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LTBRA^R^^
OP THE
Theological Seminary,
PRINCETON, N. J.
Case, C^S--S--^. OiviV •
Shelf, 30^__:D Sec
Booh, N«
A N
ILLUSTRATION
OF SEVERAL
Texts of SCRIPTURE,
PARTICULARLY
Ttiofe in which the LOGOS occurs.
The Subflance of Eight SERMONS Preached
"iathe Cathedral Church of St. P a u l, in the
Years 1764 and 1765..
At the Appo'ntment of
M«*^-I 1^, A T H C O T E,
')y Perr.ilffion of the
Lord^Bifnop of LONDON;
For the Ledure Founded by Lady M O Y E R.
To wh'ch are added
T W O TRACTS
Relative to an
INTERMEDIATE STATE.
By BENjAMINiyAWSON, L. L. D.
Rector of Burgh in Suffolk.
Provi all rhin^(, hold fafi that which is Good. St. Paul.
L O N D O N:
Printed for the AUTHOR, and So\d by A. Millar, in t!>c S-ranr' -.
J. Kivi\GTo\, St. Paul's. Chiirth-vard; J. V/avgh, r/^-M-^a
Street; J. DoDSLKY, Pali-Ma. I; T. Eecket and P. i,v il^Nbi.
in the Strand. MDCCLXV
-^
T O
The Right Rever 672(1 Father in G OD^
p
I L
Lord Bishop of
NOR
I C I-L
Aly LORD,
N lubmittinp- to the Perufal
of the Public the follow-
ing: Difcourfes, which are the
Sub-
The D E D I C A T I O N.
Subftance of the hzdyJkfoyer^s
Ledlures, I have honoured
myfelf v/ith addreffing them
to your Lordftiip. I fliould
not have had the Affurance
to do it, but after taking all
due Pains with the Subject.
Fully confcious of this, I
hope for your Lordftiip's In-
dulgence in what is meant
for the Intereft of Religion
m
The DEDICATION,
in general, and the true Ser-
vice of our Church in parti-
cular,
I amy
My LORD,
Tour Lordship's
Mofl Obedient
and Mojl
Humble Servant
Benjamin Dawson.
THE
PREFACE
TO THE
LE CTURES.
IN the Courfe of the following
Leclures I have undertaken to
prove from Scripture thefe three Po-
rtions, I. That He v/ho redeemed
us w^as very God, manifefted in the
FleOi ; not the Firft of created Bc-^
ings united to an human Bodj^, nor
a 7nere Man, in v/hom the Fuhiefs
of the Godhead dwelt not. 2. That
Je/iis Chi-ift was indeed peifecv Man,
" of a reafonable Soul and human
'^Flelli
viii PREFACE.
« Flelli fubhfting ;" but that Man
in whom God himfelf and no other
Being, in Nature inferior, dwelt.
3 . That the Holy Ghojl is of a Na-
ture perfeBly divine ; not a diftinct
and feparate Being from the Father
Almighty, inferior both to Him and
the Son, but true and ve?y God ; or,
in other Words, that He, who hath
fa72Bifedy is one and the fame God
with Him that created and redee^ned
us. In proving thefe three Things
and illufrrating many Paffages of
Scripture relative thereto, I hope I
fr.all be thought, if not to have de-
fended, at leaft to have proceeded
upon
PREFACE.
IX
upon a Method, not lefs juft than
NEW, of defending the Dodrines of
the Church of Englajid on this lead-
ing Subjed: of our holy Religion.
This I may hope for from a few can-
did and attentive Readers.
At the fame Time, in venturing
a Performance of this Kind into the
World, I am not infenfiblc cither to
the Contempt, which, in tiie prefent
h^z^ is like cnoucrh to be fhcv/n for
it^ or to the fevere Refledions which
may be made upon it. But, though
I fliould ill bear the One or the Ochcr
from the fenfibleand judiciousReader,
I atn the lefs difcouraged at the Prof-
b pea
X PREFACE.
pe6i; of meeting with both, on confi-
de rhig what Sort of Perfons I can
pcffibly offend J and from whom alone
Contempt ought to mortify an Author.
Ill Nature only, or Bigotry, which
perhaps is but a Species of ill Nature,
can take Offence at any Thing I have
faid ; And, as for Contempt from that
Quarter whence I moft expect it, from
thofe, I mean, who, difregarding all
Religion, look upon all religious Sub-
jects as equally contemptible, it re-
auires no g-rcat Fortitude of Mind to
fuftain it.
There is one Thing which may
feem to the candid part of my Readers
to
PREFACE, xi
to want fome Apology from me ;
This is, the Ule of the Terms, Aricms^
Socinians^ &c. for wliich I have this
to fay, that I ufe them not often, and
7ievcr by way of Reproach upon tliofe
Denominations of Chriftians, but bc-
caufe they ferve to exprefs without a
tedious Repetition theDodrines under
Coniideration.
>^^^^^^t^^^^^^^^mmMMm0M^i:mmmm
THE
CONTENTS:
THAT the Being who fpake and
wrought in the Man Chrijl Jefiis had
true and perfect Divinity.
Isaiah xI. 3.
Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, make ftraight
in the Defcrt a Highicay for ciir God.
Page I
The Divinity of our Redeemer.
Mark, i 2.
Behold, I fend my Mejenger before thy Face^
'which fuall prepare thy ¥/ay before ihce,
27
CONTENTS.
A Critical DiiTertation on the Logos,
John i. i, 2, 3.
In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word
ivas with Gody and the fFord was God.
The fame was in the Beginnijig with God.
All Things were made by Him ; and without
Him was not any Thing made that was
made, Page SS
The HoJsj'GhoJl in Nature and EfTence not
inferior to God.
I C o R. xii. 4, 5j 6.
Now there are Diverfuies cj Gijts but the fame
Spirit.
And there are Differences of AdminijlrationSj
but the fame Lord.
And there are Diverfities of Operations, but
it is the fame God which worketh all in all.
HZ
The
CONTENTS.
The Human Nature of yefus Chrifi.
I T I M. ii. 5.
For There is One God, and one Mediator he^
tween God and Men-j the Man Chrijl
Jtfus. Page 167
The proper Ufe of Reafon in judging of
revealed Dodrrines, applied particularly to
the Dodrine of the Church of Englatul
concerning the "Jrinit'j.
Job xi. 7.
Canft I'hcu by Jcar cling jlnd old God f Canjl
thoufnd cut the Ahnigh"j unto Verj chiton.
PvCiyiarkG on Mr. Steffl^s Lccier, concerniiig
the State of the Soul en Death, 2.' 5
Remaiks on Mr. Steffc's Brief Bejettce, 275
Hjh^-j^^^Si-iS^^^-Jgs-*- •^if^^''^^'^^^^^^^^^^
^-a
THE
D I V I N I T Y
OF OUR
REDE E MER.
c^o$oc5o(^ojoo55cc$o o5oo$oo$oo$oojoo$o o$oo$oojoc$oojo ojoojcojocjo
Isaiah XL. 3.
Prepare ye the Way of the Lord^ make jlralght
in the Defert a High-'way for our God,
AL L the Evangelifls have quoted
thisPaflage and applied it to Chrlfl.
The Titles therefore of Lord and
God are given to the Perfon that redeemed^
B equally
2 The Divinity of our Redeemer,
equally with the Perfon that created u?. And,
that thefe Titles are given to him, not as a
mere Man eminently diftinguiflied above his
Fellows, as the Socinians hold ; nor yet as
a Being of a fuperior Nature, above the
Angels themfelves, and inferior only to God,
but that they refped: God himfelf, and no
oditr Beings in this Application of them to
the Perfon of our Redeemer^ it fiiall be my
Bufinefs in this Difcourfe to prove.
Let it bs obferved then, that they are
throughout Scripture appropriated to God
alone, and intended to reprefent to the Minds
of Men the One fapreme Being. It is no
juft Objedion to this Remark,that the former
of thefe Titles is fometimes ufed in addreffing
mere human Beings, diflinguiflied'by their
Station in Life j nor, that Magiftrates, and
thofc to whom the V/ord of the Lord came,
are fometimes called Gods^ fo long as no (jne
of the Scripture Worthies is to be found
lliled
Tihe Dhimty of our Redeemer, ^
/tiled in fo abfolute a Manner as in my Text,
The Lord, or, Onr God. Here thefe Titles
mofl manifeftly refpedt the almighty Ruler
of the World, the living and true God, he-
fides whom there is no other : and yet all
the EvangellfTs, as I have obferved, accom-
modate thePafTage to the Coming of Chrift.
I fhall only produce the Quotation of St.
Mar/: ; The Beginriifig of the Go/pel of Jefus
Chrifly the Son of God, as it is written in the
Prophets^ Behold, I fend my Meffe?jger, before
thy Face, which fJ:all prepare thy ivay before
thee. "The Voice of one cryi?ig in the Wildenjefs,
Prepare ye the ll'ay of ibe Lord, 77iake his
Paths ftraight, Mark i. i, 2, 3.
Both thefe Quotations refped the Mani-
feftation of the Power of God himfelf. The
former, as it ftands in Malachi iii. i. con-
tains a Declaration of the Almighty, con-
cerning himfelf. Behold, 1 will fend my Mef-
fenger, and he fl:all prepare the Way before
B 2 me
4 ^e Divinity of our Redeemer,
me. But the Evangelift, you fee, quotes
this Paffage, as the Words of the Father
Almighty to his Son, the Chrifl. I fend my
Meffenger before thy Face which fhall 'prepare
thy Way before thee, fohn the Baptift, there-
fore, was a Mellenger before the Lord^ to
prepare his Way, to make flraight in the
Dtfert, a high Way for our God^ as it is
exprefled in my Text, who was about to
make known to Men that Gofpel of Grace,
which had lain hid from the Foundation of
the World. Thefe Titles, therefore, refped
notChrift, as 2i7nereM2S\, but Gd?^ himfelf,
as about to manifcft himfelf in the Flefh, that
is, by the Man, Chrift Jefus.
Nor is the Notion of the Arians more
folid ; nay, to me it appears much more
Fanciful and Chimerical, than that of the
Socinians. They fuppofe that thefe Titles
refpedt neither a mere Man, nor yet the per-
fedi Divinity, but are applied to Chrift Jefus
on
J'be Divinity of our Redeemer, ^
on Account of fome very exalted Dignity
which he held under the Father in a pre-
cxiftent State. But the Scriptures reprtfent
not our Saviour under fuch a Character,
which indeed would fuppofe a Plurality of
Gods, viz. One infinite and eternal, the
other limited and originated. Nor can I fee
that fuch a Scheme of Theology differs, * in
this Refpe(5t, from that of the heathen World,
who fuppofcd that there was one God in^
deed fupreme^ but that there were otlier
Beings alfoofa divine Nature, Agents in the
Government of the World under him.
It
* In Dezrce it doth, the Number cf t'^e Heathen Del-
ties being much greater. T\iQ ^alities ox mordX Attri-
butes moreover afcribei to thv m, make an important and
efTentiai Differei.ce, and the giofs Worfliip rendered to
them in confequence thereof, but this the two Schemes fecm
to me to have in Con:mon, vl^. what hgenerally utiderftood
by a Plurality < . f G od s .
The Arians indeed may argue that they acknowledge but
One God, inaimu^h as thry hold that the Father ^a/Tc is un-
ilmited'm Power, which Attribute is eflential intheldeaofa
God. But if fo, then by parity of Argument, the Heathen
Theology was not aPlurallty oiGods; for all were eftecmed
fulyject to the Wijl of Jove.
6 The 'Divinity oj our Redeemer,
It will facilitate the Refutation of this
Opinion to confider the Ground of it, which
I take to be this, 'viz, '' that God is faid to
" have Jent his Son into \htJVorld?'
O N this, and the like Expreffions, the
Arian Hypothelis feems to be grounded j
and, though attempted to be fupported by
various Texts, yet would never, I think, have
been broached, or, indeed formed, had it
not been for this. " If, they reafon, God
" fent his Son into the JVorld^ then it is plain
*« i\\2Xf9me other Being than God came into the
" World J fince it is abfurd to fay, that God
'' Jent himfclf." But when the Scriptures
fpeak of Jefub Chrifl: being Je?it into the
World, they always refer to his^ Commijjion
from God to minider to the World, that
is, to Men, and refped not the Time either
of his Birth or Conception. In like rpanner,
yahn the Baptlft, is faid to hejhit from God,
when he came to preach the Baptifm of Re-
pentance,
^he Divinity of our Redeemer. 7
pentance. So that from an Expreflion of this
kind there is no Ground to fuppofe that
any other Being than God himfelf, in the
Terjbn of Chrift, wrought out our Salvation
by his almighty Power manifefted on
Earth.
But having thus from a miftaken Ex-
preffion once formed the Notion of Chrift's
exifting in a prior State, a diftind: Being from
God, and inferior to him alone, they then
fancied that thefe Tides of Lord and God^
might with fome Propriety be applied to
him. Accordingly, they fuppofe that this
exalted Perfonage was the fame that appeared
to Abraham y and the Patriarchs of old, and
that he is ftiled, the Lord God % or, (as they
fancifully tranflate JehovahAleim) iWJchovah
of God ; as if thefe Terms import two dif^
tin5l and fcparate Lei^'gs^ viz. the one, ths
alra'ghty
8 ^he Divinity of our Redeemer.
almighty Ruler of the World, the other,
the Meffiah, inferior^ but next In Dig-
nity to him : An Error of Interpretation,
fimilar to the above-mentioned; for, when
God is faid to appear to any of the Patriarchs,
we are not fo to underftand it, as if they
had, or could have, a vifible Reprefentation
of Him, but only that he fignified his Will
unto them, either in a Vifion, or byfome
Sign, cr by an Angel. If they underflood
that the MeiTage was from Heaven, the
Lord Gcd was faid to have appeared to them ;
but that Appellation refpedts not the Appear^
ance itfelf, the vifible Reprefentation, but is
the Title of the fupreme Being, whofe Will
was reveakd unto them. Or, if the Tranf-
lation may be admitted, then the Jehovah
of God, can mean only the Angel of the
Lord, without any Foundation for fuppoiing
it to mean the Lord Chrift.
Having
^be Divinity of our Redeemer i g
Having thus fhewn, that the Titles which
©ccur in my Text applied by the Evangelills
to our Redeemer, always refped: one and the
fame Being, even the Supreme-, 1 fhall nov/
endeavour to fhew that ft was Go^himfelf, and
not an inferior Being, that was manifcflcd to
the World in Flefh. This I propofe to evince,
I. From the Reprefentation given of what
is generally termed, the Incarnation of thQ Son
of God.
IL From theTeftimony of the Evangelifts
and Apoftlesj and
III. From the Teftimony of Chrifthimfelf.
For the Firfl, viz. the Incarnation^
C St;
I o T^he Divimty of our Redeemer^
St .Matthew's Account thereof is as follows.
Now the Birth of Jefus Chrifl was on this wife,
When as his Mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph,
he fore they came together ^Jhe was found with Child
of the Holy Ghost, Matt, i. 1 8. And again.
Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy JFife-^ for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost*
verfe 20.
This is a plain and fimple Account of the
Humanity of Chrift. He was born of a Wo-
man, partook of human Nature,and was made
Flefli, that is, was perfed Man. Yes, the
Arians will acknowledge that he was madeF/t/?';
*' but then to this Flejhy or Man, fay they, was
** united, a Bei?ig of afuperior Nature to Man,
* * even ^jGod, who was not indeed from all Eter-
^/ jiity,but before all other Beings whatfoever,
" the Supreme alone excepted, to whom he is
^he Divinity of our Redeemer, ^ 1 1
" inferior^''' — But, does this Account which
St. Matthew gives of the Incarnation, fuppofc
an Union of the human Nature with any fuch
Being? Isitnotexprcfly aflerted, that that which
wa<? conceived in the Virgin Mary^ was of the
Holy Gho/i^ And again, at the 23dverfe, it is
faid, They fnall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted, is God with u<. No
Mention is here made of any other than two
Natures, i)iz. the one perfeSih Human, the
other perfe^ly Divine.
St. Luke gives much the fame Account of
the Incarnation of our Saviour. I'be Angel
anfwered and faid unto her^ The Holy Ghoft
fhiill come upon thee^ and the Power of the
Higheft fhall overjhadow thee : therefore alfo that
Holy Thing which Jh all be born of thee^ shall be
called the Son of God, Luke i. 35. Jefua
Chriil in this Place is called the Son of God,
C 2 not
12 Hje Divinity of our Redeemer,
not on Account of any fecondary Dignity
which he held under God in a prior State
of Exigence, or becaufe he was created by
God before all other Beings, but becaufe he
was begotten of the Virgin Mary^ by the
Power of the Moft High. It was the Moft
High that raifed up for us a fpiritual Deli-
verer, even the Man Chrift Jefus, in whom
alfo He was manifefting himfelf to the
>Vorld.
Thus it appears from the Account given
us of the exception and Birth of Chrift,
that there is no Ground for fuppofing, that a
Beings who in a pre-exiftent State was diflind
from, and inferior to God, took our Nature
upon him, or v^^as united to Humanity.
Let us now confidcr in the fecond Place,
Whether the Evangelifts afcribe our Redemp-
tion
^e Dhintty of our Redeemer. i j
tion to any other Being than to Gcd himfelf,
operating in the Man Chi id Jefus. And the
Quotation of my Text by all the Evangf hfts,
is one full Proof that they do not. For
undoubtedly the Prophet fpeaks of the Mo/t
High God, when he crieth out, Prepare ye
the Way of the Lord ; nor can we, Without
the greateO: Force upon the Words, fuppofe
that yohn the Baptift meant any other Berttg^
for whom the World was called upon to pre-
pare a Way, than Him, who is fpoken of
by the Prophet Ifaiah, and who was about
to manifeft himfelf in the Fleshy even GW,
\n Chrifl»
Again, the Evangel ids ever reprcfent
Jefus Chrift as working by the Power of
God alone, and thofe that believed on him, as
convinced that God and no other Being was
with him. Thus, when our Lord faid to
the
14 77j^ Divinity efotir Redeemer*
the Man afBidled with the Palfy, Son, thy Sim
be forgiven thee -, they fay, fFho can forgive
Sins but God only ? Mark ii. 5, 7. They were
fure that this was the Prerogative of the Mofi
HighjZnd therefore theObjcdion to theWords
of Chrift, as blajpbemous, was well founded,
if they were pronounced by One, that had
not the Power of God himfelf. But when
the People faw the Miracle, which Chrift
wrought on this Occafion, they were con-
vinced that he had the Power of forgiving
Sins, and accordingly glorified God. They
were far from giving Glory to any other
Being than to the Mo/I High -, nor could it
ever enter their Heads, that it was not Gody
but fome Angel or Demi-God, united to Hu-
manity that wrought the Cure.
In another Place, when ouv Saviour reftored
a dead Perfon to Life, it is faid, tbat there
catne
The- Divinity of cur Redeemer, j 5
came a Fear on all ; and they glorified Cod, fay^
ingy That a great Prophet is rifen up among us ;
and. That Godhatb vifited his People. Luke viL
16. It was a Man, the Man Chrift Jefus, that
touched the Bier, and faid, l^oimg Man arife.
But it was God alone that gave Life to the
Dead. It was the Power of the Almighty ,
and not of any finite Being, which accom-
panied and gave Efficacy to the Command,
Accordingly, the Power which manifeiled it-
felf in Chrift Jefus is ftiled on another Oc-
cafion, the mighty Power of God. And Jefus
rebuked the unclean Spirit, and healed the Child,
ajid delivered him again to his Father, And they
were all a?nazed at the mighty Power of God.
Luke ix. 42, 43.
There is a flill more remarkable
Paflage to this Purpofe in the fame Evangc-
Hft. And one of them, nehen be faw that he
wa>
1 6 The Dhi?iify of our Redeemer,
was healed^ turned back^ and with a loud Voice^
glorified God ; a?id fell on his Face at his
Feety giving him Thanks. Luke xvii. 1 5. The
Glory was not given to Chrift, as a very great
and mighty Being, above Man, but inferior to
God. The Glory v^^as given to God, to the
divine "N a.turQj perfeSlIy Divine j and Gratitude
was the Tribute which he payed to Chrift as
Man. He fell down on his Face at his Feet,
giving him T^hanks,
St. John begins his Gofpel with this af-
fertion, viz. In the Beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, .■qnd the l^Tord
was God. Divines generally underftand by
the IFord, the Perfon of Jefus Chrift. And,
if this be the Meaning of it, then, one would
think, nothing can be conceived to be a more
exprefs Declaration of the Equality of the
Son with the Faiher, as to his Divinity; fince
the
^he Dtvim'iy of our Redeemer, 17
the Evangelift alTertcth in plain Terms, the
Word was God,
But, " No, (fay the Arians) the Word
** was not equal to the Father Almighty,
** though he be alTerted to be God. He had
** a divine Nature, (they will allow) but not
" One that was perjeBly Divine, being inferior
*^ in that refpedl to God'' If you afk them
the Reafon for an Interpretation fo incongru-
ous with the Words of St. 'John^ they think it
a fufficient Anfwcr, *' that it could never be
** the Intention of the Evangelifl to aflert
" that there are two Gods." But they
(hould confider that he alTerts no fuch Thing,
even fuppofing the Tranflation to be juft. For
it is not faid, that the Word is a differejit Being
from God, equal in every refpe<fl. T^at
would be to affert the Exiftence of two Gods.
D But
1 8 The Divinity of cur Redeemer,
But the Allertion of the Evangelifl is, that the
Word was that very Being whom wc under-
ftand by the Term, God. I argue now on the
Suppofition, that theTranflation above men-
tioned, is the true One, and that by the Word,
is meant, the Per/on of Chrift, as moll Divines
both Trinitarians and Arians underftand it.
I think however, both have mifunderftood
this Paflage. There is no Occafion to take
the Word here in a different Senfe from that
v/hich it bears in other Places of Scripture,
viz. the Go/pel. And this Senfe of it, which
is moft natural, will leave the Arians no
Advantage from this Quarter, and confirm the
Do£trine of our Church, viz. that God, and
no other Being, is our Saviour, and has been
manifefted to the World in the Flefli, by the
Man Chrift Jefus. But of this more fully
in a future Difcourfe.
The Divinity of our Redeemer. ig
Nicode?Tius came to Jtf js and expreflVd his
Belief that he had the Power of the Ahmghty,
Rabbi J we know that thou art a Teacher come
from God, that is, commiffioned oj God to
teach. And how did he know this ? For no
Man^ fays he, can do thefe Miracles that thou
do/} J except God be ii'ith hi ?n. John iii. 2, Ni-
ccdemusfawz Man work Miracles. He was fure
this could not be by any Power belonging to
mere Humanity ; he was convinced that it
could not be but by the Power of the Moji
High, He had no Notion of any fuperior
created B(i\n^j refiding in, or united to the
Body of Chrift, by whom thefe Works were
done. It was evident to him that they were
the Works of the Almighty himfelf.
From the Heprefentatlon therefore which
the Evangelifts have given us of Jefus Chrift
D 2 and
% o ^he Divinity of our Redeemer,
and the Power which manifefted itfclf in
him, it appears, that we have good Reafon
to afcribe to the Author of our Salvation
eternal Power and Godhead* The Socinians
may declaim ever fo much againft rendering
to a mere Mortal that Worfhip which is
due to God alone 5 and they are juftified in
witholding it themfelves, But if they fuppofe
that our Church Warrants fuch kind of Wor-
fhip, they are under a grofs Miftake, and in
rcprefenting Her in fo odious a Light, they
wajat that Charity towards Her, which is
above all Faith, being the Bond of Perfedlnefs,
The Church of England acknowledges no
God but One, nor any Worfhip to be due
but to the One only living and true God,
She acknowledges the Humanity of Chrift,
and has ever ftrenuoully maintained that
Dodrine j at the fame Time fhe difallows
pf divine Honours being rendered to him on
that
The Divinity of our Redeemer, 2 1
that Account. Whatever Gratitude be due
to him as Man (and the Higheil, no doubt,
is due) Her Adoration neither terminates in,
nor is in any Meafure directed to an Arm of
Flefh, but refpeds the Divinity itfelf, which
was manifefted in the Flefli, even Him^ by
whofe Power the Sick were healed, the Lame
walked, the Bhnd faw, and the Deaf heard ;
Him, whofe mighty Power ftilled the raging
of the Winds and the Waves by a Word,
which called forth Lazarus ^ after four Days
Interment, from the Grave, and (why need
I mention any other Inftance of its perfedfly
divine Efficacy?) which raifed the Man Chrift
Jefus from the Dead, and which He exercifes
with full Authority to the well governing of
his Church wwrj^r/^/ both now and ever.
Let
22 The Divinity. of eur Redeemer,
Let the Arians on the other Hand cxprefs
what Abhorrence they will of the Docflrlne of
the Trinity, as Idolatrous, and ever fo great
Aftonifhment, that any fhould believe it; it
would be extremely aftoniiliing (but that we
fee an intemperate Zeal will admit no cool
Confideration of any Point) that they fhould
confider it in this unfavourable Light, and
not fee that their own Notion borders more
upon the Error objeded againfl:. Which, I
would ask, favours moft of Polytheifm ? To
fuppofe that there is cne God, the great Crea-
tor and Father of all, that ihtjame redeemed
us in the Perfon of Chrift, and JanBified
us by his Holy Spirit, being one and the farne
eternal and uncreated Bei?2g ? Or, that thef?
are three J//?/«<^ Beings and fcparately exiftent,
theO;?^ uncreated and eternal, viz. our Ora-
tor ; the other, a Creature, next to God in
Dignity,
^he Divinit'j of our Redeemer, a 3
Dignity, but not perje6i God, viz, our Re-
deemer ; and the Third, a ftlU injerior Being
to either, yet above the Argels, viz, the
Holy Ghoft, our SanBifier ? 1 am fure the
former is the Dodlrine of the Church of
England; and, if the latter be not the Doc-
trine of the Arians, I (hall be forry to have
mifreprefented them : For in this View of it,
the Dodlrine appears very unfcriptural^ to fay
the lead of it. I mean not by this Reprefen-
tation to retort the invidious Refledion which
has been caft upon our Church j nor, is it my
Intention, my Brethren, in mentioning the
fame, to excite in you a Spirit of Retaliation,
but only to guard you againft being mifled
by fo injurious an Objedion, importing the
heavieft of Charges, into unfavourable Senti-
ments of the cftablilhed Dodlrines, vi^hich,
rightly underftood, will be found to be pure
and fcriptural. And it is your Duty there-
fore
ij^ Tbe £>ivimty of our Redeemer:
fore to receive, what has been faid, In the
Spirit of Meeknefs and Charity towards thofc
that differ from us. Let us hold our holy
Faith, firm and unmoved by the fubtle
Devices of thofe that would undermine \u
or the bold Attacks of Infidelity. For be af-
fured, our Faith, held in the Bonds of Peace
and Love, will be fafer and better fecured to
us, than it can be by the furious Tran(ports
of a blind Zeal. So pure a Faith defer ves
our warm Attachment to it, and a jealous Con-
cern for its Support under the continual and
various Attacks of its Adverfaries. But let
not a fufpicion of its Danger ever betray us
iiito an uncharitable Opinion of our Oppo-
nents, and in Confequence thereof, into un-
chriflian and unwarrantable Meafures of De-
fence ; knawing this, that an Oppofition to
the mofl Orthodox faith, grounded on Er-
ror alone, and not conducted by a Spirit of
Con-
*Ihe Divhiity of our "Redeemer. 25
Contention, is far lefs culpable in the Sight
of Almighty God, than the Maintenance of
the fame on the Principles of Perfecution.
Now to the One God, our Creator, Re-
deemer and Sandtifier, be afcribed all Honour,
Might, Majefly and Piaiie, World without
end. Amen.
E
THE
D I V I N I T Y
O F O U R
RED E E M E Tv.
•0»«0M«C003C«O*0009C00900e6eC0«»Mfl0(>30C««000«eCCC5C<>00C<0O0COCCC«e«C<M'e0«00OCft0C40CC«0CO»0««S»
Mark I. 2.
Behold 1 fend ?ny MeJJejiger before thy face,
ivhich fJmll prepare thy Way hejore thee.
'T"^ HE MelTenger here alluded to, is "John
-*" the Baptin. But who is that Being,
before whom he was fent to prepare the Way ?
Out Savicurfiod himfelfjand no other iiifnior
Being. But doth not the Almighty (lor they
E 2 are
i8 'The Divinity of our Redeemer:
are his Words) fpeak to fome Per (on diftindi
from himfelf, when he faith, Before thy Face
which fiall prepare thy Way before thee? To
this, I anfwer, that the Evangelift, no Doubt,
by theTurn he has given to this Pafrage,quoted
from theProphets, has himfelf preferved, and
marks to us thejuft DijlinBionio be made be-
tween the Ferfon of the iv7/Zvr,and f^<2/of the
Son. Neverthelefs, it cannot be his Intention,
by thisDiftinftion, to divide the Godhead^ io as
to reprefent the Father and the Son, as two
Gods, nor yet to reprefent the latter as a
different Being from God, inferior to him,
though fuperiorto all others 5 nor laftly, as a
mere Man, in whom the Fuhiefs of the Godhead
dwelt not. For, the fame Bei?ig, which the
Prophet Malachi (from whom the Quotation
is made) fpeaks of, muil: be meant by Si.Mark-,
and that Beings is God himfelf ^ and no inferior
One, who was about tomanifcft himlelfin the
Flefli,
"The Divinity of our Redeemer . 29
Flefli, that is, by thtMan Chrift Jefus. The
Words of the Prophet, fpeaking in the Name
of the Lord, are as follows ; Behold ^ I will fend
my Meffenger, and he floall prepare the Way
before me: which evidently refpeds the Ma-
nifeftation of Almighty God,
I H AVE in a preceeding Difcourfe adduced
fome Proofs of the Divinity of our Saviour ;
particularly from the Titles which are given
to him, o^Lord, and God; from the Account
of the Incarnation, and the concurrent Tefli-
mony of the fourEvangelifts. In thislpropofe
to purfue theVindication of this great Dodrine
of our Church on the Teftimony of the
Apoftlcs.
St. Peter faith, Jefus of Nazareth, a Man
approved of God among you b-^ Miracles, ajid
Wonders, and Signs, which God did by him in
the midft of you, as you yourjehcs alfo kno^^
Ads
30 ^be Divinity of cur Redeemer.
A(5ls ii. 22. Here then we have the Teftlmo-
ny of the Apoftle for the FerfeB Humanity of
Ghrift Jefus, and the "P erf e5i Divinity of that
Power which operated in Him, Accordingly,
both Feter and 'John, when they had wrought
a miraculous Cure on a lame Man in the ISIamt
of Jefus Ch rift, difclaim all Power in them-
felves of working fuch a Cure and afcribe it
wholly to the mofl: High God and not to fome
inferior Being operating in the Man Chrifl
Jefus. Why look ye /o earne/lly on us as though l>y
our oivnPcwer or Holi?2efSj ive had made this Man
to walk? TheGod of Abraham, and of Jfaac^ and of
facoh^ the God of our Fathers, has glorified his
Sonjefusj whom ye delivered up ^^c. Aifls. iii.i2.
And again J Be it known unto you all, and to all
the People oj Ifrael, that by the Name of Jefus
Chrift of Nazareth ^whom ye crucified, whom God
raifed from the Dead, even by Him doth this
Man fl and here before you wboki AO:s iv.io. So
that
'The Divi?iity of our Redeemer. 3 1
that it was by the very fame Beivg whoraifed
the Man Ch.rifl: Jefus ;rom the Dead, that this
Miracle was wrought, and that is God, and not
any other Ferfon of an intermediate Nature
between God and Man, united to Humanity.
To the fame Being the Apoftle means to
afcribe this Almighty Power, when he fays of
Chrifl in another Place, He went about doing
Good, and Healing all that were opprejfed of the
Devil I for (he adds) God was with him. Ads.
X. 38.
And thus we fee, that though the Power
of working Miracles is fometimes afcribed to
Godxht Father y and at other Times to his Son
the Chrift, yet the Apoaiesby this Dlftindion
ot the Ferfcns mean net to afcribe it to any
other than to the Cne fupreme Being, th&
eternal ?.nd undivided Godhead. And wc
might
3 2 The Divinitv of our Redeemer.
might with as muchReafon attribute O/z^Spirit
to Pauli that planted^ and another to ApoUos
th'd watered (though we are told it is God alone
that givcth the Increafe)as^mV^ and Jeparate
that eternal and unchangeable Effence,
v/hich viiOne and the fame Spirit^ the (ame
Lord, and thtfame God, under all the Diver-
fities of Giffs, Differences of Adminifl^rations,
or Diverfities of Operations 3 as St. Paul has
exprefTed it. Now there are Diverfities of Gijts
but the fame Spirit. And there are Differences
of Admim/ira.'ions, but the fame Lord. And
there are Diverfities of Operations -^ but it is the
fame God, which worketh all in all, i Cor.
xii. 4.
The fame Apoftle has cxprefly afferted,
that God was in Chrift, reconciling the World
unto himfpf, 2 Cor. v. 19. Will it be faid
here (as it hath been faid of another Text of
Scripture)
The Divinity of our Redeemer, ^^
$cv\^tnxQ)yohn ui. i\i2itih.Q fupremeBcmg is not
meant, but fomc other Being, ofsiDivine Na-
ture, and next indeed to, but not perfect God;
for that the Greek Article o would in that
Cafe have been affixed to the Word Osoj ?
Were we to admit fuch a Piece of Criticifm as
this, what an Abfurdity would rife out of it to
Difgrace our Religion! For once, however, be
it fuppofed to be juft, that we may fee the
Confequence. Not God, true and very God
was in Chrift, but only a God, that is to fay,
fome Being, whoj how great foever, was yet
inferior to the Supreme, and united toHumafiity.
And what then (let me afk) was this exalted
Perfonage,this Demi-God doing in Chrift r He
was reconciling theWorld untoHi mfelf Needs
fuch an Objedtion to the Divinity of our Re-
deemer, founded on fo futile a Criticifm, be
fliewn in any other Light to expofe theWeak-
.^nefs of it? For furely, it is to no other than
F God,
^4 '^f^^ Dmnit^ of our Redeemer,
God himrelf, that Almighty Being whom we
had offended, that we were reconciled by
Chriil ; the fame that is ftiled, the God of
(5/^;-LordJefus Chrift, the Father of Glory-y Eph.
\, I J. whofe mighty Power, the Apoftle af-
ferts wrought hi Chriji, when he raifed him
from the Dead and fet him at his own right
Hand in the heave7ily Places, far above all
Principality y and Power , and Mighty a)id Domi-
nion-, and every Name that is ?iamedy not only in
this World, but alfo in that which is to come.
