert Jefus Chrill to be the creator of the uni- 
 verfe, does elfewherc ailert the direfl contrary 
 do6lrine ; and marks out and diftinguiflies Chrill 
 from God, the Maker of tlie world, in fuch a way 
 as , fhews that he had not the leaft idea of any 
 thing of the kind belonging to Chrift. For fpeak- 
 ing before a inofl: learned and cultivated audience 
 at Athens, many of them philofophers by profef- 
 fion, he afferted in the mod exprefs manner; that 
 the Being that made the univerfe, the firft caufe 
 of all things, was one fingle Perfon, and that Jefus 
 Chrill was as different a perfon as poffible; as dif- 
 ferent as the creature from its creator, the fon 
 from his father, the fervant from his mafter. God 
 that made the worlds (o ■sror/^aa?, manifeftly defining 
 him to be one perfon) he (i. e. that fmgle perfon, 
 for it is impoffible the pronoun he fhould refer to 
 more than one perfon,) hath appointed a day, in 
 the which he will judge the world in righteoujnefs, 
 by that man whom he hath ordained \ whereof he 
 hath given ajfurance unto all men, in that he hath 
 raijed him from the dead, A6ts xvii. 24. 31. 
 
 Here then, we have firll, all the other apofllcs; 
 and after them, St. Paul, declaring God to be; 
 one fmgle perfon, and as fuch, the Creator of all 
 things ; and this alfo declared, at the fame time, in 
 cxprefsGontradiitin61ion to, and in direft exclufion 
 of Jefus Chrift. And the Scriptures cannot con- 
 tradi.61 themfelves ; neither can it be fuppofed that 
 the apoftles of Jefus Chrift fiiould be ignorant 
 "ivho he was, or who was the creator of the world. 
 St. Paul therefore certainly did not intend the 
 (creation pf the univerfe, when he here fpeaks of 
 all things, being created by Jefus Chrift. What he 
 intended will not be difficult 19 difcovcr, if we 
 
[ 57 J 
 
 will take any pains in our refearches. For the 
 term, creationy is by no means confined to the 
 firft prockittion of things by an almighty power. 
 It is ufcd in other lenl'es by all writers, profane 
 and facrcd ; and by our apofllc in particular. 
 Thus, fpeaking of our advantages by the gofpel, 
 Eph. ii. lo. he fays; IVe are his (God's) 'workman- 
 Jhip^ created i/i (or by) Jefus Chrifi unto good- works : 
 i. e. formed by the gofpel of Chrifi to the love 
 and pra6tice of all virtue. In another place 
 (2 Cor. V. 17.) If any man be in Chrifi , he is a 
 NEW creature: i.e. a true chriftian is a man 
 made over again : has new tempers and difpofitions 
 wrought in him, a nCw nature ; changed from 
 vice to virtue, from the world to God. 
 
 This moral and Jpiritual creation^ the reforma- 
 tion of the whole world by the precepts and mo- 
 tives of the gofpel, will be found to be the thing 
 here defigned by the apoftle, in Col. i. 16. For 
 ver. 14, having fpoken of that redemption, or de- 
 liverance from fin and death, which we have by 
 the blood of Chrifi, i. c. by that gofpel, which he 
 courageoufly fealed with his blood, by dying in 
 atteflation of it : and going on further to extoll 
 him, as the linage of the inviftble God; i. e. not 
 God himfelf : (the image of a thing cannot be the 
 thing itfelf of which it is an image,) but refem- 
 bling him in holinefs and goodnefs, and by a di- 
 vine wifdom and authority communicated to him : 
 as being alfo ihcfirfi-born, or the chief, the lord, 
 not (/) of every creature, as we wrongly tranflate 
 the words ; but of all men, of all God's creatures 
 
 (/) So Mark xvi. 15. j^nd he /aid unto ikem, go ye into all 
 the inorld, and preach the go/pel to every creature, [^oi(x^ t»j 
 xTHTEi, as it is here cac^j)? xTirtw;) i. e. to all men, to fvcry 
 human crtature. 
 
 of 
 
[ 58 ] 
 
 oT mankind ; i. e, not of Jews only, who were 
 formerly peculiarly favoured of God, but of Jews 
 and Gentiles now combined into one, and brought 
 into a new relation to God and to each other. 
 
 Having thus chara61erized Chriflas the head and 
 lord of this new people, the apoftle proceeds to 
 Ihew how he was fo ; vcr. 16. Fcr by him were 
 all things created, that are in heaven^ and that are 
 in earth, vifihle and invifihle, whether they be 
 thrones^ or dominions, or principalities^ or powers i 
 all things were created by him^ and for him. 
 
 Very able and impartial interpreters of the New 
 Teflaraent, of very different fentiments concern- 
 ing the perfon of Chrili, have feen here, that St. 
 Paul ufes this lofty pompous language, not as if 
 the inhabitants of the heavenly world, and of the 
 whole univerfe, were afleded by the gofpel, and 
 underwent a very confiderable change from it : but 
 that it is merely language which he [u) borrows 
 from the popular notions of his countrymen about 
 the different orders of beings in the unfeen world, 
 their names and powers, thereby to fet off and 
 magnify the gofpel the more. 
 
 It is alfo cultomary in the prophetic writings, 
 to fpeak of great events in terms of allufion to 
 their ancient hiftory, efpecially the account of the 
 creation by Mofes. 
 
 And from all thefe circumflances laid together, 
 the attentive reader will perceive, that what the 
 apoftle intended by this grand imagery, was, that 
 mankind, of whom alone he had been treating, 
 all the individuals, and the different flates and 
 powers upon earth, would undergo a mighty revo- 
 lution, would be renovated and reformed, put into 
 
 {u) See Wetftdn in locum, Zaachius alfo, upon Eph. i. 
 20. 
 
 a new 
 
[ 59 ] 
 
 a new flate and condition, which might well be 
 ftiled nothing lefs than a ne'U) creation^ by being 
 brought acquainted with Jeius Clirill, and be- 
 coming fubjccls and obedient to the laws of his 
 kingdom. 
 
 This account appears to be confirmed, by the 
 long lift which is given oF the dignities of Chrift ; 
 concluding, verfe the i8th, with his being the be- 
 ginnings the firft-horn from the dead ; that is, by 
 ranking it among his higheft honours, that for his 
 confummate virtue, benevolence to men, and loyalty 
 to God, in fuffcring for the truth, he was fpeedily 
 raifed from the dead to an immortal life and glory. 
 For this, however glorious and honourable for a 
 creatrre, mull be confidered as a veiy inferior 
 ciicumftance, and fuch as could not be added by 
 the apoflle, to crown a character which had before 
 been denominated by him, the omnipotent and 
 eternal author of the univerfe. 
 
 I am fenlible that many perfons will have great 
 prejudices againft this interpretation, who have 
 been always accuftomed to annex the produftion 
 of things out of nothing by a divine power, to the 
 word creation ; and have been led from that to 
 conlider Jefus Chrift as here pronounced to be the 
 creator of all things. 
 
 , It will be difficult alfo for fome to reconcile 
 themfelves to St. Paul's literal rcprefentation of 
 the whole univerfe of Beings as created by Chrift, 
 when all he intended by fuch magnificent lan- 
 guage, was only to give a more grand and fublime 
 idea of the gofpel itielF. 
 
 But a proper acquaintance witli and underftand- 
 ing of the prophets of the Old Teftament, and 
 their writings, who frequently make ufe of imafrcs 
 and allufions equally daring and bold, and with 
 which the facred writers were continually convcr- 
 
 fant. 
 
[ 6o ] 
 
 fant, would fatisfy them, that there was nothing 
 improper or uncommon in St. Paul's adopting 
 fuch a way of fpeaking. To give only one in- 
 Ihnce. Says the Almighty Being by his prophet 
 Ifaiahi (Ixv. 17, 18.) Behold /create new heavens, 
 and a new earth ; and the former ones Jhall not be 
 remembered^ neither jhall they be brought to mind 
 any more. But ye Jhall rejoice and exult in the age 
 to come, 'which I create. What now is intended 
 by thefe lofty terms, of the creation of new hea- 
 vens and a new earthy &c ? Not furely that the 
 prefent univerfe of things is to be done away, and 
 a new one created in its ftead : but only to pre- 
 figure and reprefent that new ftate, and happy 
 change of things upon earth for the better, in the 
 incrcaiing virtue and happinefs of mankind, which 
 in future times would be effefted by the gofpel. 
 
 The prophets of the Old and New Teftament 
 were left to themfelves by divine Providence, to 
 exprefs things in their own way, and according to 
 their natural feelings, temper and education. 
 Hence the apollle James, a plain man, without 
 any learning, delivers himfelf fuitably in plain and 
 eafv language. But Paul of Tarfus, bred up at 
 the feet of Gamaliel, a man of genius and warm 
 imagination, and full of jewifli and heathen lite- 
 rature, which mixes itfelf continually with hii 
 ideas and exprellions, is on that account obfcure 
 oftentimes, and requires more pains to underftand 
 him. If chriftians will not make a due difcrimi- 
 nntion, and ufe their faculties in the underftand- 
 ing of the facrcd as they would of any other 
 writers, they mull continue in error, and bear the 
 blame, whatever it be, that belongs to it. But 
 to thofe who are defirous, and would take pains 
 to come at the trutli, but cannot fee the whole 
 force of the explanation here given, though I 
 
 fhould 
 
C 61 ] 
 
 Ihould think it could not be hard to be compre- 
 hended ; they will do well to abide by what they 
 do know and comprehend : and in the prefent 
 cafe, which has given rife to thel'e reflexions, to 
 be mindful to give its due weight to what is pro- 
 duced above from all the apoftles, and never at 
 any time contradiBed by them; viz. That God is 
 one fingle perfon, and he only the creator of all 
 things. And therefore, if at any time, the creatioii 
 of all things feems to them to be afcribed to Jcfus 
 Chrill, they may refl affured, and would find upon 
 due examination, if they were competent to make 
 it, that it is wrongly alcribcd to him, and belongs 
 to God : Or, if it belong to Ghrifl, it is not to be 
 underflood of the firfl formation of the univerfe ; 
 but in a different fenfe, of the new moral and fpi- 
 ritual creation, the reformation of mankind by the 
 gofpel. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon's next inflance of Chrift doing 
 what is peculiarly the work of God, and being 
 therefore God himfelf ; is put by him in the fame 
 brief authoritative flile, to flrike the common 
 reader; prefuming without proof, that the Scrip- 
 tures are to be taken exaftly in the fenfc that he 
 gives them. 
 
 " Is Preservation a work of God? jefus 
 Chrijl upholds all things by the word of his power, 
 Hebr. i. 3. By him all things consist. Coloff. i. 
 
 Vv ith refpe6t to this firft citation from the be- 
 ginning of the epiftle to the Hebrews, a very able 
 and pious critic, whofe words I have put in the 
 »aargin(ty), fliews; that it is not to be underftood 
 
 of 
 
 {lu) *' The common way of expounding the cxprefTion, 
 is, that the Son upholds all things by the word of his owa 
 power. And accordingly, our printed copies have here ii/rS 
 
 and 
 
[ 62 ] 
 
 of Chrift upholding all things by his own power, but 
 by the power of God. So that whatever be the 
 meaning of it, prefervalion^ or any thing elfe, it 
 cannot be a proof of Chrift being any thing but 
 God's inftrument, employed by him. 
 
 I fhall not enter into a difcuffion, what it was 
 that the author of this epiftle propofed to teach 
 concerning Jefus Chrift in this introdu61ion, and 
 efpecially in the preceding fentence, viz ; by whom 
 aljo he (God) made the worlds, rnq aima,?, or as it 
 ought rather to be tranflatcd, the ages: but that 
 he did not intend to convey, that Chrift was the 
 original or fubordinate creator of the vifible world, 
 is proved by many judicious interpreters. Dr. Sykes, 
 Lardner, and others, and not needful to repeat 
 here. 
 
 The other citation, brought by our author, be- 
 longs to a pafTage juft confidered by us, Colofl'. i. 
 16. And if we have there rightly explained its 
 meaning, this, which that is a part of it, can by no 
 means prove, what Our author would draw from it; 
 viz. that Jefus Chrift is the Preferver of all things, 
 and therefore the fupreme God. For it relates 
 not to this outward natural world, but to the 7iezo 
 creatioUy the chriftian world, who fubfift by Chrift, 
 that is, are preferved and kept together by their 
 adherence to him and his do6lrine : the apoftic 
 ftill continuing to fpeak in language borrowed 
 from the old Mofaic account of the iirft crcaLion. 
 
 and not ai^rS. And it is urged, that the MS. copies, which 
 have accents added, read it with an afpiration. But none of 
 the ancient MSS. having any accents at all, every reader is 
 at liberty to affix fuch i'pirits as are moft agreeable to' the 
 fcope of any text. And it is eafy to obfcrve that our author 
 in this verfe diflinguilhes ccra and iccvra ; and theretoie as 
 tcvTn )ul\ before relates to the Father, it is rcafonabic to judge 
 it does fo here alfo." Teirce in locum. 
 
 Mr. 
 
[ 63 ] 
 
 Mr. Robir.fon goes on in the fame conclfe, deci- 
 five manner; Is the mission- oi- the prophets a 
 WORK OF God ? Jt/iti Chnjl is the Lord God of 
 THE HOLY PROPHfiTs; and it was the spirit op 
 Christ xuhic'i tejllficd to thnn hcforckand thefuffet' 
 ings of Chrijl and ihe glory Lhatjkouldjollow. 
 
 It will be proper to produce the whole of the 
 evidence upon which author here afferts Jefus 
 Chrilt to be the Lord God of the Jioly prophets. 
 
 Yet many yean didfi And he j aid unto them i 
 Thou forbear ihcm, and ihe fc fayings are faithful 
 TESTiFiEDST agaiu/l and true. And THEhoRiy 
 
 them BY ThlY SPIRIT IN GOd OF THE HOLY PRO- 
 
 THE PROPHETS ;j)'£:i;zi;ou/J VHETS Jent his angel io 
 
 they not give ear: tJicre- flicw unto hisjervants the 
 
 fere gave jl thou them into things vjhich mv.Jl flwrtly 
 
 the hand of the people of he done, 
 
 the lands. Nehemiah ix. I Jesus have sent 
 
 3. MINE ANGEL TO TES- 
 
 TIFY unto you thcfe things 
 in ihe churches. Revel, 
 xxii. 6. 16. 
 
 Searching -what or vjhat 
 manner of tiriUy the s p i - 
 R I T o F Ch R I s T xohich was 
 in them didfgnfy, zuhen 
 it TESTIFIED be/ ore hand 
 the Jufferings of Chrifi^ 
 and the glory that fhould 
 follow. 1 Pet. i. 11. 
 Firft, let us take a view of" what he brings to 
 Ciew, that Jefus Chrill is the Lord God of the hclf 
 prophets ; from the Revelation of St. John. At the 
 conclufion of the prophecies in that book, for the 
 encouragement of faiiliful chrillians, it is declared, 
 that the fame God, who infpircd the antient pro- 
 phets (o punClually to foretell the circumftanccs re- 
 lating to Chrill, fur the comfort and inlhuQion of 
 
 hi$ 
 
C 64 ] 
 
 his people Ifrael; had fent his angel, by the reve- 
 lations then delivered, to fupport the faith and 
 patience of the chriftian church. Thefe fayings are 
 faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy 
 frophets fent his angel to Jhew unto hisjervants the 
 things which mufl fJiortly be done. 
 
 Some fpace after, Chriil himfclf is introduced, 
 thus fpeaking ; /, JefuSy have fent mine angel to tef- 
 tify unto you thefe things in the churches. And be- 
 caufe Jefts is faid to have fent his angel, as well as 
 the Lord God of the holy prophets to have fent his, 
 Mr. Robinfon therefore infers Jefus to be the Lord 
 God of the holy prophets. 
 
 But our author fiiould have confidered, that Al- 
 mighty God, in giving a commiffion to Chrift to 
 make thefe revelations, may have been faid to 
 have fent his angel on that account ; hnce, accord- 
 ing to the old adage, qui facit per alium, facit per 
 fe, viz ; he that does a thing by another, does it 
 himfelf. 
 
 And that God gave Chrift thefe revelations, and 
 a commiffion to fend his angel to make them known, 
 is declared, as often obferved, in the very firft words 
 of the book ; viz. The revelation ofjejus Chrifly which 
 God gave unto him, to Jhew unto his fervantSy things 
 which mujl Jliortly covie to pafs. It is extraordinary 
 that Mr. Robinfon fhould be ignorant of this, or 
 pay no attention to it. It is certainly fo far from 
 proving Jefus to be the Lord God of the holy pro- 
 phets, as he would make him; that it fhews him to 
 be at the time one of thofe prophets and fervants of 
 God, under a fpecial commiffion from him. 
 
 Of the fame kind is his other affiertion-, that 
 Chrift was the Infpirer of the antient prophets. 
 For becaufe it happens, in that fine prayer and 
 confelhon of the Levites for themfelves and their 
 nation, prefeivedby Nehemiah; that they ufe this 
 3 language. 
 
[ 65 3 
 
 language, viz. that the Lord God icjiifud againjl fdi 
 ftopk by hlijptrit in the prophets i and becaufe the 
 apoflle Peter in like ananncr fays, that the [pint of 
 Chrijl which was in the prophets tejlijied bejorehand 
 his jufferingSy he thence would have it inferred that 
 Chriil is the God that infpired thole antient pro- 
 phets ; imagining the fpirit of Chriil which was in 
 the prophets, to be Chrift himfclf, or fome power 
 coming or derived from him. 
 
 But had he paid the leall attention to the apo- 
 ftle's explanation of his meaning, he would have 
 feen his own great miftake. For what St. Peter 
 calls here the fpirit of Chrijl which was in the pro- 
 fhetSy he ftiles the holy fpirit in his fecond epiftle, 
 where he faysT holy men of God fpakcy as they were 
 moved jfy the holy fpirit. 2 Pet. i. 21. But it fol- 
 lows immediately after the verfe in queftion, where 
 the infpiration of the^rophets is mentioned — Unto 
 •whom it was revealed^ that not unto thcwfelves^ but 
 unto us they did mimfier the things^ which are now 
 reported to you by them that have preached the gofpel 
 unto you y by the holy fpirit /cniJ down from heaven. 
 So that according to Peter's exprefs declaration in 
 thcfe citations of his own vv^ords, the holy fpirity that 
 is, the fame divine power, which had infpired the 
 old prophets, was in the apoftles of Chriil ; and 
 this holy fpirit fcnt down from heaven upon the latter, 
 was thofe gifts of a divine power, mentioned in the 
 AdSy and elfewhcre. 
 
 The fpirit of Chriji then, zuhich was in the pro^ 
 phctSy was not any energy or power exerted by 
 Chrift, but the energy and power of God himfelf. 
 And it is called thejpirit oj Chrijl , bccaufo Chrift 
 was the object about which it was exercifed, in 
 predicting the things concerning him ; in the fame 
 way as it is called the fpirit oi truth, John xiv. 17. 
 becaufe it was to teftify and prove that the doc- 
 F trincs 
 
C 66 ] 
 
 trines delivered by the apoftles were true, i. c. 
 from God, of divine authority. 
 
 Another inftance brought by our author of fuch 
 works afcribed to Chrift as prove him to be God, 
 is thus put by him. 
 
 " Is the SALVATION of finners a work of God ? 
 Chrift /j THE Saviour of the world. John iv. 42. 
 —THE AUTHOR of ctemal Jdvaticn to all them 
 that obey him. Hebr. v. 9. 
 
 When once the imagination is forcibly impreffed 
 with a particular idea, a man will often believe 
 he {^^^ ftrange fights, which no mortal but himfelf 
 can perceive. This mult be our author's excufe 
 for adding to his catalogue, fuch proofs of Chrift 
 being the moft high God, as he here produces. 
 What if he be called (John iv. 42.) by a woman 
 of Samaria, the Saviour of the world ? She cer- 
 tainly fuppofed him to anfwer that charafter, though 
 flic looked upon him in np higher light than that 
 of the MefTiah, the great promifed prophet of God. 
 Nor from his being fo called, is there any ground 
 to think him any other. For although God is alfo 
 our Saviour, this may be very confident with 
 Chrift being fo called, without lifting him up above 
 the condition of a creature. This Mr. Robinfon 
 would have difcerned, if he could have confidered 
 thofe Scriptures without prejudice, which teach 
 that God is cur Saviour, as he formed the be- 
 nevolent plan and appointed the method by which 
 we are to inherit eternal life: and Christ alfo 
 is our Saviour, as commiffioned and employed by 
 Almighty God in the great work : a diftinftion 
 St. Paul often makes. Thus Tit. iii. 4, 5, 6. y^fter 
 that the kindnefs and love of God our Saviour 
 toward man appeared, by the zvajhing of re- 
 generation, and renewing of the holy Jpirit, which 
 hefhedon us abundantly through ]zi\i^ Christ our 
 
 Saviour, 
 
[ 6; ] 
 
 Saviour. Sec alfo 2 Tim, i. 8, o, 10. And ano- 
 ther apoftle cxprefsly affirms Chrift to have been 
 God's meflenger" and fervant in faving mankind : 
 We havejeen, and do teftify^ that the Father Jent the 
 Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John iv. 14. 
 
 There is dill a more extraordinary overfight in 
 the other pafl'age produced by Mr. Robinfon, to 
 confirm what he calls, Chrift's fA'?/wj to be Jehovah. 
 For if he had only attended to the verfe preceding 
 that which he quotes, he would have [t^w that the all- 
 perfeft, unchan(];e:ible God could not be the perfon 
 intended; bccaufetheperfonrpokenof, thisSavioury 
 was one, v;ho was difciplined to virtue and obe- 
 dience to God, and htted for his work, by liiffer- 
 ings appointed' to him for that end: Though he 
 were aJoHy yet learned he obediensey by the things 
 which hefuffered; and being made perfe^f, he be^ 
 came the author of eternal Jalvation unto all them 
 that obey hhu. Hebr. v. 8, 9. 
 
 Our author thus clofes his lift of thofe worksy 
 which, according to him, evidence Chrift to be 
 the fupremc God. 
 
 " Is THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN a work of God ? 
 l^he Son of man hath power to forgive sins." 
 
 As Mr. Robinfon throughout fpares himfelf the 
 trouble of drawing his concluflons, leaving that 
 work to his readers, we may luppofc his dcPgn 
 here is to afTcrt, that fmce it is the folc prerogative 
 of God to forgive fins, and Chrift here declares 
 himfelf pofteHcd of that power, therefore he muft 
 be God. But (hould it not have occurred to 
 him, that this power of forgiving fins is not fo 
 fixed and appropriated to the Supreme Being, but 
 that he may delegate it to others ? Thus Nathan 
 the prophet pronounced to David upon his re- 
 pentance; (2 Sam. xii. 13.) The Lord alfo hath 
 put away thy fm : thou fJjalt not die. Our Lurd 
 F 2 alio 
 
[ 68 ] 
 
 alfo fays to his apoftles (John xx. 21. 23.) As my 
 Father hath Jent me, even Jo Jend I you, JVho/e- 
 Joever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; 
 and ivhojejoever fins ye retain, they are retained, 
 jefus here acknowleges his own miflion from God, 
 and confeqaently all his powers to fulfil it, to come 
 from him, that of forgiving men their fins among 
 the reft. And the apoftle Paul, in his exhortation 
 in one place, to mutual kindnefs and forbearance, 
 recommending the example of Chrift, ufes thefc 
 words; (Coloff. iii. 13.) even as Chriji forgave you ^ 
 Jo alfo do ye. But in another place he explains 
 himfelf, that it was only, as commiflioned by Al- 
 mighty God, and not from any power of his own, 
 that Chrift forgave fins: Eph. iv. 32. Be ye kind 
 cne to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one ano- 
 ther, even as Cod, by (;v) Chrijly hath Jorgiven 
 you. 
 
 It feems to me to have been proved, that out 
 author has miftaken and mifapplied every pafiage 
 of Scripture brought by him under this head, to 
 prove Chrift, from his performing fuch works, as 
 re afferts are peculiar to the Deity, to be the fu- 
 prcme God. But were it much otherwife, he muft 
 furely be unmindful of the fallibility of human 
 judgment, who can break out into fuch ftrains of 
 cenuire as the following, upon the facred writers 
 themfelves, if the fenfe he fixes upon their words 
 be not the true one. 
 
 ** Confider now, fays he, into what contradi6lions 
 <* thefc writers muft fall, if Jcfus Chrift be not God. 
 ** They contradi6t one another, they contradifcl 
 " themfelves. They degrade writings, which, they 
 «* pretend, are infpired, below the loweft fcribbling 
 
 {x) Not, as in our englifli tranfiatlon, ^/br C^r//?'/y^/f/ .* 
 but IV Xftrw, by Cbrijl ; as liath been often remarked. 
 
 " of 
 
C 6& ] 
 
 ** of the meaneft authors." He then thus con- 
 tinues his career, in triumph, as it were; 
 
 " In the beginnings fays Mofes, God created the 
 " heavens and the earth. Gen. i. i. It is a mif- 
 " take, fays the apoltle John; In the beginning, 
 '* THE Word that was made flesh, made all 
 " things y and without him was not any thing made 
 ** that zvas made. Jnhu i. i. 14. 3. Elihu aflcs, 
 ** Wviohath difpo/ed the whole ivorld ? Jehovah 
 *' afks out of the whirhvind. Who laid the mea^ 
 ** Jttres thereof? \W no Jlretched the line upon it ? 
 " Who laid the corner Jlone thereof? Job xxxiv. 
 " 13. xxxviii. 1. 5. 6. Ail the Old Teilament 
 ** writers reply. The Lord of hosts founded the 
 «' heavens y the earth, the world , and the fulnejs 
 " thereof. Pfalm Ixxxix. 1 1 . No fuch thing fays 
 " the apoftle John; the Word, that was made 
 *' fiefh, and dwelt among us^ made the world. John 
 " i. 14. 10." 
 
 The contradiction is all his own. There is no 
 difference or contrariety between Mofes and the 
 apoftle, or the apoftle and the Old Teftament 
 writers. Mofes and the prophets, with whom the 
 apoftle John agrees, defcribe the firft formation of 
 all things, as the effe6t of the lame fupreme caufe, 
 Jehovah, God, the Father, without the agency 
 or interference of any other perfon. And the 
 Word, of which the apoftle treats, as above 
 fhewn, was not any diftin6l perfon from God, 
 from the Father and Creator of all things ; but 
 HIS wiidom and energy divine; which dwelt in, 
 and was communicated to the man Chrift Jefus; and 
 which, in an inferior degree, dwelt in and was 
 communicated to prophets and apoftles. He con- 
 tinues in the fame vein, 
 
 ^' Hezekiah looks up to heaven^ and/ays^ Lord 
 ** God of Ifraely thou art the God, even thou alone, 
 F 3 " c/ 
 
C 70 ] 
 
 '^ of all the kingdoms of the earth ; thou haft made 
 '^ heaven and earth I 2 Kings xix. 15. Paul lifts 
 " up his eyes to Jefus, and fays; Thy throne, 
 ** o God, is for ever and ever. Thou, Lord, hi 
 " the beginning haji laid the foundation of the earth, 
 " and the heavens are the work of tmy hands, 
 « Hebr. i. 8. 10." 
 
 This is all mere oratorical flourifh. Paul's 
 lifting up his eyes to Jefus, is a flight of Mr. 
 Robinfon's own imagination, without any fupport 
 from the facred text. For the words, in the ori- 
 ginal, are a prophetic apoftrophe of the Almighty 
 Father to the Meffiah ; and in what way foever 
 they are taken, have been fhewn above, (p. 39. 42.) 
 to afford no ground to conceive of Chrifl, as any 
 other than an inferior dependent being. Where 
 alfo our author's other citation. Thou, Lord, in 
 the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth. 
 Sec. was proved to be an addrefs to God, and not 
 to Chrift. 
 
 SECTION VL 
 
 Whether the like worfhip is given, or commanded t$ 
 he given ^ in the Scriptures, to Jefus Chrijl, as 
 to Almighty Gcd. 
 
 T N the next divifion of Mr. Robinfon's w^ork, 
 -*■ he maintains Chrift to be the moft high God, 
 from the worfliip paid to him being the fame that 
 is paid to God. 
 
 And he begins very well with citing thofe words 
 of St. Matthew, as a command of God, repeated 
 and reinforced by our Saviour; thou f halt worfbip 
 
 THE lyORD THY GoD, and HIM ONLY ft^alt thoU 
 
 Jerve. Matth. iv. 10. Deut, ii. 20. 
 
 But to prevent the reader from being impofed 
 upon and mifled, as our author has impofed upon 
 
 and 
 
C 71 ] 
 
 and deceived himfelf ; there is one circumftance 
 to be mentioned, which one wonders fhould not 
 have been attended to; viz. lliAi the word ^poo-x.-jvsw, 
 fo worjljip, is not defcriptivc only of" the honour 
 which is appropriated to God, but is indilFcrently 
 ufcd to fignify the honour and refpecl which are 
 paid to luperiors of all kinds, in heaven or on 
 earth. 
 
 If this diftin6lion of civil and religious worfiiip, 
 as they are often denominated, had been adverted 
 to, much of what our author has advanced on this 
 head might have been fpared. But: to proceed 
 with our examination. 
 
 After having cited the authority of God and of 
 Chrili, that the Lord God, or Jehovah God only 
 is to be worfhiped, he inftantly adds ; 
 
 " Yet thefe very Scriptures command ^// the 
 angels of God to ivorjhip Chrifi ; " for which he 
 refers to Hebr. i. 6. And^ when he again hringeth 
 the firft begotten (or rather {^y)firfi born) into the 
 ivorldy he faith j And let all the angels of God 
 ijoorfhip him. 
 
 According to the bed interpreters, this bringing 
 again of the firfi born^ or dearly beloved, into the 
 world, was effedcd,when God having raifed Chrifi 
 to life, the promifed holy fpirit^ or various divine 
 gifts and powers were bellowed by him, to enable 
 his followers to preach the gofpcl with fucccfs 
 
 {y) N. B. The very fame word is ufcd Exod. iv. 22. Thus 
 faith the Lor d ; Ifrael is tny Jon, my frjl born, t/ic? iti-wtotcxo? 
 ^tf ; i.e. bell beloved ; fpeaking after the manner of men, 
 who are wont to Ihcw partiality to a firft born child. And 
 fo our tranHators would have rendered the fame word here, 
 (oTa> 01 izx>.w naocyr, To» crfwToTovo? a; n.t ow.nu.ivr.v) not frj} be- 
 gotten, h\ii Jirj} born ; if they had not been prcpofrefTed with- 
 out caufe, that there was fomething myfterious always to be 
 underftood, when fuch words were applied to Chrilt. See 
 |*eirce upon the paflage. 
 
 F 4 through 
 
E 72 ] 
 through the world ; and probably to this laft cir- 
 cumftance, the command given to angels to worfiiip 
 Chrift, has feme reference, as the extraordinary 
 minifter of God in the firft propagation of the 
 gofpel. 
 
 But what is this ? or how does it prove, that 
 Chrift is to be worfhiped as God, and that he is 
 the fupreme God ? There is no ground whatfo- 
 ever to underftand it of worfliip properly divine, 
 but of fach worfliip as God commanded to be paid 
 to Chrift ; fuch reverence and refpeft, or whatever 
 elfe might be intended by the phrafe, as was fuit- 
 able and due to fo excellent a charafter, and one 
 fo highly honoured and exalted by Almighty God. 
 
 But with this our author is by no means fatisfied : 
 for he builds much on this text, which he repeats 
 twice afterwards ; and in one place launches out 
 in the following very extraordinary manner, to 
 prove, that it is fuch worfliip as was paid to God 
 himfelf, which the angels are commanded here to 
 pay to Chrift, and fuch as proves Chrift to be God. 
 I Oiall give his words at length, left \ fliould be 
 thought to injure his argument. 
 
 [z') " I cannot difmifs this article, fays he, without 
 " remarking one paffage more, the quotation of 
 ** which would give me the moji contemptible idea of 
 «' the writer's abilities, did I not believe that he took 
 " Jefus Chrift to be God. This writer is St. Paul. 
 " St. Paul, in tlie firft of Hebrews, elevates Chrift 
 *' above the whole creation, and requires all the 
 *' angels to adore him. We afl; ; bv what authority 
 *' do you require the celeftial fpirits to adore a 
 «* man ? Becaufe, replies he, God/aith, Let all 
 " the angels of God worfmf piim. We anfwcr; 
 *' there is no fuch pafl'age in the genuine Scripr 
 
 [z) Mr. Robinfon's Pica, &c. p. 43, 44. 
 
 " turcs. 
 
C 73 ] 
 
 *' lures. There is, indeed, a pafTage in the nincty- 
 •* feventh plalm, which faith. Confounded be all 
 ** they, that Jerve graven images, that hoaft them- 
 ** Jelves of idols : worjhip Jehovah all ye gods, 
 ** or angels. But how does a command to worfhip 
 " Jehovah apply to the worfhip of Jesus ? If 
 *' Jefus and Jehovah be not the fame, art not thou 
 " the lead and la{t of all pretenders to reafon ? 
 
 " Let us hear thepfahniit. The Lord reigneth, 
 " let the earth rejoice : let the ■multitude of the ifes 
 ** be glad there of Clouds and darknefs are round 
 *^ about him: righteoufnefs and judgraent are the 
 ♦* habitation of un throne. A fire goeth before 
 ** HIM, and burneth up his enemies round about. 
 ** His lightning enlightned the world : the earth 
 " fazv and trembled. The hills melted like zvax at 
 " the prefence of ]'E.no\ A.II I at the prejence of tyul 
 *' Lord of the whole earth. The heavens de^ 
 " dare his righteoufnefs, and all the people fee his 
 " glory. Confounded be all they, that Jerve graven 
 " images, that boafi thewfdves of idols : worship 
 " HIM ALL YE GODS. The natural impreffions, 
 *• which thefe paffages make on the reader, are 
 " thefe. The pfalmill defcribes the supreme 
 ** Cod, and commands the angels to worfhip him. 
 *' St. Paul quotes the pfalm, applies it to Jesus, 
 " and commands the angels to worfhip him. Jefus 
 ** is therefore, in St. Paul's account, God su- 
 ** preme." 
 
 Ordinary readers are much to be pitied, who 
 are eafily borne down and overcome by fuch a 
 profufion of words, and flrong affeverations con- 
 cerning a particular point; and cfpecially when a 
 writer has no fcruples of making an apoftle rc- 
 fponfiblc for his own very fallible judgment, and 
 is fo bold as to reprefent St. Paul as a contemptible 
 writer, if he did not intend in this quotation to 
 
 declare 
 
[ 74 3 
 
 declare Chrift to be the supreme God, exactly 
 according to Mr. Robinfon's ideas. 
 
 The plain ftate of thefaft, with which our author 
 makes fuch a parade and flourifh, appears to be this. 
 
 The learned are much divided, from what part 
 of the Old Teftament, the words on which Mr. 
 Robinfon would ere6l fuch a doftrine concerning 
 Chrift, are taken. Pyle, Sykes, and others main- 
 tain that they are a citation from Deuteron. xxxii. 
 43 ; and that though they are not to be found in 
 our prefent Hebrew copies, nor confequendy in 
 our Englifli verfion, which is taken from the He- 
 brew, they are neverthelefs to be met with moft 
 exaftly in the Septuagint tranflation of the Old 
 Teftament into Greek, which was moft probably 
 made ufe of and followed by St. Paul. The 
 words in this ancient verfion, are ; Rejoice^ ye 
 heavens J 'with himy and let all the angels of God 
 worfliip him ! Rejoice^ ye nations^ with his people / 
 And the paffage is confidered, as pointing for- 
 wards to the Meffiah and his kingdom ; which was 
 to be matter of joy not to the Ifraelites only, but 
 to all people. And this interpretation feems to 
 be confirmed by the application, which St. Paul 
 makes of the latter claufe of it, in another place j 
 as foretelling the bringing in of the gentiles to 
 fhare in the privileges of the gofpel, and become 
 the church and people of God with the Jews ; 
 where we read, Rom. xv. lo. And again he faiths 
 Rejoice, ye gentiles, with his people I 
 
 Thefe juft and well founded doubts, that the 
 v;ords in queftion are not quoted from Pfalm 
 xcvii. fhould have diminilhed our author's great 
 confidence, that St. Paul took them from that 
 Pfalm ; and we fhall do well all of us, not to be 
 over-pofitive, or to make any important point de- 
 pend upon die citations from the Old Teftament 
 
 1 
 
[ 75 ] 
 
 hy the writers of tlie New, where there is fo much 
 room for doubt and uncertainty. 
 
 But conceding to him, which is far from being 
 certain, that our apolile did maive his citatioi,! 
 from Pfahn xcvii. 7 ; it mult then be fuppofed^ 
 that the writer i'peaks by inipiration of the future 
 times of the gojpel. And if this be the fa6t, the 
 exuhing (train with which it begins; 27?^ Lord 
 (Jehovah) reigneth : let the earth rejoice ^ let the 
 multitude of ijles be glad thereof : will be a decla- 
 ration of the letting up of the kingdom of God 
 upon earth, and calling upon all its inhabitants to 
 rejoice in and partake of fo great a blefling. The 
 fame again is fignified, ver. 6. 'The heavens declare 
 his righteoufneJSj and all the -people fee his glory : 
 or rather -dh ihc peoples ; a familiar and ufual phrafe, 
 when the Gentiles are intended, as Pearce re- 
 marks, and as Bp. Lowth in his Ifaiah always 
 renders the word. And with refpcct to the claule, 
 worjhip himy all ye gods ! whether by the term in 
 the original, which we render ^<?^j-, be undcrltood, 
 the princes and magiftrates of the earth, or angelic 
 beings ; its primary fignihcation would be, a frefh 
 call upon them to worlhip Jehovah, God, as mani- 
 felting himfclf in the Mefliah, the appointed king 
 of this new kingdom, that was to be let up. For 
 it was a general perfuafion among the Jews, that 
 God was to dwell in an extraordinary manner in- 
 their Meifiah; and therefore they were wont to 
 apply, what was fpoken of God in their prophetic 
 writings, to the Mefliah. But if the words in the 
 Pfalmill, worjloiphim, all ye gods, are to be con- 
 fidered as immediately applied to Chrift, for which 
 I can fee no grounds, and a command to worfliip 
 him in perfon, it cannot be underftood of fucli 
 worfhip, as denominates him the supreme God; 
 but of fuch as is due to a character of confummate 
 
 worth. 
 
worth, to a moil: excellent creature, highly ho« 
 noured and exalted by God ; and this is con- 
 firmed by the worfhip mentioned by the apoftle, 
 as being ordered to be paid him, after his having 
 been brought again into the world \ i. e. after his 
 having been railed to an immortal life, by the 
 extraordinary interpofition and power of God : 
 but God, as we have often occafion to remind 
 fome men, cankot die. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon's next affcrtion of the Tame wor- 
 Ihip paid to Chrift as to God, from which he 
 would deduce Chriil to be the mod High God ; is 
 brought from Philip, ii. lo. " At^ (or rather in) 
 the name of Jefus^ every knee, in heaven, and in 
 earth fiould boiv.'' But he expefts the reader, as 
 ufual, to take the matter to be as he ilates it, upon 
 his bare word. A brief confidcration of the whole 
 paffage will fhew how much he is miftaken. 
 
