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it will not follow that he is eternal in the ftricteft fenfe of that term: because the word eternal is fometimes used in a more limited and reftrained 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 strictest and most abfolute fenfe of that word.

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

In answer 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 witnelles. 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 testimony of three witneffes. Thus, verfe 6. It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the fpirit is truth. Verse 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 present cafe; for there are three that bear record, viz. the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft; and thefe all join in their evidence, and are one in teftifying to the fame truth. And tho these are joined together in their evidence, yet that cannot make them co-ordinate Beings; because three Beings, who are inferiour one to another, may join in teftifying to the fame thing; and three co-ordi-nate Beings, may bear a different teftimony to one another, and the truth re-main unconfirmed. And whereas it is faid, these three are one; this must fig-nify unity in teftimony, because unity in any other fenfe, does not ferve the Apoftle's purpofe. 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 disagree 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 fup-pofed to be called the true God: and from hence it is inferred, that he is equal to the Father. I answer, fuppofing these 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 those other words, viz. the only true God; becaufe Chrift makes those last 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 Chrift 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 sense as the Father is,

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is, then there are two, in the fame fenfe, of which it is faid that there is but one, which is a contradiction. And therefore, I conceive, if those words were applied by St. John to Chrift, 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 am the

Rev. i. 11, 17. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. firft and the last. 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 must be understood exclufive of the Father; for otherwife the Son would be before the Father, and all things would end ultimately in the glory of the Son: whereas the contrary is most exprefsly 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 shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; and when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, 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 ascribed to Chrift, are to end ultimately in the glory of God the Father. And confequently the Father is the laft 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 Chrift's being the firft and the laft, must be understood not inclufive, but exclufive of the Father, it will follow, that the Son is a Being inferiour and fubordinate to the Father, and that the Father alone is the fupreme God.

Thus I have confidered fome of the principal texts which are urged in the prefent cafe; and have fhewn that not any thing can fairly be concluded from them, in prejudice of the arguments before laid down. I will conclude this difcourfe, with recommending to all chriftians the practice of forbearance and brotherly love, under their different apprehenfions with refpect to this, and every other point: fuch behaviour being what the chriftian religion requires, and calls for from us, and is what is highly ornamental to it. For as the treating ill the perfons, or characters of others, is a very improper way of recommending truth to thofe perfons; fo fuch a behaviour is very improper to recommend any person to the love and favour of God. God is love. And as his giving a revelation to mankind was the effect and produce of that love; fo it was kindly intended to excite and promote in us that divine principle, and not to be a bar to it. And therefore, when the chriftian revelation, ftirs us up to love and good works, and engages us to fet forward the present and future happiness of the reft of our fellow creatures, then its great end is answered upon us, God is honoured, and we are rendered pleasing and acceptable to him. But when the christian revelation, becomes an occafion of wrath and refentment to us, and we are stirred up by it to hurt and injure our fellow creatures, then its great end is manifeftly perverted, God is dishonoured, and we are rendered the more vile and difpleafing in his fight.

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Obfervations on Mr. Claggett's book, entitled, Arianifm anatomized. Wherein is fhewn, that what Mr. Claggett, and others, call Chrift's divine nature, is so far from being the real and very Son of God, that on the contrary, it is the very Father of God's Son.

WITH AN

APPENDIX,

Being an enquiry concerning the perfonal character of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and of what is neceffary to be believed concerning him; and likewife into the fenfe and meaning of our Lord's words, viz. Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your fins; as in John viii. 24.

THE

Supremacy of the FATHER

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VINDICATE D.

IRST, I obferve, that as Mr. Claggett has undertaken to confute my arguments, fo he hath profecuted this defign, in a very unbecoming, and unchriftian manner; by reprefenting me as the vileft of creatures, and by laying an heavy charge upon me, which he can by no means prove, viz. he reprefents me as one who, by holy and pious pretences, would not only introduce real popery; but would make us (by which I fuppofe he means protestants) ten times more antichriftian, than the worst of papifts themfelves. One, who by hypocritical flatteries endeavours to beguile unwary readers, into a good opinion of (what he is pleased to call) berefy. Thefe, with many other heinous crimes, he is pleafed to lay to my charge. But as he is wholly unable to prove what he fo freely accufes me of, and therefore must be guilty of flander and falfe accufation, whether I am guilty or not: fo that God, who knows all things, knows that I am innocent in this matter. Moreover, he is not content to lay this burden of reproach upon me alone, but he brings in fome body elfe, no body knows who, one behind the curtain, to feel the weight of his heavy hand: but I affure him, there is no body behind the curtain; and therefore if my book is fo bad, as he represents it to be, I think I ought, in juftice, to let the shame reft only where it is due. He infinuates of me, as in his title page, that I take a liberty to speak wickedly for God. Whether I am guilty or not, I will leave to be determined by the righteous Judge of all the earth. And as I know it is a thing impoffible for him to prove; fo it may be proper for him to confider, whether in this particular, he is not guilty himself in many instances. Thus for example, in page 14. he represents me as affirming Christ's divine nature to be a created nature; which is a direct falfhood: because I never made fuch an affirmation; and I appeal to my book in the cafe; and I challenge Mr. Claggett to fhew any fuch affirmation in it. If it fhould be replied in his behalf, that it may be inferred from what I have faid. I answer, I have declared that Jefus Chrift is the only begotten Son of God; and therefore fuch inference cannot be juft, except begetting and creating are one and the same thing; and if they are, then this charge will fall equally as heavy upon the fcriptures, as upon me; because he is there declared to be the only begotten Son of God. I answer farther, fuppofing fuch an inference to be just, yet that makes no alteration in the cafe; becaufe as affirmations and inferences are

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