Hereupon he declares himself to be the God of Israel the God of Vengeance and Recompence and the God of their Salvation All which are Titles given by this Scripture to the most High Instance 5 Isa 8.13 14. Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Ver. 14. And he shall be for a Sanctuary but for a Stone of stumbling and for a Rock of offence to hoth the Houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem This Scripture that is applicable to none but to the most High God is applied to Christ Luke 2.34 Rom. 9.33 and 1 Pet. 2.8 Hereupon His Disciples declares him to be the Lord of Hosts himself who is to be our fear and dread whom we are to sanctifie as such in our Hearts Instance 6 Isa 45.21 22 23. Have not I the Lord and there is no God else beside me a just God and a Saviour there is none beside me Ver. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else Ver. 23. I have sworn by my self the Word is gone out of my Mouth in Righteousness and shall not return that unto me every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall swear This Scripture that contains so many distinguishing Characters of the most High God is applied to Christ Rom. 14.9 10 11. For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and of the Living Ver. 10. For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ Ver. 11. For it is written as I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bow to me and every Tongue shall confess to God It is likewise applied to him Phil. 2.10 11. From whence it is evident Jesus Christ is the Lord and there is no God else beside him a just God and Saviour and none beside him That all the ends of the Earth are to look to him and be saved for he is God and there is none else That he is the Object of his own Oath that He swears by himself because he cannot swear by a greater Instance 7 Psalm 102.25 Of Old hast thou laid the Foundation of the Earth And the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands Ver. 26. They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Ver. 27. But thou art the same and thy Years shall have no end Notwithstanding this Text is so peculiar to the Supream Being distinguishing him from all that is not God the Author to the Hebrews as hath been Instanced expresly ascribes it to Christ Heb. 1.10 And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundations of the Earth c. Now I say it is very strange and surprizing that the Disciples of Christ unless they were the worst of Men should make such Applications to Jesus Christ if he is not of the same Essence with the Father And further we cannot imagine they would ascribe the peculiar Glories of the Divine Nature to him if we consider 1. That the Light of Nature sufficiently taught them that they ought not to make Applications of those Things to a Creature which belongs to the Creator exclusive of all Creatures 2. If you respect them as taught in the Schools of the Prophets this cannot be imagined Because there is nothing can equal the Circumspection of the Prophets in this respect it will necessarily follow therefore if Jesus Christ is not God of the same Essence with his Father he was a Blasphemer and the Jewish Sanhedrim did very justly to Sentence him to Death for it And to corroborate what hath been said consider if he was not God by Nature what Reason the Jews had thus to proceed against him 1. The very first Precept in their Decalogue which they had continually before their Eyes was Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20.3 this they taught their Children their Servants and all under their Care 2. They well knew it was Idolatry to give Divine Worship to a Creature only and Blasphemy for a meer Creature to take to himself the Glory due to God their Prophets well instructed them in that Doctrine that God would not give his Glory to another 2. They well knew that the blessed God had given himself Names on purpose to distinguish Him from all Creatures whatsoever as Jehovah c. The which Names they had in mighty Reverence 4. They knew that it was Blasphemy for a meer Creature to assume his Names Nature Works and Worship and that it was Idolatry to attribute these to such an one 5. The Prophets were very diligent to prevent Idolatry which was the Sin this People was exceedingly addicted to and therefore warned them against the least appearance thereof and this they did for the Glory of the God of Israel that none might be acknowledged for the true God besides and for the Salvation of Men because Idolaters were not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 6. Jesus Christ did say He and His Father were one John 10.30 That therefore they who had seen him had seen the Father John 14.9 That he was in the Father and the Father in him Thereby he did make himself equal with God John 5.18 which is plain in that his Disciples that were inspired with his Spirit assert the same Thing of him as hath been evidenced for this the Jews accused him him for this they condemned him and that with the greatest Reason if He where not true God of the same Essence with the Father and so equal with him These are the Things that the Jews alledge in their Defence for crucifying of Jesus Christ and we demand how any Man or any Company of Men whatsoever that deny the Divinity of our Lord can take off the force of them it was according to their own Law which God had given them and according to his own Exposition of it Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Matth. 