 The apoftle is profeffedly teaching his Philip- 
 pian converts a lefion of humility, from the exam- 
 ple of Chrift. Let this mind be in you, fays he, 
 which was aljo in Chrifi J ejus : who being in the 
 form of God, i.e. having the form, the appearance 
 or likenefs of God ; which conhfted in, and was 
 rnanifefted by thofe divine powers, which he ex- 
 erted, of healing difeafes, railing the dead, by a 
 •word's fpeaking ; 
 
 — thought it not robbery to be equal %vith God, 
 All perfons of learning and judgment will own this 
 not to be the fenfe of the apollle's words; but it 
 Ihould be, (^) he thought not the being like to 
 
 God 
 
 {d) Mr. Robinfon, in another part of his trafl, p. 55, 
 deals very negligently by his readers, in taking up with our 
 faulty Englifh tranflation of this paffage, and thus expati- 
 ating with great pomp upon it. 
 
 " Jefus Chrift, being in the form of God, thought it not 
 •' robbery to be eijual with God. That is, fay feme, jefus, 
 
 " nui 
 
[ 77 ] 
 
 Cod a thing to he greedily Jeized by hiniy or, ^vas 
 not tenacious of retaining it ; made no oltenta- 
 tious Ihow of this form of and likencis to God, i. e. 
 of the divine powers beftowed upon him; 
 
 — hut CuTptied him himjclf^ ax;/ tuvrcv i-/.ivu(T':y 
 i. e. emptied himfclf of that form of God ; de- 
 meaned himfelf as if he had not been invefled with 
 fuch divine powers. 
 
 taking the form of a few ant y 
 not being attualiy a lervant, but putting himfelf 
 in the ftate and condition of one : devoting him- 
 felf to toil and labour for the good of others. 
 Hence he fays. Whoever will he chief among yoUy 
 let him he your Jervant : Even as the Son of man 
 came not to be miniflred untOj hut to minifler. Matt. 
 XX. 27, 28. and Luke xxii. 27. I am among you 
 its he that Jerveth. 
 —Being (not, as we tranflate it, being made) in the 
 
 likenejs of men y 
 that is, fubjeft to infirmities, pain, and fuffering, 
 as mortal men are : for this is a frequent fenfe of 
 the term here ufed for man, «v6pw7ro?. See A6ts x. 
 26. and Heb. ii. 14. 17. iv. 15. 
 ^And being found in fafhion^ or being in figure y as 
 
 a man ; 
 i. e. being in his whole exterior nothing above the 
 mod ordinary rank of men ; aiming at nothing 
 
 " not being God, thought not of the robbery of being equal 
 ** with God. Glorious humility ! A creature did not 
 *' think of ranking himfelf with the creator ! The hum- 
 ** blefl effedl of the wifeft human mind was only not to equal 
 •' itfeh with Jehovah !" His readers fhould not have been 
 »ninformed, that the apoftle fays nothing of the rchbery of 
 being equal to God, nor gives any occafion to entertain fucii 
 an idea of the holy Jcfus, as pretending to any thing of the 
 kind ; but, that he was not vain of that likenefs to the mod 
 high God, with which he had been favoured, nor eager to 
 xiake difplay of it. 
 
 beyond 
 
[ 78 ] 
 
 beyond it; affeBing no ftate or pomp, but the 
 
 contrary ; 
 
 i^Be humbled himjelf^ and hecame obedient unto 
 
 death y even the death of the crofs. 
 i. e.- his humility extended itfelf ftill farther : for 
 in obedience to God, and to confirm the truth of 
 the gofpel, he willingly fabmitted to death, at- 
 tended with infamy and the raoft exquifite tor- 
 tures. 
 ■ — Wherefore God aljo hath highly exalted him, and 
 
 given him (rather, hath gracioufly befiowed upon 
 
 sy^ccpKraro, OT favoured him with) a name, which 
 
 is above every name ; 
 i. e. on account of his humility and obedience, 
 God hath greatly advanced him, and given him 
 out of his free bounty a dignity or authority, 
 above what he ever granted to any other. 
 •~-that in the name of Jejus every knee foould bozVy 
 
 of things in heaven, and things on earth, and 
 
 things under the earth. 
 St. Paul feems here to refer to that great authority 
 lo be conferred upon Chrifl: at the day of judg- 
 ment ; of which he himfelf fpeaks, Romans xiv. 
 g, lo. But it is difiicult to account, by what con- 
 nexion of ideas our author could impofe upon 
 himfelf, fo as to produce this paflage as evidence 
 of fuch divine worfhip being commanded to be 
 paid to Chrift, which proved him to be the fu- 
 preme God. For, 
 
 1. The phrafe bowing the knee in the name of 
 any one, implies in itfelf nothing more than an 
 acknowlegment of the authority of the perfon, and 
 of the refpeft due to him. See Gen. xli. 43. So 
 that the apoftle might fay, that God had com- 
 manded every knee to bow in the name of Je- 
 4 ^^^» 
 
[ n ] 
 
 fus (/^), \vithout the lead thought of thofe pcrfons 
 offering divine worfliip to him. And 
 
 2. The afhxing fuch a meaning to the words, is 
 comrary to the very context and declaration of 
 the apofl-ie at the time; who teaches us, tliat this 
 name or authority, whatever be to be undcrilood 
 by it, was the gratuitous gift of Ahuighty God to 
 jefus. And can he be the fupreme God, who 
 depends for what he poffed'es upon the favour and 
 bounty of another ? 
 
 But the apoftle himfelf precludes all fuch fup- 
 pofition and interpretation, by immediately ex- 
 plaining,' what he intended by bowing in the 
 name of Jefus ; namely, 
 — and that every tongue JJjOuld confejs that Jefus 
 
 Chrifi is Lordy to the glory of God, the Father ; 
 i. e. all mankind are called upon and bound to 
 acknowlege and openly confefs Jefus Chrift to be 
 
 {b) Our author's talent of amplification may be feen in the 
 life which he makes of this paflagc, where he is fpeaking of 
 the infupcrable difficulties, \h:it in his o-ivn imagination only,) 
 which attend the denial of the divinity of our Lord. 
 
 P. 6 1. " The writers of the New Teftament required 
 •' EVERY KNEE to how at the name of Jefus, every knee in 
 *' hea'ven, every knee in earth, and every knee under the 
 " earth ; they demanded this homage to be paid to Chrift 
 " by men, who had always protefted againft the p '.ying of 
 " fuch homage to any but God ; however, {this our author 
 " aJJs hy n.i:ay of irony) they never intended to perfuade men 
 " to vvorfhip Jefus as God, they only meant to procure a 
 ** high degree of veneration to him as a very great man.'^ 
 
 Here is however amplification not a little beyond the truth : 
 for no injiance can be produced of the 'Nenu Tef.ament ivritert 
 demanding fuch homage to be paid to Chrijl by men, nxhich they 
 had alvjays protejled againf paying to any but God. And how- 
 ever Mr. Robinfon may reprefent it, Icrioufly or otherwife, 
 the New Tejlament ^writers never perfuaded, nor intended to 
 ferfuade men, to pay any nx'orjhip to Jefus Chrijl, but fuch as 
 ivas due to an excellent creature of ccnfummatc virtue, and there' 
 fore highly honour (d and txetUed cfGod, 
 
 Lord; 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 Lord: i.e. to bow the knee to him, to own his 
 authority ; but then, they are to confefs alfo, that 
 he is fc by the gift of God who conftituted him 
 fuch ; and alfo that the honour and glory of it, 
 primarily and ultimately belongs to God, the Fa- 
 ther ; i.e. to HIM, from whom he himfelf and 
 all other perfons, have received their being and 
 all their powers. 
 
 His next inflance of divine wordiip being com- 
 manded in the Scriptures to be given to Chrift, is 
 contained in thofe words of our Lord ; John v. 
 23. 'That all men jhould honour the Son^ even as 
 they honour the Father. 
 
 But how are the words of this humble Saviour 
 perverted and abufed, who was far from aiming 
 at any thing of the kind ? and who jufl before, 
 ver. 19, had faid ; The Son can do nothing of him- 
 felf: and who alfo immediately after the wordswhich 
 our author cites, gives a reafon for the honour he 
 required to be paid to himfelf, and {hews it was 
 fomething infinitely fhort of divine honour and 
 worfliip : viz. He that honoureth not the Sony ho- 
 noureth not the Father which hath sent him. 
 The honour he demands for himfelf, was that only 
 which was due to one, who was fent of God; the 
 refpeft belonging to one bearing God's autho- 
 rity in the high degree that he did; and nothing 
 more. 
 
 The apoftles of Chrift never fay that their di- 
 vine Mailer gave any command for men to wor- 
 fliip him. Which they would have done and have 
 appealed to this text, if it had been fo underftood 
 by them. The misfortune is, that men come to 
 the reading of Scripture, under the influence 
 of former prepoffeirions, which makes them 
 apply its words to purpofcs very different from 
 what they were intended to fignify. But Mr. Ro- 
 2 binfoii 
 
[ fi' ] 
 
 Linfon is not alone deceived here. The famous 
 Socinus, though he held ChriO: to be a human 
 being, contended that he was the objetl of wor- 
 fhip and prayer, and placed much dependence 
 upfMi this paflage for it. 
 
 Our author's next adertion of the fame worfliip 
 being paid to Chrift as to God, is couched in thefe 
 terms. " T\Venty times in the New T-eftament, 
 " grace, mercy , andpe^ce, are implored of Chrijl, 
 " together with the Fatiier." 
 
 Nothing more whatfoever is offered ; but we 
 are to take the fa6l to be as he pronounces it to 
 be, in this brief way, and on his bare word. Ju- 
 dicious perfons will wonder at fo great prefump- 
 tion, where there is fuch a poor foundation for it. 
 It is incredible, however, what power thefe gene- 
 ral authoritative decifions have over weak minds: 
 fo that it feems not fair or equitable, and is doing 
 fuch perfons a great injury, to make ufe of them 
 in dubious points, efpecially fuch as are of im- 
 portance. As our author does not produce, nor 
 refer to, one of the numerous inftanccs which ac- 
 cording to him prove his point, that Chrift is the 
 objccl; of prayer together with the Father ; I muft 
 not decline the trouble of fele6ting fuch as I ap- 
 prehend he might refer to, and layinji th'^m before 
 the reader, to form his judgment of them. 
 
 Rom. i. 7. Grace to you, and peace, froui God 
 our Father, and the Lord Jejus Chrijl. 
 
 1 Cor. i. 3. Grace be to you, and peace, from 
 God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrijl. 
 
 2 Cor. i. 2. Grace be to you, and -peace, from 
 God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrijl. 
 
 xiii. 14. 'The grace oj our Lord Jefus Chrijl, 
 
 and the love oJ God, and the communion of the holy 
 Spirit, be with ycu all. Amen, 
 
 G Gal. 
 
[ 8'. ] 
 
 Gal. i. 3. Grace he to you^and -peace, from Goct 
 the Father, and fror,i our Lord Jefus Chrtji. 
 
 Epb. i. 2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God 
 our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 
 vi. 23. Peace be to the brethren, and love 
 
 with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord 
 Jefus Chriji. 
 
 Philip, i. 2. Grace he unto you, and peace, from 
 Cod our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 Col. i. 2. Grace he unto you, and peace, frcrd 
 God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chriji. 
 
 1 Theff. i. 1. Grace be unto you, and peace, from 
 Cod our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift. 
 
 -~— — iii. 11. Now God himjelf, even our Fa- 
 therj and our Lord Jefus Chriji, dire5f our way 
 unto you. 
 
 2 Their, i. 2. Grace unto you, and peace, from 
 Cod our Father, and the Lord Jejus Chrifi. 
 
 ii. 16, 17. Now our Lord Jefus Chrifr 
 
 hijnfelf, and God, even our Fat,her, — comfort your 
 hearts, &c. 
 
 1 Tim. i. 2. Grace, mercy, and peace, from God 
 cur Father, and Jefus Chriji our Lord. 
 
 2 Tim. i. 2. Grace, mercy, and peace, from God 
 the Father, and Jefus Chriji our Lord. 
 
 Tit. i. 4. Grace, mercy., and peace, from God 
 the Father, and the Lord jfus Chriji our Saviour. 
 
 Philem. — 3. Grace to you, and peace, from God 
 cur Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 1 John — 3. Grace he with you, mercy, and peace, 
 from God the Father, and from the Lord Jefus 
 Chriji, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 
 
 Rev. i. 4, 5. Grace he unto you, and peace, from 
 
 him ivhich is, and which was, and which is to 
 
 come ; and from the feven Jpirits which are before 
 
 ' his throne ; and from JeJus, the faithful witnejs, 
 
 the firfi-horn from the dead.-^ 
 
[ £3 ] 
 
 It will be perceived, that fourteen out of tliefe 
 iiinctcirn inlUi.ccs, fori count no more, are almoll 
 word for word the fame; and arc nothing but a 
 cuUoinary falutation, or greeting, ufcd by the a- 
 pollies in their letters. Mr. Robinfon calls it, 
 praying JoVy or imploring grace and mercy of Chrift 
 together with the feather. But his fayin,!^ it, is no 
 proof of its being fo. Had it really been fo, the 
 words would have been direftly addreffed to God, 
 and to Chrilt, in fome fuch way as this; ** O God, 
 " our Father, and o jefus Chrift, our Lord, vouch- 
 *' iafe grace, mercy, and peace," <S:c. But the 
 writers addrefs themfelvcs, not to God or Chrift; 
 but to the perfons to whom their epiftles arc fent, 
 Grace be to you; and therefore their words can 
 only be confidered as devout wifhes of good for 
 them; viz. that the grace, mercy, and peace, of 
 which God was the author, and Chrift had been 
 ihe me(fenger and inftrument to convey them to 
 mankind, might be imparted to them ; in ft^ort, 
 that they might partake of all the blelfmgs of the 
 gofpel : a very proper beginning of a letter from 
 an apoftle, where a prayer would have been lefi 
 fuitable. 
 
 But the lalt inftance here produced from Re- 
 vdation i. 4, 5. will make it very evident, that 
 it is a very wrong turn given to thefe apoftolic 
 falutations, to call them prayers. For if fo, it 
 would follow that wc are to pray to angels as well 
 as to God : fincc according to this way of interpre- 
 tation, grace and peace are there implored, not only 
 of God, and o{ Jcfw^, but of ihe [even fpirits before 
 ike throne; who are afterwardi? called, (v, 6.) the 
 feven jpirits 0/ God jcnt forth into all the earth ; and 
 by fome, though on what authority I know not, 
 Ivippofed to be the guardian angels of the {c'idn 
 churches, to whom St. [ohn writes. 
 
 G a The 
 
[ u ] 
 
 The remaining inftances are fomevhat different 
 in form j though not unlike in fubftance, or in their 
 real meaning, from the falutations I have juft ex- 
 plained. For, I ThefT. iii. ii. Nozo God him/elf^ 
 even our Father^ and our Lord Jefus Chrifi direH our 
 zv ay unto you : is not an imploring or invoking of 
 G(.d and of Chrift ; but only a pious wifh, that the 
 apoflle's journey to them might be fo ordered by 
 divine providence, that the glory of God, and the 
 iliccefs of the gofpei might be promoted by it. 
 So, 2 Their, ii. 16, 17. Now our Lord Jefus Chriji 
 
 himfelfy a7id God even our Father^ comfort your 
 
 hearts ; he wifhes them all the comforts that arife 
 from the gofpei of Chriil:, and the favour of the 
 heavenly Father of all, therein revealed. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon next affirms; " Baptifm is an 
 " aft of worfhipj performed in his (i. e. Chrift's) 
 *^' name.' 
 
 The Scripture-account of baprJfm, Matth. xxviiii 
 19. gives no ground to call k an A6t of worfhip 
 done to Chrift, or even to Almighty God himfelf. 
 It is rather an a£t of obedience to Chrift, as the 
 meflbnger of God, and a (John iii. 2.) teacher fent 
 from him. And though the ceremony of baptifm, 
 as an initiation into Chrift's religion, may be fitly 
 accompanied with prayer to God, it may be per- 
 formed v/ithout it; and the inftitution and form 
 itfelf, as it lies in the facred writings, does not in- 
 dicate it to be any aO: of worfiiip to Chrift in the 
 leaft degree, unlefs fo far as it is an acknowlegc- 
 ment of his authority from God to teach his will 
 to mankind. 
 
 The idea, which the hebrew nation, and among 
 them, our Lord and his apoflles, entertained of any 
 one's baptizing people, was the making them his 
 difciples, engaging them to be of his fed and per- 
 
 fualion. 
 
[ 85 ] 
 fuafion. Hence John iv. i,(c) making difciplcs 
 is fynonymous with baptizing them. And the 
 apoftle Paul iays, (i Cor. i. 4, 5.) / ihank God that 
 1 baptized none of yoUy but Crifpus and Gains ; lejl 
 anyJJiould fay, that I had baptized into mine own 
 name: not as if the baptizing them into his own 
 name would have been an zt\ of worfhip paid to 
 liim as God; but leil he fliould be thought to fct 
 up himfclf for a leader, and not Chrift alone. So 
 ve read, (i Cor. x. 1, 2.) that the Ifraelites were 
 baptized info Mo/es. But no one imagines that the 
 language implied an aft of divine worfliip to Mofcs; 
 but only the acknowleging him to be their divine 
 leader and deliverer. And fo the being baptized 
 into the name of Chrift, is an acknowlegemcnt of 
 him as our divine mafler and Saviour; and nothing 
 more. To fmifh the fubjeft; Baptifm is nothing 
 but the prefcribcd mode of making difciples, or 
 initiating perlons into Chrill's religion : Go ye, and 
 make difcipies of all nationSy baptizing them into 
 the name of the Father^ and of the Son, and of the 
 holy fpint. Matth. xxviii. 19. And Chrift being 
 herein joined ?nd ranked with the Father, is no 
 more a proof of his being one God with the Fa- 
 ther, or God equal to him, than that which St. 
 Paul fays, 1 Tim. v. 21. is a proof of the eleH 
 angels, being one God with the Father, or fo many 
 different Gods equal to him. I charge thee b fore 
 God, and the Lord Jejus Chrijl, and the eledl angels, 
 that thou obferve thefe things, 
 
 Mr. Robinfon proceeds ; " Swearing is an afl 
 " of worfliip, a folemn appeal in important cafes 
 *•' to the omnifcient God ; and this appeal is made 
 *' to Chrift. Rom. ix. 1." 
 
 (f) When therefore the Lord knenu, ho^w the Pbari/ees had 
 htaid, that JeJ'ui made *nd baptized more di/ciples than John. 
 
 G 3 This 
 
[ 86 3 
 
 This pretended proof from Scripture, of Chrift 
 being the objeB. of worfhip, becaufe the apoftle is 
 fuppofed to ftvear by, or appeal to him as omni- 
 fcienti is unworthy" of regard. If our author had 
 attended properly to the words ufed, he would 
 have found, that there is no appeal whatfoever 
 made to Chrift by the apoftle, but a folemn decla- 
 ration, in the lincerity of his heart, as became a 
 chriftian, of his feelings and concern for his coun- 
 trymen ] I fay the truth in Chrijl ; or as a chriftian ; 
 (for fo, £v Xpifio, (d) properly fignif.es) / lye not; 
 my confcimce alfo (guided and enlightened) by the 
 holy fpirit^ iearing me witnefs ; that I have great 
 heavinefy and continual forrozu inmy heart. 
 
 Our author's next afiertion of fuch worfliip be- 
 ing paid to Chrift, as argued him to be the raoft 
 high God, is thus put. " The committing of the 
 " foul to God at death is a facrcd ad of wor- 
 " fiiip; in the performance of this aft Stephen 
 " died, faying, Lordjefiis, receive my fpirit. A^^ 
 « vii. 59."^ 
 
 Upon this cafe of Stephen, Mr. Robinfon fpcnds 
 eleven pages. He maintains, that the holy martyr's 
 committing his fpirit to Chrift, is an exaft coun- 
 terpart to that of David, Pf. xxxi. 5, J7U0 thine 
 hand I commit my fpirit : Thou haft redeemed me, 
 Lord, God of truth ! But he forgets to remind his 
 reader of the very different circumftances of the 
 two cafes ; and that Stephen f{3eaks of the perfon 
 he addrefles, not as being Jehovah, God ; but the 
 Son OF MAN, ftanding at /he right hand of God. 
 This makes it utterly impoflible that the two cafes 
 fhould be alike, ai;d that this application of Ste-^ 
 
 {r/) In like manner towards the conclufion of the fame 
 
 epiille, xvi. 7 Salute my kiuftnsn, -^-ho nvsre in Chrift, (i. e. 
 
 Ciirifti^^s,) before mt, Sue. ^c, 
 
 phen 
 
C s; ] 
 
 plien to Chrlft, fliould proceed from a pcrfuafiori 
 of liis being the fame God of truthj to whom 
 David recommended his fpirit. 
 
 To as little purpofe is that foliloquy of a Jew 
 upon the fame fiibjeti, whom our author introduces 
 as living at the time of the tranfaclion; but only 
 to darken a plain fubjecl with words that have little 
 fenfc in them, and are quite befidc the purpofe. 
 For, in reality, no Jew would or could have had 
 any fcruple, in offering the like addrefs to Elijah, 
 bad he beheld the prophet in the fame exalted fla- 
 tion, and been poff'effed with the fame belief con- 
 cerning his great power, and favour with God, 
 which Stephen entertained concerning Jcfus. So 
 that all the oratory of \\ViS, feigned ferjon age ^ calcu- 
 lated to lay hold of a certain rank of readers, 
 comes to nothing ; and they are only frightful 
 words, without any ground of truth, with which 
 he makes his Jew-friend bring in a verdift againfl 
 the holy martyr: viz. "Stephen was guilty: he 
 died with that confidence in a creature-, which he 
 ought to have -placed in God alone. Curjed is the 
 many that trufieth in man^ and maketh fiefh his arm, 
 Jcr. xvii. 5." 
 
 Stephen's truft was only in that power, which 
 he believed Almighty God had granted to Chrift ; 
 v:ho is the reJurrc^iDn and the life ; (John xi. 25.) 
 and by whole voice the dead are to be called to 
 life, at the lafl day. 
 
 Our author then prefents his reader with a long 
 dialogue, in fix pages, of his own fabric and device, 
 between two other fuppoled Jew-chriftians, Timon 
 and Caleb, whom he makes to be living at the time 
 in Jcrufalem, and one of them prefent at the 
 ftoning of Stephen. The whole of it is very ob- 
 fcure and dull, contrary to our author's ufual 
 G 4 manner. 
 
I 88 ] 
 
 manner, with very liule refemblance of truth in 
 the circumltances, or force of argument. But 
 thofe who can be pleafed with fuch fort of hftions, 
 will do well to read what he has put together. 
 
 A late excellent perfon feems to have Rated this 
 whole affair of Stephen's addrefs to Chrift, in fo 
 jnlt a light, and fo plain a manner, that I fliall 
 give the reader the conclufion of it, as a proper 
 reply to Mr. Robinfon's rhetoric upon it. 
 
 '* In truth, this of Siephen feems to have been 
 a 7??ig-«/^zr excepted cafe; and, perhaps, the only 
 one that can be mentioned, where our Saviour is 
 invQcated as the immediate and direft objeft of a 
 (levout addrefs. 
 
 " And we may, in a great meafure, account for 
 it. Stephen y we reafonably conclude, would have 
 called upon God, when thus dying by the hands of 
 violence, as he had at all paft times been wont to 
 dire6t his prayer, had he not been furprized with 
 a fight of the man Chrill; Jefus, God's firil minif- 
 ter, {landing at the right hand of the glory, ready 
 to receive him. He faw him in the form and like- 
 nefs of the Son of man, or of the la?nb that had 
 been Jla'in, as reprefented in the vihon, Revelation 
 V. 6. This would naturally, and with the utmoft 
 propriety, lead him to call on Jefus to help him, 
 (d-) or eagerly to place his confidence in that fuccour 
 he fhewed himlclf officially ready to give him. 
 
 (f) Although Stephen did not addrefs hinifelf to Jefus, 
 and call out to him, at the very moment of the vifion ; yet 
 it is evident from his being inftantly feized by the mad 
 rabble upon the mention of it, .md hurried out of the city 
 to be flontd, the traces and impreffion of it would remain 
 Urong upon his mind fo as to put him upon fuch an applica- 
 tion to Chrill, which he would not have ufed at any other 
 time, and in a different fi,tuation. 
 
 lie 
 
t 89 ] 
 
 He well knew what he had taught his difciples to 
 expect iVom him, as the rejurre^ion and the life, 
 or as the vital head of all his followers. This was 
 as natural as it had been for his difciples, who had 
 fecn his miraculous power, to call on him thus 
 in a great dorm at fea; Lord^ fave us -y ive ferijh. 
 Matth. viii. 24, 25, All tiie while, and in both 
 cafes, Stephen and the difciples mud' have well 
 known, that it was their duty to call upon God, as 
 their lupreme refuge in all perils and extremities. 
 And inafmuch as, like Martha^ they were all of 
 them fully perfuaded, that whatever Jefus would 
 afk of God, God would grant it ; neverthelefs, it 
 is not to be wondered at, that upon their being 
 with Chrilt, or feeing him, they fliould readily 
 ?ipply to him, well knowing that he had great 
 power with God, and flood in the highefl favour 
 with him. 
 
 " Upon the whole, the example of Stephen is 
 no rule to others, unlefs they are encouraged by 
 a like vifion. And nofingle^ extraordinary inftance 
 will juilify our departing from the univerfal and 
 eternally eftablifhed rule of obfcrvance, viz. that 
 the addrefs of fupreme worfliip be made to the 
 one God, and to him alone; whom we chriftians 
 know to be the God and Father of all. There is 
 no other who can be the objed of what is proper- 
 ly and truly called, religious worJhip[f)." 
 
 {/) " An Enquiry, whether we have any Scripture- 
 warrant for a diretit addrefs of fupplication, praife, or thankf- 
 giving, either to the Son or to the Holy Ghoft. By the late 
 Kcv. I'aulCardale, &;c. p.4i,&c. Printed forjohnfon, 1776." 
 
 In this tra6^, as in all the author's fcrious and valuable 
 writings, there is much to be learned ; efpecially concerning 
 the Being to whom our prayers and worlhip are to be ad- 
 drcffed ; whether to one perfon, that of the Almighty Fa- 
 ther, or to two other perfon s befidcs, in coniunftioni and 
 upon an equality with hira. 
 
 SEC- 
 
C 90 3 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 tVh ether there he any pajfages helonging to Jeho^ 
 VAH, the Supreme God, in the Old ^ejiament, and 
 applied to J ejus Chrijl in the New 'Tejlamenty 
 which prove J ejus Chrijl to be Jehovah, the 
 Supreme God '^ 
 
 MR. Robinfon's next divifion of his work, is 
 thus Itated and introduced. '* Obferve, my 
 " brethren, the application of the Oid Teflament 
 " paliages which belong to Jehovah, to Jefus Chrifb 
 ** in the New Tcliament, and try whether you can 
 " acquit the writei^s of the New Teftament of 
 " mifrepreJentaiicHi on fuppofition that Jefus u 
 " not God." 
 
 One would think that even thofe whom our 
 author may be fuppofed here immediately to ad- 
 drefs, muft be offended with fuch invidious reflec- 
 tions on the facred writers. They, it feems, muft 
 be nothing lefs than guilty of mifreprefentation, 
 if their language exprefs not the ideas which our 
 author entertains of Chriil being Jehovah, the fu- 
 preme God. 
 
 The inconfiftency in his firft inftance, with v.'hich 
 our author would charge St, Paul, if Chrift be not 
 the fupreme God, has been before confidered; for 
 he frequently deals in repetitions: where it was 
 feen, that [in pcrfcft agreement] with truth and 
 the apoflle's own declarations, Chrift might be faid 
 to judge the world, and Almighty God alfo, and 
 yet Chrift all the while be nothing more than a 
 creature, with high powers from God. But as our 
 author, contrary to his ufual wont, enlarges upOu 
 the point, it will be fitting to give his words at 
 length, p. 32. " St. Faul fays, (Rom. xiv. 10.) 
 2 '* //> 
 
C 9t ] 
 
 •* We JJjall all Jland before the judgment-Jeat of 
 " Christ. That we fliall all be judged, we al- 
 ** low. But bow do you prove tlut Chrifi fhall 
 ** be our judge ? (g) Becauf'j adds the apoltlc, 
 ** it is writ ten y (Ifa. xlv. 20.) As I live^Jaith the 
 " Lord, every knee fi) all hovj to me, and every 
 " tc:igue fhall confefs to G(jd. What Tort of rea- 
 " foning is this? How does this apply to Chriit, 
 *' if Chrifi be not God ? And how dare a man 
 *' (i. e. tbe-afofiley) quote one of the mofl: guarded 
 " padagcs in the Old Teflament for fuch a pur- 
 " pofe ? The paHagc is this. Ifaiah xlv. 20, Sec, 
 " ^here is no God else beside me. ^juji God, 
 " and a Saviour ^ there is none beside me. / 
 " am God, and there is none else. Unto my. 
 " every knee fiall boiv, every tongue fhall /wear. 
 " The apoftle's rcafoning is this. Jehovah fays, 
 ** every knee fliall bow to him. Jefus is Jehovah. 
 *' Therefore every kr)ee fhall bow to Jefus." 
 
 St. Paul's rcaforlfng however is very different, 
 and the conclufion tae very reverfe of what our 
 author would draw from his words. 
 
 He is here exhorting the chriitians at Rome, to 
 forbear cenfuring each other for their little dif- 
 ferences in religious matters, and rather to turn 
 their attention to their own chriltian conduft, 
 that it might be fuch as it ought to be; becaufc 
 they would have to give account of themfelves to 
 Chrifi, their future judge. 
 
 Having faid this, he throws in a citation from 
 Ifaiah : not to prove that Chrifi fliall be our judge, 
 from the Old I'eftament, as Mr. Robinfon puts it : 
 but to prove that all the world is and will be fubjcft 
 
 [g) The apoftle f:iy5 — For it is written; noX Bccnu/e, as 
 changed by our author. 
 
 to 
 
c 9^ : 
 
 to tlie dominion, controul and jurifdi6lion of Al* 
 mighty God himfelf ; and thereby to teach, not 
 tliat Chrift is Almighty God, but that it is from 
 God that he receives his commiffion and powers : 
 fo that we may be faid, ultimately to be judged 
 by the Almighty, and to give account of ourfelves 
 to him. 
 
 If it be afl<ed, how mankind can be judged at 
 the lafl by Chrilt, and alfo by Almighty God ? The 
 fame apoftle furnifhes a full folution of the diffi- 
 culty. God JId all judge the Jeer et things of men by 
 Je/us Chrift. Rom. ii. 16. And; God hath ap- 
 pointed a day^ in the which he will judge the world 
 in right eoujnejs^ by that man whom he hath ordained -^ 
 whereof he hath given ajfurance unto all 7nen, in that 
 he hath rai/ed hir.i from the dead. Atts xvii. 31. 
 
 Our author proceeds with his other inftances 
 of mifreprejentation of paffages in the Old Tefla- 
 ment, by the writers of the New Teflament, if 
 Chriil be not Jehovah, the fupreme God. " John 
 ** the Baptift — (Matth. iii. 13.) is he^ who was 
 *^ Jpoken of by the prophet EJaias^ J^y^^^Z ' ^^^' 
 " pare ye the way, Ifaiah faith, (xl. 3. 9, 10, 11.) 
 (( Prepare the way oj thy. Lord, make ftraight a 
 ** highway for our God. Say unto the cities of 
 " Judahy behold your God. Behold the Lord 
 *' God will cornCy and feed his flock like a pepherd. 
 «* But what has John the Baptift to do with all 
 <* this defcription, if Jefus Chrift be only a mej- 
 *^ Jenger o^ ]<zho\d\\y and not Jehovah himfelf: 
 *' for Ifaiah faith, Prepare ye the way of Je- 
 
 " HO V A II." 
 
 Anjwer. As our author very foon re fumes this 
 point, and expatiates in a very fingular manner, 
 and through many pages, upon the application of 
 this and the like language to Chrift, i. e, of God 
 
 Imnfelf 
 
[ 93 ] 
 
 himfelf hehig /aid to come, when Clirifl came to 
 preach the gofpel ; there will then be an oppor- 
 tunity of fiicwing, with what jufl propriety and 
 confiltency, John the Baptilt might be introduced 
 fpeaking as he does here, though he looked upon 
 Chrill as nothing more than the moll honoured 
 mcflcnger or fervant of Jehovah, the fupreme God. 
 
 His other inftanccs, our author contents himfelf 
 with barely citing, as faving him trouble, and 
 anfwering his purpofe. And it is to be feared, 
 the lazinefs of many readers will but too readily 
 incline them to be fatisfied with his pofitive af- 
 fertions, without farther inquiry. We muft not, 
 however, fo pafs him over. He begins : 
 
 ** A prophet, fpeaking in the name of God, fays; 
 " The inhabitants of Jerujalem JJoall look up rm mk, 
 *' whom they pierced. Zech. xii. lo. An evange- 
 ** lift fays; One of the Joldiers with a /pear pierced 
 *' the fide of Je/us -y and the Scripture was fulfilled ^ 
 " which faith. They jh all lock on him, whom they 
 " pierced." John xix. 34. 36, 37. 
 
 The prefent hebrew reading of this text in 
 Zechariah, in our printed bibles and in our cnglifh 
 tranflation made from them, is, they ftj all {h) hok 
 9n me, whom they have pierced. 
 
 But 
 
 (Zi) I give here in the margia the palTage of the prophet 
 at length, as it ought to bo read. 
 
 Zech. xii. 10. &c. And Inxiill pour upon the hcuff of David, 
 and upon the inhabit ant i ofjerufalern, the fpirit if grace and of 
 fupplications : and they jho.ll look upon him nvhon: thy ha've 
 pierced, and they Jhall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onlf 
 fan, and Jhall Lc m bilternejs for him, ns one that is in bitternefs 
 for his frji-born. In that day Jhall there be a great mourning 
 in JeruJ'uUm, is^c. 
 
 The belt interpreters agree, that in this pafTige, we have 
 a predirtion ot the murder of an illullrious perfon, one very 
 dear to God, fince God makes his caufc his own : a general 
 
 punilhment 
 
[ 94 ] 
 
 But it is plain, from its citation by the apoftlc, 
 that he read it, they jhail look on him, whom they 
 have -pierced. 
 
 And the learned have been very generally of 
 opinion, that there had been a miitake in the he- 
 brew manufcripts, from which the printed copies 
 have been taken, and tranflations made j as it 
 might eafily be done by a tranfcriber, through the 
 omiffion of a fmall letter. And unprejudiced 
 fcholars have been the more inclined to believe, 
 there had been this fmall millake made, bccaufe it 
 is hardly pofTible to make fenfe of the prophet's 
 vords, in their connexion with the whole paffage, 
 if you retain the reading, they Jh all look on me. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon, not attending to this, nor per- 
 ceiving the moft JIdocking incongruity of the eternal 
 Jclf-exifient God being pierced through unto death ; 
 for that is the fignification of the term in the ori- 
 ginal ; cites it notwithfhinding as fpoken by the 
 almighty Being of himfelf, and as a proof that 
 Jefus, whom the foldier pierced with a fpear, was 
 Jehovah, the moft high God. 
 
 However, the late learned Dr. Kennicott, 
 whofe defign and immenfe labours, ought ever to 
 be mentioned with honour, in his moft valuable 
 edition of the Hebrew Bible ; has found they 
 pierced kim, to be the reading of this pallage in 
 nolefs than forty Hebrew manufcripts. 
 
 punilhmcnt alfo of the houfe of David and the inhabitants 
 of Jerufalem on account of this fin, and as general a repen- 
 tance and pardon, and reftoration in confequence of their re- 
 pentance of that their fin ; and that it is impofiible to find 
 any thing in the jcwiih h'.llory that anfwers this prophecy, 
 befuies the cmcifixion of the Mefiiah ; and that this applica- 
 tion is ilrcngtliened by the apoltle's citation of it. The reader 
 will foon ]>erceive, how much the fenfe and conneifiion would 
 be diiturbcd, by reading me nvhom they ha-ve pierced, inllcad 
 
 of HIM. 
 
 His 
 
[ 95 3 
 
 Mis words relating to it, are tlicfc (;) ; " I have 
 ** but a few things to add concerning the other 
 " paffage in Joh. xix. 37. which is quoted by the 
 " apoltle ,- namely, the prophecy in Zechariah 
 " xii. 10. They pall look on him, loboiji they have 
 *' pierced: where, although the printed Hebrew 
 *' Bible has it, they fij all look on me, (which de- 
 " liroys the fenfe of the pafiage) yet the reading, 
 " th^y Jhall look on him, is evidently preferved in 
 ** FORTY Hebrew manufcripts." 
 
 It is to be hoped therefore, that we (hall now 
 jio more hear of this text being brought, as a proof 
 of Chrid's being Jehovah, the one fupreme God ; 
 or of the fupreme God being pierced to death. 
 
 " A propiiet (continues Mr. Robinfon) fays; 
 *' I Jaw the Lord fit tijig upon a throne^ high and 
 *' lifted up, and bis train filled the Temple. And 
 '* Seraphirns cried one to another, hoi.y, holy, 
 ** HOLY, IS THE LoRD OF HOSTS J the ivhoU euvth 
 *' is full of Hi& glory. Ifai. vi. 1, 2, 3, An evan- 
 " gel ill faith; Theje things Jaid Efaias, vjhen he 
 "Jaw HIS glory, and f pake of him; that is, di 
 " }efus. John xii. 39." 
 
 If thefe words of St. John arc to be interpreted, 
 as though the prophet himfelf fpoke direttly of 
 Chrill, the learned Dr. Clarke leems to have hit 
 upon their true meaning. " When EJaias, fays 
 ** he, ch. vi. 1. faw the glory of God the Fatbert 
 " revealing to him tlie coming of Chrijl, he then 
 " faw the glory of him, who was to come in the 
 •' glcry of his Father. Matt. xvi. 27. FjaiaSy 
 
 (/) " Pauca dicenda rcftant de altero loco quern citavit 
 " Johannes, nempe vaticinio, Zacli. xii. 10. Refiicicni od 
 *' eum, quern transfxcruttt ; ubi, quanquam imprdius textus 
 »< legit *''K ad me, (quod cnntextui rcpugriat) fervatur tanica 
 " ledlio I"'!* ad eum manifffto in codicibus Heb. Qj-fAaRA- 
 " GiNTA."— Kennicoit. Diirertatio Gciicralis. p. 29. 
 
 " in 
 
C 96 ] 
 
 «' in beholding the glory of Gody and in receiving' 
 ** from him a revelation of the coming of Chrijl^ 
 ** Jaijo (that is, forefaw) the glory of Chriji ; juft 
 •' as Abraham^ John viii. 56. Jaw (that is forefaw") 
 *' his day, and was glad." Script. Do8r. of the 
 Trinity, p. 109. 
 
 But the apoille's words may perhaps appear to 
 fome, more jultly to be underftood of God, and 
 not of Chrift; fince God only is fpoken of in the 
 preceding verfe, to which they relate. And 
 moreover, in the Coptic and latter Syriac vcrfions, 
 and in one manufcript, though this not of very 
 early date, the reading is, when he faw the glory 
 OF God, ra 5-f2, and Jpr.ke of him: which fome 
 may efteem to be the true reading. 
 
