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consistent with the whole tenor of the Gospel, and which do not admit any contrary interpretation without violence to sense and language. They can hardly be, by this time, unknown to the Unitarians. And we cannot be too much on our guard against imitating the conduct of presumptuous men, who strive to uphold the opinions which they have taken up, in contradiction to the general teaching of God's word, by overstrained constructions of insulated and detached expressions of holy Writ. Such has ever been the infidel's constant method, and indeed their only shadow of support from Scripture; a support which, before heedless eyes, they may set up in appearance, while they are wresting the word of God to their own destruction. The truth of this question which they raise, concerning the Deity or manhood of him who is ordained to be the Judge of all the earth, cannot stand or fall alone. It is inseparably connected with the whole Christian faith, being placed on the same test with our Saviour's Godhead, namely, the resurrection of him from the dead. Against the gene

ral and harmonious evidence of the whole Gospel, the Unitarian arrays a few selected and mutilated passages, which, if taken singly, may bear a sound which shall seem to concur with his favourite opinions; and he rests his whole system on them, without taking into the account the tenor of our Saviour's doctrine in general, as delivered by himself and his Apostles. Those single passages, like all others, are best explained in that sense which the context, and general tenor of the Scripture in which they are placed, manifestly points out. But the doctrine which contradicts the unbeliever's construction of them, cannot be so overthrown; for it is the uniform doctrine of the Christian revelation. Every thing in Scripture points to the same evidence: “ If "these," as said our Saviour to the Pharisees, who were, like the Unitarians, unbelievers in his Godhead, "If these should "hold their peace, the stones would im"mediately cry out." The Socinians must know, that their method of torturing the words of Scripture, in order to force a particular interpretation upon them, would

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not be endured, if they were so to treat the common writings of men. And they shew more respect for their own conceits, than for God's revelations, when they force and misconstrue his holy word, that they may represent it as utterly inconsistent with itself, rather than bend their pride to bow to a doctrine which they cannot comprehend, though it be plainly revealed, and expressly sanctioned by the word of the Most High'.

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Bishop Pearson observes, on the question of the nature of Christ our Judge, "There is an original, supreme, autocratorical, judiciary power. There is a "judiciary power derived, delegated, given by commis"sion. Christ, as God, hath the first, together with the "Father and the Holy Ghost. Christ, as man, hath “the second, from the Father expressly, from the Holy "Ghost concomitantly; for the Father hath given him "authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son "of man."" Pearson on the Creed, Art. vii.

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Chrysostom, on a question of the punctuation of John v. 27. shews what the Church then held on this point: Ου yap δια τετο ελαβε κρισιν ότι ανθρωπος εςι, (επι τι εκωλυε παντας ανθρώπους είναι κριτας;) αλλ' επειδη της αρρητου εσίας εκείνης εςιν υἱος, δια τουτο εςι κριτης,

&c.

Theophylact says the same: Την γαρ κρισιν δεδωκε τω Υἱῳ ὁ Πατήρ, ουκ ότι Υιος ανθρωπου εςι, αλλ' ότι Θεος, &c. Potestatem dedit ei et judicium facere quoniam filius hominis est. Puto nihil esse manifestius. Nam quia

Filius Dei est æqualis Patri, non accipit hanc potestatem judicii faciendi, sed habet illam cum Patre in occulto. Accipit autem illam, ut boni et mali eum videant judicantem, quia filius hominis est. Augustin. de Trin. lib. i.

c. 13.

SERMON VI.

ON THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE.

2 TIM. iii. 16.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. WHATEVER be the errors or heresies

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which have at any time intruded themselves into the Church of Christ, and how far soever they may have gone astray from its genuine faith, yet all have been contented to shelter themselves under the aùthority of holy Scripture. Others, whoever they be, who have set forth strange doctrines, have been satisfied with bringing, by art and contrivance, certain insulated and detached passages in support of their theories; and though this was done in violation of its uniform tenor and general precept, yet they seldom ventured to

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