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of * Bishop Bull to this purpofe; which I have thrown into the Margin. I fhall only add that while you endeavor to found Chrift's Right and Title to worship folely upon the Powers fuppofed to be given Him after his Resurrection, you fall much below the generality of the Antient Arians (whom yet you would be thought to exceed) and are running into the Socinian Scheme, not very confiftently with your own. Thus you feem to be fluctuating and wavering between Two, (at the fame time verbally condemning Both) certain in Nothing, but in oppofing the Catholick Doctrine; which when you have left, you scarce know where to fix, or how to make your Principles hang together. To explain this a little farther: I found the Son's Title to worship upon the Dignity of his Perfon; his creative Powers declared in Joh.1. and elfewhere; his being ads from the Beginning; and

Profecto admiranda mihi videtur divinarum Perfonarum in Sacrofanétiffima Triade oixovoula, qua Unaquæque Perfona diftinéte quafi Titulo humanum imprimis genus imperio fuo divino obftrin xerit, Titulo illi refpondente etiam diftincta uniuscujufque imperi patefactione. Patrem Colimus fub Titulo Creatoris hujus Univerfi, qui & ab ipfa Mundi Creatione hominibus innotuerit; Filium adoramus fub Titulo Redemptoris ac Servatoris noftri, cujus idcirco divina gloria atque imperium non nifi poft peractum in terris humane Redemptionis ac Salutis negotium fuerit patefactum; Spiritum denique Sanctum veneramur fub Titulo Paracleti, Illumina. toris, ac Sanctificatoris noftri, cujus adeo divina Majeftas demum poft defcenfum ejus in Apoftolos primofque Chriftianos donorum omne genus copiofiffima largitione illuftriffimum, clarius emicuerit. Nimirum tum demum Apoftoli, idque ex Chrifti mandato, Gentes baptizabant in Plenam atque adunatam Trinitatem (ut cum Cypriano loquar) h. e. in nomine Patris, Filii, & Spiritus Sancti. Bull. Prim. Trad. p. 142.

his preferving, and upholding all Things (according to Coloff. 1. 16, 17. and Heb. 1.) antecedently to his mediatorial Kingdom: You, on the other Hand, found it intirely upon the Powers given Him after his Humiliation (alledging fuch * Texts as thefe, Matt. 28. 18. Joh. 5. 22, 23. Phil. 2. 10, 11. Rev. 1. 5,6. Rev. 5. 8, 9, 10.) as if He had no juft Claim or Title to worship at all, before that Time: For, tho' you put in the equivocal Word, diftinct, (very ingeniously) yet your Meaning really is, and the Tendency of your Argument requires it, that no Worship, diftinct or otherwife, was due to Him, till He received thofe full Powers. This pretence, I fay, might come decently and properly from a Socinian, or a Sabellian, who either makes Creation Metaphorical, or interprets fuch Texts as Joh. 1. 1. Col. 1. 16, 17. and the like, of the Reafon or Wisdom of the Father, that is, the Father, indwelling in the Man Christ Jefus. But in you it must appear very improper; and very inconfiftent with your other Principles: Wherefore I must again defire you to be more confiftent; and to keep to one conftant Scheme. Take either Arian, Sabellian, or Socinian, and abide by it; and then I may know what I have to do: But do not pretend to hold Two Schemes, at a time, utterly repugnant to each other.

As to Scripture's feeming, in fome places, to found Chrift's Title to Worship, not fo much

* See Dr. Clarke's Reply, p. 239. 249

upon

upon what He is in Himfelf, as upon what He has done for us; a very good Reafon may be given for it, if it be well confidered by what Springs and Movements moral Agents are actuated, and that we love even God Himself, with reference to our Selves, * because He firft loved us. Abftracted Reasons of Esteem, Honour, and Regard are unaffecting, without a mixture of fomething relative to Us, which our Selves have a near concern in. The ef fential Dignity of Chrift's Perfon is really the Ground and Foundation of Honour, and Esteem (and confequently of Worship, the highest Expreffion of Both) which ought always to bear proportion to the intrinfick Excellency of the Object: But his Offices, relative to Us, are the moving Reafons, which principally affect our Wills; and without which we fhould want the strongest Incitement to pay that Honour and Worship, which the effential Excellency of his Perfon demands. Scripture has fufficiently ap prized us of Both, difcovering at once both his abfolute, and relative Dignity; that fo we being inftructed as well concerning what He is in Himself, as what He is in refpect to Us, might understand what Honour justly belongs to Him, and want no motive to pay it accordingly. Add to this, that Chrift's Office, relative to us, naturally leads us back to the antecedent Excellency and Perfection of that Perfon, who was able to do fo great and fo aftonishing Things

* 1 Joh. 4. 19.

for

for us: Befides that it must appear in the higheft Degree probable, that no Creature whatever (fuppofing Him to have fuitable Abilities) could have been intrufted with fo great and fo endearing a Charge; fuch as muft inevitably draw after it a larger fhare of our Love, Refpect, and Efteem, than feems confiftent with our Duty to God, and the Rules laid down in Scripture for our Behavior towards the Greatures. But enough of this: I proceed.

QUERY XIX.

Whether the Doctor hath not given a very partial Account of Joh. 5. 23. founding the "Honour due to the Son, on this only, that the Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son; when the true Reafon affign'd by our Saviour, and illuftrated by feveral Inftances, is, that the Son doth the fame Things that the Father doth, hath the fame Power and Authority of doing what He will; and therefore has a Title to as great Honour, Reverence, and Regard, as the Father Himfelf bath? And it is no Objection to this, that the Son is there faid to do nothing of Himself, or to have all given Him by the Father; fince it is owned that the Father is the Fountain of All, from whom the Son derives, in an ineffable manner, his Effence and Powers so as to be one with Him.

IN

IN

N Answer to this, you fay, The only Honour due to our Saviour, is plainly fuppofed by St. John to be given Him, upon Account of his being appointed by the Father judge of the World, p 96. This is very strange indeed: What? Was there no Honour due to Him on Account of his having been ds from the Beginning? None for his having created the World? None on Account of his being the only begotten Son, which St. John reprefents as a Circumstance of exceeding great * Glory? Surely these were Things great enough to demand our Tribute of Honour and Refpect; and therefore St. John could never mean that He was to be honoured only upon that fingle Account, as being constituted Judge of all Men. This could never be the only reafon why all Men Should honour the Son even as They honour the Father. What then did St. John mean? Or rather, what did our Bleffed Lord mean, whofe Words St. John recites? He meant what He has faid, and what the Words literally import; that the Father (whofe Honour had been fufficiently fecured under the Jewish Difpenfation, and could not but be fo under the Chriftian allo) being as much concern'd for the Honour of his Son, had been pleased to commit all Judgment to Him, for this very end and purpose, that Men might thereby fee and know that the Son, as well as the Father, was Judge of

Joh. 1. 14.

all

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