Many will think these hard sayings: But I think it no breach of charity to affirm, that an _Arian_ or _Socinian_ cannot be a christian. The one would make us believe JESUS CHRIST is only a _created_ God, which is a self-contradiction: and the other would have us look on him only as a good man; and instead of owning his death to be an atonement for the sins of the world, would persuade us, that CHRIST died only to seal the truth of his doctrine with his blood. But if JESUS CHRIST be no more than a mere man, if he be not truly GOD, he was the vilest sinner that ever appeared in the world. For he accepted of divine adoration from the man who had been born blind, as we read _John_ ix. 38. “And he said, LORD I believe, and worshipped him.” Besides, if CHRIST be not properly GOD, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins: for no created being, though of the highest order, could possibly merit any thing at GOD’s hands: it was our LORD’s divinity, that alone qualified him to take away the sins of the world; and therefore we hear St. _John_ pronouncing so positively, that “the Word (JESUS CHRIST) was not only with GOD, but was GOD.” For the like reason, St. _Paul_ says, “that he was in the form of GOD: That in him dwelt all the fulness of the godhead bodily.” Nay, JESUS CHRIST assumed ♦the title which GOD gave to himself, when he sent _Moses_ to deliver his people _Israel_. “Before _Abraham_ was, I AM.” And again, “I and my father are one.” Which last words, though our modern infidels would evade and wrest, as they do other scriptures, to their own damnation, yet it is evident that the _Jews_ understood our LORD, when he spake thus, as making himself equal with GOD; otherwise, why did they stone him as a blasphemer? And now, why should it be thought a breach of charity, to affirm, that those who deny the divinity of JESUS CHRIST, in the strictest sense of the word, cannot be christians? For they are greater infidels than the devils themselves, who confessed that they knew who he was, “even the holy one of GOD.” They not only believe, but, which is more than the unbelievers of this generation do, they tremble. And was it possible for arch-hereticks, to be released from their chains of darkness, under which (unless they altered their principles before they died) they are now reserved to the judgment of the great day, I am persuaded they would inform us, how hell had convinced them of the divinity of JESUS CHRIST, and that they would advise their followers to abhor their principles, lest they should come into the same place, and thereby increase each others torments.
♦ duplicate word “the” removed
But, _Secondly_, What think you of the manhood or incarnation of JESUS CHRIST? For CHRIST was not only GOD, but he was GOD and man in one person. Thus runs the text and context, “When the Pharisees were gathered together, JESUS asked them, saying, What think ye of CHRIST? Whose Son is he? They say unto him, The Son of _David_. How then, says our divine master, does _David_ in spirit call him LORD?” From which passage it is evident, that we do not think rightly of the person of JESUS CHRIST, unless we believe him to be perfect GOD and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
For it is on this account that he is called CHRIST, or the _anointed one_, who through his own voluntary offer was set apart by the father, and strengthened and qualified by the anointing or communication of the Holy Ghost, to be a mediator between Him and offending man.
The reason why the Son of GOD took upon him our nature, was, the fall of our first parents. I hope there is no one present so atheistical, as to think, that man made himself: no, it was GOD that made us, and not we ourselves. And I would willingly think, that no one is so blasphemous as to suppose, that if GOD did make us, he made us such creatures as we now find ourselves to be. For this would be giving GOD’s word the lie, which tells us, that “in the image of GOD (not in the image which we now bear on our souls) made he man.” As GOD made man, so GOD made him perfect. He placed him in the garden of _Eden_, and condescended to enter into a covenant with him, promising him eternal life, upon condition of unsinning obedience; and threatening eternal death, if he broke his law, and did eat the forbidden fruit.