4.10 And it was for that which we must allow Blasphemy in another Case for suppose any Person among the Christians should attribute to himself the Names and Natures the Works and Offices of Jesus Christ If he should say he was the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World that he is the great Prophet and High-Priest of the New Testament a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck the wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Immanel God with us Jesus a Saviour Christ the Anointed the Eternal Word the Saviour of the World the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending c. That he is the only begotten Son of God that there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby Men can be saved but his that he is the Way the
sent from God But he would not have him have the Name of God nor of the Son of God his Words are not so obscure nor equivocal He saith plainly That they are Unbelievers and Infidels who say that the Son of Mary is God he saith the Christians are Infidels making Three Gods when there is but One and he would that Men should call upon the Creator of Heaven and Earth which made the Light and the Darkness Now I say if Christ was not God Mahomet spoke more truly and plainly than Christ He had more Wisdom and took more Care not to intangle the Souls of Men he was more zealous of the Glory of God and would not Attribute to himself the Names and Nature of GOD as Christ did These are such Consequences as our hearts abhor as full of Blasphemy but they are such as we must be constrained to receive for Truth if Jesus Christ is not of the same Essence with his Father 2. If Christ is not true God of the same Essence with his Father then he was an Imposter his Disciples Deceivers the Jewish Sanhedrim did justly in sentencing him to Death for Blasphemy the Jews do well in maintaining that Sentence in rejecting the Preaching of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ That Christian Religion is a Cheat it is Superstition and Idolatry and the Messiah is not yet come And certainly if this be proved true all will allow with me that this Principle is of such a consequence that they who assert and they who deny it ought not to have Communion together In order to the Proof of what is asserted I take it for granted That none will deny the Jewish Sanhedrim being a Council of Gods own appointing to judge in Capital Matters relating to their own Tranquility either in Church or State to the Preservation of their Religion and Laws But that they had a right to judge to condemn and to put to Death for Blasphemy The only thing therefore to prove is That if Jesus Christ was not God then he was a Blasphemer and they had reason to condemn him for Blasphemy which appears in what followeth It is Blasphemy for a meer Creature to call himself by those Names that are proper only to the Divine Being with the Names to ascribe to himself the Nature of God And those Perfections which distinguish him from all Creatures to assert that he is equal with God that he ought to have Divine Homage and Adoration given him And Lastly to ascribe those Scriptures of the Old Testament to himself which are spoken of none but the most High God I think none will vindicate such a Person from being a Blasphemer and his Disciples who attribute these things to him to be Idolaters It remains then only to prove That he did these things which is evident from the Writings of his Disciples before the proof of which I will only remark that what his Disciples asserted of him must be look't upon as asserted by himself because that they spoke as they were Inspired by his Spirit it was one and the same-Spirit that dwelt in both First That the Name of God is given him is beyond all Contradiction John 20.28 The great God Tit. 2.13 Where the Learned note that the Greek Article put before the Great God and which agrees to Saviour also is in the original a certain Mark that these two Terms are understood of the same Person and that it is Jesus Christ who is called the Saviour and great God both together The True God Rom. 9.5 1 John 5.20 Yea God above all Blessed for ever The Mighty Most Mighty Psal 45.3 Heb. 1.8 Yea Almighty is ascribed to him Rev. 1.8 Secondly That the Incommunicable Names of God viz. Such as can belong to none but the Supream Being are ascribed to him is evident Jehovah is a Name only belonging to the most High God Psal 83.18 Pray read these Scriptures Thou whose name alone is Jehovah and this is attributed to Christ if you compare Isa 6.1 with John 12.41 and Psal 102.25 with Heb. 1.10 Where note that Lord in these Texts is Jehovah in the Original I am that I am is an incommunicable Name of God Exod. 3.14 this Jesus Christ attributes to himself John S. 58. He saith not before Abraham