was host generally known to the nations) being imme"diately inspired by God, and by his singular care and "providence kept pure in all ages, are, therefore, authen"tical; so as in all controversies of religion, the church "is finally to appeal unto them."-Any man, therefore, who shall pretend, that, because we appeal to the original, we set aside the scriptures, or that such appeal to the original is proof that our cause is weak, does, in so doing, but expose his ignorance.

RESPECTING the method of coming to the knowledge of what the scriptures teach, these venerable divines say in section ninth, "The infallible rule of interpretation of "scripture, is the scripture itself; and therefore when "there is a question about the true and full sense of any "scripture (which is not manifold but one) it must be "searched and known by other places that speak more clearly." When, therefore, we refer to one part of scripture, in order to find out the meaning of another part, we ought not be accused of perverting and wresting the scriptures from their obvious sense. For what is obvious to one is not so to another; and may not be according to the design of the inspired penman; which is always best proved, by comparing the words and phrases in one place with the language which the Holy Ghost uses in other places.

HAVING made such introductory remarks as were deemed useful, the impartial attention of the public is requested, while, in the light of divine inspiration, we examine the important doctrine concerning God and Christ. The subject is, indeed, very extensive. Multitudes of passages are concerned with it, and various are the constructions of these passages by different writers. It is impossible to go into a full consideration of all, that has been and may be urged, without adding volume to volume. We shall confine ourselves therefore, to the principal points and passages in controversy, and exhibit some of the main reasons only, on which our opinions are grounded. We shall not indeed confine ourselves to the arguments in favor of our particular doc

trine. Sensible that no one can be prepared to decide a question, unless the witnesses on each side are allowed to give in their testimony, we feel it incumbent on us, as we would wish for the prevalence of truth rather than error, to afford the cause of our opponents a fair and candid hearing.

WE have not indeed the vanity to suppose, that, in this late period of the world, any thing new can be urged by us on the subject. It is altogether probable the same arguments have been adduced, and been as well, if not much better stated by others, who have gone before us. Our reading having been almost wholly confined to authors in favor of the Trinity and Deity of Christ, we are not able to judge how far we have, in our defence, adopted the arguments commonly urged by writers on our side of the question. A diligent study of the sacred scriptures has convinced us of the truth of the opinions we have adopted, and have furnished arguments, which appear to us to militate decidedly against the scheme we

oppose.

IN the following treatise we have not thought it proper to bring into view peculiarities which we may entertain, and which distinguish us from any denominations of those, who deny the supreme and independent Deity of Christ and the commonly received doctrine of the Trinity. Seeing the only question of primary importance, is "Whether the commonly received doctrine concerning Christ and the Trinity be true or false," we shall confine our arguments wholly to this single point.

THE advocates for the supreme Deity of Christ strenuously insist on his being constituted by two natures in one person; i. e. that he is both human and divine; not a human person and a divine person, but a divine person only with an annexed, impersonal, human nature; which, as it never existed separately from the Deity, but was created in union with him, cannot be considered as a distinct human being, or a distinct human person. Under shelter of this plan, no arguments, in proof of the inferiority of the person of Christ to the supreme God, will reach them; because, say they, the passages of scripture,

which speak of him as inferior to the supreme God, relate only to his human nature.

LET it therefore be our object to shew, in the first place, that the passages and considerations, alledged in favor of the supreme and independent Deity of Christ, do not establish such doctrine concerning him. As however it is impossible, to bring into view and discant upon every passage, that our opponents urge to this point, without greatly trespassing on the patience of the public, and swelling what is intended to be a brief dissertation into a large treatise, we purpose to select those only, which are viewed the most decisive, and on which the greatest dependence is generally had for the support of their doctrine.

THE principal considerations, urged in proof of the supreme and independent divinity of Christ, are the following.

SECTION I.

CHRIST, our opponents affirm, is declared to be the great CREATOR of all worlds. Creation is exclusively the work of the supreme and independent God. Christ, therefore, must be the supreme and independent God.

The passage, which stands first on the list under this head, is, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. The world was made by him. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.*

However strange and almost unintelligible this language may appear to an English reader, it was very plain to the Jews and others, of the age in which this gospel was written. The term λoyos, here rendered Word, was much used in that day by both Jewish and Heathen Philosophers. By Philo it was employed to express, what Plato expressed by vas, mind or intellect. The Greeks generally used it in two senses, for both reason and speech. "The Stoics made use of this term, when they affirmed that all things were formed by reason or the divine wisdom, in opposition to the Epicurean system, which taught that the world came into being by chance, or was made without reason." The Gnostic sentiment, concerning the creation, was, that the world was not made by the supreme God, but by an inferior principle or agent, a distinct being from God, which some of them denominated Aayo's

* John i. 1, 3, 10, 14:
C

+ M'Knights Harm, in lece.

Word. Calvin considers it as expressive of the divine wisdom. In his comment upon this passage he represents those, who deny the strict eternity of the word, as depriv ing God of his wisdom; and further says, "If it be unlawful to conceive of God as destitute of his wisdom, it becomes us to acknowledge, that the origin of the Word is to be sought only in the eternal wisdom of God."*

It is not improbable, that the Evangelist in this passage alludes to the eighth of Proverbs, where Wisdom is personified as a female, taking the style of understanding, giving instruction to mankind, dwelling with her sister Prudence, tracing back her existence to an eternal habitation with Jehovah, and representing herself as rejoicing always before him, and as having her delight with the sons of men. It may not be impertinent to introduce, here, this very interesting representation of divine wisdom. "Doth not wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you O men I call, and my voice is unto the sons of men. I wisdom dwell with prudence. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old-I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, 1 was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with waBefore the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth : Then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my de

ter.

* Qua in re non tantum Filio Dei atrocem faciunt injuriam, sed eterno ejus Patri quoque, quem sapientia sua privant. Si Deum absque sua sapientia imaginari nefas est, fateri oportet non alibi querendam sermonis originam, quam in eterna Dei sapientia. Calvin in loco.