صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

deformity which neceffarily attends an hypothefis, that is contrary to Divine Revelation and the spirit of true religion. This is my duty, and one end of my miniftry. I ought not to omit any thing, which appears to be a lawful and probable mean of convincing them that oppofe the truth, and of reclaiming thofe who have wandered from the path of duty. But it is far from being my defign to ufe hyperbolical expreffions and declamatory language, in order to give an hideous defcription of a disguised doctrine. My intention is, to adduce fuch arguments from the Scripture as are pertinent and conclufive, and to propofe them in a plain manner; having recourfe to the Divine teftimony and right reafon, for the establishment of truth and the confutation of error.-May the WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR enlighten the mind and guide the pen of the writer! that this work may redound to the glory of GOD MY SAVIOUR and prove a bleffing to all its readers. Amen.

SECTION

SECTION I.

IF JESUS CHRIST BE NOT THE TRUE GOD, OF
THE SAME ESSENCE WITH HIS FATHER,
THE MAHOMETAN RELIGION IS PREFERA-
BLE TO THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION,
JESUS CHRIST INFERIOR TO MAHOMET.

CHAP. I.

AND

If JESUS CHRIST be not of the fame effence with his Father, the Christianity we profess is a corruption of the Chriftian religion, and Mahometanism the re-establishment of it.

TH

HAT there is an infinite diftance between the Creator and the creature, is a principle of natural religion. God cannot, therefore, without the moft hateful impiety, be treated as a creature; nor can a creature, without damnable idolatry, be treated as God. If, then, Jefus Chrift be the Creator, he cannot be faid, without impiety, to be a mere creature: and, if he be a mere creature, he cannot, without idoJatry, be acknowledged as God. Confequently, if we who confider him, as of one effence with the Father, and the eternal God, be under a mistake, we cannot be cleared from a charge of idolatry, fince it is as fuch that we worship him.

We could not juftify our conduct, by faying; We fincerely believe Him to be God; fo that though there is an error in our judgment, yet there is no infidelity in our hearts, our worship being directed to God only.' For the fame reafon might ferve to excufe all idolaters paft,

[ocr errors]

B 3

prefent,

prefent, and future. The Heathens, who worhipped their Jupiter, really believed him to be God, and their acts of worship were intentionally referred to the Supreme Being; yet they were not the lefs idolatrous on that account.

Nor ought we to imagine that a creature, on account of its fuperior excellence, may become the object of worship, which it would not be lawful to give to one of an inferior order. For they who worship the stars, are as really idolaters, as thofe that worship wood and ftone; and they who worship angels, as those that worship the ftars because idolatry does not confift, in rendering Divine honours to a creature that is comparatively low in the fcale of dependant existence; but in addreffing them to a mere creature.

Here it will be faid, "It may be lawful to worship a creature, whom God is pleased to inveft with his glory; as it is lawful to pay extraordinary honours to a fubject, to whom the king orders they should be paid.'-But then it must be granted, that it is never lawful to worship a creature, as the true God; any more than it is to honour a fubject, by treating him as the real fovereign. I may venture to affert, that God neither would, nor could part with this character of his glory, in favour of another. He could not: For it is impoffible that He only fhould be the true God, and that another, who has not his effence, fhould be fo too. He would not: For how could he will a thing, which, being contrary to the truth, is contrary to his nature?-Suppofe, then, that Chrift is God's reprefentative, and that it is as fuch he is an ob ject of worship; yet, not being God, he cannot, without manifeft idolatry, be worshipped as God,

Again Idolatry is a crime which violates the law of God and deftroys the spirit of piety: it is directly oppofite to the two great ends of religion; which are, the glory of God, and the falvation of our fouls. As to the former, it evidently robs JEHOVAH of his glory, and invefts a creature with it. As to the latter, the spirit of infallibility has declared, that "idolaters fhall "not inherit the kingdom of God."

Hence it follows, that the Christianity we profefs, is a corruption of the Christian religion; and that Mahometanifm is the re-establishment of it. For if Chriftianity, in its primitive purity, represent and treat Jefus Christ as a mere creature; we corrupt and fubvert it, when we confider and worship him, as the true God. If, then, the religion of those who worship him as the Supreme Being, be a corruption of Chriftianity; the Mahometan religion, which reprefents God as infinitely fuperior to Jefus Chrift, muft be, in this refpect, the re-establishment of it.

[ocr errors]

We have been told, indeed, by Epifcopius, • That the Christian religion is not a fcience of ⚫ bare contemplation, but a practical knowledge; · and, that it confifts in obedience, rather than in any abftracted fpeculations on the Deity.' I grant the principle, but deny that it is pertinently applied in the cafe before us. What, are those fentiments mere fpeculations, which are of such importance, that we are guilty of idolatry, if they be falfe, and our adverfaries of blafphemy, if they be true!

If our Lord be of the fame effence with his Father; or, in other words, if he be God by nature; he ought to be adored as fuch: and our opponents cannot, without the greatest impiety, refuse to acknowledge and worship him under

B 4

that

Sect. I. that moft exalted character. But if he be not of one effence with the Father, we cannot confider and addrefs him as the true God, without being guilty of idolatry. So that that the great queftion here is, How may we avoid impiety, on the one hand; and idolatry, on the other? confequently, it is practical and of the highest importance.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The learned Arminian juft mentioned, labours much, therefore, to little purpose, when he endeavours to prove; That it is not effential to falvation to know, whether Jefus Chrift be a Divine Perfon, by eternal generation; or whether, being a mere creature, he be called God, on account of his miniftry.' For, to prove that the knowledge of these things is not cffential, he muft not only fhew, that the Socinians may, without being idolaters, worfhip one whom they believe to be a mere man, by nature; but also, that we, without the guilt of idolatry, may adore Jefus Chrift AS GOD, though he be not fo in reality. If our belief of the eternal generation and confubftantiality of the Son of God, betray us into idolatry; nothing can be more fundamental, or more neceffary, than a knowledge of those questions which refpect his generation and confubftantiality. But it is certain, that our doctrine, upon this fubject, does lead us into idolatry, if we be in an error, as to the doctrine itself. For if Chrift be not of the fame effence with his Father, he is not God: and if so, we cannot place him on the throne of God, by paying divine honours to him, without manifeft idolatry.

Nor have we any excufe, by which to extenuate the impiety of our conduct. For, were we to fay, That we worship him as the Supreme Being, because we verily believe him to be fo;'

[ocr errors]

the

« السابقةمتابعة »