 And the ground of the apoftle's making this re- 
 flexion in this place is ; becaufe the glory of God, 
 of which the prophet fpeaks, is nothing elfe but 
 the propagation of the gofpel over the whole 
 earth. As though it had been ; " 'Thefs things faid 
 *• Efaias, when he had an im.ir.cdiate revelation 
 " made to him concerning the gofpel." 
 
 For the whole of this fixth chapter of Ifaiah, 
 and the vifion with which it opens, relates to the 
 gofpel-times, though nothing is therein expreisly 
 delivered concerning the pcrfon of Chrift. And 
 the hymn of adoration, offered up by the Sera- 
 phim, is a folemn declaration, " that not one peo- 
 ** pie only, as hitherto, but all mankind were to 
 ** be called to the knowlege of Jehovah, the one 
 '* true God, and to eternal life ; to the fole un- 
 «' rivalled honour and praife of that facred Being, 
 ** Creator of all things, and fource of all happi- 
 ** nefs and perfection, who Hands by himfelf alone,' 
 ** unequalled in the univerfe he has made." For 
 fo is that repeated epithet holy^ Siz. and alternate 
 
 fong 
 
[ 97 ] 
 fong to be underflood, when the feraphic choir 
 chaunt one to another and lay ; 
 
 Holy, lioly, holy, Jehovah, Godofhofts! 
 
 The whole earth is hllcd with his glory. 
 
 But Mr. Robinfon is not miflaken by himfelf 
 in his interpretation and application of this paf- 
 fage. 
 
 Bifliop Lowth's jiifl: and animated tranflation of 
 fo noble and original a writer as Ifaiah, and his 
 fine and ufeful illuflration of the general plan of 
 the prophet, will always place him in the foremoft 
 rank of interpreters of the facred volume. But 
 one is grieved, that fo great an author, of fucli 
 true fenfe, fhould one knows not how, in the 
 prefent inltance, give into the weaknefs of the 
 narrowed interpreters of the facred volume. For 
 after having recited, and admirably explained this 
 emblematic defcription of Jehovah, fitting on a 
 lofty throne in the Temple, attended on and en- 
 circled by the brightell and highelt of angelic pow- 
 ers, prefenting themfelves in the humblelt polUires, 
 and covering their faces before him, in their wor- 
 Ihip of him ; he coldly and dcgradingly remarks, 
 in his note upon the place, " The Lord upon the 
 " throne, according to St. John xii. 41. was 
 " Chrid." In too great hafte, to fay the leaft> 
 overlooking the different and julter interpretations, 
 which the paffage in the apof^lc admits, to be here- 
 after confidered ; and giving countenance to the 
 felf-contradiclory, impolfible, polytheilHc doftrine, 
 that the holy jciiis, the Son of Mary, is the mod 
 high God himlelf; is Jehovah, the God of the 
 univerfc, adored by furrounding angels, who veil 
 their faces before him, as unable to bear the fplcn- 
 dor of his prefcncc. 
 
 But this is not all. In the fame note, the 
 
 Uifhop fb far commits his good fenfe, and conde- 
 
 H fcends 
 
[ 98 ] 
 fcends to vulgar prejudices, as ta quote with ap- 
 probation this idle remark of an ancient Father, 
 on the threefold repetition of the word holy^ in 
 the hymn of the Seraphim ; *' the defign of which 
 *5 is, faith he from jerom on the place, ut myfte- 
 " rium Trinitatis in una Divinitate demonftrentj" 
 viz. to demoniirate tlie myftery of the Trinity in 
 one Divinity, or in the Divine Unity. 
 
 The famous Calvin, neither in fine parts or 
 learning inferior to any one, and whofe fentiments 
 are well known, fliewed much more judgment in 
 his reflexion on this comment of Jerora's {k). 
 " The Fathers, fays he, made ufe of this proof, 
 ** when they wanted to maintain againft the Arians, 
 " that there were three perfons in the one divine 
 ** efTence. I am far from rejecting their opinion 
 " upon this fubjeft: but in difputing with here- 
 " tics, I fhould chufe to make ufe of ftronger ar- 
 " guments : for they are rendered only more ob- 
 *' ftinate and glorying in their errors, when you 
 ** oppofe them with proofs that are not plain and 
 " convincing ,• as in the prefent cafe they may 
 " eafily and plaufibly alledge, that number three 
 ** is only ufed to denote perfeftion in the fubjeO: 
 " it is applied to, as appears from many places of 
 " Scripture." 
 
 It next follows; " A prophet fays; The Lord 
 " OF HOSTS HIMSELF Jhall bc for afione of ftum- 
 
 [k) " Veteres hoc teftimonio ufi funt, cum vellent, adverfus 
 '* Arianos, tres perfonas, in una Dei efTcntia, probare. 
 " Quorum ego fententiam non rejicio ; quanquam, fi mihf 
 *' res cum hereticis efTet, mallem firmioribus teflimoniis uti. 
 •* Nam redduntur pervicaciores, et fecum ipfi plaudunt, 
 ** cum minus apertis teftimoniis oppugnantur ; ut hoc loco 
 ** facile efiet et promptum ipfis excipere ternario numero 
 ** perfe^ionem notari, ut in aliis Scripture locis." 
 
 Calvin, apud Cleric, in loc. 
 
[ 99 ] 
 
 " bling. Ifai. viii. 13, 14. An apoftle fays ; Chrift 
 " is that Jlcne of Jiumblingy 1 Pet. ii. 8." And 
 hence our author would have it concluded, that it 
 was the fentiment of the apoftle, that Chrift was 
 the Lord of hosts himself. What ground he 
 has for it, will appear by confidering both his cita- 
 tions. That from Ifaiah runs thus, in Bp. Lowth's 
 valuable tranflation : 
 
 Jehovah, God of hofts, fandify ye Him ; 
 And let Him be your fear, and Him be your 
 
 dread. 
 And he fliall be unto you a fanOuary ; 
 And a ftone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence, 
 To the two houfes of Ifrael ; 
 A trap, and a liiare to the inhabitants of Jeru- 
 
 falem. 
 And many among them ftiall ftumble. 
 And fhall fall, and be broken ; &c. 
 If we have here a direft prophecy relating to the 
 gofpel-times, which is the opinion of fomc good 
 interpreters, and the infpired writer, according to 
 his frequent pradice, after having fpoken of the 
 enemies of Judah, and their vain unfuccefsful at- 
 tempts, ftrikes into a defcription of the future ene- 
 mies of the Mefliah, and of the caufe and confe- 
 quences to themfelves, of their enmity and oppo- 
 lition to his gofpel : then, Jehovah, God of hofts, 
 may, by a very eafy intelligible metaphor, be faid 
 to be a Jione of ftumbling^ and a reck of offence ; a- 
 fiomy on which the nation ftumbled and tell ; be- 
 caufe, that knowlege of himfelf, of his will, and 
 merciful defigns, which God bellowed in fo large 
 a portion upon them, efpecially by Jefus Chrift, 
 through their negleft and abufe of it, became the 
 occafion of their fall, and of their being rcjeQed 
 by him from being any longer liis peculiarly fa- 
 voured people. 
 
 H 2 The 
 
C 100 ] 
 
 The apollle Peter might alfo remark, in tht 
 fame way, with a reference to this paffage iii 
 Ifaiah ; that Chrift was ajione of Jliimbling^ and a 
 reck of offence : becaufe his humble condition and 
 Appearance, fo contrary to the vain expedationS 
 oi" his countrymen ; and his doQrine, too pure and 
 heavenly for their worldly minds, difgufted, and 
 indifpoled them towards him, to fuch an extreme 
 degree, as to put them upon violently taking away 
 bis life ; which ifTued in their ruin and dellruftion, 
 and that of their country. 
 
 But though God and his anointed prophet, 
 Chrift, were alike in this refpeft, does it follov^; 
 that they were fo in all other refpefts ? Or does 
 this particular refemblance and agreement deno- 
 minate Jefus to be Jebovab, God of hofisy the om- 
 nipotent, eternal God ? It furely did not change 
 his condition of a highly favoured creature, and 
 inftrument of the Supreme Being in forwarding 
 the everlafling happinefs of the human race. 
 
 If we enter into the more particular confidera- 
 tion of this paffage, w^hich our author cites from 
 the firft epiftle of Peter ; we fhall eafily perceive, 
 by attending to the way in which it is introduced, 
 that though the apoftle might have the words and 
 ientiment of Ifaiah in his mind, and allude to it, 
 as is cuftomary with the facred penmen ; nothing 
 could be more remote from his intention, than to 
 lignify by fuch an allufion, and adoption of the 
 prophet's language, that Jefus was Jehovah^ God 
 of hofis, fpoken of by the prophet. For having 
 in his eye fome paflages of the Old Teftament, 
 in which the future Melfiah is compared to a cor- 
 ner-foney which is the fupport of the building, he 
 accordingly fpeaks of him, as a living (i. e. a 
 found and {[YongjfionCy chofen of Gody and prcci&tis ; 
 and having applied the fame figurative language 
 
 to 
 
[ «oi 1 
 
 to chiiflians his followers, as lively JloneSy i. c, 
 found members and fiipports of tlic I'piritual build- 
 ing, the church : he proceeds, in the fame way to 
 declare, that this Jioney Jefus Chrilt, untQ them 
 that helicz-e ivould befrecious -, but unto them which 
 he dijobedienty the Jl one which the builders dijallozv- 
 cdy the fame is tuade the head of the c ornery and a 
 jlone of fliunblingy and a rock of offence : i.e. to 
 men of wicked and worldly minds, all their op- 
 pofition to Chrift; and his aofpel, would be vain, 
 and recoil only on themfelves, to their own dc - 
 IlruQion. Thus all that can be collected from 
 this paffage is, that Chrifl: was a chofen veflcl of 
 God, and highly approved by him. And from 
 thefe famplcs, the reader will be able to judge, 
 whether there be any thing of more validity be- 
 hind, which Mr. Robinfon may have to produce, 
 as he would have it thought ; and alfo whether 
 there be any caufe for the following refleflion, 
 very defeQive in the refpecl due to the facred 
 writings, as well as too complimentary to his owit 
 judgment, which we have detc61ed in fo many 
 inftances to be hafly and fuperficial. " It would 
 ** be endlefs, concludes he, to enumerate all the 
 ♦* pafTagcs, which are thus applied to Jcfus Chrifl. 
 " Allow Jcfus Chrifl to be God, and all thefe ap- 
 ** plications are proper: if we deny it, the Ne-:(^ 
 <' Tefiament we mufl own is one of the mofi unac- 
 *' countable compojitions in the worldy calculated 
 *' to make eafy things hard to be underfloodT 
 
 Our author next gives us, p. 34, 35, another 
 dialogue of his own fafhion ; feigned to have been 
 held between John the liapiift; and two of his dif- 
 ciples, whom he names Reuben and Othniel; and 
 he introduces them converfmg together upon the 
 fubjeB of Chrift, who had lately made his appear- 
 ance among them, and aderting him to be ]ehovah, 
 H 3 thq 
 
[ i02 ] 
 
 the mofl: high God. Dialogues of the dead are 
 certainly an ingenious and ufeful, as well as amuf- 
 ing fpecies of compofition ; of which the witty 
 Lucian fet the example among the ancients ; which 
 has been well followed by fome fine writers among 
 the French, and by our countrymen. Lord Lyttel- 
 ton and Bifliop Hurd. I fuppofe it however to 
 be a neceiTary rule of fuch a way of writing, efpe- 
 cially when it is of the graver cafl, to adhere 
 ftriftly to the trxith of chara8:er, and that the feve- 
 ral fpeakers fhould not be mere images of wood 
 and Vv'irc, to vent and patronize the particular fen- 
 timents and opinions of the author, but fuch as 
 the perfons refpeftively are known or may juftly 
 be fuppofed to have entertained when exifting in 
 this world. 
 
 perfonae convenientia cuique 
 
 Dicere.- Horat. 
 
 IJow far this precept has been obferved, and 
 whether in reality John the Baptift be not our au- 
 thor himfelf in difguife, brought in by him to coun- 
 tenance his peculiar notions ; and thus a prophet 
 of God made refponfible for his own very fallible 
 comments on the Scriptures, and fome palpable 
 miftakes; will be judged from Vv'hat follows. 
 
 The fubjeft of this fuppofed converfation takes 
 its rife from the meffage, (a) placed in the margin, 
 which Jefus returned back to John, to fatisfy him 
 upon the bufinefs, for which he had fent two of 
 his difciples to him. In which he bids the two 
 difciples to go and report to their maRer John, 
 
 («) 7^'^'^ ^^^ Baptiji hath fent us unto thee, faying ; Jlrt thou 
 he that fiould come, ir look ni-e for another ? Jefus ajf^vering 
 faid unto them ; go, and J}je--w John again thofe things ivhichje 
 do hear and fee : The blind rccei've their fight, and the lams 
 nualk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, &c. Matth. xi. 
 
 '•'•'■ ^ the 
 
[ ^n 3 
 
 the things which they had heard and feen ; that 
 the blind received their fight, tlie lame walked, the 
 deaf heard ; and leaves it to him to draw the con- 
 clufion in anfwer to his inquiry : whether he who 
 performed the very works, which the prophet fore- 
 told fhoiild be performed by the Melhah, was not 
 indeed the MeHiah himfelf. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon immediately fiibjoins a large ex- 
 tract from Jfaiah xxxv. which I alio put in the (o) 
 margin; to which our Lord appears to allude, in 
 his anfwer to John, as treating of himfelf and his 
 miraculous works. But our author is not fatisfied 
 with the conclufion, which }efus would have the 
 Bapiift to draw from \t, relating to himfelf; viz, 
 ihat he was the Chriit, the MefTiah, the extra- 
 ordinary prophet and meffengcr of the mod high 
 God: but would have it inferred, that he was no- 
 thing lefs than the moft high God himfelf. " The 
 " prophet, fays he, p. 36. does not afcribe thefe 
 " events to man; he fays, God will come; behold ^ 
 *• YOUR. God zuill come, and fave you; and he calls 
 '* the whole combination of events, a difplay of the 
 " GLORY OF Jehovah, the excellency of o\j \\ God. 
 ♦' What has Jefus of Nazareth to do with the in- 
 *' communicable name of the bleffcd God?" 
 
 Our author here charges the feigned perfonages 
 in his dialogue with his own ignorance and prcju- 
 
 {i>) The 'vo'tldernefs and the folitary place Jhall be glad for 
 
 them, and the defer t Jhall rejoice and blcffom as the rofe. 
 
 Then Jhall they see the glory of Jehovah, and the excel- 
 lency cfouR God. Strengthen ye the '-weak hands, and coif.rm 
 the J'eeble kncet. Say to them that are of a fearful heart ; b^ 
 ftroTig ; fear not : behold, your God luill come <T.oith njenge- 
 ance, e'ven God luith a recnnipcnce : he will come and fa--ue 
 you. Then the eyes of the blind Jhall he opened, and the cars of 
 ihe deaf J]} all he unjiopped. Then fmll the lame man leap as an 
 hart, and the tongue of the dumb Jhall fmg : J'or in the 'wilder- 
 ntfs Jhali ivattrs break out, and Jlr earns in the defer t. If. xxxv. 
 
 li \ dices, 
 
[ 1^4 ] 
 
 dices, by making them interpret the prophet, as if 
 Jehovah their God in perfon was to come, when the 
 gofpel was to be preached in future time, and as if 
 Jefus was God himfelf. ijut to fay that God came, 
 and did what his prophets and meffengers perform- 
 ed in his name and by his command, was a phrafe- 
 ology fo well underflood by the jewifli nation in 
 general, as to be quite familiar to them, when 
 treating of the Almighty being, and his extraordi- 
 nary condefcenfions towards them. Thus, after 
 our Lord had raifed the widow's fon to life, as they 
 were carrying him out to be buried, the facred hii- 
 torian relates, Luke vii. 16; And there came a fear 
 on all ; and tJiey glorijied God, Jayingy that a great 
 ■prophet is rifen up among us ; and that God hath vi~ 
 Jited his people. They did not intend by this lan- 
 guage, that God V? filed or came to them himj elf in 
 perfon; fuch an idea never entered into their 
 thoughts: but as they well explain themfelves; 
 God vifited them by raifing up a great prophet 
 jefus, and fending him to them. So, that prophetic 
 hymn of Zacharias, the Baptifl's father, begins, 
 Luke i. 68, 69. Bklfed be the Lord God of I] rati % 
 for he hath viiitcd and redeemed his people : and hath 
 raifed up an horn of falvation for us, in the houfe of 
 iiis fcrvant David! Here again; how is God faid 
 to have vifited his people ? Not by any perfonal 
 appearance himfelf among them; but as the holy 
 man himfelf expounds the term, by raifing up and 
 fending to them a Saviour and deliverer, of the 
 family of David, the promifed MefTiah. And in 
 the like eafy well known dialcQ:, when it was here 
 foretold in Ifaiah, that the future McfTiah, of the 
 family of David, fhould give fight to the blind, feet 
 to the lame, and do mighty miracles, to confirm 
 his heavenly miflion and dodrine : it might, in the 
 prophetic language be afferted, and fitly exprcflcd, 
 
 that 
 
[ >03 ] 
 
 tluit tl.us God h'mfcJf, Jehovcih, their God Jlwufl 
 come among thevi: bccaufe he came by }ei"iis, who 
 fpoke and aO.ed by an authority and extraordinary 
 power immediately derived from him. And the 
 jews alio, who heard his doHrine and faw his mira- 
 cles, might alio be laid to fee the glory of Je- 
 hovah, the excellency of 1- WEIR God; fince ytAo- 
 vahf their GocI, difplayed his glorious perfe6lions 
 of wifdom, goodnefs and power by Chrilt, in their 
 fight, and among them. 
 
 It being a matter of no fmall difliculty in our 
 author's fyflem, how Jefus Chrifl could poIBbly be 
 Jehovah, the moft high God, when tlie prophets, 
 particularly Ifaiah, llile him God's Jcrvant : in 
 order to folve this problem, he brings in John the 
 JBaptill, like a modern metaphyfician, arguing up- 
 on and recommending to his two difciples, the 
 chimerical doctrine of two natures in Chriil, the 
 one human, the other divine, as the only way to 
 reconcile a contradiction of his own making : thus 
 forgetting all decorum of character, and not in the 
 leaft attending to the ftrange anachronifm he is 
 guilty of; for he might with as much propriety 
 have introduced this forerunner of Chiift, arguing 
 upon the Copernican fyflem of the world, or Mr. 
 Hcrfchcll's late difcoveries. " The truth is, rc- 
 " plies the Baptill in the dialogue, according to 
 *' him; the Mcffiah is one extraordinary per fony in 
 " whovi i-wo natures^ the nature ofGody and the nature 
 " of man y are united. What is affirmed oflhim in 
 *| one viezo, cannot be /aid of him in another. The 
 " idea of the perfon of the Mefliah is a key to 
 f' the prophecies. Without ufing it, you will 
 " never be able to fatisfy yourfelves," 
 
 Another palfagc of Scripture, where the Baptifl 
 is made to give his i'anftion to our author's wrong 
 and injudicious comments, is in Micahv. 2. But 
 
 thou. 
 
[ io6 3 
 
 ih.nUy Bethlehem Ephratahy though thou he little among 
 ike thoufands ofjudah^ yet out of thee JJi all he come 
 forth unto mey that is to be ruler in IJrael : who fe goings 
 forth have leenfrom of old , from everlajlitig. The 
 hebrevv word (c), rendered to comeforthy fignifies, 
 to be horn. And chriftians are generally perfuaded 
 and agreed, on fatisfa6lory grounds, as the Jews 
 were before Chrift, Matth. ii. i — 6; that there is 
 contained in this paflage a dire6l prophecy, that 
 Bethlehem was to be the place of the nativity of 
 the future Meffiah. And after mentioning therein 
 this circumftance of the place of his birth, the Al- 
 mighty Being, who is himfelf the fpeaker, imme- 
 diately added, (to fignify that he whofe birth was 
 thus foretold, would be no ordinary peribn, and 
 was intended for great things;) xvhrfe goings forth 
 have been from cf cldy from everlajling. 
 
 Thofe who do not attend to the prophetic lan- 
 guage, concerning the Almighty Being, or where 
 HE himfelf is introduced fpeaking; haftily con- 
 clude from fuch expreffions as thefe, that they in- 
 dicate the perfons fpoken of to have exifled from 
 all eternity ; whereas they fpeak only of the coun- 
 cils and defigns of God concerning them. Thus, 
 \n the example before us : He, who immediately 
 before is foretold as to be born in fome future pe- 
 riod at Bethlehem, is neverthelefs faid to have 
 been from ancient times, from the beginning; be- 
 caufe he had been intended and appointed from 
 the beginning by Almighty God, to fuftain the 
 character of the Meffiah, the great prophet and 
 mcflenger of God : in like manner as, in fimilar 
 language, Chrift is elfewherc ftilcd [d) the lamb /lain 
 
 (r) See Biftiop Chandler's defence of Chriftlanity. Vol. L 
 p. 152. 
 
 (^) Revel, xiii. 8. See alfo Matth. xxv. 34. Eph, i. 4. 
 I Peter i. 20. 
 
 3 from 
 
C 107 ] 
 
 from the founddtion of ihc -world ; hecaufc God 
 had from the beginning of the world intended, that 
 he fhould promote the canfe of rightcoufncfs and 
 the falvation of mankind by glorioufly fuffering a 
 violent death for thofc great purpolcs. 
 
 (f) The mofl judicious commentators have fecn, 
 that this fentence, ivhofe goings forth have been from 
 of old, from rjerlajiing ; implies a declaration on 
 the part of Almighty God, that he, who had juft 
 been predicted by him, as to be born at Bethle- 
 hem, had before all time been dcftined for the 
 great part which he was to aft ; the dcfigns of God 
 being all planned out, and known to him, long be- 
 fore they are put in execution. But then, thefe 
 learned men, unhappily coming to the reading of 
 this paffage in the prophet, with a prepolfclhon that 
 Chrift was the fupreme God, they were led to 
 maintain that he whofe birth was thus foretold, had 
 ncverthelefs exifted from all eternity : not feeling 
 the contraditlion which they fix upon the facred 
 •wriiings, in making them fpeak of a perfon to be 
 borUy and therefore never having had any exijlence, 
 as having been for ever-, and alfo, how utterly im- 
 pofFible it would be, that Jehovah, the eterndl 
 God, (hould here fpeak of another, who was eter- 
 nal like himfelf, without making two eternal Be- 
 ings, izuo Gods. This contradidion, our author, 
 with many others, having fallen into, he has more- 
 over no fcruplc of making John the Baptift an- 
 fwerable for it. 
 
 (f) " EgreJ/iones ejus ah antiquo. i. c. Ante conditum mun- 
 •' dum decreturn fuic, ut hilce diebus in mundum piodiret, 
 *' qui femper fuit, et qui olim patribus fuit promifTus." 
 Munller. So Cahin alio is fald to have interpreted it; 
 njuhofe goings forth have been decreed _/>-c/^; the days of eternity. 
 
 Unitarian Trafts. 
 
 He 
 
[ 108 ] 
 
 He next proceeds to make John the Baptiil 
 maintain, that Jcfus was the Jehovah, that was 
 worfliiped by the Ifraelites. The argument how- 
 ever to prove it, is not his own ; but he hath the 
 merit of being the linl, who ventured to pronounce 
 jt to have been the opinion of him, whom Chrifl; 
 declares (Matth. xi. ii.) to have been above the 
 common rank of prophets. His pofitions, ftript 
 of the converfation-form, which is rather tedious 
 and infipid, are thefe : 
 
 Jehovah, the moft high God, being a fpirit, in- 
 vifible, could not appear to, or be feen by men. 
 ' A pcrfon did appear, taking upon him the name 
 and chara6ler of Jehovah, and was worfliiped as 
 Jehovah. 
 
 jefus, who was afterwards born at Bethlehem^ 
 was the Jehovah, who appeared to, and was wor- 
 Ihiped by the Ifraelites. 
 
 In reply to this, it is to be noted, that although 
 God be an invifible fpirit; yet he may manifeft 
 liimfelf, his extraordinary prefence, his will and 
 commands, by outward fymbols and tokens, by an 
 audible voice, by a human, angelic, or any other 
 particular figure or fhape, without any degradation 
 or incongruity ; and thus appear to mankind. And 
 therefore, in all thofe places of fcripture alleged 
 by our author, it may very confillently be fhewn, 
 that it was God himfelf who appeared, and not 
 .^x\y other for him. And though this appearance 
 was fometimcs made by borrowing a human form, 
 it was at other times by a voice, by a flame of fire, 
 or the like; which, in their turns, were all ftiled, 
 the angel of the Lord; as being manifcftations of 
 his extraordinary prefence: the phrafe, angel of 
 the Lord ^ not being confined to fignify an intelli- 
 gent agent, but inanimate things ; fire, a voice, and 
 , the like, when manifeding the divine prefence, 
 
 bcins 
 
C 10^ ] 
 
 being h filled. This will be found to be the true 
 folution of thefe divine appearances by thofe who 
 will take the pains to make the Scripture its own 
 interpreter; and it is the fentiment of learned 
 jews and ciirillians, of the firit rank for difcern- 
 ^ent and impartiality. Some of the early heathen 
 fathers indeed, ignorant of the peculiar phrafeo- 
 logy of the Scriptures, without any grounds but 
 ihofe alleired here by Mr. RobinTon, viz. of it be- 
 ing impollible for God, who was an invifible Spirit, 
 to appear himfclf ; did on this account imagine, 
 that it was Chrill that appeared, having taken up 
 wrong notions of him from their heathen philo- 
 fophy ; yet did not fuppofe him to be Jehovah, 
 God himlclf, as our author would make him, but, 
 his reprefentative, tlie firll being produced by him 
 and the maker of all things under him. But that 
 there is no foundation in the Scriptures for any 
 fuch conclufion, or to infer that any other being 
 or perfon appeared and was worfhiped as Jehovah, 
 but the fingle perlon of the one omnipotent cre- 
 ator and Father of all, has been fliewn by Low- 
 man ; and after him by Lindfey, in the Sequel to 
 his Apology, who has confidered the fubjctt very 
 fully. However, if the divine appearances had 
 been all along in a human form, on which our 
 author lays fuch great ftrels; there would have 
 been no good ground of forming the conclufion he 
 ^oes, (or rather of bringing in John the 13aptift, 
 whom he perfonates, thence concluding, for thefe 
 arc the words that he makes him utter in his fup- 
 pofed dialogue,) that *' Jefus, who was born at 
 ^ " Bethlehem, exifted before his birth, appeared to 
 " our fathers, and was worfliiped by them as Je- 
 *' hovah, the Lord their God." For the paflage 
 of the prophet, Micah v, 2. who fe goings forth havt 
 Uinjrom oj old, from cvcrlajling^ from which he 
 
 would 
 
C "o ] 
 
 would deduce all this, has been Ihewn to be intirely 
 miltaken by him, and by others before him ; and 
 to have no reference to any pre exiftent ftate of 
 Jefus, but to the divine decrees and defignation 
 concerning him, before he had any exigence. 
 
 I fliall add only one thing more, and then we 
 fhall have done with this curious dialogue of the 
 dead, which has turned out fo litde to the credit, 
 of its inventor, in any way. And that is, I am 
 forry to fay, another inflance of carelefTnefs and 
 prefumption, in taking advantage of a very wrong 
 tranflation of a pafTage of the Old Teftament in 
 our englifli bibles, which feems to make Chrift 
 equal to Almighty God, Jehovah's fellow, and 
 afcribing this interpretation to John the Baptift, as 
 being that prophet's, and not his own. It is in 
 Zech. xiii. 7.. where we tranflate: Awake, /wordy 
 againji my Jhepherd, and againfi the man that is my 
 fellow, /^zVi? //^(fLoRD ofhofts: but the true ren- 
 dering is — againfi the man thai is near to me^ or 
 my favourite. The Septuagint renders it : i-w av^cx. 
 -sroAiT75f ,aa, againfi the man that is my citizen or 
 countryman. Aquila, nn (rv[jt.<pvKov /iajj, againfi the 
 tnan of the Jam.e tribe ivith me. Symmachus, or 
 av^px TH Aaa y.s, againfi the man of my people. 
 Theodotion, ett' avSpa, -uXzanov ocw^, againfi the man 
 zoho is his neighbour. Junius and Tremellius, He- 
 brsea vox proximum aut amicum fonat,&c. i.e. the 
 word in the original fgnifies a neighbour or friend. 
 
 SECTION vm. 
 
 Whether the Scriptures, which foretell the dcfiru5lion 
 of idolatry by thegofpel, have not been fulfilled , aU 
 though Jefus Chrifi be wrongly worfhiped as God. 
 
 MR. Robinfon's next propofition, p. 44. is; 
 that if Jefus Chrifi be not God, the prophe- 
 cies which foretold the coming of the Melhah, and 
 
 the 
 
[ •" ] 
 
 the deftruQion of idolatry by his coming, have 
 not been fulHUed : for that chriftians in general 
 vuorjlj'ip Jejus : zvhiib is idolatry, if he he not God. 
 
 Whether upon our author's definition of idola- 
 try, the greater part of the chrillian world have 
 not been for many ages, and are now, idolaters, 
 I fliall not controvert, but (hall leave to him to 
 determine. But notwithftanding the lamentable 
 departure of chrilUans from the Scripture-rule in 
 relpeft of the true objett of worfhip, it will not 
 be found fo inconfiftent as he imagines with thofe 
 prophecies which predi6l the downfall of idolatry, 
 and that all nations fliould be brought to the know- 
 lege and worlhip of Jehovah, the one only true 
 God, by the gofpel. 
 
 For however eager and precipitate we are wont 
 to be, in our projects and expectations, to fee 
 things inftantly executed, as our lives arc but of 
 a few days continuance ; it is otherwife with that 
 almighty eternal Being, who has an infinite va- 
 riety of ends in view that we know not of, who 
 brings about his purpofes by a variety of means, 
 and with whom no length of time makes any al- 
 teration. The fame Scriptures foretell, that all 
 mankind would be brought to the knowlege of 
 the truth, and become virtuous and reformed in 
 their lives by it : but we ftill complain, and with 
 too much reafon, of the immoralities that prevail 
 among the followers of Chrift; and not more than 
 one fixth part of the world arc fuppofcd to profefs 
 faith in him. 
 
 The prophecies concerning the extinflion of 
 idolatry and the putting down the worfhip of any 
 other pcrfon but Jehovah, the fupreme Father of 
 all, will be anfwered, if the effect has been in 
 fome degree produced; and if there be a tendency 
 in the means appointed, to accomplifh it in the 
 
 pro- 
 
[ "= ] 
 
 progreffion of ages, ftill more largely, and uhi- 
 verfally. Concerning this, it will not be difficuk 
 for any one to form a true judgment, who attends 
 to the following fafts ; 
 
 1. Our Saviour alwavs taught, that the Father y 
 was the only true God (/), John xvii. 3; from 
 whom he had his miffion ; and that he was alfo 
 his God and Father (^), John xx. 17 ; from whom 
 he received his being, in common with his dif- 
 ciples and the reft of mankind. 
 
 He direQed men to worjloip the Father^ and 
 never let fall the leaft intimation, that himfelf or 
 any other perfon whatfoever, was the obje6l of 
 worfhip ; Luke xi. 1, 2. John iv. 21, 22, 23, 24 : 
 and fo far from requiring men to worship himfelf, 
 he was all his life long a devout worfliipet of the 
 leather in private, Matth.xi. 25. John xi. 41,42. 
 Matth. xxvi. 29. 41 ; and alfo was a conftant at- 
 tendant on the temple, and fynagogue-worfliip ; 
 where Jehovah alone, the God of Ifrael, was ad- 
 dreffed and adored. 
 
 2. His apoftles, after their divine Mafter's deatli, 
 and removal out of this lower world, in their ap- 
 plications to men to become his difciplcs, whicli 
 were firft made to their countrymen, inftruQed 
 them ; that Jefus, though he was a man of no note 
 among them, having paffed the 'greateft part of 
 his life in the obfcure town of Nazareth, was 
 neverthelefs highly acceptable to God for his 
 eminent virtues, and diftinguiflied by extraordi- 
 nary gifts of a divine power conferred upon him ; 
 
 (/) This is life eternal, to knozv Thee, the only true God, 
 <ind Jefus, the Chriji, ^hom thou baft fent. 
 
 {g) Go to my brethren, (i. e. his, difciples) and fay unto 
 them ; / nfccnd unto my Fajher and your Fathfr, and to ?ny God 
 <ind your God, 
 
[ >'3 ] 
 
 (/(?) Afls ii. 22: that though he died by violence 
 and injuftice in the caufe of truth, God vindi- 
 cated him by a fpeedy rcftoration to life, and by 
 railing him to great honour and dignity ; ver. 23, 
 Sec. All the apoftles, united in a folemn a6l of 
 worfhip, fpeak of their maftcr Jefus, as the {i)fer- 
 vant of the fupreme Potentate, who made the 
 world, &c, iv. 24 : and Peter declares, that it 
 was the God of Ahrahnmy I/aac and Jacob y the God 
 of their fathers^ who had honoured this his faithful 
 fervant, by raihng him to life. iii. 13. &c. The Ro- 
 man officer, Cornelius, and his friends, had learned, 
 probably from living among the Jews, the know- 
 lege and worfhip of the one true God; fo that 
 Peter's preaching to them is not as to heathen 
 idolaters, and very little different from his firft 
 fermon to his countrymen, viz. to inform them" of 
 the commiffion and extraordinary powers, as a di- 
 vine Teacher, which Jefus of Nazareth had re- 
 ceived from God; who had put his laft feal to the 
 authority of this his chofen meffenger, by reftoring 
 him to life, after he had been moft unrighteoufly 
 put to death ; and honouring him with the ap- 
 pointment of being the future judge of mankind ; 
 X. 38. Paul exhorted the men of Lycaonia, tp 
 turn from idols unto the {k) living Gody who mads 
 
 heaven^ 
 
 ih) Ye men of I/rael, hear the/e ivords : Jefus of Nazareth, 
 a man approved of God among you, by miracle, ivonders and 
 fignsy 'which God did by him in the midji of you, as ye your" 
 ftlnjes alfo knouu. 
 
 (/■) Such awful fcntiments did they entertain of the fove- 
 reien unequalled glory and dignity of the Almighty Father, 
 and the infinite diilance betwixt him and their lord and 
 Hiafter Jefus. 
 
 {k) Jupiter, and the other falfe gods, whom the heathens 
 
 wcrfliiped, had all been men, who had been deified after 
 
 their deaths. The li-ving God, is a name peculiar to Jehovah, 
 
 I tho 
 
t "4 ] 
 
 heaveny and earthy and thejea, and all things that 
 are therein. At. Athens, Paul taught, that God 
 that made the world, and all things that are therein-, 
 
 -had appointed a day, in the which he would 
 
 judge the world in rigkteoufnejs, by that man whom 
 he had ordained : whereof he had given ajfurance 
 to all men by having raijed him from the dead. xviL 
 84. 31. When Chrift appeared in a vJfion to 
 Paul, and gave him his commilTion to awaken men 
 out of darknefs and ignorance, and bring them to 
 \:irtue and the knowlege of the true God; he 
 called himfelf, (/)Jefus of Nazareth. A£ls xxvi. 
 18. 15. xxii. 8. 
 
 Thus did Chrift lay the ground-work, and his 
 apodles after him built upon it, in preaching 
 againll the worfhip of idols, and teaching the 
 nations in all countries throughout the known 
 world, that there was but one God, tlie Father of 
 all mankind, who was to be worfliiped* And the 
 immediate {'uccefs was anfwerable to what might 
 be expeQed from the extraordinary divine affift- 
 ance that accompanied thefe apoftolic teachers of 
 the divine unity. Idolatry generally gave way. 
 The heathen temples were deferted ; and in the 
 
 the one true God; from whom all beings, Chrift and all man- 
 kind, receive their ex^iftence, and on whom all depend for 
 ■the duration of it. 
 
 (/) When this holy Saviour, even after his afcenfion into 
 heaven, and exaltation at the right hand of the Father f 
 whatever be to be underllood by it, ftiles himfelf Jefus of 
 Nazareth ; fliould not his followers be careful and confider 
 well, what grounds they have to call him Jehovah, the fu- 
 preme God ? Is he likely to approve their paying him fuch 
 undue honours, which he was fo very far from claiming, 
 that he utterly difclaimed every thingof the kind himfelf? And 
 v/ouid he not have intimated a matter of fuch importance to 
 our apollle, at this or at fome other feafon, if it had been 
 Irue; whereas, on- the contrary, he tells him, that it was to 
 God that men v.-ere to be turned, and not to himfelf. 
 
 courfc 
 
[ '^5 ] 
 
 courfc of a Few ages, in clirtftian countries, the 
 w'orfhip of their heathen gods was heard of nd 
 more. 
 
 This may fatisfy ns, that the predictions of the 
 prophets were not void, concerning the fuccefs of 
 the gofpel in putting idolatry to flight. 
 
 But alas! although the worfliip of the heathen 
 falfe gods, Jupiter, Juno, Mercury, &c. was in 
 many parts abolifhed, chriflians made tothemfelves 
 new gods, fimilar to them ; and in other ways de- 
 parted from the true worfliip of the Father. 
 
 There was a fe6i of chriftians, which arofc in 
 the days of the apoftlcs, who arc the chief fubjecf 
 of St. John's firfi and fecond epifde; which appear 
 plainly to have been compofed by him to counter- 
 act their errors. 
 
 Through a falfe philofophy, and a midaken, 
 mifplaced regard for Chrift, thefe pcrfon^ would 
 not allow him to have been a mortal man, who 
 had the infirmities of our nature, and was liable 
 to fufferings and death : but they maintained, that 
 he was of a nature incapable of what was fo de- 
 grading; and was all thofe things, in appearance 
 only, and not in reality. 
 
 The apoitle's endeavours to check the growth of 
 this fe6l of chriflians, feem to have been efFeclual. 
 For we hear not much of them, after the time of 
 the immediate fucceffors of the apoflles, who make 
 frequent mention of them. But thepriuciplcsof that 
 falfe philofophy, by which they had been mifled, 
 were too deeply rooted in the learned heathen con- 
 verts and their fucceffors, who took the lead in the 
 chviftian church, to make them contented with fuch 
 a founder of their religion, who was only a human 
 being; though of the fublimeft piety, the moft 
 tried integrity, and confuminate benevolence, the 
 bighefl polfible pcrfetlions of a creature. The/ 
 I 2 pro- 
 
t t'6 ] 
 
 proceeded therefore by degrees to raife and ag- 
 grandize, as they thought, the blefled Jefus, but 
 in reality to obfcure and diminifli his true charac- 
 ter, till in the courfe of a few centuries, at the 
 Council of Nice, in the year 325, the fathers, as 
 they are called, the learned heads of the chridian 
 church, pronounced him by imperial fynodical 
 authority equal to the fupreme Father, and anathe- 
 matized ail who would not fubmit to their decree. 
 Of heathen origin, though from different caufes, 
 came the idolatrous wormip of dead men and 
 women into the chriflian church, its moft lading 
 difgrace ; which in procefs of time fpread itfelf 
 univerfally, and is found to this day in the greek 
 and roman churches, in every quarter of the globe. 
 It firft took its rife from an exceflive veneration 
 of thofe moft excellent perfons, the martyrs, who 
 courageoufly f efigned their lives in torments, rather 
 than deny the truth of Chrifl, and worfliip the 
 falfe gods of their heathen perfecutors. 
 
