V. If Unitarianism be true, Mahomet was wiser than Jesus Christ; for "as wisdom consists in choosing the best means for obtaining a proposed end, we need only examine what was the end of each, in establishing his religion, and then enquire what method the one and the other took to succeed in their designs. Mahomet's de sign was, as he declares, to make known the true God, as exalted far above all creatures to make him known, as the only object of religious worship; who ought to be distinguished from all other beings, even from Christ himself: maintaining, that Jesus is far from partaking with his Father in the glories of the Deity. Of these things Mahomet endeavors to persuade mankind; and for this purpose he makes use of plain, and strong, and proper expressions. He loudly and vehemently declares, that they who treat Jesus Christ as God, are idolaters; which is the direct way to accomplish his design. It is supposed also, that the great end of Jesus Christ is to glorify God. To glorify God, is, according to the language of inspiration, to exalt him far above all other beings. The ancient prophets, foretelling that God should be glorified, in an extraordinary manner, in the latter times, express their ideas in the following words: The lofty looks of men shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down, and the LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED in that day.' But Christ debases God, at the very time he professes to exalt him; for, by his expressions, he puts himself in the place of God. This he does, when he calls himself God; when he claims divine perfections; when he attributes to himself the work of creation; and when he applies to himself those oracles of the prophets which display the essential characters of the Supreme Being.

"If it be said, "It is sufficient that Christ declares, his Father is greater than he' I answer, it would be a haughty kind of modesty for a mere creature to say, 'the Former of all things is greater than I.' Neither

Moses nor Isaiah, nor any of the prophets, ever used such languuage. A loyal subject never affects to say, the King is greater than I. That is taken for granted. Nor will a holy creature make use of such language concerning his Creator; because it would be, in some sense, to compare himself with the infinite God. Besides, what would it avail for Jesus, once in the course of his converse on earth, to say, 'My Father is greater than I;' when in the general tenor of his conduct and language, and in the language he taught his disciples, he speaks and acts as if he were the true God?"

VI. If Unitarianism is true, Mahomet was more concerned for the good of mankind than Jesus Christ. This appears from the fact that "a prudent and diligent endeavor to preserve men from idolatry is one of the greatest marks of a sincere regard to their happiness; because idolatry destroys their souls, by excluding them from the kingdom of heaven. If, then, Jesus Christ be not a divine person, of the same essence with his Father, he has not taken proper measures to preserve men from the dreadful evil of idolatry, while Mahomet has done it effectually; for he has abolished the Christian idolatry in a great part of the world, and laid such foundations of his own religion, that a man cannot be guilty of idolatry, without first ceasing to be his disciple. But as for Christ, he has given occasion to it; he has laid a foundation for it. For he does not only permit and direct his disciples to give him the titles of the Supreme Being, but also to ascribe to him the perfections and works of Deity, and to apply to him many of the sublimest oracles of the Old Testament, which relate to the God of Israel.

"It was, for instance, a very surprising thing that Jesus, when he appeared to Thomas, after his resurrection, should suffer him to cry out, My Lord, and my God!' without saying a word to him about the impiety and blasphemy of an exclamation, which treats the creature as if he were the Creator. Thomas, before,

V. If Unitarianism be true, Mahomet was wiser than Jesus Christ; for "as wisdom consists in choosing the best means for obtaining a proposed end, we need only examine what was the end of each, in establishing his religion, and then enquire what method the one and the other took to succeed in their designs. Mahomet's de sign was, as he declares, to make known the true God, as exalted far above all creatures to make him known, as the only object of religious worship; who ought to be distinguished from all other beings, even from Christ himself: maintaining, that Jesus is far from partaking with his Father in the glories of the Deity. Of these things Mahomet endeavors to persuade mankind; and for this purpose he makes use of plain, and strong, and proper expressions. He loudly and vehemently declares, that they who treat Jesus Christ as God, are idolaters; which is the direct way to accomplish his design. It is supposed also, that the great end of Jesus Christ is to glorify God. To glorify God, is, according to the language of inspiration, to exalt him far above all other beings. The ancient prophets, foretelling that God should be glorified, in an extraordinary manner, in the latter times, express their ideas in the following words: The lofty looks of men shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down, and the LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED in that day.' But Christ debases God, at the very time he professes to exalt him; for, by his expressions, he puts himself in the place of God. This he does, when he calls himself God; when he claims divine perfections; when he attributes to himself the work of creation; and when he applies to himself those oracles of the prophets which display the essential characters of the Supreme Being.

