fwer, that all he pretended to, was that he was the Son of God; and he prov'd, that he deferv'd that Character, because the Father had fanctified him, and fent him into the World, v. 36. Here is not a Tittle of his Divine Nature mention'd: and the. Jews made the very fame falfe Inference as before.

I confefs, you have given thefe Texts a different, but not an oppofit Senfe. You (g) fay, The Jews, willing to take any Handle (tho' never so unreasonable) of accusing him, infer (John 5. 18.) by way of Calumny not by way of strict Reafoning, that bis calling God his Father [i marig μs] was as much as affuming to himself, that God, who was the common Father of them all, was in a higher and more peculiar manner [raries ir] his own proper Father: and from this, and from his joining and comparing his own Works with his Father's Works in one and the fame Sentence, they infer further, in the next step of Calumny, that he made himself equal with God: mean ing thereby, not that he claimed to himself to be God indeed in any Senfe; (for neither they nor his own Disciples bad as yet any the leaft Thought of that ;) but that by Confequence (which angry Accufers draw very baftily,) be affum'd to himself a Power and Authority like that of God. The Expreffion is the fame, and meant in the fame Senfe, as that other Accufation, John 10. 33. Thou being a Man, makeft thy felf God: which was Spoken after the fame Manner, as Men fay to an affuming Perfon, You make your felf King; when they intend to charge him with taking upon bimfelf, not the Perfon, but the State of a Prince. And (b) again you fay, That the Jews meant to accufe him, not of affirming himself to be the Supreme, felfexiftent Deity; nay, nor fo much as of taking upon himself to be a divine Perfon at all; but only of af

(g) Reply to Mr. Nelson's Friend, p. 135, 136.-
(k) Pag 147, 148.

Laming

For,

faming to himself the Power and Authority of God.
their Accufation, thou makeft thy felf God, was not
founded upon his affirming himself to be one with the Fa-
ther, (which Phrafe it does not appear they thought at all
difficult to be understood;) but the Accufation was founded
upon his ftiling God his Father, [V. 25, 29; and 30.] and
confequently making himself the Son of God. This appears
plainly from the Answer our Lord gave them in the Words
immediately following, V: 34, 35, 36. Is it not written
in your law, I faid, ye [Rulers and Magiftrates] are
Gods, [and Children of the most High?] If he call'd
them Gods, unto whom the word of God came,
and the scripture cannot be broken; fay ye of him
whom the Father hath fanctified and fent into the
world, Thou blafphemeft, because I faid, I am the
Son of God? From thefe Words 'tis evident, that their
Charge against him of Blafphemy, for which they went
about to tone him, was founded upon his calling God his
Father, or declaring himself to be the Son of God; which
they, in their Anger, reprefented by way of Aggravation,
as making himself God.

Whether your Interpretation of these Paffages be preferable to mine, let others judge. If my Interpretation be allow'd, the Jews drew a wrong Conclufion from what our Savior faid; because either they did not, or would not, understand his true Meaning. If your Interpretation be allow'd, their Malice improv'd what he faid into an arrant Calumny. But either Interpretation fhews, that it can't be concluded from the Accufation of the Jews, that our Lord at that time pretended to a Divine Nature, or to be more than a Man conducted and affifted by God's Spirit.

Finally therefore, tho' the WORD or Divine Nature was moft certainly united to the Man Chrift Jefus during the Time of his Miniftry; yet

his Disciples did not in the leaft apprehend that wonderful Union, nor were they aware of their Master's real Dignity, till his Humiliation was ended, and clearer Manifeftations of his Excellency were imparted to them, either by his own Difcourfes after his Refurrection, or by that miraculous Effufion of the Holy Ghoft on the Day of Pentecoft, whereby they were led into all Truth.

CHA P. IX.

That during the Time of our Savior's Miniftry, the
WORD was quiefcent in the Man Chrift Fefus.

ECONDLY, I must now fhew, that during the Time of our Savior's Miniftry, the WORD was quiefcent in the Man Chrift Jefus.