 To render honour to flich charaQers was natural; 
 but their mode of doing it became a fnare to 
 them. They began with paying a particular re- 
 gard to the birth-days of thefe holy men, or the 
 anniverfaries of their martyrdom ; and took plea- 
 fure in fliewing their rcfpcft for them by viftting 
 their fepulcres. Their imaginations there foon 
 caught the fuperflitious idea, that their prayers 
 would be more acceptable to the Almighty, by 
 being offered on fuch holy ground, that had been 
 watered with the blood of the pious fuflerers; and 
 thence, by an eafy tranfition, from praying at their 
 tombs they foon grew to pray to thofe who had 
 been buried in them. Stated times of fcafting and 
 rejoicing were appointed, to do honour to their 
 inemories ; and this the more, when they obferved 
 how agreeable h was to their heathen neighbours, 
 
 and 
 
[ "7 ] 
 
 • and a means of inducing tlicni to become clirif- 
 tians, being lb like their own heathcnifh praftice. 
 
 Sir Ifaac Xcwton makes the following citation 
 and remark on this fubjcd {tn). " Gregory T^yjfcn 
 ** tells us, that after the pcrfecution of the cmpe- 
 " ror Deciiis, Gregory Bifhop of Neoc.e/area in 
 " Pontus, injliiuted among all fcople^ as an addi- 
 ** Hon or corollary of devotion towards Gcd, that 
 " fejiival days and apmhlies flmild be cehlratcd 
 " to them -ivho had contended for the faith y that is, 
 " ioiht Martyrs. And he adds this reafon for 
 " the inditution : When he ohfcrvedy faith Nyjfenj 
 " that thefiniple and unfkilfid multitude^ hy reafon 
 ** of corporeal delights, remained in the error of 
 " idols ; that the principal thing might be corrected 
 *' among them^ namely, that injlead of their vain 
 " "jvorjhip they fnight turn their eyes upon God ; he 
 " permitted that at the memories of the holy mar- 
 " tyrSy they might make merry and delight them- 
 «« Jelvesj and be dijfolved into joy. The heathens 
 *' were delighted with the fcfUvals of their Gods, 
 ** and unwilling to part with thofe delights ; and 
 " therefore Gregory, to facilitate their converfion, 
 '* inltituted annual fellivals to the Saints and Mar- 
 " tyrs." 
 
 Had this excellent perfon, fufTiciently confidcrcd 
 the chara8er of Gregory, the learned and truly 
 pious Bifhop of Neocaefarea, grave, fober, fedatc 
 and virtuous, a favourite pupil of Origen's, and 
 converted from heathcnifm by him, he would have 
 been far from fathering upon him fuch unworthy 
 methods of bringing men to embrace the gofpel. 
 But he paid too much deference to Gregory of 
 'NyfTa, an author who deals much in the marvcl- 
 
 (w) Obfervatlons upon the prophecies of Daniel, i:c. by 
 Sir Ifaac Newton, p. 203, 204. 
 
 I 3 OUS ; 
 
Z "8 1 
 
 CUS-; and who, at the diftance of an too years 
 gives this account of his great uncle, and'mav 
 juflly be fufpeded rather to defcribe the corrupt 
 practices of his own times than thofe of the Bifhop 
 of Neocsfarea. Nor is it likely that chriftians 
 \vould have taken fuch liberties, and given this 
 loofe to their paffions and to revelry at the tombs 
 of their manyrs, or that the heathens would have 
 been forward to join wiih them, and from fuch 
 motives eaibrace chriftianity, when heavy perfe- 
 cutions hung over them, and often fell upon theja- 
 for their religion. Thefe are the fruits and con- 
 fequences of eafe and fecurity ; and belong rather 
 to ibe middle of the fourth century, when chrif- 
 tians in their turn enjoyed the protection of the 
 ftate, and made but a very bad ufe of it, in this 
 and many other ways. 
 
 Corruptions then in point of chrillian worfhip 
 did not immediately take place ; but came on by 
 degrees. For the fpace of many years after the 
 apoflles, Chrift was not taken into an equality with 
 the fupreme Father, and the fame worlhip paid to 
 him ; nor was prayer offered to his mother Mary, 
 and other dead perfons, called Saints. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon however maintains that it "was 
 otherwife with refpecl to the firit of thefe, p. 46 ; 
 " that the practice of the primitive chriftians was 
 " to WORSHIP Jesus Christ ;" and he brings 
 fome examples to prove it : which it will be 
 proper tu examine. 
 
 His nrft infiance is taken from the famous letter 
 of Fiiny the younger, governor of Bithynia, to 
 the emperor Trajan his mafter, to conluU him 
 about the methods he was to purfue with the 
 chriftians, who were already numerous and in- 
 creafing in thai province. Speaking of the con- 
 felTions which they had made to him concern- 
 
[ >'9 ] 
 iiig their reli,2;ion, lie Tays ; " 'J'hey affii'med, that 
 the ivhole of their faulty or error ^ lay in thist 
 that they were wont to meet together on a fiated dhy 
 before it was light, avd fing among themf elves al- 
 ternately a hymn to Chrijt [n) as a God, and to 
 bind themfdves hy an oath, not to the commiffion of 
 any wickednefs, but not to be guilty of theft or rob- 
 bery, or adultery, never to falfify their word, or to 
 deny a pledge committed to them, when called upon 
 to return it." 
 
 Inconfidcnite pcrfons may be impofed upon at 
 firft hy this account : but a little refledion on 
 tlic circumftances, and the pcrfon who gives it, 
 vill fhcw that nothing can be concluded from it. 
 For able critics, of different opinions concerning 
 Chrift in this matter, have agreed in holding it a 
 doubtful point, whether the words (<?) quafi deo, 
 (US a God, uled by Pliny, \vere not rather his own 
 expreflions, than thofe of the chriltians he had 
 
 («) The learned Mr. Melmoth tranflatcs thefe words in 
 this manner: and addrcj[i.d them/elves in a form cf prayer to 
 Chrijl, as to fome God. " AnJ I mull acknowiege," fays 
 Dr. Laicincr, (whofe verfion is here followed) *' that his 
 tranflalion appears to me as proper as my own. For carmen, 
 or vf*>o?, does not always denote a metrical compofition. 
 Julian concludes his oration i:pon the mother of the Gods, 
 with what he ca!L a hymn to her honour, which is a prayer 
 in profe. And, unquelHonably, Julian fpeak.s properly. 
 Therefore Pliny's carmen Chrifto quafi deo, may have been 
 a prayer to God, in the name of Liirill, a prayer upon chrif- 
 tian principles, in which God was praifed for all the blefT- 
 ings of the chriftian revelation." Jewilh and Heathen Tefti- 
 monies, Vol. ii. p. 36. So fays that moll fair and accurate 
 of all writers. And I Ihouid fuppoi'e, that all unprejudiced 
 judges will look upon this as a fane criticifm and jull inter- 
 pretation. 
 
 (0) " Vocabula, quafi deo, qua vi praedita hie fmt, deter- 
 " minare haud audco. Inccrtum emm eft, fuis hoc verbis 
 •' Flinius loquatur, an chrifiianorum." 
 
 Molheim apud Lardner, Ibid. p. 34. 
 
 I 4 examined. 
 
C 120 ] 
 
 examined. And being a bigotted heathen idola- 
 ter, though a perfon of fine parts and accomplifh- 
 ments, and finding that Jefus, the founder of the 
 chriftian feft, as his friend Tacitus the hiftorian 
 relates, was a Jew, who had been put to death 
 lately in the reign of Tiberius ; he would natu- 
 rally conclude, that he had been deified by the 
 Jews, as eminent men were deified among them- 
 felves, and fpeak of him as fuch. 
 
 This interpretation of Pliny's language is ren- 
 dered mod probable, if not quite confirmed by this 
 faQ, namely ; that we have elfewhere no account 
 of worfliip paid to Jefus Chrift in thefe early times, 
 Juftin (^) Martyr fays; " In all our oblations 
 " we praife the Creator of all through his Son 
 *' Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Spirit." And " The 
 " Prefident (of the chriftian aflembly) gives praife 
 " and glory to the Father of all, in the name of 
 " the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And fays 
 Tertullian ; " The God, whom we worftiip, is 
 " the God who made this whole univerfe, and 
 " every thing therein, by his powerful word." In 
 another place -, " We worfiiip God through Chrift. 
 " Call him a man if you think fit. It is by him, 
 *' and through hun, that we have been brought 
 " to the knowlege, and ^le worfiiip of God. And 
 " the Jews themfelves were taught how to worfiiip 
 " God, by the man Mofes." 
 
 To give farther ftrength to this argument, I 
 fhall fubjoin the private prayers of two moft dif- 
 tinguifiied chriftians in their dying hours ; the one 
 of them reckoned by many in the number of the 
 apoftlcs; the other, one who had lived and CQn- 
 verfcd witli them. 
 
 (/) I quote here Dr. Lardner — Heathen a^id Jewifti Teili- 
 nicnier,, Vol. ii. p, 35, 36, 
 
 The 
 
[ '21 ] 
 
 The fird is taken from an account of the death 
 of James the Juft, (as he is called,) at Jerufalem, 
 fuppofed to have happened in the year 62. It is 
 prefcrved by Eufebius, in a fragment of the works 
 of Hegefippus, a Jew-chriftian, who lived not long 
 after the time of the apollles. Some have held 
 the whole narrative to be apocryphal, from cer- 
 tain improbable (lories mixed with it; and that this 
 James the Juft was fome unknown perfon, and 
 not James the Lefier, as he is otherwife called, 
 the brother of our Lord. But a good defence of 
 the hiftory in general, and of the perfon being 
 James the apoftle, and our Lord's kinfman, may 
 be met with in Lardner's Supplement to his Cre- 
 dibility, &c. Vol. iii. p. 36 — 83; from whom I 
 tranfcribe Hegefippus's account, as taken from Eu- 
 febius's Ecclehu'iical Jr.iftory, Book ii. ch. 23. 
 
 " When the Je^vs, Scribes and Pharifees, and 
 Others, came to James, to defire him to tell the 
 people his opinion of [cfus, they fay to him : " For 
 " we and all tiic people bear witnefs to you, that 
 " you are juft, and accept no man's perfon." 
 Afterwards jama's fays to them: "IVhy do you 
 " afk me concerning Jefus, the fon of man? He 
 *' fits in heaven^ en the right-hand of the Great 
 *f Po^ver, and will come in the clouds of heaven. 
 ** Whereby many were fully perfuaded, and glo- 
 " rified God for that tcftimony of James, faying, 
 " Hofanna^ to the bon of David. His enemies 
 " being exafperated at this, when they had thrown 
 " him down from the battlement of the Temple, 
 " he not being quite dead, they began to caft 
 " ftones upon him. But he kneeling down, faid ; 
 " / hefeech thee^ O Lord God, the Father^ forgive 
 *' them : for they knozu not what they do." 
 
 The prayer is very Ihort ; and fome may be 
 rca4y to think, it needed not fo long a preface : 
 
 but 
 
C '^^ ] 
 
 but it is important. For it teaches not only what 
 was the pious praQice of an apoftle, but alfo what 
 was the opinion entertained of the great objeft of 
 prayer and worfhip by Hcgefippus and the chrif- 
 tians of that early period : and the preceding part 
 of the quotation (hews, what fentiinents they then 
 held of the perfon of Chrift, under the fanftion 
 of one of his apoftles, and how very far they were 
 from looking upon him as Jehovah, the fupreme 
 Being. 
 
 The other inftance is extrafted from a relation 
 of the martyrdom of Polycarp, a holy and excel- 
 lent perfon, v;ho had been a difciple of St. John, 
 and had probably converfed with others of the 
 apoftles. Standing before the ftake, at which he was 
 going to be burned alive, and looking up to hea- 
 ven, he faid ; Lord God almighty y the Father of 
 thy well-beloved, and blejfed Son J ejus Chrijl, by 
 whom we have received the knowlege of thee ; the 
 God of Angels, and Powers, a7td of every creature, 
 and of the whole race of righteous men who live in 
 thy prejence : I blejs thee, that thou hafi vouch- 
 Jafed to bring me to this day, and to this hour -, that 
 I fhould have a part in the number of thy Martyrs, 
 in the cup of thy Chriji, to a reJurre5iion of eternal 
 life, both of foul and body, in the {(f) purity of the 
 holy Jpirit. Among whom may I be accepted this 
 day before thee, as a rich and acceptable Jacri- 
 
 (y) Or, purified hy the holy fpirit. The words in the ori- 
 ginal are, cy u<pQctfa-ia <aviviJia.Tci; ayi8, Archbp. Wake and 
 Mr. Whifton render it, hi the incorrupfion of the hol^ fpirit. 
 The apoitle feys, Eph. vi. 24. Grace be nvith all that love 
 eur Lord 'Je/us Chrifi (v a^Oap<ri«, as here— /« incormption, in 
 fincerity as we tranllate it, in purity : i. e. who adhere to his 
 gofpel without judaical or heathenifh nii4Xtiue5, which dimi- 
 nifh or defeat its good effeft*. 
 
t '23 ] 
 
 jice ; as 'fkoUy the true (r) God, with whom is 
 no faljhoo /, hafi both before ordained, and mani- 
 fejied unto fue, and aljo l>ajl now fulfilled it. For 
 this, and for all things elfe, I praife thee, I blefs 
 tbeer I glorify thee, through the eternal and heavenly 
 Jefus Chrijl, thy beloved Son (j). With whom, to 
 thee, by the Ivoly I'pirit, be glory, both now, aitd 
 to (ucceeding ages, Arnen. 
 
 In the Greek copy of this epiftle in Cofclerius*s 
 edition, whicli is here made life of, it is put ; / 
 glorify thee with the eternal, Sec. But in Eufebius, 
 it is, I praife and glorify thee, through the eternal 
 high-pricU, Jellis Chrilt, thy well-beloved Son. 
 With whom the old verfion agrees, as Archbp, 
 W^ake points out, though he follows Cotelcrius. 
 
 Our author's fecond witncfs to the worfliip of 
 Je-fus Chrill is Mahomet. Concerning whom he 
 obferves, p. 47, that ** in the light of infidels 
 ** and idolaters he confiders chridians throughout 
 " the Koran ; and indeed, had not chriftians wor- 
 ** fhiped Chrift, he could have had no fliadow of 
 ** a pretence to reform their religion, and to bring 
 " them back to the worfhip of one God." 
 
 But Mahomet, iji the beginning of the feventh 
 century, comes too late to bear teflimony to the 
 
 (r) aM^ivoi ^eo?, the true God. Obferve that this holy 
 mariyr, who lived and converfed with St. John, the favour- 
 ite ap;)ftle, in his folemn prayer at going out of the world, 
 declares, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is the 
 Lord God Almighty, to be the true God. 
 
 (j) If this laft claufc fiiould be thought genuine, Mr. 
 WhiUon has given many rcafons, that it ihould be as here 
 read, hy ; and n,ot luhh, the holy fpirit, as Cotelerius ha* 
 exhibited it. See Dr. Jortin's criticifms on this account of 
 Polycarp's death, and vindication of it : where he infinuates 
 his opinion, that the epillle which contains the account, 
 may have pafled through the hando of interpolators before it 
 came into thofe of Eufebius. Ecclcf. Hid. Vol. ii. p. 133. 
 
 early 
 
C '24 ] 
 
 early prevalence of the worfhip of Jefus Chrift. At 
 the period when he began to arrogate to himfelf the 
 prophetic character, the light had nearly forfaken 
 the chriftian world, with refpcft to the true objeft 
 of worfhip. The followers of Chrift had been for 
 fome ages quarrelling and deftroying each other 
 in their heats and difputes, not concerning the 
 fupreme Father of all, to whom they paid little at- 
 tention ; but about the nature of Chrill, and of the 
 holy Spirit, and many other objefts of worfhip, 
 which they had invented. " (^t)Thc notion of the 
 " divinity of the virgin Mary was believed by 
 " fome even at the council of Nice: who faid 
 <* there were two gods befides the Father, viz. 
 *' Chrijl and the virgin Mary, and were thence 
 *• named Mariamiies. Others imagined her to be 
 ** exempt from humanity, and deified : which goes 
 ** but little beyond the popifh fuperftition, in call- 
 ** ing her the complement of the Trinity, as if it were 
 ** imperfeft without her. The foolifh imagination 
 " is juflly condemned in the Koran as idolatrous, 
 " and gave a handle to Mahomet to attack the 
 " Trinity itfelf." 
 
 Without regarding the order of time, for reafons 
 befl known to himfelf, our author reverts to Juftin 
 Martyr, as his third evidence of Chrift being wor- 
 fhiped by chriftians in that early day, i. e. about 
 the year 150. In proof of this he cites a paflage 
 from Juflin, which I fhall give, putting over againft 
 it a-fuller and more exaft tranflation of it ; and the 
 original Greek in the margin. But it may be proper 
 to mention, that immediately before, Juftin advances 
 his own fuperftitious notion concerning the heathen 
 gods, and afferts ; that it was by the fuggeftion of 
 
 (/) Sale's Koran, Prelim. Difc. p. 35. 
 
[•^5 ] 
 
 c\ il demons, <?at|tAovff (pauAoj, wliom the emperor 
 and his fubjctts worfhiped, that they were prompt- 
 ed to pcrfccuic the chriltians; and remarks, that 
 thefe evil demons fometimes made their appear- 
 ance, and committed adultery with women, and 
 the unnatural crime with boys, alluding to the 
 Itory of Jupiter. After which he proceeds to the 
 pailagc before us. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon. 
 (u) The pagans tax us 
 •with atheifm : and, if by 
 atheifm they mean a re- 
 fiifal of worJJiiping hea- 
 then deitieSy we own we 
 are atheijis : but, if by 
 atheifm they vieat a re- 
 fujal of w(rr/hiping any 
 God, we difown the charge. 
 The true God, the Father 
 . ... the Son .... and the 
 
 Spirit WE WORSHIP, AND 
 ADORE, &C. 
 
 Juftin Martyr, 
 (w) It is on this account, 
 becaufc we acknowlege 
 not thefe falfe gods, that 
 we are called atheijis. And 
 we acknowlege the charge i 
 that we are indeed atheijis 
 ■with refpecl to thofe gods 
 •who are jo efeemed by you: 
 but not With rej'ped to 
 
 HIM, who is THE MOST 
 
 TRUE GOD, and Father 
 of righteoujnejsy fobernefs 
 and all other virtues, in 
 whom is no flain ofwick- 
 tdnefs -whatjoever. But 
 zue worfhip and 'ado-re 
 HIM ; as alfo his Son who 
 came from him, and taught 
 us thefe things; and the 
 
 rofxi^o/xinwv Siwn oibtoi it>flti, otXX* e^i th aXr^trctTU, you -nr^xflof 
 
 riiA.cii Tuvra, y.en Tot Tun ccT^tJ* tij-oixttun itai i^oiJt.ntiu.t»u> eiya&io¥ 
 ayyiAi'v rp^Toi', «r»it/^a zt to VT^'j^r.rtxoi/, rtfco^cSa, xai 'apoffxmiu.iy, 
 
 a(pQonji votfusihiTis. Jultin. Martyr. Apol. i. p. 47. Hags 
 Comitum. 1742. 
 
 hojl 
 
[ '^6 ] 
 
 hoji of Other good angehf 
 
 who Jollow and rcfembk 
 
 him; and alfo the fro- 
 
 phetic Spirit: honouring 
 
 them rationally and truly ; 
 
 ready mcjl gladly and 
 
 •without any rejerve,^ to 
 
 impart this hwwle^e to 
 
 all who are dejirous of it. 
 
 There is fomething here, in Mr. Robinfon's 
 
 manner of citation, which it will be difficult for 
 
 him to juftify ; efpecially after inviting his readers 
 
 to put the moft implicit confidence in him, in a 
 
 fhort preface which he makes to this tranflation 
 
 from Juftin in particular, two pages before. His 
 
 words are; p. 46—" In proof of thisy (i. e. of 
 
 " Chrift being worfhiped by the primitive chrif- 
 
 ** tians) / will adduce three unfufpeBed witneffeSy who, 
 
 " having no flare in our di/putey can have no kind of 
 
 '* inter ejl in deceiving us. The works of the tzuofirjl, 
 
 " (i. e. of Pliny, and Mahomet, whole evidence has' 
 
 ** been examined) you have in Englifi : and ajk any' 
 
 " one, who is capable of anfwering, whether I impofe 
 
 " on you in the lafi." 
 
 1. But how can our author acquit himfelf, or 
 be acquitted of the blame of impofing upon his 
 readers, who cannot go to the original ; when he 
 difguifes the words of Juftin, in fuch a way as to 
 giv€ an appearance to the eye, as if that good man 
 believed the true God to be compofed of three per/ons, 
 the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; when Juftin's 
 own words, in the place, cxprefsly declare one 
 fingle perfon (him) to be the mojl true God (ocXr,- 
 ^rccrs 0?») ; and with the like precifion, immedi- 
 ately after dijlinguifi the mofi true God from his Son 
 that ca7}ic from him, and from the prophetic Spirit. 
 This great fault flands the fame, unc-orre^ed in 
 4 the 
 
[ 127 ] 
 
 thecdulon of liis book in 1782, as In the fiill in 
 1776. 
 
 2. The indolent and unlearned reader is no Icfs 
 impofed upon by Mr. Robinfons contrivance, in 
 admitting only fome of fuilin's words, and leaving 
 out others, to make it (ecm, as if he and all other 
 chriftians at that time, were worfhipers of a Tri- 
 nity of perfons, of Father, Son, and Spirit equally: 
 whereas, if he had produced the whole paflage, 
 the diretl contrary would have appeared. 
 
 For the reader, who attends to Juftin's own 
 words, as they are given above, will eafily per- 
 ceive, that he ufes the terms, (w) "joor/Jjip and 
 adorey in the higheft fenfe, when applied to the 
 mojl true God and Father of righteoujmjs ; of that 
 peculiar honour and worfliip, which are due only 
 to HIM : but, in an inferior fenfe, when applied 
 to the Sor.j and the prophetic Spirit. Otherwifc 
 it would follow, that the hoft of good angels are to 
 be ivorjhiped a7td adored, as Gods ; for they are 
 put exa6lly in the fame line and level, and are 
 faid by Juiiin to be worfhiped and adored by him, 
 as well as the moft true God, and the Son, and the 
 prophetic Spirit. It muft give compunttion to a 
 good mind to have been the caufe of mifleading 
 ignorant perfons in matters of great moment, by 
 a partial untrue reprefcntation of fafts. 
 
 Notwithftanding Mr. Robinfon is thus unfuc- 
 cefsful in his proofs of Chriil being worfhiped by 
 the primitive chriflians; yet, that he was after- 
 wards worfhiped as the fuprcme God, and is now 
 by the greatcfl part of chriflians, is a fa6l that is 
 
 (ov) This twcfolJ fenfe of the term worfhip, is very fre- 
 quent in the Bible. So i Sam. xii. i8. wc read, And ail 
 the people greatly feared, or renjerenccd tke Lord and Samud. 
 So alio I Chron. xxix. 20. All the congregation bcnxed their 
 heads, and lutrjhiped tlit LoR o and the king ; i. e. David. 
 
 but 
 
[ .28 ] 
 
 but too true ; although we have fliewn, in the 
 foregoing part cf this work, that there is no man- 
 ner of foundation for it in the facred writings, bv 
 examining all the texts that he has heaped up 
 together in its fupport. 
 
 Our author however in this Seftion, does not 
 allow fuch worfliip to be wrong or idolatrous, for 
 this fingular reafon, becaufe we are not fo dircftly 
 and exprefsly told and warned of it in the chrif- 
 tian fcriptures, as he thinks we ought to have been. 
 His words are ; " If the apoftles did not forefee 
 " this idolatrous worfhip of Jefus Chrift, God 
 ** gave them a lefs degree of the fpirit than he 
 " gave Mofes ; and then what become of all thofe 
 " pafTages in both Teftaments, which declare the 
 " MOST plentiful efFufion to the apoftles ? If the 
 " apoftles did forefee, and did not foretel this 
 " dangerous departure from their do6lrine, what 
 " become of all their fine profeflions, of declaring 
 " the WHOLE COUNSEL ef God, of keeping back 
 *^ NOTHING that might he profit able ^ of imparting 
 '^ their own souls, and fo on ? Are not all thele 
 " rather romantic ?" p. 50. 
 
 To this it may be anfwered ; that fufficient in- 
 formation is given in the apoftolic writings, to have 
 kept chriftians from the idolatrous worfhip of Chrift 
 as the fupreme God, although Mr. Robinfon takes 
 upon him to arraign the condu6l of divine Provi- 
 dence for their not being more explicit in this 
 refpeft. And there might be, and unqueftionably 
 there were reafons fatisfaBory to the divine mind, 
 for not predicting this idolatry by name as it were, 
 though wc are not made acquainted with them. 
 If a humble conjecture may be allowed, where wc 
 know fo little, and can affert nothing pofitively, 
 I would fay; That to have foretold in direft terms 
 fuch a total departure from the truth and from all 
 
 probability ; 
 
[ 129 ] 
 
 bility ; a.<; that Jefus, the Ton of Mary, at firft a 
 ■poor lielpltTs babe; increafing afiarwards like 
 others in wiiiJom witli his years ; working molt 
 probably for a lonjr fpace of time at a mechanic 
 trade ; liable to all the infirmities of our nature, 
 fuffering hunger, pain, and at lad death itfclf ; 
 one who conilantly declared God to be his F..ther, 
 i.e. that he received his being from him; who 
 worfliiped the Father continually as the only true 
 God, and taught his followers fo to worfliip him : 
 that a human being fo circumftanced, and with 
 fuch difpofiiions, (hould alfo be truly and properly 
 God, Jehovah, God of Ifrael, the eternal God, 
 cquaUo the fupreme Father, and worfhiped equally 
 with n%^ a mixture this, fo heterogeneous, fo 
 out of naKgre, and beyond all bounds of credi- 
 bility, to fuppofe that rational creatures could ever 
 make, with fo much evidence to the contrary be- 
 fore them as the teflimony of the apoflles afforded, 
 that it is not to be wondered it was not made the 
 fubjeft of a particular revelation to them, as it 
 might have given too great a fhock to their minds. 
 It was an extravagant idea, which chriltians in 
 after-times did not arrive at all at once ; but was 
 fabricated gradually, as is well known to all that 
 are converfant in ecclefiaftical hiftory, and the 
 writings of the fathers. And ordinary chrillians 
 now arc not Rruck vvitli the ai'lonifliing incredi- 
 bility of fuch a dodrine, becaufe it is inltilled into 
 them before they attain the ufe of realbn, as a 
 matter of divine authority, of which they are told, 
 that they are not to take upon themfelves to be 
 the judges, and they are thus accuftomcd and 
 familiarized to it : but it mull for ever be a 
 ftumbling block to rational inquirers, and prevent 
 piany from receiving the gofpcl, fo long as they 
 believe this dottrine to wiaLc a part of it. 
 
 K As 
 
[130] 
 
 As our author maintains the wovfliip of Jedis 
 Chrifl to be idolatry, if he be not the fupreme God; 
 and we have feen the infufficicncy of his allegations 
 from Scripture to prove him fuch; all that follows, 
 *' of this idolatry (x) being Co wide fpread, of fo 
 *' long (landing, interwoven with civil conrtitu- 
 *' tions," &c. is befide the purpofe; unlefs it may 
 excite all that read it, to flee from it. His long 
 declamation afterwards, p. 51, 52- with which he 
 finifhcs this feftion ; efpecially his invocation of 
 the Almighty in fo flrange a fafliion, (in reality to 
 be a witnefs of his own miftakes,) may v/ork upon 
 the weak and credulous, but muft be offenfive to 
 judicious readers, of proper ferioufnefs aad fo- 
 briety of mind. I fhould have pafTed it wholly 
 unnoticed, had not I found two pailages of the 
 prophets greatly mifapplied by him, to prove Jefus 
 to be Jehovah, the moll high God. 
 
 The firft is, Jeremiah xxiii. 6. ^his is his name 
 whereby he Jhal'l be called, ^he Lord (or Jehovah) 
 our righteoitjnejs. The words are generally allowed 
 to be fpoken of Chriu : but they are here wrongly 
 tranfiated in our englifii Bible, as has been lately 
 pointed out by a (j) learned and judicious writer. 
 He renders them : And this is the name by ivhvch 
 JEHOVAH Jhall call hiniy our righteousness. 
 To which he fubjoins this valuable note. " Literally, 
 ** according to the hebrew idiom, the words run 
 " thus ; And this is his name which Jehovah 
 
 (x) Is not the wordiip of dead men and women, mala 
 and female-faints, as widely extended, of as long ftanding, 
 eftabliflied alfo by the civil power through the Greek and 
 Roman churches, and held equally facred with the worfhip of 
 Jefus Chrill as God ? and yet this is not efteemed by Pro- 
 tcflants any good argument in favour of faint-worHiip. 
 
 {y) Jeremiah : a new traHflation. By Benjamin Blayney, 
 B.D. Oxford. 1784. 
 
 •* SHALL 
 
C '3' ] 
 
 " SHAIL CALL, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS; a phiai^ 
 
 *• exatilv the lame as, Aid Jehovah Jljcll call him 
 " fo ; which as I have before obfervcd in note on 
 ** ch. XX. 0^. implies that God would make hiih 
 " fuch as he called him ; that is, ' our righieouf- 
 •* nels,' or the autlior and means of our falvation 
 ** and acceptance. So, by the fame metonymy, 
 *' Chrid is faid to have been made of God unto y.s 
 *' •ivijdom^ and rtghteoufnejs^ -and JanSlifica-tmi) and 
 " redemption, i Cor. i. 30. •' I doubt not," con- 
 tinues this candid author, " but fome perfons will 
 ** be offended with me, for depriving them by this 
 " tranflation of a favourite argument for proving 
 " the divinity of our Saviour from the Old Tcfta- 
 *' ment. But I cannot help it : I have done it 
 *' with no ill defign, but purely becaufc I think, 
 '* and am morally furc, that the text, as it flands, 
 *' will not properly admit of any other con(lru6tion. 
 ** The Ixx have fo tranflatcd before me, in an age 
 *' when there could not poffibly be any biafs of 
 *' prejudice, either for or againfl the before- 
 ** mentioned doftrine; a dotlrine which draws it's 
 " deciftve proofs from the New Tcftamcnt only. 
 " In the parallel paffage, ch. xxxiii. 16. the ex- 
 " prelnon is a little varied, but the fenfe, accord- 
 *' ing to a juft and literal tranflation, is prccifcly 
 " the fame ; Jnd this is He "jjhom Jehovah /j^// 
 
 " call^ OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." 
 
 The other paffage, by which our author would 
 prove Jefus to be the mofl high God, is in Ifaiah 
 xlii. 13. 16. 11, 12. and is thus exhibited by him. • 
 The Lord Jefus came forth as a mighty man ; he 
 Jiirred up jealoufy like a man of zvar ; he cried ; 
 yea roared \ he prevailed againfl his enemies. He 
 brought the blind by a zvay that they kne-iv not, 
 he made darknejs light before them. Well may the 
 wildernefsj the dties^ the villages ^ the caves, give 
 
 K 2 
 
 l^rj 
 
[ 132 ] 
 
 glory to Jehovah Jcfus, and declare his p-aije tn 
 the ijlaiids. 
 
 The manner in which onr author prints the text, 
 /liews the additions that he has taken upon him to 
 make to it; how far juftihable therein, the reader 
 will judge. But the iuccefs of the gofpel in future 
 times here predifled, and the thanks and praife due 
 for it, he makes the prophet to afcribe, not to Jeho- 
 vah, the fmgle perfon of the one almighty Creator, 
 whom alone Ifaiah knew and acknowleged j but to 
 another perfon, a new Jehovah, unknown, as far 
 as appears, to the prophet and to many others, 
 filled by him, JEHOVAH-Jefus. This will appear 
 the more extraordinary, if we look back to the 
 beginning of the chapter, where there is a pre- 
 diction concerning Chrift, [uttered by Jehovah 
 bimfelf,] in which he is very particularly fliled th«? 
 Jervant of Jehovah : which makes it utterly im- 
 probable, to fay the leafl, that he fhould immedi- 
 ately after be addreffed, as Jehovah himfclf. And 
 though our author, as will be hereafter feen, can 
 digeit and maintain fuch evident contradi8ion5\, 
 the words of the prophet fhould not be tampered 
 with and altered to make him chargeable with 
 them. 
 
 In our author's putting this addition to the words 
 of Ifaiah, out of a full convidion, I have no doubt, 
 that he was fo to be interpreted ; we have an exam- 
 ple of the method, by which as Sir Ifaac Newton 
 •well conjefturcs, the fpurious text of the three hea- 
 venly witnefTes, i]o\\.\\'j. the Father^ the Word, and 
 the Holy Sprite may have come into our Bibles. 
 Some fanciful pcrfons at firfl imagined that the 
 apolUe's three witnelfes, thefpirit, the water, and 
 the blood, were an apt illuftration of their notion 
 «f the Trinity, and might put it in the margin of 
 rlicir Ncv/ Teiiament, as fuch j and afterwards, by 
 
 miflakc. 
 
[ 133 ] 
 
 miftake, or by the boldnefs of fome tranfcriber, 
 what was lirft a note, was inferted into the text, 
 and became reckoned a part of the apoftle's own 
 words and writing. " This myftical interpretation," 
 fays that great author, " of tiie fpirit, water, and 
 " blood, to fignify the Trinity, leerns to me to 
 *• have given occafion to fomebody, either fraudu- 
 " Icntly to infert the tcfUmony of * the Three in 
 " heaven,' in cxprefs words into the text, for 
 " proving the Trinity ; or elfe to note it in the 
 '* margin of h'lr, book by way of interpretation. 
 *' Whence it might afterwards creep into the text 
 *' in tranrcribing(2:)." 
 
 S E C T I O N IX. 
 
 JFbetbery if J ejus Chrijl be not the Jupreme God, 
 Mahomet has wriiten more clearly on the nature 
 of Jefus Chrijl y than the apojlles have i and 
 '■johethey Mahomet was right in his do5lrine of the 
 Unity of God i^ 
 
 MR. Robinfon's next argument and divifiou 
 of his work, Hands thus : « If Jejus Chriji 
 " be not God, you will be obliged to allow y that 
 ** Mahomet has written more clearly on the nature 
 *' of Chrijl, than the apofiles have; and that the 
 "^ 'furksy who rejetl the gofpely have clearer notions 
 " of the nature of Jefus ChriJl, than Chriflians have, 
 " who receive and Jludy it." p- 53- 
 
 It is no new thing for writers, who apply to the 
 pafiTions more than the underitandings of their 
 readers, to infinuate that the religion of thofo 
 chrillians who hold the proper humanity of Chriit, 
 
 (c) Two Letters of Sir Ifaac Newton to Mr. Le Clefc, 
 London, i754. p- I7> i^* 
 
[ '34 ] 
 
 h little better than Mahoraetifm ; becaufe its founder 
 agrees with them in part that Chrirt was a prophet 
 of God, and in maintaining, at the fame time, 
 that he was only the Ton of Mary, and nothing 
 antecedent to that, any more than other men. 
 This method our author purfues here. But he 
 would have flated the matter more agreeably to 
 the truth, if his pofition had been, that Mahomet 
 bad Jpoken more juftly of the nature of Jejus Chriji 
 than himfelfy and the bulk of chriflians ; and this, 
 becaufe he therein agrees with the apoflles, who 
 uniformly defcribe their mafler (2) as a human 
 being only: which is alfo the conltant language 
 cf Chriil concerning himfelf. 
 
 Indeed in one very material refpefl Mahomet 
 differs from the apofUes, in denying Chrifltohave 
 been crucified, and fo far joining in the opinion 
 of thofe fuft erroneous chriflians, againft whom 
 principally, as we have often remarked, St. John 
 wrote his two firfV epiftles ; (^) who denied Chrifl: 
 to have come in ficfoy to have been mortal, liable 
 to fud'erings and death : but that all this was mere 
 
 (z) I'or this, fee the Unitarian Trafts, publiflied at the 
 clofe of the laft century ; Lardner on the Logos ; Cardale'% 
 True do(flrine of the New Tellament concerning jefus Chrili, 
 Prii^ftlcy^ works, Lih-dfcy^ Sequel to his Apology, and Hif- 
 tory ol- Unitarian doitrine and worfhip ; with many le/I'cr 
 tradh in our times. 
 
 {d) After having blamed Tome who " had fpoken againft 
 " ?vrARy a grievous calumny ;" Mahomet proceeds to b]an:e 
 them in that they have faid ; " Verily v,e have flain Christ 
 ** Jesus the fen of Mary, the apoftle of God ; yet they 
 *' flew him not, fays he, neither crucified him, buthe wasreprc- 
 •' fented by one in his likcnefs." Sale's Koran, p. 79. They 
 were probably unbelieving Jews, who thus boafted, that they 
 had {lain Jefub Chriil, and put an utter end to him ; and there- 
 fore that in vjin did m.cn believe in him. See Lardner'-; 
 Letter on the Logos, p. 9. See alfo Ignatius, and Ircna.-us's 
 works throughout. 
 
 appearance. 
 
[ '35 ] 
 
 appearance, and no reality : and as thofe perfons 
 probably took up luch a miilaken doOrine to do 
 honour to him ; this candour bids us to own, might 
 be Mahomet's mmive for embracing it. 
 
 Mr. Robinlbn will be found far from being 
 happy and well grounded in ail the inftances he 
 produces of difagreement between Mahomet and 
 the infpired writers, with re(pc6l to the nature and 
 perfon of Jefus Chrift; which we are to examine. 
 
 But to place this important point in its true light, 
 I would preiT.ifc ; that the luperiority of the gofpel 
 to the Koran, of Chrift to Mahomet, lieth not in 
 the opinion entertained concerning the nature of 
 Chrift. But herein confifts their everlafting dif- 
 ference, and the divine excellency of the one 
 above the other ; 
 
 The pretenfions of Mahomet to an authority 
 from God, were enthufiaftic and feigned : t^iofeof 
 Jefus real, being confirmed by numerous miracles. 
 
 Never in any one action of his public life that 
 is recorded, and from this we may form a juft 
 idea of its more private fccnes, do we fee Jefus 
 acting out of a view to his own eafc, felf-gratihca- 
 tion, or honour among men, but purely for their 
 good, and to promote their virtue and eternal 
 happincfs. The aim of the Arabian falfc prophet, 
 after he had fucceeded fo far as to have his miftioii 
 owned, was too often direftcd to ferve the private 
 ends of ambition, and of impure, extravagant, 
 fcnftial dchrcs. 
 
 Jefus tauglu and injoined his followers, by love 
 and kindncfs, and perfuafive argument to win men 
 over to his religion ; and whilft ihcib methods alone 
 were purfued, it glorioudy prevailed : Mahomet 
 fucceeded by carrying fire, and (laughter and delb- 
 lation, whertf any would not fubmit to hislaw; and 
 K 4 while 
 
[ >35 ] 
 
 while he lock? up the human mind in darknefs, 
 and forbids iiiqr.ny, Jcfus invites it. 
 