And hath put alllhings ufider his Feel-y and gave
him to he the Head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body, the Fulnefs c/Him thatfll-
cthall in all, ver.20, &c. A Defcription this of
that mighty Power which wrought in Chrift,
and which is ftill exercifed by him to the
jTOvernino; his Church univerfal, that muft
convince every one (if It be in the Power of
Language to do it) that it WJls the Attribute of
the
^he Dhinity of our Redeemer, 35
the Almighty himfelf, the One ever-living and
true God.
But the moft direa: Teftlmony againft
the Arian Notion, that the Son of God was
an exalted Perfonage of a Nature fuperior
to that of Men and Angels, but infe-
rior to the Divine, is that which follows,
viz. 'There is one God and one Mediator be-
tween God and Men, the Man Chriji Jefys,
iTim. ii.5. There is no mention made, nay,
there is an exprefs Negation in this Paflagc
of any fuch intermediate Being between God
and the Angels, or rather, between the Father
and the Holy Ghoft. None other mediated
between God and Men, than the Man Chrifl
Jefus, PerfeB Man, <«tG?<y^of, and in whom
was no other than God, PerfeB God. For
in him dwelt the Fulnefs of the Godhead
bodily, Col, ii. 9.
F 2 Accord-
5 5 ^e Divinity of oui^ Redeemer •
Accordingly, the fame Apoftle in his
Epiftle to T/V«j, attributeth our Salvation to
God alone, to One and the fame Being, giving
the Title notwithftanding of Saviour, both to
the Father and the Son . According to the Com -
mandment (fays he) oj God our Saviour. —
Grace, Mercy and Peace, from God the Father
and the Lordjefus Chriji our Saviour,Tit.i.3,4.
^hat they may adorn the HoBrine of God our
Saviour in all Things. For the Grace o/God that
hringeth Salvation. — Locking for that blejjed
Hope, and the glorious Appearing oj the great
God, and our Saviour Jefus Chriji, Tit.
ii. 10, II — 13. — But after that the Kindnefs
and Love of God our Saviour towards Men
appeared -, not by Works of Right eoufnefs which
we have done, but according to his Mercy, he
faved us by the wafhing of Regeneration and re-
newing of the Holy Ghofl^ which hejhed on us
abund-
^he Divimfy of our Redeemer, 37
abundantly thro' Jcfus Chrift our Saviour, T;V.iii,
4iS>^' ^°^ therefore is the Author of our Sal-
vation jand fhould it be made an Objedion to
this Dodrine, that Chriji alfo is faid to be out
Saviour, I anfv/er, it is fo faid, becaufe God
faved us by being manifefted in the Flefh or
by the Man Chrift Jefus. For we have
not two Saviours in our Religion, one of
which is God, and the other a mereM^n, or
fome other Being of an Angelick Nature.
We have One Saviour only, and that is God
in Chrift.
Time would fail me to enumerate every
Paflage of Scripture to this Purpofe. Nor
need I quote more, if thofe, which have
been already adduced, appear (as I think,
they muft appear, the Force of them impar-
tially confidered) fufficient Proofs of the Di-
vinity of our Saviour. Other Texts more
com-
3 8 The Divinity of our Redeemer, -
commonly infifted upon in treating this
SubjedV, I have purpofely omitted ; becaufe,
how much ftrongcr foever they may feem at
firfl View, than thofe I have produced in fup-
port of this Tenet, yet theTranflation, the Ge-
nuinenefs of the Text, or the Senfe of them,
has been with fome Reafon queftioned by
the Learned, and occafioned, though with^
out Reafon, fome Triumph to our Oppo-
nents. One of thefe is in the ninth Chapter
of the Epiftle to the Romans , at the fifth
Verfe j Chrijl camc^ who is over all, God
blcffcd for every Amen, This Text, no Doubt,
fuppofing the Reading to be genuine, and the
Tranflation juft, is as ftrong a Proof as can
be brought, that Chrift, as to his Divinity, is
pet^feB God, But it becomes Weaknefs to
urge it, after it has been obferved by the
learned Grotius^ that the Word (God) is not
in the Greek Copies ufed by the Author of
the
^he Divinity cj our "Redeemer, 39
the Syriac. The Copies of St. Cypria?}^ St.
Hilary^ and St. Chryfojiom, want it. And
granting it to be the genuine Reading, yet
both Erafmus and Curcellaus have tranflated
it, not, " Chrift came, who is over all, God
" blefled for ever j" but, " Chrift came ;
" God who is over all be blefled for ever,
" Amen." And indeed our Tranflators have
thus rendered feveral fimilar Paflages in the
Original, 2 Cor, i. 3. Eph, i. 3,
With more Judgment has another Text
been adduced by the Defenders of the Trini-
tarian Do6lrine, viz. God was ?}ianif(ft in the
Flep ; I Tim. iii.i6.Yet as this has been quef-
tionedj withRefpeft to the Genuinenefs of the
Reading, and even afierted to be a wilful Cor-
ruption (though, for my own Part I think
without Reafon) I have chofen to omit urging
it in Proof of the Point in Queftion ; judging it
much
40 ne Divinity of our Redeemer.
much better to cut off all occafion of Con-
troverfy from our Adverfaries, and of Doubt
from the unfettled, by infifting on fuch Texts
only (and enough of thefe there are) the true
Senfe and Meaning of which is moft obvious
and certain, being confident with the plain
Principles of Ghriftianity, and the general
Tenor of the Gofpel. While there are fo
many other undoubted Proofs of this facred
Dodrine, why need we give the Impugners
of it the Pleafure to obferve on the laft men-
tioned Paflage, that the Reading is not,
** God was manifefted," but, " which was
manifefled," according to the SyriaCy Latin ^
EthiopiCi Arme7iian^ Arabic^ and moft an-
cient Greek Copies ; that Macedonius^ II.
Patriarch of ConJiaJiti?iopIe, corrupted this
Text by a Subftitution of the Word, {God,)
inftead of (ivhich) ; and for this and other
Matters was depofed in an Epifcopal Council
and
^he Divinity of our Redeemer, 41
and banifhed by the Emperor Anaftafius,
about the Year 512. Nay, and furthermore,
that the Word, God, in this Place is rejeded
by the firlT: Council of Nice ?
It would be endlefs therefore, and caa
ferve only as an Handle to keep up an Op-
pofition to the eftablillied Do(5lrines of the
Church, to argue on dubious Authorities
and difputed Paflages of Scripture. The
Errors of our Opponents will be moft
effedtually expofed, when the Defence
of our holy Doctrines, refts not on the
mere Sound of Words and Sentences,
picked out here and there from the moft
obfcure and difficult FaiTages, but on the
whole Authority of Scripture, on the gene-
ral, conftant Tenor of the Gofpel. For,
G what-
42 ^he Divinity of our Redeemer^
whatfoever is inconfiftent with that mufl be
falfe, as whatfoever is confiflent therewith is
Truth i and Truth thus entrenched within
the flrong Mounds of Scripture, which the
Holy Spirit hath raifed about her for her
Defence, She may be annoyed now and then
from the Out- Works of the Enemy, but is
not to be circumvented by the fubtile Strata-
gems, nor forced by the rudefl Attacks of
the Sons of Error and InfideHty.
Secure therefore of our holy Faith on this
firm Foundation, let us proceed to improve
it to our Advantage by a practical Inference
from what has been faid.
If the Author of our Religion be ver-^
God, no other than that great and Almighty
Being,
The Divinity of our Redeemer, 43
Being, who upholds unlverfal Nature, then
we may rejoice in this Refle(5tion, that we
have for our Saviour One, that is able to pro-
tedl and enlarge the Religion He has given
us againft all Oppofition. God is our Saviour.
The fame Almighty Being, who in the Be-
ginning by the Word of his Po'iver brought
Order out of Confufion and Light out of
Darknefs, has by the fame IVord created all
Things anew. V/e are no longer Subje(fts
and Slaves to the Prince of Darknefs, but are
begotten again to the glorious Light of the
Gofpel, and to enjoy perfect Liberty and Se-
curity in the Kingdom of his Son, Jefus
is the mighty Captain of our Salvation. He
has proved himfelf to be all-fuffic'ent for our
Deliverance from or Support under all Trials
and Temptations from the Enemies of oqr
Religion. Under him we wage not a dubi-
ous War. But, having; himfelf overcome
G 3 Death
44 '^^^ Divimfy of our Redeemer,
Death and the Powers of Darknefs, we are
as fure to maintain through him our fpiritual
Rights and Priviledges, as we know that He
has been able to obtain them for us. We may
defert them, it is true, if we can be fo foolifb^
fo brutifhly regardlefs of them ; but we cannot
be defpoiied of them agalnft our Wills, and
under his Guidance. We may quit his King-
dom, if we be fo inclined, if we fo much
diftaile that Liberty wherewith He hath made
us free, and banifh ourfelves into the gloomy
and diftant Regions of Superflition under the
defpotic Sway of Sin and Folly; but He wills
not this difgraceful Revolt of his Subjects,
nor is his Arm Ihortened that He cannot pro-
te<fl them, that chufe to live under his Go-
vernment, againft any that may rife up to
deftroy or lye in wait to deceive them.
Our
^j€ Diviniiy of our Redeemer, ^r
Our Lord, while on Earth, and after his
Afcenfion by the Holy Spirit manifefted that
He had all Power committed unto him, when
He broke down the Powers in high Places,
that oppofed themfelves to his Religion; when
He put down all Rule and all Authority, and
built his Church on the Ruins of Idolatry
and the Works of the Devil. And the fame
Almighty Power has manifefted itfelf through
fucceeding Ages in its Support and Preferva-
tion ; if not, by the like fignal Demonftration
of the Spirit, yet, by the regular and efta-
bliflied Courfe of Divine Providence. For,
could a Religion, unpatronized of God, not
only maintain its Ground for Centuries in the
midft of Generations, the moft crooked, cor-
rupted, and depraved, but even fpread itfelf
over the known World, in Oppoiition to
Allurements from Senfe, and Trials from the
bittereft Perfecutions ? Could this be efFeded
without
46 Tloe Divinity of our Redeemer,
without the Power of an Almighty Saviour,
which, though no longer difplayed in outward
Signs and Wonders, was, neverthelefsj invifi-
bly exercifed in his Church, and operating in
Favour of the Truth from Heaven ? The Hea-
then raged furioufly, and the People imagined
proud Things j but the Word of our God
prevailed. If He humble his Church by
Afflidtions, it is, that He may exalt it in due
Time. If He try it in the Fire of Perfecution,
it is, that it may com.e forth more pure and
refined. For He that fendeth his Judgments
among his People is mightier than they that
execute them in the Earth ; and He fuffereth
not the Wrath of Man to exceed the Purpofe
of his Will, which is ever the firmer Efta-
blifhment, the greater Purity, or the more
univerfal Spread of his Religion. He faw
and fufi^ered indeed the devouring Sword of
the hnpcftor to extend a Lie and grofs Delu-
fion
The Dhinify of cur Redeemer, 47
Hon among thofe that were ready to believe a
Lie J but He fufFered it not to prevail over the
true Faith, which without any outward Force
to fupport it, nay, in Oppofiltion to all the
Powers in high Places, was gaining a Re-
ception in the Plearts of Men, by the Force
alone of that pure and heavenly Truth, which
the Holy Spirit oi God did at firfl: imprefs
upon it.
Nor has our Almighty Saviour left us
without a more recent Teftimony of his
Concern for the Interefl of Truth, and his
Ability to proted his Church from the
Danger to which it may be expofed, as well
from the Degeneracy of its own Members, as
the Violence of its profeffed Enemies. For
when, through a long Refl: from Trouble
and Perfecution, and a continued Series of
Prof-
48 Tloe Divifiity of our Redeemer,
Profperity under the Patronage of Kings and
the Mighty upon the Earth, its Memhers
were become corrupt, and falling a Prey to
their own Errors, and the Superftition, Pride
or Craft of their fpiritual Guides, He fent a
Spirit of Reformation into the Hearts of his
faithful Paflors to call forth his Sons and
Daughters from amidfl the Corruptions and
Darknefs in which they were held by the
Tyranny of Rome^ into the Light of that
pure and bleffed Faith of which we make
Profeffion. And, as he hath thus far pre-
served his Church in Times of the moil im-
minent Danger, brought it forth purified and
refined from the Grofiiiefs of Popifh Super-
ftition, and eftablifhed it in this Kingdom
on a juft and equitable Foundation, fo wc
may reft aiTured that he is able to continue
it to us and our Pofterity, fafe from the De-
figns
'l^he Divinity of our Rede erne?-. ^q
ligns and Devices of thofe that \vi{]:i and en-
deavour her overthrow.
But that we- may reafonably hope for this
Bleffing, it becomes us to implore it of our
Almighty Saviour, and to behave oiirlelves,
worthy of it. For fach a Bleffing deferves
not only our hearty Prayers^ but, in this
Day of Danger to the Church as well from
Infidelity as Enthufiafm, the Exertion of our
befi: Abilities and m.oft prudent Endeavour;
in Defence of our holy Doctrines ; ever
refting our Defence and Recommendation of
them on the firm and broad Bottom of Scri*)-
ture, agreeably to the Maxim of our Church,
" that nothing ir. to be required of any Man
*' to be believed that may not be proved
** thereby."
H And
5© l^he Divinity of cur Redeemer.
And if to this d?ferved Attachment to the
Church eflabliflied, we add our befl En-
deavours to adorn her Dodlrines by a vene-
rable Piety towards Almighty God, Sandtity
of Manners, an univerfal Benevolence and
a Spirit of Charity, Forbearance and Mode-
ration towards thofe that differ from us, God
will delight to be among us, to dwell with
and to blefs us. Thus built up in the Faith
and Do(flrine of Chrift, we fliall become a
living, holy and well compadted Temple for
the Refidence of God our Saviour, who will
keep it fafe from the fly and covert Approaches
of Popifli EmlfTaries ; nor fuffer it to be
fhaken and disjointed by the rude Breath of
Fadion and the boifterous Storms which
incefTantly blow upon it from the peftilent
and infcdious Quarters qI Fanaticifm,
Now
^heDhiniiy of our Redcancr. ci
Now to God our Creator, Redeemer and
Sandlfier, be afcribed all Glory and Honour,
both now and for ever. Amen,
>i
^.^^
O F T H E
LOGOS.
John I. i, 2, 3.
I?2 the Bcgimiing was the IFord, and the JVord
ivas with Gody and the JVcrd was God,
The fame was in the Beginni?2g with God.
All Things were made by Rim ; a?id without
Him was not any Thing made that was
made,
npRINITARL^NS, Arians, Soclnians and
-■" Sabellians, have adduced this PafTage,
each in Support of their peculiar Tenet con-
cerning
56 Of the LOGO S.
cerning our Saviour Chrift. The firft fay,
that their Dodbrine is exprefly afferted by
the Evangelift in Declaring that " the Word
was God.*' The fecond fay, that the Evan-
gehft afTerts only that '^ the Word was jGod,"
that is, a Being inferior to God, but ftiperior
to all other Beings. The third fay, that the
AfTcition amounts to no more than this,
*' that the Word was a mere Man," entitled
only to the Appellation of ^ God, on Account
of the mighty Works which manifefled them-
felvcs in him. And the lafl: fay, that the
Evangelifl: fpeaks of an Attribute of the Al-
mighty which is here called Goi^, asReafon,
or V/ifdom, or Power,
Were thefe different Explications contend-
ed for by the Enemies of Revelation, if each of
thefe Denominations endeavoured to expofe
the
Of the LOGOS. ^j
theOpinlons of the Reft in order to expofe the
Weaknefs and Abfurdity of the ChrlftianReli-
gion, this mutual Contradidtion among our
Adverfaries were not to be regretted. But it
is painful to confider that this Difference is
among ourfelves. For many, a great many of
each Clafs, it cannot be doubted, have been
Well-WifherS to our holy Reh'gion, and fliewn
themfelves not more zealous than able in the
general Defence thereof. It were to be wifhed
thereforcjthatfucha Senfe could be clearly dif^
covered to belong to this PalTage as Hiould be
liable to no Exception with any Denomination
of fincere Believers; and it is to be fufpeifled,
from the great Difference among themfelves,
that they aie under one common Miilake.
This I iliall endeavour to point out, and offer
fuch an Explication of the Paffage, againll:
which, in Point of Dod:ri^e, no Objection can
lie with thofe who believe Chriflianity at all.
I i.The
58 Of the LOGOS.
I , The Word here fpoken of by the Evan-
gelift is by all of them underftood to relate to
the Per/on of Chrift. The Word was God,
that is, (fay they) jfefus Chriji was God, or, a
God. But by the Word^ I apprehend^ the
Evangelift means (what is meant by it in all
other Places of Scripture) the Go/pel; and
with a fmall but material Variation of the
Conftrud:ion of this fo much difputedPalTage,
the following natural and eafy Senfe of it will
appear, " That God is the original Author
'' of our Salvation.**
•i. In the Beginning ivas the Word, and
the
♦Mr. Dawjon, in his Annotations on hisTranflatlon of
the three firft Chapters of Genefn^ conjedlures the Iright
Translation of this Verfe to be, " In the Beginning of the
«« Word's exifting, the Word was with God," This, I
doubt
Of the LOGO S. 59
theWovd. was with God, and-^-Godi was the
Word.
I 2 2. It
doubt not, is the true rendering of the Hebraifm here ufed
by St. John\ and the Senfe is very natural and eafy, if we
underftand by the lFord{hogos] the Go/pel, ihat is, *'^JVhen
*« Jefus Chrill received the IVcrd to Pubhfh to the World,
«' he received it from God, with whom it was, in the
*' Beginning." But, taking the ITord for the Perfon of
Chrift in a pre-exiftent State, as Mr. Dawfon with moft
Divines doth, not only is the Metaphor extremely harfh,
but a Doclrine alfo may be Inferred from it which is cer-
tainly without Foundation in Scripture, viz. That Chrifl-,
as to his Divine Nature, had z Beginning o( his Exiflcnce.
Or, if no great Force is to be laid on the Exprefiiion, in the
Beginning, and it may relate to Eternity as well as to
Time, yet we cannot well fupnofe that it is the Defign of
theEvangelift to treat here of the metaphyficalNature and
.Effence of the Divinity, but of the Relation in which he
{lands to us, as the Author of our fpiritual Life. The
Context elfe would be without any Connedlion.
t The Aricvts and Socinians would have it rendered
t'^us, "The Word was a God ;" The former making Jefus
Chrift,a God, litcndly fpeaking, th;!t '::^, a Being of a Divine
Nature pre-exlfting before the Fouudaticn of the World,
but
6o Of tie LOGOS
but Inferior to the fupreme Being ; the latter making him,
a God^ metaphorically fpealcing, afcribing to him no divine
Nature and ftiling him, a God, as thejews would ftile any
of t'r.eir Magiftratcs or Prophets, Gods, on account of the
great Power and Authority they were endowed with.
The Word,9«o<, (landing without the Article o is thought
fufHcient tojuftify fo bold a Tranflation, But, that no
Dependance (hould be placed upon fuch a Circumftance
of Stile as this is, the Occurrence of this fame Word with-
out its Article no lefi than three Times in this very Chap-
ter, and confeilediy referring to the Supreme Being, will,
without infilling longer upon it, fuiBce, to convince any
one not previoufly biaflcd iii his Judgment.
Ano'i HER fuch minute Circumftance of Stile is made
an Obje<^tion to the Tranflation I have given of thefe
Words, ^'/~. That the SuhjcEl ihould have had the Article
prefi){ed to it, and the Predicate have wanted it. St. Jobn^
it is thought, if he had meant to fay, that " God was the
" Word," that is, the Author of it, would have wiittcn
0 05o< m \oysi ; as he writes (i yohn i. 6.) o Qioi zufnn,
and (Ibid. iv. 8.) o ^m; -xycLrr:) t^iv.
Let us fee what Weight there is in this Objetilion.
If fuch a Circumftance m;'y be allowed any Weight, it
appeals to me a!to:,ether in Favour of, fo far from being an
Objection to, the Interpretation I have given.
For, it is ufuai with St. Jobn^ (and indeed it i^ a Pro-
priety of Stile) to omit pr^'fixing the Article to the Predi-
Ciite when the PieJicaie is to be underflood in a more
ge::c'
Of the LOGOS, 6i
general OT indefinite ?>cn^c, and to prefix the Article, when
if is to be taken in a more particular or definite Senfe.
Thus, in the former of thofe Inftanccs brought- to fup-
port the Objcdion, God is ftiled Light, pf^, without the
Article. Eecaufe it is meant indefi.nitelyy rot reflrided
to any particular Object. But let us fee how it is circum-
ftanced when the Evangelift ufes It definitely, and to fig-
nify a particular Light, for Example, the Light of the
Gofipel. It is ufed in this definite Scnfe at the 4th Verfe
of Chap. I ft, ii (T^'H «f T3 ZKi 7C01' a-r^^eo-rav. A ftill more
pertinent Example we find at Verfe 8 Ovk w iKUvoi to
ecci. He was not the Light, viz, tliat p;.rticular
Liaht which enlightened the World, that is, the Gofpel-
Li'yht. Here the Article is prefixed, and I believe it is
to all Predicates throughout this Writer, which are under
the fame Circumftance of Dfirdtenefs or Rejhiclion to a
particular Objefl, with Logos, in this Cafe. So that,
fuppofmg the EvangeKll to mean the Gofpel, by this
Word, Logos, it is quite agreeable to his Stile to prefix the
Article tc. it. Out of the many Inftanccs to this purpofe,
1 {hall produce. Chap. vi. 35. F>^.> sm; 0 cf.'ii nK (aiU,
lb.48,50,51. InwhxhTexts the Article 0 ferves to fpecify
or detine the Word to which it is prefixed, jufl as the En-
olifli Particle (tk?) dees, and which for the fame Reafon
we ufe in tranfiuing it, viv. I am the Bread. But at tne
55th Verfe of the fame Chanter, wlicre the Predicate is
left more indefinite or^wr/?/, the Greek Article ir. omitted ;
nor
6z Of tk L O G O S.
2. It J was in the Begin?i'u^g with Go J.
nor can we prefix the Englifh one in theTranflation with-
out altering the Senfe. H <ratpf y.a m Cputrif, a-iuct, fxa ii]t
rrej-ti. Ibid. viii. 12. to ®«f. Ibid, xiv.6. zya iy.t n ot/lof,
^ " rtAuSs/*. >y «^<y«. I John V. i. Ino-a? aiv o Xpi<TJo(.
5. InJtsi «i]iv 0 i//of, which, according to the ObjetSlion,
ihould thus be rendered, *' The Chrift is Jefus," " The
«' Son is Jefus," if 653? "f 0 /o;)/o; is not capable of any
other rendering than, " The Word was God."
:t;THE learned Grotius, aware of the Abfurdity of afTert*
ino- that the /^i?r^,( meaning Chi ift in a pre-exiftent State)
was God^ and yet that he u-as with God, as if there were
two Gods, two diRin£l Beings^ each of a perfeclly divine
Nature, fcruples not to fay, that it is the Inten;ion of the
Evangelift, by this Repetition of the foregoing Aflertion,
viz. that the Word was with God, to reprefent the ^Ford
or Chrift, as fomething inferior to God, not altogether and
ccnfumrnatcly God, His Words are,
*' Repetit hoc, quia Deum jam vccaverit; hoc vo-
« lens, ita Deum efTe intelligendum, ut et illud maneaf,
" fuiiTc eum a.ud Deum ; id eft, ut non fuerit 0 hoyoi,
'< on-.ne id quod eft Deu5." Grot, m lib. Evan.
Into fo great a Difficulty do we fee this learned Inter-
preter thrown by fuppofing Logos to mean in this Pafage
any Thing clfe than (he Gjfpc?^ that Grace and Tridh
which <:ame to us from God, b.ing in i-he Beginning with
Him'
Of the L O G O S, 63
3 . ^11 ivas done 6y Him ; afid without
Hifn was Jiot any Tubing done of that which
has come to pafs.
This muft be owned to be a more exa(5t
Tranilatlon than the other, and is to be pre-
ferred on the Account above-mentioned, ^ciz.
that it doth not necefTarily convey the Idea of
any difputable Dodrine, but may be under-
ftood in a Senfe to which no Perfon, that
beUeves Chriflianity at all, can have any
Objediion.
St. "^ohn feems to mean no mora by thele
Words than to preface his Account of the
Gofpel^ which he flilcs, the Wordy with the
high Original of it. 7bis was, he tells us,
from God himfelf ; for that in the' Begin-
7ij??g, before // was publifhcd to the World,
it
64 Of the LOGO S.
it was with God-, God was the Word, the
original Author and Giver of it. It was
in the Beginnifig with God, lay hid from
the Foundation of the World in the eternal
Counfels of the Almighty. All was done
by Htm, the Whole was from God-, a?id
without Him was not any '■Thitig done of
that which has come to pafs ; that is, every
Part of the Gojpel Dijpenfation, pubhfhed by
Jefus Chrift was from God; and whatever
Works he wrought in Confirmation of it, not
one of them »='^« vt was of himfelf or came
to pafsx*'P'«'^» ^^^ without God.
II, Having fliewn what I apprehend to be
the true Senfe of this Paflage of Scripture, I
propofe in the next Place to obviate an Objec-
tion or two which may bemadetoit,andthen
produce from this Evangelifl fome of the many
Texts which fopport the Interpretation given,
con-
Of the LOGOS 6$
continuing the Proof of the perfea Divinity of
our Redeemer on the Tefllmony chiefly of
Chrifl himfelf.
I. First then, It may be thought that,
taking the PFord, ^^''y^^' in the Senfe I have
given of it, -uiz. for the Go/pel itfelf, it
founds extremely harfli to fay that God uds
the Word. To w^hich, I anfwer, that the
Harfhnefs objcded to, arifing from the Pecu-
liarity of ^uyohn'9> Phrafeology, will be found
to be in Favour of the Tranllation which I
have offered. For what is more common
with this Writer than to fay of God, that
he is Light, or Truth y or Love? And
alfo of Jefus Chrifl, that he is the n-'ny,
the Truth, the Life, nay, the Refurrc^icn ?
To affert that God was the IVord, is net
more harfh then to fay, God is Love.
When St. John thus expreffeth himfelf, he
doth not mean to afHrm, that God is that very
K Thing
66 Of the LOGO S-
Thing by which he calls him, or that God
and Love are the fame Thing. We know very
well, his Meaning is, that God is pofleffed of
that Thing or Quality whereby he names him,
in this Inflance, of Love and good Will to his
Creatures.
So again, when our Saviour according to
this Evangelift faith, I am the Refiirre5lion,
he means not to affirm, that he and the Refur-
redion are one and the fameThing; but, that
he is the Author of our Refurredion to Life,
fome fuch Word being always underftood
in this kind of Phrafeology. And therefore
when it is here afferted, that God was the
Word^ the Meaning is natural and eafy,
^oiz. That he was the Author or Giver of the
JVord which came by Jefus Chrift.
Once
Of the LOGO S. 67
Once more, with regard to the Harfhnefs
of the Expreflion, God was the JVord, Is it
more harfli than that we have in the Vulgar
Tranflation, the JVord was God f So far from
it, that, if we were not ufed to it, (and ufe will
reconcile to any Thing) this lafl would appear
intolerably uncouth ; and, even under our
prefent Prejudice from Cuftom, will appear
ftrange enough on confidering how thofe
other fimilar Phrafes found conftrudted as
this has been. Reverfe thefe Sentences,
God is Lo'-ce ; God is Light-^ Chriji is the Re^
Jurre5lion\ and read them thus, Love is God -y
Light is God ; the Refurre5tio?i is Chriji • and
then fay, which of thefe Confl:ru(ftlons found
the moflHarfli? Or whether the lafl be capable
of any Senfe being affixed to it ? The Cafe is
juft the fame with Refpcc^ to the Expreffion
in the Text. If our Tranflatorshad rendered
it as they have all the othtr Phr^ics fimilar
K 2 to
68 Oj the LOGO S.
to it, viz. God was the JVord, we (hould have
more eafily underftood it and interpreted it in
the fame Manner with the other Texts, viz,
God was the Author of the Gofpel Difpen^
fation.
2. But it may he made an Objeftion that
this IFord is faid to have exifted in the Begin-
nings which manner of fpeaking may feem to
be more agreeable to the common Interpre-
tation and to refer to the Perfon of Chrifti as
the Go/pel did not exift till his Coming into
the World, and therefore had not aBeing,was
not (as is here afTerted of the IVord) in the Be-
gimjing. To which I anfwer, that nothing
is more common, wiih theWriters of theNew
Teftament, than to reprefent thofe Things as
having had Exigence from the Beginning
which were always defigned by God to come
to pafs and were promifed in the Prophets,
And
Of the LOGOS. 69
And, as this was more efpeclally the Cafe of
the Gofpely fo we find it reprefented through-
out the Scripture as havingexifted in the eter-
nal Counfels of the Almighty. Hence the
Co/pel is called a Kingdom prepared fro?n the
Foundation of the JVorld, Matt. xxv. 34.
We are fald to have been chofen in Chrijl before
the Foundation of the TForld, Eph. i. 4. St,
yohn fpeaks of the Gofpel, as that which was
from the Beginning, and that eternal Life
which was with the Father : ijohnv. 1,2. Ex-
prefliuns exadly fimilar to thofe in my Text.
The Apoftle Paul calls it, the hidden Myjlery
which God ordaineci before the World wtto our
Ghry, i Cor. ii. 7. In another Place, the
Myflery which from the Beginning of the World
bath been hid in God, who created all by
J ejus Chrift, Eph. iii. 9. Nay, it is repre-
fented as the Grace (of God) which was
given us in Chrifl Jefus before the World began,
2 Tim.
7© Of the LOGO S,
2 Tim. i. 9. And in the Apocalypfe^ the Lamb
is faid to be Jlain from the Foundation of the
Worlds Rev. xiii. 8. All which Expreflions
amount to much the fame with what the
Evangelifl; has alTerted in the Text, In
the Beginijing was the Word, and the Word
was with God,
3. There is one Objedion more which
may be made, and that is, that this is not the
only Place in which the Word (Logos) feems
to relate to the Perfon of Chrift, for that this
Title is given to him both at the 14th Ver.of
this Chap, and alfo in the Abocalypfe xix. 13.
But in both thofe Places this Title is given
him on Account of his being the Minifter of
the Word or Gofpel to Men, and relates not to
his Dignity in a prior State of Exiftence, but to
his Oflice onEarth. This is extremely obvious
in
0] tbe L O GOS, yi
In the laft mentioned PafTage from theDefcrip-
tion which prcceeds the Title, viz. He was
cloathed with a Vefture dipt in Blood -, Here is
a manifeft Rei<erence to his Humanity, And
his Name is called the Word of God,
9 Koyoi T« 6£». So that the Man Chrift Jefus,
is here ftiled, the Word of God, as having
been the Minifter and Publifher thereof to
Men.
And this is quite agreeable to what the
Evangelill has afTerted in the other PalTage,
viz. at the 14th Verfe of the Chapter in
which our Text is, not indeed according to
the prefentTranflation, {the Word was made
Fkp) but according to one no lefs literal and
more agreeable to the Original.
For
72 Of th LOGO S.
For by Flefli <^^pl is plainly meant (and
all agree in it) Man, It is equally evident,
that the Word tymlo here rendered, was made ^
might, more agreeably to the Original, have
been rendered, became. This Verfe there-
fore may be full as literally, and more ex-
actly tranflated thus, viz. And FkJJj
that is, a Man^ became the Word and
dwelt among usy &c. As God had before
been filled the IVord^ as being the Author
©f it, fo Jefus Chrlfl: is here ftiled the TFord,
as being the Pttblifier of it. The Evange-
lift had aflerted that God v^as the original
Author of the Word-, thatH^ did tf//that
was done, properly fpeaking ; that without
Him nothing came to pafs of that which was
tranfaded j that in Hitn was that Life, that
Word of Life, which was the Light of Men,
bringing them to the Knowledge of God, .
whom, before, the World knew not, though
Ht
0/ the LOGOS. 73
He was in the World and the World was
made by Him. The EvangeM, I hy, had
aflerted that God himfelf and no other was
the Original of the J^^ord ; he now tells ns,
that it came to fafs that this IVord of God was
publifhed to the World by a Ma?2. The
f^^ord was ftill the Word of God, and not
of Man: Butwhereas,in the Beginning, zV was
witb God, and no one elfe, it was now zi-itb
Men, come forth, as it were, from God and
comedown from Heaven into the World be-
ingcommitted to zMaii-, the A/^«Chrift jelus,
to publiOi **/ to the World. Accordingly,
becoming the Word^ he is faid in this flu-ne
Verfe to be full of Grace and TrutJ:, Now
this Grace and Truth of which he was full,
can mean- nothing elfe than the CcHeJ, the
Word of God (sAoQ/of tb figs j) for it is put in
Oppofition to the Law. The Law zvas given
by MoJeSj but Grace a?ui Truth, or true Gracr,
L th^t
74 Of the LOGOS.
that is, the Gofpel^ came by Jefus Chri/I,{ver. 1 7.)
Jefus Chrifl: therefore, at the 14th Verfe, is
not called the IForJy with refped to his Per-
fon in a pre-exiflent State, but with refpedl to
his Office m this ; fincethe Evangelifl; is con-
trailing the Law given by Mofes with the
Word which came by "Jefus Chriji*
III. Having thus obviated all the Objec-
tions which I think' can be made to the In-
terpretation given of this noted PafTage of
Scripture, I proceed to {hew the Confiftency
thereof with the whole Strain of the Gof-
pel according to this Evangelift, who has re-
corded more fully than the reft theTeftimony
of our Lordhimfelf concerning this Matter.
The PaiTages to be adduced in fiipport of the
Interpretation will at the fame Time confirm
the great Dodrine of our Church in the De-
fence of which I have engaged, " That our
«' Re-
Of the LOG O S. y^
" Redeemer is God, verv GoJy and not an
<* inferiG?' Being, cither united to Humanity
*' or mere M3.n.*'
Chap. i. i8. No Man bath fee n God at
anyTime 'j the only begotte?!- Son which is in the
Bofom of the Father^ he hath declared him.
