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the divine nature (to which they belong not. So that one may say, I believe that Jesus Christ was not conceived of the Holy Ghost, or born of the Virgin Mary; I believe that he never was crucified under Pontius Pilate, nor was dead or buried; that he never rose, nor ascended, nor will return, visibly again; for his divine nature (which it is pretended he had) was not capable of these things. And since they say, the personality is divine, here seems more warrant to be bolder in denying indefinitely of the pers on what belongs not to the divine nature, whose the personality is, than in so denying of the person, what only belongs not to the human nature; as this interpretation makes Christ to do.

"5. Finally, it weighs something with me, in opposition to this way of interruption, that the Evangelists never take any occasion (when they had so many) to subjoin any caution against taking Christ's words in their obvious sense, when he says, he did not know the hour, &c. and the like. If, as we said, our Lord had no mind to reveal his divinity, (though I see not still why he should deny it thus) yet sure his Apostles, who wrote so many years after, whom it concerned to reveal all important truths most clearly, would not fail to have set the reader right, by removing such obvious objections as these are, against the supreme Deity of Christ; and saying he spake this only in respect of his manhood, that he knew not all things, &c.

But here is not one caution given, as often we find there was about less matters. No doubt it was because they would have the thing understood as it fairly lies, not thinking of any such secret reserve in Christ, of a divine nature in his person to be tacitly excepted: when he had denied such perfections of his person indefinitely." This ingenious and penetrating writer, has investigated so clearly and so fully confuted the sophistry of our opponents upon this part of the subject; that it would be only multiplying words to no purpose, to pursue it farther and every fair and candid reasoner must join in the conclusion, that our Lord Jesus Christ is a being far inferior to that God and Father of all, who hath put the times and seasons in his own power, and who did not think fit to reveal even

* Mr. Emlyn's Works 4th edition Lond. 1746.

+ Acts i. 7.

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to his well beloved son during his residence in earth, the knowledge of this awful and important event.

But in the twentieth and last place, Jesus Christ is not the most high God, or the supreme, eternal and unchangeable Deity: but a being altogether dependent upon him, and inferior to him, because, he shall at the consummation of all things, deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and shall himself be subject that God may be all in all.' 1 Cor. xv. 24 to 28. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his fect. when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all,'

But

that

This passage carries irresistible weight and efficacy in it, and strongly confirms all our former reasonings and conclusions, and therefore we have reserved it to the last, in order to close the series of our arguments with energy and propriety. In many places of scripture we are told, that Christ owes all his power, dominion, and dignity, to the free and voluntary gift of God the Father. It was THE FATHER that raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. It was THE FATHER that gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God. It was the THE FATHER that gave him a name, is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth, and of things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It was THE FATHER to whom it pleased, that in him all fulness should dwell. It is the same great and glorious Being that is here described, as having put all things under him; and who is himself excepted from the number; because it is impossible that he can be subjected to any power whatever, who is the original source of all authority. Jesus Christ reigns over this delegated kingdom, that is assigned him by the Father. He reigns but imperfectly at present. His kingdom comprises but a part of

the globe. His nominal and professed subjects are not a majority of mankind; and his real and sincere followers are still fewer. But he shall reign more fully and completely in the sequel. Aided and assisted by the power of God, his kingdom of truth and righteousness shall prevail, and break in pieces, like a potter's vessel, every opposing force. The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God, and of his Christ; and all his enemies shall be subdued under his feet. Death itself which has reigned from Adam to Moses, and from Moses throughout every period of time; and from whose sway Christ himself was not exempted, shall at last be destroyed; and joy and immortality shall take place of pain and misery. And then, when the great purposes for which this mediatorial kingdom was erected shall have been accomplished; Christ shall resign all his delegated power into the hand of that great being from whom he received it; and shall become the willing subject of his Father and his God. As a general resigns his commission to his sovereign, when the ends for which it was granted are obtained; or as a viceroy when recalled ceases to govern any longer; in like manner Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even THE FATHER; that God may be all in all. Then the Lord God omnipotent shall reign: and the Supreme Being shall appear more openly and conspicuously in the government of the moral world, than he does at present.

