But there cannot be any thing more empty and vain than these pretences ; and, besides, they accumulate in them their former errors, with the addition of new ones. For, —
First. The name of the most high God is first ascribed unto God in Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 22, denoting his sovereignty and dominion. Now, as other attributes of God, it is not distinctive of the subject, but only descriptive of it. So are all other excellencies of the nature of God. It doth not intimate that there are other gods, only he is the most high, or one over them all ; but only that the true God is most high, — that is, endued with sovereign power, dominion, and authority over all. To say, then, that Christ indeed is God, but not the most high God, is all one as to say he is God, but not the most holy God, or not the true God ; and so they have brought their Christ into the number of false gods, whilst they deny the trae Christ, who, in his
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divine nature, is "over all, God blessed for ever," Rom. ix. 5; a phrase of speech perfectly expressing this attribute of the most high God.
Secondly. This answer is suited only unto those testimonies which express the name of God with a coiTCsponding power and authority imto that name ; for in reference unto these alone can it be pleaded, with any pretence of reason, that he is a God by office, — though that also be done very futilously and impertinently. But most of the testimonies produced speak directly unto his divine excellencies and properties, which belong unto his nature necessarily and absolutely. That he is eternal, omnipotent, immense, omniscient, infinitely wise ; and that he is, and worketh, and produceth eflfects suitable unto all these properties, and such as nothing but they can enable him for ; is abundantly proved by the foregoing testimonies. Now, all these con- cern a divine natxire, a natural essence, a Godhead, and not such power or authority as a man may be exalted unto; yea, the ascrib- ing any of them to such a one, implies the highest contradiction expressible.
Thirdly. This God in authority and office, and not by nature, that should be the object of divine worship, is a new abomination. For they are divine, essential excellencies that are the formal reason and object of worship, religious and divine; and to ascribe it unto any one that is not God hy nature, is idolatry. By making, therefore, their Christ such a God as they describe, they bring him under the severe commination of the true God. Jer. x. 11 , " The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." That Christ they worship they say is a God; but they deny that he is " that God that made the heavens and the earth:" and so leave him exposed to the threat- enings of him, who will accomplish it to the uttermost.
Some other general exceptions sometimes they make use of, which the reader may free himself from the entanglement of, if he do but heed these ensuing rules : —
First. Distinction of persons (of which aftei'wards), it being in an infinite substance, doth no way prove a difference of essence between the Father and the Son. Where, therefore, Christ, as the Son, is said to be another from the Father, or God, spoken personally of the Father, it argues not in the least that he is not partaker of the same nature with him. That in one essence there can be but one person, may be true where the substance is finite and limited, but hath no place in tbat which is infinite.
Secondly. Distinction and inequality in respect of offi.ce in Christ, doth not in the least take away his equality and sameness with the Father in respect of nature and essence, Phil. ii. 7, 8. A son, of the
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same nature with his father, and therein equal to him, may in office be his inferior,- — his subject.
Thirdly. The advancement and exaltation of Christ as mediator to any dignity whatever, upon or in reference to the Avork of our re- demption and salvation, is not at all inconsistent with the essential honour, dignity, and worth, which he hath in himself as God blessed for ever. Though he humbled himself, and was exalted in office, yet in nature he was one and the same ; he changed not.
Fourthly. The Scriptures, asserting the humanity of Christ, with the concernments thereof, as his birth, life, and death, do no more thereby deny his Deity than, by asserting his Deity, with the essen- tial properties thereof, they deny his humanity.
Fifthly. God working in and by Christ as he was mediator, denotes the Father's sovereign appointment of the things mentioned to be done, — not his immediate efficiency in the doing of the things them- selves.
These rules are proposed a little before their due place in the method which we pursue. But I thought meet to interpose them here, as containing a sufficient ground for the resolution and answer- ing of all the sophisms and objections which the adversaries use in this cause.