Some attempt also is made upon this place by Grotius. Kal 6 QtCg (io\). " Here first," saith he, " in the story of the gospel, is this word found ascribed by the apostle unto Jesus Christ" (which Maldonate before him observed for another purpose), "to wit, after he had by his resurrection proved himself to be him from whom life, and that eter- nal, ought to be expected. And this custom abode in the church, as appears not only in the apostolical writings, Rom. ix. 5, and of the ancient Christians, as may be seen in Justin Martyr against Trypho, but in the Epistle also of Pliny unto Trajan, where he says that the Christians sang verses to Christ as to God ;"^ or, as the
' " Hie piimum ea vox in narrationc Evaiigelica repcritur ab Apostolis Jesu tiibuta,
201 VINDICT^ EVANGELICiE.
words are in the author, " Carmeu Christo, quasi Deo, dicere secum invicem." What the intendment of this discourse is is evident to all those who are a little exercised in the writings of them whom our author all along in his Annotations takes care of. That Christ was now made a God at his resurrection, and is so called from the power wherewith he was intrusted at his ascension, is the aim of this dis- course. Hence he tells us it became a " custom" to call him God among the Christians, which also abode amongst them ; and to prove this " custom" he wrests that of the apostle, Rom. ix. 5, where the deity of Christ is spoken of, in opposition to his human nature or his flesh, that he had of the Jews, plainly asserting a divine nature in him, calling him Ood subjectively, and not only by way of attribution. But this is, it seems, a "custom," taken up after Christ's resurrection to call him God, and so continued; though John testifies expressly that he was God in the beginning. It is true, indeed, much is not to be urged from the expressions of the apostles before the pouring out of the Spirit upon them, as to any eminent acquaintance with spiritual things ; yet they had before made this solemn confession that Christ was the " Son of the living God," Matt. xvi. 16-18, which is to the full as much as what is here by Thomas expressed. That the primitive Christians worshipped Christ and invocated him not only as a god, but professing him to be " the true God and eternal life," we have better testimonies than that of a blind Pagan, who knew nothing of them nor their ways, but by the report of apostates, as himself confesseth. But learned men must have leave to make known their readings and observations, whatever become of the sim- plicity of the Scripture.
To escape the dint of this sword, Mr B. nextly queries : " Q. Was he so the God of Thomas as that he himself in the meantime did not acknowledge another to be his God? — A. John xx. 17; Rev. iii. 12."
True, he who, being partaker of the divine essence, in the form of God, was Thomas' God, as he was mediator, the head of his church, interceding for them, acknowledged his Father to be his God ; yea, God may be said to be his God upon the account of his sonship aud personality, in which regard he hath his deity of his Father, and is " God of God." Not that he is a secondary, lesser, made god, a hero, semideus, as Mr B. fancies him, but " God blessed for ever," in order of subsistence depending on the Father.
Of the same nature is the last question, namely, " Have you any
passage in the Scripture where Christ, at the same time that he
postquam scilicet sua resurrectione probaverat, se esse a quo vita et quidem seterna exspectari deberet, Vide supra, xi. 25. Mansit deinde ille mos in ecclesia, ut apparct non tautum in scriptis Apostolicis ut, Eoni. ix. 5, et veteium Cbristianorum, ut videre est apud Justinum Martyreni contra Tryphonem, sed et in Plinii ad Trajanum Epis- tola, ubi ait Christianos Chrislo, ut Deo, carmina cecinisse." — Grot, in loc.
DEITY OF CHRIST PROVED, ETC. 205
liatli the appellation of God given to him, is said to have a God ? — ■ A. Heb. i. 8, 9."
By Mr B.'s favour, Christ is not said to have a Ood, though God be said to be his God. Verse 8, Christ, by Mr B.'s confession, is expressly called God. He is, then, the one true God with the Father, or another. If the first, what doth he contend about ? If the second, he is a god that is not God by nature, — that is, not the one God of Christians, — and consequently an idol ; and indeed such is the Christ that Mr B. worshippeth. Whether this will be waived by the help of that expression, verse 9, " God, thy God," where it is expressly spoken of him in respect of his imdertaking the office of mediation, wherein he was " anointed of God with the oil of gladness above his fellows," God and his saints will judge.
Thus the close of this chapter, through the good, wise hand of the providence of God, leaving himself and his truth not without witness, hath produced instances and evidences of the truth opposed abun- dantly sufficient, without farther inquiry and labour, to discover the sophistry and vanity of all Mr B.'s former queries and insinuations; for which let him have the praise.