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the Father, then of course you exclude the perSon of Chrift; and then, it is manifest, you contradict the Scripture. For though it be affirmed in this place, that the only wife God is to present us before his own prefence, yet the fame is elsewhere expreffed by Chrift prefenting us to himself. Which is no way to be accounted for, unless you believe Chrift to be a partaker in the Being, attributes, and offices of the one, undivided, only wife God, our Saviour. Then there is no farther difficulty.

XLII.

Eph. III. 2, 3. The Difpenfation of the Grace of GOD, which is given me to you-ward: How that BY REVELATION HE (God) made known unto me the mystery.

Gal. I. 12. I neither received it of

man,

neither was I taught it, but BY THE REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST.

XLIII.

1 Kings VIII. 39. THOU, even THOU ONLY KNOWEST the HEARTS of all the children of men.

This, it seems, is the privilege of God ONLY: but this God is Chrift; for says he,

Rev. II. 23. All the Churches fhall know that I am HE which fearcheth the reins and HEARTS.

Indeed this latter verfe fpeaks plain enough for itself without being compared with the former. It implies, that there is one only who Searcheth the hearts of men, and that Chrift is he. And the Greek will very well bear it; as the learned reader will eafily perceive. It is thus There is o eps vwv, one that

εγω ειμι ο ερούνων Searcheth; but

2 Pet. I. 4.

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Exceeding great and pre

cious promifes, that by these you might be (θειας κοινωνοι φυσεως) PARTAKERS of the DIVINE NATURE. Heb. III. 14. For we are made (METOO (μετοχοι TY Xey) PARTAKERS of CHRIST, if we hold the beginning of our confidence (in the precious promises of God) steadfast unto the end.

What

What St. Peter propofes, as the end of our hope in the promises, is to be partakers of the divine Nature: but this, according to St. Paul, is to be partakers of Chrift: therefore Chrift is in or of the Divine Nature; the fame Almighty God and Lord, who declared to Abraham — I am thy Shield, and thy EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD. b So that these texts being compared together, are decifive for the Catholic Homöoufian Doctrine, at which the Arians, from the Council of Nice to this very day, have been fo greivoufly offended. And it has not been without reafon. For if the word Confubftantial be applicable to the Perfon of Chrift, it makes short work with their Herefy. To this end, it was fixed upon and agreed to by the Bishops of the whole Christian World, as the most pro

a Gen. XVII. 1. b XV. 1.

I

II fay, of the whole Chriftian World: though a late Author calls this Oecumenical Council, fummon'd for the condemnation of Arius, "a famous conteft;" as if one half of the world had been divided against the other. And he says it was "determined "by a majority of near twenty to one;" whereas, in truth, there were but five out of three hundred and eighteen, who denied the Catholic Faith. I mention this to fhew how some things may be represented by some fort of people, who if they are not ignorant, must think it their Interest to impofe upon you. What would you think of a man, who having been present at an Assize, should bring a report of it home to his family, and tell them he had been at a famous Contest, where there was a majority of near ten

Jury.

per Bar and Badge of diftinction between the Arians and themselves. But they object, that the term is not fcriptural; nay, there are some, of no ordinary figure amongst them, who have not stuck to call it an invention of Popery; though it is well known, that at the time this word was adopted by the Church, there was no fuch thing as Popery in the world. But the name is found to be of great use in amusing weak people, who have no ready stock of learning to contradict them, and, in fome cafes I fear, no good defire of being better informed. Who can think it a notable proof of their zeal as Proteftants, that they take a "pleasure in feeing their poor Mother, the Epifcopal church of England, the honour of the Reformation, and the dread of Popery, painted and dreffed up for a Jezebel by men of her own boufhold; who have shipwreckt their Confciences by fubfcribing Articles they never believed, and are growing fat upon the provifion allotted by the Providence of God, only to fupport the Church in her Journey through this world to the kingdom of heaven. A fight that would raise the Indignation of a

Jury-men, fix witneffes, and a Judge, against the criminal? See Ded. to an Effay on Spirit, p. 9, 10.

a Essay on Spirit, p.151.

Mabo

Mahometan! and almoft move a Papist himself to pity and pray for us!

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But I would hope there are some few among the favourers of Arianifm, who are not gone quite fo far out of the way, and would be afhamed of fuch low and bafe Artifices, as can only serve to expofe and difcredit their cause with any man of common learning and honesty. To these I addrefs myself: and now the Scripture is before us, let me afk them a plain ques tion or two. Is not the word Effence or Subftance of the fame fignification with the word nature? and have not the Fathers of the Church thus expounded it? and is not this phrase-of the fame nature as conclufive for the Divinity of Chrift, as that other of the fame Subftance? Why then should that expreffion of the Nicene Creed be thought fo offenfive, when there is another in the Scripture fo near of kin to it, that the Arians must be fenfible they could gain nothing by the Exchange? for the divine Nature, we all agree, can be but one; three divine natures of course making three different Gods. But the Scripture, compared as above, has afferted Chrift to be of this divine Nature. And if ple were once perfuaded of that, all farther difputes about the word Confubftantial would be at an end. But peace and unity for Chriff's fake,

peo

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