God himself. All the most ancient MSS. read, "the church of the Lord;" but, as to this question, it is quite immaterial. God is in other frequent passages described as a purchaser, as he who pays down a ransom: "the Lord (Sovereign Lord who bought us," 2 Pet. ii. 1; a passage which, as having been made the handle of ignorant and malevolent fanaticism against those who view God as their Saviour, will be considered in its proper place.

MATT. iv. 7. Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

9. All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

From this whole narrative, which describes Jesus as "led of the spirit," and the tempter as showing him from "a high mountain all the kingdoms of the world," it is plain that a visionary scene is described, and that the suggestions offered to the mind of Jesus are clothed with the form of allegory. These passages, however, even on the hypothesis that the dramatic personification of the evil principle had a personal reality, can prove nothing as to worship due to Jesus as God. The tempting "the Lord thy God" refers not to Satan as tempting Jesus, but to Jesus as tempting God, by casting himself down from the temple. And "thou shalt worship the Lord thy God," can have no reference to Satan's worshipping Jesus as his Lord God, but is a general commandment, quoted from scripture, and applied by Jesus to himself, when tempted to worship the powers of this world, in preference to doing the will of God. JOHN viii. 58. Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM.

This passage will be re-considered under the "doctrine of the pre-existence:" our present

purpose is with the argument built on it, in proof that Christ was Jehovah. It is affirmed that Christ here expressly declares himself "THE I AM:" because, in Exod. iii. 14, “GOD said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'

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The expression of John occurs twice before in the same chapter, and in each instance is rendered, according to the received version, "I am he:" ver. 24, "If ye believe not that I AM he [I AM], ye shall die in your sins;" ver. 28, "When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he [I AM]."

The translators therefore should, in consistency, have rendered the words in the verse quoted, "Before Abraham was, I AM he; for it is plain they were well aware that the argument which runs through the whole chapter is the true Messiahship of JESUS; that the verse in question is closely and logically connected with all the preceding verses; and that, on every principle of criticism, the three I ams should be rendered alike. The consciousness of this inevitable conclusion has led some Trinitarians to correct the two former English readings by the latter, instead of the latter by the former; and to render the words, with verbal literality, "if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die," and "ye shall know that I am:" so that the whole dialogue, instead of being occupied with the declarations of Jesus respecting his being the Christ that should come, is made to turn on the fact of his being the very JEHOVAH who spoke to Moses. Unfortunately for this hypothesis, Jesus speaks of himself, in this discourse, as "proceeding forth from" that God, which God it is said that he announces himself to be, and that he styles himself "the Son." This will, indeed, be evaded by the common Trinitarian subterfuge, that the Father includes in himself all the three persons, by which

he is made to be his own Son; but it is only necessary to read the chapter, in order to be satisfied that such a declaration was not the purpose of Jesus, and has nothing whatever to do with his argument, which is strictly confined to his being "He that should come." The verbal trifling of this famous argument for the supreme deity of the Son of God is almost below criticism; for had Jesus meant to have declared himself Jehovah, he would have used the words, "I AM THE I AM."

Thus far the question has been agitated on the evidence of the translated text: it is to this, in fact, that the Trinitarians usually make their appeal; and it is this which gives them an advantage with the people, whom they are in the habit of persuading that none can question the infallibility of the bible-translation without a mischievous design; and that no text must be touched, even if it be acknowledged spurious. On referring to the original text in the Septuagint, we find the version accurate as to its spirit; but we discover that the supporters of the above argument, in contending that JEHOVAH uses the same literal words as those used by Jesus, have stooped to deceive the multitude by a wilful misrepresentation. The words in Exodus are, "I AM THE ONE THAT IS: εγω ειμαι ων. "Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, HE THAT IS hath sent me unto you.'

The words I AM, in the Greek as well as in the Latin, have often the force of the past time. The expressions of Jesus might properly be rendered, "Before Abraham was, I was," or "I was he;" and so in the two other instances: "if ye believe not that I was (he), ye shall die;" " ye shall know that I was (he);" referring, not to a state of existence, which would have no more connexion with the subject of the chapter than a declaration of his supreme divinity, but to his eternal appointment

as

"the Christ of GOD." The version of I am, if it do not mislead, is confessedly preferable, as far as regards dignity and emphasis of style; and has a propriety, as conveying an allusion to the eternal purpose of God, in whose sight the past and the future are alike present; and in reference to which the Messiah is described as "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." The Bibletranslators have, with equal taste and judgment, united the present and past times on a similar occasion, where the existence of GOD is spoken of: Isaiah xlii. 13, "Yea, before the day was, I

am HE.

MICAH V. 2. Out of thee [Beth-lehem] shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting.

This, like the former, respects the fore-knowledge and pre-appointment of God; "who calleth those things which be not as though they were: Rom. iv. 17. That Christ is not therefore the everlasting God, as is pretended, will be seen from verse 4,. "And he shall stand and feed in the strength of THE LORD, in the majesty OF The NAME of the LORD HIS GOD."

REV. i. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord; which is, and which was, and which is to come, THE ALMIGHTY.

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This is applied to Jesus, in defiance of criticism. John had just before said, "Grace be unto you, and peace from HIM which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness," ver. 45. He who is, and was, and is to come," is therefore not CHRIST, but GOD; nor is Christ ever styled Almighty, Tavronparup; an attribute which he expressly disclaims: "I can do nothing of MYSELF:" John viii. 28. The Alexandrian copy reads, "saith the Lord GOD;" and the reading is supported by the most important ancient authorities.

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The verses, Rev. i. 2, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," and xxii. 13, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end," refer to Christ, but prove nothing as to his being the very and eternal God. They are either annunciations of the Lord God by his messenger, or accommodations of his titles to him who is, under God, the author and finisher of our faith. In ii. 8, the words occur, "these things saith the first and the last; which was dead and is alive." Of the immortal God it cannot be said that he had died, or become alive: the title is in evident connexion with the office of him who began and who "finished the work which the Father had given him to do." JOHN X. 30. I and my FATHER are ONE [Ev Eσμav. one thing].

This can have no relation to one-ness of being, but only of will and operation. It is explained by xvii. 21, "That they all may be one; as thou, FATHER! art in me, and I in thee, that they also be one in us; and 22, "that they may be

may
one, even as we are one."

JOHN xiv. 9, Have I been so long time with you, and hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Show us the FATHER?

They, who bring this forward in proof that Jesus is God, advocate Sabellianism. As the Trinitarians do not scruple to make the Father his own Son, neither do they scruple to make the Son his own Father; and thus, though towards other men they make a faith in the systematized apostacy of Athanasianism the sole condition of future salvation, they allow themselves a dispensation in belief whenever it suits a controversial purpose; and they themselves, on their own principles, incur the penalty of "perishing, without doubt, everlastingly," by "confounding the persons."