To a candid and unprejudiced mind, unperverted by any attachment to a theological system, I should think, this passage would afford the fullest conviction. When Christ is described, as having all things put under him and subdued unto him by another; when we are informed, that all this power and authority shall be returned back again to the original donor, even to the Father; and that the Son himself shall be subjected to him, what farther evidence can we expect or desire, for the truth and certainty of the Unitarian doctrine? Is not this fully sufficient to ascertain the Father's sole and supreme godhead? Does not this fully prove that our Lord Jesus Christ is abso.. lutely dependent upon him, and is only to be considered, as one of the most illustrious and dignified of those beings that he has produced? He who receives power and authority from another for a certain period, and must in the end return all that power and authority back again, can

never be conceived to be God, or equal with that God; whose dominion is eternal, who gives to all, but can receive from none; and who possesses all power, naturally, inherently, and independently in himself.

Our adversaries however, who make use of all expedients to support their tottering system, have endeavoured by means of their fallacious and jesuitical distinctions, even to obscure the clearness of this very passage. They tell us that it is the divine nature of Christ, that subdues all things unto him; and that when he resigns the kingdom, he only as it were puts off his mediatorial character, and delivers up his power to his own divine nature, in conjunction with the Father and the Holy Ghost; or in other words to the whole Trinity. But this is one of the wildest and most unwarrantable perversions of the plain meaning of the word of God, that can be imagined; and is even inconsistent with the Trinitarian system itself. For although Christ is said, Phil. iii. 21. To change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself:' yet we are assured that he received this power from the Father. For in John's Gospel, v. 26. Christ tells us that, as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. This working then, is not caused by any divine nature of his own; but by the power of the Father communicated to him, and acting by him. And it is not said that he shall deliver up the kingdom to his own divine nature, or to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; but it is expressly affirmed on the contrary, that he shall deliver it to GoD even the FATHER. As he was the original bestower of this power, so he is the sole receiver of it, and the Son in the full latitude and extent of the term becomes subject to him; and God or the Father is all in all. The Father then will appear directly to his creatures, in his natural, sovereign, and independent character; and all inferior authority, delegated power, and mediation shall cease. But farther, the Trinitarian explication, or rather perversion of this passage, is inconsistent with their own scheme in two respects. For as they affirm, that the two natures make one person in Christ; and that this personal union shall continue for ever, it is impossible to conceive, how the human nature of Christ can resign th

kingdom to the divine. While this union continues, whatever belongs to the divine nature must also belong to the human; for a person cannot be separated and divided into parts; nor possess a thing, and be deprived of it at the same time, Again, upon their scheme it would not be true, that Christ would become more subjected in consequence of his delivering up his mediatorial kingdom; for they suppose that his becoming mediator, was a departure from his original dignity; and consequently it is evident, that if he should lay aside this assumed character, and appear in the full lustre of his supposed Deity, he would be the Father's equal instead of being subjected to him in any degree. But this final subjection of Christ to the Father, is perfectly suitable to the nature of things upon the Unitarian hypothesis. For our Saviour being originally a dependent being, produced by the power and will of the Almighty, and exalted to an illustrious and dignified station, in order to serve a grand and important purpose in providence, it is highly proper that he should resign this station, when the purposes for which he was appointed to it are answered, and when his countenance in it is no longer necessary; although we must always suppose, that he will for ever possess a reward, suitable to his distinguished merit and obedience.

We have now my brethren produced all the proofs and evidences that we think it necessary to allege, in support of our second proposition; and I may venture to say, that we have now fully proved, that Jesus Christ is not the most high God; but a being inferior to him, dependent upon him, and acting by his command and autho, rity; or, in other words, his son, servant, and messenger; and by the Father's appointment the Messiah, or only Mediator between God and man. A being who is expressly distinguished from God; who is his son in the scriptural senses of the word; who has no will of his own; who is sent by God the Father; who can do nothing of himself; who receives commands from the Father, and gives obedience to them; who prays to the Father; who is the image of the invisible God; who is the first born of every creature; who is a priest; who exclaimed during his sufferings that God had forsaken him; who has not the disposal of the highest places in his own kingdom; who acknowledges a God, a head, or superior, and is the

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