was I was but before Abraham was I am Which would not be sence if he did not signifie he was the I am before Abraham and the significancy of that Name viz. Eternity and Immutability he claims to Himself Rev. 1.8 From whence it is evident he is of the same Essence c. Or he was a Blasphemer because no meer Creature can without Blasphemy ascribe these Names of the most High God to himself 2. With the Name the Nature of God and the most distinguishing Characters thereof he claimes to himself It is the highest Blasphemy for a meer Creature to claim Eternity For nothing can be Eternal but God There can be but One Being that never was made But Jesus Christ claims this incommunicable Perfection of the God-head to himself and that in such Terms as the Father expresses his own Eternity Isa 43.6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel I am the first and the last and besides me there is no God and thus saith Jesus Christ Rev. 1.8 Chap. 2.8 ver 18. I am the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Omnisciency is an incommunicable Property of the Divine Being 1 Kings 8.39 For thou even thou only knowest the Hearts of all the Children of Men And the same Jesus Christ saith of himself I am he which searcheth the Reins and Hearts Rev. 2.23 John 21.17 And his Disciples ascribe this to him Thou knowest all things which must be Blasphemy if he was not God Omnipresence belongs only to God And yet this Christ claims to himself Math 18.20 and Chap. 28.19 And asserts he was in Heaven whilst he was on Earth John 3.13 which cannot be said of any Creature without manifest Impiety Omnipotency is an Attribute belonging only to the Supream Being and this is spoken of Christ John 5.19 21. Phil. 3.21 Immortality is so ascribed to Christ as it is proper only to the Eternal God 1 Tim. 6.16 who only hath immortality dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto This can be only said of the Supream Being Jesus Christ is of the same Essence therefore or He is a Blasphemer for it is He of whom this is spoken as plainly appears by the preceding Verse Immutability is an Attribute belonging only to God it can only be said of God Jam. 1.17 In him is no variableness neither shadow of turning And was he not God of the same essence with the Father what Blasphemy would it be to say Heb. 13.8 Chap. 1.10.11.12 Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the
Foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands they shall perish but thou remainest and they shall wax old as doth a Garment and as a Vesture shalt thou fold them together but thou art the same and thy Years shall not fail Of what meer Creature can it be said He is Eternal Life without Blasphemy yet of Jesus Christ is it said This is the True God 1 John 5.20 and Eternal Life From all which nothing is more evident that he is either True God of the same Essence with his Father or he was a Blasphemer and his Disciples Idolaters For either a meer Creature may assume all this without Blasphemy or else these things are not so and certainly we may as well deny the Light at Noon-Day as the clearness of this Evidence 2. To strengthen this Those works which are peculiar to the Deity that none did or could do but the Most High God his Disciples ascribe to him and positively assert he did them which cannot be without Blasphemy if he did them not It is God only Created the World this was the distinguishing Character of God in the Old Testament that He made Heaven and Earth And this is beyond all contradiction ascribed to Jesus Christ John 1.1 2 3.14 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1 10. That all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made That in the beginning he laid the Foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of his Hands It is the Almighty God only that Sustains this mighty Universe all things are upheld in being by the Word of his Power and yet of Jesus Christ these words are spoken Vpholding all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 I ask what can be said greater of God than this and what can be greater Blasphemy if he was a Creature only Yea he assumes to himself the power of forgiving sins Mat. 9.6 of Quickening whom he will of bestowing eternal life The Peculiar Character of SAVIOVR Isa 43.11 Chap. 41.21 whereby the God of Israel is distinguished from all other Gods he eminently claims I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour This is spoken on purpose to beat men off from trusting in any other as a Saviour but the God of Israel and this is ascribed to Christ in the most eminent manner The saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 John 4.42 Rom. the Saviour of the World who is to be believed in and trusted in as such Fourthly That you may be assured all this was spoken properly of him the Evangelists acquaint us he made himself equal with God John 5.18 He said also God was his Father making himself equal with God John 10.30 I and my Father are one whereupon the Jews took up Stones to stone him for Blaphemy because he being a Man made himself God ver 33. And least any should think it was only the Jews