 Mahomet ordained the gentler part of our fpecies, 
 and the moft ufeful, where they fulfil their proper 
 duties; to be flaves to the Uuls, caprice,and tyranny 
 of the men : but Jefus ordains one man to be the 
 hufband of one woman; and though in all focieties 
 there mull be fome head to govern, he prefcribes 
 the law of kindnefs and benevolence, which equal- 
 izes all. 
 
 Jefus, himfelf the image and pattern of the mod 
 perfett purity, propofes to his difciplcs the happi- 
 wdh of virtue for their reward in the future world, 
 where there is neither marrying nor giving in 
 'marriage : the lafcivious Mahomet provides beau- 
 teous damfels for his followers, with every thing 
 enchanting to the imagination, and that can minif- 
 ter to fenfual delight. 
 
 Mr. Robinfon thus lays down what appears to 
 him the contrariety betwixt the New Tcftament 
 and the Koran, concerning the nature of Chrifl. 
 Infpired Writers. Mahomet. 
 
 I . The Word ivas God. i . They a re i n f i d e i,s 
 
 John i. 1. who fay, God is Chrilt. 
 
 Sale's Koran, ch. v. 
 
 2.y^;/j/jTHEBRiGHT- 2. Chrift the fon of 
 
 NKSs OF God's gi.ory, Mary, is no more than 
 
 ^;;^thf: EXPRESS IMAGE an APOSTLE, ch. V. 
 
 OF HIS PERSON. Hcb. 
 
 i- 3- 
 
 3. lie Jh all he called 3. Chrifiiansfay,Chrift 
 
 the So-H of God. Luke istheSoN ofGoo. IIow 
 
 i. 35. are they infatuated! Far 
 
 be it from God, that he 
 
 fhould have a sox. ch. 
 
 iv, 
 
 4. 7'-f'<s 
 
[ '37 ] 
 
 4- JeftisCkriJi ishov^D 4. Jefus is no other 
 OF ALL. Acts X. 36. than a servant, ch, 
 xliii. 
 
 The whole of the pafTa^c in tlic Koran, from 
 which our author makes his two lirit citations, is 
 curious, and worthy to be produced at length. 
 
 " They arc furely inhdels, who fay. Verily, 
 " God is Christ the fon of Mar y ; fince Christ 
 " faid, o children of Israel, ferve God, my 
 " Lord (/>) and your Lord ; whoever fhall give a 
 " comp.-v.ion unto God, God fliall exclude him 
 *' from paradifc, and his habitation fhall be hell- 
 f" fire, and the ungodly fliall have none to help 
 "** them. They arc certainly infidels, who fay, 
 " God is the third of three : for there is no God 
 
 *' befides one God. -Will not they therefore be 
 
 " turned to God, and afk pardon of him ? fince 
 ** God is gracious and merciful. Christ, the 
 ** fon of Mary, is no more than an apoftle ; 
 *' other apoltles have preceded him ; and (<:) his 
 ** mother was a woman of veracity : they (^) both 
 '* did eat food." Sale's Koran, p. 92, 93. 
 
 1. In 
 
 {)>) Mahomet continually borrows from and alludes to the 
 hcbrcvv and chrillian fcriptures. Here he had perhaps in 
 his eye, our Lord's words to Mary Magdalen, foon after he 
 was raifed from the dead ; go to my brethren, (his apoltles) 
 and Jay unto them, I am foon to afcend to my Father- and to y$ur 
 Father, to my God, and to ycur (iod. John XX. 19. 
 
 (<■) His mother tvas a ixjoman c/^ 'veracity] " Neser pretend- 
 " ing to partake of the divine nature, to be the mother of 
 " God," Sate. 
 
 (d) They both did eat food.] " Being otjtiged to fupport 
 " their lifvcs l>y the Jame means, and being Juhjeil to the fame 
 ' ' necejjities and infirmities as the rejl of mankind ; and there- 
 ♦' fort no Gods." This is alfo a remark of Mr. Sale's, the 
 editor of the Koran ; and is one among many circum- 
 llantes, which juilified Mahomet in thinking Chriil to be a 
 
 human 
 
[ 138 ] 
 
 • T. In the firfi: inftance ; if, inftead of calliri--^ 
 them infidels, Mahomet had alleged, that they who 
 fay, that God is Christ, the Ton of Mary, are 
 iDiftaken chriftians, he would not have (iiid amifs : 
 for men may err in this important point as well as 
 in others, and yet be true believers and acceptable 
 to God, if they a8; the fmcere part, and as far as 
 their light goes. 
 
 But I apprehend, that if Mr. Robinfon himfelf 
 Ihould abruptly put the queftion to any one, even 
 the mod orthodox; Is God Chrifty the Jon of 
 Mary ? they would hefitate, and not immediately 
 anfwer him in the affirmative. Nay, I much quef- 
 tion, whether any one can bring himfelf really to 
 think, that God is Christ, the Jon of Mary, as 
 Mahomet puts it.- So far is he from being in the 
 wrong in this refpeft. 
 
 The text which our author oppofes to Mahomet, 
 to prove Chrift to be God, John i. i. The word 
 ivas God ; has been fhewn to prove no fuch thing. 
 For it is not Chrilt who is the zvord there fpoken 
 of, (fee p. lo.) but God himfelf; as the apoftle 
 exprefsly declares in the fame verfe, the word was 
 God^ or God was the word. Should any one 
 think, that it muft be of fome other perfon befides. 
 God, that the apoftle here (peaks, of becaufe he 
 
 human bcins:, ?*"d not God j and the confideration of fuch 
 thing's, joined to the conltant tenour oi ihe Scripture-decla- 
 rations, mull in time opt-n the eyes of all, to diltinguilh be- 
 tween the all-perfedi, all-fufficient, eternal, unchangeable 
 God, the benevolent author and parent of nil, and his well 
 beloved Son and fervant jefus ; who was once, whilll 
 he was as we are now, fubjeift to fufFerings and death ; 
 but is now, for his pei fed obedience, raifed to an immortal 
 life, and crowned with glory, in being the inrtrunient of 
 bringing the whole human race to fUare with him in lb alto- 
 nilhing u. favour aad felicity. 
 
 2 fays; 
 
[ »39 ] 
 fays; the word ivas with God, ancf repeats it 
 again, vcr. 2, the fame was in the bej^inning with 
 God ; let thciii leltcd, that the fame language is 
 uled concerning IVifdom, Prov. viii. 22, 23. 30. 
 The Lord poijefj'ed me in the begimiing of his ways, 
 before his •u;orks of old. I was fet up from ever- 
 lafri):g, from the be^inningy or ever the earth was.—- 
 Ihen was I by him, as one brought up with hi?n \ 
 and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before 
 him. IViJdom, according to Solomon, is not ano- 
 ther divine perfon, another God, another Jehovali; 
 nor is the word, or wijdorn here introduced by the 
 apoftle : but in both places, according to the lofty 
 eaflern prophetic Itile, it is God himlcif who is 
 ijitended, characterifcd by his wifdom ; which is 
 himfelf. The fame llile of fpeech is common with 
 us, in poetry, or any immediate addrcffes to the 
 Almighty. Thus we fay; Affifl me, thou gracious 
 Power, that gavejl me my being ! Lead me, thou 
 Wifdom divine, wherever thou pleafefl I invoking 
 God himfelf, by two of his attributes. 
 
 2. With refpe^t to Mr. Robinfon's fecond cita- 
 tion from the Koran, there would have been no- 
 thing to be blamed in it, if Mahomet had deno- 
 minated Chrifl, An apoflle of God. For fo Chrift 
 calls himfelf, every time that he fays ; that he was 
 fent from the Father, or that the Y2X\\q.x fent him : 
 i<)r being /£:■;;/ is being an apoftle; the fame word, 
 or one frum the fame root, being ufed in the ori- 
 ginal. St. Paul, Heb. iii. 1. cxprefsly ftiles 7^//j 
 Chrifl, the apojlle of our profeffion. But it was 
 very wrong, and unjullifiable to fay, that Chrift 
 was nothing more than an apojlle. For he is ex- 
 alted to be the Lord of chriitians, and the final 
 judge of the world. The crafty Mahomet how- 
 ever, was loo guarded, to allow any fuch extra- 
 ordinary 
 
[ MO 3 
 
 ordinary powers to Chrift, as an apoftle of God ; 
 left it (liould diminifli and counteraft his own pre- 
 tended fuperior apoftlefhip. 
 
 What our author cites from St. Paul, couched 
 in fuch magnificent figurative language ; that 
 Chrilt was }he hrighlnefs of (or a bright ray from) 
 God's glory (or power), and the exprefs image (print 
 or character) of his per/on ; bcfpcaks him indeed 
 to be far above what Mahomet would confefs him 
 to be: but does at the fame time indicate, that he 
 is what he is, and that all he polTefles is from God ; 
 and alfo that he cannot poOibly be God, the al- 
 mighty, fupreme Being. For however dignified 
 by it, he is here mentioned but as a ray proceed- 
 ing from that glory, which is infinite in the one 
 fupreme author and fource of all power. And 
 farther, as a print or image of a thing, cannot be 
 the thing itfelf of which it is an image : in like 
 manner Chrift cannot be God ; and if not God, 
 he muft be his creature ; for whatever is not God, 
 is fuch : his creature, beloved by him, and relem- 
 bling him in his imitabie perfections. 
 
 3. In the next inftance, Mahomet is highly to 
 be blamed for denying to Chrift the title ot Son of 
 God. And as he was well acquainted with the 
 Scriptures of the New Teftament, where this title 
 is continually given to our Lord, it may be appre- 
 hended, that he was induced to deny it him out 
 of artifice, as thinking that for Chrift to be called 
 the Son of Gody by w^y of honour and diftindion, 
 would give too much fplendor to his character, 
 and tend to eclipfe his own. It is poflible, indeed, 
 that he might be unwilling to admit it into the 
 Koran, Icih he (hould thereby give countenance 
 to the grofs ideas concerning the Deity, which 
 the anticnt natives of Arabia had adopted, who' 
 
 fpoke 
 
[ >4t ] 
 
 fpoke of Gofl (t") as hdiy'ing female ipigy daughters 
 that "joere angels. 
 
 4. Ill the lafl inRance, as in the Iccond, wc 
 cannot help afcribing it to poHtic contrivance, to 
 depreciate our Saviour's chara6ler, that this pre- 
 tended prophet Riles him no other tha7i a fer'vnr.t. 
 Our author very properly confronts and confutes 
 the dili)ara*ring infinuation, by citino; Afts x. 36. 
 Jejus Chrijl is Lord of all. But although Chrift 
 is to be ever honoured with this dignified name 
 arid title, with refpeft to his followers, and to 
 mankind ; and he himfelf knew how to ad'ert ir. 
 (John xiii. 13.) on proper occafions : Yet it muit 
 always be remembered, that with refpctt to al- 
 mighty God, he invariably acknowleged himlclf 
 to be his fervant, Jerit by him. God alfo fpcaks of 
 him, as one who was to be his chofcn and beloved 
 fervant ; before he was born. Ifaiah xlii. 1. Matih. 
 \\\. 17, 18. His apoftles, as before noted, fo 
 flilc him, A8s iv. 25. 27. 30 ; where in our eng- 
 lifh tranflation, fervant fhould be put inftead of 
 child. And though he is here called. Lord of all : 
 this is not to be taken, as fome have conRrued it ; 
 that he is Lord of all^ in an abfolute fenfe, as 
 God himfelf; but fuch a Lord, as God hath con- 
 flituted him : and the fenfe and connc8ion of the 
 fentence, being part of Peter's difcourle to Corne- 
 lius and other heathens, leads us to confider it as 
 
 {t) Koran, p. 109. 218. 397, 
 
 Chapter cxii. 
 
 " Intltlcd, The Declaration of God's Unity. 
 
 " In the name of the mott merciful God, 
 
 " Say Gou is one God; the eternal God: he bigetteth 
 
 "■ nut, mithir is he begotten : and there is not any one 
 
 *' like unto him." Mr. i'rt/f obfcrvcs in a note, that this 
 
 chapter Is held in particular vcnf-ration by the Mahometan:;, 
 
 and declared, by a tradition of their prophet, to be equal in 
 
 ▼alue to a tlurd part of the whole Koran. Ibid. p. 507. 
 
 Icftintif 
 
[ M2 ] 
 
 fetting forth Jcfus Chrift, as the Lord of all man- 
 kind, Jews and heathen?, who were thenceforth 
 to be united together under him. 
 
 It foon after follows; *' If the generality of 
 chriftians believe the divinity of a mere man, 
 thev believe a lie, and the Jpirit of truths, whom 
 the '■iZ' or Id cannot receive^ hath forfaken the chrif- 
 tian church, and dwells in the mofques of a vile 
 impoftor." 
 
 Although I am perfuaded myfclf, and think I 
 have clearly proved in the ferics of this examina- 
 tion, that thofe who hold Jefus Chrift to be Jeho- 
 vah, the fupreme God, do widely err from the 
 truth, I fnould blame myfelf for faying, they be- 
 lieve a lie; for the ufe of this phrafe by the apoflle, 
 2 Their, ii. ii. does not countenance its applica- 
 tion in fuch a way, by our author or myfelf; 
 and though it be in itfelf a moft prodigious defec- 
 tion from the doftrine of the Scriptures concern- 
 ing Chrift, they who hold it, are convinced that 
 they have fuihcient ground of evidence for it. 
 Nor has the Jpirit of truth wholly forfaken the 
 chriftian church, though it has in this one refpe8,' 
 for many ages, in its profeffing to acknowlege Je- 
 fus to be the moft high God, and worlhiping him. 
 Our Lord's promife to his difciples, of the Jpirit 
 of truth abiding with them for ever, was conhned 
 to tiiem in their apoftolic office, and therefore not 
 inconfiftent with or contradi6ied by his"followers 
 afterwards falling into the greateft errors. 'The 
 Jpirit of truthy iince the apoftles quitted the ftage 
 of this world, has refided only in the holy Scrip- 
 tures ; and there it is that we are to fearch for its 
 diflates and dccifions, and not in the creeds and 
 confcffions of different churches or fctls of clvrii- 
 tians, or in the conclufions of men, however pious 
 Jind learned. The honcft conclufions, which each 
 
 of 
 
[ ■« ] 
 
 ci us form far ourl'elves, from wliat we know of 
 ihofe Scriptures, are what we miift depend upon ; 
 and no miftakcs which we may thus fall into, will 
 affetl our final acceptance with God. 
 
 Importor as Mahomet was, and is juftly ftiled ; 
 he feems not to have been void of fome ferious (f) 
 
 good 
 
 f/) " It was at this tine that he formed the fcheme of 
 •* cilablifhing ?. ncv religion, or, as he e-Tprc/Tftl it, of rc- 
 •' planting the or.Iy true and antiviit onf , profclfcd by Adam, 
 •• Nuah, Abraham, Mofes, Jefus, and all the prophet?, by 
 •' dcftroying the grofs idolatry ii^to which the generality of 
 ••• his countrymen had fallen,, and weeding out the corrup- 
 •• tions and fuperfljtions, which the latter Jews and chrif- 
 •• ti:ins had, as he thought, introduced into their religion, 
 •* and reducing it to its original purity, which confifted 
 " thiejly in the nxorjhip of one onlv GoD. 
 
 " Whether this was the effcft of enthufiafm, or only a 
 " defign to raifc himfelf to the fuprcmc government of his 
 " country, I will not pretend to determine. The latter is 
 " the general opinion of chrifiian writers, who agree that 
 " ambition, and the defire of fatisfying his feufuality, were 
 •' the motives of his undertaking. It may be fo : yet his 
 " firft views perhaps were not fo intcrefted. His original 
 " defign of bringing the pagan Arabs fo the knov/lege of 
 •• the true God, was certainly noble, and highly to be com- 
 '• mended. For I cannot poflibly fubfcribe to the ancition 
 '"^ o^ late learned writer, (Dr. Prideaux, Life of Mahomet, 
 V p. 76.) that he mr.de that nation exciiange their idolatry, 
 " for another religion as bad. Mahoir.et was, no doubt, 
 •* fully fatisfied in his confcience of the truth of his grand 
 ** point, the unity of God, which was what he chiefly at- 
 *< tended to ; all his other doctrines and inflitutions being 
 '» rather accidental, and unavoidable, than premeditated 
 *• and defigneJ." 
 
 ** Since then Mahomet was certainly himfelf perfuaded 
 ** of his grand article of faith, which in his opinion, was 
 " violated by all the red of the world ; not only by the ido- 
 '• laters, but by the chrijiians, as well thofe who rightly wor- 
 " (hiped yc//^ as God, as thofe who fuperftitiouily adored 
 ♦' the virgin Mary, faints, and imagi^s, and alfo by the Jews, 
 " who are accufed in the Koran of taking Ezra for the fon 
 " of God ; it ii cafy to conceive, he might chink it a meri- 
 
 •* torious 
 
[ Hi ] 
 good principle at his fiiil fctting out : for which I 
 would refer to a very capable judge, whofe words 
 I put in the margin. 
 
 For his crimes, which he fell into afterwards, 
 he muft anfwer at that trihurwl, where we mufl all 
 likewife ftand, and be judged. This however is 
 certain, that in the midft of fuch things as fliock our 
 minds; viz. his pretended communications with 
 the Deity, and continual feigned revelations from 
 him, his violence and injuftice towards all tiiat 
 would not receive his dotlrine, and the like ; at 
 leaving ihe world, he was perfe6lly (g) calm, and 
 fatisfied with his future profpefls ; without any 
 compundion for the part he had aQ.ed, yet not 
 deftitute of a juft humility and fenfe of his many 
 defefts ; imagining perhaps, as has not been unu- 
 fual with other enthufiafts, and impofing upon him- 
 
 *' torious work to refcue the world from fuch ignorance and 
 *' fuperltition ; and by degrees, with the help of a warni 
 " imagination, which an Jra^ feldom wants, to fuppofe 
 *• himfelf deftined by Providence for eifecling that grent re- 
 *' formation. And this fancy of his might take ftill deeper 
 *' root in his mind, during thefolitudehe thereupon attedled, 
 *♦ ufually retiring for a month in the year to a cave in 
 *' mount Hara near Mecca." Sale's Koran, Prelim .^Difc 
 p. 38, 39. 
 
 A late writer obferves of Mahomet, with candor, and his 
 ufual good fenfe : " Nor is it eafy to conceive, that he could 
 *' ever have fapported the fevere charader of the great re- 
 «' former of mankind, whofe morals were not fpecious at 
 " leaft, according to thofe ideas of morality, which pre- 
 *' vailed among the people to whom his pretenfions were im- 
 
 " mediately propofed." White of Oxford's Bampton- 
 
 Sermons, p. 158. 
 
 {g) " In one of the laft revelations, pretended to be given 
 " to him, and faid to be fent to warn him to prepare for 
 " death ; he is exhorted to praife God, and alk him for- 
 *' givenefs : and it was remarked that after that, he \v;i$ 
 " more frequent in thofe devout exercifes." Id. ibid. 
 f. 506. 
 
 fclf 
 
i HS ] 
 
 felf thcrcwitli, that his moft important ohjeft o? 
 reviving the knowlcge and worfhip of the one 
 true God, to which he had perfuided himCelf that 
 he had a divine call, would l"anv?tify whatever 
 means he might ufe to promote it. 
 
 The luccefs which it pleafed the divine provi- 
 dence to give to this falfe prophet and iiis re- 
 ligion (/')i is one of thofc events whicii fills us 
 M'ith awe and aftonifhment. In the courfe of a 
 few centuries, it had eftablifhed itfelf, and well 
 nigh extinguifhed chriltianity, by dcllroying or 
 converting its prolefTors, in thofe once flouriihing 
 churches of Alia and Africa, many of which were 
 planted by the apolUes ; and fpread itfelf to tha 
 extremities of India. It has now fubfifted for 
 near 1200 years, and though without any great 
 acceflion of late, yet without any diminution, and 
 its profellbrs are believed to be more in number 
 than chriftians. 
 
 We cannot take upon us to fathom the reafons 
 of the divine moral adminiltration, in giving 
 greater light and knowlege of the truth to fome 
 
 (/') *' Mahomet arofe to that heighth, as to make one of 
 *' the greatelt Re-volutions that ever happened in the world ; 
 " which immediately gave birth to an empire, that in 80 
 " years time extended its dominion over more kingdoms and 
 *' countries, than ever the Reman could in 800. And al- 
 " though it continued in its ftrength not much above 300 
 " year.->, yet out of its afhes have fprung up many other 
 " kingdoms ViTiA empires, of which there are three at this day, 
 " the largell and moll potent upon the face of the earth; 
 *' I mean the empire of Turk.y, the empire of PerjRa, and 
 «' the empire of the Mogul in India : which God hath pcr- 
 " mitted, of his all-wiie providence. Hill to continue for 
 *' a fcourge unto us chrijlians ; who having received fo holy 
 '♦ and fo excellent a religion, through his mercy to us in 
 ** Chrift Jefus our Lord, will not yet conform ourfelves to 
 " live worthy of it." Pridcaux — Life of Mahomet, p. 79. 
 firft printed 1697. 
 
 L nations. 
 
[ 146 ] 
 
 paiions, and withdrawing it from others ; unlefs 
 where our IVfaker has condefcended to difcover 
 them to us. 
 
 In the prefent cafe, that judicious and truly 
 learned perlbn, Mr. Mede, has been thought by 
 many to have Fully evinced, (i) that in the trumpet 
 of the fifth angel, Rev. ix. i. there is an exprefs 
 prediBion of this lore calamity that was to befall 
 the chrillian church from the Arabians and Sara- 
 cens ', who would be permitted to exercife great 
 cruelties upon all that had not {k) the feal of God 
 in their foreheads ; who were not the worfhipers 
 of the only true God. 
 
 And all writers confpire in bearing teftimony to 
 the extreme depravity of chriftians at that period, 
 (/)and their diifenfions, aniraofities, and murder- 
 ing 
 
 (/) The Works of Jofeph Mede, B. D. p. 467. 
 
 {k) That had not the j'eal of God in their foreheads '\ Many 
 of the inhabitants of Savoy, Piedmont, Milan, and the 
 fouthorn parts of France, are faid to have been untainted 
 with the idolatry and corruptions of the chriftian church in 
 that age, and to have been remarkably preferred from the 
 ravages of thefe Mahometan invaders. See Whifton on the 
 Revelation, p. 194. 
 
 (/) " To thefe caufes of the progrefs of Mahometifm, 
 *' we may add the bitter diffenfions and cruel animofities 
 " that reigned among the chrillian fedls, particularly, the 
 " Greeks, Neflorians, Eutychians, and Monophyfites ; dif- 
 " fenfions that filled a great part of the eail with carnage, 
 *' afiafUnations, and fach deteftable enormities, as rendered 
 " the ver/ name of chriitianity odious to many." Mojheim, 
 Eccl. Hiil vol. II. p. 9. 
 
 " The terrible dellructlon of the eaftern churches, once 
 ** fo glorious and flourifhing, by the fudden fpreading of 
 •• M.:'romecirm, and the great fuccefles of its profeflbrs 
 " again II the ckrifians, necelTarily infpire a horror of that 
 " religion in thofe to whom it has been fo fatal; and no 
 " wonder, if they endeavour to fet the character of its 
 •' founder, and its doftrines, in the moll infamous light. 
 " But the damage done by Mahomet tp chriHianity feems 
 
 " to 
 
[ >-17 ] 
 ing of each other, in their difputcs about the fup- 
 pol'cd divinity of Jefus Ciirilf, and the mode of 
 it ; wl'.cther he was of the fame, or only of a like 
 nature to God ; whether he had one nature only, 
 the human being abforbed in the divine, or two 
 nature', a divine and human ; whether he did not 
 confift of two pcrfons, and the hke : in the mean 
 while, the number of demons, or of deified men 
 and worien, called Saints, continually increafing, 
 with their idolatrous worfhip, and the fupreme 
 Father of all and only true God, being in danger 
 of being fct afide or forgotten by his creatures. 
 So that Mahometifm, with all its ftair.s nnd 
 blemiflies, may have been a purer religion, than 
 chriftianity was likely to have turned out in that 
 dark age, and in thofe countries. And as the 
 Almighty, after the flood, feparatcd the family of 
 Abraham from the rell of the nations, to preferve 
 the knowlege and worfhip of himfelf from being 
 intirely loft : fo in his ordinary providence this 
 falfe prophet arofe, and was permuted to forge 
 and propagate a new religion, to give a check to 
 the growing idolatry of chriftians, to keep up the 
 knowlege of the Divine Unity, and to be a ftanding 
 witnefs againft giving any equals, any aflbciates or 
 companions to the inhniie, almighty, eternal God, 
 and Parent of the uni' crle. 
 
 In the view of fuch an awful vifitation, and 
 defolation of the chriftian church, and b?.r put to 
 its progrefs for fo many ages and over ^o large a 
 
 " to hive been rather owing to his I'gnornnce than his malice. 
 
 " F( r his great misfortune was, his n. l ha\ .np a competent 
 
 *' knowl'-ge of the real and pure dodrincs or the chrijlian 
 
 " rci.gion; which was in his tini'' fo abominabi/ corrupted, 
 
 " that it is not furprir.injj if i<e went too far, ;;id rcfolvcd 
 
 •* to abolini what he m'-^nt thin.; ; icapable of reformation.'* 
 Saic'i Koran. Prelim. Difc. p. .^o. 
 
 L 2 part 
 
[ 148 ] 
 
 "pari of the globe, it minifters a peculiar fatisfaclion 
 to find this falfe prophet profefTing fuch a venera- 
 tion for Mofes, and the prophets, and for (;;z) Chriil 
 in particular, in acknowleging their divine miflions, 
 in founding his own upon them, and in borrowing 
 fo much contiiiualiy from the hebrew and chrillian 
 Scriptures^ and infertip.g it in the Koran, or Ma- 
 hometan Bible. 
 
 There we meet with juil and affe6ting defcrip- 
 tions of the wifdom, power, and goodnefs of the 
 Almighty Being. 
 
 There encouragement is given to have recourfe 
 to the Ahnighty in prayer ; and the frequency of 
 the praftice is injoincd. 
 
 There they are commanded to fhew kindnefs, 
 and to do good, without looking for any thing 
 again, from men. 
 
 Whilll moil pernicious, unlawful indulgencies 
 are granted to the men in the commerce between 
 the fexes ; the ftrictelt temperance in all other re- 
 fpe61s is prefcribcd. 
 
 And above all, (;?) a refurreftion to life, and 
 SI day of folemn, awful judgment, in which men's 
 
 aflions, 
 
 (/«) " We alfo cauCed Jesus the fun of Mary to follow 
 " ihc footftcps oi the prcjhets, confirming the I:iw which nvas 
 *' jcnt do^vn before him ; and we j^ave him the gofpel ccn- 
 " tainingdircAion and light ; confipming alfo tlie law which 
 " ivas gi'-vcn before it, and a direftion" and admonition unto 
 " thofe who fear God : that they who have received the 
 ** gofpel, might judge according to what God hath re- 
 " vealed therein : and whofo jiidgeth not according to what 
 *' God hath revealed, they are tranfgreflbrs." Sale's Koran, 
 p. 89. 
 
 (^) " God produceth creatures, and will hereafter reftore 
 " them to life : then Ihall ye return unto him. And on the 
 *' day whereon the hour fliall come, the wicked fhall be 
 " Ilruck dumb for defpair : and they iliall have no inter- 
 " ceffors from among the idnis, which they aflbciated with 
 ** God, and tliey [hall deny the falfe gods, which they affo- 
 
 " ciated 
 
[ '19 ] 
 
 aclions, good and evil arc to be weighed in a 
 balance, and fentcncc accordingly to happinels or 
 mifery pronounced upon tlicm ; arc ddcribcd in 
 the Itrongeft and moll awakening terms. 
 
 " ciated with him. — They who Ihall have hel'evcd, and 
 " wrought righteoufncfs, fliall take their pleafure in a de- 
 " lightful meadow: but as for thole who fliall hnve dii- 
 " believed and rcjedled our figns, and the meeting of the 
 *' next life, they fliall be delivered up to punifrtn^ent. 
 " Wherefore glorify God, when the evening overtaketh you, 
 " and when ye rile in the morning : and unto him be praife 
 " in heaven and earth ; and at fun-fet, and when ye reft ac 
 •' noon." Id. ibid. p. 332. N. B. There follow in tbii 
 chapter many fine proofs of the greatncfs, power, wifdom 
 and dominion of God, with frequent condemnation of thofe 
 who attribute conpanions unto hjm, and <7^c/fl/t' other gods, 
 and objects of worlhip with him. 
 
 " The jufi: give food unto the poor, and die orphan, 
 
 ** and the bondman, for hii fake, faying, we feed yoa for 
 •' God's fake only : we defire no recompenfe from you> nor 
 " any thanks : verily we dread from our Lort>, a diimail and 
 •* calamitous day. Wherefore God fhail deliver them froua 
 •' the evil of that day, and fliall caft on them brightnefs of 
 *' countenance and joy; and fl'iall reward thena, for t&eir 
 " patient pcrfevering, with a garden, and ftik: garmerfts ; 
 ** therein ihall they repofe themfelves on couches; thej fhall 
 " fee therein neither fun nor moon; {yiz,. as not: nt-ediB^ 
 " the light of either) and the ihades thereof fhail be n.e»r 
 *' fpreading over them, and the fruits thereof %?^\ hang low 
 
 •* fo as eafily to be gathered : and their Lord Ihall give 
 
 " them to drink of a moll pure liquor ; and fliall fay unto 
 " them. Verily this is your reward: and your endeavouj' 
 " is gratefully accepted." He then clofes with this ex- 
 hortation to himfelf for the divine good nefs to him. " Wheje- 
 " fore commemorate the name of thy Lord, in the morning, 
 '* and in the evening : and during fome part of the nighi 
 •' worfliip him, and praife him a long pait of the night.'* 
 Id. ibid. p. 475, 476. 
 
 How much to be lamented, that thefe right and affeding 
 fentimcnts of God and human duty, and chafte images of the 
 cxpedations of the righteous from him hereafter, Ibould, in 
 otuer parts, be debafed and contaminated by accommodating- 
 his doclrine to his worldly ambitious views, and the low 
 brutar pallions of himfelf and his countryraea 1 
 
 L 3 AVho 
 
Who can but rejoice, that fo many thoufands 
 and ten thoufands of God"s creatures, for many- 
 long fuccclTne generations, however deprived of 
 the purity of the gofpel-light, do neverthelefs con- 
 tinue to enjoy fo much of it, and of the means of 
 virtuous improvement for a future ftate, fo as to 
 fet them far, very far above what nature's light 
 unaflirted ever taught. 
 
 It affords alfo a moft pleafing profpeB, that the 
 high regards expreffed in the Koran for Mofes and 
 Chrift, will open an eafy door to fhew the falfe pre^ 
 tenfions of Mahomet, as a divine prophet, when 
 chriftians fhall revert to the knowlege of (0) the only 
 true God, and Father of all, and the fmiplicity of 
 his worfliip ; and when they fhall better adorn the 
 pure and perfeft moral of the gofpel by their own 
 pra6lice. And in the mean time, the continuance 
 of this falfe religion, fo jull and true in this 
 article of the Divine Unity, is a providential 
 warning to chriflians, to return to the doflrine of 
 nature, and of every revelation given by the God 
 
 (o) " O ye who have received the fcriptures, exceed not the 
 *' ju.Ji bounds in your religion, neither fay of God any other 
 " than the truth. Verily Christ Jesus, the fon of Mar y, 
 *' i- the apollle of God, and his Wurd which he conveved 
 *' unto Mary, and a fpirit proceeding from liirn. Believe 
 *' therefore in God, and his apoltles, and fay not, there are 
 " three Gods : forbear this ; it will be better for you. God 
 *' is but one God. Far be it from him that he Ihould have 
 *' a fon ! (fee p. 140, 141.) Unto him belongeth whatfo- 
 «' ever is in heaven, or on earth; and God is a fnfiicient 
 *' proteftor. Christ doth not proudly difdain to be a 
 ** feivant unto God ; neither tlie angels who approach near 
 «' to his prefence. And whofo difdaineth his fervice, and 
 «' i- puffed up v/ith pride, God will gather them all to him- 
 ** felf at the lall day." Sal^''s. Koran, p. 80, 81. ' 
 
 *' Exceed not the jujl hounds in ycur religion. '\ Either by 
 '' rejefting and contemning of Jefus, as the Jews do ; or 
 *' rarjing him to an equality with God, as do the chriflians." 
 Mr, Sale'i note. 
 
 k 9f 
 
[ '5' 1 
 
 of nature; viz. that He is hut one Per/on, one 
 linglc intelligent agent; and that no other perfon 
 is to be joined or alfociatcd with him, as God ; 
 or as an objcQ of devout religious application and 
 prayer. 
 
 We cannot but obfcrvc the change in Mr. Ro- 
 binfon's (lilc and manner, in the. few words that 
 he oppofcs to the dottrinc of the Divine I'uity, as 
 taught in the Koran. It would fecm as if he felt 
 the great difficulties of the tafl^ he had undertaken, 
 and the ground not to be quite fafe under him. 
 And it is no difcrcdit to him, nor a thing to be 
 wondered at: for I believe the difficulties will be 
 found to be inl'uperable. But let us attend to what 
 he produces. 
 
 It being univerfally allowed, that Mahomet held 
 that there is but one Cod; a thing indeed that 
 cannot be denied, for it fhines through every page 
 of the Koran; Mr. Robinfon thus remarks upon 
 it. " We anfwerthe unity of God is difcoverable 
 « by the light of nature ; it is a truth of natural 
 " religion : but the doftrine of Chrift's perfon is 
 " a truth of revelation. Of the truths of rcve- 
 ** lation, Chrift andhisapofiles fpeak. The genc- 
 •* rality of chrillians undcrftand a truth of revela- 
 *'• tion in one fcnfe. Mahomet and his followers 
 " undcrftand it in a contrary fcnfe. A high degree 
 *' of probability is againft the latter." p. 54. 
 
 It is not here denied, that Mahomet holds the 
 unity of God, but that the unity which the gene- 
 rality of chriftians hold, is the righter of the two. 
 Our author's judgrpent however will be found here 
 as much miftakcn as at other times. For it is of 
 no confcqucnce what the generality of chriftians 
 underftood concerning a truth of revelation, if it 
 may be proved, and it has been abundantly ftjcwn 
 in this inftancc, that they mijunder fiend it, by m 
 L 4 11 range 
 
C '5' ] 
 flrange unfcriptural multiplication of Deity, and 
 by their joining two other perfons, Jefus and the 
 Holy Spirit, with the fupreme Father, and call- 
 ing ihemy thefe three perlons, one God. Some 
 things Mr. Robinfon fcattcrs in different parts 
 of his workj tending to fhcw that the divine unity 
 is not broken, by his affertiiij^ jefus to be the fu- 
 prenie God. But they are of no validity. Thus, 
 p. 25. citing John x. 20. / and wy Father are 
 one; he fays, with reference to it, " According 
 ** to my fyitem, Jejus^ the Father, and the true 
 ** God, ARE ONE." But it may equally be proved, 
 ty the like argument, that Jefus, -the Father, the 
 eleven d-ifciples, and the true God, are one. For 
 Chrift prays, John xvii. 11. Holy Father, keep in 
 thy name thoje whom thou, hafi given me ; that they 
 may he one, as we are. In thepaffages of Scrip- 
 ture hitherto quoted by him, it has been fliewi], 
 and will be feen in all that remain, that he is in- 
 tirely miftaken in his deductions from them, that 
 Chrift is Jehovah, the fupreme God. For that the 
 perfon of the Father of the univerfe, by himfelf 
 alone, is God, the only true God ; and Jefus Chrift 
 is no perfon or part of the Deity, more than any 
 other creature may be faid to be, when receiving 
 a commiffion and extraordinary power from the 
 Father of all, to aQ in his name, or by his exprefs 
 dire6lion and authority, and thereby more nearly 
 as it were related to and connected with him. 
 
 Whatever efforts be ufed, it feems to me that 
 it will not be poiTible to fet afide the unity of God, 
 taught by Mahomet, withiOut condemning that which 
 Mofes taught and Jefus adopted (Deut. vi. 4. Mark 
 xii. 28, 29.) from hjm : both of whom this falfe pro- 
 phet acknowleged to have been prophets of God, 
 and in this great point cppied after them. We have 
 
 a ftrong 
 
[ 'S-3 ] 
 a (Irong proof of this, in a valuable work (p) very 
 lately publinicd, being ** A Comparilon of Ma- 
 ^* liomctifin and Chrillianity, in their hillory, their 
 " evidence, and their edctls;" -where it is very 
 confpicuous how much the learned writer is em- 
 barafled in this refpett. In one place, p. 311. 
 after having judly, and with much beauty and 
 energy remarked, that there is nothing new in the 
 fine defcriptions of the Deity and of his natural 
 and moral perfections, which affcft us fo much 
 and iiirprize us with their unufual grandeur, in the 
 Koran ; ** that it only reechoes the doClrines, and 
 •' feebly imitates the expreffions of the infpired 
 " penmen of the Old and New Teftament. Even 
 *' (proceeds he) that grand and fundamental doc- 
 " trine of the Unity of the Supreme Being, the 
 " eflablifhmcnt of which was conftantly alleged 
 ** by the impoftor as the primary caufe of his pre- 
 ** tended milTion, contains no novel or unknown 
 ** truth. It is the leading principle of the religion 
 " of nature ; and it conitituted one of the moft 
 " important and dillinguilhing parts of a former 
 " revelation. The manifeftation and prefervation 
 *^ of this momentous truth was one great end, to 
 " which the Mofaic inftitution was fubfervient." 
 — So far is diftinftly and judly defined and de- 
 livered. But here the writer ought to have ftop'd : 
 for here Mahomet took his (land, as he well might; 
 and called aloud to chriftian as well as heathen 
 idolaters, to return to and acknowlege the God 
 of nature, and the God of revelation, Jehovah, 
 fole Creator of all things, the only true God. 
 Whiat Mr. White goes on to fubjoin, as an im- 
 
 (p) Sermon": preached before the univerfity of Oxford, Sec. 
 by Jofeph Whire, B. D. fellow of Wadham College, and 
 Laudian Profcfior of Arabic. 1784. 
 
 provcment 
 
C 154 ] 
 
 prajemcnt of the doarine of the Divine Unity 
 iDade by the gofpel, is in reality one of its great 
 corruption^; being nothing cHe than heathenifh 
 addnions, brought in by learned converts from the 
 la ie phiiofophy of tne times, and grafted unhap- 
 pdy on the new religion which thev had embraced 
 And the very language in which this ingenious 
 author defcribes what he calls a clearer and fuller 
 mjcovery af the divine nature, (but in truth involv- 
 ing It in inextricable darknefs) would have been 
 rejecled by himfelf as unintelligible and unfcrip-' 
 tural It habit and religious prejudice had not ren- 
 dered It lacred and familiar to him. But let us 
 iiear his own vrords, the continuation of what is 
 €[uoted above. 
 