The Expreffion which is in the Bofom of the
Father, if it be the proper Tranllation, muft
mean the Love which the Father bears to-
wards the Son, and is much the fame
with the Expreffion which occurs in o-
ther Places of Scripture, viz. cnh be-
gotten and well-beloved Son, But it may be
rendered who was in the Bofom of the Father ;
and then it muft fignify the intimate Knou-~
ledge which Jefus Chrift had while upon
Earth, of the Counfels and Will of his Father,
that full and bright Revelation of him/elf
L 2 which
'^S 0/ the LOGOS.
which God i:,ave unto Chrifl: to declare unto
Men. 1ji which everSenfe we take it, Chrift
is here laid to have declared or revealed God
unto the Wor\i, which is much the fame
with being ftiied the IFord or Logos.
Chap, ili 2. Rabbi y we know that thou art
a Teacher come from God, for no Man can
do thcfe Miracles that thou doft^ except God
be ivith him.
NicoDEMus^ convinced that the Mi-
racles which Jefus Chrifl: had wrought
were the Etfecl of the Power of God himfclf
operating in Chrift, acknowledges him to be
a Teacher conic from Gcd. We fee from hence
w^bat the Jews ineant when they fpakc of a
Perfon as coming from Gcd, Nicodemus did
not mean that Chrift had come from God lo-
cal h; that is, had exiiled with him in a pre-
exiftent
Of the LOGO S. 77
exiftent State, a Jeparate and diftlndt Being
from God, (as the Ariam fuppofe,) inferior^
but next in Dignity, and afterwards came
into this World from God ; for then the Rca-
fon he affigns for his Belief that he was come
from God would not be to the Purpofe, vi%.
that no Man could work ftich Miracles unlefs
God was with him. But the Miracles abun-
dantly proved to Nicodemus that Chrill: was
a Teacher come from God, in the Jewifh Senfe
of that Phrafe ; becaufe they proved that God
was ivith him, working in and fpeaking by
him. His coming from God therefore, and
God's being iscith him, we fee, are the fame
Thing ; and Niccdemus meant to acknowledge
that which St. John aflerts in our Text, viz.
That God was the JVord originally, or that
what Jefus Chrifl: had faid or done came not
to pafs w:tbcut God, yj^-.i za Q-f--
Chap,
7S Of the LOGOS.
Chap, iii. 13. And no Man hath afcended up
to Heaven^ but he that came down from
Heaven^ even the So?z of Man, which is in
Heaven^
When our Saviour afT^rts here, that no Man
hath afcended up to Heaven, but excepts one
Man, viz, himfelf, the Son of Man, who alfo
is there, we cannot fuppofe him to fpeak of
his literal Aicenfion or AfTumption into
Heaven, and Refidence there, flnce he was
not yet afcended, but faid this of him-
felf, while upon Earth, and even before his
Crucifixion. To affert to Nicodemus that he had
afcended up to Heaven, and that he wasinHea-
ven then at the very Time he was converfing
with him on Earth , and this in the literal
Senfe of thefe Expreffions, appears too grofs a
Contradidion in Terms to befuppofed by any
one, how ignorant or prejudiced foever in Fa-
vour
Of the LOGO S. 79
vour of literal Interpretations. He muft mean
therefore that no Man was acquainted per-
fectly with the Will of God but himfelf.
It Is fpoken In AlluHon to our Method of
coming at the moft certain Knowledge of any
Thing. We go to the Place itfelf where the
Thing is, and having feen it there, we can
make Report of it to others on the moft cer-
tain and undoubted Authority. The Allu-
lion being fo familiar is eafy enough of Con-
ception. Heaven is reprefented as a certain
Place above us, in which God has hi&Refi-
dence. Now we know very wtII, that the
great God dwelleth not in any clctermi?iatc
Place, being every where and in all Places.
To this Place however, our Saviour faith he
afcended, and came down from thence.
Him
So Of ibe LOGO S.
Him alone had God admitted, as it were,
into his Counfels, and taught the Things per-
taining to the Kingdom of Pleaven. He canrte
forth into the World, not as other Prophets,
declaring the Will of God in part only
and imperfe^lly, but as from Heaven itfelf,
taught of God there, honoured with a View
and Infpe(3^ion,as it were, of heavenly and di-
vine Things, fo that he was qualified to teach
and inftrud: Mankind fully, and from the
mod certain Knowledge that any Man can
have of the Will of God. He was the Son
ofMrz/z, as he calls himfelf; but ^to Son of
Man, in whom God himfelf dwelt and fpake
to the World. The Man Chrift Jefus, /pake
not of himfelf \ his 'Docirine ivas not his own,
but his that fent him. He fpake immediately
from Heaven, from God himfelf* All which
is perfedly agreeable to what the Evangelifl:
has afTcrted in our Text, viz. T'kat the Word
iicas
Of the LOGO S. 8i
*uoai uithGod, in the Beghim?ig -, but vcr. 14J
that God gave it to the Mc7n Chrift Jefus,
fo that he became the Word of God upon Earth*
Confidered therefore as the Wordy he is with
the utmoft Propriety faid (and of him only-
can it be fa'd with Propriety) to be from Cod,
to come forth from God, to come down
from Heaven ; not locally^ not Uterall\\ as if
the Divinity which was manifefted in him
being (as the Ariajis conceive) of a limited
Nature, had actually removed from one
Tlace to another, from Heave?i to Earth ;
nor * yet by Converfion of the Godhead into
M Flefli ;
Dr. 5(7«f/^ faith, " We read of no Mediator to bring us
*«to Chrift ; for though, being Godhy Nature,He dwells in
** the hcighth of Mnjefty, and the inaccelTible Glories of a
*' Deity ; yet to keep ofFall Strangenefs between himfdf
> <* and the Sons of Men, He has condefcended to a Cognati:fi
** and Confanguinity with us ; He hath cloathed himfelf
** with Fiefh and Blood, that fo he might fubdue his
"Glories to a Poflibility of human Converfe." Scm//s
Serm. Tol. 2. page 64.
This
82 Of the LOGOS.
Flefli J hut God was then faid to defcend on
Earth, when he manifefled himfelf to the
World
This is a very harfh and improper Manner of rcprefent-
ing the Incarnation of Chrift; as if God when he dwelt in
and fpake to the v/orld by Flefh, that is, the Man
Chrift Jefus, did for a while contraft his Dignity, limit
and lefTen his Glory thereby, and convert the Godhead in-
to Flefh. But what he faith a few Pages further on, is
really iliocking j *' Chrilt, the Son of the moft high God
*' the fecond Perfon in the glorious Trinity, took upon
«' him our Nature, that he might give a great Inihiice and
** example of this Virtue ; and condefcended to be a Iidan
" only that he might be a Friend. Our Creator, our Lord
*' and King, he was before jbut he would needs come down
•* from all this and in a Sort become our equal. lb. page
S8.
A STRANGE Converfionof the Godhead this indeed! was
not God then our Creator.^ Lord znd Kin^, during Chrift's
abode on earth i No, according to this Account he v-as notj
For "Chriff, the fecond Perfon in the glorious Trin!i:y('whc>
** was dl this before) wou'.d needs come down from all
(( this."*'3o ihattl.eWorld v/as left for about 30 ycnrs with-
out a Creator, Lord and King. No doabt the Dodor
meant not fuch a Confcquence, but it reaiiy is deJuciblc
from his AlTertionj and all theUfe I v/ould make of it is, a*
anAdmonition againft giving the Eacrnies of revealed Re-
ligion and of our Church in particular, any Advantage bj
fuch ungUAidfcd EjcprciHons.
Of the LOGOS. 83
World in the Flefli or by the Man Chria
Jefus.
Ver. 34. For he ^^vhom God hath fent fpcakeih
iheJVords cf God: For God giveth not the
Sprit by Meafure unto him.
TnisTeflimcny of the Baptift concerning
our Saviour, 'vlz. that he [pake the JVorch of
Gcdy coincides with that of the Evangehft
at Chap, i, 14. viz. that he became the Word^
ihe Pablifher of the Gofpcl D:fpcnfatlo?i -^ and
whereas the Eaptift adds. For God giveth
not the Spirit by Meafure unto him, this is
a ConSrmation of the Senfe v/e have put
upon the third Verfe of the fame Chapter, iu
making the Word, Him, relate to Gcd a!:d
not to, theJVord-y Gcd being the Original cf
the Word and Chrifl Jcfus the Publifher of
it to the World, the Man by v%hom Cod
fpake ar.d manifefced himfelf to the World ;
M 2 lb
§4 OftheLOGO S.
fo that it was Gody and no other Being dif-
iinO: and feparafe from him, that was mani-
fefted in the Fie ill, or by the Mmi Jefus
Chrift. This * Ma?2 fpake not of himfelf
nor by the Di(5late of any other Being than
the fiipreme God. ylll was done by Him ;
and without Him nas not an'^ Thing done^ (or
.delivered) of that which hai been done^ of that
Word which came by Jcfus Chrift,
Chap. V. 22. For the Father judgeth no Man ^
but hath committed all Judginent to the Son,
This
* It (hould not give any Offence that I fpealc thus of
our Saviour Chrift. I mean not to reprcfent him thereby as
a mere Man, in whom the Fulnefs of the Godhead dwelt
T\oty but as being really and truly Man. For aflerting the
perfefi Manhood of Chrift doth not derogate from that
ptrfecily Divine Nature which manifcfted itfelf fo fully in
him ; fo far from this, that in aficiting if, I mean to rcpre.
fent Chritl as having no middle Nature between God and
M.5n, that was united to Humanity. When I call himMan
I fpcak of him, as "of a reafonablc Soul, and human Flefh
<* fubfiiling;" and alTcrt not, *■• as touching his Godhead,
an Inferiority to the father," but only, ** as touching his
^* Manhood."
0///;^LOGOS, tS
This is perfedly confonant with the In-
terpretation given of the three firfl Verfes,
and the fourteenth of the firft Chapter, viz,
that the ^Vord was in the Beginning with God-,
but that // was given to a Man, the Man
Chrift Jefus, to publifli // to the World. But
though he was Ma?i^ perfeB Man, yet he
was alfo the Son of God. He therefore In
the next Verfe claims that Honour and Ref-
pect which are due to him as fuch, due to
him as that Man in Vv'hom God alone, perfe5l
God, the Almighty himfelf wrought and
fpake, 'viz. that all Men JJjotdd honour the
Son even as they honour the Father^ For on
■what other Footing could he claim this equal
Honour ? Could he claim it as a mere Man ?
for any natural Power belonging to Huma-
nity ? Not Soci?ius himfelf, nor even the mofl:
iniftaken of his Followers would fay this.
Doth
B6 CftbeLOGOS.
Doth he claim it as that great Perfonage
whom the Arians fuppofe to have exifted,
before his Humanity, a diflin^^ 2i\id. fepar ate
Being, next in Dignity but iftferior to God
himfelf? No. For he difclaims this Honour
on his own Account, teflifying that he can
do nothing of himfelf , that is, as a diftinct and
feparate Being from God -, nor indeed could
that Honour which is due to God alone be
due to an inferior Perfonage how exalted
focver fuppofed to be united to Humanity.
Does he claim it then as a Being in all
refpeds equal with God, though a Qiilindl
Being from him, * fubfla?itially diilinft, fo
that
* DoiSlor Sherlock in his Vindication of the Doif^rine of
the Holy and ever Blefied Trinity afTerts that the Divine
* Pe»ior,s in theGodhead are "Real, Subnaritial Beings'arc
' Three ciilir,(£l and infinite Minds ;" *'Three Divine Per-
< iqm fuljiantlally diftind j" "Thefe tliree infinite Minds
* arediflinguiftied, juH as threefinite and creatcdMindt, are
* by il'l' Confciourncls."
Thefe
0//^<rLOGOS. 87
that the Father and the Son are as really two
infinite Minds or Beings, as Peter and yohn
are two finite Beings? This Opinion has been
efpoufed indeed by fome zealous Defenders
of the Trinity, but rejeded with Abhorrence
by others not lefs zealous in the Caufe.
Defervedly rejcded furely ! For bcfides that
this would imply a Divifion of the Godhead,
Chrift himfelf declares his Title to this PIo-
nour to be quite another Thing, "^1%. becaufe
God has committed all Judgment to the
Son. l^he Father hath committed all ^iiid'/-
mcnt
Thesi: nrc very bol'-l Afiertions and iiavebeen animad-
verted upon by as Zealous an AiTerter of the Trinity as
himfelf. The IcarnedAnimadverLer h;is ruiHciently expo "ed
theAbfurdity of thsinand tiieir liiconfiilencyboth W;th the
Doutrine of the Church of £>!^ land and the Sen f;^ of the
Ancient Fathers concerning the Divine Perfons, nor do I
thinic in bringing his Charge of TriAeifm rgainft this
Author's E:cp;icati<;n of the Trinity he has gone too far,
the ugh much too far in his acrimonioub Tvlornvr cf do'uxj^
it.
8S Of the LOGO ».
ment to the Son , that all Menjhould honour the
Son, even as they honour the Father. The Fa-
ther therefore demands of all Men this Ho-
nour to the Son on Account of his having all
Power both in Heaven and Earth. And al-
though this Power was manifefled in the
Terfon of the Son and is ftill excrcifed by
him to the Advantage of the Church uni-
verfal, yet it is the Power of God himfelf, and
not of any inferior Being. By confequence,
the Honour and Worfhip due on that Account
to the Father and Son, two diflin6l Perfons,
are due and to be rendered to One and the fame
Divine Being, even to God Almighty. If we
honour the Son on the abovementioned Ac-
count, wc honour God alone, we reverence
thePower andWord of God,and not thePower
and Word of any other Being whatfoever.
The Being that we worfliip is one and the
fame, though under different Perfons. And
thus
Of the LOGOS. 89
thus we fee that, although to the Man
Chrift Jefus was given all Power and Autho-
rity in the Execution of his Office, yet all
uas cf God and without Him did not any
Thing come to pafs cj all that which hath been
done, ver 30, 32,
Chap. vi. 32. But my Father giveth ycu the
true Bread from Heaven ^ 33. For the Bread
of God is he which corneth down from Heaven
andgiveth Lije unto theWorld,i^\. 7 hen f aid
they untQ hi?n, Lord, evermore give us this
Bread, 35. And Jefusfaid unto them, I am
the Bread of Life.
Here our Saviour fliles himfelf, Toe Bread
§f Life which cometh down from Heaven. That
thefe Words are not to be underftood of any
local Defcent of Chrift Jefus from Heaven,
but of his Word and DoBrine being from
N God
90 0/ tbe LOGOS
God or heavenly; not of any Being whatfo-
cver, diftina: and feparate/y exifting from
God, defcending from Heaven, but of God
himfelf defcending, as it were, from Heaven
and dv^relling among us by his PFord com-,
mitted to a Man, is plain from what has
been obferved on Chap, iii. 2, 13. et feq. But
this is flili more evident from our Saviour's
own Explanation of all he had been faying
from the 3 2d to the 626. Verfe of this Chap-
ter.— His Followers, who had lately expe-
rienced his miraculous Power in the Diftribu^
tion of the Loaves and Fifhes, were hunger-
ing after more Miracles of the Sort. Our
Lord, not ignorant of the real Motive of
their Attendance upon him, having remarked
upon their narrow and felfifli Views, and the
perifhable Nature of that which they fought
after, exhorts them to the Purfuit of that
Food which periflieth not but endureth to
ever^
0/ the LOGOS. 91
cvcrlafting Life. He tells them where they
may find this heavenly Suftenance, even in
himfelf the Son of Man, who could give it
to all them that fhould believe on him, and
that it was indeed their Duty to receive and
believe on him whom God had fent. They
demand a Miracle in Proof of his MilTion,
and, their Minds flill running on temporal
Food, mention, by way of challenge, as it
were, to our Lord, the Manna which their
Fathers did eat in the Delart, quoting at the
fame Time this Scripture, He gave them Bread
from Heaven to eat. Our Lord anfwers not
their Demand. For what Purpofe, fince the
Miracle of the Loaves and Fiihes left them
Unbelievers, would another of the fame Kind
ferve, but to gratify their fenfual Appetites ?
He judges it more proper to take Occafion
from the Scripture they had quoted to dif-
courfe to them about the End and Defign of
N 2 his
92 Of the LOGOS.
his Miflion, which was to give them ever^
lafling Life, jpiritual Food in allulion to the
Quotation 3 and by a Comparifon of the Na-
ture of the Food which they meant with that
which he profefled a Power to give them, to
engage their Preference of the latter, and
allure them to fome Degree of Attention to
their fpiritual Literefl. For this Purpofe he
tells them, that the Bread their Fathers eat
was not Jrom Heaven '-X'T^ ^P^v^' that is, of an
heavenly Nature. It fell by the good Pro-
vidence of God indeed upon the Earth ; but
it was not, we fee, according to our Saviour's
Meaning in that Expreffion, from Heaven,
gjtTB \i?ctvi- But the Bread, which he had for
them, the Bread, which God his Father was
now ready to beftow upon them that believed,
was the true Bread from Heaven^ that is, truly
heavenly, of a divine Quality and Efficacy,
fuch
Of the LOGOS. 93
fuch as could give Life unto the World,
This Manner of Reprefentation had the Ef-
fect to keep up their Attention to him, and
raife in them a Defire of receiving fo precious
and extraordinary a Gift, as Bread, which
could make them immortal. Accordingly,
eager with the Expedation of enjoying a
more delicious Repaft as well as much
more valuable in its Nature and EfFedls on
the Conftitution than that which he had al-
ready given them in the Diftribution of the
Loaves and Fi(hes, they requeft of him that
they may always receive that heavenly Bread
of which he fpake ; Lord^ evermore give us
that Bread. To which he replies, I am the
Breadof Life, And, going on with the Al-
lulion to the Manna from Heaven, he afferts,
that became down from Heaven at the Will
of his Father. The Jews then murmured at
him
94 Of the LOGO S.
him hecaufe he /aid, 1 am the Bread * which
came down Jrom Heaven. Our Saviour, to
filence
* Fpom this and the like Expreffions of our Lord, the
Socinians have fancied that Jefus Chrift, before he entered
upon his Miniftry, and in order to be qualified for the
Difchaige of it, was adually taken up into Heaven in the
Fle{h, and having been there taught of God, defcended from
thence as Mofes did from the Mount, with the Will of
God.
The Arlans^ on the other Hand,have from the like Phrafes
concluded that Chrift came down from fome Place above
ca'led Heaven, in which he ha 1 exifted aforetime, a dif-
tin(£l 3Lnd feparate Being from God, inferior to him, being
limited and created, and was united to Humanity.
Now, in fome fuch Way as this did the Jews alfo under-
hand our Saviour's AlTertion, that he was '* the Bread
*' which came dcwn from Heaven." But is it not ftrangs
in the laft D< gree that, when our Lord in his own Com-
ment up. n this Aflertion fhewed them their Miftake, ob-
viated their Murmurs againft him on this Mifconftrudion
of his Words, nay, and reproves his own Difciples for
interpri ti:nz them according to the Striclnefs of the Letter i
is it not firange, I fay, that Chriftia;n in after Ages fhoul 1
LW mro the fame Error, and fuppofe th<it he fpoke of hij
i tcra'ly and locally defcending from Heaven and not of
his Woi J and Docirinc being from God or heavenly f
Of t^e LO GO S 95
iilence their Murmurs and Cavillings en that
Account, difclaims all Power and Authority
in himfelf and refers all to God. Though he
could give Life, yet it was only to them that
were taught of God, to them that the Father
fhould draw to him, that is, to fuch as were
difpofed to receive the Word of Gcd. Having
thus obviated their Difficulty on this Head,
he refumes the Allufion and calls himfelf,
The Bread of Life^ "the living Bread tvhich
came downjrom Heaven, that Bread, of which
if any Man eat, he fmll live for ever. They
mufl: eat this Breads he tells them, if they
would have Life -, they muft cat Him^ the
Man Chrifl: Jefus, eat his Fledi, and drink
his Blood ; for this, fays he, is that Bread,
ivhich came down from Heaven: ?iot as your
Fathers did eat Manna, and are dead: He
that eateth of this Bread ft:aU live for ever-.
This Saying appeared to many of his own
Dif-
96 Of the LOGOS.
Difciples very hard and unintelligible. Jefus,
perceiving it, explains himfelf freely to them,
atthe6ift Verfe, not without a Reproof for
the Offence they had taken at his Difcourfe,
owing to their own abfurd Conceptions.
Tioth thisy fays he, offend you "^ What atid if
you Jhall Jee the Son of Man afoend up where
he was before T' that is. Do you take Offence
at my faying, / am the Bread of Life which
came down from Heaven, and. Except ye eat
tie Flefh of the Son of Man, and drink his
Blood, ye have no Life in you ? Doth thig
offend you ? It is owing to your taking my
Words in a Senfe fo ftrid: and literal as it
would be the groffeft Abfurdity to fuppofe
them to contain. For, were you now, let
me put the Cafe, to fee the Son of Man af-
cend up into Heaven from whence he hath
faid that he came down -, how would you un-
derfland my Difcourfe to you then ? Would
you
Of the LOG OS. 97
you fuppofe this quickening Efficacy, where-
by lafcended, to be literally in my Flejb and
Blood? Would you fuppofe that, when I
faid, 7'his is the Bread which came down from
Heaverii I could mean it literally of the
Defcent of the Son of Man from the Heavens
as Manna fell from thence to your Fathers to
feed upon ? Or, when you had feen the Son
of Man taken up from among you, would
you then fuppofe that I meant to affert that
my Flefh and my Blood corporally eaten and
drank would quicken and raife you up at the
laft Day ? You would not furely underhand
me fo, when you had {ttn me actually and
bodily removed from you 3 or, if I fliould
leave my Body with you, yet furely you mufl
know that the Flefi of it can profit you no-
thing. No. It is the Spirit that quick£7ieth',
the Fledi prcfitetb nothing : The Words that
O I /peak
98 Of the LO G O S.
I fpeak unto youj they are Spirit, and they
are Life.
Thus we fee that our Saviour fpeaks of
his DoBrine and the Spirit of God which
was given to him without Meafure. The
Words which Chrift fpake unto them, they
were Spirit and Life. For he fpake not of
himfelf but as he was taught of his Father
The Word of God (^oj-of t«94«) was that Ef-
ficacious Principle of Life which he fpake of.
^his is the Bread of Life. This is that which
came down from Heaven, which whofoever
receiveth and retaineth hath eternal Life, and
Chrift will raife him up at the laft Day. This
is called eternal Life, from Heaven, from
God', and the Man Chrift Jefus is therefore
called, the Word of Life, and faid to come
from Heaven, from God, to have been
with God, to have come forth from God.
This cannot be underftood of his Fieili,
of
Of the "LOGO S. 9^
of his human Nature, of him as the Son
of Man, but of him as having the Power
and Word of God, as the Logos '■» 9=.«. All
thefe Expreffions, I fay, relate entirely to
Chrifl as the Word of God j and cannot be
underftood, are really incompatible with our
Ideas of Things, and inconfiftent with, and
contradidlory to our Saviour's own Declara-
tion and repeated Teftimony of himfelf, on
any other Suppofition than this, viz. That it
was God himfelf that fpake and wrought in
Chrift Jefus, that it was God himfelf that
fpake to the World and wrought our Salva-
tion and Redemption, and no other Self-ex-
iftent, Almighty and Eternal Being, fuhjlan-
tially diftind: from him, nor any other next
in Dignity to God, nor any other Being of
Jlill inferior Dignity but in the Order of
Angels.
Ver.
>oo Of the LOGOS.
Ver. 68. Thou hajl the Words of eternal Life,
This Expreflion ufedbySt. Peter ^ is agree-
able to the Tranflation we have given of the
14th Verfe of Chap, i.viz. '' And a Man
*' (the Man Chriftjtfus) became the//^orJand
*' dwelt among us" — full of Grace and Truths
Chap. vii. 16. My DoBrine is not mine hut
his that Jent me.
By thefe Vv^'ords our Saviour difclaims be-
ing the Word in any other Senfe than as the
Publifier of it to the World. God was the
Wordy the original Author of it ; and He
gave it to the Man Chrifl: Jefus to publifh to
the World. Our Saviour therefore faith, in
anfwer to the Jews who murmured at his
pretending to teach, who was altogether an
illiterate
Of the L,0 GO S. loi
illiterate Man, that he did not fpeak to them
Things, the Knowledge of which he had
acquired by human Means, but Things which
God himfelf taught him. He fpake to them
the Word of God, not the Word or Dodrine
of himfelf, as the Son of Man or the Word of
any other Being whatfoever.
Accordingly, in theVcrfe following the
Text above cited, he adds, ij any Mm will do
his Will, hefiall know of the Doctrine^ whether
it be of God or whether I fpeak of myfelj'.
Chap. viii. 28. I'henfaid J ejus unto them,
when ye have lift up the Son of Man, then
Jhallye know that 1 am He, and that I do
nothing of myfelf, but as my Father hath
taught me, I fpeak thefe things. And he
that fent me is with me.
No
102 Of the LOGOS.
No Words furely can more Urongly exprefs
x\iQperfe5i Divinity of our Saviour, and that
perfeB Humanity in which it was manifeft to
Men than thefe. When ye have lijt up the Son
of Man y that is, when you have crucified and
put him to Death (whereby his real and per-
fedl Humanity will be demonitrated) you will
then acknowledge that he had tYiiz dh'me Pow^
er which he pretended to, even the Power of
God himfeif, you will then acknowledge that
what he did was not of himfeif, could not be
executed by him as Maji. For as fuch he could
do nothing. The mighty Works which mani-
fefced themfelves in him, you mufl: then con-
fefs, could not have been wrought by any
Powerbelonging to Humanity, by any Power
belonging: to that Nature which fuffered Pain
.Tnd underwent Death, but by a Power which
belonged to a divine Nature, perfectly Divine,
even to the moji high God.
Our
Of the LOGOS. 103
Our Lord therefore always fpeaks of him-
felf as Man or with refped to his human
Nature, whenever he teftilieth his Inferiority
to his Father, and his receiving any Conii-
mandment or Commiffion from him.
Chap. viii. 38. Ifpeak that which I haiefeen
with my Father ; and ye do that which ye
have fe en with your Father »
By this we are not to underftand our Sa-
viour as afTerting his having exiftedin a former
State, a diftinSi and different Being from God,
in which State he had feen fomething which
he now reveals, any more than wc can fup-
pofe him to mean by the latter Claufe, that the
Jews had feen (literally fpeaking) the Devil
doing any Thing. It muft mean, here, and
in all thofe Tiaces where he fpeaks of having
Jem
104 0/ t^^ LOGO S.
feen God, and ittn thofe Things which he
relates, the mofl certain Knowledge which he
had of the Will of God, or the Things per-
taining to the Kingdom of God, in AUufion
to that certain and fatisfadory Knowledge
•which Men receive by ocular Infpedion and
Intuition ; T hings which God gave him to
reveal to Mankind, and which are good and
true proceeding from God, as all bad and
falfe Things are faid to proceed from the
Devil; '
It is very common with our Lord to
diftinguifh himfelf as the Meffiah by fuch
like Expreffions as thefe, of having feen
God, learnt of God, proceeded forth from
God, come down from Heaven , &c. &c.
Which Manner of fpeaking has given Occa-
fion to Divines to biify thcmfelves about the
metaphyfical Nature and Exiftence of Chrill,
But
Oj the LOGOS. 105
But it IS very plain that thefe ExprefTions can
have no Manner of Reference thereto, and
that from thefc two Confiderations ; i. Be-
caufe wherever they occur, the Context is furc
to determine that ourLord foeaks inReference
to hi? Ofice on Earth. 2. Becaufe to fuppofe
thefe Exprtffions to relate to his metcphxfical
Nature and Exiflence, we muft be forced to
interpret them literally, which would make
the greateft Confufion among our Ideas, and
lay the Foundation of the moft abfurd, impi-
ous and contradicflory Opinions and Tenets.
Our Lord therefore mull: mean by them to
aflert, that he alone had 2iperfeB Knowledge
of the Will and Counfels of God, which no
Man before him ever had ; that God com-
mitted to him alone they/.7/Revelation of him-
felf and enabled him to declare and manifcfl
the one true God to the World, as clearly as
if the Son of Man had atftuallv afcendcd up
P into
io6 Of tk L O G O B.
into Heaven and there feen God and the
Things of the heavenly World, and then had
come down fromHeaven whhGrace and Trulh
as Alofes from the Mount, v/ith the Law,
Jefus Chrid hav>g fuch Knowledge and
Kevei^iition of theWili of God as this, together
with all Power andjudgme.it, dorh with the
Utmoft Propriety "jfe thcie Exprtinons con-
cerning himfelf, and that by way of Ap-
propriation ai;d Prerogative not bcionging
to IWcjrSy John the Baptifc, or any of she
Prophets J who, thoagii trje Prophets., v/crs
flill not from Heavier, but of the Eai'tij y
brought not that hea^ccvly Light which was
the Ltfe of Men. In God only was this Life,
and i:vVZ? Him was it hid from the Foundation
of the Wcr'd ; neither did it fliine forth to
the World, till the Cominn: of Chrifc, or the
Manifeftation of God in the FhiPo.
Verse
Of the LOGOS. 107
Verse 42. Vor I proceeded forth and came
frcm God -J neither can.e I oj ff.yjitj' lut He
font me.
Our Lord fpfaks he-e not in Reference to
his Dh'ine but Human Nature, not as a {w-
peiior Being to Man^ who, iiteraily fpeakir.g,
defcended from a more exalted State and
higher Region than this, but as Man. Other-
wile no Senfe can be made of this PafTa^ye.
For the feus^ to whom it is addreHed, h..d
boaflcd that Abraham was their Father. No,
fays our Lord ; If you were A'woham'i Chil-
dren you ivould do the Wo) ks cf Abraham. He
had acknowkdged, that tliey w^ere, UteriM^
ipeaking, the Children or Defcendants of
Abraham., but he denies it in the moral Senle
of t'o.at Exprtllion, iv'.?-. that they were Imi-
tators of him in good Works. In this Scr.f:^,
P 2 \-
io8 Of the LOGO S.
he tells them, they were the Children of ano-
ther Father • another Father ! IFe be not born
of Fornication^ fay they. We have one Father,
even God. Jefus faid unto them,^ God were
your Father ye would love me ; that is. If He
was your Father and you his Sons in the
moral Meaning of that Relation ; if you
were truly good Men and fincerely defirous
of doing the Will of God, you would love
me. For I (the Man whom you perfecute
and feekto kill) am come from him, to in-
ftrudyou in his Will. I come not of myfelf,
but He fent me. I am commiflioned of God
my Father to deliver his MeiTage to you,
and, in Duty and filial Obedience to him, I
deliver it and tell you the Truth though I can
expe(5t nothing from you but Violence and
Perfecution. This you fee has plainly a
Reference to his Human Nature.
Bur
Of the LOGOS. 109
But why need I multiply Words in Proot
hereof, when oui Lord himfelf has expielly
tcftified it in this Place, faying ; But noio ye
jeek to kill mey a Man, etr'-p -jroi- that has told
you the Truth which l have heard of God?
Verse 58. fcfus [aid unto them^ Verily, Verily^
1 fay unto you y before Abraham was, 1 am.
That our Saviour here fpeaks of himfelf
as, the PP'ord of God, the MeiTenger of that
Word which was with God ^po? "^o^ ^'-°v before
^he Foundation of the World, and had been
promifed to the Fathers, particularly to
Abraham^ is very plain. For he had faid
that Abraham rejoiced to fee his jDa', not
Himjclf \\^ a pre-exillent State; which could
have been fappofjd by none but flich abfurd
and prejudiced People as his Eiieniies were^
to
no Of the LOGOS.
to be his Meaning. The Jews^ however,
cither mifunderftood him or maliciouily per-
verted his Words. For they fay, thou art ?iof
yctjifty Tears oU^andhaJl iKufeen Abraham'^
Our Saviour had never mentioned feeing
Abraham, but fpoke oi Abrahani ^ feeing his
T>a^\ that is, the Gofpel Times, in which
Times, it was revealed to Abraham, that all
Nations fhould be happy in his Seed. He
therefore anfwers them not according to their
perverted Confcrudtion, but according to the
true and very obvious Meaning of his cum
Words, and tells them that Abraham might,
and did fee his D^v, for that before Abraham
waSjHe waSj'u/z. with God, in the Counfels of
the Almighty, who revealed his Million to
Abraham. Whom therefore does our Saviour
call himfelf ? Or what State doth he refer to,
when he fays, / * am, ■?- -:^/-' -^ Mofl evidently
to
* We cannot fuppofc that our Lord by tkis Exprc^iTion,
intended to intimate to the Jews that he \^-?.'^ tiiat g,reac
O/^y^'^L O G O S. Ill
to his State as the Son of Man. He declares
himfelf to be thatM?;;, that Seed oi Abrahain
in whom all Nations fliould be blefled, that
Man, \n\\o(c Day Abraham fjiw and rejoiced
at the Profpi'd: of it j the Man thrift Jefus,
who, b-fore their Anceftor Abraham was
born, even from the Foundation of the
World was appointed to be thcJl-'o dot God
to Men.
Chap.
Pcifonagewho In the third Chapter of ^A-fj^w/, at the 14th
Vti fe, rails himfclf, / am ; Nor was it at this Expreffion
that their Ind'iinatiop arofe,. bui at his aflertinu that he was
lej-jte Abraha a exifled. Tiiis h nianifeft from his ufing;
the amcExpr-lIlon twice before in the fame Chapter with-
out their taking Offence at it, viz. at verfe 24. If ye be-
lieve not that I avjy eyc^iui.ii and again at the 28th VerCe
then shall ye hxv. t' at I ani^cyc,} <tim. In both thefe Places
lie meai.s only to a.-.crt, that he was that Perfon whomGod
had fanflificd and fent into the World, and who was ap-
point, d in the eternal Purpofc of God to be the TJght of
the World, as will appear to any one on reviewing the
Context fioni verfc 12th.
112 Of the LOGOS,
Chap, xli, 49, 50. For 1 have not fpoken of
tnyfelf but the Father which fent me he gave
me a Commandment what I Jhould fay and
"ivhat 1 JJmtld (peak. Whatfoever I /peak
thereiore, even as the Father f aid unto me^ fa
I /peak.
Can any one doubt, after reading thefc
Words, of thePropriety orReafon of theEvan-
gelift*s calling Chrifl, the Word? That Man
was well intitledto this Appellation who fpake
to the World, not of himfelf but from God,
not his own Dodtrine, but the Word of God,
He, this Man, the Man Chrift Jefus, became
the JVordy being taught of God, having the
Word which was in the beginning with God
committed unto him, to publifh and declare
unto Men. This was the Son of Man who
ajcended up into Heaven, as it were, and
brought
Of the LOG OS. 113
brought us from thence that Grace and Tju^h
which had laid hid for ages with God^ and
infinitely furpaffed the Law given by Mofes.