mistake the Apostle Paul assures us That Jesus Christ thought it no robbery to be equal with him For he saith without any manner of hesitation Phil. 2.6 that he was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God In Isa 40.25 the Lord makes a challenge to whom then will you liken me or shall I be equal saith the Holy one Heaven and Earth and all the Creatures in it cannot be Compared with him v. 17.18 they are nothing less than nothing and Vanity But the Apostle Paul likens compares and equals Jesus Christ to him and lets us know Jesus Christ himself thought it no Robery to be equal to the most High God who being in the Form of God thought it no robery to be equal with God It is the more to be remark't because it is the Apostle Paul that thus speaks who above all the Apostles exalts God and debases the Creature 2 Cor. 4.7 We have this treasure in earthen Vessels to the end that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us Who very well knew that Jesus Christ was accused of Blasphemy and was Condemned and Crucified for making himself equal with God Who also knew the Prophet Isaiah had asserted there was none to be likened or compared with Him and yet with the greatest assurance asserts He was in the Form of God and was equal to him Jesus Christ therefore is of the same Essence with the Father or he was the greatest of Blasphemers 5. To put the Matter out of doubt that all this was spoken in a true and proper Sense he requires Divine Adoration and his Disciples assert it is due to him and Divine Adoration cannot be given to the highest Creature without Idolatry it is most certain they which adore God adore none but under that Idea But they gave Adoration to Jesus Christ The Evangelists tell us That at his Birth he was adored first by the Shepherds of Bethlehem and then by the Wise Men and the Author to the Hebrews expresly tells us Heb. 1.6 That when he was brought into the World God said let all the Angels of God Worship him He required John 5.23 that Men should Honour the Son as they honoured the Father That as they believed in God Chap. 14.1 they should believe in him and can there be Faith in Christ without Paying Divine Homage to him Rom. 15.2 In him shall the Gentiles trust And a Curse is pronounced against trusting in a Creature Jer. 17. Both outward and inward Worship is required to be given Him 1. He requires we should Dedicate our selves to him and therefore must be Baptized in his Name Matth. 18.19 whereby we are Devoted to Him 2. Divine Invocation is given to him by his Disciples Acts 7.59 1 Cor. 1.2 2. Divine Praises are offered up to him Rev. 5.9 Chap. 7.9 10. Chap. 11.15 17. 4. He received Worship from the Leper Mat. 6.2 From his Disciples Mat. 28.17 When they saw him they Worshipped him From the Mariners Matth. 14.33 This the Angel would not receive from John because he was a Creature only but charges him to Worship God Rev. 22.8 9. From whence one of these Three Things will follow that either 1. The Angel was mistaken his Charge to John needless and his Direction to Worship God Alone in Vain Or 2. That Jesus Christ was God by Nature and so Divine Worship belonged to him which is certainly the Truth Or 2. He was an Impostor and was guilty of Blasphemy in receiving that Worship and Honour as belonged to God only Objection I know it is Objected That the Honour required by Jesus Christ was not the Honour due to God alone Answer I Answer The contrary is easily Evinced That Jesus Christ required that Honour as is due to God alone For He required Divine Adoration in Thought in Word and Deed. 1. In Thought He Attributes to himself the Names and Nature of God his Eternity Almighty Power Immutability
Truth and the Life and no Man comes unto the Father but by him Would not such an one be justly esteemed among Christians as an Impious and Blasphemous Person In like manner for Jesus Christ to attribute to Himself the Names the Nature the Works and Worship of the most High God and at the same time was not so he could not be esteemed amongst the Jews then nor can with any just Reason be esteemed by any since to be otherwise than a notorious Blasphemer and from hence it would follow his Disciples were deceivers that the Jewish Sanhedrim did well in sentencing Christ to Death that the Jews do well in maintaining that Sentence and in rejecting the Preaching of his Disciples that Christian Religion is Superstition and Idolatry and the Messiah is not yet come For what is Idolatry but to give the essential Glory of God to a Creature only if Herod was guilty of Idolatry for permitting the People to say it is the Voice of God and not of a Man if though those that offered one Grain of Incense to an Idol were guilty of this Crime and they who swore by the Head of the Emperour were not Innocent though at the same Time they did not imagine the Emperour to be God what a piece of Idolatry and Superstition must that Systeme be that gives the incommunicable Glory of God to a Man only and requires Divine Adoration to be rendered to him yea if Christ is not God of the same Essence of his Father it represents him as an Actour on a Stage that takes