 „ "TTr*" r" ^"^ ^^'^^ the gofpel, though it 
 
 ^ unk)lds new fcenes to our aftoniflied view, and 
 « PJ^^^ntsus with a clearer and fuller difcovery of 
 
 the divine nature, by revealing to us the myfte- 
 
 ^ nous do6irine of the exiftencc of three Perfons 
 
 ; m the Godhead; yet it ftill maintains, and pre- 
 
 « Bei^Ta"'"''''^''''^ the Unity of the fupreme 
 
 - The^exiftcnce of Three Perfons in the Godhead T 
 Where m the Bible is this faid; or where is it to 
 be [earned ? Certainly not from Mofes or the pro- 
 phets, from Chriftorhis apoftles; but principallv 
 from that creed of an unknown author, falfely 
 akribed to Athanafius; which Archbifliop Tillot- 
 fon, a century part, zvi/hed the Church of EnH and 
 ■were well rid of- whose Reformation, one of his 
 pious and upright (n) fuccefTors, a few years ago, 
 
 R^^.i.'^'r''''^'^''.^ Ilerrnio', approbation of Dr. Clarke's 
 Ketormed Common iVa)cr Sock, in a fetter to Dr. tortin 
 Jn die year 1753. New Review by Mr. Maty, Vol. J. 
 
 ardently 
 
[ '55 ] 
 
 ardently uillied to be tarried further, and made 
 conformable! to the Scripture-model, with rcqard 
 to the unity of the firft caulb of all things, and finglc 
 objetl of v.'orflnp therein recommended. Through- 
 out the facrcd code, from the beginning to the 
 end, the one, fuprcme, almighty J^>cing, fpeaks of 
 himfelf, and is fpoken of by his prophets, and by 
 holy men his fervants, as one Jingle Perjon, as clearly 
 as I that now write this, am one fingle perfon. 
 Jefus, in mod exprefs terms, declares the Perfon of 
 the FatheVy as dillinguiflicd from himfelf, (John 
 xvii. 3.) to be the only true God. All the texts of 
 Scripture, which from the fenfe, the found, or the 
 appearance of them, Mr. Robinfon has with great 
 diligence gleaned and ranged in order, as furnifh- 
 ing evidence of Chrill's being the lupreme God, 
 have been conlidered, and (hewn not to prove 
 him to be any thing above the condition of a 
 creature. As to the Holy Spirit, fuppofed to 
 be a Third Divine Perfon, diftinft from the Fa- 
 ther : this notion is now very generally (f) aban- 
 doned by all careful unprejudiced inquirers into 
 the word of God; it being plain there, that the 
 Spirity the Spirit of Gcdy the Holy Spirit^ is either 
 the divine influence and power; or elfe, the Spirit 
 of God is God himfelf, not a perfon dillinft from 
 him; (1 Cor. ii. 11.) as the fpirit of a man is 
 the man himfelf, and not a perfon diftinfl from 
 jiim. This learned Profelfor, with many others, 
 may figure to themfelves the exijience of what he 
 calls, 1'hree Perjons in the Godhead ; may flile thefe 
 perfons by diftind proper names, God the Father, 
 Cod the Son, and God the Holy Gholl; may alfo 
 
 (/) The late pious Dr. Watts, is /aid to h.ive left out of 
 his creed this third Perfon of the Trinity : which if it be 
 fadl, for I am not converfant with hi* works, his admirer^ 
 would do well to coniidei-, 
 
 worfliip 
 
[ '56 ] 
 
 Iv'oi fliip and invoke in prayer each of thefe Pcr- 
 fons {"cparately, and imagine all the while they 
 vorfiiip but one God ; but this will have no efleft 
 upon thofe, who find no exijlence of any Perfvn as 
 Gody in the Scriptures, but the Perfon of the Al- 
 mighty Father alone ; and who feel it a thing im- 
 polhbie to be admitted, that three intelligent agents 
 are numerically one intelligent agent ; for that 
 the three divine Perfons, as chriflians commonly 
 underlland them, fpeak of them, and addrefs them 
 in prayer; are three Gods. 
 
 Near the clofe of his work, Mr. White gives 
 this juil encomium of the facred writers; that, 
 *' inltead of bewildering us in intricate and aWtratt 
 •* fpeculations upon Unity, they tell us that we are 
 *' to xoorjlnp the Lor^d our God^ and him only we are 
 '* to fcrve." But this ingenious writer did not 
 confidcr that by this citation of Ch rift's words, he 
 excludes the admiffion of any other Perfon but 
 Jehovah, the Lord our Gody from being God, or 
 worfliiped; and deftroys, what he ftiles p. 81, " the 
 '* facred and myfterious doQrine of a Trinity in 
 " Unity." For when Chrill fays of Jehovah, the 
 Lord our God ; that him only we are to ferve : he 
 himfelf, and every other perfon is thereby Ihut out 
 from all claim of adoration and worfliip ; and one 
 lingle Perfon, that of Jehovah, the Father only, 
 pronounced to be the objetl of worfhip. 
 
 Mav we not then hence conclude, that Ma- 
 homet had juft fentiments of the Unity of God; 
 and that whatever falfe and impure do6lrines be 
 adopted; yet in worfliiping and calling upon all 
 to worfhip the God of Moles, and of Chrift, he 
 was a worfliipcr of the one true God. 
 
 SEC. 
 
C ^o7 ] 
 
 SECTION X. 
 
 Whether numherkfs pajffages of Scripture have 719 
 fenfe^ or a very ahjurd one, \J Jejus Chrijl be a 
 mere man. 
 
 TH E next head of our author's work, is thus 
 exprefiTcd. ** Covjidcr what numberh/s paf- 
 ** [ages of Scripture have no fenje^ or a very ahjurd 
 " one, if J'fui Chrijl be a mere man." He then 
 thus proceeds to give a few iiiftances. 
 
 " Jefui Chrijl vcai {jj) made oj the feed of Davii 
 *' according to the jle/h. Rom. i. 3. What a Grange 
 *' exprelFion ! It mi^rht as well be faid, Pavd teas 
 ** made oJ the fed oJ Benjamin according to the fief i, 
 " What would fueh a faying mean ?" 
 
 Our author is very unlucky at his firfl fetting; 
 out; hncc the very pa(f;ige he produces, is a direct 
 affertion of the apolile's, that Jefus Chrift was a 
 mortal man. for that is intended by the phrafe, 
 " being made of tlie feed of David according to tJie 
 " jlejh." This will ai)pcar from attending to the 
 
 [q) made of the feed of David] It fhould be born, not 
 made : as it ought alfo to be rendered, Gal. iv. 4. 6orn of a 
 woman, &c. Grotius well fays, carpit exijfere; he then began 
 to exift, having had no exiilence before : for that is the mean- 
 ing of ^m;^ ^c/v/. And when chrilHans are at liberty from 
 ancient inveterate prejudice to make ufe of their underiland- 
 ings, and interpret the Scripture-language when applied to 
 Chrirt, as they do when applied to themfelves, and according 
 to the fame rules of found fenfe and juft criticifm, by which 
 they invcftigate the meaning of words in other ancient writ- 
 ings, they will come to abetter agreement on thefe points. 
 Raphelius has a good note here upon the groundlefs fancy of 
 fome of the fathers, and others fince maintaining, that it 
 ought to be read made and not boni, to fignify that Chrift 
 was not born after the ordinary manner of men ; which he 
 well obferves, if it were not ^Ifcwheic declared, could never 
 hiivc been proved hence. 
 
[ 158 ] 
 
 meaning of it in other parts of the facred writings, 
 cfpecially thofe of Paul. 
 
 AQs ii. 30. That of the fruit of his loinsy ac- 
 cording to the i^efh (^), he would raife up Chriji ; 
 i. e. of the fruit of his mortal body ; one of his 
 lineal defcendants. 
 
 Rom. ix. 4. My kin/men according to the fleJJo ; 
 i. e. in this mortal ftate. 
 
 5. Of whom ^ as concerning the flefii, 
 
 rather, according to the flefh, to xe-ra coc^y.ay Chrifl 
 came : i. e. from whom Chriit, in his mortal ftate, 
 defcended. 
 
 2 Cor. V. 16. Wherefore henceforth kno'o-j we 710 
 man after (xara <TO!.py.u^ according to) the flefh : 
 yea^ though ive have knozvn ChriJI after the flefh, 
 yet now henceforth know we him no more. i. e. 
 Being now wholly devoted to Chrift in the fervice 
 of the gofpel, he would know no man after the flefh ^ 
 i, e. would not Le fwayed by any mortal connec- 
 tions : nay, had he known Chrift in his mortal 
 ftate, or been of his near kindred, he would not 
 value himfelf for it : as it was not a thing that 
 Chrift regarded at all, or eftimated characters by 
 it. 
 
 Eph. vi. 5. Col. iii. 22. Servants ^ be obedient 
 to your majlers according to the flefh : i. e. your 
 inafters in this mortal ftate. 
 
 Heb. V. 7. IVho (i. e. Chrift) in the days of his 
 flefh, (i. e. in the time of his mortal life) when 
 
 {s) Flejh fignifies man as mortal. Ifaiah xl. 5, 6. Afts ii. 
 17. Rom. iii. 20. Gal. ii. 16. But though v.Kra, <7-apa, 
 according to the fleni, generally fignifies man as in this mor- 
 tal ftst.?; it fome-.imes is ufed for earthly privileges, worldly 
 appearances, John viii. 15. 2 Coi, x. 18: at other times, 
 the following carnal appetites, Rom. iii. 4, 5,6. &c. 2 Cor. 
 X. 3 : both of them by an eafy derivation from the original 
 meaning of the word. 
 
 he 
 
C 159 ] 
 
 he had offered up prayers atid JuppVications^ with 
 Jlrong crying and tears (alluding to his agony in the 
 garden) was heardy i. c. liad afTiIlnncc granted 
 him. 
 
 The true fcnfc tlicn of this pairagc, whatever 
 our author would fix upon it, is; that Chriil was 
 a mere man, a mortal creature. And there would 
 have been nothing abfurd, ifourapoHie, in /"peak- 
 ing of himfclf, had adopted the fame language 
 which he ufcs concerning his divine mafter ; that 
 he (Patiiy was made or hrn of the feed of Bcfija- 
 7nin according to the flefJj. And the aniwer to a 
 qucllion put here, " what would fuch a faying 
 mean ?" is ; it means and dcnionftrates, that in 
 the account and eftimate of Paul, jefus Chrift was 
 a (/) human creature as well as himfelf. 
 
 But then, left any fhould go away with the no- 
 tion, that by his being a mortal, or mere man, as 
 our author words it, was to be underftood, that 
 he was in no refpeQ above the ordinary rate of 
 men ; the apoftle, it well deferves to be obferved, 
 goes on to add ; that he was alfo, ver. 4. declared 
 (or dcmonflratcd) to be the Sen of God (j. e. (u) the 
 Chrift, the MclTiah) with power according to the 
 fpirit of holinejs (or the holy fpirit), by the rejur- 
 re^ion from the dead. 
 
 What now docs Paul tell thcfe chriftians at 
 Rome, to whom he is writing, in thefe four firit 
 
 (/) It is the (lile in which our Lord fpealcs of himfclf, in 
 hib prefent exalted llate in heaven ; I am Je/us of Nazarethy 
 Ads xxii. 8 : as though he had faid ; I am he ivho nx-as once a 
 mortal man. 
 
 (i<) The Son of God was a phrafc in common ufe among the 
 Jews, like the fon of David, to fignify their great cxpedlcd 
 prophet, the Mefliah, the ChriliV""'^^«4iiiis is acknowleged by 
 writers cthcrwife of viillcrent fcntimcnts concerning our Lord's 
 perfon. 
 
 vcrfes. 
 
C 160 ] 
 
 verfes of his letter to them ? He fays then, in 
 other words; " That being a fervant of jefus 
 Chrift, and having had a divine extraordinary call 
 to preach the gofpel, and an appointment to be 
 the apoftlc of the gentiles, he took the opportunity 
 of fpeaking to them concerning Jefus Chrift, their 
 common lord and mafter : who, a few years be- 
 fore only had been brought into life, a mortal 
 man, of David's family, as had been foretold by 
 their Hebrew prophets. But that he was to be 
 regarded in a much higher light by them ; as hav- 
 ing been, in a moft exprefs manner, ooicr'hvTogy 
 mofi decifively declared to be the Son of God, the 
 Meifiah, their great promifed prophet, zvitb power 
 according to the holy Jpirity i. e. the atteftaiions of 
 a divine moft extraordinary power, manifefted at 
 liis baptifm, which acccompanied him during his 
 public miniitry, and was moft particularly exerted 
 in his refurretlion from the dead, which wiped 
 away all the ignominy of his laft fufi'erings and 
 death. 
 
 I have not dwelled fo much on this paft'age for 
 the fake of obviating our author's trivial conclu- 
 fious from it ; but becaufe it exhibits a clear ac- 
 count of the perfon and true charaBtr of Jefus 
 Chrift, as they appeared to the apoftle. 
 
 His next inftance is thus put : Great is the myftery 
 cf godlinefsy " God was 7nanifefi in the flejh, 1 Tim. 
 *' iii. 16. According to the principle which we 
 " oppofe, St. Paul lays. Great is the myftery of 
 " godlinefs : What ? God made a very wife man. 
 " A great myftery indeed !" 
 
 It has been feen above, p. 13, 14. how this^ 
 paffage of the apoftle is to be read, and under- 
 llood ; and that he is far from intending therein 
 to defcribe Jefus Chrift as any other than a hu- 
 man being, highly favoured of almighty God. 
 
 The 
 
f 161 ] 
 
 The apoflie mofl probably wrote ; (re) which 
 "uJiis manifejl in the flejh : but if tlie rending be ; 
 God ZV.TS inanifejl w the flejh ; and it be interpret- 
 ed, as it then mult be, of the ahnioluy Being 
 making kno\^n himfclf to mankind, by inverting 
 u 7nortal man, Jefus of Nazareth, with extraordi- 
 nary gifts of wifdom and power, to declare his 
 will and goodnefs, and to bring the whole human 
 fpecies to virtue and an immortal exiftencc : 1 do 
 not fee any thing herein to be undervalued, or 
 that is unequal to the grandeur of the preface, 
 with which it is introduced ; vix. Great is the 
 myjlery of godlinejs. For it contains all that is 
 molt glorious and fublime, and worthy the moft 
 perfett Being ; and is not to be difparaged by our 
 author's diminutive account of it : God made a 
 very wife 7nan. 
 
 He proceeds. " He that hath feen me^ hath 
 ^^ Jeen the Father. John xiv. 19. That is, He, 
 " that hath feen me, hath heard my doBrine." 
 
 It is difficult to difcover, why this paflage is in- 
 troduced by our author, unlefs he would have it 
 inferred from the literal conftru6lion of it, that 
 Chrift is the fupreme Father of all, or a perfon 
 equal to him. But it m.ight in the fame way be 
 
 (cv) Dr. Mill remarks, that none of the catholic fathers, 
 that he knew of, who profefledly collcfted all the texts of 
 Scripture in proof of Chri it's divinity, ever alleged thii text, 
 before the year 380 ; Gregory Kyjfen firil of all, &c. And 
 Dr. Clarke notes : " It muft not be judged from \.\\c prejhtt 
 '• copies of the text in Nyjfen and others, but from the 
 " manner of their commenting upon the place, how the text 
 ** was read in their days. In the days oijulum, when that 
 " emperor alferted, that neither Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
 " nor Paul, ever ventured to ftile Chrift, God ; it is plain, 
 " from Cyril's anfwer to this afTertion of Julian, that even 
 *' at that time, the word, 0.o<, God, was not found in this 
 " text," Script. Dodr. p. 89. 
 
 M proved. 
 
[ l62 ] 
 
 proved, not only that Chrifl, but that his apoflles, 
 were equal to the Father ; from Chrift faying to 
 theiTij Matth. x. 40. He that receiveth yoUy receiv- 
 eth me^ and he that receiveth me^ receiveth him that 
 Jent me. 
 
 The true ftate of the cafe is ; x\\zx. feeing the Fa- 
 ther here, the fame with knowing himy ver. 7. fig- 
 nifies, the being acquainted with his will and gra- 
 cious defigns in the gofpel. We find the pafikge 
 thus expounded John i. 18. No 7nan hathjeen God 
 at any time ; the beloved SoHj who is in the bo/om 
 cf the Father, he hath declared, or rather hath 
 made him kfiown ; i. e. " No other perfon hath 
 ever been admitted to the knowlege of the de- 
 figns of God for the falvation of mankind, but the 
 well-beloved fon, who is in his bojom, i. e. is in- 
 timately intruflcd by him." As this then is the true 
 meaning of the language here ufed ; it by no means 
 fuits our author's particular fyftem, or comes up to 
 the high notions of Chriit being the fupreme God, 
 into which it has led him. 
 
 Our author then adds, ; " O Father, glorify thou 
 *' me zvith thine ownjelf, with the glory which I had 
 '^ with thee before the world was. John xvii. 5. 
 " According to the notion which we oppofe, our 
 " Saviour means ; glorify me with the glory which 
 " was decreed for me before the world was. As 
 "well might Paul have faid, when he was fliip- 
 ** wrecked ; fave us on boards and on broken 
 " pieces of the fhip, with that fafcty which we had 
 " with thee before the world was." 
 
 Whoever confiders our Saviour's fituation at 
 tlie time of his offering this prayer to Almighty 
 God, and what he afterwards mentions concerning 
 this glory that he here prays for, viz. that he had 
 promifed it to his difciples, and that they were to 
 ■fhare with him in it ; will find, that it was not any 
 
 dignity. 
 
C .63 ] 
 dignity, preeminence, or fclicit)'', which he had 
 pofl'effed in a fuppofcd former Hate, and to which 
 lie dcfircd to be rcltorcd ; but that what he be- 
 fought of God, was the lliccefs of the gofpel, in 
 promoting the virtue and happinefs of mankind; 
 which lay near his heart, and would now naturally 
 be the (ubjetl of his prayer; of which he had 
 been the prime inltrumcnt, and was foon to refign 
 his office to his difciples. And he fpeaks of it 
 with plcafure and confidence, as a thing which he 
 had with I he Father before the ivorld -was, i. e. 
 had dcfigned for him : becaufc there had been 
 various prophecies given by the Almighty con- 
 cerning it, from which he was as fully affured of 
 it, as if it were aftually in his polTcITion It is 
 the very language which is ufed concerning him, 
 when it is faid, that he was (Rev. xiii. 8.) the 
 lamb Jlain before the foundation of the world—* 
 that is, fo defigned to be by that Being, knowa 
 unto whom are all his works from the beginning : 
 though his violent death atlually took place, not 
 1800 years fince. It is the very language which 
 lie himfcif ules in this prayer concerning his dif- 
 ciples, where he fays, ver. 22. And the glory which 
 thou haji given me^ I have given them. Where, 
 let it be obferved, how God had given it him ; 
 wqx. actually btftowed it; for then he would not 
 have prayed for it, as it would have been a vain 
 tiling, to have afl^ed for what he had already, and 
 did not want : but God \\a^\ given it him by promife ; 
 had foreordained that he fhould enjoy it. And in 
 the fame way, by permifTion and warrant from Al- 
 mighty (}od, he had given it to his faithful fol- 
 lowers; i.e. had promifed them the aBual pof- 
 feflion of fuch high glory, honour and happinefs, 
 to be fuccelkful indruments in forwarduig the final 
 falvation of men. 
 
 M 2 Tb© 
 
[ 164 ] 
 
 The cafe of Paul therefore put by our author, 
 by way of ridicule of what he underflood not, is 
 too trifling to be noticed : Only it may be ob- 
 lerved, that if Paul's prefervation from fliipwreck, 
 had been of importance enough to have been fore- 
 told by Almighty God, it might have been faid of 
 him ; that he had been Javed with a Jafety, which 
 he had with God before the world was. 
 . The laft inftance to be mentioned, wherein our 
 author charges the Scripture with having no fenfe , 
 or a very abfurd one, if Jefus Chrift be a mere 
 man, and not the fupreme God, is thus Rated. 
 '^ J^J^^ Chrift^ being in the form of God^ thought 
 " it not robbery to be equal with God. Pl)il. ii. 6. 
 " That is, fay fome ; Jefus, not being God, thought 
 " not of the robbery of being equal with God. 
 " Glorious humility ! A creature did not think of 
 ^* ranking himfelf with the creator ! The humblelt 
 " effort of the wifefl human mind, was only not to 
 ** equal itfeif with Jehovah !" 
 
 It hath been intimated above, that there is a 
 degree of negligence in our author far from being 
 commendable, in recurring fo often to our faulty 
 englifn tranflation of this verfe, which fo much 
 milr-cprefents the apoftle's meaning. For in ex- 
 horting jthe chriftians of Philippi, to imitate the 
 humility of Chrift Jefus, he does not fay, that 
 being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery 
 to be equal with God ; but [x] that be did not eagerly 
 
 coTet 
 
 . (;*•) Tlvece is a fine pafTage, in a letter from the churches 
 of Lyons and Vienne in France, vvrif.en foon after the year 
 177, concerning their brethren who underwent the moft cruel 
 tortures for the gofpel :it that time ; which (hews that they un- 
 derflood the apoille's words in the fcnfc we have given thejn, 
 pufebius, who has preferved thefe valuable remains, prefaces 
 them with faying ; '* It may be worth the while to «he fomc- 
 
 •♦ vvhat- 
 
[ '65 ] 
 
 co'vet to he like to God, i. e. to make an oftcntatious 
 ufe of thofc divine powers with which he was in- 
 dued. In this wa)' of conltrufction, all our aU' 
 thor's remarks are loft. Creature as the bleHed 
 jefus was, of the human race, it was a glorious 
 humility in him, in the ufe of fuch a godlike 
 power as he was intruftcd with, not to be elated 
 by that which above all other things is the moft 
 dangerous fnare to the human mind ; to be car- 
 ried out by it to fcek his own cafe, or honour 
 from men : but in the midft of the moft unwearied 
 labours, and exertions to do them the greateft 
 ads of kindncls, in rcfpe6t of their prefent and 
 future life, to fhun the praifc of it, and to be 
 the more humbled thereby before God; generally 
 injoining them to pay their thanks to him, for 
 thofc ftupendous aCls of divine goodncfs which him- 
 felf did for them ; and often taking occafion to dif- 
 
 " what mere from that Epiftle, wherein the meeknefs and 
 •• humanity of the forementioned martyrs is defcribed in 
 " ihefe words. • Who alfj were fo far followers and imita- 
 " tors of Chrift, •■who being in the form of God did not eagerly 
 " co-vct to be, or to appear like God : that though they were 
 <' in fo great glory, having fufFcred as martyrs, not once 
 ** only, or twice, but ofter. : although they had been toflcd 
 " by wild bealb, and then comniiited again to prifon : al- 
 ** though they had thi- marks of liie, and fears and wounds 
 " all o\er th^-m : they did not declare ciiemfclvcs to be mar- 
 " tyrs, nor allow us to call them by that name. But if at 
 " any time any one of us, eitiier in a letter, or in difcourfe, 
 " termed them martyrs, they reproved us Iharpl/. But 
 " they readiiy afcribed the honour of martyrdom to Chrifl, 
 " the faithful and true ivitnef, and the f.rjl-hegitten from thf 
 " dead, and the prince of the life of God." See Lardncr's 
 Teltimonies, Vol. ii. p. 209, 210. It is well obferved, that 
 the parallel here drawn between Chr ft and thefe martyrs, 
 fhew.> undeniably in what fcnfc the phrafc in St. Paul to the 
 Philippians was underflood : and that ih -y knew how to dif- 
 tingui/h between God and his moft faithful witnefs, and 
 ciartyr, Jefus. 
 
 M 3 claim 
 
[ i66 ] 
 
 claim all merit in himfelf, and to afcribe every 
 thing to the Father ; i. e. to the God that made 
 him, and gave him all his powers. 
 
 After this, our author produces Rev. v. 13. but 
 it \vill be better to cite the whole paffage to which 
 it belongs, vcr. 11, 12, 13. And I beheld, and 
 beard the voice of many angels round about the throne, 
 and the li-ving creatures y ayid the elders ; and the 
 number of them was ten thovjand times ten thoujandy 
 and thoufands of thoufands ; faying with a loud 
 'voice: Worthy is the lamb that was flain, to receive 
 power J and riches, and wfdom^ and frength, and 
 honour y and glory, and bleffmg. And every crea- 
 ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, and un- 
 der the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all 
 that are in the?n, heard I, faying; blcjfing^ and 
 honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that 
 iitteth upon the throne, and to the lamb for ever 
 and ever. 
 
 This paffage is introduced, to fhew that Mr. 
 Lindfey in his Apology argues inconclufively ; 
 where he would (hew, that the worfliip in this 
 vrifionary reprefentation afcribcd to Chrift, was 
 fuch as belonged to a creature, and not to God. 
 With this charge we have nothing to do. But it 
 may be obferved, that this afcription of honour 
 to Chrift in the fame terms as to God, no more 
 implies that Chrift is God, and the obje6l of reli- 
 gious worlhip, than the worfliip fpoken of in limi- 
 lar terms, as paid by the Ifraelites to David (1 Chron. 
 xxjx. 20.) and Jehovah, implied David to be 
 Jehovah, God of Ifrael. In both cafes the degree 
 of honou ror worfliip appropriate to each, was ten- 
 dered ; to David, what was due to a king fet over 
 them by Almighty God ; to Chrift, what was due 
 to the lamb. flain, as he is cxprcfsly ftiled ; i. e. to 
 ^ mortal creature, highly exalted for his glorious 
 
 fuffe rings 
 
C 167 ] 
 
 fufFerings in the caulc of truth and virtue, and of 
 God. 
 
 The reader mud judge, whether Mr. Lindfey 
 is miltaken in what is farther alleged by our au- 
 thor ; or whether he be not deceived himfclf, in 
 taking advantage of the ambiguous meaning of the 
 term worjhip : which, both in Scripture, and in 
 common difcourfe, is indifferently applied to the 
 refpett paid to creatures, as well as the fupremc 
 Being ; and ther%;fore it cannot be concluded that 
 authors mean the worfhip appropriated to God, 
 when they fpeak of paying worlhip to Chrill ; al- 
 though it would become them to be more guarded 
 in their ulc of fuch terms; and Mr. Lindfey is 
 liot fuHicicntly fo, in calling Stephen's requeit to 
 Chrift, a -prayeVy (though it be a word f(jmetinies 
 ufcd of petitions which mortals make to each 
 other ;} of which our author f\nls not to avail him- 
 felf. p. 78. 
 
 It would be wrong perhaps to pafs by unnoticed 
 an extraordinary concluhon, which our author 
 makes foon after, p. 59, from the narrative of St. 
 Paul's converfion, in Ihe A^s. 
 
 In the firil account of it, given by the facred 
 hiftorian j Ananias, who was the inltrument em- 
 ployed, fays J (Ads ix. 17.) Brother Saul, the 
 Lord, (even Jefus that appeared unto thee in the 
 way as thou earned,) hath Jen t me, that then mayeji 
 receive thy fight, and Refilled with the holyjpint. But 
 St. Paul, in his own recital, Atts xxii. y \. relates, 
 that Ananias faid ; The God df our fathers hath 
 chojen thee, that thou jhouldefi know his will, and 
 Jee that jujl one, and Jhouldefi hear the voice of his 
 mouth. And from Jefus being faid in one place 
 to have commiffioned Ananias, and the God of 
 their father* in another, our a4thor fays, that 
 M \ Ananias 
 
[ »68 1 
 
 ■Jnanias declares Jefiis to be the God of their fa- 
 thers. 
 
 But Mr. Robinfon did not enough confider, what 
 we have often had occafion to remind him of, that no- 
 thing is more common than to fay ; that what a per- 
 fon orders to be cione by another, he does himfelf. 
 So the prophet faid to David, 2 Sam. xii. 9. Thou hafl 
 killed Uriah the Hit tit e wifh the /word. And Paul 
 here might fay, that Ananias had his conimiffion 
 from the God of their fathers to appoint himfelf to 
 the ofiice of preaching the gofpel, very confidently 
 with Ananias having faid that Jefus Chriil had fent 
 him to do it; becaufe Chrift always atling under 
 ordei-s from God, whatever he did, Almighty 
 God might very properly be faid to do alfo. For 
 it is too notorious to give any formal proof of it ; 
 that in his higheft chaiafter, as the Meffiah, as a 
 divine extraordinary prophet and meffenger, the 
 blelled Jefus never afllmned any thing to himfelf, 
 ■but uniformly declared that he was the meffenger of 
 the Father,/^;?/ by him ; ihat he delivered nothing 
 but what he had heard of ^n&feen with him ; i. e. 
 bad been taught by him. Even after his refurrec- 
 tnon, fpeaking to his difciples of the extraordinary 
 fupport that would be vouchfafed to them in preach- 
 ing the gofpel throughout the world, he tells them, 
 j4ll power is given unto me in heaven and in 
 eaith ; i. e. that the divine extraordinary affiilance 
 would be fupplied, as it was wanted by his difci- 
 ples, in their great work, from the heavenly Fa- 
 ther, and Giver (^ all things to himfelf and to all. 
 And the preface to the lad book of the chriltian 
 Scriptures, opens thus, " The Revelation of Jefus 
 Chrijii which God gave unto him^ to fliew unto 
 his fervant things which mull fliordy come to pafs." 
 Which declaration being made at the beginning, 
 it neccfl'arily follows, that whatever authority 
 
 Chrift 
 
C '69 ] 
 
 Chrift afTumcs afterward; whatever knowlege he 
 lays claim to ; he mud be confidcred as having re- 
 ceived it from Almighty God, and holding it under 
 him. And therefore when he fays, Rev. ii. 23. J am 
 he which fearchetk the reins and henrls : arid I will give 
 to every one of you according to his work;, : he only 
 Ipeaks of that high difcernment and ability, which 
 God had bellowed upon him, upon that occafion. 
 
 After a brief recapitulation of the former part 
 of his work, a iample whereof hath been ex- 
 hibited above p. 79, our author fpends the next 
 ten pages, in conhdering their opinion, who hold 
 Chrift, before he was born at Bethlehem, to have 
 been a created, fubordinatc fpirit, by whom God 
 made the world. We have nothing to fay to this 
 dottrine ; but would remark this only : that our 
 Saviour Chrift himfelf feems to have been totally 
 ignorant of it, as well as of his having been the 
 fupreme God, as our author would have him to be; 
 never requiring any regards to be paid to him oii 
 fuch accounts, or grounding any obligation upon 
 any thing that he was before he was born : which 
 plainly (peaks as if he himfelf was not confcious of 
 having lived in any former ftate. 
 
 We are next prefented with a Primitive chrif- 
 tiaUy railed up for the purpole, to be catechized 
 upon the great point of jefus Chrift being the fu- 
 preme God. One would unqucJtionably be glad 
 to hear the genuine fentiments of a difciple of the 
 apoltles, diredly and exprcfsly, upon a matter of 
 fuch importance. But unfortunately here, as be- 
 fore when he exhibited John the Baptift, it is 
 none other than our author himfelf under a mafk, 
 who perfonates a primitive chriftian, the better to 
 enforce his own peculiar notions; for he is very 
 fertile in fuch ingenious devices to allure his 
 readers. One or two fpccimens of his method 
 
 of 
 
[ ^7^ J 
 
 of catechizing, ^^'ill fatisfy any one, that this is the 
 real fa 8:. 
 
 « Q.. Who is Jefus Chria ? A. Je/us Chriji is a 
 <* man. i Tim. ii . 5. Jefus Chriji is God. John i. 1 ." 
 
 One wonders how anyone can be foprefuming, 
 as to put his own words inftead of the apoltle's, 
 and cite them as the apoftle's(_>'). The apoitie 
 fays. The Word ivns God; and though it is Mr. 
 Robinfon's private opinion, that the term TVord 
 fignifies Jefus Chriil, he fliould not have fubftituted 
 a different term from the apoftle's to countenance 
 bis own notions, and put, Chrijt is Gcd, indead of 
 27.?^ IVord was God. The proportion however is 
 jntirely his own. For we have feen above that the 
 genuine words and right conftru8:ion of them, do 
 not favour any fuch extravagant hypothelis. A true 
 primitive chriftian w^ould have replied to him ; Jeji'.s 
 Chriji was a ma7i, and not God ; and would perhaps 
 have quoted that affertion of Paul's ; To us, there is 
 hut o^E Gody the Father, i Cor. viii. 6. Eph. iv. 6, 
 
 " Q. Do chriftians worfhip Jefus Chrift ? A. 
 ** We do not worihip the man Jefus : but we do 
 ** worfhip the God who dwells in the man ; for in 
 " him dwells all the fulnejs oj the godhead bodily. 
 *' Col. ii. 9- and through him we have accejs by 
 " onejprit unto the Father. Eph. ii. 18." 
 
 A primitive chrillian would not have underftood 
 or endured thefe metaphyfical fubtikies, and divi- 
 fion of Chrift into two parts, one of which was to 
 be worfliiped, and the other not : but would have 
 anfwered dow^nright ; " We worfhip not Jefu^ 
 Chrift, nor any part of him, but the Loud our 
 
 (j) What impenetrable confufion fhould we have had in 
 the facred writings, if thofe who tranfcribed, or quoted from 
 them in ancient times, had been as bold, or as carelefs and 
 negligent as our author J 
 
 • Co4 
 
L 'z- ] 
 
 God only ;" and would moreover have added, that 
 the pallagc cited by St. Paul, Col. ii. 9. was nothing 
 to the purpole : as we l'Uo have fhewn above, p. 
 
 44, 45 
 
 Our author proceeds with his catechumen. 
 ** Q. Do chriltians think the Father is the godiiead 
 of Jefus Chriil ?" lanjwer here; A primitive chrif- 
 tian would have been in much aftonifhnient at fuch 
 a rtrange unintelligible quclHon ; and Hill more, if 
 podible, at fuch a mifconftruction and mifrepre- 
 ientation of St. Paul's words, which our author 
 hefitates not to put in his mouth, viz. " A. No. 
 ** Wc think Jefus beitigin the form of Gcdy thought 
 ** it not rchhcry to he equal "jjith God. Phil. ii. ^,6." 
 Here again, thisgencrallyacknowleged falfe render- 
 ing of the apoltle's words is brought in, to place the 
 humble Jefus (for his humility is the very point 
 the apollle is proving,) upon an equality with the 
 fupreme God, and Father of all. 
 
 The fuppofed catcchifm goes on ; " O. Do not 
 *' chriftians then worfhip two Gods ?" A. We ab- 
 " hor the thought. We Hiy with the Jews; The 
 ** Lord our God is one Lord ; for there is one God, 
 " and thdreis none other hut he. Mark xii. 29. 32." 
 
 A primitive chrilHan would certainly have made 
 fuch an anfwcr ; but it is not eafy to difcovcr with 
 what truth and confiftency Mr. Robinfon can do 
 it, who is continually declaring, p. 5. ♦< I affirm, 
 *' b»caufe 1 believe, that Jefus Chrift is truly 
 " AND PROPE LY Gop. P. 9. Tlip writcrs of thc 
 ** New Teftament meant to inform their readers, 
 " that Jesus Christ is truly and properly 
 ** God." In another place, p. 43. through ig- 
 norance of the prophetic language concerning 
 Chrid and the gofpel, as has been fhewn above, 
 he fcruples not to introduce John the Baptift fay- 
 ing; " If there be therefore an^ fixed meaning iii 
 
 ♦* words. 
 
E «7^ 1 
 " words, sny credit to be given to Jefus, Jesus 
 
 " IS JEFJOVAH, THE GoD OF IsRAKL." Bllt JefuS, 
 
 in his own words, in his prayer to the Father, for 
 himfelf and his followers, moil exprefsly defcribcs 
 that benevolent Parent of himfelf and of all beings, 
 to be the only true God; John xvii. 1.3. O Fa- 
 ther ! — this is life eternal, to know thee, the 
 ONLY TRUE GoD, and Jefus Chrifi whom thou 
 hafl Jent\ or, r,ie, to he thy mejfenger and ferijant ! 
 Now fmce Jefus thus declares his Father, and the 
 Father of all mankind, to be the only true God; 
 and our author, eontrary to this declaration, will 
 make Jefus himfelf to be truly and properly God, 
 to be Jehovahy God of Ifraelj who can abfolve him 
 from the miftake of introducing two Gods ? He 
 may fatisfy himfelf, as I doubt not but he does, 
 and perplex and perfuade others by words without 
 •meaning, which we find him making ufe of in one 
 place, p. 5. " that God is one undivided edence ; 
 *' that the three pcrfons in the deity may be dif- 
 " tinguiihed, but cannot be divided;" and the 
 like. But thofe who will not renounce the ufe of 
 their own underflandings {ot Jchool-moonfoine, as 
 one well terms thefe metaphylical diftintiions in 
 the Deity; and who will allow themfelves to follow 
 the fird, the plained, and moft incontrovertible 
 principles of common lenfe and common arith- 
 metic, will acknowlege ; that one^ and one, make 
 two ; that one God, the Father, and another God^ 
 ]efus Ghrift, do certainly count two Gods. 
 
 Senfible, I will not fay, of his own felf-contra- 
 dic^ion, but of the inexplicable difficulties under 
 which his do8rinc laboured, our author takes 
 refuge in one of the methods (2) v;hich ingenious 
 
 chriftians 
 
 (z) The other method of reconciling contradidions, and 
 froving Chrift to be the fuprcme Gud^ in fpite of his own. 
 
 fofitive 
 
[ '73 1 
 
 chriHians have invented, of filencing all doubts 
 and reconciling contradictions of Jci'us Chrift being 
 God, and the Father alio being God, and yet that 
 they arc but one God ; namely, that it is a niyjlcry, 
 i. e. a lecret, which is the meaning of the word 
 myjicry ; a thing hidden from mortals, not to be 
 penetrated into by any created underllanding, but 
 rcferved by the Almighty forhimlelf. Wc readily 
 allow, who can be ignorant ? that there are myfte- 
 ries, things unfcarchable by us, relating to the 
 Deity, his nature, pcrfc£lions, and adminiRration 
 of the great univerfe, and of this fmall fpot of 
 
 5<>riuvc and percmj^ory declarations to the contrary, is, by 
 giving him two natures, and making him confift as it were 
 Of two pcrfons: fo that if at iiny time he fays, as he docs 
 fay, that he was a creature of liii.ited faculties; that com- 
 prehennve as the evtraordinary Icnowlege was, which God 
 had given him to fit him for his great orfice, yet there were 
 fome things that he was not intrufted with, and of which he 
 was ignorant, Mark xiii. 32. Ads i. -. it is llraightway re- 
 plied, that thefe degrading creaturc-Hke things arc fpokcn 
 hy him of his human, not of his divine nature : fo tha: 
 tliough he fays he d'xl tiot kno-xv the day of judgment, ihey will 
 contra J iift him, and tell him he did know it; not enough 
 confakring, that by fuch comments of their own; they mak-i 
 him who was the truth itfrrlf, a diff mbler, and ihut out all 
 light concerning his real pei fjn and true charac^tcr, from enter- 
 ing into their mindi. 
 
 Did wc not know the power of prejudice on perfoni of the 
 belt undcrllandings, we fhould not be able to conceive it 
 poffible that a very late and jullly admired author fliould 
 attempt to build this doctrine of two natures in Chrift, on fo 
 very wtak a foundation, as the following e.xtrad exhibits. 
 *' The myllerious union of the divine and human natures in 
 *' the pcrfon of Chrift, was plainly (hadowcd out, and might 
 *' have been fairly inferred from thefe very prophecies ; which. 
 " now patheticaJly predicted the meanncf*;, the fufFerings, 
 " and tiic ignominious de.-.tli of tlie Mclliah ; and now with 
 " all the wainuh and boldnefs of eallern poetry, painted 
 " the t'-rnporal grandeur, the vidlories, and the eternity of 
 '• hii kingdom." White'; Bampton-Let^turc Sermons, p. 
 log. 
 