No Man could tell us of heavenly Things ;
for noMdn had afcended up toHcavenJ^ut the^on
of Man ; nor had any Manfeen Gcd at any T^ime,
Jave the Son of Man j He is faid to h^vcjcen
God, and as an only begotten Son^ to have been ifi
the Bofom of his Father^ (admitted into his
moil: intimate CounCels) and to have declared
him to the World. Can any one doubt that
Jefus Chrift is called the Word by reafon
of the Officehz fuflained upon Earth ? and that
the Evangelifl: cannot mean to apply it to him
previous thereto, as to a Being that had a
feparate and dijiindl Exiftence from God,
whether equal or inferior ? — No furely j His
Defign in fliling him fo muft be the fame with
the Defign of our Lord in the Text we are
now upon, viz. to reprefent God himfelf as
Q beins;
114 Of the LOGO S.
being originally the JVcrdy and the Man
Chrill: Jefus, as becoming the PFord at the
Will and Commandment of God ; to reprefent
the Gofpel and the amazing Power which
accompanied its Publication, as the IVord and
Power of God alone. For there cannot be
a more exprefs Declaration of this, nor hardly
a more literal one than what thcfe Words of
our Saviour contain. I have notfpoken oj myfelf-.
But the Father nvhich Jent me^ he gave me a
Commandment^ what I fiould fay and ivhat I
Jkould fpeak : whatfoever Ifpeak therejore even
as the Father [aid unto me yfo I fpeak. This
Declaration of our Lord concerning himfelf
exadlly correfponds with what the Evangelift
has obferved, viz. That Go^ was the Word;
that theWhole was done by Him and without
Him was not ^«y Thing done ; that in Him was
the Life, th^XPFord of Life which was the
Light of Men, direding them the Way to
God.
Of the LOGOS. 115
God, whom the World was grofly ignorant
of, till he manifeftcd himfelf unto the World
in theF/fA appointing the Son of Man to be
his JVord to Men, one who partook of their
own Natures, the Man Chrift Jefus, who dwelt
among them full of Grace and Truth, whofe
Glory and great Power alfo they beheld, fuch
Glory and Power as manifefted him to be the
# only begotten of the Father, ^*f * Trt7p»f.
Chap xiv 23. If a Man love me, he will keep
;;;v Words -y and my Father will love him j and
ive will come unto him and make our abode
ivith him.
* Oroncfo intimately beloved of God, that God com-
municated to him all his Counfcls, and gave him all Power
in Heaven and Earth. Qf ixovoyipin -n-ctp • -T-lpis] ''•^H^
** Quod Unigenam aut Unicum fignificat, Graeci, (enfum
*' refpicicntes, vertunt e.y.t'Trii'ity ut Genes, xxii. 2. I2. lo.
" Judicxu 34. Jerem. vi. 26. Jmos. viii. 10. Z:ich. xii. lO-
" yio'.'cyivr^f ergo hic rcBc dicitur Chrillus eo quern
«« diximus fignificatu, et cui addi potcfl:, qu'a fingulari
t' mo.lo a Deo procefllr." Grst. on the 14th Verfe of
tfie firft Chapter of John.
Our
ii6 Of the LOGOS.
Our Lord delivers thcfe Words in Anfwer
to yuaas's Queftion, viz. How Chriji 'would
manifcfi himfelj to his Apofiles and not to the
Worldl — To which he anfwers, that this
Manifeftation con lifted in the Honour which
fliould be conferred on" them by the Father
and himfelf, in making them Apoflles and
giving them the Word of God to propagate
in the World, and this, becaufe they loved
Chrift. Our Lord, hov^^ever, exprclTcth this
in fuchTerms as gave them not a clearldea of
theNature of thatHonour he fpake of, but in
fuch as were very proper to engage and fecure
their Love and .Attachment to, and fupport
their Faith and Confidence in him. He tells
thtm, if they loved him and kept his Word,
his Father would love them, and they would
come and make their Abode with them. No
doubt, they v^rould be at a Lofs fully to com-
prehend
Of the LOGOS. 117
prehend this Honour j But our Saviour tells
them they Oiould underftand his Meaning,
when the Holy Ghoft was come upon themj
And we know that God and Chrlft did make
their Abode Wiih them by the Spirit of Truth,
or by giving them the Word otGo^ to preach
with Power. Thus was God and Chrift mani-
fefted to them and not to the World. Chrift
could not mean that they (hould have, here,
upon Earth, a ^vy^^/fReprcfentationofhimlelf
and his Father, who would literally defcend
from Heaven, and have a local Refidence
among them. It was meant therefore of the
Word of God being in them, and the Spirit of
Power which (hould be given them, which
Word and Spirit, being from God and granted
to them at the InterceiTion of Chrift, they
might be faid to receive God and Chrift, who
were manifefted thereby to them.
Now
1 1 8 0/ tbf L O G O S,
Now what I would obfcrve on this Paffagc
of Scripture is, that Chriftjefus here fays, that
He and his Father would come and refide with
his Apoftles uponEarth, and yet no one thinks
of interpreting this according to theLf//^r. Why
fliould we other wife interpret thofe Places of
Scripture, in which He is faid # to have come
down fromFIeaven,to have cotne forth fromGod,
to
* What Confufion and Irconfiilency hath ihe literal
Accept:. ton ol iuch PafTagcs ;ir- this occc.fioned concern-
ing chc Dignity of J-'fu> Chrift. When both Sdes, Trinita-
rians Vixxi Arians adduce th m in furport of their widely
different Opin. ns, we may be preity fure that both Sides
arc uncicr fume common Eiror of Interpretation. The
y^n'flwj hiterprct them as having a Reference to the Pcrfon
of Chrifl- in his p'>-e-exifient State. A::d Tome 'trinitarlanSy
whnfe Zec.l co.ifumcs the r J'jdgmenr, readily join iflue
with them an 1 fuffer the Caufe to proceed on tiieir Adver*
faries own S a;;: ^ f '.hr Cafe. After this, in order lo be con-
fjftent wi'h themfelves in this erroneous Iiiterprttation of
Scripure, they become totally inccmfifttnt with thcmfelves
in ieeonc;ling that Interpretation with the Doctrine of a
Trir^ity in Unity.
Tiius, Dr Sherlod [in bis Vindication of the DoSirine
of the Holy and ever biffed Trinity^) in order to ac-
count
Of the LOGO ^, 119
to be from above, &c. &c ? — Need we under-
hand thcfe Expreflions as intended to convey
any
count for the Poflibility of Chrift's being fent from God,
receiving Commands from him, and interceedmg with him,
is forced firflinto down right Ar'ian'ifm, and then, to mend
the Matter, into Sahellianifm. His Words are, *' The
** One fiipreme God can bo more be fent than he can be
** begotten, can receive no Commands from any other,
*« cannot be given by any other ; cannot be iul jecc to any
<« other Will but his own, &c. But tie Divine Perfcns
** may fend and be fent, and intcicecd with each other ;
" for though in the Unity of the Godhead they are sll
** the One Supreme God, yet there is a mutudl Rtlaiion
** and SuVordination between the Divine Pcrfons." Here
is a Diftin£l;on indeeci- of the One fupreme Goc), from a
Divine Perfon, and not without a Difference. 7>,e
fupreme God cannot he fent , cannot be commandedyVi Divine
Perfon rnay. Why is the frft a true Proportion ? Becaufe
none other is greater than himfelf. How then can the
latter be true ? It cannot be true without acknowledging
the Divine Perfon, who is commanded, to be lefs er infe-
rior to him that, commands, and this would be Jrianifm.
Let us fee then how this Author would extricate himfclr"
out of this Difficulty. *' As to inilance (he Subjoins) in
** Interceflion or Prayer for himfelf or others, which is a
•' Contradiflion to the Notion of a fupreme God, as it
*' is to the Notion of an abfolute and foverv-ign Prince:
** But yet a fovereign Prirxe may inteiceed with himfelf;
'* His
I20 Of the LOGOS.
any other Meaning than, that Chrift, while
on Earth, had the Word and Spirit of God ?
that
** His own IVtfdom., his own Mercy, Clemency, and
*' Compaflion may interceed with him and prevail too
'' without any Diminution to his fovereign Power, Thus,
*' though the fupreme God can interceed with no other
*' Being, yet the Son may interceed with the Father,
*' His own eternal and begotten Wifdom^ may interceed with
*' him and make Atonement and Expiation for Sinners, and
*• thus God interceed s with no Body but him .'elf, for it is
«' his own JVifdojn which interceeds with him, and makes
" the Atonement." Vind. p.i8i» Not to admit, with this
Author, the Divine Perfons in the Godhead to be three in-
finite Minds or Beings fubfta'itiaHy diftinft, he fays is both
Herefy and Nonfenfe. Is the above (flotation either Senfc
or Orthodox ? If it be Senfe, I fhould efteem it SabelUanlfm'
But, whatfoever elfe it may be, I am fureof this, that it is
totally inconfiftent with his Notion of the Trinity as laid
down in the other Part of his V'indication, and(which is all
I want to obferve) that he has been led into this remarkable
Inconfiftencs with himfelf, by fuppofmg fome PafTage, of
5'cripture to refer to tlie Dignity of Chrift in a prior State
of Exiftence, v»?hich refer only to his Office on Earth.
Dr. South, fr-om the like Miftake, rcprefents Chrift as
iitcrally and locally defcending from Heaven, yea, and
actually parting from fome Blifs and Glory, he before
enjoyed.
Of the LOGOS. 121
That God operated and manifefied himfelf
to the World, in the FleJJ?, by the xMan Chrift
R Jefus ?
enjoyed, as if the Divinity coulJ do this. H;s Words
are, " The fecond Thing to he confidered is the State or
*'Conditionyr^ffz which Chrift came and th.it was fiom the
''Eofomofthe Father, from the incomprchenfible fur-
*' prifing Glories of the Gcdhe \d, froffi an tteri al Enjoy-
** mcnt of an abfoluce uninterrupted Blifs a;.d Picafurcin
*' the mutual ineffable Inteicourfj het'v.xt h!m and his
** Father." This fhocking and contradictory Rcnrefen-
tation of the Divinity is owing to the Dec: oi's ab.urd In-
terpretation of that Fxpreflion ufcd by $t.jch?ij viz. ^P/jo
was in the Eoforn of the Father.
In another Place, this Author has thus obiioxiouHy
cxprcfled himfelf C(/ncerning the Divinity, "And yet this
** wonderful Almighty Perfi)!-., whcm the whole World
*' could not circum.c:ibj by reafon of the Divinity and
*' Inimenfity of his Be;ng, ha.l not fo much in the fame
«' World a whereto lay his Head by reafon of the Mean-
*' nefs of his Condition." It is certainly very a' furd to fpeak
of Chrift as God^ and yet to fay, that he had not where to
lay his Head. It was the Man Chrift Jefus that had not
•where to lay his Head. Al: fuch Dcfcriptions given of him
by the EvargcliiT: muft have a Reference to his Manhood
only ; And can anyThing be more ri Jiculous than to fnealc
of the Meanncfs of the Condition oi Almighty God ? The
Divinity is unchangeable in his Perfections, and his
Bldfednefs fuffered no diminution when he manifeiicd
himfelf to the World in the Flelh.
122 Of the LOGOS.
Jefus ? That what he fpake was not of him-
felf but was the JVord (^Logos) of God, who
dwelt in him, and no other Being whatfoever 1
Chap. xvi. 5. He Jhall not /peak of himfelf -
but whatfoever he Jhallhear that Pjallhe fpeah
14. He JJ: all glorify me^ for he fhall receive
of 7111 ne and fiall ffoew it unto you,
1 5. All things that the Father hath are mine,
therefore faid I that hejhall take of mine and
JhaUfl:eiy it unto you.
This PafTage or Scripture plainly proves,
that both what Chrift and what the Spirit
wrought was all of God. It was One and the
fame Being, viz. God, that operated by thefe
Agents. Chrift faith indeed, that the Spirit
Ihould take of His 5 but then he explains him-
felf
OJ the LOGOS. 123
felf thus, 'uiz» that what the Spirit fliould take
of him was the Father'^ aho. All therefore
was of God. We may fay, with Propriety
enough, of thefe three Perfo7is^ that the r'ather
fent the Son, and the Son fent the Spirit upon
hisApoftles, and the Spirit fandified thems but
the Effedts proceeded not from thefe Perfofis,
as from three diiliuvfl and feparate Beings,
either three Gods or any of them lefs than God,
but they proceeded from one and the fame
Principle or efficient Caufe,even from 0;7^God.
Ch A p. xvli. 5. And now ^ O Father, glorify thou
■me with thine own felf, imth the Glor\ whicj^
I had with thee before the JForld was .
The Jrii7?2s fuppofe, that Chrid here prays
the Father to raife him to the very fame
Dignity he had in his pre-exiilent State in
Heaven, viz. the greatell, except that of the
Father
134 Of the LOGOS,
Father himrdf, But, In ;11 this Prayer to his
Father, it is very evident, that our Saviour
fpeaks of iimilelf as the Men Chriil Jefus, who
was to receive the Rew rd of his Obedience,
the Glory which fiiould fuceeed his Sufferings
and Death, Glory which isreprefented indeed
as appointed from the Foundation of theWorld,
but as neverthelefs confequent upon and fiw-
Jcqurfit to his fufiering on Earth. It was to be
conferred upon him, as Man, and for hav-
ine e^orified God on the Earth. 1 Have
glorijied thee on the Earth ; / have jiniJJ:ed the
Work which thou gavcfl to me do* And now,
■ O Father^ glorify y &c. This therefore doth not
fuppofe him to have exilled a?iother and differ-
ent Being from God in a State prior to this,
in which State he had all the Glory that was
conferred on liim after his Humiliation. For
how could it tlien be confidered as a Reward
for his Siuficings, or as merited by his Obc-
dence ?
Of the LOGOS. 125
dience? A Reward implies an additional Glox^
orHappinefs to what one had before. Bur, it we
confiderthisGlory as appointed from iheBcgin-
ning for, and conferred in theFuInefs of Tinie
on him as Mati, then we may have verv clear
and confiflent Notions of his Exaltation at the
right Hand of God, of his being entered into
hibReft and Glory, of his being conftitufedthc
Head of the Church, of his corning again to
judge the World, and of his being appointed
to this h'gh Office, becaufe he h the Son of
Man. In this View, we acknowledge \\\ti\ ar
perfe(5l Man^ who died for us, without dero*
gating from that DiVine Nauire and ptTjcSi
Godhead, which was manifeded by mira-
culous Operations.
Chap. xx. 21.. As my Failcr hath feiit wc^
even^fo fend 1 you. 22. Apd wkfi 'he had
Jaid this^ he breathed on them and faith unto
tben:^ Receizr ye the Holy Gtojl.
pROiM
126 Of the LOGOS.
^ From thefe Words (as above xvi. 13.) It
is alfo very plain in what Senfe our Saviour
was the IVord. This Title doth not import,
that he is a felf-exiftent, independent, infinite,
eternal Being, feparate and diftind from God,
(which would import, that there were more
Gods than 0?ic) nor that he exifted, before
his Miffion, depejident indeed upon, but next
in Dignity to Gody but it imports, that God
dwelt in, and gave us the Gcjpel or Word by
him. God is the Word. It is of the higheft
Extraftion, even from the greateft of all Be-
ings. But as He fent, and fpake by, this
Ivlizn Qhri\\. Jefus, fo Hey God (the wtvy fams
Beino; that created us and all Things) is our
Redeemer and Siiz-iour. The Redeemer and
Saviour of the Vv^orld, therefore, is not a dif-
tind Being from God j but is very God; and
io alfo is the Ccmfyrter, or Sandifier of the
World, the Holy Ghofi, the Spirit of Truth,
con-
Of the LOGOS. 127
confidered as an efjicieiit Caufe, which, in its
Effects, is reprefented here 2iS proceeding forth y
more immediately, from Chrift, upon his
Apoftles. It is the fame Being which ope-
rates in them, and makes them alfo Sons of
God. As the Spirit, however, is not com-
municated to them but by the IntercefTion of
Chrift Jefus, fo he is at the Head. The
Father has given all to him. He is there-
fore the Son of God, by way of Eminence,
the only Son of God, being pkced above all.
He is conftituted Head and Governor of the
Church univerfal. All Gifts and Graces are
beftowed upon it in his Name, that all, even
the Apoftles themfelves, fhould honour him as
they honour the Father.
^PP LI-'
12S 0/ the LOGO S,
APPLICAriON,
Tj^ROM the foregoing Quotations of Scrip-
ture in fupport of the Interpretation of
our Text, thefe dodlrinal Points are inferred.
I. That God is the original Author of our
Redemption.
II. That he has placed the Man Chrift
Jef .. at the Head of his Church, and
given him all Power in Heaven and
Earth, that all Men fliould honour the
Son as they honour the Father,
•Jll. That
Of the LOGOS. 129
III. That there isbutO;zf God, our Crea-
tor, Redeemer and Sandlifier. The God
that created us is the fame that redeer^edus, and
He that redeemed us is the fame that fanBiJies
us. He fpake, firft, by the ManC\\n(\: JefuFjto
the World, his Gofpel of Grace : A.fterwards,
at the IntercefTion of the fame, He fpake by
the Apojiles, who preached Chrift and planted
his Dodrine in the World : And He conti-
nues to fpeak unto us by his IVord written, as
he did at the firll by Chrifl and his Apoflles.
IV. Their Explication of the I'rinitarian
Dodiine is unfcriptural,who aflerr*, that
there are T^kree infinite, eternal, fclf-ex-
iftent Beings^ as diflind from each oihcr,
2i% Three Men are.
For this is to fuppofe Three Gods^ each be-
ing alTerted to be difiinBly a God. Whereas
S the
* Dr Sherlock has afierted tliis. See Note p. 86. And
the numerous Tribe of his Defenders, though all of them
in a much more cautious Manner than the Doctor.
130 Of the LOGOS.
the Scripture fays, there' is but Oiie God;
which God, and no other^ fpake by his Son
Chrifl Jefus, being manifefted in the FleJJj*
V. The DodVrine of Arius is unfcriptural,
who held the Gofpel to have been given,
or, at leaft, to have been miniftred to us
by a Being lefs than God, but greater
than any other.
For we have feen that no ftich Being is
afl'erted by the Evangchft to have been com-
miffioncd of God and fent into the World
from Heaven. He that was fent into the
World was Ma?t, the Ma?i Chrifl: Jefus ; and
this Man afferts over and over again, that God,
and no other h^feriorBt'mg, dwelt in him ; and
that He and the Father are therefore One.
As for thofe, who are called SccinlajiSy if
they mean to reprelcnt cur Saviour Chriil: as
a
Of the "LOGOS, 131
a mere Man, and one in whom God did not
fpeak, but who I'pake and wrought by^ his own
Human Spirit, and of his own Power as a
Man, or who was taught of God but/jr-
//W/v, as Mofes and the other Prophets, re-
ceiving the Spirit by mcafure only; the former
Reprefentation of him is too abfurd to infift
upon, fmce, as A'u'cc/fww faid to cur Savicur>
no Man could do thefr Works except God
were with him. The latter, though far more
rational and plauiible than tlie Arian Dec-
trine, and more confident withjuft Criticifm
on the peculiar Language of the New Tefla-
ment, yet is certainly fhort of thofe Reprcfen-
tanons of his Power, Dodrine, and Autho-
rity, which have been produced in the fore-
going Quotations,
S 2 VI. From
132 Of the LOGOS.
VI. From hence we ma}' fee how unjuftly
. the Church oi England has been charged
with Polythei/jn.
For {ht afTjrts the Unity of God in cxprefs
Terrns„ She makes not the Father and the
Son tn be fuvo Gods, by reprefenting them as
different Beings, each of perfe5ily divine Na-
ture. Slji': Hili'ws of no diftindtion or difFe-
T'^nce in their ^/;t/W Naiuie and EfTence, but
only as to the hwnan Nature of Chriil:. By
thi: cihjie is he difcinguifhed from God, and
noi oy any r4ivi?ie Nature inferior to that of
God. One and ihtfame Divinity was the
/iUihor of all that which our Evangelifl has
related as coming tf pafs through the Mediation
ofChr.ftJefus. The// '(?r^ which he publifhed
he fpake not of himjeij -^ it was the Word of
God. The //-V^j which he wrought, were
not
Of the h O G O S, f33
not wrought by thePower of Humanltyj bat by
a Power perfeBly divine, even by God himfelf
and no other Being. Thofe, that charge the
Church of £/^^/flW with not holding the Doc-
trine of Cod^ mifreprefent her Meaning, to fay
the leaft of them. And indeed, how unhappily
foever this Dodlrine be exprefled in one of
her Creeds, yet, confidering that even there the
Do(5lrineoftheC7/z//);ofGodisexprefslyairerted,
and the contrary as exprefsly denied, one can
hardly be fo charitable as to fuppofe, that fuch
Mifrepuefentation of her Meaning doth not
fometimes proceed from a Want of Charity.
VII. The lafl Inference from what has been
faid, (and for the Sake of which it has
been faid) is this ; How high a Value we
(hould fet upon a Religion whofe Ex-
iraflion is from Go^/ himfelf.
God did at fundry Times indeed and in di-
vert Manners fpeak to the Fathers by his Pro-
phets.
134 Of the L OGOS.
phets. But to us He fpeaketb by his o^vn Son
Chrift Jefus, from Heaven, He is the Light
oiihtJForU, dlred:ing all Men in the Way of
Life. The Lights which flione, before this Sun
of R ighteoufnefs arofe, were faint and glim-
mering, affording but GlanceSj as it were, into
the celeflial Regions, but, the Light, which
hath beamed on us, fliineth with a full and
fleady Luftre, irradiating the Z7£'^i'£';^/y World,
and difcovering the things thereof to mortal
Infpeftion. The Vail, which forages intercept-
ed them from the View of the moft enlightened
of the human Race, hath Chrifl removed.
He has (liewn us the Father himfelf, whom
the World knew net, cloathed not with Ven-
geance and rigorous Juflice, but feated on a
Throne of Grace and lurronnded with Love
and Mercy. At his Expiration on the Crofs,
the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from
top to bottom J no longer, as it were, (liading
from
Of the LOG O S. 135
from the Eyes of guilty Creatures the Mercy-
feat of the moft High, hut dividing to difplay
the Riches of his Grace and afford Acctris;
that all may come boLily to the Throne of
Grace, and, cafting off that fear of Death and
Condemnation, which the Law and Sin had
raifed in them, may take of the Gift of Life
freely.
Jesus, the Son of the mofl high God
has purchafed this Gift for us of his Father,
not redeemable '■ucitb co7-ruptible 'Thi?]gs as
Silver a?id Gold, but with tie precious Eked
of himfe'fy as of a La?nb without Blemifi
and iDithcut Spot. Eternal Life is the Gift
of God to us through Jefas Chrifl, our Lord.
It is the Gift of God. To Him we are in-
debted for it. For in Him was that Life
'which was the Light of the Jl^orld. BL:t, that
He might endear it to us, and that we might
not
136 0/ the LOGOS.
not want a Senfe of its ineftimable Worth, He
has beftowed it in a Way the moft fuitable
to our Natures, and the beft adapted to
work upon the Ingenuity of the human Heart.
For this Purpofe, while the Gift comts freely
to us and without any Pur chafe on our Parts,
He has gracioufly, and in great Wifdom,
appointed, that we fhould receive it at the
Hands of a Mediator, at the Hands of one
who partook of our Natures, at the Hands
of the Man Chrift Jefus, who was in all
Things tempted like us and yet yielded not
to Sin, whofe Obedience to the Will of God,
even to extreme Suffering of Pain, Infamy
and Death itfelf, might be ever before us.
This Man did God ordain to be his IVord to
Men and to give Life to the World ; One
whofe perfedl Obedience might {hew us what
only was meritorious with God, and what is
the moil acceptable Service that we can ren-
der
Of the LOG OS. 137
dcr him j One, whofe painful Sufferings for
our Sake might for ever endear him to us,
and be ftampt on our Minds, as indelible
Charadersof his perfedt good Will towards usj
and One, whofe Refurred:ion to Life and
Glory we might contemplate, both as the fure
Pledge of our Refurredtion, and as the happy
Confequence of his Love to the human Race,
in laying down his Life for us, iinifliing and
compleating the Work of Redemption by the
Death of himfelf, that we through him might
live.
But, where (will any one now ask ?) is
this Gift of eternal Life? IFbo among the
Sons oi Adam is pofTefTed of it ? Are not all
mortal? Do they not all die ? Yes j It is ap-
pointed to all hii Sons once to die. But, we
T are
13S 0} the LOGOS.
are the Sons of God. We are o^thtfecoud
Adam over whom Death had not Power, to
hold him in the Grave. Through Him we
are paffed from Death imto Life. Do you
2.^iihere this Gift of God is? The Gojpel
of Chrift, even this, is our Life. T^'he Words
ijohich he /peaks imto us, they are Spirit and
they are Life. I'his is our Pledge of Im-
mortality. ^I'his is the grand Charter, if I
may fo exprefs myfelf, of our fpiritual Li-
berty, containing cur Privileges as the Sons
of God. If we abide firm by this^ our Title
to Life is clear and undoubted. But, if we
neglect and difufe it, Satan, ever en theWatch
to regain his Dominion over us, will infmu-
ate himfelf into Power, make gradual En-
croachments on our Liberty, and enflave us
again to Sin and Death. Let us be jealous
of the leaft Infringement of our immortal
Privi-
Of the LOGOS. 139
Prlviledges. If we think no Care and Cau-
tion too great in fecuring our Property 011
Earth, we Qiould not, in all Reafon, ufe kfs
in fupporting our Claim to an Inheritance in
Heaven. Let m think how abfurd it is to
boaft fo hot a -Zeal for our civil Liberty,
that, in Defence thereof, we are ready to
refift even unto Blood, while we can tamely
refign up that Liberty of the Soul, wherewith
Chrift has made us free, fuffer ourfclves to be
disfranchifcd of our Citizcndiip in Heaven,
and ferve, in the heavy Tind difgraceful Chains
•of Sin and Vice, the Prince of Darknefs. If
we would affert true Liberty, let us follow
Chrift our Head. He will Lad us on fuc-
cefsfuUy airainft all the Powers of Dr.rknefs,
and condr.cl us unhurt through th^ fi.ry
Darts of the wicked One, to that blclT.d
Country, where, in his Service, we {liall be
^ 1" 2 lecure
14© Of tJoe L O G OS.
fecure from all Oppreflion. For his Service is
perfed Freedom, and we fhall have our Fruit
unto Life, the Gift of Cod through Jefus
Chrifl, our Lord.
THE
THE
P I V I N I T Y
O F T H E
HOLY-GHOST.
I Cor. XII. 4, 5, 6r
J>[ow there are Dherfties of Gifts but
the Jame Spirit.
And there are Differences of Adminijira-*
f ions J but the fame Lord.
And there are Di'verf.ties of Operations^ hut
it is the fame God which worketh all in all,
ALMIGHTY God, in Condefcenfion
to our Nature and utter Incapacity of
knowing any Thing but by the Inlet of Senfe,
hath
144 Of the Holy Ghojl.
hath been pleafed to manifeft himfelf to us
by fenjible Reprefentatlons. This Method of
Revelation, though the only one by which
fuch Creatures, as we are, could poffibly ar-
rive at the Knowledge of their Maker, hath
become the Occafion of various Opinions, and
(what is more to be regretted) of much Strife
and fharp Litigation concerning the Divine
EJfence. Thofe, who were left to trace the
Divinity in the w^/wr^/ Manifeftation of him-
felf, (if I may fo call the Works of Creation
and Providence) wanted not Evidence, and
accordingly did acknowledge the Exiftence
of fome fuperior Intelligence and Agency to
that of Man. But we are not ignorant of the
EfFe(5t, which the Variety of the Works of
Nature, by which God manifelled himfelf to
the World, had upon the Fancy and Imagina-
tion of the Generality of Mankind. They
foon made unto themfelves Gods, of the Like-
nefs
Of the Hcly Ghoft. 145
nefs of every Thvig, both in H.-aven and on
the Earth, and in the Waters under the "Earth,
The World muft have continued under
this grofs Delufion, and, in confequence of it,
their corrupt Practices, but for the Provifion
of God, as well in the ycwifi Oeconomy, as
in that more univerfal one of the Golpel-Dif-
penfation, in which the Ahnighty manifefted
himfilf by his Son in the Flefli, and the Holy
Ghojl vifibly (hed on the Apoftles, But,
though we are told, that God was reconciling
the World unto himfelf by this Method, and
are called, both by our Lord and his Apoflles,
to the Knowledge of the One only living and
true God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanc*
tiiier, yet the fenfibk Reprefentation of the
Divinity in this threefold Yitvf has induced
fome to think and hold as a necefl^iry Article
of Faith, <' That two other Beings befides
U «' God
146 Of the Holy Ghoji,
** God, of finite, though very exalted Natures,
** were manifefted to the World, and claina
«' a fubordinate Veneration from us."
73
Having ah'eady proved the Divinity of
our Saviour t or, that He that redeemed us in
the Per/on of Jefus Chrift was true and ver-^
God, not a mere Man, nor any created Being
of ever fo great Excellence and Pre-eminence
above Mortals, it remains to be (hewn, that
the Holy Ghoft is not a diftind 2iV\d. feparate
Eeing from God, of an i?iferior Nature both
to the Father and the Son, but of One and
the fame eternal EfTence, truly 2S\.^ perfeSlly
Dhine.
The Words of my Text appear to me fo
exprefs a Teftimony hereof, that I could
almoft think it unneceflary, to do more for
your Convidion than repeat them to you.
Ihere are Dhcrfitus of Gifts but the flime
Spirit i
Of tie Holy Ghofi, 147
Spirit, mid there a*'e Differences of Adminif-
iratio?25y but the lame Lord-, and there are
Diverfities of Operations, but it is the fame
God which worketh all in all. It is i\\Qfa7ne
God which worketh all in all ! Thefe Gifts
therefore, which ihe Apoftles and firil Chrif-
tians received, were not the Gifts of any other
Being than the moll Ili^h God. The Gifts
themfelves are reprefented by the Apoftle as
various^ of different degrees of Efficacy, and
ferving to feveral feparate Ends relative to the
Propagation of the Gofpel ; but the Being
from whom they proceed, he aiTerts, at the
eleventh Verfe of this Chapter, to be One and
the fame undivided EfTence. 21? one, fays he,
is given by the Spirit the fVord of IVifdom \ to
another, th: Word of Knowledge by the fame
Spirit ; to another. Faith by the fame Spirit^
to another, the Gifts of Healing by the fame Spirit,
to another, the working of Miracles ; to another^
Prophecy 'j to another, di/ceniing of Spirits-, to
U 2 another
148 Of the Holy Ghojl.
another y divers Kinds of Toj.iues; to another^
the Interpretation oj T^ovigiies ; But all thefe
voorkeththat One and the felf fame Spirit ^ divi-
ding to every Man fever ally as he will.
In my Text the fame Operations, which
are here attributed to the Spirit, are repre-
fented as the Operations of God, 'There
are Diverfities of Operations^ but it is the
fame God which worketh all in all. At the
twenty eighth Verfe alfo of this Chapter, the
V erf on from whom all thefe Gifts come,
which are here faid to be the Gifts of the
Spirit^ is filled God-, and without Doubt or
Controverfy from any Sed, the Title is un-
dcrftood of the Mofi High^ true and vejj God.
God hath fet fome in the Church jfrfl^ Apoftles^
fecondarily. Prophets^ thirdly^ 'Teachers, after
that, Miracles ; then Gifts of Healing, Hglps,
Cover n?nents, Diverfties of Tongues, So that
thefe
Of the Holy Ghqfi. j^g
thefe Gifts and Appointments, though in other
Places reprefented as proceeding by Virtue of
jhe Miniftration peculiar to the Holy Gbofi,
are the Effedls of One and the fame Almighty
Being or ElTence.
In the iirft Chapter of St. Lt^ke^ at the
thirty fifth Verfc, it is faid. Therefore aljo that
Holy Thing, which jhall he born of thee^ Jloall
he called the Son o/God. The Ground of this
Title is given us in thefe Words, ^he Holy
Ghoft fiall come upon thee^ and the Fewer
of the Higheft yZW/ overfhadow thee ; ''There-
fore^ &c. The Holy Ghoji, and the Power of
the Higbejl, are equivalent Expreffions j and,
unlefs they were intended to reprefent the
Power and Agency of the Almighty hlmfelf,
they could not be made the Ground of our
Saviour's Title, that he was the Son of Cod,
If the Holy Ghq/l be a diilindl Being from, r.n^
inferior.
I5<5 Of the Holy Ghofl.
inferior to God, with what Propriety could
the Angel of the Lord announce to the Vir^
gin Mary concerning that Holy Thing thus
to be produced, that he fliould be called the
Son of God^ becaufe the Holy Ghoji fhould
come upon her ? For, on this Suppofitlon, the
very Reafon given for Jefus Chrifl being
called the Son of God is inconfiftent with his
Title, he being the Son of a?iother and injerior
Being.
In the twelfth Chapter of St. MattheT,
at the twenty eighth Verfe, our Lord, re-
futing the malicious Accufation brought a-
gainft him of cafting out Devils by Beelzebub
the Prince of Devils, faith, But if I cajl out
Devils by the Spirit of God, the?i the Kingdom
cf God is come unto you. Now, when he
faith, by the Spirit oj God, he doth not mean,
that he caft them out by the Power of fome
Spirit
Of the Holy Ghojl, 151
spirit which had a diftincft zndi Jeparate Ex-
iflence from God, and a Nature inferior to
his. It is evident, he means to fatisfy the
Jews, that he had the Power of the Moft
High. And they themfelves were very well
fatisfied, that God and no inferior Spirit was
with him, as appears by our Saviour's Inti-
mation to them afterwards of the heinous
Sin of Bhfphemy of which they ftood con-
vi<5led. For their Guilt of Blafphemy lay in
this, viz» In attributing that Power, which
they were convinced in their own Minds and
Confciences to be the Power of God alone^ to
a wicked Agent. In fpeaking againft the
spirit ^ therefore, or Holy Ghofiy this powerful
Agent in the Redemption of the World, they
fpake again ft God, and blafphemed not a
Creature but the Creator himfelf.
And,
15s Of the Holy Ghojl.
And, that onr Lord, wlieh he afferts his
cafling out Devils by the Spirit of God,
fpedcs not of any inferior Agency to that of
the Almighty Ruler of the World, is further
evident from the different Manner in which
this divine Powder is eXpreflld in St, Luke on
the fame Occafion. But if I^ iviih the Finger
of God, ccijl out Devils, xi. 20. No other Be-
ing isr intended by, the Spirit of God, than what
is meant h^re, 'u/5:. God himfelf, who, ope-
rating in the Son of Man, made the Devils
themfelves fubjed: to him. They were call
out by the Power of the Mofl High, and
not by any ififenor and lirmted Being.
