ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF THE SUPREME DEITY OF CHRIST. 1st. Jesus Christ is not the supreme and eternal God, because he is represented by the sacred writers to be as distinct from God the Father, as one man is from another. "It is written in your law, the testimony of two men is true. I am one, who beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." John viii. 17, 18. 2d. Jesus never professed to be the true God, but, on the contrary, he declared that the Father who sent him, is the only true God. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John xvii. 3. 3d. Jesus Christ is declared in many instances, to be the Son of the only true God; and this only true God said of Jesus, at two different times, at his baptism and transfiguration, with an audible voice from heaven, "this is my beloved Son." 4th. Jesus Christ is represented as a Mediator between God and men. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." ii. 5. Can God mediate between himself and men? 1 Tim. 5th. Jesus Christ is declared in scripture to be sent, and appointed by the Father. "We have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son." 1 John iv. 14. "Christ Jesus who was faithful to him that appointed him." Heb. iii. 1, 2. Was the supreme and eternal God ever sent or appointed by another being? 6th. Jesus Christ is represented as our Intercessor with God. "It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.' Rom. viii. 34. He that intercedes with God, cannot be that God with whom he intercedes." 7th. Paul declares, "To us there is but one God, the Father." 1 Cor. viii. 6. Do not the opposers of the divine unity flatly contradict the apostle, by asserting that there are two other persons in the Godhead, each of which is as truly God as the Father? 8th. Jesus Christ was "approved of God by signs and wonders, which God did by him." Acts ii. 22. Is the supreme and eternal God ever represented as the instrument, by which signs and wonders have been performed? 9th. Jesus Christ positively declares, and that without the least qualification, "My Father is greater than I." John xiv. 28. Is there any being superior to the su preme God? 10th. Jesus Christ positively denies that he was the author of the miracles, by declaring, "the Father who dwelleth in me doeth the work." John xiv. 10. Does not Christ here ascribe his miracles to the power of God. 12th. Jesus declares that he is not the author of that system of truth which he published. "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." John vii. 16, 17. “As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John viii. 28. Is the supreme and eternal God, dependant on another for instruction? 13th. Jesus Christ invariably refers to the Father the authority, by which he spake and acted. "The Father hath given to the Son authority," &c. John v. 26, 27. Has the supreme God a father, from whom he receives authority? or is the Almighty dependent on the will of another? 14th. Jesus Christ declares he has not the disposal of the highest place in his kingdom. Mat. xx. 23. Has the supreme and eternal God not the disposal of the highest place in the kingdom of heaven? 15th. Jesus Christ is uniformly represented in scripture, not as the first, but as the intermediate cause of the great works ascribed to him. "There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesu's Christ, by whom are all things. 1 Cor. viii. 6.. " 16th. Jesus Christ expressly disavows the divine attribute of self-existence. "As the Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father," &c. John vi. 57, "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son, to have life in himself." John v. 26. Did the supreme and eternal God derive life and being from another? 17th. Jesus Christ positively disclaims the divine attribute of omniscience. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only." Mark xiii. 32. Is there any thing of which the supreme God is ignorant? 18th. Jesus Christ prayed to God. Luke xvi. 12. We have a specimen of his prayers: "O Father, glorify thou me, with thy own self, with the glory I had with thee *before the world was." John xvii. 5. And on the cross, he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." Mat. xxviii. 46. Could these prayers and ex. clamations be uttered by the supreme God? 19th. Jesus Christ never instructed his disciples to worship himself, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Father only. "They that worship the Father, must worship him in spirit and truth." John iv. 23. 20th. According to the scriptures, religious homage is uniformly paid, not to Christ, but to God, the Father, through Christ. "I thank God through Jesus Christ.” Rom. vii. 25. "To God only wise, be glory through Christ." Rom. xvi. 7. 2 21st. Jesus Christ is represented by the New Testament writers, as the "Image of God." Col. i. 15. Cor. iv. 4. Would it not be absurd to call any one his own image? 22d. Jesus Christ is called in scripture," the first born amony many brethren." Rom. viii. 27. But the supreme God has no brethren. 23d. Jesus Christ is represented as receiving commands from the Father. "The Father who sent me, gave me a commandment." John xii. 49. "Even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John xii. 50. "I have kept my Father's commandments." John xv. 10. Can this be said of the true God, without denying the omnipotent Jehovah ? 24th. The scriptures teach us, that God the Father hath highly exalted the Lord Jesus Christ, and given him a name which "is above every other name." Phil. ii. 9. 25th. When Paul says, all things are put under Christ, he immediately adds, "it is manifested that he is excepted, who hath put all things under him." 1 Cor. xv. 27. And "when all things shall be subdued to Christ, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him." 1 Cor. xv. 28. Will Almighty God ever be subject to another being, on whom he is depen dant for the power by which his enemies are subdued? 26th. Christ is appointed by God to be the judge of the quick and dead. Acts x. 42. The Father has committed all judgment to the Son. John v. 22. Was the supreme and eternal God ever appointed by his Father to judge the world? 27th, God has an "only begotten Son." John iii. 18. Was Jesus Christ an only begotten Son? If so, can he be God the Father? 28th. The Jews, who best understood their own prophecies, expected their Messiah should be inferior to, and dependent on the supreme God; and yet our Saviour never intimated that this opinion was erroneous. 29th. There are, in the New Testament, seventeen passages, wherein the Father is styled the ONE, or ONLY GOD, and nearly two hundred in which he is styled God absolutely, while there is not one in which the Son is so called. 30th. There are ninety passages in which all prayer and praises are directed to God the Father, and which imply that all things should be directed to his glory and honour; and the manner of address is uniformly through Christ. And out of 1300 passages, wherein the word God is mentioned, not one necessarily implies the existence of a plurality of persons. 31st. Those passages in which Jesus Christ is declared positively, or the implication, to be subordinate to the Father, deriving from him his being, receiving from him his divine power, and acting in all things wholly in subjection to the authority and will of the Father, are in number above 300. 32d. In a word, the supremacy of the Father, and the inferiority of the Son, is the simple and indisputable doctrine 0 the Bible. Whereas the doctrine of the Son's equality, or identity with the Father, is clothed in mystery, encumbered with difficulties, and dependent, at the best, on but a few passages for support. SYSTEMATIC METHOD OF PROVING THAT THE SON IS INFERIOR TO THE FATHER. 1. THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT CHRIST DERIVED HIS BEING, AND ALL THAT HE HAS, FROM THE FATHER. 1. His life. As the Father hath life in himself, so has he given to the Son to have life in himself. John v. I live by the Father. John vi. 57. 26. 2. His power. The Son can do nothing of himself. John v. 19. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me. Mat. xxviii. 18. Of my own self, I cau do nothing. John v. 30. 3. His doctrine. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. John vii. 16. As the Father has taught me, I speak. John viii. 28. 4. His commission. I came not of myself, but he that sent me. John viii. 42. The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John iv. 14. The living Father hath sent me. John vi. 57. He was faithful to him that appointed him. Heb. iii. 2. God made Jesus both 5 His office and authority. Lord and Christ. Acts iii. 36. to be a Prince and a Saviour. shall the Lord your God raise up to you. The Lord sware, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever. Psal. cx. 4. The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son. John v. 24. He was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. Acts x. 42. 6. His honour and glory. God hath given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every |