compared with Ephef. 4. as afcending on high, leading Captivity captive, and receiving Gifts for Men. He is God. manifeft in the Flesh, or a Man in whom dwells all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily. He is the Word who was with God, who was God, and who was made Flesh, and tabernacled among Men. 2 Col. 9. John 1. 1, 14. and 1 Tim. 3. 16.

Now this near, intimate and unspeakable Union between the Man Jefus and one eternal God lays a fufficient Foundation for divine Names, Titles, Attributes, Worship and Honours to be afcribed to Jefus Chrift the Son of God. He and the Father are one, John 10.30. i. e. fo united, that one Godhead is in both by this Union. He is in the Father and the Father in him. 'Tis the Father in him that doth his wondrous Works. John 14. 10. He was in the beginning with the Father: The Word was with God, and the Word was God, John 1. 1.

9. With regard to the bleffed Spirit of God, tho' I think true Godhead is afcribed to him, and perfonal Actions are fometimes attributed to him in Scripture, yet as we are not exprefly, plainly, and particularly inform'd, whether he be a really diftin&t Principle or Power in God, or has a proper diftinct Perfonality of himself, fo neither are we exprefly required to worship him in any Text of the Bible that I can find. Nevertheless, as divine Attributes and Actions, and fome

times perfonal Characters are afcribed to the Spirit of God in the Language of Scripture, I think the Reason of things fufficiently authorizes and allows religious or divine Worship to be paid to him, tho' we may not precifely know the Manner how he is God, or how far he is a diftinct Perfon.

10. What particular Diftinctions may be in the Godhead or Divine Nature itself, and how great thefe Diftinctions may be, Scripture does not fo evidently affert, nor fo clearly explain them to us. And in this place I would not on the one hand go beyond Scripture, nor on the other hand would I talk without Ideas. But fo far as I have represented this Matter of Divine Worship, I think there are Ideas, and those borrow'd from Scripture too, which go along with my Words all the way; and I must acknowledge this is the cleareft Conception I can arrive at in reprefenting this Subject, after many Years Study of the Scripture and much Prayer for divinc Inftruction.

11. If we could once perfuade ourselves to try to read every Scripture that relates to the Doctrine of the Trinity as placed in this Light, without any prejudicate Opinions derived from other human Schemes, I think that Doctrine would be found much more cafy and intelligible than it is generally made; and the Worfhip of the only true God would ftand af certained and confirmed ; and yet Jefus Chrift

M 2

the

the Son of God being one with the Father, or being God and Man in one complex Person, might become the Object of religious Worfhip, according to the Representations of Scripture, and without any Offence to human Reafon.

12. If this be the true State of things, then the one eternal God abides ftill the only Object of Worship; whether he be confidered as abfolute in himself under the Character of the Father of all, or as united to the Man Jefus Chrift, and dwelling in him by a perfonal Union. Thus the Father and the Son are both worshipped, but when the Son is worshipped, 'tis as one with the Father, and to the Glory of the Father, Phil. 2. 11.

And among other Reafons this is one, why it has pleafed the Father that all the Fulnefs of the Godhead should dwell in him bodily, Col. 2. 9. that being fo nearly united to God, or one with him, he might be a proper Object of Divine Worfhip together with the Father. Rev. 5, 14. Bleffing and Honour, Glory and Power be to him that fitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever. ·

QUESTION

165

QUESTION VIII.

What is the Worship paid to our Blef fed Saviour, who is the Image of God?

Prop. I

PropT

HERE is fomething in the Reason and Nature of Man that directs and inclines him to own and worship fome God, or some fuperior Being, from whom himself and all his Enjoyments are derived, and on whom his Expectations depend.

Prop. II. Reason and Revelation confpire to teach us that there is but one true God.

Prop. III. This one true God has required exprefly in his Word, that he alone fhould be the Object of our Worfhip or religious Homage: and 'tis feveral times repeated with much Solemnity in the Old Testament and in the New.

Prop. IV. There is fomething in the Nature of Man that inclines him to reverence and respect the Image of that Being which he worships: And the reafon is evident; becaufe the Image is fuppofed to be fomething more M 3 within

within the reach of his Senfes, and therefore more fuited to his Bodily Nature, than God who is the fpiritual and unfeen Object of his Worship: Or at least, because he can have the Image fenfibly prefent with him when he has not the Original: and the Image being supposed to have the Likeness or Refemblance of the original Object of Worship, it refreshes the Memory and brings to mind the Excellencies of the Divine Original.

If we love or honour a Friend, a Father, or a King, we defire to have their Pictures or Images near us, we pay a fort of Efteem, Love and Veneration to thofe Pictures, upon the account of their Likeness to the original Perfons and we also pay our Efteem, Love and Veneration to the abfent Original by the Means or Medium of these Pictures.

'Tis from this Principle that the Heathens in all Nations, who have worshipped the Sun, Moon, and Stars, or their Kings, Heroes and Ancestors, have generally made Pictures and Images of them, and either reverenced and worshipped the Images or worshipped the Originals in and by thofe Images, or both. And for this Reason, in the corrupt Antichriftian State, they did not only worship the Beaft with feven Heads and ten Horns, but they made an Image thereof and worshipped it.

Rev. 13.

Prop. V. God has exprefly forbidden Men to make any Image of himself and worship