It is not lefs plain, that the Blafphemy
againft the Holy Ghofi, charged by our Savi-
our upon the 'JewSy was Blafphemy againll
the DiiH?ie Being, from that remarkable In-
ftancc
OfiheHolyChoJi, 153
fiance of a Sin againft the Holy Ghof}^ in the
fifth Chapter of Atis at the third Verfe. But
Peter faid^ Anariias^ ivby hath Satan JiUed thine
Heart to lie to the Holy Ghofl: ? A little be-
low, the Apoille calls this fame Perfon, God.
Thcu ha II n:t lied unto Men but unto God.
The Hch Ghojl^ therefore, is here reprefented aS
being the fame with Gcd, and, though dif-
tindly charaderized, in his MiniJ^raticn, from
the Father and the Son, yet, throi:ghout
Scripture, is reprefented, in Nature or Ejfenee,
as undivided, being of one Subftance, Power
and Glory.
Stephen, when fuirering under the Rage
of Jcii-if: Perlecution for the Sake of the
new Faith, compares the Conduct of .his
Perfecutors with that of their Fathers in the
following Terms, i^efiif necked and uficir-
cumcijcd in Hart and E^irs, ye do aliz-ays refjjl
the Holy Ghofl ; as your Fathers did, Jo do ye.
It was 0?je and the fame Being that they and
"" X their
154 Of the Holy Ghofl,
their Fathers refifted, even the God of Abra-
ha?n, Ifaac and Jacob,
St. Paul, in the twentieth Chapter o^ASls,
at the twenty eighth Verfe, thus exhorteth
his Fellow-Labourers in the Work of the
Mfniftry j Take heed therefore unto yourfehes
and to all the Fleck, over the which the
Holy Ghofl hath made you Gverfeers, to feed
the Church of God. The Holy Ghoji is here
faid to have made them Overfcers of the
Church J viz. The fame Being, who is ftiled
Gody at the twenty eighth Verfe of the Chap-
ter in which is our Text, to whom the fame
Thing is afcribed j viz. God hath fet fome
in the Church, firfi, Apo/iles, fecotidarily, Pro-
phets, thirdly. Teachers^
So alfo the fame Being is reprefented as
having fpokcn in the Prophets, in the New
Teftament, by the Name and Title of the
HolyGhoJl; but, in the Old, by the Lord or
God.
Of theEoIy Ghofl. 155
God. Thus, in the twenty eighth Chapter
of Jdis at the twenty fifth Verfe, JVell [pake
the Holy Ghofl by Efaias the Frophet unto
our Fathers, Jayi?ig, Go unto this Pecpk aiui
fa^y Hearing ye JJ:all hear^ and shall not ujider^
Jiand> But, in the OldTeftamentjfrom whence
, this Paillige is quoted, the Commandment
"which the Prophet received is reprefented
as coming from God. 1 heard the Voice of
the Lord fcTjirg, &c. Ifa. vi.8.
' But the perfc^ Divinity of the Hok Ghc/l
in ElTence and Attribute?, is very particul.u ly
- teftified by the Apofile, in the firft Epiftle to
the Corinthians^ the fecond Chapter. The
Demonflration of the Spirit and of Power he
calls, the Power of God^, oppofmg It to th^
Wifdom and Power of Men. My Speech and
my Preaching i:-as not with enticing I Fords of
AlanV irijdcm, hut in F)e7nQn(lration cf the
X 2 Spirit
136 Of the Holy Gkoft,
Spirit, mid of Power ; that your Faith fhould
not ft and in the Wifdom of Men, but in the
Tower of God. Aifd, at the tenth Verfe, he
attributes to the Sl-irlt the Knowledge of
thofe Things which had been hid not only
from Mortals but the Angels themfelves j
even, that hidden My fiery ^ which fupcrior
Spirits defircd to look into, bu* were not
able to comprehend by \kiz\x finite Intelligence.
The Counfelsof tlie Divinity are too deep for
aught^/z//^ and of a limited Nature to fathom.
Jnfnity alone is commenfurate (if I may fb
fpeak) therewith. But the Spirit^ the Apoflle
afTerts, is fuilicient for this. God hath revealed
them unto us by his Sp'mt, for the Spirit f arch-
eth all Things, yea, the deep Things of God-
This he reprefents to be as eflential to the Na-
ture of the Divinity, as intimate and perfedtly
acquainted wkh the Will of God and of
Chrifl, as the Spirit of a Man is efiential to
the
Oj the Holy Ghofl. 157
the human Nature and confcious of every
Tranfaiftion and Purpofe of the Mind. For
what Man knoweth the Things 0/*^ Man, /ave
the Spirit oj Man which is in him ? Even fo the
Things oJ God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit
of God.
Although thcK?/)? Ghofl or Spirit, there-
fore, be frequently characterized as a Pcrfon
diftinft from the Pirfon o\ the Father and the
Son, yet, we fee, He is not to be confid^red
as exifting a feparate Being from Cod, ot a
Nature inferior or different, but the " fh^ve
** inSubftance; the Glory equals the M.jcily
'* co-eternah**
Instead of adducing more Pa/T^gcs in
fupport of this great Dodrine of the Uiuty
of the Godhead and r//ivV2c' Agency c( 'e
Spirit, (which, I would hope, mud now ap-
158 Of the Holy Ghcfl,
pear unnecefTary,) I fhall proceed to confider
briefly the Ground of the Arian Dodrine
on this Head,
Those who hold the Spirit or Holy Ghoil,
to have 2ifeparate Exiftence from, and to be
inferior to the Father Almighty, feem to me
to be led into this Error by not diftinguifliing
between the Manifejiation of the Spirit and
the Spirit itfelf^ or, between the EfeB and
the Efficient Caufe. In arguing for the Finite-
nefs and limited Nature of the Holy GhoJI,
they feem to confine their Ideas to thofe Ap-
pearances of it, which were given for the In-
formation of the Senfesj io\x\Q fcrjible Repre-
fentations being neceflary (as I have already
obferved) to convey to us the Knowledge of
Things fpiriiual and invifible. But we are
not to judge of its Nature and Effecce by
Senfe, fo as to meafure what \^ fpiriiual and
n©
Of the Holy Ghofi, 159
jioWay an objed: of our Senfes by that which
may be comprehended thereby. For thus
we (liould limit and circumfcribe the Deity,
as the Heathens did, by our finite Ideas of
his Works.
The Holy Ghojl was vifibly flied on the
Apoftles. The Repfefentation was fenfihle,
l^hat, which was an Objed: of Senfe^ diftin-
guifhableto mortal Sight by Shape and Colour
and to the Ear by Sound, as of a rufliing
Wind, was, no doubt, Jinite and circum-
fcribed. But the Being or Frinclple^ from
whence thisManifeflation proceeded,is wjinite,
and uncircumfcribed, pervading Immennty
itfelf, prefent to all Things both vifible and
invifible, jearching even the deep Things cf
God,
WiiEti
i6o 0/ the Holy Gho/l,
When we argue for the Divim'ty of the
Holy Ghojiy we would be underftood to affert
it, not of any "Degree of Power, or Wifdom,
or Knowledge, conveyed to the Apoftles and
firft Converts, but of the invifible Principle
from whence thefe extraordinary Gifts were
derived. And,that this Principle is, in EJfcftce,
truly and perfedlly divine, even One with God
the Father of all, is plain from hence, that
the Father gave the Holy Ghcji, that is, the
mighty Power which fell on the Apoftles and
all that believed, at the Interceffion of the
Son . I will p^ay the Father^ and He Jhallgive
ycu another Comjorter that may abide with you
for ever ; even the Spirit of Truth. John xiv. 1 6.
And again, at the twenty fixth V'erfe of the
fame Chapter, But when the Comforter is
come^ whom 1 will fend to youy from the Father,
even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from
the Father, He fl:all teflify of vie. So that the
Spirit
Of the Holy Ghofi: i6i
Spirit itfelf, under whatever Character it is
reprefented, whether as a Witnefs to the Soa,
as a Guide to Truth, or a Comforter !ii thei
Day of Trial andTemptation, is o^ ae Ffll-ncc
of God^ the Father Almighty. For thoui^h^
as the Apoftle exprefTeth it, the Mmifeftation
of the Spirit is given to profit i^ithall, ^whether
it be Wifdoniy Knowledge ^ Faith, Prophecy,
Miracles^ the Gifts of Healing or divers Ki?ids
of TongueSi it is the fame God which worketb
all in all.
Wherefore, with the Apofllei and on
the Authority of facred Scripture in the uni-
verfal Tenor thereof, let us afcribe all that
which hath been done for us, rtfpeding the
grand Work of Redemption, to the One God,
manifefting himfslf to the World by his Son,
in the Flcfi, as well as by Demon flration of
the Spirit and Power. This is that Cathdick
Y Faith,
1 62 Of the Holy Ghoft.
Faith, which was firfl; delivered to the Saints
by the holy Apoftles, and which, it hath
been the conftant Endeavour of our Church,
to maintain and preferve pure and uncor-
rupted, amldil the Variety of Opinions and
novel Dodrlnes, which, clafliing no lefs one
with another than with the primitive Faith,
have been attended with fuch unhappy Con-
fequences to Religion, and fo much Diflurb-
ance of the Peace and Quiet of the Church.
But, however great has been the Oppofition
which true and genuine Chriflianity has met
with, as well from the Quarters of D^//^, as
from the impertinent Zeal of Fanaticifm^ the
Foundations of it have been preferved fafe
and entire by that Almighty Spirit^ which has
never deferted the Church of Chrift under all
her Trials and Temptations, beaming upon
Her, through the Mifts of Error and Cor-
ruption, thofe Rays of Truth and divine
Comfort
Of the Holj Ghofi. 163
Comfort, which have kept Her in the right
Way, and caufeth Her to rejoice, though yet
militant againft the Errors and Vices of Man-
kind. Let us purfue the fame heavenly Light,
which Ihines upon this reformed Church
with great Splendour, iiot tojfed to and fro
with every Wind of DoBrine^ but fearching
the Scriptures, the infallible Didate of the
Spirit of God, who alone is able to preferve
us from Error to perfedl his Saints, and to
bring us in the Unity of the Faith a?id of the
Knowledge of his Son, unto a -perfcB Man,
unto the Meafure of the Stature of the Fulnefs of
Chrifl,
Now to the One God, our Creator, Redeemer
^nd Sandifier, be afcrihed everlafting Praife,
Am§n*
Y 2
THE
HUMAN NATURE
O F
JESUS CHRIST,
CONSIDERED.
I T I M. II. 5.
For there is One Gody and one Mediator betizeen
God and Men ; . the Man Chrifi Jefus,
E need not wonder, that Mankind,
left to trace the Divinity in his Works
of Creation and Providence, by their statural
Pov/ers alone, were involved in much Error
and
1 68 Of the Human Nature of Chriji.
and Confulion. Indeed, all Nations feem to
have embraced this g-neral Truth, That there
is an invifible Power governing the World
and difpofing Events according to Laws un-
controulable by Mortals. God has, in no Age,
left his reafonable Creatures without Witnefs
of his Exiftence. Notwithftanding, if we
refled on the Weaknefs of human Nature,
and on the great Diverfity of Men's Circum-
ftances and Conditions in Life, which are fo
many different Mediums through which Ob-
jects are viewed, it cannot appear ftrange,
that their Notions of the Divinity were very
imperfect and very different. Every Country,
every City, almoft every Family, had its pe-
culiar Deities,
The Almighty Ruler of the World, who
heft knows hov/ and when to fuit his Dif-
penfations to the Circumftances and Neceffi-
ties
Of the Human Nature of Chrijl* 169
ties of his Creatures, was pleafed to make
himfelf known by a fupernatural Difplay of
Power to the Jews fir ft. Them he feparated
from the Families of the Earth, and united
in the Worfhip of One God. Afterwards, in
the Fulnefs of Time, he manifefted himfcif to
the Gentile World in the Vitjti, that is, by the
Man Chrift Jeius. For in llim were all Na-
tions to be blefii^d with the Knowledge of the
true God. The middle Wall of Partition, no
longer neccllary to confine to one Spot the
true Faith, now too firmly rooted to be fiiaken
by the Powers of Idolatry, was to be broken
down, that God might become the Confi-
dence of the Ends of the Earth.
The uniting all Mankind In One Faith, and
cementing, as it were, into one Body, of
which Chrifl is the Head, all the Parts of the
human Race, prepared and fidy framed by
the Gofpel fortlii. blcfTed Uiiion, is a Subject
Z of
170 Of the Human Nature of Chrift,
of Contemplation, which fills the Mind with
the grandeft Idea of divine Grace and Muni-
ficence. And, at the fame Time that the
Means of our Redemption are truly aflonifli-
ing, and appear too magnificent a Difplay to
bear any Proportion to fuch worthlefs Objeds
of it, as we are, yet, when we confider the
Plan in this extenfiveView, as comprehending
a whole Syftem of reafonable Beings to be
united at laft, by one common Faith, into
one common Caufe of Truth and Virtue, the
Means muft appear not more extraordinary
than neceflary to h great an End.
But, if this was theDefign of Providence
in the two grand Difpenfations of the Law
and the Gofpel, how are wc to account for
it, that there fliould ftill be fuch a Difference
of Opinion in Matters of Faith ? We profefs
the fame Religion, and yet we are evet at
. Vai-
Of the Human Nature of Cbrift. 1 7 1
Variance about it. We break and divide
into fo many Sefls and Parties, and maintain
them with fo hot a Zeal, that it could not be
known from our ConduB^ that we belong to
Ow^Mafter, or, that he hath delivered but
One Syftem of Faith to his Difciples. The
Truth is, Chriilians are but Men ; and the
Infirmities of human Nature will betray them-
felves under the moft perfed: Difpenfation.
The Efted:s of Religion on the Vnderfl anting ^
as well as on the Heart, operating in the
ordinary Way, muft be gradual. This is the
Method of divine Providence in the natural
as w^ell as in the moral World. For, as the
outward Fr2Lmc and Conftitution of Things
was produced by a fupernatural Exertion of
Power, landing forth inflantaneoufiy on the
Command of the Creator, fo was ihtjpiriiual
Conflitution (if I may fo exprefs myfclf) of
Z 2 tliis
1/2 Of the Human Nature of Chrift*
this World efFedled, indeed, by a jjtiracuhus
Exertion of Power. But, both Conftitntions
being once fettled, the Ends of both arc
carried on according to the natural ot ordinary
Methods of Providence. God has created all
Things anew in Chrift Jefus. But this new
and fpiiitual Creation is flill- under the Pro-
vidence o^ God, governed by his good Spirit,
which is ever exercifed, not only to the
Maintenance but to the Furtherance of the
Faith. And we cannot well doubt, that the
fame Power, which hath already broken up
the ftrong Holds of Pagan Idolatry, is fuffi-
cient to efFedt the Completion of the great
Defign of the Gofpel Revelation, which is,
to bring <«// Men to the Acknowledgment of
the true Faith, That there is hut One God^
and One Mediator between God and Men^
thsM^v^ ChriH Jefii^,
It
Of the Human Nature of Chr ijl. 173
It is the lail of thefe Pofitions which I
propofe to illuftrate, the former having been
ah-eady confidered in the preceding Lectures.
Our Mediator, it is aflerted in the Text, was
Man, *c9psjxQf ;)/p/r5? THT«f , the Man Chrift Je-
fus. The perfeSl Humanity of Chrift is as
eiTential and fundamental an Article of our
Faith, as that it was GcJhimfelf, the perfcB
Divinity, who wrought and was manifefl: in
Him. If we admit the Suppofition, that he
was not 7'eally and t?'uh Man, but a Being of
•a fupericr, though limited l>^(ituve, refiding
only in a human Body *, we can have no
con-
* The Ar'tans for the mod Part fcruple not to deny tha,':
yefus Chrl/I had an human Nature, or was really am'
txxAy Man. B'Jt the more acute of them arc too fenfibls
of the DiSculties with which futh a Notion is atter.ded^
to avow it in exprefi Terms. Dr. Nicol Scot, in his Ser-
mon on the Sci.ip'iure Doiuir.e of the Incarra-jon, is at
great Pains to recor.cilc the direct AiTertions which occur
in
174 Of the Human Nature cf Chriji,
confiftent Idea of the Account given us, ci-
ther of the Incarnation, or of the Mediatorial
Office of the Son of God.
I. First,
in Scripture, pf the Humanity of Jefus Chrift, with the
Jrlan Hypothefis of his being a Divinity dependent on
God the Father. This, however, is not to be done with-
out fuch a Fetch from the Sound of Words, as is unwor-
thy of, and very unufual with this fair Writer, and man-
ly Defender of our common Cliriftianity. ** Should we
«' confider, fays he, the true Standard, or Definition of
*' the Human Species, we {hall find a Ilfan to be one
«' fingle Spirit or intelligent Agent, animating a Body of
*' the fame Form and Make with our's ; and confequenf
" Iv, were it the Will of God, that any Spirit, or intel-
" ligent Agent whatever, fhould animate a Body of the
*f fame Form and Make with our's, he would become
*' a Man" But is this the true Standard and Definition
of the Human Specie: ? Is the outward Frame and Make
of Man that v.'hich principally characlc-rizeth and diitin-
Ijuiflieth our Species in the Scale of animated Beings? Is
it by this a'.cnc.vfz differ from the Brutes ? If any Spirit
'ivhateveVy animating a Body of the Dme Form and Make
with our's. becom.es a M'ln, then the Spirit of a Bcafl: {q
circumlhncrd would become a A-Ian. ^IW^ Auihcr how-
ever
Of the Human Nature of Chrift, ijr
I. First, for the Incarnation.
He was born of a Woman, being conceiv-
ed of the Holy Ghoft j in other Words, the
Power of the 7noJi High ovcrfhadowing the
Virgin.
ever in faying, or iriteWgent Agent^ might mean only, that
any y«/)mi;r Spirits whatever, animating human Bodies,
would become Men. Be this the Meaning, It may ftill
be afked. Whether there be not efTential DifFerenccs a-
mong thofe intelligent Agents, in their Natures, conflL
tuting 33 diftindl Species, as the Human Species is di-
ftind from the Brute ? If there are, (and that there are
not, who will venture to aiTert ?) then let us fuppofa two
of thefe Spirits or intelligent Agents, very different in
Nature, but, at the Will of God, animating each a Body
of the fame Form and Make, would this Samenefs of ex-
ternal Form level their Natures P Would they not ftill be,
tho* in outward Appearance alike, B, in^^s of a dlrFefcnt
Species ? In (hort, however difficult it may be to define
the Humfin Spedesy yet it is very obvious, that tlie Na-
ture or Kind of the Spirit, which animates, ought tu br
confidered as well as the Form or Make of that, which is
animated. And if Jefus Chrift, after his Incarnation, had
not a banian Spirit as well as a human Body, but i-ne
of a rnuch fuperior Nature^ he could not, according- to
the Idea we have of Humanity, be veoUy and trubj
a Man.
176 Of the Human Nature of Chrifi,
Virgin. Now, I would aik, is this Account
of the Conception and Birth of Jefus Chrift
at all confident with the Suppofition, that,
before this. He exifted a diilind 2.wd,feparate
Being from, and inferior to God alone ? Was
it an Angel of a very exalted Dignity, even
next to that of God himfelf, that was thus
conceived of the Holy Ghofl and born of a
Woman ? Was it not a real Child, but fome
angelic Being, of whom it is faid, Te fiall
find the Babe wrapped infwaddlihg Cloaths, ly^
mg in a Ivlarger i And again. When eight
Days were accompl'JJjed for the circumclftng of
the Child, his Name was called^ J^fa^ f
Whom alfo his Parents, it is faid, brought to
'Jerufalem, to prefent him to the Lord^ as it is
written^ " Every Male that openeth the
" Womb fliall be called holy to the Lord ?'*
For whom they offered a Sacrifice accordi^ig
to that which is faid in the La%i\ " A Pair of
'' Turtle
Of the Iluman Nature of Chrifl. 177
«' Turtle Doves or two young Fidgeons r'*^
In fliort, for whom they performed all things,
according to the Law of the Lord, refpeding
the firft born of Male Childre?i ? Luke ii. 1 2.
&feqi
It is further fald, in the above-mentioned
Chapter, that the Child grew and waxed
Jlrong in Spirity filed with IViJdom ; a?:d the
Grace cf God was upon him ; That, at twelve
Years of Age, he went up with his Farents
to Jerufalem^ after the Cujlofn of the Feaji ; ajid
the Child (fo he is again Q2\\td) tarried behind,
and after three Days was found in the "temple,
fitting in the midfl of the DoBors, both hearing
and asking ^lejtions j That from thence he
we?it down with his Farents to "Nazareth and
was fubjeB unto them^ encrcafng in Wifdom,
and Stature, and in Favour with God and
Man. Doth not the Evangeliit, in this
Dcfcription, mark to us the natural Growth
A a and
tyS Of the Human Nature of Chrift.
and Progrefs of Humanity'^ The gradual,
though, in this Inllance, great Expanfion of the
Facuhies of Mind and Body f ''of the reafon-
'* able Soul and human Flefli fubnfUno: ?"
When it is faid, The Child grew^ can it be
imagined, that the Evangelift would convey
to us any other Idea than what we generally
affix to thofe Words? Or, that in faying,
ih^ Child Wt'jxed Jtrong i?i Spirit^ he meant
not an human Spirit, but would have us un-
derhand him of the gradual Expanfion of
the Faculties of an angelick Soul, yea, and
that the firfl; of all created Beings, only en-
clofed for a while within the narrow Limits
of an infantine Body ? The Inconfillency of
fuch a Suppofition v/ith the Evangelift's
Account, is furely too glaring to need more
Words to expofe it.
II. Nor
Of the Human Nature of Chrijl, 170
II. NoPv doth it better confiir wltli the
Idea of Chrifl's Mediatorial Office. For,
I. How are we to underhand his fufi:
Sufferings immediately after his Baptifm ? It
would be forcing common Scnfe itfclf, to
fuppofe it not a real Man, but a Perfonaae of
a much morecxaked Nature, thiit was afliid-
ed with the Scnfation of extreme Plunger,
that he might be induced to abufe and mif-
apply the divine Power, of which he found
himfelf poifelTed. As unnatural is it to fuppofe,
that all the Glory of this terreflrial Globe was
prcfented as a Temptation to One, \^•ho was of
a Nature fo far furpaHing not only that of
Men, but of Angels and all created Beings
whatever. The Profpecl, how dazzling
f)ever to hu?nan Scnfe, could not pcfiiblv be
a Trial to fuch a Being. This Scene of
Temptation was adapted to the Infirmities
of
1 8o Of the Human Nature of Chrifl.
of the human Nature alone. The Motives
prefented were fuch as were trying to ^ Man^
in the higheftDegree,being addrefled to thofe
natural Appetites and Paflions, which have
fo powerful a Sway in the Determinatipn of
the human Mind, but are not fuppofed to in-
fluence fuperior Spirits.
2. It is in rerpe(^ of his human Nature,
that our Saviour is fet bc;fore us, as a Pattern
for our Imitation. His whole Deportment
through Life witneiTcd a ftrong Senfe of Duty
to his Father, and an unremitted Exercife of
benevolent Atfediions towards the human
Race. And as he lived, fo are we exhorted
to live. For, in Piety and true Goodnefs, we
are capable of imitating him; Nor are we called
upon to do moie than it is our Duty to do 5
more than human Nature is capable of 3 more
than what we know he, as M;;/, did ; v/hen
we
Of the Human Nature of Chrijl. 1 8 1
we are exhorted to live as he lived, doi?2g
yuftice^ loving Mercy, and walking humbly
before God. But conceive him, vi'ith regard
to his Behaviour under thofe Circumftaiices,
which to us are Trials of Integrity, to have
had a Nature different from, and i^^v fuperior
to Our's, and you can no longer conllder him,
as exemplifying our Duty by his own Ccn-
du(5t, or derive fi-cm it Encouragement to
hope forSuccefs inthelikeTemptatior.s aiTault-
ing our weaker Nature. V/e may, on this
Suppofition, admire and adore his vaftly fupe-
rior Excellence ; but we fhall be ever difcou-
raged in the purfuit of Virtue through Diffi-
culties, that are looked upon to require
more than human Nature to fi:ruo:2:]e under,
with any Hope of Succefs.
As an Encouragement, therefore, to ug in
the Day of Temptation, he is reprefented la
Scripture
J 82 Of the Human Nature of Chriji,
Scripture as having the fame Nature with us,
fubjed to the like Temptations, with this
Difference only, that he yielded not to Sin.
It became him (fays the Author to the He-
brews) for whom are all T^hhigs^ and by whom
are all]thingsjn bringing many Sons unto Glor\\
to make the Captain cf their Salvation perfeB
through Suffering, Heb. ii. lo. And the Ne-
ceffity of his appearing in our Nature, and
not in the Nature of Angels, is thus illuftra-
ted by the fame Writer, viz. Wherefore in all
ihinr-s it behoved him to be mc,de like unto his
Brethren j that he might be a merciful and
jaithful High- Priefl in things pertaining to God,
to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People.
For in that he himfclj hath Juffcrcd^ being
teniptedy he is able to fucccur thin that are
tempted^ Hcb. ii. i 7. This is a diixcl Tefli-
mony of the perfcci Harfianity of Cluifl Jefus,
confidcrln«; him in his Medlaicrial Ofiice.
There
Of the Human Nature of Chrifl. 1 83
There is fo far from being any Intimation of
an angelick Nature, united to the Human ^ that
the facred Writer oppofeth ,this lafl: to the
former, infifting upon the perfect Samenefs
of hisNature witliOur'3, to the total Exclufion
of any other, than that truly and pcrfedly
Divine Nature, whereby he was rendered
perfect in his Mediation.
3. It is In this relped:, vix, the Huma?iity
of Chrifl Jefus, that we view him exalted
at the right Hand of God, as the Reward of
his oerfed: Obedience, a Reward, not prior
(which it would be mod Inconfiflent to fup-
pofe) but fuhfequent to his Suffering in cur
Nature. For, if he w^as exalted to the Glory
alone, which he had before, to that fame
Dignity, which he is fuppofed to have ever
held under the Supreme Being, the Scriptures
would not have fet it forth to us as an In-
flance
1 84 Of the Human 'Nature of Chriji,
fiance of divine Juftice, in rewarding that
Virtue and Piety, which flood the Tell of the
fevered Trials, His perfed Obedience, in
that Cafe, would have met with no Reward
peculiar to itfelf j Nor, would the Glory of his
Affumption into Heaven, have encouraged
his Difciples to follow him through Tribula-
tion and Diilrefs, if they confidered it not
conferred on their Mafter as a Reward of his
Fidelity in doing his Father's Will. For his
Sufferings and Death, for the Sake of Truth,
he was crowned with Glory, which he had
before with liis Father, being referved for him
from the Foundation of the World, but which
he reaped ?,ot till the Time appointed of the
Father.
Jesus Chrifl, therefore, our Mediator, was
pcrfed Man, of " a reafonable Soul and hu-
'' man Flcdi fubfifllng." This Dccflrine is
agreeable,
Of the Human Nature of Chrif!. 1 8^
agreeable, we find, to the unlverfal Tenour of
facred Writ. It confifts with the Account
given by the Evangehfls of the IncarnatioUy
with their Defcription of Chrift from his
Birth to the Time of his public Mlnijiration^
with the Account of his whole Depcrtment
from that Time, more particularly, under the
Weight of Siifferifig ; with the Account of his
Deathy ReJurreBio?2, the M:inifeftation of
himfelf afterwards^ to T'homns more particu-
larly, and his AfTamption into Heaven, the
Reward of his Suffering in our Nature. The
whole Doflrine of the Atonement as laid
down by the Apoftles, goes on the fame fup-
pofiticn, viz \ That he was truh Man, whofe
Obedience as fuch was perfedt, and the infinite
Merits of which gained him that high Pre-
eminence, of being made a Prince and a Savi-
our to all that confide in him.
B b W&
1 86 Of the Human Nature of Chriji,
We may therefore fafely oppofe the ge-
neral Tenour of Scripture on this Head to
the few Texts brought by the Ariam in Sup-
port of their Tenet, " That our Mediator
" had a Sort of middle Nature between the
" Divine and the Human Nature." I have
already remarked, * that this Notion is
grounded chiefly on fuch Texts, as relate to
his htvc^gfcnt from God, or coming down from
Heaven into the Worlds and fhewn that they
have miftaken thofe Texts in fuppoflng the
Mifiion fpoken of to refer to fome Time
prior to his Entrance on his Public Miniftry-f-.
The other Texts, from whence they would
deduce this Opinion, are but few, and on a
fair and impartial View of them, as they ftand
conneded with their Contexts and the general
Tenour
* 5cim- I. pag. 6. f I-ogos. pag. 89. et Seq,
Of the Human Nature of Cbrift, 1 87
Tenour of Scripture, will appear foreign to
the Doctrine they are brought to fupport.
One of thefe is in the eighth Chapter of
St. Paul's firft Epiflle, at the fixth Verfc. But
to us there is hut One God the Father^ of ivhom
are all Things and we in hitn, a^d One L'.rd
yefus Chrift, by ivhom are all Thijigs, and "ive
by him. This PaiTage is thought to relate to
the firfl: Formation of a!lThin2:s, the Creation
of the Heavens and the Earth, which the
Arians attribute, indeed, to the Will of God,
but fuppofe, that Jefus Chriil: was the Agent
under him, being himfelf firfl; created. But,
I. Such a Suppofition is not at all con-
fulent with the Mofaick Account of the Crea-
tion, from which we learn, that all Things
were created by the immediate Power of God,
without the Intervention of any fuchaBeing.
B b 2 Cod
-1 88 Of the Human 'Nature of Chrifl,
Gc^fpake, and all Things ftood forth. God
faidy let there be Light, afid there was Light*
This is the Language of Scripture concerning
the Creation ; Nor arc we ever given to un-
derftand, that God firfl: created a Being, of a
very exalted Nature, and then ^^ him the
Heavens and the Earth.
2. Such a Notion doth not comport v^^ith
the Defign of the Apoftle in this Place. So
far from labouring to convince his Converts,
that the Creation of the outward Frame of
Thins;s was effedted by the Agency of any
Being inferior to God, he endeavours to dii-
fuade them from holding any fuch Dodlrine,
which might tally indeed with their former
Profeffion, but vvas inconfiftent with their-
new Faith. Before they were ceated anew
by Chrift Jefus, they had Gods ?na?i\\ and
Xjords many. But the Apoflle reminds them
of
Of the Human Nature ofChriJi. 189
of their new Faith, new Creation by Chrift
Jefus, whereby they were brought to the
Knowledge of God. Him alone therefore
they (hould now acknowledge ; For to them
there was now but One God, cf whom were all
Things, that is, all this Change and Renova-
tion of Things ; and One Lord or Mafler yefus
Chriji^ by whom all Things were, and they by
kirn, that is, by whofe Mediation all this was
brought about, viz» That they fhould become
the Sons of God. And,
3. This is agreeable to the Apoftle's Man-
ner of exprefling himfelf in other Places.
Thus, in the firfl Chap.':cr of this Epiflle, at
the thirtieth Verfe, he faith, But of Him are
ye in Chrijl Jefus, who of God is made unto us
JViJdom and Right eoiifiiefs, and SanBijication
and 'Redemption. And again, in the fifth
Chapter of the fecond Epiflle, at the feven-
teenth
J ^o Of the Human Nai we of Chrijl.
teenth Verfe, Jf any Man be in Chrijl he is a
new Creature. Old Thingi are paffcd away j
behold all Things are become new. And all
Things are of God who hath reconciled us to
himfelf by Jefus Chrijl » Thus it is apparent,
that ihe Creation oi all Things by Chrift Jefus
relates to the new Creation, ili^JpiritualVoV'
raation or Renovation of Things according to
the Gofpel Conflitution. And, although it is
faid, A.11 Things are by Chrifl Jefus, yet the
Apoftle intends not to include the outward
Frame and Conflitution of Things, the na^
/ar^/ Heavens and Earth, but thofe Things
only which relate to his prefent Subjed, viz.
the Mediation of Chrift, which had introduced
a new Syflem of Religion.
This Confideration will ferve to explain
another PafTage adduced by the ^r/^;;j, and
redify the Interpretation given of it. PFhj
created
Of the Human Nature of Chrifi. i g r
created all things by Jefus Chriji. Eph, iii. 9,
That the natural Creation, or outward Frame
of Things, is not meant here, is extremely
plain from this, viz. That all thefe Thijigs
which are faid to be created^ are reprefented
as not exifting, not produced, but lying hid
•n God //// the Coming of Chrift, which was
long after the Heavens and the Earth were
created. 'Jhat we JJjould preach among the
Gentiles the unfearchabk Riches of Chrifi • and
to make ail Men fie ^ what is the Fellcivfiip of
the Myfteryy which from the Beginning oj the
World hath been hid in God, who created AH
(for Co ■rrcLvl^ maybe rendered) by JeJusChriJl.
The Subjed:, on which the Apoftle is writ-
ing, is plainly the Gofpel-Ccfijiitution, called
here, a Myjlery^ on account of its being hid in
God before the Coming of ChriH:, by whom
it was revealed. By all ^Things, therefore, is
here meant all thfe Things, which came to
pafs
192 Of the Human Nature of Chriji*
pafs through the Mediation of Chrift, thofe
unfearchable Riches of Chrift, ©f which the
Gentiles were now made Partakers, according
to the eternal Purpofe^ (as it follows in the
Verfe but one below) uhich he purpofed in
Chrijl Jefus our Lord. What the Almighty
purpofed in Chrift Jefus was our Salvation,
or a new Creation of all things under the
Gofpel-Difpenfation, and not the o/(i Creation
or Formation of the outward and vifible
World.
It is this Manner of fpeaking concerning
the Mediation of Chrift, viz. in Allufion to
the Creation, which has occafioned the like
Error of Interpretation in the following Paf-
fage out of the fame Writer. Pf'ho is the
Image of the i?ivifible God, the fir(l born of
every Creature j jor by him were all Things cre-
ated that are in Heaven^ and that are in the
Earth,
()f the Human Nature of Chrift. \ 9^
Earthj vijible and invijible^ whether they be
thrones y or Domi?2ions, or Principalities^ or
Powers y all Tubings were created by him andjor
him ', and he is bejore all things j and by him
all things co?ififlj Col. i. 15. This Repre-
sentation of the Pre-eminenee of Jefus Ghrifl
is fuppofed to refer to that Dignity, which
he is thought to have had under God, in a
prior State of Exigence, and his being em-
ployed by the Almighty in creating theWorld.
