other beginning antecedent to that, which the fcripture can reasonably be fuppofed to refer to. And eternity, furely, cannot be intended, by an expreffion which ftands in direct oppofition to it. Secondly, It is to be confidered what is intended by the term word. With refpect to which I think not any thing can be inferred from the term it felf, and as it is here used to exprefs a perfon, viz. the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, and as this perfon is elfewhere proved to be inferiour and fubordinate to the Father; fo the term word being applied to him here cannot poffibly prove the contrary. Thirdly, He is faid to be with God. But it will not follow from a perfon's being with God, at the beginning of the Mofaick creation, that he is equal to the God, whom he is faid to be with. Fourthly, He is faid to be God. But to be God, or a God, proves nothing in the prefent cafe; feeing the godfhip of the Son is derived from the Father, as I have before fhewn. Fifthly and laftly, It is faid that all things were made by him, and that without him was not any thing made, that was made. And from hence it is inferred, that if the Son was made, he must make himfelf, which is an abfurd propofition. With refpect to which I obferve, that if the term made, fignifies a different manner of production from the term begotten, then the word, or Son, was not made, but begotten. But if this term do fignify the fame manner of production, then, I fay, the Son was made, becaufe the fcriptures fay that he was begotten; and yet he did not make himself, feeing he must be excepted in that creation, who did make all things then made. This is a way of fpeaking which in other cafes must be allowed to have an exception, tho' it be not expreffed. Thus, when Abfalom murthered his brother Ammon, 2 Sam. xiii. Tid

were dead. Now if this report had been true; yet Abfalom must have been excepted, who was he caufe and contriver of that murder. Thus, gain, Heb. ii. 9. We fee Jefus who was made a ittle lower than the angels, crowned with glory and onour, that he, by the grace of God, might tafte death for every man. And yet Chrift did not afte death for himself tho' he was a man; it beng manifeft that he is excepted who did taste of death for every man. And, thus again, 2 Cor. v. 26, 27. He (viz. Chrift) must reign, till he ath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy hat fhall be destroyed is death, for he hath put all hings under his feet. And then the Apofte adds, when he faith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. Thus, I fay, with equal reason, that when St. John faith, all things were made by him, it is manifeft that he is excepted in that creation, who made all things that were then made. So that this text affords nothing to the objectors purpose.

John v. 25. And needed not that he should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. Here, Chrift is faid to know the hearts of men; and from hence it is inferred, that he is equal to the Father. In anfwer to which it is fufficient to obferve, that St. Peter knew the hearts of Anania's and Sapphira; and that as God gave him this ability, fo he could as easily have given him ability to know the hearts of all men and if he had done fo, St. Peter would ftill have been but a man, and therefore no juft confequence can be drawn from the extent of Chrift's knowledge, or any other natural power, to prove him equal to the Father.

John iii. 31. He that cometh from above, is above all. Acts x. 36. He is Lord of all. Rom. ix. 5. F 2

Whe

Who is over all, God bleffed for ever. Here, becaufe Chrift is faid to be Lord of all, and over all, and God above all, and the like; from hence it is mferred, that he is equal to the Father. In anfwer to which I fay, that this must be spoken of him exclufive of the Father. For if the Father is included in this all, then the Son is not equal, but fuperiour to the Father, which is abfurd to fuppofe. And therefore as the Father muft needs be excepted, out of this all, fo thofe texts prove nothing.

John v. 23, That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. Acts vii. 59. And they d Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jus receive my fpirit. Phil. ii. 10. That at the name of Jefus, every knee fhould bow, Heb. i. 6. Let all the angels of God worship him. Rev. v. from verfe 7.. to the end. In which the four beafts, and the four and twenty elders are faid to bow down and to worship the Lamb, and to fing to his praife; and every creature is faid to join in this fong of praife. In thefe texts Chrift is not only faid to be worshipped, and prayed to, but likewife honour and worship are required to be paid to him; and from hence it is inferred, that he is equel to the Father.

In anfwer to which I obferve, that Chrift may very fitly be prayed to in all those cases, in which he bears our prayers, and has ability and a difpofition to help us; and the admitting that he has fuch knowledge and power, does not prove him to be the fupreme God, or equal to him, because the Son's knowledge and power, in this cafe, is derived from the Father, to whom he owes his very being, as I have before fhewn. If it fhould be faid, that God only is the object of prayer; I anfwer, the nature of the thing fhews the contrary; because what makes an object of prayer in any

cafe,

cafe, is a perfon's hearing our prayers, and hav-ing ability and a difpofition to help us: and therefore Chrift's being prayed to, in thofe cafes, in. which he hears our prayers, and has ability and a difpofition to help us, cannot prove him to be equal to the Father. Again,

I farther observe that honour and worship are the fame thing, and that it is but juft we should ren der to every one the honour or worship which is bis due, and confequently, that it is but just that we should render to Christ, all that honour or worship which is due to his name. But then it will not follow, from our doing this, or from our being required to do it, that Chrift is equal with the Father. If it fhould be faid, that divine worShip is payable to the fupreme God only. I answer, if divine worship confifts in worshiping the fupreme God, as the fupreme God; then we have no precept which requires us to worship Chrift with divine worship; because we are not required to worship him as the fupreme God. Neither have we any example of fuch worship being paid to him that we know of. If it fhould be faid that we are required to honour the Son, even as we honour the Father, and therefore it must be divine bonour. I answer, the text it felf fhews that this cannot be the cafe. For as the ground of this honour, which is payable to Chrift, is his being the Father's minifter and reprefentative (the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment. unto the Son; that all men may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father) fo he must of neceffity be differently confidered in the minds of men, when they pay their refpect to him, as the minifter and reprefentative of the fupreme God, which is the prefent cafe: it being, I think, impossiblą for a man to have the fame high conception of him, whom he confiders to be the minifter and represen

tative of the fupreme God, as he has of the fus preme God bimfelf; and therefore, no fuch thing can poffibly be required from him. If it fhould be faid, that Chrift is the very fupreme God, and therefore he is to be honoured with divine bonour. I anfwer, this is not probable from the text under confideration, feeing he is not here confidered as the fupreme God, but only as his minifter and reprefentative. And the honour which is here required, as payable to him, is not to him under the confi deration of his being himself the fupreme God, but only as he is the minifter and reprefentative of the Father.

John x. 30. I and my Father are one. But this text I have already confidered in my fixth argument, and therefore to that I refer my reader.

2 Cor. xii. 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft, be with you all, Amen. Here, because the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, are joined together in this benediction, therefore it is inferred that they are three co-ordinate Beings. To which I anfwer, that the fame Apostle, Tim, v. 21. requires Timothy before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the elect angels, to obferve what he then gave him in charge, and therefore if St. Paul's joining the Son, and Holy Ghoft, with the Father, in the forementioned benediction, proves the Son, and Holy Ghoft, to be co-ordinate with the Father; then his joining the elect angels with the Father, and the Son, in the forementioned charge, proves the elect angels to be co-ordinate with the Father and the Son: bnt the confequence is not juft in either cafe.

Philip. ii. 6. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, &c. I

anfwer,