"If it be said, "It is sufficient that Christ declares, his Father is greater than he' I answer, it would be a haughty kind of modesty for a mere creature to say, 'the Former of all things is greater than I.' Neither

Moses nor Isaiah, nor any of the prophets, ever used such languuage. A loyal subject never affects to say, the King is greater than I. That is taken for granted. Nor will a holy creature make use of such language concerning his Creator; because it would be, in some sense, to compare himself with the infinite God. Besides, what would it avail for Jesus, once in the course of his converse on earth, to say, 'My Father is greater than I' when in the general tenor of his conduct and language, and in the language he taught his disciples, he speaks and acts as if he were the true God?"

VI. If Unitarianism is true, Mahomet was more concerned for the good of mankind than Jesus Christ. This appears from the fact that "a prudent and diligent endeavor to preserve men from idolatry is one of the greatest marks of a sincere regard to their happiness; because idolatry destroys their souls, by excluding them from the kingdom of heaven. If, then, Jesus Christ be not a divine person, of the same essence with his Father, he has not taken proper measures to preserve men from the dreadful evil of idolatry, while Mahomet has done it effectually; for he has abolished the Christian idolatry in a great part of the world, and laid such. foundations of his own religion, that a man cannot be guilty of idolatry, without first ceasing to be his disciple. But as for Christ, he has given occasion to it; he has laid a foundation for it. For he does not only permit and direct his disciples to give him the titles of the Supreme Being, but also to ascribe to him the perfections and works of Deity, and to apply to him many of the sublimest oracles of the Old Testament, which relate to the God of Israel.

"It was, for instance, a very surprising thing that Jesus, when he appeared to Thomas, after his resurrection, should suffer him to cry out, 'My Lord, and my God!' without saying a word to him about the impiety and blasphemy of an exclamation, which treats the creature as if he were the Creator. Thomas, before,

was an unbeliver, now he is an idolator. Till that instant, he would not believe that Jesus was risen; he considered him as a man lying under the power of death; but now, on a sudden, he addresses him as God, he bows and adores. Of the two extremes, the latter is most condemnable; for unbelief is not so criminal as idolatry. That dishonoring Jesus Christ; this usurping the throne of God. Better for Thomas, therefore, to have persisted in this unbelief, than, by renouncing it, to fall into idolatry. And yet, strange indeed! strange to astonishment! who can account for it? Jesus upbraids him only with the former; not at all with the latter. Besides, as our Lord could not but know what an impression these words of his amazed and adoring Apostle would make on the minds of men; as he knew that the Jews, deceived by expressions less exceptionable than these, had accused him of blasphemy; and as he knew that these very expressions would give occasion to Christians in succeeding ages, to treat him as the true God; it is evident that he ought, from a concern for the good of mankind, to have strictly prohibited all expressions which tended to make such a dangerous impression. And yet he not only permits his disciples to speak after this manner; but directs them to record the expressions, for the perusal of all future generations; and that without giving the least hint that the terms are used in a new and uncommon sense, though they appear so impious and blasphemous.

VII. If Unitarianism is true, Mahomet was more zealous for the glory of God than Jesus Christ. "The essential glory of God consists in the eminence of his perfections, by which he is infinitely exalted above all other beings; and his manifestative glory, or the honor he receives from his rational creatures in the acts of religion, by which he is distinguished from every creature. Now Mahomet has glorified God, by distinguishing him from all other beings; but it does not appear that he has been thus honored by Jesus Christ; since his own