But, that the Creation here fpoken of is not
that of the outward Frame of the World, ef-
fected by Ch rift as the /r/?-of Creatures, but
the new Creation according to the Gofpel-
Conftitution j and that it was cfFecfled by him
as Man, will appear
I. From the Connection which this Puf'
fage has with what precedes and fol-
lows it.
C-e 2. Fpom
194 Of the Human Nature of Chrijl,
2. From the Reafon affigned by the A-'
poftle for his being the Firft-born from
the Dead. And
3. From the Expreffion made ufe of
by the Apoftle at the feventeenth Verfe,
viz. That by him all things confift.
For the Firft.
The ApoHle, ,in the Verfe immediately
preceding this Paffage, Ipeaks of Chrifl. in re-
ference to his Mediatorial Office. In whoniy
fays he, 'we have Redemption thrcmh his Bloody
even the Fcrgivcncfs of Sins. And, in
the Verfe immediately following this Paf-
fage, he fpeaks of him as placed at the Head
of the Church. fFho is the Beginm?2g^ the Fir/l-
bornfrom the Dead. Nov/, is it reafon able to
fuppofe, that the Apoflle has written fo inco-
herently
Of tlj€ Human Nature of Cbrifi, i n -
herently, that, while he was treatino- of our
Saviour's Merits in redeeming us by his Blood
^nd, m confequence thereof, his Exaltation
to Glory, he fliould infert a Docflrine no way
conned^ed with the one or the other, either
with his Z)t'j//6, mentioned in the Verfe pre-
ceding, or with \i\%Re[ur reel 1071^ mentioned
in the Verfe following this PafTage?. Is it at
all likely, that he (hould, fl.irt, as it were, io
Suddenly from his Subjed", ^iz. our Redemp-
tion by the Blood of Chrift, to inform us,
that he was the firft Creature in the World»
who created all other Things, and tl>en'refume
his Subject, and tsll u?, that God Iwd ex-
alted thi^rSiifferer, raifin? him from the Dead
^nd conflituting him the Head of the
Church? But,
2. This would not only be an cgregioq^
Incoherence in Writing, but a manifert; In-
C c 2 confiflency.
196 Of the Human Nature of Chrift,
conflilency. For, if we fo underftand thefc
Words, All things ni'ere created by kirn and far
him ; and he is before all things y as referring
to his Pre-eminence, in a prior State of Ex-
iftence, above all Creatures, being himfelf
the FirJ}^ how are we to underftand the A-
poflle, when he faith, in the very next Verfe,
that Chrifl was the Firfl-born from the Dead^
that he might have the Pre-eminence in all
things ? Could this give him greater Pre-emi-
nence than he is fuppofed to have had be-
fore f \^''as it not faid, that all things 'u:ere
created by hifn and for him^ and he is be^
fore all things'^ How then was he raifedfrom
the Dead, that he might have the Pre-emi-
neiice ?
The Truth is the Creation here fpoken
of is the fame with that we have before
Qonfidered, '■ciz. that new and fpiritual Crea^
tion
Of the Hufjwn Nature ofChriJl, ig-j
tlon or Renovation of all Things, which was
brought about by our rvlcdiator, the Man
Chrift Jefus. He undertook to reconcile ug
unto God, and, to this End, falrered in our
Nature, extreme Pain, Ignominy, and, at
laft, Death itfelf-, in Recompence for which
unreferved Obedience to the Will of his Fa-
ther, God raifed him from the Dead, and
placed him at the Head of the Church, giv-
ing him the Pre-eminence in all things. Thus
underflanding It, there is both Coherence and
Confidence in the Apoftle's Account of
Chrift's Dignity and Pre-eminence.
IN Chrifl^ he had faid, n.ve have Redemp-
iion through his Blood. He then goes on to
fpeak of his Dignity after Death, and incon-
fequence of his Suffering for our Sakcs; and
he reprefents him as crowned for this with
creat Glory and Power, (liling him the hnage
198 Of the Human Nature of Chrlji,
of the Invifihle GoJ, at the Head of the wholb
Creation. For fo ^^o-Hf yS^iazc^i fliould bs
rendered, and not en)ery Creature, And
what further fliews that he fpeaks here of
his Exaltation after Death, and not of his
Glory in a prc-exiftent State, the Apoflle
cxprefTeth himfelf by the Word '7r^ta\o^tKCi,FirJi'
born ; alluding evidently enough to his Re-
furredion from the Dead. So that it was
the Man Chrift Jefus, even he whom God
raifed from the Dead, and not an Angela cr
Xh^firfl of created Beings, that was placed
at the Head of this new Syftem of Things,
which was all framed by him and for him 3
that is, fo that it (hould be his, under his
Diredion and Government, by whom all was
done. Accordingly it is added,
;. And by him all things consist.
Now,
Of the Human Nature of Chrifi, 1 9 9
Now, it muft be allowed, that tta^I* (all
things) fiiould be underflood in as compre-
henfive a Scnfe bere^2is in the Vcrfe above.But
here it cannot with any Propriety be extend-
ed to the firft Formation of all things, having
a manifeft Connexion with the Verfe follow-
ing, and comprehending tbofe things only
over which Chrift is faid to be placed, ivz.
the Church. For the Word, c-wcjs-n=t-:, (con-
fifts) implies that all things were compaBed,
and pat together by him, fo as to make one
Body or Buildijig. By all things^ therefore,
muft be meant all the Parts or Metnbcrs ot
the Church, v/hich, being compared and fit-
ly framed one to another by Jefas Chrift, are
called by the Apoftle a Body ^ and of this
Body, even the Churchy Chrift is tljc Head,
JVho is the Begimiing, the Firft-born {■r^^J',o'^,o.:ct
the fame Word that was ufcd at the i6th
Verfe) from the Dead, that in all things U
niioihc
200 Of the Human Nature ofChrtfl.
might have the Pre-eminence. For it pJeafed
the Father that in him fiould all Fulnefs dwell.
A?id (having made Peace through the Blood of
his Crofs) to reconcile all things unto himfelf-, by
him (I fay) whether they be things in Earth or
things in Heaven, Here again, you fee, all
things tr^tv']* cannot relate to the outward
Frame of things, although it be faid. Whether
they be 'Things in Earth or Things in Heaven ',
becaufe they are reprefented as effeded and
formed by ihcMediation of Chrift,and through
the Blood of his Crofs ; whereas the iirft For-
mation of all things, as of the Sun, Moon
and Stars, in the natural Heavens, or, of Ani-
mals, Vegitablcs andFoffils, in t,he Earth, is
never reprefented as coming to p^fs by the
Efficacy of the Cro/} of Chrift, JefusChrift,
therefore, is, in this Paflage, fpoken of in
Reference to his hunian Nature, even as that
Man who fhcd his Blood upon the Crofs, and
by
Of tie Human Nature of Chrifl- 2 o i
by whom, ralfed from the Dead, God is novv
governing the Church Univerfal thus pur-
chafed.
There is but one Text more, which, I
think, can be urged, with any Plaufihility, in
Favour of the Dodtrine, " That Jefus Chrifl is
*' the firft of all created Beings, who created
*' all others.'* This is in Heb.i^ ij2, 3. As
it is circumftanced, however, much like the
laft PafTage we have been confidering, there
is no Occafion to enter into an Ejtaminatioii
of it. What has been faid of /to, will fervc
to illuftrate the Senfe of this, and to refute
the above-mentioned Dodlrinc inferred from
it.
I SHALL conclude with two Obfervations
refpedting the Dodrine laid down by the
Apoflle, viz, That there is hut One Mediator
between God and Men, the Man Chriji Jffis.
D d J. OvK
2 0 z Of the Human Nature of Chri/l,
I. Our Faith reils upon the firmeft Foun-
dation, and what will fupport it to the lateft
Aees, 'viz. on the PfWd of God and the
Power of the moji Highy manifefting himfelf
in the Fkp^ that is, by the Man Chrift Jefus
The World could not be impofed upon by
this.Method of Revelation. It carries not the
Air of a Vifionary Delufion. We are prefented
with an Obje(51: of 3enfe and not a Creature of
the Imagination, A Man a-vSpa^of, One whofe
Birth, daily Suftenance, Sufferings and Death,
witnefled the common Condition of Huma-
nity, himfelf teilifying the fame, with an in-
genious Acknowledgment of an utter Inabi-
lity to do any Thing oi himfelf -j This Perfon,
I fay, calls upon the World to believe in the
One true God, as manifefted in him. There
could be no Unrighteoifnefs in him, that is,
no Deceit or Defign to impofe on the Credu-
lity
Of the Human Nature of Chrif. 203
lity of Mankind, li^ho fou'^lt 7Kt bis o-.in
Glory but the Glory of hi?n that fent him. He
did not, in fpeaking o{ himfffy pretend to
greater Abilities or more enlarged Faculties,
than other Men. He did not call upon the
World to believe hin) to be an Angela or fomc
fuperior jinite Spirit incarnate only for a
While. When accufcd of this by the Jews,
through a Mifanderftanding or Pervtrfion of
his Expreflions, he immediately exculpated
himfelf, difclaiming any fuch Pretenfions ».
Let us then put ourfclvcs i;i the Situation
of his Hearers, and the Spectators of his
Works, and confider, what EfTe(ft the Sl<;h.t
of Miracles, and yet, our hearing him, tl~t.it
wrought them, acknowledge the lame Na-
ture with us, muft have liad iiron u?. Ko
doubt, the very fame Eftec!:! which it hjd on
NicodemuSj who thus exprclTcd his CcPivic-
D d 2 ti m
* Vi(i. Dinerlaion concerr.i 'g the Lo^'s j v. !iat has
been there iaiJ on Ciiap. vi. 32, iS: ilnj.
£04 Of the Human Nature of Chriji.
tlon of the Divinity which manifefted itfelf
in the Flep, ]So Man can do thefe Miracles
that thou deft, except GoA be with him. The
Vifion of an heavenly Hoft dividing the Ele-
mencs afimder, and prefenting itfelf in full
Splei dour to mortal View, proclaiming with
^ Voice of Thunder the Behefts of the Al-
mighty, might more affed; the Imagination^
but could not fo efFcdtually convince the
'^U{^g7nent, nor reach fo intimately theUnder-
flaiiLliii^ and Reaibn of Men, as the Divinity
vcilirg itielf in our Humanity, and accom-
modated (if I may be allov/cd theExpreffioq)
to the Nature of Man. In fhcrt; Set the
Imagination to Vv^ork ■ frame every polTible
Method of revesline the V\^ill of God to
Mankind, and you v^ill find yourfelves un-
able to fix upon any that would be fo well
adapted, either, to convince Men of the
Truth of Religion, or, to endear it to their
Mindsj
Of the Human Nature af Chrlft, 205
Minds, and enforce thePradice of it, as that
which hath taken Place. Nay rather, Chrif-
tians, inftead of fo fruitlefs a Search, fufFer
me to exhort you to employ that Time in con-
templating the Wifdom and Goodnefs of
God, in thus condefcendingto our imperfed:
Natures, and revealing himfelf unto us, not,
as of old, in Fire and Blacknefs and Tem-
peft, but in the milder Diiplay of that Grace
and Mercy which came by Jejus ChrijL
2. I BEG leave to obferve, that the Doc-
trine concerning the Manhood of Chrift Jefus,
in his Mediatorial Office, Is of great Impor-
tance towards the Maintenance of the true
Faith and WorOiip refpeding the Dhinity
which wrought in Him. For, if we can fup-
pofe that tills was not /)^r/>^ God, but a
Creature of an angelic Nature, even the firft
pf the Creation, we Hiall be in Danger of
con-
2o6 Of the Human Nature of Cbrijl.
conforming our religious Adorations to fuch a
Sentiment. I mean not to accufe, or throw
out an unfavourable Reflexion upon, any
Denomination of Chriftians. Nor do I take
upon me to allert, that they, who hold and
contend for Chrift's Inferiority to the Father
jn a pre-exiftent State, entertain that Notion
any othervvife than as a Matter of Speculation.
This, however, it but becomes me to do,i;/^.
to warn you of any Danger which I appre-
hend to lie in this Tenet, apparently Incon-
fiflent with the general Tenour of Scripture ;
and, under this Apprehenlion, the more
ftrongly to recommend to your.Ejfieem the
great Care, which the Compilers of our Li-
turgy have taken, that this Danger may be
avoided. For, whatever diJiinElion we are
taught to make of the Perfons of the Father,
the Son,and theHolyGhoft,we are moft care-
fully warned againft the Dhi /ion of the God-
head
Of the Human Nature ofChrift, 207
head j and all our Devotions are addrefled to
One and they^w^God, through the Mediation
of Chrift Jefus, agreeably to the whole Te-
nour of Scripture, and, particularly, to the
Dodrine laid down in the plaineft Terms in
my Text, That there is but One God and
One Mediator between God and Men^ the
Man Chriji Jefns.
Now, to the only wife God, our Creator,
Redeemer and Sandlifier, he afcribed allPraifi
and Glory t World without End. Amen,
THE
Proper Ufe of Reason
I N
Judging of Revealed Doctrines,
Applied particularly to the
Dodlrine of the Church of ENGLAND
CONCERNING THE
TRINITY.
Job. XI. 7.
Canfi thou by fearching Ji?2d cut God? Canjt
thoufiid cut the Almighty unto FerJeBion F
T D O net fee why the Quellion, as it is put
-®- in the former Claufc of the Text, may not
be anfwercd, even by the moft modefl En-
quirer after Truth in the Affirmative. But
E e 2 then
212 No Danger from a National hiquiry
then by, finding out God, mufl be underftood
the Dilcpvery of a iirft Caufe in general, or,
in other Words, that there is fome fuperior
Intelligence to that of Man, which made and
fuperintends all Things. Indeed, the Proofs
hereof are fo numerous, and they lie fo ob-
vious to the Senfe and Reafon of Mankind,
that, without the groffeil: Negled: or Abufe of
both, no Man can well overlook them. Should
any One, therefore, profefs a doubt, concern-
ins: the Exiftence of a God, it would be but a
reafonabie Reproach upon his extreme Inat-
tention, or Perverfion of his Underflanding, to
refer him to the Brute Creation in the Lan-
guage of Holy Job -y Ajk f20w the Beafls, and
they JJjall teach thee ; and the Fowls of the Air^
a7?d the'<i JJjall tell thee : Or^ fp^ak to the
Earth, a?2d it JJcall ^each thee ; and the Fiflies
of the Sea, /JmII declare unto thee, JIIjo knoiveth
not; in all thcje, that the Hand of the Lord hath
ivrought
\
Concerning tbe Divinity. 2I3
wrought this ? In whofe Hand is the Soul of
every Uving Thing, and the Breath of all Ma?:-
kind. Job. xii. 7,
The Being of a God, then, is difcoverable
by the Light of Nature, or, the Exercife of
our rational Powers. We may gofomething
farther j and, without offending againft Mo-
delly, fo far afTert the Dignity of our Nature,
as to expedl, upon a diligent and ferious Ap-
phcation of the Faculties of the Mind, to form
fome juft Conclufions and worthy Apprehen-
fions concerning the Divine Nature, Perfec-
tions and Providence. What the wifeft and
moft knowing among Men, however, can by
their deepeft Refearches colledt of the infinite
Mind, is too Inconfiderable to allov^' to hu-»
man Nature, a Claim to the Ability of finding
put the Almighty to Pcrfe5lion»
But
214 ^^^ Danger Jrom a 'Rational Inquiry
But what then? — Shall we be difcouraged
from purfuing our Enquiries into a Subjedl
the mofl worthy of them? — Shall we be con-
tent to remain in a total Ignorance of our
Maker, or, what is flill worfe, under flilfe
and unworthy Notions of Him, becaufe we
cannot know AlU — -If what has been faid by
fome timid, fe.rvile Thinkers, but bold and
free Declaimers againfl: human Knowledge
were j'jil, this, without doubt, would be our
Duty. We {liould have nothing to do but to
believe on, and rcfl fatisfied with our prefent
Opinions, whatever they are, and however
vvc Ijave come by them. Bat can we think
this the Duty of a reafonable Being ? Or, (liall
we not indignantly rcjedfuch unjufi: Reflec-
tions upon thofe Powers Vvhich God has given
usi---Evcry ikife Man muft needs reject them,
in til at they arc not only falfe and fcanda-
lows
Co?icerni?ig the Divi?jity. 21c
lous, but cannot be admitted without D.mger
of Impofition in Matters of the greatefl Con-
cernment to us, refpeding both our Comfort
here, and our Salvation hereafter.
Is there no D-inger then, it may be ajfked,
on the other Hand ? — Are we quite fafe, under
the Condudl of our limited Reafon, on a Sub-
je<fl that knows no Bounds ? — May we tru/l
ourfelves on this vaft Ocean, in the Cmall
Bark of human Underftanding, with perfe(5l
Security from Danger ? — Is there no fear of
making Shipwrack of our Faith ? Of being
drivers by the rough Storms of Paflion, on the
Shoals and Quickfands of Error, or, caftaway
under the Steerage of vain Conceit, on the
wafte and comfortlefs Coafl of Scepticifm and
Infidelity? — Yes truly — It muft be owned,
there is great Danger. But this is no good
Reaion for dropping our Enquiries, though
it
211 6 No Danger from a "Rational Liquiry
it certainly ought to check our Prefiunption,
It fhould not damp our Zeal for the Truth,
but only make us cautious in the Purfuit of it.
Far from fuppreffing the Voice of Reafon, we
fhould encourage and promote its Influence,
by clearing away thofe Paffions and Prepof-
feffions, which obftrudt its Progrefs, darken
the Underftanding, and fo often, by engaging
the Mind on the Side of Vice, pervert its Fa-
culties to the Purpofe of Error.
The Danger arifes not from the Ufe of
our reafonable Faculties, but from the Difufe
of them, or, from exercifing them under the
allowed Predominancy of Pafiion and Preju-
dice. And let me add, that they may be as
freely and fecurely exercifed on the Subjed:
before us, as they may on the plaineil Doc-
trines of Chriflianity. Nay, the more in-
tricate and myfterious the Dodrine of the fa-
cred
Concerning the Dinjiriity. 2 1 7
crcd Trinity is fuppofed to be, the greater
Gare fhould be taken to fecure the Mind from
Impofition. And the Way to do this is, not
furely to take every thhig for granted, that is
told lis about it, and to brieve it in aiiy Senfe
that any One may pleafe to put upon it, {(o
indeed we mufl believe Contradidtion itfelfj)
but, to ufe our own bell: Judgment, and abide
by that which appears moil reafonable.
Nor will it matter to fay, '' That the
*' Dodrine itfelf is abfolutely Incomprehen^
" fible^ and, therefore, that Reafonhd^s nothing
^* to do with it." For, let us fee whither fuch
an Argument Would carry us ?— If we are not
to ufe our beft Judgrrient, or, in other Words,
(for the Thing is the fame) to exiTcife the
Faculty of Rcafm in Dodrines which are
efteemed myfierious, but mufl: embraee them
with a mofl cordial and implicit Faith, it fo!-
F f ^ lows,
21^ No Danger from a 'Rational Inquiry
lows, that the Doflrine of T^ranjuhflantlatlon
has good Right to our Faith. And thus we
land on Popery, trufting to thofe very Ar-
o-uments forour Guides, which are fent us by
the Church of Rome to pilot us, left with-
out our true Compafs, through the dark Roads
of Superflition, into the Haven of all Manner
of Mjjiery and Iniquity.
I AM well aware, that there may be Doc-
trines which we are bound to belisve on the
Foot of Revelation, and which una[fified Rea-
fon could never have difcovered. And fuch
is the Dodrine of the 'trinity- I am far from
pleading the Caufe of thofe ra{h and preuimp-
tuous Speculatiils, who reject every Thing
which Reafon without Revelation would not
have fuggefted, or, is not able to account for,
ijohy it (l:iould be, or, how it can be. This is
Rajhicf-, and not Reafon. And it is the over-
weening
CoJicerning the Divinity, 2 1 gi
weening Prefumption of thefe Magnifiers of
their own Abilities, with the fad EtTcd of [t^
(Infidelity and the Contempt of every thing
efteemed facrcd) which has brought the Ui'e
of our Reafon in Matters of Religion fo much
into Difcredit. Men of found Senfe and Judg-
ment can defpife fuch a Condudt, and pity
them for the dangerous Confequences of their
Vanity. But no wonder, really, that weaker
MindSj taking Offence at their infojent Man-
ner of treating Revelation, Hiould become
difgufted with that Reafon, which thefe vain
Pretenders to it, make them furpe(ffc to be
at Enmity with all Religion. They may
not ealily diftlnguifli between Kcafon and
'Rcafoning^ The former always accords with
Truth ; the latter may be employed for or
ogainji it. So that we can fay of a Man's
Reafoningy that he reafons right, cr, that he
rea-
220 No Danger from a Rational hiquiry
reafoiis ^jorong^ and is miftaken. But we can
never fay of him, who has Reafon en his lide,
that b-" is in the wrong. This is conflituted
Judge as it were of the other. A Man, in
reaibiii ng, may be r^.Hcd by going upon
falfe Premifes \ or he n- y make a v\ r- ng In-
ference frcxii true Premifes. In both Cafes,
his Reajoring will be erroneous ; And if he
rely upon his Conclufions, as folid, merely,
becaule they havj been made by his rea-^
fomng Talent, he ads quite contrary to
Reafon,
Oftentimes, therefore, they are mifta-
ken for extolling ReafoUy who mean only to
extol their own Talent at Reafcmng. And
we may be allured of it, that thofe People
always mean this, who rejed a Dodrine, as
falfe or abfurd, becaufe they are not able to
prove
Concerning the Divinity. 22 r
prove it by natural Arguments without the
Authority of facred Scripture. For, if a Re-
velation be given to Men, it v/ere abfurd to
fuppofe, that it con rains nothing but what
might cafily have been known b\ the Light
of Nature. And, iherefo'-e, •^-j reject a Doc-
trine as unworthy to be received, merely, be-
caufe it refts on fupernatural Authorli.y, is
highly iinreajonable. And, whatever Enco-
miums they may pleafe to pafs on i?£'^«, they
follow not its Didtate in this Inflance, but
the Vanity of their own Minds ; and the
Compliment muft only be meant for their
fuperior Underflanding.
The Sum of what has been faid then is
this. That it is our Duty to inform ourfelves
of the Nature and Evidence of the Dodrines
which we profefs to believe : But, at the
fame
22 2 No l)anger from a Rational Inquiry
fame time, that our Abilities in reafoning of
them fliould not be made the Heft of their
Truth or Falfliood, exclufive of Scripture
Authority.
To apply this to that great Dodrine of our
Church, which we have endeavoured to e-
vince in the foregoing Lecftures ; Let us fee,
how far it may be the Subjed: of our Confi-
deration, and may demand the Exertion of
our rcafonable Facuhies. And alfo on what
Frinciples the Objedions to it are generally
grounded.
1. First then, it can never be deemed un-
fealbnable to confider, on what Authority our
Faith in the Doclnne of the T^rinity fliould
reil. Now, as it is confefTed on all hands
to be of fuch a Nature, that Reafon unaflifted
by Revelation could not have difcovered it,
W8
Concenii?2g th Dmm'ty* 223
we mud have Recourfe to the facred Scrip-
tures for the Proof of it. In tJxm we mud
fearch, if we now doubt, whether there
be any^ and what Foundation there is for it.
We are not to reft fatisfied with what i^fiy one
Man, 2iYiy Body oi Men, nay, anyone Church
afferts, but what the Scripture^ the Didate
of the Holy Spirit, and the Foundation of all
the Churches, which name the Name oiC/jri/it
hasaiTerted.
2. But fince, in fearching even the Scrip-
ture, we may be drawn afide from the Truth
by Prejudice, or unable, thvd' want cj- Lear n^
ing and a critical Knowledge of the Original^
to fee it clearly, and as it may hereafter be
more fully known, it becomes us to divell
ourfelves of the^r/?, and to fuller the Confi-
deration of the to^rto keep us modeft, and
make us content to receive peaceably and
thank-
224 No Danger from a Rational Inquiry
thankfully fo much Light, as it hath pleafed
providence to give us, without arrogantly
difputing againft the Faith of others. And,
3. Because the Terms ufed by the
Church in expreffing this Dodtrine have
been underftood differently, by very emi-
nent Defenders of it themfelves, it be-
comes us, inftead of haflily rejeding it as un-
fcriptural, to examine carefully into the true
Senfe and Meaning of the Church, and be
very fure, before we find fault with, that v/e
undcrftand her AfTertions concerning it. This
is net vainly to pry into a Myjier\\ and to try
our Strength of Underftanding in fomething
that doth not belong to us to know. For,
however deep and unfathomable the SubjeSi
itfelf of theDodrine is, <viz. the Divi?2e Be-
tjjgy ytifomuch, as is propofed to our Belief,
may be underflood, or, we believe, we know
not
CoJicerning the Divinity, 225
not what. We cannot know, whether It be
agreeable, either, to Reafon or Scripture^ if
we have no Meaning, nor affix any determi-
nate Ideas to what we profefs to believe. Tliis
therefore is our Duty, to enquire into the
Senfe of the Church, v/hen She calls upon us
to hold the Catholick Faith of a T.rinity in
ljmty\ andU/zZ/y in 'Trinity. And, indeed, to
make this Enquiry, and to do it with great
Care, is but doing Juftice to the Church. Be-
caufe we may reprelcnt Ker as. maintainino
and requiring to be believed, a Dodrine dif-
ferent from, perhaps, the Reverfe of what
She requires us to believe, by publifhing and
proclaiming abroad only cur own crude and
miftaken Notions of this Dcdrine.
2. By what Rule, then, it may be faid,
fhall we come at the true Senfe of our
^ Z Church
2 26 No Danger from a Rational Inquiry
Church on this Head, if her Expreflions be
liable to be mifunderftood ?— I anfvver j By
the fame Rule that we (hould come at the
Meaning of any difputed Paffage cf Scrip-
ture 'j that is, by interpreting her Words in
confidence with the general Tenor and uni-
verfal Strain of her Liturgy as well as Ar-
ticles. For, whatever Acceptation of her
Exprefiions makes Her inconfiftent with, and
contradidory to Herfelf, thatmufi: be wrong,
and will imply what She means not to
affirm.
And, here, I cannot proceed w^ithout
cxpreffing the Regret I feel on reviewing
the feveral Defences of the Trinity,
even by the mod: eminent Divines of cur
Church. They appear to mc to have ex-
pended their ingenious Labours on the De-
fence
Concerning the Divinity, 227
fence of the Therms and * Expre/Jions in which
this Dodtrine has been cloathed by the Com-
G g 2 piler
* And I may add, that itioft of them, in attempting
to defend the Exprcffions of that Creed, have cxprefled
themfelves much more obfcurely than the Compiler of it
himfelf. The following PafDige from Dr. Sherlock's
Vindication^ 5:c. is not the moft exceptionable of any
that might be produced from this Writer and his De-
fendcrsi
*' This fhevvs alfo, how thefe Three di{l:in£l Perfons
** are each of them God, and yet are all but One God.
" Each Perfon is God, for each Perfon has the whole
" and entire Perf.«5tions of the Godhead, having by this
<' mutual Confcioufne's, the other Perfons in himfelf,
«* that each Perfon is in fome Senfe the whole Tiini'.y ;
" The Son is in the Father, and the F.rher in the Son,
", and the Ho!y Spirit In Father and Son, ar,d Father
" and Son in the Hcly Spirit; and therefore if the whole
" Trinity be God, the Father is Go^, the Sm is God,
*' and the Holy Ghofl: God, they beii g ;'li mutually in
** eaeh other | and yet this is a pl^in Demonflraiion,
** th lit they a:e not Three (jods, but One God; be-
*' caufe neither of them are the Oiie Sn: rcme C^od, bat
*' as tlms intiuwitcly unit' d to all th. RcH ; and then
" thty
228 No Danger from a Rait anal Inquiry '
piler of the Creed, commonly called the
Creed of St, AthanafiuSy too much to the
Negledt of defending the DoBrine itfelf on
the plahi and undoubted Principles of the
Liturgy in general. Hence has arifen that
mutual Contradidlion and Difputation among
themfelves, fo much to the Difgrace, I will
*' they can be all Three, but One Supreme God : This
" gives an intelligible Account of one of the moft diffi-
** cult Problems in all School-Divinity, which the Ma-
" Her of the Sentences borrowed from St. Auftin as he
** has done mofl of his other Diminutions j That the
" whole Trinity is not greater, than any One Perfon in
*» the Trinity, l^his founds very harfhly at firft hearing,
*' and yet if v/e confider it, we muft confcfs it to be
'* true, unlefs we will fa/, that there is a greater and
" lefs in God, or that the Three Perfons in the Trinity
*' make One God, as Three Parts make a Whole, each
" of which Parts muft be lefs than the Whule j and yet
" I Ci'.nnot fee any pofiiblc way to underftand this
** Matter, but only thit : Tn;.t the whole Trinity by a
" n-.utual Confcioufuefs ii> in each Peifon, and thercforg
" no Feribn Ls le/s than the whole Trinit}-." Sherlock's
f^indhutiajy Page 82.
not
Concerning the Divinity . 229
not fay, of the Do(3;rine of the Trinity ; but,
however, to the Advantage of their common
Opponents, who are not only ready to take
the Advantage of them, but to ufe it alfo
againft the Dodrine itfelf and triumph in
it, as if they had gained fome over the
Church. But they have gained none here.
The Do(ftrine itfelf remains entire, and tho*
the Fences raifed about it by weak and falli-
ble Men, jealous of the leaft Innovation, may
be broken through, it is for all that perfedtly
fafe, being fenced about by the Strength of
the Almighty in Proofs of Holy Writ : For,
defended on the general Principles of the
Church of England, it will be found to be
perfedtly conliftent with Scripture Principles.
Having thus (hewn how far it is our Dutv
to enquire, and in what Manner we fliould
condu(fl our Enquiry into this great Dodrine,
I ffiall
230 No Danger from a Rational Inquiry
I fhall conclude with a View of the Ground
on which the Objections to it are raifed,
giving a brief Anfwer to them.
Some then found their Objedion on this
Principle, That whatever is not an Objed of
Reafon, and cannot be proved thereby, is not
to be admitted for Truth. To which I an-
fwer ; That, if they mean by Reafon, the na-
tural Faculties of the human Mind, unafiifted
by Revelation, then no revealed Dodtrine
whatfoever is to be believed ; and the Doc-
trine of a Refurreclion to Life {lands hable to
the fame Objedion. If they mean that no
revealed Dodrine reds on fufficient Evidence,
and fuch as right Reafon will admit, I deny
the AfTertion, right Reafon always according
with the Dictates of Revelation.
Another Principle on v/hich the Ob-
jefters to the Doctrine of the Sacred Trinity
pro-
Concerning the Bhinlty 2 ^ i
proceed is, That a Myflery can be no Objed:
of Faith. In anfwer to which it will be pro-
per to repeat an Obfervation before made
That, however deep and unfathomable the
*' Siibjc5l itfelf of the Dodrine is, --oiz. The
*' Divine Nature and Eflence (for who can
" by fearching find out God ?) Tet Jo much
*' as is propofed to our Belief may be under-
" flood." Properly fpeaking, therefore, the
Dodrine is not myftcrious, nor does the
Church confider it as fuch, affirming that it
play be proved by Scripture •, which could
not be done, if no determinate Idea could be
affixed to the Doctrine to be proved. The
Myftery of the Trinity confifts not in the
Nature of the Thing aflerted, but in the
Incomprehcnfibility of the Divinity concern-
ing whom the AiTertion is made. So that
^his Objection founded on the Trinity being
g Myftery, is of no Weight againil: the Truth
of
(23^ ^'^ Danger from a Rational Inquiry
of the DoBrine^ or Propofition afferted, re-
fpe(5ting the Divine Being,
But the laft and grand Charge brought
againft this Do<5trine is, That it alTerts more
Gods than One j a Charge, which whether
it proceed upon a Miftake, or a wilful Per-
verfion of the Church's Meaning, is not
eafy to determine. On One I am fure it
muft proceed ; and as Nothing I fhould fay,
however juft, in Refutation of the Charge
can be expeded to be v/ell received by thofe
that ground it on the latter j fo, with fuch Ob-
jefters as are under a Miflake, it may be
hoped it will be fufficient for their Convic-
tion to appeal to themfelves ; Whether that
Church holds a Plurality of Gods, whofe
Devotions are throughout the Liturgy ad-
drelTed to One and the fame Almighty Being,
in. the Name and through the Mediation of
I Jefus
Concerning the Divinity. 233
Jefus Chrifl ; Which maketh Profefiion in
One of her Creeds of believing in *' Gcd
•• the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven
*' and Earth ; And in Jefus Chrifl; his only
** Son our Lord, w^o was conceived, &c."
In another, of " believing in One God, the
" Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and
*' Earth, and of all Things vlfible and invi-
'' fible; And in One Lord Jefus Chrifl the
" only begotten Son of God, &:c." Which,
after invoking feverally the facred Perfons in
the TrinitV (as if forefeeing the Offence that
might elfd be taken, and williijg to cut off
all Occafion of Offence) addreffeth the holy,
bleifed and glorious Trinity, as " Three
*^ Perfuns, and 0?ie Gcd j" Which, in the
very Creed generally efceemed to be more ex-
ceptionably worded than the others, maketh
Comment, as it were, of her Exprefiions con-
cerning the Three Sacred Perfons, declaring
H h plainly,
%
34 "No Danger jrom a Rational Inquiry
plainly, '' 1 hat there are r.-jt'lhree Inccm-
^' prehenfibles, nor 'three Uijcreated, but
^' One; That, they are not T/jr^^ Almighties,
^' but O'fieJ' In fhort, '< That they arc 720t
" Three Gods, but One God." Whatever In-
tricrxy, therefore, there may be in the Terms
of this Doctrine exprefft-d by Trinity in
TJnityy and Uiiity in 'Trinity ; Nay, fuppoling
fomething of an Impropriety in the Ufe of
them, yet we cannot be at a Lofs to know
this, that it iG not the Intention of the Church
that we fhould hold any fuch Docfcrine as. the
Objefters rcprefent it, or any other Dodrine
concerning the Divinity, than what is laid
down in Terms plain enough in the finl x'\r-
ticle, 'viz, " There is but One livinp- and
o
" true God, everlaftin^, without Body,
*' Parts, or Paffions ; of infinite Power,
'' Wifdom and Goodnefs ; The Maker and
y Preferver of all Things both vifible and
" invifiblc;
Concerning the Dhinity. 235
"" invifiblej And in Unity of this Godhead
** there be Three Perfons of One SubHancc,
*' Power and Eternity J the Father, the Son,
'' and the Holy Ghoft."