SE

Now when I affert, that the WORD was quiefcent (for I chufe to continue the Use of that Term, which (a) Irenæus first introduc'd, and is confequently almoft as old as Chriftianity it felf) my Meaning is, that the WORD did, notwithstanding the Perfonal Union, forbear to communicat his extraordinary Influences (to wit, fuch as other Mortals, who are not Perfonally united to the WORD, do not receive from him; I fay, the WORD forbore to communicat thofe his extraor

(α) Ωασες γδ ἦν ἄνθρωπΘ., ἵνα πειεασῇ, ὅτῳ καὶ λόγΘ, ἵνα εξαπλ· ἡσυχάζοντα μὺ τὸ λόγο ἐν τῷ πειράζεις [καὶ ἀτιμά ζεπς] σαυρίας, καὶ ἀποθνήσκειν, συγγενομός 5 τὸ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῷ νικῶν, καὶ ὑπομβόειν, καὶ χξης δεθς, καὶ ἀνίσαθς, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεος. Adv. Hær. lib. 3. cap. 21. p. 250. Edit. Grab.

dinary Influences) to the Man Christ Jesus, during that Space.

Wherefore I can by no means be understood to affirm, that the WORD ceas'd, during that Space, in any Measure or Degree, to enjoy his own former effential Wisdom or Power; or that the Original Splendor and Blifs of the WORD were at all eclips'd or diminish'd by or during the aforefaid Quiefcence. For doubtlefs the WORD retain'd, and ftill continued to display, all his glorious Attributes, and enjoy'd the Perfection and Happinefs of his own Nature, juft as he did before his perfonal Union with the Man Chrift Jefus. For the Actions of the WORD did not depend upon that Union, nor was the Felicity of the WORD either increas'd or leffen'd thereby. I only affert, that during the aforefaid Space, the Human Nature of Chrift did not receive and feel thofe extraordinary Influences, which its perfonal Union with the WORD muft of Neceffity beftow on it, whenfoever the Wifdom and other Excellences of the WORD, fhould be fully, freely and perfectly communicated to, and fhine through, the Man Chrift Jefus, by a reciprocal uninterrupted Intercourfe of the Divine and Human Natures. This Quiefcence of the WORD therefore, was not abfolute, but refpective. 'Twas not a Quiefcence in the WORD himself; but a Quiefcence in relation to that Man, with whom he was perfonally united. Nor was it a Quiefcence as to those ordinary Influences of the WORD, who is the Creator of all Things, which the Man Chrift Jefus enjoy'd in Common with all other Men in general; but a Quiefcence as to thofe peculiar and extraordinary Influences on the Man Chrift Jefus in particular, which no other Man ever did enjoy, and which he could not

derive from the WORD otherwise than by a perfonal Union with him.

Now that the WORD was thus quiefcent during our Savior's Miniftry, I fhall evince by the following Confiderations.

1. Whatever the WORD is (whether the Very God, or a Being inferior to the Very God) yet fince we are affur'd, that the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, John 1. 14. 'tis plain, that the WORD was Perfonally united to the Man Chrift Jefus in his Infancy, even from his very Birth. Again we are affur'd, that Jefus increased in Wisdom, as truly and properly, and in the fame Senfe, as he increased in Stature, Luke 2. 52. Now none can believe, that the Man Chrift Jefus was, as foon as ever he was born, endued with that Wisdom, which the WORD was undoubtedly poffefs'd of from the Beginning: or that he ever did or could, notwithstanding he increas'd in Wisdom as well as in Stature, attain to greater Wisdom, than the WORD (who was the Architect of the Universe, and Maker of all created Beings) had in himself, before he became united to the Human Nature. 'Tis therefore demonftrably plain, that the Man Chrift Jefus was for fome while Perfonally united to the WORD, even tho' that Wisdom, which was in the WORD, before the Perfonal Union with Chrift's Human Nature commenc'd, was not at that Time communicated to him. And there fore,

2. "Tis evident, that notwithstanding the perfo nal Union, the WORD might be quiefcent in the Man Chrift Jefus at any time during his Ministry, For fince I have already fhewn, that the WORD was quiefcent during his Infancy, and the time of his Increase in Wisdom: it can't be queftion'd, but

that