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as well might it be concluded that the materials of the tabernacle and temple in which the divine presence was in olden time manifested, participated and partook of divinity. As the intellect and soul of man, becomes flesh, so the divine nature "became flesh," or as it is expressed, in other words, "took upon him human nature, the seed of Abraham."

Our views of it are, and we think it not unscriptural, that the divine Word which came forth of God, found a body prepared. And that probably at the mysterious conception of the virgin, the mysterious union of the divine nature with the human nature commenced. Or in other words, the divinity took upon him the seed of woman, through Abraham, and became marvelously joined to the immortal part of the man Jesus; and became thereby an anti-type of the divine presence in the tabernacle and the temple. Therefore as Christ said "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." In order to the more perfect disclosure of the purposes, and of the promises, and of the redeeming love of the divine spirit, and of the union between the Father and Son, man must be brought into a state of greater nearness to the Word, as it is in the flesh; and in order to this, the system must be progressive, for it is in procession that finite minds can know or approximate to God. We are therefore brought back to the starting point, to settle down in the belief of our article of faith; that is, Jesus Christ possessed two whole natures, human and divine, that is to say, the God-head and manhood whereof is one Christ, very God, and very man.

Perhaps the reader may wonder, why we have followed and wandered after Mr. Millard, in some

of our modes of reasoning. We answer, the greatest of all consequences turn on these points. For if that which is spiritual and rational, and incorporeal is indivisible in its nature, then surely Jesus Christ possessed the fullness of the Godhead, naturally and inherently in himself-this is a natural consequence, if he is the proper Son of

God in any sense.

Mr. Millard observes in his 78th page- "the whole dispute may now be reduced to this single question, is Jesus Christ, properly the Son of God, and as such, a being distinct from his Father." We answer, we think Mr. Millard under a great mistake, for we think his question is not a single one, but contains at least three distinct ideas.

To that part, whether Jesus Christ is properly the Son of God, we answer in the affirmative, that we firmly believe he is. How far he is a distinct being from the Father, and how far they are united, and what this union is, is quite another question. And not only so, but whether the Son of God, which you acknowledge to be of the sub stance of the Father, can be changed into flesh, in the womb of the virgin, and die, is another question. We agree with you, therefore, in the first particular, but dissent from the last particulars, for the reasons already assigned.

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CHAPTER II.

Examination of the Trinitarian doctrine of incárnátic continued.

WE will now take leave of Mr. Millard fo short time, and turn our attention to Doct. Ada Clarke's doctrine; Doct. Clarke is professedly Trinitarian, and has written a large and able co mentary on the whole Bible. Mr. Millard is Unitarian. But when we compare their co ments together doctrine of the prop Sonship of Jesus Christ, they perfectly agree. We have thought it proper, therefore, here, transcribe, two of the Doctor's notes at full leng as our object is truth. This seems to be necess ry, that by comparison, we may be able to see what particular points they agree; and wheth it is a point which the scriptures support. If no we know of no names among men, which ca consecrate errors, and gain for them belief.

The Doctor's notes follow, viz: Matthew, cha ter 1, verse 20-"That which is conceived formed) in her"-"So I think the (Hebrew word should be translated in this place: as it appea that the human nature of Jesus Christ, was a re creation in the womb of the Virgin, by the Powe of the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord me tioned here, was probably the angel Gabriel, wh six months before, had been to Zacharias, and E lizabeth, to announce the birth of Christ's fore runner, John the Baptist."

Luke, chapter 1, verse 35-“ The Holy Ghost, shall come upon thee."

"This conception shall take place suddenly, and the Holy Spirit himself shall be the grand operator. The power, the miracle working power, of the Most High shall overshadow thee, to accomplish this purpose, and to protect thee from danger. As there is a plain allusion to the Spirit of God brooding over the face of the waters to render them prolific, Gen. 1,2. I am the more firmly established in the opinion advanced, on Matthew, 1, 20, that the rudiments of the human nature of Christ was a real creation in the womb of the Virgin by the energy of the spirit of God.

"Therefore also that he thin (or person) shall be called the Son of God.

"We may plainly perceive here, that the angel does not give the appellation of Son of God, to the divine nature of Christ; but to that holy person or thing which was to be born of the Virgin, by the energy of the Holy Spirit. The divine nature could not be born of the Virgin; the human nature was born of her. The divine nature had no beginning; it was God manifested in the flesh. 1st Timothy, 3, 16-It was that Word which being in the beginning (from eternity) with God, John, 1, 2, was afterwards made flesh, (became manifest in human nature) and tabernacled among us, John, 1, 14. Of this divine nature the Angel does not particularly speak here, but of the tabernacle or shrine which God was now preparing for it, viz. the holy thing, that was to be born of the Virgin. Two natures must ever be distinguished in Christ: the human nature, in reference to which he is the Son of God, and inferior to him, Mark x, 32, John v, 19, xiv,

28, and the divine nature which was from eternity, and equal to God, John 1, 1, and 10, 30; Rom. 9, 5; Col. 1, 16-18. It is true, that to Jesus Christ, as he appeared among men, every characteristic of the divine nature is sometimes attributed, without appearing to make any distinction between the divine and human natures; but is there any part of the scriptures, in which it is plainly said that the divine nature of Jesus was the Son God? Here I trust I may be permitted to say, with all due respect for those who differ rom me, that the doctrine of the Eternal Sonship of Christ, is, in my opinion, anti-scriptural, and highly dangerous; this doctrine I reject for the following reasons:

"1st, I have not been able to find any express declaration in the scriptures concerning it.

"2dly, If Christ be the Son of God, as to his divine nature, then he cannot be eternal: for Son implies a Father; and Father implies, in reference to Son, precedency in time, if not in nature too. Father and Son imply the idea of generation; and generation implies a time in which it was effected, and time also antecedent to such generation.

"3dly, If Christ be the Son of God, as to his divine nature, then the Father is of necessity prior, consequently superior to him.

"4thly, Again, if this divine nature were begotten of the Father, then it must be in time, i. e. there was a period in which it did not exist, and a period when it began to exist. This destroys the eternity of our blessed Lord, and robs him at once of his God-head.

"5thly, To say that he was begotten from all eternity, is in my opinion, absurd; and the phrase eternal Son, is a positive self-contradiction. Eter

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