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and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." It is by faith and prayer, and through the revelation of God, that we may come to the acknowledgment of these things, and not by the carnal reasonings of men of corrupt minds.

2. What reason do they intend? If reason absolutely, the reason of things, we grant that nothing contrary unto it is to be admitted. But reason as it is in this or that man, particularly in themselves, we know to be weak, maimed, and imperfect; and that they are, and all other men, extremely remote from a just and full comprehension of the whole reason of things. Are they in such an estate as that their apprehension shall pass for the measure of the nature of all things? We know they are far from it. So that though we will not admit of any thing that is contrary to reason, yet the least intimation of a truth by divine revelation will make me embrace it, although it should be contrary to the reason of all the Socinians in the world. Reason in the abstract, or the just measure of the answering of one thing unto another, is of great moment: but reason -that is, what is pretended to be so, or appears to be so unto this or that man, especially in ad about things of divine revelation-is of very small importance (of none at all) where it riseth up against the express testimonies of Scripture, and these multiplied, to their mutual confirmation and explanation.

3. Many things are above reason, that is, as considered in this or that subject, as men,-which are not at all against it. It is an easy thing to compel the most curious inquirers of these days to a ready confession hereof, by multitudes of instances in things finite and temporary; and shall any dare to deny but it may be so in things heavenly, divine, and spiritual? Nay, there is no concernment of the being of God, or his properties, but is absolutely above the comprehension of our reason. We cannot by searching find out God, we cannot find out the Almighty to perfection.

4. The very foundation of all their objections and cavils against this truth, is destructive of as fundamental principles of reason as are in the world. They are all, at best, reduced to this: It cannot be thus in things finite; the same being cannot in one respect be one, in another three, and the like: and therefore it is so in things infinite. All these reasonings are built upon this supposition, that that which is finite can perfectly comprehend that which is infinite,—an assertion absurd, foolish, and contradictory unto itself. Again; it is the highest reason in things of pure revelation to captivate our understandings to the authority of the Revealer; which here is rejected. So that by a loud, specious, pretence of reason, these men, by a little captious sophistry, endeavour not only to countenance their unbelief, but to evert the greatest principles of reason itself.

5. The objections these men principally insist upon, are merely against the explanations we use of this doctrine,—not against the primitive revelation of it, which is the principal object of our faith; which, how preposterous and irrational a course of proceeding it is, hath been declared.

6. It is a rule among philosophers, that if a man, on just grounds and reasons, have embraced any opinion or persuasion, he is not to desert it merely because he cannot answer every objection against it. For if the objections wherewith we may be entangled be not of the same weight and importance with the reason on which we embraced the opinion, it is a madness to forego it on the account thereof. And much more must this hold amongst the common sort of Christians, in things spiritual and divine. If they will let go and part with their faith in any truth, because they are not able to answer distinctly some objections that may be made against it, they may quickly find themselves disputed into atheism.

7. There is so great an intimation made of such an expression and resemblance of a Trinity in unity in the very works of the creation, as learned men have manifested by various instances, that it is most unreasonable to suppose that to be contrary to reason which many objects of rational consideration do more or less present unto our minds.

8. To add no more considerations of this nature, let any of the adversaries produce any one argument or grounds of reason, or those pretended to be such, against that that hath been asserted, that hath not already been baffled a thousand times, and it shall receive an answer, or a public acknowledgment, that it is indissoluble.

OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

The next head of opposition made by the men of this conspiracy against this sacred truth, is against the head of all truth, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Socinians, indeed, would willingly put a better face or colour upon their error about the person of Christ than it will bear or endure to lie on it. For in their catechism, unto this question, "Is the Lord Jesus Christ purus homo, a mere man?" they answer, "By no means. "How then? hath he a divine nature To this they say, " By no means; How, then, will these pretended

also?" which is their next question. for this is contrary to right reason." masters of reason reconcile these things? for to us it seems, that if Christ have no other nature but that of man, he is as to his nature parus homo, a mere man, and no more. Why, they answer, that "he is not a mere man, because he was born of a virgin." Strange!

that that should be an argument to prove him more than a man, which the Scripture, and all men in their right wits, grant to be an invincible reason to prove him to be a man, and, as he was born of her, no more. Rom. i. 3, "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." Rom. ix. 5, "Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came." Gal. iv. 4, "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." But, say they, "He was endowed with the Spirit, wrought miracles, was raised from the dead, had all power given [him] in heaven and earth; for by these degrees he became to be God." But all men see that the inquiry is about the nature of Christ, and this answer is about his state and condition. Now this changeth not his nature on the one hand, no more than his being humbled, poor, and dying, did on the other. This is the right reason we have to deal withal in these men! If a man should have inquired of some of them of old, whether Melchizedek were purus homo, a mere man, some of them would have said, "No, because he was the Holy Ghost;" some, "No, because he was the Son of God himself; and some, "No, because he was an angel;"—for such foolish opinions have men fallen into. But how sottish soever their conceptions were, their answer to that inquiry would have been regular, because the question and answer respect the same subject in the same respect; but never any was so stupid as to answer, "He was not a mere man, (that is, by nature,) because he was a priest of the high God,"-which respects his office and condition. Yet, such is the pretence of these men about the person of Christ, to incrustate and give some colour unto their foul misbelief; as supposing that it would be much to their disadvantage to own Christ only as a mere man,—though the most part of their disputes that they have troubled the Christian world withal have had no other design nor aim but to prove him so to be, and nothing else. I shall briefly, according to the method insisted on, first lay down what is the direct revelation which is the object of our faith in this matter, then express the revelation itself in the Scripture testimonies wherein it is recorded; and having vindicated some one or other of them from their exceptions, manifest how the doctrine hereof is farther explained, unto the edification of them that believe.

