anfwer, God has no equal, and therefore I think that this cannot be the true reading, nor what the Apoftle intended to exprefs. Befides, fome learned men fay, that the words fhould be tranflated thus, viz. He did not greedily catch, or prey to be equal with God. And this is perfectly agreeable to the defign of the Apoftle, whofe words may be read thus, who being in the form of God, by be-. ing his minister and reprefentative, he did not proudly and vainly affume to be equal with God; but on the contrary, he humbled himself, by taking upon him the form of a fervant, and by becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore because be thus humbled bimfelf, God hath highly exalted him, &c.

Col. ii. 9. For in him, dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily. From hence it is inferred, that our Lord Chrift is co-ordinate with the Father. To which I anfwer, that the Apoftle, in the preceding chapter, verfe 15. declares Chrift to be the image of the invifible God. And therefore, tho' an image represents a thing; yet the image cannot poffibly be the thing which is reprefented by it. And as Chrift is the image or reprefentative of God, as God has invested him with all power or authority in heaven and in earth; fo the fulness of the godhead, or godfhip (that is, all dominion) may be faid to dwell or refide in him: and this, I think, is the moft that can be inferred from the Apoftle's words. For faith he, verfe 8. Beware leaft any man spoil you, through philofophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. And then he gives the reafons why they fhould not hearken to those false teachers, viz. first, because in him who was their king and head, dwelt all the fulness of the godhead bodily. That is, in him and in him only, it pleafed the Father, that fove

reign dominion and authority over all should-be lodged; and confequently to him, and to him only, they ought to fubinit themselves, and not to hearken to, nor follow any of thofe falfe teachers, who would impose any law upon them, befides that of Chrift. Secondly, He tells them, that they were compleat in him. That is, by their fubmitting themfelves to his government, they were compleat chriftians, and fo were compleatly qualified for pardon of fin, God's favour, and eternal "life; and confequently, it was altogether needlefs for them to be concerned to believe, or practife any thing, befides what the chriftian religion did require from them. And then the Apostle adds, faying, which is the head of all principalities and powers. From which words it plainly appears, that it was the fovereign authority and power over all, which was given to Christ, by the Father, that the Apostle is here referring to.

1 John i. 1. 2. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our eyes, and our hands have handled of the word of life: For the life was manifefted, and we have feen it. and bear witness, and fhew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifefted unto us. Here the Son is declared to be an eternal Being, and from hence it is inferred, that he is coequal with the Father. To which I anfwer, that the life here fpoken of, may very properly imply not the perfon, but that doctrine of life and falvation which Chrift published to the world. And fuppofing the perfon of Chrift be here referred to; yet feeing he is fometimes called life, not with refpect to what he is in himself, but what he is to others, (as in John xi. 25. Jefus faid unto her, I am the refurrection and the life.) Therefore he may very fitly be called eternal life, not with refpect to the duration of his own being; but with respect to that

eternal

eternal life which he is the proclaimer and the difpenfer of to mankind. And if the duration of his being fhould be intended; yet it will not follow, that he is eternal in the strictest sense of that term because the word eternal is fometimes used in a more limitted and restrained fenfe (as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, are faid to fuffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7.) And therefore, feeing the Son was begotten or derived from the Father, it will follow, that he cannot be eternal, in the ftritteft and moft abfolute fenfe of that word.

I John v. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe three are one. Here the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, are faid to be one; and from hence it is inferred, that they are three co-ordinate Beings.

In anfwer to which I obferve, that the Apostle is here fhewing, what evidences attended the chriftian religion for its confirmation. And he feems to allude to that law of the Jews (Deut. xvii. 16. and John viii. 17.) which did oblige them to receive that for truth, which was attefted by two or three witnesses. And therefore the chriftian religion ought not to be rejected, because its authority was fupported, not barely by the teftimony of one but by the teftimony of three witneffes. Thus, verfe 6. It is the fpirit that beareth witness, becaufe the Spirit is truth. Verfe 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. Which is as much as if St. John had faid, the fpirit is not the only evidence in the prefent cafe, for there are three that bear record, viz. the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and these all join in their evidence, and are one in teftifying to the fame truth. And tho' thefe are joined together in their evidence, yet that cannot make them

them co-ordinate Beings; becaufe three Beings, who are inferiour one to another, may join in tefti fying to the fame thing; and three co-ordinate Beings may bear a different teftimony to one another, and the truth remain unconfirmed. And whereas it is faid, these three are one; this must fignify unity in teftimony, because unity in any other fenfe, does not ferve the Apostle's purpose. If they were one agent, or being, then there would be but one witness, whereas St. John declares there are three. And if they were of one fpecies, or kind of effence, yet three fuch witneffes might difagree in their evidence, and the truth might remain unconfirmed. So that the three here referred to, must be three diftinct agents, or witneffes; and they must agree or be one in their evidence, to render it pertinent to the Apostle's defign: and this they might be, and yet not be three co-ordinate Beings.

1 John v. 10. This is the true God, and eternal life. The Son is here fuppofed to be called the true God: and from hence it is inferred, that he is equal to the Father. I answer, fuppofing thefe words are to be applied to Chrift (tho' it may be as proper to apply them to the Father) yet when they are thus applied, they cannot fignify the fame, as thofe other words, viz. the only true God; becaufe Chrift makes thofe laft mentioned words to be applicable to the Father only. John xvii. 3. This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Christ whom thou haft fent. Seeing then, that the Father, confidered in a separate and diftinct capacity from the Son, is here declared to be the only or the alone true God; this cannot be faid of the Son, in the fame fenfe as it is faid of the Father. For if the Son is fo, in the fame fenfe as the Father is, then there are two, in the fame fenfe, of whom it is faid that there is

but

but one, which is a contradiction. And therefore, I conceive, if those words were applied by St. John to Christ, then he called him the true God, in oppofition to thofe falfe Chrifts which had appeared in the world. This is the true God, or the true Meffiah, or Chrift (which comes to the fame) and in him alone ye may have eternal life,

I

Rev. i, 11. 17. I am Alpha and Omega, the firft and the laft. I am the firft and the laft. From thefe and the like expreffions in this book, it is inferred, that the Son is co-eternal to, and co-equal with the Father. To which I anfwer, that Chrift's being the first and the last muft be understood exclufive of the Father; for otherwise the Son would be before the Father, and all things would end ultimately in the glory of the Son; whereas the contrary is most expressly declared in fcripture, in which Chrift is faid to be the only begotten Son of God; as in John iii. 16. and all things are faid to end ultimately in the glory of the Father. 1 Cor. xv. 24. 28. Then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; and when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo bimfelf be fubject unto bim, that did put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Philip. ii. 11. That every tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So that all things, even the glory which is given and afcribed to Chrift, are to end ultimately in the glory of God the Father. And confequently, the Father is the last end of all things. Seeing then that the Father was before the Son, and that all things end ultimately in the glory of the Father (as the above fcriptures witnefs) and feeing Christ's being the first and the last must be understood not inclufive, but exclufive of the Father, it will follow, that the Son is a Being inferiour

and