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TH

CHA P. II.

Of the Paternity of God.

HAT there is one felfexiftent, infinitly perfect and glorious Being, the Author and Preferver, not only of Man, but alfo of all other Beings whatfoever, which Being we call GOD; I fhall not prove. This Task your excellent De monftration, for which the Chriftian World will ever be your Debtor, has rendred perfectly needlefs.

But then, the Word God has alfo been us'd in other Senfes. Such Beings as deriv'd their very Existence from the One felfexiftent Being; nay, the mere Creatures of human Invention, which never did exift at all, have been dignify'd with that Appellation. And accordingly the Apoftle fays, there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be Gods many and Lords many, 1 Cor. 8. Wherefore, that the One felfexiftent Being may effectually be diftinguifh'd from all thofe other Beings, which are Gods in Name only,and not really fuch; I fhall frequently call him the very or true God.

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Now this very God is, in the holy Scriptures, frequently call'd the Father; and that upon different Accounts. I fhall not be curious in the Specification of them. 'Tis fufficient to obferve, 1. That he is confeffedly the Father, not only of all Mankind, but even of the Universe; because he created all Things, and they owe their Existence to him. So that whatsoever is, befides himself, proceeds from him, and he is therefore the Father of it. 2. That he is alfo confeffedly the Father of Chri

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Christians, by reafon of that Covenant which he makes with them in and thro' our Savior Jefus Chrift, whereby we become his Children, not by Creation (for fuch are all Mankind) but by Adoption; that is, he receives us into his particular Grace and Favor, by which we are entitled to fuch ineftimable Benefits, as we could not claim by that Relation to him which his bare Creation gives us. Thus the Apoftle fays, For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jefus, Gal. 3. 26.

But then, as the very God is the Father of all Mankind in general, and of Chriftians in particular; fo is he, in an especial Manner, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, whom the holy Scriptures do commonly ftile the Son of God in an emphatical Manner, and the Only Begotten of the Father; which Phrafes do neceffarily imply, that the Lord Jefus Chrift is the Son of the very God, and confequently the very God is the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, in fome peculiar and extraordinary Senfe.

Briefly therefore, The very God is the Father of all Mankind by a general Paternity, of all Chriftians by a particular or federal Paternity, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift by a Special Paternity.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

Of the Union of the Divine and Human Natures in our Lord Jefus Chrift.

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OW for the better understanding of this wonderful Relation between the very God and our Lord Jefus Chrift, which arifes from the fpecial Paternity of the very God, and confequently the fpecial Filiation of Jefus Chrift our Lord, it must be remembred, that our Lord Jefus Chrift has a twofold Nature united in him. :

First, the ay, or WORD of God, which was with God, and is God, was made Flesh, or was incarnat, and dwelt among us, in the Perfon of our Lord Jefus Chrift. This is not only taught by your felf, but exprefly afferted by St. John, Ch. 1. . I, 14, 15. That this WORD is abundantly fuperior to, and confequently quite different from, an human Soul, you conftantly fuppofe, and therefore you will not defire me to prove. Whether this WORD is the very God, or a Secondary Being, that derives his Existence from the One felfexiftent Being or very God, I do not at prefent inquire. This is certain, and allow'd by your felf, that the WORD is fuperior to all created Beings whatsoever. For all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made, John 1. 3. And fince you know and maintain, that the WORD is exprefly call'd God, therefore I join with you in calling the WORD the Divine Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Secondly, Our Lord Jefus Chrift is very Man, confifting of an human Body and an human Soul.

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That our Lord Jefus Chrift has an human Body, is agreed between us. And indeed, 'tis as certain, as that Julius Cæfar had one. For we have the fame Evidence of both. But perhaps we are not agreed that he has an human Soul: at leaft you do not once affirm it. You (a) fay, On which fide foever that Question (viz. whether the Divine Nature fupply'd the Place of the Human Soul in Chrift) be determined,it makes no Alteration at all in my Scheme. And therefore, to avoid all needlefs Difficulties, I neither affirmed nor fuppofed any thing, which will not bold equally true upon either Hypothefis. Whether your Doctrin may be maintain'd with equal Advantage upon either Hypothefis, I do not at prefent difpute. But 'tis plain, you have not appear'd willing to speak Your Thoughts freely about this Matter; and therefore, fince I think it of Importance with refpect to the Controverfy, you will give me leave briefly to offer fome of my Thoughts.

I obferve therefore, 1. That no Argument can be drawn from Reafon against our Savior's having an human Soul. His Actions never difcover'd the Want of it. And therefore we muft intirely depend upon the Holy Scriptures for the Determination of this Point. 2. That the Holy Scriptures do not fo much as once exprefly fay, that our Savior had not an human Soul, There is not one Text alleg'd for that Purpose, that I know of. 3. That tho' the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and confequently was united to an human Body; yet this does not prove, that our Lord had not an human Soul. For the WORD might as well be united both to an human Body and to an human Soul, as to an human Body without an human Soul.

(4) Anfwer to the Bishop of Chefter, p. 219.

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Wherefore we have no reafon to deny our Savior an human Soul, altho' the WORD was incarnat.

But the Holy Scriptures, not only do not deliver, but manifeftly oppofe, and overthrow this Conceit. For as 'twas ever believ'd, that a Man confifts of an human Soul and an human Body united (fo that if either of these integral Parts be wanting, the Man, that is, a true, perfect, and proper Man, is not) fo the Holy Scriptures, which by a Man do understand fuch a compounded Nature, do reprefent our Savior as a Man, as fully, plainly, and clearly,as any one other Man in the World. He is without a Figure,and not in any borrow'd Senfe,exprefly ftiled area and ave, that is,a Man,both by himself and the Sacred Writers. He himself faies, But now ye Seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God, John 8. 40. And elsewhere he makes him as much a Man, and a Man in the fame Senfe, as was Adam himself, faying, for fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive, 1 Cor. 15.21, 22. And again, the first man is of the earth, earthy: the fecond man is the Lord from beaven, V. 47. Nay, he gives him the very Name of Adam, faying, the first man Adam was made a living Soul, the laft Adam was made a quickning Spirit, v. 45. Nay, 'tis very observable, that the Apostle declares him to be as much a Man, and a Man of the very fame Kind, as we our felves in general are. For fays he, But not as the offence, fo alfo is the free gift: for if through the offence of one, many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jefus Chrift,bath abounded (eis avès) unto many, that is, unto many Men, Rom. 5. 15. So that our Lord Jefus Chrift is as truly a Man as any of our felves;

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