 A, cur's. 
 
C '74 ] 
 
 our'.s a part of it. But our concern and inquiry 
 here, is, not about the fecrets of the divine nature 
 and providence, but about thofe things which God 
 has condefcended to reveal to us concerning him- 
 felf by his prophets, and particularly by Jefus 
 Chrift. And we do not find them fuggefting, that 
 there is any thing difficult or myflerious in the 
 divine unity. But they appear to conhder, and 
 we are left by them to confider, God as one per- 
 fon, as we, each of us, confider ourfelves [a] as one 
 perfon ; and they give us not the lea:l ground to 
 fuppofe God to confirt: of two, three, or more per- 
 fons, any more than we are to confider ourfelves 
 as made up of two or more perfons. This fimple 
 idea of God, that he is one fingle perfon, literally 
 pervades every page of the facred volumes ; and 
 there is no myliery that is told us to be in it, or 
 that is to be found in it. Our author however, 
 after having receded fo far from the true Scripture^ 
 doftrine concerning ,God and Chrift, might well 
 proceed to put the following queftion to his pri- 
 mitive christian. 
 
 Q. Is not this a little myfterious ? 
 
 A. The acknowlegefnent of the deity ^ both of the 
 Father, and of Chrift j is a myftery^ in which are 
 treafures of inifdom and knowlege. 
 
 I would not be uncandid : but I cannot but 
 fay, that no books will bear to be fo treated, as our 
 author here and elfewhere treats the Scriptures : 
 their meaning will be mifreprefented, and error be 
 everlafting. Carelefs readers, of which the num- 
 ber is too great, will pafs all over, without con- 
 fulting the original, while multitudes are unable 
 
 [a) " How can we form any notion of the unity of the 
 *• Supreme Being, but from that unity of which we our- 
 " felves are confcious." Memoirs of the Life and Writings 
 of Mr. Gray, p. 2C6. 
 
 to 
 
[ TJ ] 
 
 to confult it, and will all of" them implicitly believe, 
 what fuch tareiels writers as Mr. Robinlbn, impofe 
 upon them as the truth. For where, in the origi- 
 nal Greek, docs he hnd the word, deity, mentioned, 
 which he here foilts in ? and marks with the fame 
 Italic characters as the rell which are really the 
 apofllc's ; and thereby deceives the reader, as if 
 Paul fpoke of the cUity of Chrift as well as of that 
 of the Father; for which there is not any the leall 
 ground whacfoever. 
 
 The true (tate of the matter is this. The apoftlc 
 is here {b) mentioning his earned dcfircs and en- 
 deavours, that the gentile chriftians of Coloffe and 
 Laodicea, might be firmly united in mutual love, 
 and in the purf'uit of the truth he preached, fo as 
 to attain the fuUeft afl'urance of it; to the ackno-jj- 
 legement cf the myfiery of God ez-cn the Father ^ 
 ©£« xa» zrxTftogy xui ra Xp»r«, and of Chrtfi . Thc 
 very form and conrtruclion of thc words, exclude^ 
 as might well be fuppofed, all deity from Chriftt 
 and appropriate it to the Father. And the myfiery 
 here intended, (<:) is no myitcry concerning the 
 
 nuture 
 
 {}>) The pitu^e at length is ; / rrn -very dcf.rou: that yB 
 p30ulJ knoTM, IK hat great conJliS I ha've for you, and for them ^ 
 at Laedicta, and for as many as ha've not fan my face in the 
 fftjh : that thdr hearts might be comforted, being knit together 
 in lo-ye, and unto all riches of the full /^furahce of underjlard- 
 ing, to the ackno-wlcgeinint of the tnyjiery cf God even the Father ^ 
 (i. e. of HIM who is the Father of all,) and vf Chriji : In 
 nuhom are hid aJl the treafures of luifdom and knonx'lege. Col. 
 ii. I, 2, 3. 
 
 (r) " The myfiery of God even the Father and of Chrtfi. "^^ 
 " The only myllery here intended is that mentioned before 
 ** ch. i. 26, 27, ia the belief of which our apoftlc Ihev.s 
 " himfclf on all occafions fo folicitous to eltablilh the Gen- 
 " /;//•/. Had he here meant any other than that, he would- 
 " have certainly told us what it was. Thi-; myllery is called- 
 " tie myfiery of Gid, the Father, as it well m^y be, ilncc it. 
 
 " was 
 
C '76 ] 
 
 nature of God; but the myftery mentioned jufl 
 before, i. 26, 27 ; the myftery or fecret purpofe of 
 God, then no longer a myftery, but brought to 
 light and difcovercd particularly by St. Paul; viz. 
 the calling of the Gentiles, i. e. of the whole 
 heathen world, to the hope of eternal life, to 
 equal privileges with the Jews in that grand point, 
 without fubjeClion to their law, 
 
 SECTION XL 
 
 IVbai is thefource of men's erroneous opinions about 
 the f erf on of Chrijlj according to our author, 
 
 TOWARDS the clofe of his work, he turns 
 himfelf to give fome account, why wife and 
 worthy men miftake this notion of Chrift's (fup- 
 pofed) divinity, and maintain erroneous opmions 
 about it. One or two of his reafons it may be 
 proper to confidcr. The firft is thus exprefted, 
 
 P-73- 
 
 1. " Men miftake by not diftinguifliing objeBs 
 " of pure revelation, from objects of natural rea- 
 *' fon, and therefore they confound believing with 
 ** reafoning. — God requires me to believe the 
 " deity of Jefus Chrift. Deity is an invifible ob- 
 
 ** was hid in God, Eph. iii. 9. anjl he made it knoivn, Eph. 
 " i. 9. Col. i. 27. It is alio called the myjiery of ChriJ}, 
 " Col. iv. 3. Eph. iii. 4 : nor is it ftrange it fhould be de^ 
 " nominated from him, who is himfelf the fubjeft matter of 
 *' it, it being ChriJ} among the Gentiles, the hope of glory, 
 ** ch. i. 27 ; and who is the more immediate repealer of it, 
 ** Eph, ii. 17. The apoftle here joins both together, as he 
 " might very properly do : though perhaps the chief reafon 
 " why he choie here to add, and of Chrijl, was, that he 
 •* might the more handfomely fall into the following difcourfe 
 " concerning him." This is an excellent note of Peirce 
 upon the place* 
 
 " jeB. 
 
C ^n J 
 
 " jec>. I never faw, nor ever conccivfd anobjeB. 
 *• analogous to it. I cannot rcafon about it. 1 
 •* believe it." 
 
 If the doctrine of Chrift bcincr the fupremc God, 
 which our author feeks to eflablifh, were to be 
 found j)lainly legible throughout the Scriptures, 
 as is the doctrine of the unity of the Hrif caufe 
 and fupremc Father of all; our author migh: have 
 Ibme gRjunds for driving thus to rtop all inquiry 
 about it, and requiring us to believe only, and 
 not to reafon upon what the Scriptures fay of it. 
 JJut the contrary is the fatt. Mr. Robinfon how- 
 ever fays ; " God requires me to believe the deity 
 of Jefus Chrift." It is very well : if he be fo 
 perfuadcd, he ought to believe it. But then, 
 added to this, he has alfo laid before the public 
 a large feledtion and heap of te.xts of Scripture. 
 which he afTerts to aflbrd fuch plain proof of 
 Chrift being Jehovah the f'upreme God, that the 
 I'acred writers nuift have been weak men or worfe, 
 if they did not intend to teach that doQrine con- 
 cerning Chrifl. As cur faith however mufl be 
 founded on the evidence of Scripture as it appears 
 to us, and not on Mr. Robinfbn's authority, I 
 have therefore been at the great pains of weighing 
 his texts of Scripture, one by one, in an even 
 balance, as far as I have been able, and have not 
 r)und one of them to be of the leaft validity to 
 prove Chrill to be God. It appears to mc, and I 
 hope it has appeared to the reader, that Almighty 
 (^rod requires no belief of any deity but his own : 
 and fo far from requiring us to believe the deity of 
 jefus Chrift, \\\. has moft ffrictly forbidden us(r/) 
 
 to 
 
 (J) TJhh jhalt haft no olhtr gods before ME. Exod. .\.V. \. 
 The lecond article of faith of the modern Jews, is an excel- 
 lent ilhi;lration of thij Hrll commzndment of Jeliovuh. / 
 N itUcxt, 
 
[ '78 ] 
 
 to acknow'lege any deity but his own. And there- 
 fore we arc conftrained to conclude, that our au- 
 thor has irtpofed upon himfclf in this matter, and 
 impofes upon others, by fuch a vain, imagina- 
 tion, and multiplication of the Deity. Our author 
 goes on ; 
 
 ii. " Men miilake by fubjecling God to laws, 
 ** which aftually prevail in fome cafes; butwhicii, 
 ** we dare not fay, prevail in all. The rev. Mr. 
 " Lindfey fays, Chrift's charafter as mediator is 
 
 " UTTERLY INCOMPATIBLE with thc praCiicC of 
 
 *' making him the obje6t of religious worihip. 
 " He CANNOT be God, and the miniiler of God. 
 " Is Mr. Lindfey fure of this? Were we to granr» 
 " that nothing like this pafTeth among men, would 
 ** it certainly follow, that nothing like this paffcth 
 ** in heaven ? The poffihle world is a region un- 
 " explored, and it is rafh to fay, God cannot be 
 " this, he cannot do that. St. Paul writes, as if 
 ** he thought God could do this." 
 
 It does not appear that Mr. Lindfey afferts any 
 thing that is wrong ; or in an improper manner. For 
 though our author makes him to fay, that God cannot 
 be this, cannot do that; he only fays, that CArz/if 
 cannot be both God and the fervant of God. it 
 would be abfurd to attempt the proof of fuch a 
 propofition : and therefore Mr. Robinfon lets that 
 . alone. But he fuppofes he can bring St. Paul to 
 vouch for it. It appears plainly however that he is 
 deceived in the firft examples he produces, by truft- 
 ing to our englifli tranflation, and neither confult- 
 ing the context nor the original. The firft paf- 
 fage he cites, is thus given by him; God hath ac- 
 
 helieve, nuith a firm and perfeB faith, that God is one ; there 
 is no unity like his : he alone hath been, is, a?idJJ:>all be eternally. 
 Cur God. Tephilloth, or the Prayers of thc Synagogues,. &c. 
 London. Tainted by Tooke. 
 
 ceptcd 
 
[ 179 ] 
 ctpud us in the beloved : but in St. Paul it is; ly t 
 
 l^otpiTcos-sv YiU-ocq fv Tw r,yxTTY.^-:]iu)y with which (God) 
 
 hath favoured its by his beloved Sm. Eph. i. 3. 6. 
 The iecond is in the words of our tranflators ; roc 
 labour to be accepted of Chnji : the apoftle's words 
 are, (piXoTi[j.y.fjLi(ix, — e-jcipiroi aurw «taj, we labour to 
 be approved of or, acceptable to him^ i, e. to Chrift ; 
 (1 Cor. V. 9, 10.) viz. at the future day of judg- 
 ment ; as he proceeds to mention. Now what ii 
 there in thefe texts to prove Chrilt to be any thing 
 but the highly favoured fon, or fervant, or delegate 
 of God, and by no means God himfelf? 1 take no 
 note of Eph. v. 27, as unworthy of regard. But his 
 lad inftance is not to be fo lightly patfed over. I (hall 
 give the apollie's words as he prints them, and as 
 they are in our common englifh tranflaiion, in a 
 cohimn oppofite. 
 
 The tranflators of the Mr. Robinfori. 
 
 Bible. 
 — Looking for the glo- The great God, and 
 rious appearing of the our Saviour Jejus Chrifi, 
 great God, and our Sa- gave himself for us, 
 viour Jejus Chrifl, who that he might redeem 
 gave himfelf for us, that us from all iniquity, and 
 hemightredeernusjromall purify unto himself 
 iniquity, and purify unto a peculiar people, 
 himfelf a peculiar people. 
 
 Remark 1. The reader will obferve here, that 
 in our common tranflation, as in the original, the 
 Great God and our Saviour Chrijl, are reprcfented 
 as two dillinft Perfons: but as Mr. Robinfon ren- 
 ders it, Jefus Chrijl is the Great God JmAjelf [d). 
 
 9.. Our 
 
 {d) He might hnve alleged, that fome of the fathers took 
 
 the apollie's words in ;he W y he does; which the original 
 
 may bear, as there is an :.m igu ty in it : though the other 
 
 be the more natural fcnfe, a a boit agreeing with the cori- 
 
 N 2 text. 
 
[ .8o ] 
 
 2. Our tranflation, rightly and properly holds. 
 forth, that it was Jefus Chri.Jl, who gave himjclf for 
 us. Sec: but our author puts. The great God, 
 
 ■&C. GAVE HIMSELF /or 165, THAT HE MIGHT PU- 
 RIFY UNTO HIMSELF, Szc. ] all this in capitals to 
 catch the eye, as if St. Paul taught, that it was 
 God who gave him/el/ for us, i. e. gave himfelf to 
 die, for that is the meaning of the phrafe : (See 
 John iii. 16.) thus making the eternal God ful^jeCl 
 to death. And the dcfign of all this contrivance, 
 is to bring in the apoftle a favourer of his own 
 ftrange imagination, that Jefus Chrill was both the 
 fupreme God, and his minifter or fcrvant. 
 
 3. It was furely a juftice due to his readers, to 
 have made themacquainted with fuch a fignal alte- 
 ration he makes in our englifh verfion, and with his 
 
 text, and the other parts of Scripture, and of St. Paul's writ- 
 ings. This point, and the whole paflage, has been fully con- 
 fidered by Dr. Clarke ; to whom I would refer, but fhail 
 tranfcribe part of what he advances. " Thefe words, t^e 
 *' glorious appearing (or, the appearing of the glory) of the Great 
 " God and our Swvtour Jefus Chrijl, (as our englijh tranilators 
 ■" rightly render the text,) very naturally fignify, the appear- 
 " ing of the Great God By our Sa-uiour Jefus Chriji ; according 
 ** to the analogy of thole other Scripture-expreflions, that 
 ** God pall judge the I'jorld by Jefus Chrift, and that Chrift 
 *' fliall come i?t the glory of his Father, that is, the glory of his 
 " Father Jhall appear in-ueftcd iti him. Befidcs ; the words, 
 " Ttf [xiyxXii Qm, thi great God, being in the Old Tefament 
 " the chara£ter of the Father; Deut. x. 17. 2 Sam. vii. 22. 
 " 2 Chr. ii. 5- Nehem. ix. 32. Job xxxvi. 26. Pf. Ixxxvi. 
 *' 10. Jer. xxxii. i8 ; and in the Nen.v Tefament never ufed 
 " oi Chrif, but of the Father onXy, Rev. xix. 17 ; 'tis there- 
 *' fore very reafonable that they Ihnuld here alfo be fo under- 
 " flood. ETpecially confidcring x.\\e general file of St. Paul: 
 *' Who, having laid ic down as s. foundation, 1 Cor. viii. 6. 
 ** that to ITS there is but One God, the Father; and orehoRO, 
 " jefus Chrift : and Eph. iv. 5, 6. o;7^LoRn, one God, auJ 
 *' Father (fall, does confcantly and uniformly keep to this 
 .** ruieof expreflion, through his whole writings. Sec." Reply 
 'tp.lWjr. Nelfon, Sec. p. 85, &c. 
 
 reafon^ 
 
[ '8. ] 
 
 rcafons for it ; that tlicy might ufe their own Judg- 
 ment on the point. AVhereas, as the paflagc now 
 (lands, the generality of readers, high and low. who 
 are mod of them too lazy to turn to the Scriptures 
 ihemfclves, will be led into and confirmed in 
 fuperftitious demeaning notions of Cod; wliile 
 others, of a different caft, will have their preju- 
 dices increafed againfl: the Bible, for patronizing 
 fuch abfurd, incredible things. 
 
 iii. Dexterity in criticifm, p. 75. is with our au- 
 thor, another fource of men's not believing i\\c 
 Divinity of Jefus Chrift. And in fupport of this, 
 he brings in again the cafe of Stephen, on which 
 he had laboured through ten pages before; ima- 
 gining the addrcfs made by that holy man to Chrilt, 
 in his peculiar circumrtances, under the imprcHion 
 of a heavenly vifion, in which Chrift had been 
 exhibited to him in glory; to be ncverthelefs a 
 precedent for all chriltians every where to pray to 
 Chrift, and to confider him as the fupreme God. 
 But this fubjcQ has been canvafied above, p. 86, 
 &c. to which I would refer. 
 
 He goes on afterwards, p. 85. to inveigh againft 
 " the critical diffedion of texts by learned men, 
 " critical anatomifls," as he calls them ; mention- 
 ing Dr. Clarke by name, as one of them; and 
 indulging himfelf in a way, in which he is not 
 much to be commended. " I have read Dr. 
 " Clarke, fays he, and a hundred do6tors more ; 
 " and I have read alfo a laying of one, who al- 
 ** though he was no graduate, was greater than them 
 " all. He fays; Call no man mafter upon earth ; for 
 *' one is your mafter, even ChrilL Matth. xxii.'* 
 It would not however have bc<^n amifs for him, 
 if he had profited by the example of that admira- 
 ble critic, Dr. Clarke, and molt ingenuous writer, 
 jnllead of endeavouring thus to pour contempt 
 N 3 upon 
 
[ >8^ ] 
 
 Upon his honoured name. Whether the v/ant of 
 feme flcill in criticifin, be not one, among many 
 caufes, of our author's manifeft ignorance of the 
 true meaning of the Scriptures, the reader will 
 judge from the examination that has been now 
 made of all the paffages cited by him. In his 
 notes we meet with feveral inftances of his defi- 
 ciency in this refpe£l :one of which I fiiall exhibit. 
 Our Lord, after his refurrection, being about to 
 take a fmal leave of his apoftles, fpoke to them ; 
 (Matth. xxviii. 18, ig.) All power is given unto me 
 in heaven aiid in earth. Go ye therejorey and make 
 difciples of all nations^ &c. To come at the true 
 iTveaning of this declaration, it is proper to obferve, 
 though it has been touched upon before ; that 
 Chrift the fpeaker; the perfons, his chofen difci- 
 ples, to whom he addreffes himfelf; the time of 
 his fpeaking, and all other circumftances, plainly 
 lead us to conclude, that he here refers only to. 
 that divine extraordinary power, which he had not 
 long before promifed his difciples on the part of 
 Almighty God, and which was now foon to be con- 
 ferred upon them, to enable them to preach the 
 gofpel with fuccefs throughout the world. And 
 although he fa}'s ; a i. l pow,cr is given unto me ; fuch 
 general expreffions, in all writings, are, in all fai?- 
 conftruftion, to be limited and interpreted by the 
 occafion, the fituation and circumftances of the 
 Speaker, &c. Our author however, t^kes the 
 \cord ALL in its utmoll latitude, to fignify infinite 
 J?0H''£r;' and argues upon his own groundlefs fup- 
 pofition; boldly averring, p. 104, " When it is 
 ■;• objefted to us, All power \s given to Jefus, thcre- 
 *• fore he is 720/ God, We reply. All power is 
 " given to Jcfus, therefore he is God," and fo on. 
 To prove afterM'ards, that the term, to give^ does 
 rtot 'implv any fupcriority in the giver, or depen 
 
 dencc 
 
[ ^h 1 
 
 dence of the receiver in that rcfpcft, he j)rocced.^ 
 to fay; " The word give is eqtiivocal. Our op- 
 " ponents take it for the conferring of a right : wc 
 " rake it for the acknoxvlegevitnt of a right. 
 " The word cTiJ^waj is very vague ; and wo be to 
 " the fyltem that reils on its precife etymology. 
 ". What a fine inference is this! Magiftraies give 
 " glory and ftrength and worfhip unto Jcho\ah ; 
 '* therefore Jehovah is not God; at moil he is 
 " only a fubordinate God; for he derives glory 
 " from magifi rates. All power is given to me, 
 "laid our Redeemer; that is, all heaven allow 
 •♦ what the Jews deny, that I am Lord of all. The 
 " Father hath given me power over all flefli ; that 
 " IS, the Father allows and approves of my right 
 *' as God, and he has conftituted the difplay of it 
 " in me, Jefus, the man." To fuch id'e talk, and 
 unlearned fophiftry, no reply can be made. One 
 is only concerned that a perfon with fome talents, 
 through ha{ty prejudice, and giving a loofe to his 
 imagination, fliould fo lamentably impofc upon 
 himl'elf on fo ferious a fubjeB, as he appears to 
 have done here, and throughout his whole work. 
 
 SECTION XII, 
 
 Concluding Ohjervations. 
 
 TT is very remarkable, that our author, who fe- 
 -*■ letts fuch a number of paffages of Scripture, 
 to prove Jefus Chrill to be the mod high God, 
 takes no notice of thofe many others, which in di- 
 rcti terms, exclude Chrifl and every other perfon, 
 from all prctenfions to be the Deity, to belong to 
 it, or to be any part of it, in any other way than 
 is competent to any creature, to whom God may 
 fee pleafcd to communicate high divine powers. 
 N 4 One 
 
[ ^84 3 
 
 ^"/n'^'n'u "" -""^ 'V^^ ^^^'^^^' ^ ^«"ld "Mention ; 
 and Ihall begin with one before intimated. 
 
 1. The perfonal pronouns, /, vie, ihou[ thee he 
 him, with which the prophets fpeak of or to Teho' 
 vah, the moft high God, and which he ufes con- 
 cerning himfeJf, demonltrate the fingle Pcrfon of 
 Jehovah who is fo fpoken of, or who fo fpeaks of 
 himfelf to be God alone, and no Pcrfon elfe what- 
 loever Ahuoft every page of Scripture pro- 
 claims this truth. But to make one exhibition of 
 It, I faall take fome verfe.s of the xlvth chapter 
 ot Haiah, fo happily illuftrated by Bifhop Lowth 
 containing a prediction of Cvrus king of Perfia* 
 before he was born, by name, knd of his conquelts! 
 
 particularly the taking of Babylon. 
 Thus faith Jehovah to hi^ anointed - 
 
 To Cyrus, whom I hold faft by the right hand ^ 
 i hat I may fubdue nations before him - 
 
 And ungird the loins of kings : 
 
 That I may open before him the valves • 
 
 And the gates fhall not be fhut. 
 
 I will go before thee ; 
 
 And make the moqntains level : 
 
 The valves of brafs will I break in fundcr ; 
 
 And the bars of iron will I hew down. 
 
 And I will give imto thee the treafuresof darknefs • 
 
 And the llores deep hidden in fecret places • 
 1 hat thou mayelt know that I am Jehovah • 
 
 He that calleth thee by thy name, the God of 
 Ifrael. 
 
 I am J K ho YAH, and none elfe ; 
 
 Befide me there is no God : 
 
 I will gird thee, though thou haft not known me. 
 
 1 hat they may know, from the rifing of the fun 
 
 And from the weft, that there is none befide Mc • 
 
 4 am Jkhovah, and none elfe ; 
 
 Forming 
 
[ '85 ] 
 
 Forming liglii, and creating darkncfs ; 
 
 Making peace and creating evil ; 
 
 I Jehovah am the author of all thcfc things. 
 
 It follows afterwards, ver 18. 
 For thus faith Jehovah, 
 Who created the heavens; He is God : 
 Who formed the earth and made it ; He hath efta- 
 
 bliftied it : 
 He created it not in vain ; for he formed it to be 
 
 inhabited ; 
 I am |ehovaii, and none befides : 
 J have not fpoken in fccret, in a dark place of the 
 
 earth ; 
 I have not faid to the feed of Jacob, feck ye me 
 
 in vain : 
 I am Jehovah, who fpeak truth, who give direft 
 
 anfwers. 
 Affcmble yourfelves together, and come ; 
 Gather yourfelves together, ye that are efcaped 
 
 from among the nations. 
 They know nothing, that carry about the wood, 
 
 which they have carved ; 
 That addrefs themfelvcs in prayer to a god, which 
 
 cannot fave. 
 Publifh it abroad, and bring them near ; and let 
 
 them confult together : 
 Who hath made this known long before, hath de- 
 clared it from the firft ? 
 Is it not I Jehovah, than whom there is no other 
 
 God? 
 A God, that uttereth truth and granteth falvation ; 
 
 there is none befide me ? 
 Look unto me and be favcd, o all ye remote people 
 
 of the earth ; 
 For I am God, and there is none clfe. 
 
 Remark 1. The weight of the language here 
 \ifcd is fo ftrong; I <7w Jehovah, and none el/e, 
 
 bejide 
 
r .86 ] 
 
 hefide me there is no God: th-ere is ntnie hefides me. 
 Jehovah, who created the heavens^ Hii is God. 
 Is it not' ]EHOVAii, than whom there is no other 
 Gcd? there is none hefide me : This language, I 
 fay, is fo exprcfs, diftin6l, and forcible, as to re- 
 fid and forbid every thought and idea of Jefus 
 Chrift, or any other perfon, being Jehovah, or 
 God. We are fure of nothing, if we are not fure 
 of this. 
 
 2. Jefus Chrift, with every other perfon what- 
 foever, is alfo hereby excluded from being the 
 creator : for Jehovah here, as well as elfewhere, 
 appropriates that to himfelf alone. This is here 
 mentioned only to confirm the interpretation above 
 given of John i. i, 2, &c. that the IVord, by 
 which all things are faid to be made, (if thereby 
 the natural creation is intended,) could not be 
 Jefus Chrift, but is the Wifdom, Power, or Energy 
 of Jehovah, God himfelf. 
 
 3. God is faid here to go before Cyrus, to make 
 the mountains level for him to fafs over. Not 
 furely God in perfon. But it is a grand, fublime 
 defcription of the Divine Providence attending 
 that prince, and profpering his expedition againlt 
 Babylon. And this adds ftrength to the explana- 
 tion above (p. i03,&c.) given, of the like language, 
 I fa i ah xl. 9, 10 ; Sr.y unto the cities of Judah, be- 
 hold your God. Behold the Lord God will come, 
 &c; where the preaching of the gofpel, with an 
 extraordinary divine power, by Chrift, and his 
 apoftles, is defcnbed, as if God himfelf was prefent 
 and a£fed. 
 
 I ftiall barely point out a few other paf- 
 fages of Scripture, totally inconfiftent with the 
 idea of Chrift, or any other perfon, being God 
 but one, the Almighty Father himfelf. Our Sa- 
 viour dpclarcd dirc6lly, that he himfelf was not 
 
 God 3 
 
C >87 ] 
 
 God ; and that there was but one Perfon who was 
 God; in the reply which he gave to an applica- 
 tion made to him ; zvby calleji thou me good '^ there 
 IS none good but one, that is God. In his humble, 
 devout prayer, John xvii. 3. he addrefles the Fa- 
 ther, as the only true God ; thereby (hewing that 
 he had no idea of himlelf, but as being iiis highly 
 favoured and beloved creature, dependent upon 
 him. To name only one inltance more: St. Paul 
 lays, 1 Cor. viii. 6. To us ihcrt is but. one God, the 
 Father, of xvhom are all things ; Eph. iv. 6. One God 
 and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, 
 and in you all. It follows therefore that there is 
 no other God, but the finglc Perfon of the Father. 
 If Chrilt, or any other Perfon be at any time 
 called God; the term is ufed in a lefs proper in- 
 ferior fenfe; as when Mofes (Exodus vii. 1.) is 
 faid to be a god to Pharaoh. Thefe, with many 
 other the like paffages, fliould have been explained 
 and made confident with his hypothefis, which 
 never yet has been done ; before Mr. Robinfon 
 had ventured to declare Chriil to be the Supreme 
 God, Jehovah, and to fpeak lefs rcfpeftfully of the 
 facred writers for ufing the language they do of 
 him, if he be not God. 
 
 II. 
 
 In reading the Scriptures, no man of plain un- 
 dcrflanding, unlefs taught the contrary before- 
 hand, would ever fufpcd there more Gods than 
 one to be therein revealed; or that any other per- 
 fon was God bcfides him, who is defcribcd in the 
 begirming as the Creator of all things; who mani- 
 fefted himfelf to the Antediluvians, and to the pa- 
 triarchs after the deluge ; who feparated one people 
 irom the reft of the nations to preferve his name 
 
 and 
 
[ >88 ] 
 
 and true worfhip among them, and gave them a 
 law by Mofes; who fpoke by the prophets; and 
 who according to his promife by them, and efpe- 
 cially by Mofes, did at lafl; raife up and lend unto 
 ihem Jefus Chrift, a prophet relembling this their 
 divine lawgiver, but in extraordinary power and 
 communications from the Deity far exceeding him : 
 by which he was qualified to teach thole truths that 
 Mofes could not teach, and particularly to give 
 affurance of an eternal life after death, to all thofc 
 of the human fpecies, who by following the gofpel, 
 fliould become fitted and qualified for it. This 
 holy one of God, the blefled jefus, was fo far from 
 afluming any thing to himfelf as God ; that he con- 
 ftantly declared, that he received all his power 
 from him, and was fent and atled by the authority 
 of the one God, and fupreme Father of all. And 
 though in our englifli Bibles there are feveral 
 Avrong tranflations made through ignorance or pre- 
 judice, and in the printed Greek teftament Ibme 
 •words clianged, and one whole verfe inferted, i 
 John V. 7. by defign or miftake, to favour the no- 
 tion of Chrilt being God : Yet the general tenour 
 of the whole is fo full and clear, that one Perlbn^ 
 even that of the Almighty Father, is God alone, and 
 no other ; as to bear down any fuggeltion to the 
 contrar)', that might arife from one or two fuch 
 particular pafiages. So that it is a moft natural 
 account and conclufion, which we are told of; 
 that when (a) Job Ben Solaman, the African prince 
 (who was mailer of the Arabic, and had acquired a 
 competent knowlege of the englifh language,) was 
 in England about fifty years ago, and was aflced, 
 after reading the New Tellament, if he found three 
 
 {a) A friendly dialogue between a comfflon Unitarian 
 Chriftian, and an Atlranafiaq, ijS^. p. 23. K'cue. 
 
 Gods : 
 
[ '89 ] 
 
 Cods: he replied, No, no! one great God< 
 i)NE Great Good God. 
 
 But when Ns'e turn to the gcnerahty of chriftian 
 vriicrs and commentators, and particularly to the 
 •utlior here examined ; it then becomes a labo- 
 rious refcarch, and extremely difficult, if not im- 
 podible, to find out that there is but One God. 
 For wc are prefented with three perfons, each oF 
 ihem claiming to be God, claiming alio peculiar 
 and diltinit honour and worfliip as i'uch. Mr. 
 Robinfon indeed intircly drops the mention of the 
 Third Perlbn, and confines his pen to maintain 
 that Jeliis Chrilt is truly and properly God, and to 
 be worfhipcd; and to lupport this amaffes together 
 a prodigious variety of paffagcs both of the Old 
 and New I'ellament; and on contrafling them to- 
 gether, boldly aderts that they prove his point. 
 So that, as he would have us to read and under- 
 ftand it, the Jiible wears quite a new afped, and 
 prcfcnts a different God and objeft of worlhip, 
 from what a common unprejudiced reader finds to 
 be in it. To this new objecl of chriftian worfliip he 
 gives the new name of Jehovah-Jesus; making 
 him to be the God that appeared to the patriarchs 
 and to Moles, and who was worfliiped by them as 
 Jehovah, the Lord their God. p. 42. 
 
 III. 
 
 It is not cafy to defcribe the great harm that is 
 done to true religion and the gofpc!,by fuch reprc- 
 fe/itations of it. Thofc who have not abilities or 
 leifurc for learned inquiries are thrown quite intc) 
 a wood b)' it. They think the book of Revelation 
 to be all myilery and darknels ; and finding their 
 rational faculties of no ufe to them in their ftudy 
 of it, they abandon ihcmfelvcs implicitly to the 
 guidance of others. And what they have thus 
 4 imbibed 
 
[ 190 ] 
 imbibed without reafon, knowing no other wav, 
 they defend with pafiTion ; and thus poffeffed with 
 the notion that Jelus is the fupreme God, and that 
 it is a point of the firft confequence, they have 
 little charity for thofe that differ from them therein: 
 nay, they will oftentimes proceed fo far as to efleem 
 them wicked, their enemies, and enemies to God, 
 who by fair argument only, and from the Scrip- 
 tures, attempt to prove Jefus to be but the highly 
 favoured creature and fervant of the great God 
 and Father of all, and not God himfelf. 
 
 Another great mifchief refultingfrom the afcrip- 
 tion of fuch contradiftory impofiible doQrines con- 
 cerning the Deity to the Bible, is in its indifpofing 
 men to the gofpel, who are of fceptical minds, 
 and have never examined into the rational grounds 
 of evidence there are for it, and how far it is in 
 itlelf from teaching fuch dotirines.. When they 
 fee that its learned profefTors cannot agree whether 
 one perfon be God, or three perfons ; when they 
 hear fuch language as our author continually ufes 
 (i?) in the fupport of his own notion, that jefus 
 Chrift is the fupreme God; they are rendered 
 averfe to the whole fyftem of revelation ; they 
 look upon it to be all a riddle and uncertainty, 
 and turn away from it. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The misfortune farther is, that with fuch writers 
 there is no alternative ; but if you do not fubfcribe 
 
 {i) " The apojiles, fays he, ought to ha've kept up an idea 
 *' of the dijiance betnueen a mere man and the infinite God. They 
 *' hanje not done fo. On the contrary , thev hwve afcribed the 
 *' giories of God to Jefus Chriji, Either Jefus Chriji is Gody 
 ** or their conduSl is unaccountable, p. 20." With whatlittlcf 
 ground thefe confident affertions are made, has been abun- 
 dantly fhewn, 
 
 to 
 
[ >9' ] 
 
 to all that tliey have worked up from tlieir ima- 
 ginations and prejudices, you iliall be fuppolcd 
 to injure the golpcl, and to believe little of it. 
 " To deprive chrillianity of its myftcrics," fays 
 our author towards the clofe. of his work, p. 109, 
 " is to reduce it to a feeble human fcience; we 
 " get rid of niyllery and nioiive together. The 
 " removal of, what are called by fome, corruptions 
 " of chriltianity, is to be rewarded, it feems, with 
 " the converfion of Jews and Mahometans. But 
 ** let us not too eagerly follow theic illufory 
 *' dreams. Let us confider four things. 1. It is 
 " not certain, that Jews and Turks reject chrif- 
 " tianity on account of our dodrine of Chrift's 
 " divinity," 
 
 I (hall not attempt to fatisfy one who can doubt 
 of a fa6t of fuch great notoriety, as that one great 
 caufc of the rejection of the gofpel by Jews and 
 Mahometans, is the doctrine of the Trinity, and of 
 Chrift's divinity in particular. But I fli all produce 
 the contrary fentirncnt of Dr. Jortin, whom Mr. 
 Robinfon cites with refpecl ; not with a view to 
 oppoi'e one man's affertion to another's, but be- 
 cauie what the Do6tor advances falls in fo direftly 
 with the fubjcti of this work. That judicious and 
 moft learned writer,, in making fome remarks ou 
 the difficulties attending the converfion of the 
 
 jews, {ays, Ecclef. Hift. vol. iii. p. 438. ** Ano- 
 '"' thcr great and well known difficulty in the con- 
 *' vcrflon of the Jews, (as alfo of the Mahometans,) 
 ** is the dottrine of the holy Trinity, which they 
 " have always been taught to look upon as not 
 
 • reconcileablcwith the unity of God." Going 
 on then to point out what method it might be 
 heft to purfue in their converfion, he adds; " It 
 " will be well worth the while to confider, how the 
 
 " oldeft 
 
[ ^92 ] 
 
 " oldeft chriftian apologift (c) now extant, (i. c. 
 " juftin Martyr) hath reafoned with the Jews upon 
 " this fubje6l, as alio how Limborch managed that 
 
 " part 
 
 (f) The pafTage in Juflln Martyr, is in his dialogue with 
 Trypho the Jew, and is this. 
 
 " Trypho. I am fu£iciently acquainted ••with your fentiments 
 " in theje thijtgs. I beg therefore you 'would refume and fintjh 
 " thefiibjeJl ivith ivhich you began : for you tell me of i. moft 
 ** unheard of (i>rap«3'o|oj) thing, and fuch as is jmpoffible to 
 "be proi'ed. For to maintain, that this fame Chrijl nuas a 
 ** Ged before the ivorld 'was made, and afterivards fubmitted to 
 *' be born and to be made man„ and that be nuas not man of man 
 " as others are, is a thing not only beyond all belief, but 
 *' quite foolilh." '* Juftin. To this I replied. I am fenfible 
 ** that fuch an opinion n.vould appear incredible, efpecially ts 
 *' thofc of your nation, nxiho ivere never --well-difpofed to under- 
 *' fiand or to do the ivill of God, but to folloixj your oHjjn Rabbis , 
 *' as God himfelf exclaims againji you. Neverthclefs, Trypho, 
 ** faid I ; it would not follow that he was not the Chrill 
 ** (i. e. the anointed prophet) of God, if I fhould not be 
 " able to demonftrate, that he did preexift as the Son of the 
 ** Creator of the univerfe, and as God, and was afterwards 
 *' born a man of a virgin. But f nee it has been already Jhc-ivn, 
 *' that he is the Chrijl of God, nuhateuer elfe he be ; if I Jhould 
 " not be able to make good my point, that he did preexiji, and 
 *' fubmit ted according to the luill of the Father to be born a 
 *' mortal man, fubjeSl to the like infirmities and fufferings, and 
 *' having fiejh and blood as lue have : it is but jult to iay that 
 *' I am miftaken in this thing, and not to deny that he is 
 •< the Chrift, though he fliould appear to be a man born of 
 *' men, and nothing more be proved than that he was the 
 *' Chrift only by the choice that God had made of him. For 
 *^ fome of our race, tny friends, (meaning heathen converts to 
 *• chriftianity like himfelf) n.vho confefs hijn to be the Chrijl, 
 *' do vet affirm him to be only a man of men. To avhom I do not 
 *' ajenty though the greateft part of them fhould fay that they 
 *• have been of the fame opinion : fnce it is the injunSion of 
 *' Chrijl, that ive are not to lijlen to the commands of men , but t» 
 ** the things that have been delivered by the holy prophets, and 
 •* by Chrijl himfelf." Juftini Opera, Hagse Comitum. 1742. 
 p. 143, 144. 
 
 Tlius we fee, that this early chriftian writer, wedded as 
 he was to his own notion of Chrift's preexiftence, did never- 
 thelcfs allow thofc to be chriftiani as well as himfelf, for 
 
 which 
 
[ ^93 ] 
 
 ** part of the controverfy with Orobio. What 
 •* right hath a modern controvertift to require 
 *' more from a Jew, than Juflin Martyr required 
 ** from Trypho ? I might lay, than the apoftles 
 *' and firfl: preachers required from thofe whom 
 " they converted, when they admitted them to 
 
 which Dr. Jortin commends him, who only believed Jefu* 
 to be the Chrift, the anointed prophet of God ; though they 
 did not eiteem him any other than a man like thcmfelves ; 
 but chofen of God, and highly favoured by him. There 
 are aifo other important conclufions to be made from this 
 paiTage of Juilin, which induced me to give it the reader in 
 the exadleft manner I have been able to tranflate it. For, 
 
 I. We here fee that the dodrine of Chrill's preexiftence, 
 by Juftin's own contefTion, was a thing quite new, and para- 
 doxical, and that allonilhed the Jew with whom he is con- 
 verfing. And this gives reafon to conclude, a:.:' confirms 
 the opinion, that it was a dodrine firft difcoverel by Juitia 
 himfelf, and was the ofF.-pring of Plato's philofophy, which, 
 he fays, led him to embrace chriftianity ; joined to his intirc 
 ignorance of the hebrew language and idicm. 
 
