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way or manner whatfoever derived or communicated from the Father, (for I must own myself loft in thefe Unfearchables) yet I would not make the neceffary Proof of the Divinity of Chrift to depend on fuch a Notion as in the common Language of Mankind implies Derivation and Dependence: and by this means, I think, I better guard this facred Truth from fome of the Cavils that have attended it.

Now if by this Expofition of the Name Son of God I remove any of the great Impediments out of the way of the Arians or Socinians from believing the true Deity of Chrift, then I fhall account myself to have done Service and Honour to that glorious Article of Our Faith.

IV. I would do fomething to take away that Anathema and damning Sentence which fome Parties of Chriftians who believe the Divinity of Chrift have thrown on others, who alfo believe his Divinity, merely for not explaining fome particular Scriptures in the fame way and manner that they do, or for not ufing the fame Arguments to prove his Divinity.

Since 'tis made a Teft for our eternal Salvation in fome Places of Scripture, whether we believe Jefus to be the Son of God, or no; and fince there are now, and have been in former Ages, many Chriftians of great Piety and Worth who doubt of the confubftantial Sonship of Chrift, and the eternal Generation

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of his Perfon, even tho' they believe his true and proper Godhead, I would not willingly encourage the Scripture to be interpreted in fuch a mistaken Senfe, as fhould exclude all these pious and excellent Perfons from Salvation, and forbid them the Kingdom of Heaven. For they may believe him to be true God, and to be alfo the Son of God, tho' they do not believe his Godhead to be owing to his Sonship.

There are fome Perfons who have been fo fevere as to pass a condemning Sentence on all those who deny Chrift the Son, confidered as the Son, to be the true God. I hope they have done it merely thro' Inadvertence, or because they thought it to be utterly impoffible to maintain the Godhead of Chrift upon any other Foot but that of his co-eternal and confubftantial Sonship. But whatsoever be their Reason for fuch unjust Censure, yet I muft confefs I don't love to see Condemnation and everlasting Death thrown upon Persons who believe the fame fcriptural Doctrine of the Deity of Chrift that we do, but choose to explain it another way.

Thus fome of my Motives to this Enquiry are to do Justice to the Truths of God, and fome arife from Charity to the Souls of Men. Nor is my Zeal for the Honour of my Lord Jefus Chrift in the leaft abated; for while I believe him in his complex Perfon to be both the true and eternal God, and also the only

only begotten Son of the Father, and while I profefs him to be withal the great Prophet and Teacher, as well as the Saviour of his Church; I conceive that more Honour is done him by fearching out that true and exact Meaning of his own Words which this heavenly Teacher defigned to convey to us, than by perfuading the World to read his eternal Godhead in thofe Places where he did not defign to reveal and exprefs it to Men.

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Did the Difciples of Chrift fully believe that he was the true God during his Life-time, or not till after his Death and Refurrection?

IN

N order to folve this Question, let us make thefe following Enquiries, viz.

I. What Notion the Jews had of their Meffiah in general.

II. What Ideas or Notions Chrift taught his Difciples concerning himself.

III. What Apprehenfions or Notions the Difciples received and imbraced concerning Chrift.

IV. What Indications they may be fuppo fed to give tending toward the Belief of his

Godhead.

V. What Indications they give of their Ignorance or Doubt of it, or at leaft what Evidences there are of the Fluctuation and Uncertainty of their Faith in that matter.

Now, by balancing these things one with another, we may at last come to form fome true Judgment about the prefent Question.

SECT.

SECT. I. The Jews old Opinion concerning the Meffiah.

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WHAT Notion had the Jews in general concerning their Meffiah?

Anfw. Tho' the Old Teftament furnished them with fufficient Prophecies concerning his divine and human Nature,his fpiritualKingdom, his Sufferings, his Death and Refurrection from the Dead, yet fo wretchedly blinded were they with the corrupt Gloffes of their Teachers, and with their own foolish Prejudices, that they did agree in no Notion concerning the Meffiah more univerfally than in thefe falfe and miftaken ones, viz. That he was to be a glorious temporal Prince, that he was never to fuffer, nor to die, and confequently not to rife again, and that he was to exalt their Nation equal to or beyond its ancient Grandeur, and to raise them to a temporal Sovereignty over all the Nations of the Earth.

And the Difciples themfelves were fo rooted in these mistaken Notions, that nothing could quite cure them but the actual Death and Refurrection of Chrift, his Afcent to Heaven, and his pouring down the enlightning Spirit at the Days of Pentecoft. For we find it evident enough, that the two Sons of Zebedee, James and John, hoped to be made great Minifters of State, and fit at his Right-hand and at his left in a temporal Kingdom, Mat. 20. 21. We read that when our Lord spoke

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