existence, or how could they be inspired by any other Spirit than the Spirit of God, as we are repeatedly assured by these holy men themselves? The incredulity of St. Thomas procured him, from his most merciful and indulgent Master, ocular demonstration of his corporeal existence after death: the expression, "My Lord, and my God," was not an exclamation of surprize, such were not common among the Jews, neither made use of in their speech, nor appropriate to the times; it was an acknowledgement of his Lord's Divinity, which our Saviour did not disclaim; he approved rather than repressed the fervor of his expression. How natural it would have been for a pious man to have said, "Thomas, I am indeed "thy Lord and Master, risen from the dead,

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a great prophet, and a divine teacher, sent "into the world by the immediate appoint"ment of the Almighty, but I am not thy "God."

"God." Christ repeatedly told his Disciples, that he came down from Heaven into this world, that he should leave this world, and return unto the Father, God Almighty, and that he had a glory with this Supreme "Being before the world was." Such are some of the testimonies of those who were personally acquainted with Christ upon earth, whose lives were virtuous, humble, and disinterested; whose writings are void of vanity, superstition, credulity and enthusiasm; who spake forth the words of truth and soundness of mind; and who sealed their declarations with their blood.

The other Apostles give additional testimony to the divinity of our Lord, especially St. Paul, whose conversion from a persecutor, to become one of the persecuted, cannot but have the greatest weight, and be deemed most extraordinary and miraculous. He calls our Saviour "The Lord

❝ from

" from Heaven." He declares that in "him dwells all the fullness of the God"head bodily.* That as he was in the "form of God, he thought it not robbery "to be equal with God;" it was no assumption of another's dignity and prerogative, but his own clear and unquestionable right. It is true, also, at the same time, "that he made himself of no repu"tation," but took upon him the form of a servant, "and being found in fashion

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as a man," he suffered the ignominious death of a malefactor, despising the disgrace of crucifixion. We must acknowledge, that the Godhead of Christ is maintained in the New Testament, or utterly pervert the common construction of language.

Let us now proceed to the second head, and endeavour to shew that Christ is the Son of God. I grant that in all

* Somaticôs, corporeo modo; substantially, really, and personally. nations

nations and times of the world, God has been addressed in prayer, as the All-beneficent, and Almighty Father of mankind; that in the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament, men are called the sons and the children of God; but who but Christ was ever called, "The only be66 gotten and beloved Son of God?""* But his peculiar and exclusive filiation will be seen in the following passages: "That no "man knoweth the Father, the Lord of "Heaven and earth, save the Son, and

he to whomsoever the Son will reveal "him ;" and more, "That no man know"eth this Son, but the Father." These words evidently declare, that there is something inexplicably mysterious in the nature

* I should be extremely obliged to any translator to tell me where he finds authority for rendering monogenees adopted, or gennao to adopt, because in all the instances I have ever seen, when applied to a man, it significs to beget, or be the father of; to a woman, to bring forth a child, or to be the mother of.

and

and person of Christ. When Simon Peter affirms him to be, "The Christ, the Son "of the Blessed," Jesus tells him, that neither his own ideas, nor the suggestions of other men, had put this into his mind, but the immediate inspiration of his Heavenly Father; and "Blessed art thou Simon "Barjona for such an assertion;" for what? are we to suppose forsooth, that he only meant that Christ was a great prophet, and an inspired teacher, a holy man, which surely Peter's own observation, or that of any other person about Christ, might have told him. Was this a declaration of such importance, that our Saviour was to build his Church upon it? In the same chapter Christ says, that "he shall come in the "glory of his Father, with his Angels." The transfiguration of Christ upon the mount; the voice from the cloud, declaring him the beloved Son; the Spirit of God descending