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Now, as I have already proved, that thefe Words, Thou haft loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy Fellows, v. 9. do relate to the Human Nature; fo I grant, that thefe Expreffrons, by whom alfo be made the Worlds, v. z. and those Quotations from the Pfalmift, v. 6, 8, 10, 11, 12. do relate to the Divine Nature. And I am perfua ded, nobody will pretend, that any of thefe Particulars do prove or imply, that the WORD, or Di vine Nature, is inferior to the Very God. But then, as for the other Affirmations concerning the Son, let them never fo plainly prove or imply an Inferiority to the Very God, yet they are moft fairly and manifeftly to be underftood of the Man Christ Jefus.

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For Inftance, the Man Chrift Jefus is God's Son, and is appointed heir of all things. He is the agaoua, the brightness of God's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon or Subftance; that is, he is the glorious vifible Reprefentative of the invisible Majefty of the Very God. And he upholds (or as igav (g) ought in this Place to be rendred, he governs)ɓall things by the word of his power, or his powerful Word; that is, the whole Creation is at his Command. He when he bad by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the majesty on high: Being made fo much better than the Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, v. 3, 4. By his Refurrection those Words of Pfal. 2. 9. were verify'd, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. For St. Paul fays, We declare unto you glad tidings, how that

(g) See Grotius on the Place.

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the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto us their children, in that he hath raifed up Jefus again; as it is also written in the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Acts 13. 32, 33. To him thofe Words are apply'd, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Song v. 5. To him God faid, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, N. 13. For Chrift himfelf has explained that Paffage of his Human Na ture, by faying to the Pharisees, What think ye of Christ? Whofe fon is be? They say unto him, The Son of David. He faith unto them, How then doth David in Spirit call bim Lord, faying, The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right band, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is be his Son? Matt. 22. 42- -45.

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In fine, I must now take the Liberty of affirming, that there is not one Text, which fpeaks of our bleffed Savior in fuch a manner, as implies his being inferior to the Very God, but what either neceffarily muft, or moft fairly may, be understood of the Man Chrift Jefus, or our Savior's Human Nature only. And therefore I conclude (and I hope you are by this time fenfible) that the Holy Scriptures do not teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Christ, is inferior to the Very God.

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That the Holy Scriptures do teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is the Very God.

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ECONDLY, I fhall now prove, that the Holy Scriptures do teach, that the WORD, or Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is the Very God. And,

First, the Evangelift fays, 'Er de̟xỹ lữ : xóy☺, ÿ • xoyo two we's & dady, & deos li o ay, In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God, John I. 1. That the one felfexiftent Being is meant by ds, God, in the fecond Member of this Verfe, as you your felf do grant, fo no other Perfon denys, that I know of. And that the WORD is affirmed to be sès, God, in the third Member of it, every Man's Eyes will demonftrat to him. But then it is queftioned, what I is the proper Signification of ds, God. That the one felfexiftent Being is infinitly perfect and glorious, the Author and Preferver, not only of Man, 3 but alfo of all other Beings whatfoever; and that he is truly and properly called ds, God; is confeffed on all hands, particularly by your felf and me: but then, whether the Name Jeds, God, when given to the one felfexiftent Being, does either, 1. imply his Selfexistence, or 2. denote the infinit Perfection and Glory of his Effence, or 3. exprefs his Relation to us, as our Creator, and confequently our Lord and Governor; I perceive, you and I fhall not eafily agree.

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In your (a) Opinion, The Word God, when spoken of the Father himself (viz. the one felfexiftent Being) is never intended in Scripture to exprefs Philofophically bis abstract Metaphyfical Attributes: but to raife in us a Notion of his Attributes relative to us, his fupreme Domihion, Authority, Power, fuftice, Goodness, &c. And again (b) you say, Tit the Word òs, God, has in Scripture, and in all the Books of Morality and Religion, a relative Signification; and not, as in Metaphyfical Books, an abfolute one. As is evident from the relative Terms, which in Moral Writings may always be joined with it. For Inftance, in the fame manner as we fay, my Father, my King, and the like: fo it is proper alfo to say, my God, the God of Ifrael, the God of the Univerfe, and the like; which Words are expreffive of Dominion and Government. But in the Metaphyfical Way it cannot be faid, my infinite Subftance, the infinite Subftance of Ifrael, or the like. Now whether this Notion of yours be true, I will not difpute. For indeed I need not do it..

You (c) own, that the Scripture, when it mentions God abfolutely and by way of Eminence, always means (what you call) the Perfon of the Father, that is, the one felfexiftent Being, whom I call the Very God. Now be pleased to obferve the following Particulars. First, The Scriptures of the Old Teftament do all along declare, that there is but one God, viz. the one felfexiftent Being alone, whom the Jews worshipped. Mofes affured them, that the Lord he is God, and that there is none else befides bim, Deut. 4. 35. and Know therefore this day, and confider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; there is none else, v. 39.

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(a) Scripture Doctr. p. 296.

(b) Reply to Bishop Gaftrell, p. 284. (c) Scripture Do&r. p. 265.

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he introduces God himself uttering thefe Words, See now, that I, even I am he, and there is no God with me, Deut. 32. 39. Hannah alfo fays in her Prayer, There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none befide thee, 1 Sam. 2. 2. And God himself fays by the Prophet, I am first, and I am the last; and befides me there is no God, Ifa. 44. 6. and presently after, Is there a a God befides me? Tea, there is no God. I know not any, v. 8. And again, I am the Lord, and there is none elfe; there is no God befides me, Ifa. 45. 5. And again, I am God, and there is none elfe; I am God, and there is none like me, Ifa. 46. 9. Secondly, During the Time of his Ministry, our Savior himself declared, that his Father, viz. the God of the Jews, or the one felfexistent Being, is the only true God, John 17. 3. Thirdly, After our Lord's Afcenfion, his Difciples every where preached, that there is but one God, viz. the felfexiftent Being. Particularly St. Paul fays, We know, that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For tho' there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there. be Gods many, and Lords many) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him : and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by him, I Cor. 8. 4, 5, 6.

You fee, how fully and exprefly it has been de clared, both under the Law and under the Gospel, that there is but one God. And what must all thefe Declarations mean? What is the natural Senfe and Import of them? Why, you would fain (d) perfuade us, that the Reafon, why the Scripture, tho it ftiles the Father God, and also ftiles the Son God; jet at the fame time always declares, there is but one God; is because, in the Monarchy of the Universe, there is but one

(d) Script. Do&t. Part 2. Prop. 39. p. 332.

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