thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" Does our Lord put a stop to their reasoning, as he might have done on the Trinitarian supposition, by the direct and plain assertion of his Godhead? No-that he has not done, here or elsewhere: he takes a very dif ferent course. "He saith to them, why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he saith to the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, and took up the bed, and went forth before them all." Instead of assuming the name or character of God, the only designation he gives himself is that of the Son of man'; and the power which he claims, was one exemplification of the power given him."

66

And here it may be proper to observe, that, according to his own representations, this power to forgive sins was not limited to Christ; but was communicated by him to the first ministers of his gospel, and therefore cannot fairly be employed as an argument of his supreme Deity: for the same argument might be used on behalf of the Apostles; and the argument that proves too much, proves nothing. What are his own

representations? On the very day of his resurrection from the dead, "at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, when the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Here the power to forgive sins, or to pronounce the remission of sins, is clearly represented as an original commission of the Father to the Son, and descending, through the Son, on his inspired Apostles. And the most decided evidence of its origin with the Father, is that which is afterwards supplied by our Lord himself, when he offers up that merciful prayer for those who were putting him to death-" Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

In the last chapter of Mark, after our Lord had commissioned his Apostles to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," the evangelist adds, "so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

In the second chapter of the gospel by St. Luke, we are distinctly told that his parents "brought him (Jesus) to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:"-that the child grew, and

waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him:"-and that he "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke iv. 16, "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, the spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blindto set at liberty those that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Which, when he had read, he immediately applied to himself, saying, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."-Verse 43, "And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent." On which passages I shall merely observe, that the phrases, "the spirit of the Lord is upon me ;"" he hath anointed me;" "he hath sent me," &c. seem altogether inconsistent with the idea of perfect equality. To feel the force of this observation, try how it will sound to change the person, and that the Son "anointed" the Father, and "sent him" to preach the glad tidings of the

to

say

kingdom. But if this language be inadmissible, what becomes of the equality?

Luke xxii. 28. "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father has appointed unto me."-Verse, 31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."Verse 41,"And he was withdrawn from, them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my roill, but thine be done. And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly." Luke xxiii. 46, "And when Jesus (on the cross) had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said this, he gave up the ghost.” Here again I must just leave you to judge whether these passages can reasonably be thought to consist with the Athanasian doctrine and go on to lay before you a few similar representations from the gospel of St. John.

:

You may recollect it was from John's gospel chiefly I before transcribed those declarations of our Lord Jesus Christ, which establish the doctrine of the Father's supremacy;—and every one of the same declarations might be fairly em

But at present

ployed on the subject before us. I shall confine myself to those which have an immediate bearing on the subordination of the Son, from his own lips.

John iv. 34, "Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work." In the fifth chapter there is a lengthened discourse of our Saviour on this subject, which I would be glad you would read throughout. It was introduced by the following circumstance. Our Lord had miraculously healed an impotent man on the sabbath: "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, my father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal to God.” This was their charge;-how was it replied to? Not by an assertion of his Godhead, or of his equality with God-such a thing never escapes him. His immediate reply, therefore, was

66

Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, which hath sent him. I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; because I seek not