. To ivhich One God, cirr Crcntor, Re-
deemer, j/7^' San(fliiicr, he ajcribed everlafting
P'dije. Amen.
TWO
TRACTS.
Relating to the Doctrine
O F A N
INTEPvMEDIATE STATE,
BEING
REMARKS
O N
Mr. S T E F F E's L E T T E R
CONCERNING THE
State of the Soul after Death,
AND
His Brief Defence of the Same.
~B . T) CN '/^^" Son ,
T O T H E
Reverend Dr. LAW,
Mailer of Sr. Peter's College in Cambridge,
THE following Sheets,
In Teftimony of the Author's Eftcem
FOR HIS
Character and Learning,
ARE
With the greateft Deference
INSCRIBED, by
The AUTHOR.
ADVERTISEMENT,
Y TiYD E R the prefent brijk Agitation
^^ of the ^e/iion, concerning the State
of the Soul after Death, the Re pub-
lie at ion of the following TraSfs, with the Ad-
dition of an Anfwer to fome Brif Notes made
on the firfi of them^ will not he thought wife a-
fonable. The ObjeBer fould havj recei^ced an
Anfwer fooner , ij it had not been extremely in-
convenient for ike Author to have given one
in a fe par ate Publication.
REMARKS.^
O N
Mr. STEFFE's LETTER^
CONCERNING THE
State of the SOUL after Death.
MR. Strfe mentions four Texts in fup-
port of his Opinion, that after
Death the Soul exifts feparately from the Body.
Two of thefe are quoted from Ecclejtafies,
the other two from St. Paul's Epiflles.
I THINK with the Author, that the facred
Writings can alone decide the Point in Qaef-
tion, it being ** a Dodrine not fo much of
** Reafon
* Originally Publiflied in the form of a Letter to the
j^^OI]thIy Reviewers, lor May 1757.
246 'Remarlis on Mr. Steffe's Letter
*' Rcaf^jn as Revelation." Notwithflanding,
whatever is quoted Irom the Scriptures of the
Old Tellainent can, I think, prove nothing in
relation to this Queftion ; as there is not the
leaft Reaion to believe, from the whole Te-
nour of them, that they contain any Revela-
tion * at all coricerning a State of Exigence
after
* 1. . -i.i uj. !. cLiurvcd upon this Afiertion, that, " As
** the "Jewi are exprefsly charged in Leviticus with con-
" fulling, adding of, or enquiring of, or from the Dead
*' h is apparent, thry .iid, in the D.iys of Myes, believe
*' jhe SpintofMan exifted after its Departure- from the
TheAnnotator mua certainly have mifundcrftcod my
M- ani'ig, anu funporeJ th ;t I den'ed the Jews believed^ or
had any Notion t-f a State of Exigence afrcr the prtfent.
Bir this I deniel nor, nor was it at ^11 to my Purpo'*e to
do it. What the Jeivs mig;ht believe^ in the Time of
Mo es. concrnin-T a future St.ite of Eraflence. or what
Notions thev' mi ;ht entertain abo it the Circumflanccs of
f..ch a State, as whether the Soul will ^-ai^ embodied or
un-mb/jdie.'^ ^yas nothing to the Qu-fiiO!!; but whether they
haH Au:h- rify f.om their own Scripture,, to warrant their
Bc'-icf «f a Sratc of Exifte.ue at all zXzx De;th ; and if
thev
Concerning an Intermediate S/jte. 247
after the prefent. This was not the Inten-
tion of them. All the Revelations contained
therein,
they had, then, Whether it Vv'as further revealed to them,
that this future Life fhould commence immediately on the
DiiTolution of the Body, the Soul exiting fcparately ti!I a
general Refureaion, when only it is fuppofeJ it wiil be
re-embod:ed. If tney had no Aurhoiity to believe the full;
I mean, if their Scriptures containtd no expiefs Revelation
of a future State, in general, much lefs had they Authority
for believing the Sp.rit of Man exifttd after its Departure
from the Body in an Intermediate State between Death
and the fuppofed general Refurreclicn. J denied even the
firft, viz. That they had a future State of Exiikn -e, at alt,
revealed to them. I think fo ftiil, and that for this Doc-
trine we are indebted to the Gofpel of Chnft alone. I
maybe m.Halcen after all ^ bur what the Aunotator hath
produced to the contrary, doth net conui.ce me ofaa
Error. The JewSy he ob'erves, " diJ, in the Days of
** Mojes, believe the Sp.rit of Man exi/JeJ after its De-
« parture from th. Body," And what then r--Does this
prove that they had this Notion from ReveLii.:nF--U f:
it would follow, that the fame was revealed alfo to the An-
ti^nt i^recks and Trojans. For it i.- apparent that they
di.!, in the Days of Priam and Agdmernno!, believe the
/a;ru. And as fcr - The Jeu^s being cxi>rd;iy chargeJ,
** in Leviticus, with conlulting, alkin. of, or cnoulrn,^
2 4^ Remarks on Mr. Steffe's Letter
therein, relate to the State of Men here, to the
Difpenfations of God towards Men in this
World; the mofl diilant of which was the
Kingdom of the Meffiah. This was the future
State to which the y^wi looked, viz. That un-
der the Meffiah their Kingdom (hould become
an univerfal and glorious Kingdom. But
there is no Promife made to them of a Life
after the prefect. This was to be revealed
by Chrijij who brought Life and Immortality
to Light.
So that allowing the Author's Senfe and
Conftrudtlon of the Texts he produces from
the Old Teftament to be juft, yet they do not
appear to contain a revealed Dodrine; but
to be expreffive only of the Preacher's private
Opinion,
" of, or from the Dead i" Whatever Notions it may
prove they had of the Dead, doth not the very Charge
imply that all they ielieved concc rning them was far from
being fclidly giounded ?
Concerning an Intermediate State, 249
Ofiniony of what appeared to him reafonable
to fuppofe, or what was the Refult of his own
Thoughts and deep Penetration into the
Nature of the human Soul. And, therefore,
to reft the Queftion upon Aich Texts, is to
reft it flill upon Reafon j which he grants to
beinfufficient here: or rather, indeed, to reft
it upon the bare Authority of a Philofopher.
But if the Author fhould infift upon it,
that the Preacher was an inlpi red Writer, whofe
Sentiments are to be looked upon as divine,
and every Thing he delivers as the infallible
Dictate of the Spirit of God, let us examine
the Conftrudtion he puts upon the Texts, the
firft of which is, Eccl. iii. 21. Jl ho h:o-iceih
the Spirit of a Man that gocth. upwards y and
the Spirit of a Beajl that gocth doivnivard to
the Earth ?
Instead of this Traiiflation, lie offers ano-
ther, as both more exa^ft, and more litCFal,
I i liz'
250 Remarks on Mr, Steffe*^ Letter
< Who knoweth the Spirit of the Children
' of Men afcending upward, and the Spirit
• of a Beaft defcending under the Earth?*
ThisTranflation ('£ we could admit it) would
juftfuit the Author's Opinion. But it is evi-
dently lefs exadt, as well as lefs literal,
than the other. He tranflates, indeed, the
Word 1J3 (Children) which is wholly omit-
ed by our Tranflators. As this, however,
afFeds not the Senfe of the Place, it is no
way material. But he renders cijli^r; (Men)
which literally is Man *. Afcending upwards
is
* " CDlKH ^11 (fays the Annotator)is rightly rendered,
*' the Sons or Children of Men." But might it not be <7j
rightly, at leafl, rendered, the Sons or Children of
Man? — If it may, (and I think the Annotator him-
felf will not deny it) then to what purpofe was
the Obfervation made ? — The point was nor, whether
Mr. Steffcy was right in rendering it Sons of Men^ which,
in meaning, is much the lame with, Som of Man \ but
whether QTHn was, in point of Conllruition, more lite-
rally rendered, of Mcuy than of Man. The Spirit of
a Man., the Spirit of the %ons (f Men^ or the Spirit of the
cons q\ Man., are all equally well rcnderid, as to the Senfe ;
bu;
Concerning an Intermediate State, 251
is not more literal, or more cxaift, than that
goeth upward. Defcending under the Earth is
Rioft of all unexad and illiteral. For nUQ*?
comes from the Verb ni33 which fignlfies
not, to gOy or he under, but only to incline to^
wards any thing 'y fo that, the proper render-
ing oFits Derivative ni2G^ h downwards 5 be-
fides, ^ prefixed to theWord!S~ii^ determines
the Senfe to be fo. For what Nonfenfe
would it make to render nDQ7, under ^ while
T\'R^ fignifies, to the Earthy i. e. defcendeth
under to the Earth ^
1 i 2 But
but Mr. Stejl: had propofed the fecond of tlicfe as msKe
I'te-ai than the firft, which is the Tranflation in the Bible.
Now it was in regard to the Word CI3"Ii^n o^/y that I
ftmaiked he had not given a more exz^ and /.'teral Ver-
fior. And how much depends upon the rcndciinf this
Word in \hG f,;igular or plwal Number muft be obvious
to cvx:ry one that undcrftands the State of theQuelHon.and,
confeqiicntly, how material it uaslfhould remark upon
his rc;;dcrirg it in the / /.vv?/ Number.
252 Remarks on Mf\ Steffe's Letter
But, if this be the proper Conftrudion of
the original Words, it may be afk^d, Where
is the Senfe * of the AfTertion, That a Man's
Spirit goeth upwards, and that of a Beafl
downward towards the Earth ? — The Truth
is, there is no Senfe in fuch an Affertion -,
and our Audior therefore ftretches the Words
to a quite different one; namely, that the
Spirit of a Beafl defcends not towards, but
into, or under the Earth, i. e. with the Body
which moulders into Dufl, Againll which
Senfe
* " The Senfe is, (according to the Annotator) that
«' the Spirit of Maa afcenJeth to God who gave it, bj4t
" the Spirit of the Brute, defcendeth to the Earth with
" his Body, and they perifh together." But, if this be
meant, by the Spirit of a Deaft going downward towards
the Earth, viz. Thiit it defcendeth to the Earth with his
Body, and they pcrirh together. What occafion was there
for Mr. Stojfe to a ter the Tranilation in our Bibles and to
render ^7>7 TMld'l not, doivutvards, toivflrds or to, but,
«.>2^£r theEatth ?— It is pl.iin that he thought the former
could hardly exprefs fuch a Senfe as he and the Annotator
WQuld put upon this P.iTa^c.
Concerning an Intermediate State. %c^
Senfe of the Words I fhall but offer one Thing
more in regard to the Signification of the
Original, before I lay down what I conceive
to be the true Meaning of the Text. And this
;s, that if it was the Intention of the Preacher
to reprefent the Spirit of a Beaft defcending a-
long with the Body into the Earth, he would
not have ufed the Word !i"\s, but hqij^,
yvhichis more fynonymous with "isj; than ^^ij^,
Signifying primarily Earth, in Oppofition to
other Subftances ; whereas ^jij^ properly lig-
nifies either the whole Earth, as diftlnguifli-
ed from the Heavens and the Sea, or a Tradl
of Land.
I WOULD offer this, then, as the mofl: lite-
ral Conftru(5tIon of the Text, viz. fVho know-
eth the Spirit of the Sons of Man, iicbo goeth
upivardi (walkcth upright, or who is of an
cred Pofture) a?2d the Spirit of ^ j^^^ji ^i^t
goeth
?54 Remarks on Mr, Stefpe's LeUer
goeth downward towards the Earth ? (rnov^
Cth or inclineth towards the Earth)*. The
only
• The Annotator has obferved upoa this Conftruftion,
that " I cannot produce a fingle Paflage where biiH is
*' put m Conftruftion with the Sons of Man ;" And adds
very bluntly, " There can be no doubt of its belonging
a to the Word Spirit.'''' Now, for the firft, What can
the Annotator mean by faying, that I '« cannot produce
*' a fingle Paflage where x^H is put in Conftrudtion with
*' the Sotis of Man"? — Have I put it in ConflrutSion with
the Sons of Man F — If I have not, what need to challenge
pie to juftify aConftrudion which was never made? — It is
very obvious that I put ^^n in Conftrudtion with the
Word Man, and not with the Words, the Sons of Man,
Nay, I mention in the very next Sentence the Objec-
tion that might be made to conftrudl Jig it with, Man^ and
endeavour to obviate it; and yet the Annotator feems
to underftand me as putting it in Confiruflion with, /Z>^
Sons of Alan. Or, if he mean, that " I cannot produce
*' a fingle PalTage where ^i,-; is put in Conftruclion
with, Mav," it is nothing to the Purpofe, fo long a.s many
Inftanccs may be produced of its being put in Conftruc-
tion with a Word of the mafculine Gender. As the
Grammarians themfelves allow that ^\n and ^in ^re ufed
promifcuouny one for another, or fince (the Difference.
be-
Concerning an Intermediate State, 255
only Obje(ition to this ConftfUdtion is, that
I make the Word goeth refer to Man, whereas
the Pronoun 8\n feems to determine it to relate
tonn (Spirit) fincc this Pronoun is reckoned by
the Grammarians to be of the feminine Gen-
der. But this, which hath led our Author
to underftand the Text, as he does, appears
to be an Objection of little or no Moment,
when we confider the Grammarians them-
felyes, though they call «in of the Mafculine,
and i<M of the feminine Gehder, yet own,
that they are ufed promifcuoufly one for the
other ; many Inftances of which might be
produced. This I take to be the literal Con-
flruc^ion of the Words.
Bar
between 1 and 1 being fo fmall) they may bare been b\'
Accic'ent esfily changed one for the other, the Annotatcr
was fomediing too pofitlve in faying, *' There can be
«< no Doubt of its belonging to the Woid, Spirit."
256 Remarks on Mr, Stefte^s Letter^
But, with regard to their Meaning as they
ftand in Connedlion with what precedes and
follows them, I apprehend they fhould be
rendered thus : Who knoweth the Spirit of a
Man FROM the Spirit of a Beaji ?
At the iSthVerfe it is faid, concerning
the Eftate of the Sons of Men, that they
themfelves are Beads, or as the Beafts. At
the 19th Verfe the Reafon is given. For that
which befalleth the Sons of Man befalleth Beajis,
even one thing befalleth them-, what is that ?—
Why, that they die alike, and are no more,
having all one and the fame Spirit ; as the
one diethy fo dieth the other 5 yea, they have all
07ie Breath, (or rather Spirit, the fame Word
which occurs in our Text, and is iranflated
Spirit) fo that a Man hath 710 Fre-eminence
above a Beafl j for all is FaJiity, The Preacher
continues, in the 20th Verfe, All go unto one
Place
Concerning an Intermediate State, 2 ^j
Place, all are of the Du(l, and all turn to Diiji
again. Then follows the Text we are con-
fidering, as a Conclulion from the above Re-
lledions : Who knoweth (who can diftinguifh,
or what is the Difference, then, betwixt) the
Spirit of Man, who is formed upright, and the
Spirit of a Beajl, lihich incUfieth its Body to
the Earth ? Wherefore 1 perceive, that there
is nothing better than that a Man fiould re-
joice in his own Works, for that is his Portion ;
an odd Kind of an Inference * for the
Preacher to draw from fo grave a Bodtrine,
as our Author fuppofes the preceding Verfe
to contain.
L 1 But
* " True, (fays the Annotator) if this were the Senfe
*' of the Original ; which may be thus tranflatcd,
" viz, I favv thererore, Th:!t there was nothing go> J
" from which a Man may rejoice in his o .vn Works ; be-
•' caufc fuch is liis P.;rt or Condition ; for who thall bring
'* him th;.i: he may fee that which fi.all be i.ftcr him."
Which of t!-.efe Trandations is to be preferred, or how
much the Annotator hr.s mc;dvd the Preacher's Inference
from Mr. StcJ'e's Dofiiine, let ;he intelligent aiiu learned
Reader dcciuc.
258 Remarks on Mr. Stefte' s Letter
But, as I am not (o folicitous to fix the
precife Meaning of the Preacher, as to fhew
how V.Viic this Text is to be depended upon,
in fupp^Tt of the Dodlrine of a feparate State
of Exigence of the Soul after Death, I fliall
not fiay to vindicate the Paraphrafe I have
given, and lliew its Coniifl:ency with the ge-
neral Tenour of this Book of Ecclefia/les, but
proceed to demonftrate by a yet dlfTerent
Viev7 of the Matter, the great Uncertainty,
at leaft, our Author goe?^ upon in vindicating
his Do^.rine from this Text. For this Pur-
pofe let us even fuppofe, that the Author's
Tranflation is according to the literal Senfe
of the Text, that n':y relates to rrr, that
nDcV fignifics tindery and that '("t^"^ fignifies
vito tbe Earth, ;ind is as properly uftd as
nGHK; in fljort, that his Tranflation may be
admitted according to all the Rules of Gram-
mar and Syntax, yet, it is flill dubious whe-
ther
Concerning an Intermediate Si ate. 259
thcr he has hit upon the Senfe of ihe Woids.
For they are capable of being interpreted in
a quite different Senfe, viz. Ulokmweth that
the Spirit of Man ajcendeth upwards, and that
the Spirit of a Bead defcendeth under the Earth'^
This Tranflation is no lefs confifcciit with
Grammar and Syntax than the Audior's; fo
that, fuppofing the Senfe he puts upon the
Words may be the true Senfe, yet tlicir be-
in'^ equally capable of another a:]d quite
contrary Senfe, deftroys the Valid' ty of the
Argument he has founded upon them.
Let us now fee how the Author fupports
his Dodrine from the other Text, Eccl. xii.
7. Then p.Hill the Duft return to tl:>e Earth, as
it was ; and the Spirit jhall return to God who
gave it.
L 1 2 Our
26o Remarks on Mr. SteffeV Letter
Our Author very juftly maintains, that
the Preacher can never intend here two dif-
ferent Times, the one when the Body turns
to Dafl:; and the other when the Refurredlon
of the Dead fhall be. The Time for the
Return cf the Body to the Duft, and the
Spirit to God who g:ive it, is the fame ; and
any Objections to the Soul's feparate Exif^ence
from the Body, founded only upon interpret-
ing this Textj as referring to the Time of
the Refurre6lion, as well as to the Diffolu-
tion of the Body, are altogether weak and
frivolous.
But the Refutation of fuch like Objec-
tions is not fufficient to eflablifti the Truth
of his Doctrine. Notwithflanding his ob-
viating that Difficulty, which feemsto be the
only one with him, the Text appears ftill
wholly againft him.
If
Concerning an Intermediate State, 261
If we confider what is alluded to in the
Expreflion the Preacher makes ufe of, we
Ihali be led to conftrue the Words in a very
difTerent Senfe from that of the Author;
who fuppofcthj that the Return of the Spirit
to God means, that it fliall exift a fepa.atc
confcioLis Being, in the Prefence of God.
Now when it is fild, the Duii fiaH return to
the Earth as it vecSy thi:^ plainly a'iudes to
the Formr-tion of the Body ; ai^d wViin it is
fiid, And the Spirit JJ:aU return to God that
gave it, the Preacher as plainly alludes to
God's forming Man a living Soul, by breath-
' ing into him the Breath of Li^e. What is It
then that God gave Man ?— Why^ this Breathy
ro"^. the fame Word which is tranil ted in
our Text, Spirit. As at Death tb.e Earth
receives her Diift again, fo is God repre-
fented as taking again that Breaih of Life
which
a62 Remarks on Mr. Steffe'^ Letter
which he breathed into Man. This is the
obvious Senfe of the Words, and it is forced
and unnatural to fuppofe the others not to
inliil upon another Confideration, which
oppofes the Author's Senfe of the Words,
'viz. The Preacher is fpeaking here of Man-
kind in general, of the wicked as well as the
righteous J . and can we imagine, that he
would aff^rt this of the former, that their
Spirits return after Death to God ?
I SHALL clofe this Remark with obferving,
That the Author fecms to be led into the
Senfe lie gives of this Text by a greater At-
tention to the Tranllation of it in the Bible,
than to the Original itfelf. Thus he infifts
much upon the Word thcn^ in order to get
clear of the above-mentioned Objc6lion, con-
cerning the Time referred to 3 which Objec-
tion is, indeed, frivolous in itfelf, and
eafily
Concerning an Intermediate State. 263
cafily obviated J but not merely, if at a!l, by
the Confideration of the Word then, which
is only one among many others that would
have been, at lead, equally agreeable to the
original Word !.
Again, we have tranllated the Word
ZiV)^\ then shall return y as if the Preacher
intended to inform us of feme important
Truth, or Event; it looks like a pofitive and
peremptory Declaration, that the Soul J}:all
certainly, after the DilTolution of the Body,
return to God; which manner of Sneaking
has occafioned th.e Author to lay more Stref-^
upon this Text in Confirmation of his Dec-
trine, than he would have done, had he
attended more to the Original. For 1 dees
not neceffarily fignify then, no more than
yU^ does, JJ:all return. The rncfi: natural
rendering
264 Remarks on Mr, SxEFFE'i Letter
rendering of thcfe Words, and which beft
Suits the Context, is, or the Dufi return^ &C'
Thus have we confidered what the Au-
thor has produced from the Old Teftament
in favour of his Opinion, and upon the
moft candid Review of his Arguments, I
cannot but judge them very infufficient -, the
Texts themfelves which he inlifts upon
having no relation to a State of Exiftencc
after Death, whether feparate from the
Body, or otherwife.
The Texts he produces from the New
Tefl:ament are much more to the Purpofe,
as we can have no Doubt of their referring
to a future Exlftence. The Author, how-
ever, feems not to hy greater Strcfs upon
them, nor do^s he confider them more par-
ticularly th?r. the others.
V/lTH
Concerning an Intermediate State, ib^
With regard to the firft of thcfc {Phil. i.
23.) he does but juft argue from the literal
rendering of the Word AvctwaAi, which we
have tranflated, to depart. He obferves it
lignifies, to be unloofed from the Body, dij^
joined, difconnedied, wliich is an improper
way of fpeaking, upon the Suppofition that
the Soul fleeps with the Body in the Grave.
It is fufficient to objedt to this (what the
Author conjedlures would be objeded) that
the Word is too general to determine the
Matter. He therefore waves any farther
Confideration of this Text, and produces
another, viz. 2 Cor. v. 8. the Language of
which he thinks is more exprefs and deter-
minate ', We are corijideiit, I fay, 'wilii?7g
rather to be abfent from the Body^ ly-'f^umanK
1% ^uixaJo(, and to be prefent with the Lord,
M m And
266 Remarks on Mr. SteffeV Letter
And here I will freely own, that the
Expreffion (confidered apart, and inde»
pendent of the Context and general Do6lrine
of the Apoftle elfewhere) is very much in
favour of the Author's Opinion. Ex/«/aH(r«t/ «x
TK (rauet'joi can fignify nothing elfe, without
forcing the Conflrudion, than to be abfent
from, or to quit the Body, and not merely
to quit the troubles of Life ; And, to be f>rejent
with the Lord, immediately following fuch
an Expreffion, would lead one (without at-
tending to any thing farther than the Text
itfelf) to imagine, that the Apoflle deiired
his Soul might quit his Body, and remove
immediately to Chrift, and be with him,
while his Body remained in the Dull.
But
Concerning an Mermedlate State, 267
But let us confider the Context, and we
ihall find a very different Scnfe refult from
the whole.
At the firfl Verfe of this Chapter the
Apoftle fays, Ihat if our earthly Hcufe of
this Tabernacle liere diffolvcd^ ur have a
Building of God, an Houfe not made with
Hands, eternal in the Heavens. And, at the
fecond Verfe, For in this uc groan earnefthy
defiring to be cloathed upon with our Houfe
which is from Heaven. Now this is un-
doubtedly that heavenly Body for which v/e
are to exchange this earthly; the fame glori-
fied, incorruptible Body which he fpeaks of
in another Place, relating to the Refurrec-
tion of the Dead. And, that this is tlie
Houfe into which the Apoflle cefires to re-
move, or the glorified Body which, after
M m 2 Death,
268 Remarks on Mr, SteffeV Letter
Death, he defires to be cloathed with,
and not to exift a mere feparate Spirit, is
plain from the fourth Verfe, For we that are
in this Tabernacle do groan, being burdeneci,
not, fays he, Jor that we would be uncloathedt
but cloathed upon, &c. He goes on.
Verse 5. Now he that has wrought us for
the jelj-fame thing, is God, who alfo hath
given unto us the Earned of the Spirit. What
was this the Earneft of? — Why, that as God
had raifed Chrift from the Dead, he would
alfo raife them (the Apoftles) from the Dead.
And now obferve the Reafon he gives
for his being bold, undaunted, or con-
fident, viz.
Verse 6. Therefore we (the Apoftles)
are always confident -, namely, through Hope
of
Concerning an Intermediate State 269
of the Building of God, the glorified Body
he mentioned above,
Verse 8. We are confident , 1 fay, and
vnlling rather to be abfent from the Body,
(from this grofs and burthenfome Body) and
to be prefent ivith the Lord (in our glorified
Body at his Appearance) : That he refers to
his being prefent with Chrifl, not before,
but after the Refurredion, the two follow-
ing Verfes, as well as the preceding ones
already mentioned, evidently {hew.
Verse 9. Wherefore we labour, that whether
prefent or abfent, we may be accepted cf him.
Verse 10. For lie muft all appear before
the Judgment Seat of Chrifl, that every one may
receive the "thitigs done in the Body, &c. For
this it is he labours, viz. That he may be ac-
cepted
2/0 Remarks on Mr, Steffe*^ Letter, &c,
cepted of Chrift at the laftDay; And for
this it is he had rather be abfent from the
Body, viz. That he may receive the Things
he has done in the Body, and be for ever
with the Lord,
These Texts then are far from proving
our Author's Dodrine, how flrong foever
they may appear to the firfl Sight, and
confidered without reference to the Context.
In fine, the Author confiders his Subjed:
fomewhat too fuperficially, and concludes
too haftily from the Texts he produces.
However, he defervcs the Attention of the
Public, on account of his Method and
Perfpicuity. If he is not every where de-
monftrative, he is, at Icaft, always intelli-
gible; and appears to be a fincere En-
quirer after Truth.
REMARKS
UPON
Mr. S T E F F E's Brief Defence
O F T H E
Firft of the Five LETTERS
O N T H E \
INTERMEDIATE STATE.
REMARKS*
UPON
Mr. S T E F F E's Brief Defence
O F T H E
Firft of the Five Letters
ON THE
INTERMEDIATE STATE.
NE great Caufe of the flow ProG;refs
of religious Truth, next to the Want
of a lincere Love for it, feems to be a cerrain
Impatience in conducting our Enquiries con-
cerning it. The Defenders of Chriftianity
in the firft Centuries are remarkably deficient
N n 2 in
• Originally publifhcd in the Grand Alafjaaine for
j^pril 1758.
276 Remarks on Mr, Steffe'j Brief Defence,
in this refpedj and though our modern
Divines are not equally blamcable, they are
neverthelefs greatly fo. Tis this which has
led tbe.'"i to frame many uncertain Hypo-
thefes, and induJ.2:e many wild Conjeftures
of Things which are difcoverable by Renje-
lation alone ^ ..vA not to be well unJerllood
without a diligent and clofe Atuntion to the
Scriptures.
The hmt Impatie^icr. as it impedes their
own Knowledge, fo it frequently renders
them leis accurate and lefs perfpicuoub in
comiliunicating Knowledge to others. They
arc apt to crowd in their Arguments too
thick, and produce Paflages of Scripture in
fach Profulion as tends rather to confufe
tlran convince the R^eader. Thofe Enquiiit^s
which proceed upon tl:e limpleft Plan are
likely to be moil effcdlual for the Advance-
ment
Remarks on Mr. Ste f fe's Brief Defence, lyy
ment of Truth j fince, though Error may
happen to be the Refult, yet the Error being
by this means confpicuous, becomes itfelf a
Guide to Truih.
There was this SimpHcity of Defign, I
muii own, iu' the firft ct Mr. Sf^e's Five
Letters J which t > . e ^a is no fmall Recom-
mendation of It, and an Inducement to
make thofe Remarks, which i (hould have
been difcoura^ed from attcmotinr , had his
Performance been more extenlive in its Plan,
or more wanting in Pcrfpicuity.
He there propofed to prove the Dodlrine
of the Soul's feparate State of Exigence after
Death, from four Texts of Scripture,- In
the Monthly Review for Mcy 1757, I un-
dertook to fliew the Infuificiency of the
Texts themfclve?, and of what was advanced
from
278 Remarks on Mr. St'EYt'l's Brief Defence.
from them to prove fuch a Dodlrine. I
now propofe to conlider what he has lately
advanced in a Letter to hiiciUus^ entitled,
A Brief Defence of the Firji of the Five
Letters on the Intermediate State, &c. that
is, io far as it refpeds my Remarks. Otie
only of the four Texts will come under our
Confideration ; fince, notwithflanding Mr,
Steffes Acknowledgment of my ' Remarks
* dcfcrving Notice, being, for the moft Part,
* written witii Fairnefs and Candour, as well
' as with the Appearance of Learning and
* Argument,* he has hardly made a Reply
to, fo far from attempting to refute, what
has been laid upon the other Three.
The PafTage in Difpute is, Eccl.ui, 21,
Who knoweth the Spirit of Man that goeth
upward, and the Spirit of a Beaft that
gocth dowwjcar'l to the Earth ? Mr. Stcffe
had
Remarks on Mr. Steffe's Brief Defence, 279
had propofed another Tranflation, both a$
more exadt, and more literal, viz, * Who
* knoweth the Spirit of the Children of Men
*' afcendiiig upward, and the Spirit of £l
* Beafi: defending under the Earth?' Which,
it was affertcd, is lefs exadl, and lefs literal
than the other; Di^n, which he renders,
Mcn^ being literally, Man\ and, ajcending
upis)f.rd^ not more exad:, or more literal
than, that goeth uptvard. He now, how-
ever, chuies thus to wave any Defence of
thefe two Alterations, * Whether aiKH ^J3
* fhould be rendered Children of Men, or —
' of Man I ^.nd r\^yD7 nVyn going upwards,
' or afcending upwards, as it is a Matter of
« no Coniequence, I (liall not trouble my-
* felf to enquire.*
l"^?0N which I (hall only obferve, that
Mr. SteJ^e fliould not have dropt this, as a
Matter
2 8 o Remarks on Mr. S t e f f e V Brief Dejence.
Matter of no Conjeqiience^ becaufe he himfelf
propofed thefe Alterations, as fuch ; and,
indeed, could he have fhewn that his ren-
dering the Word D'iS<n of Men^ was more
exa6t and literal than rendering it, 'of MaUy
in the fingular Number, he had efFedtually
removed this main Objedlion to his Senfe of
the Text j 'viz. That the ered Poflure of the
Body might only be fignified by the Expref-
ficn, that goetb upwards. But to come to
thofe Alterations which Mr. Steffe under-
takes to defend.
KI^'V nijQV tinder the Earth: This, I
afferted, was mofl: of all unexa<5t and un-
literal, and the Reafon I gave, was the pri-
mary Signification of Wuj to incline towards^
and the Prepofition Vs being prefixed to H"i^
the literal Conftrudion of which is to the
Earth, To this Mr. Stcfe anfvvcrs, ' That
* the
Remarks o?i Mr, SxEFFE'i Brief Defence. 281
* the firll of thefe Words can be rendered by
' nothing elCe than beneath, or under, in the fol-
' lowing PafTage, D^/'. xxviii. 13. And the
Lord thy God Jhall make thee the Head , and
not the Tail, and thou J}oalt—?iot be beneath,
niDDV' V7roy.a]u,^ Ixx.
But now, fuppofing the Inflance good,
and that r^n\ does in this PafTage fignify
under, does it follow that it is more literally,
or more properly rendered To, than by its
primary Meaning in every Palfage of Scripture?
— Becaufe in Deut. xxviii. 13. it may be ren-
dered under, which is not its primary Senfe,
muftit therefore mEccl. iii. 21. be rendered
fo, and not towards, which is its primary
Senfe ?-Mr. Stefe had propofcd his Tranda-
tion of it, as mere literal and more exadl
than that in the Bible. It was denied to be
fo. To have made, therefore, a valid De-
^ 0 fence
282 Remarks on Mr, Stefte's Brief Defaice,
fence of hi& Tranflation, he fliould have
fliewn, that it was more literal and more
exaci ; inftead of which his whole Defence
is, that n'^D'7 fometimesy viz. in Dent, figni-
fies, under.
But Mr. Btefe has been extremely un-
happy in his Inftance ; nuoh in this Palliige no
more fignifying under^ than in that of Eccle^
fiqfles. Downwards is its proper rendering.
There is no neceffity of varying from its
primary Acceptation. And the Lord JJjall
make thee the Head, atid not the Tailj and
thou ffoalt he, r^^l2^> above cr cpwards,
(as the Head isj) aiid thou fiah not he
niiC*?, How is that r Vv hy, below or
downwards^ (as the Tail is). I know not
of another InHance in all the Bible, which
is lefs to his Purpofc than this ; at the fame
time that the quoting fuch a Text plainly
lliews.
Remarks on Mr. Steffe'j Brief Defence. 283
fliews, that he was guided entirely by the
Englifh and not the Original, the Word
beneath^ founding fo fynonimous with his,
under.
And now let us examine Mr. Steffc's De-
fence, in relation to >iii^'^. Here ^^ is pre-
fixed to the Word ^Jibi. Its literal Conftruc-
tion therefore, it was faid, is, to the Earthy
which connects properly enough with nCoV.
downiL'ardsy but very improperly, or rather,
not at all with it rendered, under \ under to
the Earth, making Nonfenfe.