the Name the Apparel and Acts the Part of a Prince when at the same time he is one of the meanest Subjects for it represents Christ as God God over all blessed for ever the Almighty All-seeing Eternal Immutable The True God and Eternal Life as he that laid the Foundations of the Earth c. When in Deed and in Truth he was but a meer Creature and in reality had none of these Excellencies in him there is a necessity therefore to give up the Truth of the Christian Religion and turn either Mahometans or Jews if this Principle is not true That Jesus Christ is true God of the same Essence with the Father From whence it is evident that this is a Principle of such a Nature that the Christian Religion stands or falls with it and therefore they who assert and they who deny it cannot have Christian Communion together 8. They which assert and they which deny this Principle ought not to have Communion together at the Lords Table because one or the other must be ignorant of what it represents and signifies they would have different Ideas represented by the same Elements To the one it would represent Jesus Christ giving himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling Savour the Humane Nature offered up and by Reason of its Union with the Divine making Satisfaction to Divine Justice answering the demands of the Law and obtaining Salvation for us Whilst it represents to the Secinians nothing else but a meer Man Suffering as an Example of Patience and Submission to the Will of God It sets forth to the one the Infinite and amazing Love of God in giving his Son his only begotten Son that lay in his Bosom and was his delight from Eternity to become a Sacrifice for Sinners to bear their Griefs Isa 53.4 5. and carry their Sorrows to be wounded for their Transgressions and bruised for their Iniquities to give him up to Death even that shameful painful and accursed Death of the Cross And it sets forth the amazing Love of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8.9 or as the Apostle speaks the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was Rich for their sakes he became Poor that through his Poverty they might be made Rich. Phil. 2.6 That he that was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with him made himself of no Reputation c. But it represents no such thing to the other no more Love than to make a glorious Man and set him to be an Example of Holiness Patience and Humility both in his Life and Death and ought they to have Communion together at the Lords Table that are not agreed what the Ordinance represents and signifies can they be said to discern the Lords Body that discern it not to be a Sacrifice offered up to God for our Sins Heb. 13.10 This is an Altar of which they have no right to Eat 9. They ought not to have Communion together because they must esteem each other either Vnbelievers or Hereticks and neither are communicable I have already shewn that if Christ be God c. then those that never believed it cannot be said to be Believers in Christ inasmuch as they cannot be said to Believe that Thing who deny what is Essential to it and they denying what is essential to the Person of Christ cannot be said to believe in that Person and as for those that have believed it and departed from this Faith they cannot but be looked upon to be Hereticks for there is nothing Heresie if this be not Heresie which Roots up the very Foundations and denies the Lord that bought them which overthrows the Christian Faith and turns it out of the World Objection An Heretick is one that is condemned of himself and unless they are condemned in their own Consciences Tit. 2.10 11. that what they hold is Heresie they are not Hereticks Answer 1. Then it will follow that it can never be known who is a Heretick inasmuch as we cannot know the Consciences of Men and then the Apostle might have kept that Rule to himself Ver. 10. A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject for it were absurd for him to give an Injunction as a Rule of Discipline in the Church that was impossible to followed 2. Therefore a Man is condemned of himself that renounceth the great Truths he hath owned he that once professed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah the Son and sent of God was devoted to him by Baptism and acknowledged the Doctrines revealed by him and since hath apostatized there-from is condemned of himself his own Actions shew him to be self-condemned for there is no better rule than to judge of the Tree by its Fruit and Actions speak more than Words The Foundation Principles of Christianity carry very great Evidence with them they recommend themselves to every Mans Conscience in the sight of God we have the greatest Reason therefore to judge those self-condemned condemned in their own Consciences who have departed from the Faith Ver. 11. Knowing he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself it follows hence they are not communicable because an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject 10. They who maintain a Separation because of Principles of far lesser Moment must acknowledge that they who assert and they