him that fent me. Which Scriptures make up the fourth Argument in the History of the Unitarians against Christ's being God; because Almighty God doth all things in his own Name, and by his own Authority; Page 8: but Chrift comes in the Father's Name, and 'does his will, and feeks his glory. Which proves indeed, that he receives this Power from the Father, that he fulfils his will, and serves his glory in it; but if he receive this Kingdom, he has it, and a very glorious Kindgom it is, in fome refpects fuperiour to the Natural Government of God, as it fets bounds to it. But this only proves, that he is not the Father,but the Son, and the King of God; and this Authority being given him of the Father, to reduce Mankind to their Obedience, it is no leffening of the Fathers Authority, from whom he receives this Mediatory Power. 2. This can be no Diminution to the Father, becaufe he is his only begotten Son; One God witly himself, the brightness of his glory, and the expreß Image of his Perfon, the Natural Heir of his Power and Greatness, and the Natural Lord of the World. Ast a Son, he is by Nature equal to his Father, but yet fubordinate, and therefore cannot be his Rival; as a Son, his advancement is the glory of the Father, that 5 John 23. all men fhould honour the Son, as they honour the Father; and therefore it is no derogation to the Father, though he commit to the Son a more glorious Authority, then he exercises himself; the Authority of a Mediatory Kingdom, or Soveraign Grace, which is a more glorious Authority to Sinners, then Natural Juftice and Dominion: for all men know, a Son must receive all from his Father, and if the Father, for wife. Realons, of which more prefently, give the Son Son the more glorious Power, it is the Father, who is glorified in it: As he is God, the Eternal Son of God, and One with the Father, he is the proper Object of Religious Worship; and therefore all thofe Divine Honours and Adorations, which are paid him upon account of his Mediatory Kingdom and Power, are no Injury to the Divine Nature, as they would have been, had God conferred this Power on a Creature; which had been to give his glory to another, which God detefts, and declares his abhorrence of, and which all Arians and Socinians do, who worship Chrift, believing him to be only a Creature,or a meer Man. The Command in Scripture to worship him, and pay Divine Honours to him, is a much better Argument to prove that he is God, then to justifie the worship of any Creature; which God univerfally prohibits, and is a much greater Contradiction to the Principles of Natural Religion, than a Trinity in Unity is to Natural Reason. 3. To this we must add, That his Kingdom is the Reward of his Obedience and Sufferings, that is, it is founded in the Expiation of his Blood: Is an Authority to difpence that Grace and Mercy which he has purchafed with his Blood: fo that his Kingdom and Power is founded in the most perfect fubmiffion to his Father, is the Reward of his Obedience, whereby he glorified his Father on Earth; and therefore let his Power be never fo great and glorious, his receiving it from God, as the Reward of his Obedience, fecures the Prerogative and Glory of the Father. 4. Especially when we add, That the Exercise and Administration of this Kingdom,is not by way of any direct Authority and Power over God (which would neceffarily Eclipfe the glory of the Father, and make him fubject to the Son) but by way of Mediation and Interceffion, as an Advocate and High-Priest. He first makes Atonement to God, and reconciles him to Sinners, does not command or over-rule, but propitiate the Divine Justice, and then Exercises a Soveraign Authority in forgiving fins,in destroying his Enemies, in governing Kingdoms and Empires, in fubferviency to his Spiritual Kingdom, and at the last Day in judging the World. 5. And therefore the time fhall come, when Christ fhall deliver up this Kingdom again to the Father: for it is not a Natural Kingdom, and therefore must not laft always; no longer then till it has attained the ends for which it was erected; when Mankind are reduced into Obedience to God; when the Kingdom of the Devil is destroyed, and the Devil and his Angels, and all bad men caft into the Lake of Fire, which is the fecond Death, and good men raised out of their Graves, and rewarded with Eternal Life; that is, when Chrift has accomplished the work of his Mediation, that there is no longer any need of a Mediator, then the Mediatory Kingdom ceafes. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father, when he shall have put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power. and when all things shall be fubdued unto him, then shall 24--28, the Son alfo be fubject unto him, that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. That is, the Son fhall no longer have a diftinct Kingdom of his own, but fhall return to his Natural Subordination to his Father, and reign with Father and the Holy Spirit One I Cor. 15 One God blessed for evermore: there fhall no longer This is the best Account I can give of that King- 3. His next Argument is, That Chrift it not God, History Unit. becaufe He is a Mediator between God and Men: a P.6,7. Priest that appeareth in the Prefence of God, and intercedeth with him for men. This he needed not have proved, because all Chriftians own it; only the Socinians make him a metaphorical Priest, which indeed is no Priest. But this I have answered already. He is a Priest after the Order of Melchizedec King of Salem and Prieft of God; that is, he is a Sacerdotal King, and this Sacerdotal or Mediatory Kingdom proves him to be God, not a meer Creature Advocate or Interceffor. Page 8. 4. His next Argument is, That he receives Authority from God, is fent by God, came to do the will of God: And this I have alfo already answered. p. 173 5. His next Argument confifts in applying fuch things to the Divinity of our Saviour, as belong to his Humanity: That he increafed in Wisdom 2 Luke 52. (he fhould have added Stature too, but that had been ridiculous, because it had difcovered the fallacy, for to 13 Mark 32. to be sure Stature does not belong to a God) and in favour with God and Men: and why did he not add, that he was born, and was an Infant and Child, and by degrees grew up to be a Man? that he knows not the Day of Judgment, which he evidently speaks of himself as Man; as all the ancient Fathers confess. In St. Mark it is said, But of that day, and that hour, knoweth no man, no not the Angels that are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. St. Matthew does 34 Matth. 35. not mention the Son: Of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only. Which shows that the Son in St. Matthew is included in the dels none, or no man, and therefore concerns him only as a man: for the Father includes the whole Trinity,and therefore includes the Son,who seeth,whatever his Father doth.But of this more hereafter. That he knew not where Lazarus was laid, because he asks, Where have ye laid him? And yet this very Jefus knew without asking, at a distance, and fome days before, that Lazarus was dead; which would tempt one to guess, that he might know where they laid him too, though it was decent to ask. What his next Text refers to I know not. For how the Father, being always prefent with him to confirm that teftimony he gave of himself by miraculous Pow-8 John 16,81. ers, proves that he is not God, I cannot tell: that he was tempted by the Devil, proves that he was a Man, but does not prove that he was not God: and that he would not be called good by thofe, who thought him 18 Luke 19. no more than a man; or that he took this occafion to inftruct them, what an infinite diftance there is between the effential Goodness of the Divine Nature, and the Goodness of Creatures, I think does not prove that he is not God. A a II John 34. 6.His |