That there is a second person, the Son of God, in the holy trinunity of the Godhead, we have proved before. That this person did, of his infinite love and grace, take upon him our nature,-human nature,

so as that the divine and human nature should become one person, one Christ, God and man in one, so that whatever he doth in and about our salvation, it is done by that one person, God and man, is revealed unto us in the Scripture as the object of our faith: and this is that

which we believe concerning the person of Christ. Whatever acts are ascribed unto him, however immediately performed, in or by the human nature, or in and by his divine nature, they are all the acts of that one person, in whom are both these natures. That this Christ, God and man, is, because he is God, and on the account of what he hath done for us as man, to be believed in, worshipped with worship religious and divine, to be trusted and obeyed, this also is asserted in the Scripture. And these things are, as it were, the common notions of Christian religion, the common principles of our profession, which the Scriptures also abundantly testify unto.

Isa. vii. 14, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel;" that is, he shall be God with us, or God in our nature. Not that that should be his name whereby he should be called in this world; but that this should be the condition of his person,—he should be “God with us," God in our nature. So are the words expounded, Matt. i. 20-23, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which, being interpreted, is, God with us.” His name whereby he was to be called, was Jesus; that is, a Saviour. And thereby was accomplished the prediction of the prophet, that he should be Immanuel; which, being interpreted, is, "God with us." Now, a child born to be "God with us," is God in that child taking our nature upon him; and no otherwise can the words be understood.

Isa. ix. 6, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and his name shall be called The mighty God." The child that is born, the son that is given, is the mighty God; and as the mighty God, and a child born, or son given, he is the Prince of Peace, as he is there called, or our Saviour.

John i. 14, "The Word was made flesh." That the Word was God, who made all things, he had before declared. Now, he affirms that this Word was made flesh. How? converted into flesh, into a man, so that he who was God ceased so to be, and was turned or changed into flesh,-that is, a man? Besides that this is utterly impossible, it is not affirmed. For the Word continued the Word still, although he was " made flesh," or "made of a woman," as it is elsewhere expressed,—or made of the seed of David,—or took our flesh or nature to be his own. Himself continuing God, as he was, became man also, which before he was not. "The Word was made flesh;"

this is that which we believe and assert in this matter.

See John iii. 13, 31, vi. 62, xvi. 28. All which places assert the

person of Christ to have descended from heaven in the assumption of human nature, and ascended into heaven therein [in that nature] being assumed; and to have been in heaven as to his divine nature, when he was on the earth in the flesh that he had assumed.

Acts xx. 28, "Feed the church of God,' which he hath purchased with his own blood." The person spoken of is said to be God absolutely," the church of God." And this God is said to have blood of his own;-the blood of Jesus Christ, being the blood of him that was God, though not the blood of him as God; for God is a spirit. And this undeniably testifies to the unity of his person as God and man.

Rom. i. 3, 4, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Rom. ix. 5, "Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." This is all we desire that we may believe without disturbance from the clamours of these men,-namely, that the same Christ, as concerning the flesh, came of the fathers, of David, and, in himself, is over all, God blessed for ever. This the Scripture asserts plainly; and why we should not believe it firmly, let these men give a reason when they are able.

Gal. iv. 4, "God sent forth his Son made of a woman." He was his Son, and was made of a woman, according as he expresses it, Heb. x. 5, “A body hast thou prepared me;" as also, Rom. viii. 3.

Phil. ii. 5-7, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. It is the same Christ that is spoken of. And it is here affirmed of him, that he was "in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God." But is this all? Is this Jesus Christ God only? doth he subsist only in the form or nature of God? No; saith the apostle, "He took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man. That his being truly a man is expressed in these words our adversaries deny not; and we therefore believe that the same Jesus Christ is God also, because that is no less plainly expressed.

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1 Tim. iii. 16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen

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1It involves a critical discussion of long standing, whether Kugiou or so is the proper reading in this passage. By some recent editors of critical editions of the Greek Testament-Scholz, for instance-o is retained. Adhuc sub judice lis est. -ED.

Since the days of Owen, this reading has been the subject of protracted and sifting discussion. At one time the current of opinion had set in against etós

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