1 'EXxTftviroc]! TYi xTiffii 'Kaio, rl'v xri<ravra. * Vid. Dmtlib. (Ic Just. Div. Vol. X,
'Eoiiaa'xi u; oi xa.) tov 0£ov /icovov oii Tfco'xvyiTv, I'lTeuv //.iyurm ivrcXri irri, xCpion to» Giiiii eov I'l-offxuvririi;, xa) avrZ fiivy XarpivTiis. — Justin. Mar. Apol.
382 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^.
self insists on, Matt. iv. 10, that is here repeated; and the force of the angel's reason for the strengthening his prohibition is from hence, that no other but he who is God, that God intended by the law and by our Saviour, Matt, iv., is to be worshipped. For if the intendment of the words were only positive, that God is to be wor- shipped, and did not also at the same time exclude every one what- ever from all divine worship who is not that God, they would be of no force for the reproof of John in his attempt to worship the angel nor have any influence into his prohibition. And thus that angel, who, chap. V. 9-13, shows John all creatures in heaven and on earth yielding divine worship and adoration to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the close of all appropriates all that worship to God him- self alone, and for ever shuts out the most glorious creature from our thoughts and intentions in the performance of any divine worship or religious adoration.
And it may hence appear how vain is that plea of the adversaries, to avoid the force of this reproof, which is managed by Schlichtin- gius against Meisnerus. " To those places," saith he, " where men- tion is made of God as alone to be worshipped, I answer, that by those exclusive particles, 'alone,' and the like, when they are used of God, they are not simply excluded who depend on God in that thing which is treated of. So is he said to be only wise, only powerful, only immortal, and yet those who are made partakers of them from God ought not simply to be excluded from wisdom, power, and im- mortality. Wherefore, when it is said that God alone is to be wor- shipped and adored, he ought not to be simply excluded who herein dependeth on God, because of that divine rule over all which he hath of him received, yea, he is rather included."^ So the most learned of that tribe. But, —
1. By this rule nothing is appropriated imto God, nor any thing excluded from a participation with him, by that particle mentioned : and wherever any thing is said of God only, we are to understand it of God and others; for on him, in all things, do all other things depend.
2. When it is said that God only is wise, etc., though it doth not
absolutely deny that any other may be wise with that wisdom which
is proper to them, yet it absolutely denies that any one partakes with
God in his wisdom, — is wise as God is wise, with that kind of wisdom
wherewith God is wise. And so where it is said that God only is to
> " Respondeo particulis istis exclusivis, qualis et solus, et similis, cum de Deo usur- pantur, nunquam eos simpliciter cxcludi, qui a Deo, in ea re de qua agitur, dependent. Hie dicitur solus Deus sapiens, solus potens, solus immortalis, neque tamen simpliciter a sapicntia, a potentia, ab immortalitate excludi debent et alii, qui istarum rerum parti- cipes sunt efi'ecti. Quare jam cum solus Deus adorandus aut invocandus esse dicitur, excludi simpliciter non debet is, qui hac in parte a Deo jjendet, propter divinum ab ipso in cuncta acceptum imperium, sed potius tacitc simul iucludendus est." — Schlicli- ting. ad Meisuor. artic. de Deo, pp. 20G, 207.
OF Christ's kingly office. 883
be worshipped and honoured, though it doth not exclude all others from an}' kind of worsliip and honour, but that they may have that which is due to them by God's appointment, from their excellency and pre-eminence, yet it doth absolutely exclude any from being worshipped with divine worship; that is due and proper to God.
3. We shall show afterward that whatever dignity, rule, and do- minion they say is given to Christ, and whatever excellency in him doth thence arise, yet it is quite of another kind, and stands iipon another foot of account, than that essential excellency that is in God ; and so cannot nor doth require the same kind of worship as is due to God.
4. Angels and men are depending on God in authority and power, and therefore, if this rule be true, they are not excluded from divine and religious worship in the command of worshipping God only; and so they may be worshipped with divine and religious adoration and invocation as well as Jesus Christ. Neither is it any thing but a mere begging of the thing in question, to say that it is divine power that is delegated to Christ, which that is not that is delegated to angels and men. That power which is properly divine and the for- mal cause of divine worship is incommunicable, nor can be delegated, nor is in any who is not essentially God. So that the power of Christ and angels being of the same kind, though his be more and greater than theirs as to degrees, they are to be worshipped with the same kind of worship, though he may be worshipped more than they.