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by the will and pleasure of another. Thus guar dians and masters have authority over thofe chil dren who are committed to their care; but then this authority is not natural but derived, it is lodged in them as a truft, by thofe who are naturally invefted with authority, as aforefaid. And,

As authority is thus diftinguifhed into natural and derived; fo the agents or governours who evercife it, are diftinguifhed by different characters npon that account, viz. fupreme and fubordinate. Supreme governours are fuch as are naturally invested with authority, and who have conftituted others to exercise that authority, either in whole or in part under them, and in their place and ftead: and thefe are called fupreme in diftinction from, and in oppofition to all those who exercife à delegated authority, under them. Subordi nate governours are all fuch as exercife a delegated authority, as aforefaid; and they are called fubordinate in diftinction from, and in oppofition to those who are the fountains of authority to them. So that when I fay, the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, is a Being inferiour, and [fubordinate.] I intend to exprefs, that the authority which he is invefted with, is not natural but derived. That is, he is not invested with it from any natural relation he stands in to us; but it is commited to him as a truft, by him, who is the common parent of us all: and therefore he, viz. the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, is, in point of authority, fubordinate to that fountain of authority viz. his God and Father from whom he derived it. Again,

By the [Father] I intend to exprefs that moral agent, or that neceffarily exifting Being, whom in common language we characterize by the term God; the fame with him who derived his being from none, and who gave being to all things.

And

And he is called the Father, in contradistinction to our Lord Jefus Chrift, of whom he has declared that he is his beloved Son. Again

When I fay that the Father is the fupreme God, by the term God, I intend to exprefs both existence, agency, and authority; which is the fame as if Í fhould fay, that the Father is the first and chief Being, and agent; and that he is the first and chief governour, he is the fountain both of being, agency, and authority. Lastly,

By the term [alone] I intend to exclude the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, and every other moral agent, out of the idea of the fupreme God, as explained above; excepting only, that neceffarily exifting Being, who is the Father of God's Son. To him, and to him alone, I do apply the character of fupreme God.

So that the whole propofition may be delineated thus; the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, is not a mode, property, or the manner of exifting of a being, neither a coilition or fociety of agents, but a Being, that is, one individual moral agent. And this agent is in point of existence, agency, and all natural perfections below or inferior; and in point of authority fubordinate to that neceffarily exifting Being who is his Father. And that the Father alone, exclufive of the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, and of every other moral agent, is the first and chief Being and agent, and the first and chief governour; he alone is the fountain both of being, agency, and authority.

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EIGHT

ARGUMENTS

FROM

SCRIPTURE

TO PRO VE,

That the Son is a Being inferiour and fubordinate to the Father, and that the Father alone is the fupreme God.

ARGUMENT I.

First, The Son received his being and existence from the Father, as the first fupreme free cause of that being and existence: confequently, he is inferiour and fubordinate to the Father, as every effect is inferiour to its frft fupreme free caufe.

HAT the Father is the caufe of the Son's being, fee John iii. 16. For Godfo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. If the relation of a father to a fon, doth not imply the fon's receiving his being from that father; yet certainly the father's begetting of the fon, can imply no lefs. For whatever difference there may be betwixt begetting, creating, and making of a thing; yet they are all the fame in this, viz. that the thing which is begotten, created, or made, is by that operation really produced and if fo, then it follows, that the Son received his being and exiftence from the Father. That the Father is the first fupreme cause of the Son's being, is here taken for granted; for if there be a firft fupreme caufe, antecedent to the Father,

Father, then that firft caufe would justly claim thecharacter of fupreme God. And,

As the Father is the first fupreme cause of the Son's being, fo he is likewife the free cause of that his being and existence. That is, the Father did not bes get the Son by a neceffity of nature, but from the freedom of his will. And this is evident from the nature of the thing. For every thing that acts from a neceffity of nature, muft furely always act the fame, becaufe always under the fame neceffity; or rather it would be one continued act through all eternity, when the being that acts is an eternal being, as the being here referred to is fuppofed to be. But it is manifeft, that this is not the prefent cafe. Because when the fcriptures make mention of the begetting or generation of the Son, it is an action which is past; confequently, it was an act of the Father's will. For if the father begets the Son by a neceffity of nature, then the Son is always begetting, but never is nor will be begotten. The word beget implies the act or operation of of the Father: the word begotten, implies the per fecting and finishing of that act, or of the thing which that act or operation produced, and confe quently the ceafing or difcontinuance of that act. Seeing then the fcripture fpeaks of the Son, as a Being, which is already begotten, it will follow, that the Father's act in generating the Son, is paft, and that the Son was begotten, not by ne ceffity of nature, but from the freedom of the Father's will. So that, if there was such a thing as time, either before or after the generation or the Son, then his exiftence fprang not from a ne ceffity of nature, but from a freedom of will. But time has taken place fince the Son's generation, he having had a real perfonal existence long fince, aad confequently, he owes his being to the Father's will and pleafure. Again,

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John v. 26, As the Father bath life in himself, fo bath be given to the Son, to have life in himself. In this text there are three things afferted, viz. first, that the Father hath life in himfelf; fecondly, that the life of the Son is from the Father; thirdly, that the life of the Son is the Father's gift. Now every gift is free and voluntary, and procedes not from a neceffity of nature, but from the will of the donor. And, whether we confider the term life, as expreffive of that intelligence and activity which conftitutes life in, and to every moral agent, or as a power to convey that life to others, it alters not the cafe, becaufe either of them excludes neceffary existence from the Son; it being equally abfurd, and an impoffibility in nature. for the neceffarily exifting Being, either to receive life and being from another, or a power to give life and being to others; fuch life and fuch power being neceffarily inherent in the neceffarily existing Being. Again,

Col. i. 19, It pleafed the Father, that in him (viz. the Son) fhould all fulness dwell. By all fulness I think the Apostle must be understood to mean, a. fulness of natural perfections, fuch as power, know ledge, &c. and a fulness of authority or dominion to be exercised in, and for the good of the Church. This I think, is evident from the Apoftle's difcourfe, and this fulnefs in the Son, he declares to arife from the good pleasure of the Father. So that tho the Son is poffeffed of a fulness of natural perfections, and in him are lodged all the reafures of power, wifdom, and knowledge, yet it is manifeft from the Scriptures, that these are not in the Son, independent of the Father, but are owing to his good pleafure. And,

Tho there is a fulness of authority in the Son; yet it is manifeft, that it is not natural, but derived. For as the God and Father of our Lord Je

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