To this Mr. ^teffe anfwers much in the
fame Manner as above, 'uiz. That '" is fome-
times ufed for the Emphatic !^ or as a mere
Expletiz-e, and produceth a Text to Ihew it,
Ex. XX. 4. Here, therefore, let it be ob-
ferved as above, that fuppofing his Injiance
O O 2 grrj^
2^4 Remarks on Mr. SteffeV Brief Defence,
good, yet it would not be fufiicicnt to make
his Defence goo J. But to try the Inftance
itfelf. ' T'hou JJjalt 72ot make to thee any
* Likeness of any Thhtg — ihat is in the Water
« under ibe Earth, ^^'inh nnnj:: — I confcfs
* I know iiot how theie two laft Word? can
* be rendered properly, without confidering
' the *? as a mere Expletive or Emphatic*
Now, I confefs, there appears to me not
the leaft Neceflity for confidering *? as a mere
Expletive or Emphatic^ though there may be
no occafion to render it, to. For by the
Expreffion K1i6 nnna D^ria, is not meant
thofe Waters which are fubterraneous or
twder Ground, but the Waters which are
Upon the Earth ; And, whereas they are faid
to be nnnC' this does not lignify, that they
are actually under this Earth, (which would
be Nonfenfe) but only that they are below,
or
Ji^marh on Mr, Steffe'j Brief Defence. 285
or towards the Parts below ^ in Oppolition to
the Hea^oens which are faid to be ahove^ or
towards the Parts above. In the fame Man^
ner the Earth is faid to be bdow^ in Oppofi-
tion to the Heavens above ; the very fame
Word is made Ufe of to exprefs this its Situ-
ation, and occurs in this fame Verfe, one
View of which will render any further II-
luftration of this Point unnecefTary. ^hou
Jhalt not make unto thee any graven Image, or
any Likejiefs of any ^hing that is in Heaven
above VyDC, (literally, yrc;?; above, or from
the Parts above) or that is in the Earth be-
neath nnno, (literally, from beneath, from
the Parts below) or that is in the Waters
T\nnD beneath, (that is, which Waters arc
beneath or below the Heavens) ^iis"^ upon
the Earth.
This
zZ6 Remarks on Mr. St-etye' s Brief Def encf-
This is the literal rendering of V, and
indeed makes the beft Senfe. For is it not
more proper and more intelligible to fpeak of
the Waters as being upon the Earth than
under it ?— Do we fay, that the Ocean, and the
Rivers, and the Pools are U7jJer the Earth?—
We always fpeak of therri as being (which
they really are) ns'" on the Face of the Earth,
So that there is no need to confider ^ as an
Expletive^ or any other than a Prepo/ltion. Here
again how obvious is it, that Mr. Steffe haS
been guided by the Authority of our EngliJJo
Tranflators, inflead of attending to the Or/^/-
nal ! For had they exprelTed themfelves thus,
viz. ' That is in the Waters below, on the
* Earth,' he v/ould not: have thousrht of
quoting, this Text in his Defence.
I OBSERVED
Remarki on Mr. Steffe'j Brief Defence, 287
I OBSERVED farther, that, if it was the
Intention of the Preacher, in this Place, to
reprefent the Spirit of a Beafl: defcending
along with the Body into the Earth, nQ"is
would have been more expreffive of his
Meaning than xix, as this latter is not fo pro-
perly ufed to fignify Earth or Mould, (that
is, the Principle into which the Body is re-
folved after Death) as //j/Earth itfelf, that is,
the whole Globe, or a Tradl of Land.
In anfwer to this, A'Ir. Stefe would Hiow
from one PalTage of Scripture, that y,n^ does
Jometimes fignify the Soil or Mould of the
Earth j a Defence of the fame kind with the
two abovementioned. For admitting that it
may be ufed in this Senfe, and that the Text
he quotes, is a fufficient Inftance, yet what
doth it prove ?— Nor, that 'inn is fynonimous
with
2^S Remarh on Mr. Steffe*^ Brief Defence*
with "isy or n^i^H, or that it fo properly fig-
nifies the Principle into which the Body is
rcfolved after Death, (which he fhould have
fhewn, to make his Defence good) but only,
that it is fometimes ufed in a Senfe that is
not its primary and proper One.
But here too, the Tnftance itfelf fails,
2 Kings ii. 19. — the Situation of this City is
pleafant, but the JFcter is naught and the
Ground li-i^^m barren. IJIK in this Paflage
plainly figniiies, the u^hole liraSl of Land
near the City, the Country itfelf, and not
merely, the Soil or Mould. The Idea, that would
here be conveyed by the Men of the City to
Elijhaj is, not fo much the Nature or ^/ah'ty of
the Soil, as the barren j^ppearance of the
Country around, in which Cafe M"^« is more
properly ufed than nc"J^ would have been^
And the Men oj the City faid unto Eliflia,
behold^
Remarks on Mr. Steffe's Brtej Defence. 2 89
behold, we pray thee-, the Situation cf this
City is f leaf ant, as my Lord feeth ; but xij^n
the Land, (the Country around,) as thoujeeji^
is barren.
Once more then I mvid remark, (let not
Mr. Sfeffe think it Want of Candour) that he
has been guided here more by the Sound of
the Englifi Tranflation, than by that ' true
* Tafte and Spirit of Criticifm,' with which he
would be criticifed upon. No doubt, the Ex-
preflion, the Ground is barren, appears much in
his favour, and as if it was the Intention of the
Writer to denote by it the Quality of the Soil,
viz. its Barrmnejs^ in which Cafe iS'i^ would
be ufed here for nQ-^x the Ground or Soil. Dut
then, this is all that appears in his favour j for
the Word tranllated barren \s x-\'^y^^, whole
root is '73!i;, which does not properly ngnify,
to be barren^ but, to be deprived of, Orhatus
P p full ;
290 Remarks on Mr, Steffe*s Brief Defence,
Jui'fiAnd, therefore, its Derivative n'7DtyQ is
not fo properly and literally rendered barren ,
or unfruitful as, hare or wafie. Which latter
Epithets apply well to ^j-ii< taken in its primary
Senfe, for a whole T^raB of Land, but not at
^11, if taken in Mr. Steffe\ Senfe, for the Soil
o: Mould oi the Earth. n^DtDQ 3S"*tKn but the
Land (or Country) is wafte. This is literal,
and makes good Senfe. The Grtz^W (meaning
the Soil or Mould) is wafte. This is unliteral,
and maizes Nonfenle,
Mr Steffe, therefore, were it only to fhew
that s-i.js: is ever taken in his Senfe, fliould
have produced a more piaufiblelnftance. And
fuch a one I will now point out to him. It is
in EccL xii. 17. Then fJjall the I ufl return
to the Earth as it was j one of the Te:^ts
themfelves which he had produced in fupport
cf bis Do<^rine, and the Infufficiency of which
has
Remarks on Mr, St'eve.'e.'s Brief Defence, 291
has been confidered. In this PafTage the
Preacher is fpeaking of the Return of
the Body after Death to the Earth > and
yet the Word jjis is made ufe of, and not
HQIS. I know not of another Text that
appears, at firft Sight, fo much in favour of
Mr. Steffe, and cannot but wonder at
his Overfight, or at his Judgment in chu-
ling to produce another. So flrong and, at
the fame time, fo very obvious an Objcdion
to my Diftindlion betwixt Snsi and nci^ did
this feem to a very acute Hebraift * and learned
Divine in the Eftablifhment, (with whofe
Correfpondence on the Occafion I have been
honoured, and again beg Leave to exprefs my
Senfibility to the Favour and my Defire of
its Continuance) that he thought it impoflible
to be confidered in any other Light than as an
P p 2 . Exception.
• Who has lately favoured the Public with a new anJ
elaborate Traallation of the three firlt Chapters of Gcncfu.
Z^2 Remarks 072 Mr. Steffe^ Brief Defence,
Exception. I fliall not here, howeveri ftay
to obviate the Difficuhy as it has not been
urged by the Perfon, with whom alone I
have to do at prefent.
To pafs then to the only Word remaining
. to be confidered, relative to Mr. Steje's Brief
Defence, viz. NM. This Pronoun, in my
ReiTiarks on his former Performance, I had
conneded with DISH ; and becaufe it is ge-
nerally reckoned by Grammarians to be of
the feminine Gender, and confequently this
might be objedted to me, I offered fomething
to obviate any fuch Objedicn. This, how-
ever, is not his Objedion. What he urges
is, fomething more fmart and witty. It
might have favoured of Pedantry, to have
attempted to confute a Perfon by gramrha-
tical Skill. Much genteeler, furely, this
that follows ; * Others conned s\"i with
RetnarhonMr^ S'Ti.'PfE.*% Brief BefenCe. 293
* DIKH 03 and therefore fcem to place Man's
•; Pre-eminenGC, neither in his Life nor his
< Death, but wholly in the ere6t Pofture of
' his Body. Who knoweth the Spirit of Man,
* which Man goeth up'vuard, i. e. upright,
* while the Beaft h prone to the Earth. But
* this, if it be really Solomon's Definition of
* Man, fecms neither better nor truer than
* the implume bipes of Plato ^ which there-
* fore Diogenes would equally have confuted
* with his Dunghill Cock; who with Dry-
* den*s Chanticleer might havefaid,
** I with Pleafurc fee
" Man ftrutting on two Legs and apeing me." J
Upon
+ Mr. SteJ^e is extremely welcome to this Piece of Wir,
becaufe it is perfedly innocent^ and may, though not very
feafonable on a Subjed of this Nature, pleafe fome fort of
Readers. But will the R. R. Author of the Divine Lf^a-
fisn ofMo.^e^ be thought to have excrclfcd this f^mc Talent
294. Remarks on Mr. St-ett^'s Brief Defence'.
Upon which I (hail only remark, that So^
lomon or any Writer might mention the up*
right
of Wit, either, in a Manner worthy of himfelf, or, in-
deed, with Innocence ? It can, furely, be deemed but a
vulgar Pleafurc his Lordftiip feems to take, in calling the
Controverters of the Dodlrine of an intermediate State
fey the Name fsf Dreamers^ Sleepers, Middle- Men, &c,
. Such Language is more worthy of that inferior and popu-
lar Clafs of Writers, (to which indeed it has hitherto been
chiefly confined) than that Eminence, which the Bifliop of
Gloucefter holds in the learned World. Thefe Gentlemen
too, with whom his Lordfhip makes fo merry and {ofree,
have been too long dinn'd with fuch fort of Names to have
their Sleep broken by a Repetition of the rude Noife. Nor*
can the R. R . Author be thought to have acquitted himfelf
with more Decency and Propriety of Charaner, in makmga
very ferious Expreflion from a Sacred Writer ferve thePur-
pofe of a witty Sarcafm. " St. Jude's pithy Dreamers only
" defiledthe Flejh. Thefe defJc the Spirit^' But, though
we cannot fuppofe that St. Jude and the Btjkop are equally
ferious, yet it is not fo clear, that his Lordftiip, in bringing
■ this Charge of Spiritual Defilement againfl the Dreamers*
is altogether in Jeft. Certain it is, that, however un-
willing his Lordftiip might be to fupprefs fo jocular a Sei>-
timcnt
Remarks on Mr, Steffe's Brief Defence. 295
right Poflure of Man, without intending it
either as a Definition of Man or a Mark of
bis Pre-eminence.
Having
tlment, he is willing we fhould confider the Dodrinc in a
ferious Light, as of a dangerous and ^/i?//'«^ Nature* For
the Learned Author of, Corfidcrations on the Theory oj
Religio77, is reprefented as a Reviver of the Sadducean
Opinion, of the ExtirMion of the Soul on Death, his va-
luable Qiiotarions from Scripture fcornfuUy termed, " A
*' Niu-nlcr of wonderful Things." and this Scrap of
Scripture, thtre he gods mat-y^ judged by the R. R. Author
to be a ftronger Text againft the Unity of the Godhead,
than any this Icnrned Writer has produced for h'n Ofinion,
The late worthy Dr. Taylor of Norwich h called '< Ano-
*' ther of thcie Sleepers," and a very fenfiblc Quotation
from him has the foIlo\^ing decent Reflection pafled upon
it. *' This is the old exploded Tmjh of Coivard^ Toland
^^ znd Collins." And yet, I care fay, his Lordftiip will
think this Writer as honourably clafs'd, in point of Au-
thorfoip, with Coivardy Tlijard ^nd Collins, as the BiiTiop
of Gloucefter would be, fhould fome one, ilinaturedy
pleaf^nt, and availing himfclf of his Lord(>ip's decent
Expreffion, clafs his Performance on this Subjedl, with the
old, popular— Tr^y/;— of Coddard^ Stefe and plemirg.
296 Remarks on Mr, Steff^*s Brief Defeticf^
Having thus confidered all that Mr. Suffe
has offered in Defence of the Senfe he had
put upon this Text in EccL iii. 21. that is,
fo far as concerned the Remarks made upon
the Firfl of his Five Letters on the Interme-
diate State-, it will now be moil proper to
conclude the Whole, with obferving how-
very defe(3:ive this Brief Defence is, in the
Plan itfelf, on which it proceeds, and com-
paring it with fuch a one as ought to have
been attempted.
This Text, then, v^^as brought toprovethe
Doctrine of an Intermediate State, For this
Purpofe, the following was aifertedto be the
true Import of the Original, -p/z. Who hicia-
eth the Spirit of the Children of Men, which
(Spirit) afcendeth upwards? and the Spirit
of
Remarh on Mr, St e f f E*i Brief Defence, 297
cf the Beaji^ which (Spirit) defcendeth un-
^tx the Earth?
Now, if this be the true Import of the
Text in the Original, and no other Meaning
can, confidently with any juft Rules of In-
terpretation, he affixed to the Words, then
it is fufficient to prove the Dodrine con-
tended for. But, if either this be not the
true Import of the Words in the Original,
or another Meaning can, confidently with
juft Rules of Interpretation, be affixed to
them, then the Text is no certain Proof of
the Dodrine. And that they are capable of
another and very different Meaning, and con-
fequently infufficient to found fuch a Dodrlne
upon, is what was urged in OppoHtion to Mr*
Steffe*^ Argument in favour of it.
Q q In^
298 Remarks on Mr. Stefipe' s Brief DtfeNcel
In order therefore to make a good and va-
lid Defence it behoved him to fhew, that the
Text was not capable of a differeJ2t Senfe from
that which he put upon it. Has this been
done in the Brief Dejence now confidered ?
No. Nay, it has not been fo much as attempt^'
ed. Mr, Steff'c has contented himfelf with
endeavouring to Ihew (tho' he is far from
havino- fhewn even this) that his Senfe r/jay
be admitted*, which was not the Point in
queflion. The Qiieilion is, Whether his
Senfe of the Words can be admitted as the
moft literal and moil exaB Senfe, and whe-
ther 110 other Meaning can be affixed to them,
which doth not include in it the Dod^rine of
an Inier?nediate ^tate.
I HAVE thought it neceli'ary to -prcfcnt
Mr. Steffe with this State of the Queflion,
that
Remarks on Mr. S t e f f e ' j Brief Defence. 299
that he may fee with what Reafon 1 may
omit taking Notice of any future Defence on
this Subjedl, if it fhould proceed upon the
fame Plan with this, which I have been con-
fidering.
The end.
THE
INDEX
A
A.
R I A N Sy their Notion of Chrifl
in a pre-exident State confidered and
confuted Page 4—9, 94, &c,
- their Theology compared with, and
in what Relpeds differing from the Hea-
then ^
their Hypothefis, on what grounded
6
their Objedion to the Trinitarian
Interpretation of the Three firfl Verfes of
the iirft Chapter of St. Jobfii Gofpel,
Gonlidcred 1 7
ArianSy
INDEX. ,
Arians^ their Senfe of the Word or Logos,
vide Logos .
\AthafiaJian (Creed), Unity cf the Godhead
afferted, and the Divifion of it exprelly
denied therein P^g^ 232
B.
Begctten-QrAj Son, Meaning of that Ex-
prellionj spplied to Chrift n^
Bojom of the Father, the Meaning of that
Expreffion 75
Chrljl pre-exiflcd not a diftindl Being from
aft d inferior to G(5^ 12, 59, et feq,
not an Angel or Demi- god united fo
Humanity 14
■ God and not any inferior Being fpaKe
to the World by and dwelt in Him
28, 33, etjcq^
■ Cljriji,
TN D E X.
Cbrijl, Human Nature, of Page 167—207
had no middle Nature between the
ciDivine and Human 8^', i86-
■«- — Creatiqn of all Things by, how to be
interpreted 187—193
' the FIrft-born of the new Creation
'll ■ 192—200
«^~7- Texts relating to his Miffion into the
World 76—126
Ghiirch^ Afiertions of no one Cnurch con-
c-cerning the Trinity, a fufiicient Ground
r'lof Faith, exclusive of Scripture Authority
223-
of Engla7idj her Wordiip vindicated
agalnfl: the Objections of the jiWAM/?^ 20
againft the Oljeclions of the
Ariam 2 2
the falreft Way of interpreting
her AfTrrtions concerning the TiaNi'ir
226
air J)
r N D E X.
Church of England, true Method of defend-'
ing her Dodrincs P^g^ 49
..-., to enquire carefully into the
Meaning of her Expreffions, but Juftie©
to Her 225
' — vindicated from the Charge of
Polytheijm 133, 233—235
Council of Nice I. rejeded the Word (God)
in the i6th Verfe of the third Chapter of
the fir ft Epiftle to Timotlyj 41
Creation^ of the natural World afcribed to
Go^ alone 187— j 89
— ^ ■ when afcribed to '^jefm Chrijl to be
underftood of the new, or fpiritual
190-293
- — ■ Chrijl the Firft-born of the new
193—201
Creature^ every, Wtauw, YS\,isia<;, what is meant
by tliat Expreflicn, in the fifth Verfe of the
firft Chapter to the Cckfjians 19S
Creeds^
INDEX.
Creeds^ Unity of the Deity afTerted in all of
them Page 232, 235
CurcellaiiSy his Tranflation of Rom.ix. ^. 39
D.
Daiifon Mr. his Senfe of the Logos, and
Tranflation of the fiiftVerfe of the firft
Chapter of St. Joh?;^ Gofpel 58, 59
jD^/f;?r^ of the Church, fhould be fcriptural
A9
IDevotioJts of our Church addrefled to One
God 207, 232
DiftinBion, made in Scripture between the
Perfon of the Father, and that of the Son,
marks not a Divifion of the Godhead
oQ -IT
Zkj^ -,1
Divines, generally miftaken in their Senfe of
the Logos 16—18
— — many have more exceptlonably ex-
preiTed the Dodriiie of the Trinity thnn
R r the
INDEX.
the Compiler of the Athanafian Creed
Page 8i, 85, 118-121, 227
Divinity true and perfect, wrought and was
manlfcfted in the Man Chriji Jejus,
1-128
— proved from the Titles given to our
Redeemer 2—9
from the Incarnation 9—12
• from the Teftimony of the Evange-
Ms 12—19
from the Teftimony of the Apoftles
29-37
from the fignal Prefcrvation of the
Church of Chri/i 45~- 49
— ■'- the Honour claimed by Chri/i on
that Account 84—89
Miftakc of the Jews concerning it.
as alfo of Ckrifi's own Difciples and fome
later Chrijlians 89—100
Miracles of C/jr//?, a Proof of it 102
Divinity^
INDEX.
Divinity, one and the fame wrought in
Chrift and was manifelled by the Spirit
Page 122, 123, 157
DoSirine of the Church of EnglarJ, con-
cerning the Godhead, not myfterious 231
T)oBrines revealed, Objefls of a rational
Enquiry 21'^, 222
of the Church of England^ not to
be blamed by thofe that mif-underftand
her Exprefiions 224
■ of the Church of England^ general
Tenor of ihe Liturgy and Articles the
only Interpreters of them 226
.- of the Church of England, how
beft defended m /. 2
E.
Erafmus^ his Tranflation of a Pafldge in
Romans relative to Chrijl 3 ^
R r 2 Enpiry
INDEX.
Enquiry rational into Religion, not dan-
gerous Page 216
Eternal Power and Godhead, afcribed to our
" Saviour 20
Evangelfjisy their Account of the Incarnation
Proofs of the Divinity of our Re-
deemer from them 1 2—1 9
F.
Faith in revealed Do6trines, Scripture the
only joft Ground of 42, 223
implicit, Arguments for it lead to
Pc'pery 216
Father^ Title of Saviour given in Scripture
both to God the Father j and his Son, 36
— Power of working Miracles afcribed
both to the Father and the So?2, an Attri-
bute of one and the fame Being, or the
perfeQly Divine Nature 3 1
Fir/I- '
INDEX.
Firji-born of every Creature, not applied to
Chrijl with refpedt to his Pre-exiftence
Fage 192—200
Flemings Aflerter of an Intermediate State
295
Flejh^ who manifefted in the 4, 12, i8>
35. 99
<Ti.fl fynonimous with, ay^^u-K^^i a Man
72
G.
Gloucejler^ Remark on the Bifhop of 29^
Glory which Chrijl had with the Father, how
to be interpreted 133
God, our Saviotfr proved to be true and per-
fect 9—20, 35, 74—126
ftiled by St. Jolfiy the ^'ord 59
. Our, a Title given in Scripture to none
but the One Supreme Being 4
Goddardy
INDEX.
Goddardy one of the AfTerters of an Interme-
diate State 295
Godhead, undivided 28, &c. vide Dhmity
the Fulnefs of it manifefted in the
Fle{h 33, viditChrift
Gofpely in the Beginning with God the Father
58-64
■ afterwards with the Man Chriji jefus
57 ^ M-
Grace and Truth, the Gofpel contrafled with
the Law ftiled 73
Grotius, his Obfervaticn on Rom. ix. 5, 38
■ — ^ his Senfe of the Logos, and Perplexity
^ occalioned thereby 62
■ ' " his Senie of &( ^.^voyzva ■yra.^a. Hctifo?
115
H.
INDEX.
H.
Heaven from, the Meaning of that and fuch
like Expreffions, applied to the coming of
Chrij} into the World Page 76 etfeq.
Holy Ghoji, not a diflindt Being from and
inferior to God 150
The fame in Subftance with God 157
Blafphemy againft the Holy Ghoft
Blafphemy againft God 1 50
» Divine Attributes afcrihed to the
Hoh Ghoft 155, 156
Ground of an Error concerning the
158
A proper Diftindion to be bbferved con-
cerninrr the 160
— The fame Operations afcribed to' the
Holy Ghoft as to Gcd 1 48 et feq^
Human Nature of Chrifl^ proved from the
Account given of him from his Birth to
the
INDEX.
the Time of his public Miniftry
Page i-^b—iyZ
— proved from his Mediatorial Office
179-186
I.
1 am, how underflood of Cbriji no, in
Jehovah Aleim^ imports not two diftind and
feparate Beings 7
Jefus. vide Chrijl
yews J Their Mifconftrudion of our Saviour's
Words concerning his Dignity the fame
with that of the Arians 94
— charged with an Intercourfe with the
Dead, no Proof of an Intermediate State
246
I?jcar72ation, 10— 12, 175
• — Arian Notion of it flated and
confuted 10
Incarnation
INDEX:
Incarnation^ Dr. South's Conception of it ab-
furd Page 8i, 82, 121
Inferiority o^Chrift to God iht Father ^ in what
Rcfpea: aflertcd 84
Intermediate State 245
I. , no Proof of it in the Old
Teftament 246
•7 Objeftion from the yews con-
fulting with the Dead, confidered Ibid
K.
Kingdo?n of Chriji^ reprefented in Scripture
as exifting from the Foundation of the
World 69
L.
Law Jewifj, contrafted with Grace and
l^riithy or the Logos 73
" ' the main Defign of the 169
S s Legos,
INDEX.
Zc^^jDllTei tation concerning thcPage 5 5— 1 40
_ God fo ftiled r q
.: Cbrtfi fo ftiled 71—74
. different Senfe given of it by Trim^
tanam, Arians^ Socinians and Sabellian^
new Interpretation of the three firft
Verfes in St, Johns Gofpel concerning it
58-64
Objedions to the new Interpretation
anfwered 59—72
new Interpretation of the fourteenth
Verfe of the fame Chapter concerning it
71
Confirmation of the above new Inter-
pretations, chiefly from our Saviours own
Words 76-126
Mr. Dawfojis Senfe of it 58
Grotiuis Senfe of it 62
Lord the, a Title given to God alone 3 , 7
INDEX.
M.
Man, Dr. Scof^ Definition of, confidered
Page 173
MacedoniuSi accufed of corrupting the Text
relating to the Manifeftation of our Re-
deemer, viz. I Tim. ill. 16, 40
Manhood of Chrift Jejus^ what Texts relate
to it 187—201
Miracles, Proof of the perfed Divinity which
wrought in Chriji 13 --18
never afcribed by believing Spe<fta-
tors to an Arigel or Demigod operating in
Chrift 14- "V
Mofes, the Law given by him, contrafled
with Grace and Iruth, i. e. the fFord y^
S s 2 - N.
INDEX,
N.
Nature human of Chrifty not Incompatible
with the Divine Nature manifefted in him
Page 125
• metaphyfical of C/6r//?5 certain Expreffions
fhewn to have no Relation to the 104—107
Nicey hxa Council of, rejedted the Word
Qiof in I I'm. iii. 16 41
Nicodemus, his Senfe of the JewiJIj phrafe of
coming from God y6
I his Teflimony to the perJeB Di-
vinity of our Redeemer 1 9
Only begotten Son of God. 1 1 5
r N D E X.
p.
Perfons^ Diftindlion made in Scripture of them
doth not imply a Divijion of the Godhead
Page 28, 123
— ^ Dr. Sherlock'^ Notion of them in-
confiftent with Scripture ?)6
Church of En^Iaitd holds the Dif-
tindion in Confidence with thcUm'fy of God
206
Polytheifm, Arians more juftly chargeable
with it than the Trinitarians of the Church
of England 22
^- unjuftly charged upon the Church
of England 132, 232—235
R.
INDEX;
R.
Reafott, confiftent with Revelation Page 2 1 6
' — Difference between Reafon and Rea-
foning 219
Redeemer. Vide Divinity
Redemption, afcribed by the Evangeiifts and
^fofties to God alone, and not to any infe-
rior Being that operated in Chrift 13—12,
29—40
^ . God the original Author of our
128
Renovation of all Things, the Gofpel Conili-
tution fo called j 97
Revealed Do^rines, Objefls of a rational
Enquiry 217—224
,- fome not difcoverable by Reafon
no jufl Objedtion to the Belief of them
230
Revelation
INDEX.
Revelation, Right Reafon always accords with
Page 230
s.
SabelHamfm ^6^ ^^^
Saint Cyprian, Hilary, Cbryfoftom, Copies of
59
Salvation, God the Author of our 36, 43, 58
Sanaijier, Creator and Redeemer of the
World, One and the fame God 2^, 51,
126, 1x9
Sarviour, but One, viz, God in Chrift 37
' vide Chrift, Divi?iity
Sent into the World, this Expreffion the
chief Ground of the Arian Notion of
Cf^/ift ^
— relates to the Office or Commiffion of
Chrift Jefus in this World 6, io©~i i?
Scot
INDEX.
Scot (Dr. Jofeph Nicol) his Notion of the
Human Nature of Chrift Page 173
Scripture, general Tenor and not particular
Paffages of it, the Teft of revealed Doc-
trines 4 1
— the only Rule of Faith concern-
ing the Trinity 223
Sherlock, (Dean) his Notion of the Divine
Perfons Tritheiftical 86
confufed and obnoxious Expreffions
of 227
Socinians, their Notion oi Chrift 2
■ more confiflent than the Ariam
' their Senfe of the Logos 56, 60
Son ofGody to be honoured of all Men as
the Father 85
' Cbrijl the Son of God by way of
Eminence j 27
Soul,
INDEX.
Soul, its fcparate Exiflence on Death before
the Refurredlon, not proved by the four
following Texts, 'viz. Eccl.iW. 2\. xil. 7.
Phil, i. 23. 2 Cor. V. 8#-" Page 249,
259, 265
Scuth, Dr. his Notion cf the Incarnalion 8 1
— juflly charges Dean Sberkck with Tri-
theifm S 7
— — his miflaken Interpretation of, ^he
Bojom oj the Father J 20
Steffe, Mr. Remarks on his Letter and BrieJ
Defence 245—299
Superjtition Popif!:, Reformation from 48
I Foundation of it laid in implicit
Faith 217, 2j8
Svri^Cj Copies ufed by the Author of the,
want the Word U-.; in Rom ix. 5. 38
T t T.
INDEX.
T.
Tri72ityy as maintained by the Church of
England^ not Tritheifm Fage 22, 23,
132, 232-235
the Subje(fl of it incomprehenfiblej
but not the Dodtrine or Propolition con-
cerning it 231
• Enquiry into the Senfe of the Church
concerning it is not prying into a Myftery
224
Rule laid down for com in o: at the
t>
Senfe of the Church concerning it 225
very excepiionably expreffcd by many
Divines ' 227
Objedions again H: the Doctrine, on
what grounded, and anfwered 229—234
the fiippcfed Myfierioufnefs of it, no
Argument againil: a rational^ Enquiry into
it 217
INDEX.
Trinity, Dr. Sherlock's Explication of it un-
fcriptural Page 129
Tritheifmy not chargeable upon the Church
of England 232—235
u.
Unity of the Deity exprefly afTerted by the
Church cf £w^Az«t/. 133, 234
w.
Word The, a Title given boih to God and
Chrijl ^^,7'^ ^'^^^ Logos
Worjhip of the Church of E/igland defended
20, 22
A N
INDEX.
O F T H E
TEXTS
Explained, or referred to.
GENESIS.
Chapter.
I.
II.
XV.
XXII.
Verse.
3
7
2
a^ 12, 1 6
Page.
i88
26r
7
IJ5
EXODUS.
INDEX of TEXTS.
EXODUS.
Chapter. Verse. Page.
ni. 14 III
XX. 4 i45> 284
LEVITICUS.
XX. 27 246
DEUTERONOMY.
XXVIII, 13 281, 282
JUDGES.
XI. 34 115
II. K I N G S.
II. 19 288
. JO B,
INDEX of TEXTS.
Chapter.
XI.
XII.
JOB.
Verse. Page.
7 211
7> Sj 9-> 10 212, 213
ECCLESIASTES.
III.
XII.
iS, 19, 20 256
21 S49» 257*259,
278, 281, 293,
296
22 257
7 259, 290
ISAIAH.
VI. g
3
XI-.
155
JEREMIAH.
VI.
2^
I I
A M O S.
INDEX of TEXTS,
AMOS.
Chapter. Verse. Page.'
yiii. lo 115
Z E C H A R I A H.
xn. 10 J15
M A L A C HI.
III. 1 3, 19
MATTHEW.
I.
18, 20
10
23
II
XII.
28
150
XXV.
34
69
M
ARK.
1.
i, 2, 3
3
^
2
4» 27» 28
II.
5> 7
14
JOHN.
INDEX of TEXTS.
LUKE.
Chapter. Verse. Page.
I. 25 11, 149, 172
II. 12
, 21,
22, 23, 24
176
40
, 42:
. 43*46, 5^0 52
^77
IV.
2. 5
179
vir.
16
15
IX.
42, 43-
15
XL
20
152
XVII.
13
16
J
0 H N.
I.
I 16, 5?-> 58,
59, 64, 67,"
63, 7
'0, yy, 126
2
55, 62, S5
3 55' 63,
4
^iy ^35
8
61
14 7^,7
2, 74, ^3,
lOQ, 1 15
U\i
I,
INDEX of TEXTS.
Chapter.
Verse.
Page.
I.
.17
74, 205
18
75, 113, 121
III.
2
19, 76, 90, 204
13
78, 90, 113
• 34
83
V.
22
84, 87, 88
23
85, 87, 88
VI.
32-35
89
32-62
00
33
97
35
61
35
39
41
94
48-55
61
~ 48
95
5^-53
95
^3
97. 138
68
100
yii:
16
So, ICO
iS
20:3
VIII.
INDEX.
of
T E
X T S.
Chapter.
Verse.
Page.
VIII.
12
24
62
III
28
101,
III
3S
103
40,
&c.
107,
ocC,
42
107
XI.
25
66
.67
XII.
49
112,
114
XIV.
6
16
22
23
62
160
116
115
XV.
26
160
XVI. 13,
&c.
122
XVII.
4
5
124
1-3
XX. " 2 1
, 22
J25
II.
III.
ACTS.
22
1 ■> T T
30
IV.
INDEX of TEXTS.
Chapter.
Verse
.
Page.
IV. •
lo
30
V.
'
3. 4
^53
VII.
51
^53
X.
38
31
XX.
28
J 54
XXVIII.
25
^55
ROMANS.
IX. 5 38
iCORINTHIANS.
I. 30 189
II. 4 155
7 ^9
10 156, 159
11 157
VIII. 6 187, 189
XII. 4, 5, 6 32, 143, 147
6 14S
XII.
INDEX
of T E
X
T S.
Chapter. Verse.
Page.
XII.
6, 7
161
S, 9, 10
147, 14S,
161
11
147, 148
28
148, 154
2 CO RI N T HI A NS.
I.
3
39
y.
1, 2
267
4> 5. 6
268
8
8, 9, 10
269
17. 18
190
19
32
E PHE SIA N S.
III.
3
39
4
%
17, 20, 21, 22, 23
34
s, 9
. 191
III.
I N D E X of T E X T S.
Chapter. Verse, Page.'
III. 9 69
II 192
IV. 14 163
PHILIPPIANS.
I. 23 265
COLOSSI A NS.
J.
II.
II.
14
194, 197
15
192, 198
.i5, i;
192, 193
^7
198
17, 18
194
16, 17, 18
196
19, 2Q
200
9
25
I 1^ I M O T H Y.
5 35^ i^7' 172
201, 207
III.
INDEX of TEXTS.
Chapter. Verse. Page,
III. 16 29
2 TIMOTHY.
I. 9 70
TITUS.
I. 3y 4
II. 10, II, 13
III. 4, 5, 6
HEBREWS,
I. I, 2, 3
II. 10, 17, iS
36
37
201
182
I P E T E R.
I. • iS, 19
oj
I.
I J O H N
I, 2
^ 5
69
60, 67
: IV.
INDEX of TEXTS.
Chapter. Verse. Page.
IV. 8 60, 6/
V. I, 5 62
J U D E.
8
294
REVELATIONS.
XIII. 8 70
XIX. 13 70, yi
"^■^
^-
ERRATA.
Page 60, line 20, for 6 read 5.
. 122, 4> /-^ 5 ^^^d 13.
I 160,— —17, for fame r^a^ fifteenth*
187, 4, <?/?^r Epiftle, add to the Corinthians*
.. I 191, 9, yi^' we read I.
207,— '—14, Z"' ingenious read ingenuous.
— 290,— i6,/«'y' 17 read^.
Publijhed by the fame Author.
I. Some Afliftance offered to Parents in the
Religious Education of their Children.
Third Edition, Price 6 d,
II. Reformation of Manners, the Ground
of Confidence towards God ; A Sermon
preached on Occaiion of the General Faflj
February 1 2) 1761. Price i j.
III. The Duty of ' Charity to the Poor,
A Sermon preached at St. Paulas, Shadwell,
Price I s.
IV. The Efficacy of Divine Aid, and the
Vanity of confiding in Man ; A Sermon
from Flalm 108, preached on Occafion of
the late General Fail, March 1 2,1 762, C5r.
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