to the instances of respect and worship, which he often admitted to be paid him; who can believe him worthy to be received as a teacher come from God, if he be in fact no more than a creature! Instead of this, how can he be viewed in any other light, than that of a deceiver-yea, the greatest impostor that ever came into the world!

ON what ground, they who deny the true and real Divinity of Christ, can censure and condemn the ancient. Jews for putting him to death, and their present exist. ing descendants, for rejecting him, is not easily seen. Instead of removing their objections against Christianity-An object, which Arians and Socinians profesedly have in view, in their labors in opposition to the doctrine of Christ's Divinity-there must be reason to fear, that they, themselves, split upon the rock, which has been so fatal to the Jews; and that to them, as well as to the Jews, Christ is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.

Ir it be true, that Christ has given even just grounds to suspect that he claimed to possess prerogatives and powers, which can belong to no mere creature; it will be an imputation on his character as a teacher from God, which never can be wiped off, if he be but a creature. A creature, who will do this, at once for, feits all right to credit. That Christ in fact did this, is too clear and obvious to admit of controversy. The consequence is irresistable, that if he be but a creature, he is utterly unworthy to be received as a teacher sent from God. This being the case, it is obvious that no credit is to be paid to his instructions and doctrines; and, that the system of religion founded on what was taught by Christ and his apostles, has no just foundation for its support. So obviously does the christian system rest on the truth of the real Divinity of its glorious Author; and, must stand or fall with it! Take

away this corner-Stone, the whole fabrick at once falls to the ground!

Ir the evidence of Christianity be taken away, none, excepting Jews, will pretend that we have any revelation from God. And, if the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles, are an imposition, it may readily be concluded that, those of Moses and the prophets are no better. In this way does it again appear, that, by rejecting the doctrine of the true and real Divinity of Christ, we are necessarily turned back to our origi nal heathenish state; and, left without any other or better guide, than the weak, perverted reason of wicked and fallible men! On this hypothesis, what the moral character of that Being, who made all things, is, as it never has, so never, in this world, will it be discovered, And, of consequence, we must remain strangers to the nature and kind of that worship, which he requires and will accept, if there be any such : Or, whether there be, or will be any state of future existence of punishments, or rewards. These infinitely interesting and important subjects, must, all, lie in the dark; as they ever would have done, had no immediate revelation been made from heaven. And we are far from having any satisfactory evidence, that such revelation has ever been made to men, if Jesus of Nazareth did not in fact, possess those prerogatives and powers, which, it is manifest, both his friends and his enemies believed him to claim.

A BRIEF Summary of the preceding argument shall conclude the subject.

IT has been urged that, if Christ be not truly a divine person, God as well as man, there is no atonement made for the sins of men--No manifestation, in the government of God, of that divine displeasure and anger against the characters and conduct of such as

are saved by Christ, as the threatenings of the word. of God necessarily lead us to suppose do actually exist. If this displeasure do not appear in the death and sufferings of Him who was sacrificed for his people, it no where appears There is no manifestation of -it. It must, follow, of course, that Christ is not The Lord their righteousness-That it is not on account of any legal righteousness, any honor whatever done to the holy law of God as sanctioned by the penalty of his eternal anger for every transgression, that penis tents are pardoned and saved.

Ir any of mankind are saved without God's exhibit ing in his government, that displeasure with them, which the threatenings of his word import; the evi dence of grace in their salvation is quite taken away's For grace, in good conferred on creatures, can no further appear, than we have evidence, that God, who judges righteous judgment, views them as deserving of evil. Hence it must be evident, that a denial of the doctrine of atonement by the death of Christ, renders the Scripture doctrine of the salvation of sinners by grace quite unintelligible; if it do not wholly subs vert it. To suppose the penitence of a sinner to be the consideration on which he is saved and again rea ceived to favor, is equally inconsistent with all ideas of grace in his salvation. For this would imply, either that he was the object of no other or greater displeasure of God, than might be removed by his penitence and return to obedience; or, that the law of God and the rule of his government are such, as to subject no one to punishment, but on neglect or refusal of repent ance. But if the penitence of the transgressor remove all existing divine displeasure with him, we can, surely, see no evidence of grace in his being received to favor. And, if the law of God and the rule of his government are such, that they subject no one to pun ishment, nor render any obnoxious to it, but final ob

stinate impenitents; it is obvious, that such as do repent are exposed by law to no evil or curse; and consequently, no act of grace is needed for their being resår tored to the favor of God, and made forever happy in him. Or should it be supposed, that God pardons absolutely, without making any honor done to his violated law, either by the work and death of Christ, or the penitence of the sinner, the consideration on which his favor is bestowed; the evidence, that sinners are saved by grace is greatly diminished, if not wholly done away. For in this case we can see no certain proof, that they ever were the objects of any great degree of divine displeasure, if any at all. And, indeed, if the death and sufferings of Christ were not an atonement for sin-If his people are not saved from the curse of the law by his being made a curse for them, we can discern no necessity for his coming and work in order to the salvation of sinners-Nor, how Christ crucified is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Ir the Divinity and atonement of Christ be denied, the forgiveness of sin on any hypothesis whatever that we can form, must evidently set aside the revealed moral law sanctioned by promises and threatenings, as a rule of divine administration and government. If there be not manifestations of divine displeasure and anger in the instances wherein they are threatened in the word of God, and to the degree, which the threatenings import; we cannot but apprehend a disagree ment between the word and the government of God.→ And as far as any one apprehends there is such a dis agreement, he will feel himself at liberty to form his own ideas of the moral character of God, and no longer make his written word the rule of his faith.

FURTHER; if that divine displeasure, with which sinners universally are threatened in the word of God, be never manifested against the characters and con

duct of believers in Christ-If it be never to appear, that the innumerable multitude saved by Christ are, in themselves, and in the divine estimation, as deserving of eternal ruin, as those, who finally perish; naturally led to the conclusion, to which such as deny the Divinity of Christ probably mean to come,-that there will be no future state of punishment. And whenever it comes to be believed, that the threatenings of the word of God will never be executed--That the divine displeasure, which they import, will never be expressed in its natural and genuine fruitsThese threatenings cease to be motives of action, and immediately lose their influence to restrain. And whenever the threatenings contained in the holy Scriptures cease to operate as motives of action, the promises must, of course, lose their influence. And when the ground of our faith, in both threatenings and promises, is taken away, there is nothing left in the Bible worthy of credit as a revelation from God.

STILL further; as moral creatures, at least while in a state of probation, are ever governed by motive, and influenced by prospects of good and evil; we, no sooner give up the promises and threatenings of the word of God, than we become utter strangers, both to the nature, and the rules of that moral government, which is exercised over us-And, indeed, to the evidence, that we live under such a government. And, as we lose sight of evidence, that a moral government is exercised over us, we do also, to the same degree, of the existence of a moral Governor of the world.

THESE appear to be but the natural and genuine consequences of a denial of the Divinity of Christ.

It has been further urged, that, on supposition Christ be but a creature, it will be extremely difficult, if not utterly impossible to reconcile many parts of