 2. This further is feen from the refervc and difHdence 
 with which he broaches this novel opinion of his ; not ex- 
 pelling that others would immediately give into it, and allow 
 his arguments : and fo far from throwing out anathemas 
 againit or quarrelling with them for not believing the pre- 
 exillence of Jcfus Chrilt, he fpeaks in the foftcft tone, with 
 great modefty, defiring only that if they agree no: with hitn 
 in that point, and hold Chrift to be a mortal man, they would 
 not rejeft the evidence that he had given of his being the 
 Chriil. And it is obfervable, that he dwells and lays much 
 weight upon this. 
 
 There is a difference among learned men, how one part of 
 the laft Icntcnceof this paflage of JuRin, ought to be u.ider- 
 Hood. Whether he aifcrts, that the opinion of Chri.l being 
 a man like all others was held by the grcatell part of chrif-^ 
 tians at that time ; cr that the greater part were in his fenti- 
 inent of the preexiltence. To me, not only the words of 
 Juftin, but the context, appear plainly to favour thg former 
 opinion of the real humanity of Chriil being that which' 
 generally prevailed: for this pious fathei's allegation, that 
 he was bound to follow the teachings of Chrift and the pro- 
 phets, and not the authority of men, ii evidently an apology 
 /or differing from the majority. 
 
 O « bap- 
 
t m 1 
 
 " baptifm ? And Philip [aid, if thou helieveji with 
 *' all thine heart, thou mayejl be baptized. And he 
 ** anfzvcring [aid ; / believe that Jefus Chrijl is the 
 " Son of God. AQsviii. 37. And this is life eternal, 
 " that they might know thee, the only true God, and 
 " Jifus Chrijl whom thou hajlfent. John xvii. 3." 
 
 After this. Dr. Jortin quotes a very remarkable 
 afferdon of Orobio the Jew, in his friendly con- 
 ference with Limborch ; and the reply which the 
 latter made to it. And I would wifh it to be ob- 
 ferved, that thefe two great men, Limborch and 
 Jortin, fcholars of the firil rank, of folid judg- 
 ment, and of unimpeached integrity, do both of 
 them agree with the Jewifli phyfician of Amfter- 
 dam, that if Chrifl had taken upon him to be the 
 moft high God, the Jews at that time would have 
 been bound by their law to have put him to death 
 for it. And as both the law and the gofpel came 
 from the fame God, and cannot contradift each 
 other, this is one demonftration among a thoufand, 
 that Jefus Chrift is not the moll high God, but his 
 creature. The extra6l of the conference alluded 
 to and cited by Jortin, but not tranflated ; is as 
 follows ; 
 
 " Orobio. I'he prophety who pall require men to 
 helieve in him, as the true God of IJrael j who fh all 
 take upon himjelf to he the Almighty Being j who 
 Jhall command the people to lijhn to his words, upon 
 his o'wn authority ; ought not to he believed or re- 
 ceived : and granting, which is impojfble, that the 
 Meffiah, whom the Jews expe5f, fhould teach that 
 doctrine to IJrael, the law would require him to be 
 Jioned to death as a falfe prophet, 
 
 Limborch. To this inference and conclufion 
 I replied ; that J ejus Chrifl always declared him- 
 jelf to he the mejfenger, and Jon of the Father ; and 
 required men to believe in him only as Jucb. Nor 
 
 doth 
 
C ^95 ] 
 
 datb the go/pel require any thing more concerning the 
 ■perjon of Chrifi^ as vecejfary to he believed. If 
 ethers have laid down more articles as necejfary, I 
 cm not hound to Juhmit to their authority^ as I hold 
 the Scripture alone to he the rule cf my faith. There" 
 fore it is from that fource of the Scriptures only^ 
 that my learned opponent, as I have often re- 
 minded him, fJ)ould drazv his arguments againfl 
 chrijlianity ; and not from the doolrines about which 
 chriflians differ with one another y and Juch as the 
 Scripture does not propoje as necejfary tofalvation.'* 
 IV. 
 Our author proceeds in the fame way to add ; 
 " Were we to dived religion of all thefe offenfive 
 " credenda, and were we to reduce it to the gofpel 
 ** of Socrates, or to the more refined gofpel of 
 ** ProfefTor Hutchcfon, would it convert the Turks 
 " and the Jews?" However lightly Mr. Robinl'on 
 thinks concerning the matter, it would certainly 
 be one great ftep towards bringing Jews and Ma- 
 hometans to believe the gofpel, were we able to 
 convince them, that chriflians reverenced Jefus 
 Chrift as the mod highly favoured prophet of God, 
 but did not worfhip him, nor any other perfon, 
 but the fingle perlon of Jehovah, the almighty 
 Father and Creator of all things, the God of Abra- 
 ham, the God of Ifracl, the one, only true God. 
 But Ibmething mud be faid in defence of two 
 fiich eminent teachers of truth and virtue ; who, 
 notwithdanding thcdifrefpedful way in which they 
 are here mentioned, will continue to fpread their 
 light, and beneiit mankind to latelt generations. 
 There is no need of Icllening what was good and 
 excellent among the heathens, to let off' the gofpel. 
 Be the moral Iclfons of Socrates ever fo excellent, 
 and why fhould we fii'ek to detraQ from them? 
 they will dill fall infmiielv below the teachings of 
 O i: Jefus, 
 
C >96 3 
 
 tefus, as mucli as he furpafTed the Athenian phi- 
 lofopher in moral excellence. How defeftive the 
 lectures and exhortations of the latter muft have 
 been, in the moll powerful excitement to virtue of 
 all others, the hope of the divine favour for ever 
 ■which the gofpel holds forth, appears in the account 
 that Plato gives of his mader's behaviour and con- 
 verfaiion with his friends in his laft moments; 
 \^here he appears under much uncertainty about 
 a future ftajte. Neverthelefs, inftead of depreci- 
 ating the morality of this excellent heathen, it 
 would be better to make our fellow-chriflians ac- 
 quainted with the holy rules which he laid down 
 to himfclf and to others, and the heighth of virtue 
 to which he attained by them, of which too many 
 chriftians with their fuperior advantages, come 
 greatly fiiort. In proof of this we may allege one 
 part of his daily pra6lice, in his own words, from 
 his apology for himfelf, upon his trial, which may 
 cxcufe his fpeaking in his own commendation. 
 " However you may underfland it," fays he to his 
 judges, " I think a greater bleffing never befell 
 •' this city, than my miniftry among you, which 
 " I h?.ve received from God. For I do nothing 
 ** elfe, but go continually about, (^) perfuading 
 " both young and old, not to be fo much folicitous 
 
 (e) He had faid a little before ; ** If therefore, as I ob- 
 ** ierved, ye would abfolve me upon thefe conditions, thai 
 *' I fnould no longer teach my philofophy ; I fhould reply, 
 *' I refpecl and love you, O ye Athenians, but chufe rather 
 «' to obey God than you. And fo long as I live, and ftrength 
 ♦' is afForded, I will not ceafe tophilofophize, and to exhort 
 " and teach everyone of you whom 1 meet, in this my ufual 
 " way ; IVell ?ioav, my friend ! jou that arc a citizen of Athens ^ 
 * ' that mighty city, fo illujlrious for ^.vifdorn and extent ofponuer ; 
 *' are not you afjamed to be fo anxious after riches and famt 
 •' and honours : hut bejlo'w not the leaf care or thought in feeking 
 *' iviflcvi and truth, and acrr.r'.ng a habit of 'virtue and all 
 ** goodnefsJ" Platoa. Apoi. Socr. p. 25, 26. Caiuab. 1683. 
 
 « to 
 
C 197 ] 
 
 «* to gratify the bodily appetites, to heap up wealthy 
 ** or to gain any outward advantage whatfoever ; 
 " as to improve the mind by the continual exercife 
 " gf all virtue and goodnelis. And I fay to them, 
 " that a man's true value doth not arife from his 
 ** riches, or from any outward circumdanccs of 
 ** life : but that true riches, and every real good, 
 " whether public or private, proceeds wholly from 
 *• virtue. If any one therefore fay, that in teach- 
 " ing ihefe things, I corrupt the y^. Jth of this city, 
 ** he fhould (hew that thefc things are pernicious 
 " and hurtful," &c.(/) That Hne fcholar and 
 true chriftian, Erafmus, thought far higher of 
 Socrates than our author. I fhall gratify the reader 
 with an extra6l out of one of his Colloquies, a 
 book put into our hands at fchool, but which in 
 many parts may inftrufcl and edify us in our riper 
 years. It is in that which he intitles, A Religious 
 Eiitcrtainment. ** I never remember," fays one 
 of the company, " to have read any thing in hea- 
 " then antiquity, that feemed more exaftly to cor- 
 " refpond with the chara6ler of a true chriflian, 
 " than Socrates's fiiort fpeech to Crito, juft as he 
 *' was going to drink the poifon, by which he was 
 " condemned to end his life. WhethcTy fays he, 
 *' God will approve my anions or no, I cannot tell. 
 " But this I know, that it has been my conjlant 
 
 (/) Xenophon, another of Socrates's pupils, has pre- 
 ferved a converfation between their mafter and AriftodemuS;, 
 in which he proves the being of a God, and a particuhir 
 providence, in a very convincing, afFeding manner. At the 
 clofe of it, Xenophon fays ; •* It feems to me, that by fuch 
 " difcourfcs, Socrates formed thofe with whom he convcrfed, 
 " to refrain from all impious unjuft, and bafe adlions ; noc 
 " only when in the fight of the world, but when in ffcrcc 
 ** and alone ; convincing them, that nothing which tlicy 
 " did could efcapc the notice of God." Memorab- Ed, 
 ilimpfon. p. 73, 74. 
 
 O 3 <* aim 
 
[ '98 1 
 
 « aim and endeavour to phafe hm. And I am net 
 " wilhout hope, that my endeavours will be ac- 
 " ceptahle to him. A mod extraordinary pious 
 ** and humble difpofition," replies another of the 
 company, " in a man that never heard of Chrift, 
 " nor ever faw the holy Scriptures. I declare when 
 " I read of fuch things in a heathen, I can fcarce 
 " refrain from crying out ; O holy Socrates, pray 
 '^ for me /" A fine fatyr this on their faint-worfhip 
 at that time, when they were often canonizing men 
 of immoral -or dubious chara6lers ; and a tacit 
 condemnation of all fuch w^orfliip. 
 
 Our author's cenfure of the late Profeflbr 
 Hutchefon of Glafgow, is, that fuch " a refined 
 " gofpel as he taught, would not be likely to con- 
 •' vert Jews and Turks;" and he afterward terms 
 it, " the reducing of the gofpel to an enfeebled 
 " fyftem of mere moral philofophy." I cannot 
 fee any grounds for fuch a reflcftion on the memory 
 of this worthy perfon, that he was lefs a chriftian 
 than our author and his friends ; nor any motive 
 for it, unlefs his piety and chriftianity were of too 
 rational a complexion to pleafe fome perfons. Such 
 a judgm^ent can hardly be formed from any of Dr. 
 Hutchcfon's writings that are extant : for he did 
 not publifh any thing direftly upon the gofpel. In 
 his treatife on Moral Philofophy he does not touch 
 upon it, his fubjeft not leading him to it. But he 
 is particularly mindful therein to fecure, and in- 
 culcate on his pupils, a belief of, and inward regard 
 to God, the firit and great relation of all rational 
 beings, as what was to influence them in all other 
 things ; .which was laying a good foundation for 
 the gofpel. And though he inforced his moral 
 leffons by other motives than thofe of the gofpel, 
 yet they were not fuch as were inconfiftent, but 
 concurred with it ; and we have need of every 
 z poffible 
 
[199 1 
 poflible motive to make us attend to what is dT 
 fuch vaft importance to our true happinefs. Nor 
 is there any juft caufe hence to conclude, that he 
 was uninfkienced by them himfclf, ornegleded in 
 proper time and place to imprcfs upon others, thoic 
 moft powerful chriftian motives to virtue and obc* 
 dience to the will of God, arifmg from the reve- 
 lation of his boundlcfs love to mankind by jefus 
 Chrift, and his intending us for an eternal happi- 
 nefs. If our author had looked into the ftiort ac- 
 count of the life (g) of this eminent perfon, pre- 
 fixed many years ago by the venerable Rector of 
 the Univcrfuy of Glafgow, ilill living ; a name to 
 be mentioned always with re{pc6l by all lovers of 
 good letters and true religion; he would have 
 found that Dr. Hutchefon was not unmindful of 
 what belonged to the Chriflian as well as the Moral 
 ProfcfTor. " After mentioning his conftant ledurcs 
 ** five days of the week, on Natural Religion, 
 *' Morals, Jurifprudcnce and Government; and 
 " that he had another lefture three days of the 
 ** week, in which fome of the fineft waiters of 
 •• antiquity, both Greek and Latin, on the fubjcft 
 *' of morals, were interpreted, and the language 
 as well as the fentiment explained in a malterly 
 manner, he adds ; " Bcfidcs thefe fets of ledures, 
 " he gave a weekly one on the Sunday evening, 
 ** on the truth and excellency of chrillianity : 
 '* in which he produced and illullrated, with clear- 
 " nefs and ftrcngth, all the evidences of its truth 
 "and importance; taking his 'views of its doc- 
 ** trines and divine Jchemc , from the original records 
 
 (i) A fyftem of Moral Philofophy, Iiy the late Francis 
 Hutchefon, LL.D. Profonbr of Philofcpiiv in the Uniyerlity 
 of Glafgow. — To which is prctixed fome account of the life, 
 writings and charader of the author, by the Rev. W'llliarn 
 iucechman, D.D. 1755. 
 
 O 4 " 0/ 
 
[ 200 ] 
 
 '' of the New ^ejiamenty and not from the farty- 
 " tenets i orjcholajlicjyjlems of modern ages. This 
 " was the mod crowded of all his leQures j as all 
 *' the different forts and ranks of ftudents, being 
 " at liberty from their peculiar purfuits on this 
 " day, chofe to attend it, being always fure of 
 '* finding both pleafure and inltru6lion." This 
 Sunday-le61ure, it is to be obferved, was quite 
 a voluntary fervice; it not being an attention 
 to which his profefforfhip called him. And al- 
 though therein he might not treat of fome doc- 
 trines in the way that Mr. Robinfon would approve, 
 he might not be a lefs perfect teacher of the gofpel 
 on that account. I fhall tranfcribe one or two 
 features of his chara6ler from Dr. Leechman's 
 preface, p. xxix, xxx. wifliing our author nothing 
 better, I can wifh him nothing better than that as 
 a man, a chriftian, and teacher of truth, he may 
 refemble Profeffor Hutchefon. 
 
 " No fymptoms of vanity or felf-conceit," fays 
 his biographer from perfonal knowlege, " ap- 
 ** peared in him. He fought not after fame, nor 
 " bad he any vain complacency in the unfo\ight 
 " poffeffion of it. While he was viG'bly fuperior 
 *' to others about him, he was the only one that 
 ** was quite infenfible of it. His own talents and 
 •* endowments were not the objeQs on which his 
 " thoughts were employed : he was always carried 
 " away from attending to himfelf, by the exercife 
 '* of kind affeCiions, zeal for fome public gene- 
 " rous defigns, or keen inquiries after truth. This 
 ** was luch an acknowleged part of his character, 
 *•* that thofe who were lead difpofed to think well 
 " of him, never infinuatcd that he was proud or 
 '* vain. The natural modefty of his temper was 
 " heightened and refined by his religious fcnti- 
 •' mcnts. He had a full perfuafion and warm fcnlb 
 
 *' oi" 
 
[ 201 ] 
 
 '♦ of the great truths o? natural and revealed re* 
 " ligioii, and of the importance of jufl and ra- 
 ** tional devotion to the happinefs of human life, 
 *' and the liability and purity of a virtuous charac- 
 " tcr. The power of devout fentiments over his 
 " mind appeared in his converfation. In liis pub- 
 *' lie prelections he frequently took occafion from 
 " any hints which his fubjecl afforded him, as well 
 " as when it was the direct lubjeft itfelf, to run out 
 *' at great length, and with great ardour, on the 
 " reafonablenefs and advantages of habitual re- 
 " gards to God, and referring all our talents, vir* 
 '• tues, and enjoyments, to his bounty. Such 
 ** habitual references appeared to him the furefl 
 ** means of checking thofe emotions of pride, 
 ** vain complacency, and felf-applaufe, which are 
 *' apt to fpring up in the minds of ihofc, who do 
 ** not ferioufly and frequently refletl, that they did 
 " not make themfelves to differ from others^ and 
 ** that they have nothing hut -what they have re- 
 " ceived. Such fentiments deeply rooted in the 
 •' mind, he looked upon as the proper foundation 
 " of that fimplicity of heart and life, which is the 
 " highcft perfcBion of a virtuous chara6lcr."(/^) 
 
 {h) In the appendix, vol. ii. to a noble work, intitled, 
 *' Memoirs of Thomas Hollis, Efq. (ra jjix/.a-pny, that iirll; of 
 tngliflimen,) London, printed, 1780:" amiJll rnany prints 
 and engravings of eminent perfons, and of curious remains 
 of antiquity, to excite to virtue and the love of the fine arts, 
 with which its worthy patron hath adorned it; we have a 
 print of Dr. Hutchcfon, from a medallion of him, done, at 
 the dclirc of a difcipic of his, by Ant. Selvi, of Florence ; 
 and a dcfcription of it from Mazzuchelli's Numifmata, 8cc. 
 with a fhort account of the excellent Profcflbr. The print 
 ii faid to have prcfcrved a jufl likenefs of the original, and 
 fecms to bcfpeak the manly, candid, open, liberal, benevolent 
 mind, that dwelt in him, 
 
 V. Ouf 
 
[ *02 3 
 
 V. 
 
 Our author, in the conclufion, adopts the hymn 
 of a pious author addrefTed to Chrift : 
 Hail, thou eternal fulnefs,hail; 
 Great fource of blifs divine ! 
 In whom adoring angels fee 
 All thy great Father fhine. 
 
 The character, the virtues, the excellency, the 
 confummate worth of the blelTed Jefus, are, and 
 will be a moft pleafing theme of contemplation and 
 joy to his fmcere followers ; and the heart will oft 
 overflow with gratitude at the recollection of that 
 love fo ftrong and powerful, which led him, for 
 the good of his brethren of mankind, to give up 
 his life in torments, thereby to feal that holy doc- 
 trine, defigned and calculated to bring us to virtue 
 and to eternal life; and to fet alfo an example of 
 what we owe to one another, and to the truth : 
 Nor will there be wanting humble hope of know- 
 ing and being known to this benevolent Saviour, 
 as we have a promife of being for ever with him 
 (i ThefT. ii. iv. 17.) in the future world. But 
 I cannot pray to him as God, becaufe he him- 
 felf tells me continually, that he is not God; but 
 his creature, his Ton, his fcrvant, his meffenger, his 
 great prophet. Nor did he ever fay, that he was 
 to be worfhiped, or prayed unto, or that hymns 
 of prayer and thankfgiving were to be addrefled to 
 him, as authorized and enabled to hear them. 
 
 There is a very remarkable prayer of Simplicius, 
 a heathen philofopher, which I hope may be noun- 
 fuitablc conclufion to the prefent difquifition. It was 
 compofed by him and placed at the end of a work, 
 concerning which an eminent chriitian (^) writer 
 
 (g) SimpHcius's Commentary on Epiftetus. Fabrichis 
 apud Lardner, Vol. IV. Tcllimonies, p. 318. 
 
 fpcaks ; 
 
[ i03 ] 
 
 rpcaks ; " that there arc few things in all antiquity, 
 " which contain founder precepts to form men to 
 " virtue, or that better aflert and defend the divine 
 " providence in the government of the world." He 
 was a perfon of great piety and virtue ; and perhaps 
 might be difcouraged and kept from properly in- 
 (juiring into and embracing tlic truth of the gofpel, 
 by the very immoral lives of chriftians in the fixtli 
 century, when he lived ; and by their idolatrous 
 worfhip at that time. Whether he may not allude 
 to fomething of the latter kind in the clofe of his 
 prayer, the reader will judge. 
 
 (/;) Thou Jovereign Lord of ally the father avd 
 the guide of the reafon that is in us ! Make us conti^ 
 nually mindful^ I bcfeech Thee, of the dignity which 
 Thou hajt conferred upon us ; and afford us ihy afjijU 
 cnce {(T-jfATrpx^ai, cooperate with us) that we may a£i 
 with freedom, and being purified from the bodily ap^ 
 petites, and unreafonablepafjions, may fuh due and get 
 the mafiery over them, and render them fuhfcrvient to 
 the beji purpfl/es ; and that by the light of truth, our 
 judgment may be fo direHed, that we may adhere to 
 iho/e things that are really good. Finallyy J intreat 
 'Theey the Saviour, to difptrfe and remove mtirely the 
 mifi<y which darken the eyes of our minds ; that in the 
 language of Homer y we may know how to diflinguifh 
 between Cod and man. 
 
 (^) IxiT(t;ci; cri, Aiff^ora, c •ara.rr,^ xaw %ytfAU¥ t» t» riMv Xtytt, 
 X. T. >. Simplic. Comment, in Epidleti Enchiridion, Londini, 
 1676. p. 297. 
 
 Texts 
 
[ a<^4 1 
 
 Texts of Scripture, which contain ^«rmi and 
 falje readings, quoted as genuine by Mr. Ro- 
 binfon. 
 
 N. B. The words put in a Roman charader, 
 are known not to have been the words of the fa- 
 cred writers. 
 
 p. 1 6, 17. — Affts XX. 28. Feed the church of God, 
 which he hath purchafed with his own blood. 
 
 p. j2. — I Corinthians XV. 47. The Jecond man is 
 the luOX^from heaven. 
 
 p, ly. — I John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love 
 of God, becaufe he laid down his life for us* 
 
 p. 27. 41. — Revelation i. 2. Saying, I am Alpha 
 and Omega, the firft and the laft, and what 
 thoujeefi write in a hook. 
 
 Inflances of very blameable alterations made in 
 the words of Scripture, to favour the doftrinc 
 of Chrift being Jehovah, the moil high God. 
 
 p. 131, 132. — Ifaiah xlii. ij. 11, 12. 1'he Lord 
 Jefus ca?ne forth as a mighty man : Let the 
 wUdernefSy the cities, the villages^ the caves 
 give glory to Jehovah Jefus, and declare his 
 -praije in the iflands. 
 
 p. 170. — John I. i. Jefus Chrijl is God. 
 
 p^ ijr^. — ColofT. ii. 3. The acknowlegement ^y^ the 
 deity, both of the Father, and of Chrifl, is a 
 myflery in which are treajures both of wijdom 
 und knowlege* 
 
 p. 179. 
 
t ^05 ] 
 
 1^9. — Titus ii. 13, 14. The great God and 
 cur Saviour J ejus Cbrijij gave himself for 
 uSy THAT HE MIGHT Tcdeeui US from all ini' 
 quityy and purify unto himself a peculiar 
 people. 
 
 Iiiflances of acknowleged wrong tranflations of 
 the Scriptures, made ufe of to countenance the 
 do(5trine of Chrift being the moft high God. 
 
 P- 37j J^* — Ifaiah Ix. 6. The name of the child 
 /V //^^ EVERLASTING Father. 
 
 Zechariah xiii. 17. Awake, fword, 
 again/1 my Shepherd, and againfl the man thaC 
 is my fellow, faith the Lord of hojis. 
 
 p. 76, 77. — Philippians ii. 10. fVho being in the 
 form of God, thought it not robbery to be 
 equal with God. 
 
 INDEX. 
 
N D E X, 
 
 N, B. The cyphers in roman charaHers refer" to the Preface. 
 
 yiNANIAS, a great miftakc, that he calls Jcfus 
 
 ^^ the Cod of their Fathers 
 
 Angel, {of the Lord), not always an intelligent 
 agent, often inanimate things employed 
 by him to ferve his purpofes — - 
 
 Angels, commanded to njjorjhip Chriji, do not prove 
 him to be God — — 
 
 Apojlles {The) could never believe Chrifl: to be 
 God, when they llile him the fervant of 
 God, even after his refurreftioa 
 
 
 P.gf, 
 
 167. 
 
 16S 
 
 io3. 
 
 109 
 
 7' 
 
 , 72 
 
 55' ^n 
 
 Bapiifnt {into the name of Chrif) no afl of worfliip 
 
 to him — — — 8^ 
 
 Barrington {the late Lord) 2l citation from his works xlvi 
 
 ■ extrad of a letter of his to Dr, Lardner xlviii 
 
 ^/flj«^ (Mr.) cited with refped — — 130 
 
 Cardali (Mr.) his account of Stephen's addrcfs to 
 
 Chrill — — _« 88 
 
 Chriji, dcciiivc proofs of his divinity, if any, arc 
 only to be drawn from the New T elta- 
 mcnt — — — vili. 131 
 
 — the cndlefs fancies and confufion of the 
 contrary method — — ix, x, xl. 
 
 ■ not the (hd over all • ic^ 
 
 I how we Ihall be judged by him and Al- 
 mighty God at the fume time — - 20. 92 
 
 drift. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 Chrift accufed of making him/elf God, what t(f be 
 
 underftood by it — — 22, 21 
 
 « before Abraham, how to be- underftood 24. — 27 
 
 . the firjl and the lafi, how ■ ■ 28 
 
 - Lord of Lords, how — "~" 30 
 
 ■ Z,orr/ of glory , how • — — g I 
 Z^oau all things that the F either hath are his 3^ 
 
 - the fulnefs of the godhead in him, how to be 
 underftood ' 31; 
 
 .. " the everlafling father, a fhameful tranfla- 
 
 tion of Ifaiah ' ' ■ 37, 38 
 ' the mighty God, not certainly fo ftiled by 
 
 Ifaiah — — 3^, 40 
 
 ■' put for his doclrine, the gofpel, ■■■ 43 
 
 how V&filleih all in all • - 44. 
 
 i» . ' ■ in the mid ft of his difciples ntjhere t'ivo or 
 
 three gathered together, how to be under- 
 ftood - — - ■■■ 45, 46 
 ■■ in what fenfe faid to knowt: all things, 48 — 50 
 
 ■ II fearcheth the reins and heart, how — 51 
 ■I creation of the world, not afcribed to him 55 — 6i 
 ' " [thefpiritof) in the prophets, h.o\y •— 65 
 
 - ■ the Sa'viour, as well as Almighty God, how 66 
 
 forgi'veth fns, how ■ 6^, 68 
 
 ■■ what vvorlhip of him Intended by our be- 
 ing commanded to bo^v in his name 78, 79 
 
 fc ' " how hotio'ur him as the Father • 80 
 I his goings forth' from e-verlajli^ig, how to be 
 
 underftood ^ — lo6, 107 
 
 .. miftakes about him, how they began 115 
 
 not worfhiped in the age after the apoftles 120 
 
 ■ the worfhip of him, not idolatrous ac- 
 cording to Mr. Robinfon, becaufe chrif- 
 tians are not warned againll it particu- 
 larly in the Scriptures —— 12 J 
 
 >i . a conjefture why this great abufe was not 
 
 particularly foretold 129 
 
 — — the brightnfs of God'' s glory, how — - 140 
 .< ftiled hisy£'/-i'^/;/, by Almighty God 141 
 -. liis promife of the fpirit of truth abiding 
 ivii^ his difciples for ever, how to be un- 
 derftood 142, 143 
 
 . honoured as a prophet by Mahomet 14^ 
 
 ■ I ■ fpoken of as a mortal man by St. Paul, but 
 
 with high powers from God — 157 — 160 
 
 Chrifi^ 
 
X. 
 
 ChriJ}j the j^cry which he prayed to God to be- 
 llow uj)on him, what — — 
 
 ■ the worlhip paid him, fuch as given to a 
 
 creature — 
 
 — the two natures fuppofed to be in him, a 
 
 mere iidion 
 
 ■ St. Paul afcribes no deity to him — 
 any tieity of his not fuppofed in the Scrip- 
 tures 
 
 — ^— nil po^er given to him, how to be under- 
 Hood 
 
 -^— excluded by the prophet Ifaiah from being 
 
 either Jehovah, God ; or Creator 
 
 ■ denied, that he himfelf was God 
 
 
 Pag, 
 
 162, 
 
 263 
 
 166, 
 
 167 
 
 172. 
 
 , note 
 
 »75 
 
 
 ^77 
 
 
 182 
 
 IS4- 
 
 -186 
 187 
 
 Ceming down from heaven, coming from God, coming 
 forth from the Father, how to be under- 
 llood — ^ xiii. 48 
 
 Creation of the world, afcribed to God alone to 
 the exclufion of Chrifl, and every other 
 perfon — ^ 55— 6 1 
 
 Dialogue of the dead, feigned hy Mr. Robinfon 191, 102 
 
 Erafmus, his high opinion of Socrates — t^y 
 
 Evangelijis {The three) Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 
 appear to have lived and died without 
 knowing that Chrift was any other than 
 their Great Prophet, and a divine Mef- 
 fenger xliii 
 
 Glory, afcribed jointly to God and to Chrift, how 
 
 to be underltood 53 
 
 God, one fmgle Perfon — ^ — — — 155. I74 
 
 and Chrif, the infinite difference between, 
 
 according to the apoflles 113. note (;) 
 
 " dying, jhedding his blood, fhocking unfcrip- 
 
 tural language 17 
 
 how faid to come and fave men, to niifit 
 
 them, to be among them — 1 03— 1 05 
 
 —^ how it is that he appears to men — 108 
 
 ' is Chrif, the fon of Mary ; whether any 
 
 one can bring himielf to fay this? 138 
 Grace, and peace, falutations of from God and 
 
 Chrifl jointly, arc not prayers — » 81, &c. 
 
 P Htrrine 
 
N D E X. 
 
 P.gc 
 
 Herring (Archbifhop) approves the alterations in 
 Dr. Clarke's Reformed Common-Prayer 
 book, where the vvoriliip oi Chrift, and of 
 the Holy Spirit are excluded — 1^4. 
 
 Hutchefon (Dr.) of Glafgovv, vindicated — 198 
 
 his highly ufeful labours in his Itation I99 
 
 ' extracts from his life — — 200 
 
 a medallion of him — 201. 7iote 
 
 James the JnJ}, his prayer ' — — 121 
 
 Idolatry, the prophecies of its extinction by the 
 
 gofpel, how fulfilled iii. Sec. 
 
 Jeremiah xxiii. 6, wrongly underftood, and much 
 mifapplied to prove Chrift the Supreme 
 God — — — 130, &c. 
 
 Je-ivs {The) never entertained a thought, that any, 
 but one Per/on, was Jehovah, the Supreme 
 God — — 22 
 
 Immanuel, the meaning of — — — 1 4. 
 
 John, the apojile, could never intend to defcribe 
 Chrift as the Supreme God in the begin- 
 ning of his gofpel — — 10, II 
 
 Jortin (Dr.) and Limborch, agree with Orobio, 
 concerning theconfcquences, if Chrift had 
 taken upon him to be the Supreme God 194. 
 
 J ujlin Martyr, a moft fanciful interpreter of Scrip- 
 ture — — — \x 
 
 - finds Chrift every where throughout the 
 
 Old Teftament — - — x 
 
 — contributed much to the corruptions of 
 
 the truth in rcfpeft of the perfon of Chrift xl 
 
 . his account of the worfhip of chrifti;!ns in 
 
 his time, very blameably and imperfedUy 
 reprefented by Mr. Robinfon — 125 — 127 
 
 ._ did not deny thofe to be chriftians, who 
 
 rejcfted CI) rift's preexlilence — 192 
 
 .- fpe:,ks of this preexiftcnce as a novelty ; 
 
 and it was probably a difcovery of his 
 
 own — 192, 193. ;;5/f (f) 
 
 har drier (Dr.) his writings have difpofed many to 
 fte that in the Scriptures, the perfon of 
 the fiipreme Father is God alone, and not 
 Cliriu, or any other Perfon with him xviii 
 
 Lardntr 
 
INDEX, 
 
 Page 
 
 LurJncr his mod eminent character xxvi 
 
 was, what Mr. White calls a Socinian, 
 
 though he drew not his fentiments from 
 
 Socinus, but the Bible. xviii. ?tote xw'ii 
 
 LoiL-ih, (Bp.) highly to be commended — 57 
 
 . not infallible — is not to be juftified in 
 
 rendering wirhout hefitation, Ifaiah ix. 6. 
 
 the mighty God — — — — 39, 40 
 miltaken in hi9 application of John xii. 
 
 41. to Chrilt 97 
 
 approves a weak and trifling remark of 
 
 Jerom's, unworthy his own better fenfe 98 
 
 Limborch, an extrad from his conference with 
 Orobio, a learned Jewiih phyfician of 
 Amlitrdam 194, 195 
 
 Mahomet {and Chri/I) wherein lay the diJerence 
 
 between 135, 136 
 
 » condemns thofe who give a companion to 
 
 God, or fav, that he i^ the third of three 137 
 
 ■ a very llriking proof of his, that Chrift 
 
 was a human being, and liot God {note) 137 
 ■^ borrows from and alludes to our Scrip- 
 tures — 137 
 
 blameable in faying that Chrift was no 
 
 more than an apoitle ■ 135 
 
 . — iiv not allowing Chrift to be 
 
 the Son of God — — 140 
 
 , and that he was no more than 
 
 a fervant — • — — — 141 
 
 his declaration of God's Unity (?;j/f) 141 
 
 was not without fome good principles at 
 
 firft fetting out —— 143 
 
 ■ was never a wholly abandoned charader 144 
 his great fucccfs predided _— 146 
 
 the natural caufes of it ■ 147 
 
 why it may be fuppofcd to be permitted 
 
 by Providence ■ 147 
 
 his religion contains many excellent things 
 
 in it — — 148, 149 
 
 is a ftanding admonition to chriftians 150 
 
 the benefit they may derive from it 150, 151 
 
 ■» the Unity of God taught by him, in vain 
 
 attempted to be fct alide ■■ ■ ■ 151 — 156 
 
 P 2 Medf, 
 
N D E X. 
 
 Page 
 
 Mede, (Mr.) was of opinion, that in Rev. ix. 
 there is an exprefs prediftion of the de- 
 ftruftion brought upon finful and idola- 
 trous chriftians by Mahomet — — 146 
 
 Nenjoton, (Sir Ifaac), is mifled by Gregory of 
 Nyfla, to give too early a date to the 
 prevalence of heathenifh idolatry among 
 chriftians 117, 118 
 
 Orohio, a learned jew-phyficiai^, 
 
 faying of — ,^ 
 
 Chrill . — « 194 
 
 TauU {Father), his value for the Scriptures — vix 
 
 Peirce and Whithy, two moft learned, upright men, 
 
 of Trinitarians became Unitarians — {note) 1 
 " a citation froni the former — — {note') 175 
 
 Pliny, his account of the vvorfhip of chriftians 
 
 at that very early period, how to be un- 
 
 derftood ■ • 118— 120 
 
 Pclycarp, his prayer at his martyrdom — — . 129, 123 
 
 Freexijhnce of Chriji, the arguments for and 
 
 againft it ■ •— — xxviii 
 
 Reafon, why we cannot believe things inconftftent 
 
 with it ■■ — xxlii 
 
 Rohinfon, (Mr.) who — — ^ 3 
 
 — ^ blames the apoftles for their manner of 
 
 writing, if Chrift be not God — — 4« 34 
 
 " ■ his general manner of handling his fubjeft 9 
 
 ^ — . greatly miftaken in making Chrift to be 
 
 uv, the felf-exiftent Bein^ — --^ 24, 25 
 
 » ftrangely impofes on himfelf with refpeft 
 
 to the fuppofed omnifcience of Jefus Chrift 47, &c. 
 
 .'■ his method of applying to the pafTions — 54 
 
 ^ ■1 .■ , ■ '■ impofes on his readers by a fnftitious dia- 
 logue, in which he imputes his own 
 weak and falfe interpretations of Scrip- 
 ture to John the Baptift loi — no 
 
 ». > .—■ ■. brings in a feigned primitive chriftian, 
 whom he treats in the fame manner as 
 John the Baptift — — . — — . 169—176 
 
 Robin fon^ 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PaSf 
 
 Robinfcx, (Mr.) in vain attempts to prove Chrill 
 to be Cod, and the fervant of GW at the 
 fame time -— 178, 179 
 
 — . miflcd through contempt for and want of 
 
 crlrical learning — 181 — 183 
 
 takes no notice of the powerful evidence 
 
 there Is againll Chrill being the Supreme 
 
 God 185— 1S7 
 
 ^— in his book it is impoflible to find out that 
 
 there is b^ one God 187 — 189 
 
 .. the harm thereby done to a divine Reve- 
 lation 189, 190 
 
 Bale, (Mr), two rem.irks of his on the Koran 137 
 
 . makes candid allowance for the extremes 
 
 into which Mahomet fell ■ {note) 146, 147 
 
 Scripture, the method of invcftigating its true 
 
 meaning — xi, xii, xiii. 
 
 Simplicius, a heathen philofopher, a prayer of his 203 
 
 Socinians, a name given by Mr. White to thofe 
 chrillians, who do not believe Jefus Chrill 
 or any other perfon to be God, but the 
 
 Father only — — xxti 
 
 , are not alhamed of agreeing with Maho- ^ 
 
 metans concerning the Unity of God, as 
 they alfo agree with Chrill and his apof- 
 
 tles ■ ■ xxii. 152 
 
 Socrates, cxtrafl from his Apology before his death 196 
 
 from Xenophon concerning him ■ 197 
 
 Spirit, {Holy), the notion of its being a diftin<^ 
 divine agent, much given up by chrillians 
 
 who lludy the Bible — — xix. r5c 
 
 Stephen, his addrefs to Chrill, no precedent for 
 
 others praying to him —_ . . 88, 89 
 
 Unity of God, taught by Mahomet — — {note) 143 
 • ■ feebly oppofed by Mt. Robin- 
 
 fon ' 151, 152 
 
 White, {Jofeph), profeflbr of Arabic, Oxford, joins 
 together Socinians and Mahometans, his 
 delign thereto — — — _ . xxi 
 
 < ■ his Idlfc accufations of them ■ xxv 
 
 JVhite, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Page 
 
 JVblte, {Jofeph), his language concerning the 
 
 Trinity, unfcriptural and ine::plicable xxiv. 154 
 ^ I betrays much ignorance of the modern 
 
 Unitarians, and their reafons for rejedling 
 
 . the dodlrine of Chrift being the fupreme 
 
 God XXV. xxvii, xxviii 
 
 Worjrnp, two-fold, applicable to God and the 
 
 , - creatures. Advantage taken of its double 
 
 figpificaticn by Mr. Robinfon 166, 167 
 
 — of the dead among chriilians, its origin 1 16 
 
 Writers, facrcd, why no: very curious and exaft 
 in the language in which they fpoke of 
 God and Chrift 7 
 
 \