name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks unto God and the Father by him.' But praying in the name of Christ, is very different from praying to Christ as God equal with the Father;' a method of worship which the christian religion, if we take our ideas of it from the scriptures, knows nothing of.

But we proceed, Eph. iii. 14 and 21. 'For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end.'

Amen.

This sublime passage discovers to us the incomparable power and excellence of the God and Father of all: to whom the apostle bows his knee in profound adoration ; and of whom he declares the whole family in heaven and earth is named. He represents him as one, that is able to do exceeding abundantly for us, above all that we can ask or think, and therefore ascribes glory to him in the church by Christ Jesus, world without end Amen.

one.

1 Cor. viii. 4, 5, 6. There is none other God but For though there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be Gods many, and lords many, but to us there is but one God, THE FATHER, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

This passage is altogether decisive, peremptory, and express, in favour of the Unitarian doctrine. The Apostle's meaning is expressed with all the force and clearness of a proposition: and is so guarded as to leave no room for subterfuge and evasion. 1st. St. Paul affirms

that

Then he adds

there is no other God but one.' next, to make his meaning still more evident ; For though there be, that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many and lords many.') This clause a learned author who wrote upwards of a century ago, considers as relating to the state of the heathen world, his words are as follows. "Though there be gods many, (that is, many celestial and sovereign deities) and lords many,(that is, many Baalims, lords, agents and presidents of earthly things,) yet to us Christians there is but one Sovereign God the Father, of whom are all things, and we als autoy as it is in the Greek, to him, (that is, to whom as supreme we are to direct all our services ;) and but one Lord Jesus Christ, one lord agent (instead of their many Baalims and dæmon mediators) by whom are all things which come from the Father to us, and through whom alone we find access unto him. The allusion, methinks, is passing elegant, and such as I think cannot be well understood without this distinction of superior and infe rior deities in the divinity of the Gentiles; they having a plurality in both sorts, and we but one in each as our apostle affirmeth." So far this ingenious writer.*

Perhaps also, the Apostle may allude to all those that are called gods in scripture, in the inferior sense; such as angels, kings, magistrates, &c. But to proceed, The Apostle having mentioned these gods many and lords many, in heaven and in earth, and set them all aside, comes now to inform us who that supreme and sovereign God is, whom as Christians we are bound to worship and adore, To us (says he) there is but one God, THE FATHER, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by or through whom are all things, and we by him.' Here, the one God, and the one Lord, are to clearly and accurately distinguished from, and con. trasted with, one another, that it is impossible to confound them without the grossest abuse, and perversion of lan. guage. Here also it is obvious to remark again, how different the language of the Apostle Paul is, from that of certain articles, and confessions of faith. 66 In the unity of the Godhead, (saith the first article of a certain church) there be three persons, of one substance, power,

• Mr. Mede

and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." And the sixth answer of a certain Catechism, well known in this country, affirms that, "There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power, and in glory." How far these assertions can be reconciled to the doctrine of the Apostle Paul, let every candid and sensible person judge. It is strange, however, that if people will make creeds, articles and confessions of faith, they should make them in direct contradiction to the scriptures.

The same apostle informs us, particularly Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11. why the title of Lord was conferred upon Jesus Christ. Wherefore (says he) on the account of Iris humbling himself, and becoming obedient unto death even the death of the cross ;) God hath also highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' Observe attentively, that when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, we are to do it to the glory of God the Father: who exalted him to this state of dominion and dignity. For, he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father who hath sent him: and vice versa or contrary. wise, it may be inferred that he that honoureth the Son, honoureth the Father who hath sent him. For, the honour given to an ambassador, or vicegerent, reflects back upon, and is kindly received by the monarch who employs him; and in whose name he acts.

But in order to ascertain still more clearly the reasons, for which the title of Lord, or the one Lord, is given to Jesus Christ; we shall recite at large that passage of the acts of the Apostles, to which we before referred; and which will be found abundantly satisfactory for the pur. pose. Acts ii. 22. to 36 inclusive. • Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye your selves also know. Him, being delivered by the deter. minate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken,

and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad: moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethern, let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ, to sit on his throne; he, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ. that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended unto the heavens but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both LORD and CHRIST.

From this quotation it evidently appears, that Jesus Christ possesses the title of Lord only in consequence of the Father's donation: and as a reward for his distin. guished merit and obedience. It is by the right hand of God that he is exalted; and it is from the Father that he receives the promise of the Holy Ghost. It is by the Father's power, and not his own, that he reigns, and shall reign until he hath put all his enemies under his feet. However, therefore, the Trinitarians may ridicule the notion of a made Lord, such a Lord is our Lord Jesus Christ and the ridicule must fall on the scriptures, and not on the Unitarians. To the one God, and Father of all, of whom are all things, be glory by the one Lord, Jesus Christ, for ever.

Amen.

DISCOURSE III.

JOHN xvii. 3.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

We have had these words twice under our consideration before. In our first discourse, after making some ob servations on the natural and obvious meaning of the words; and replying to several objections to our inter pretation of them, we proposed to make them the ground. work or basis of our reasoning; and by an appeal to the scriptures at large, to endeavour to enforce and es tablish the following propositions, viz.

First, that there is one person, or intelligent agent, who alone is God, supreme, almighty, and eternal: and that this one person is the Father, or, as he is some. times called in scripture, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.This is life eternal, that they might know THEE, the only true God.'

Secondly, that Jesus Christ is not the most high God: but a being inferior to him, dependent upon him, and acting by his command and authority: or in other words his Son, Servant, and Messenger; and by the Father's appointment, the Messiah, or only Mediator between God and Man. 'That they might know Jesus Christ whom THOU hast sent.

And Thirdly, and Lastly, to consider and answer the objections, that the Trinitarians make to our hypothesis, and urge in support of their own, founded on various places both of the Old and New Testament.