222 THE ARIAN /NVIT'ïtD TO ORTHODOX FAITH. ago, assume a body that was 'prepared- for it by the' Father thtouyh the pcculit r operation of the Holy Spirit. Upon this account,sometiwes..Christ, or the Son of God, is said to come in the flesh ; at other.tintes'God himself is represented as mani- fest in, the flesh.; sortie expressions referring chiefly. to the god- head, others to'göd-man, or the.soul of Christ in ancient.union with his divine nature. S.ecT. iv.Now, if by such methods of reasoning a disbe- liever of the proper divinity of Christ shall be induced to believe his true godhead, by_virtue of such, a personal union between the man Christ Jesus.and the divine nature, I cannot butthink there is a just foundation laid for a readybelief of all the glori- ous consequent doctrines .of the priesthood and kingdom of Christ; and of the proper and perfect satisfaction of Christ offered to the infinite Majesty ofheaven for all the infinite offers- ces of sinful men. Our blessed Saviour, by this doctrine, is £ürnished with all those divine powers and perfections that are requisite for bis exaltation to the government over all things, since in his person there is the true and eternal godhead united tä ttto man Jesus : And he becomes herebythe.proper object of :ffivitíe worship, considered in his person as God -man. And tihosoever shall believe, and confess this doctrine, has, in my opinion, n Sufficient degree. of 'orthodoxy in this point to be f'ee' iVed into any christian church, although he may have some scruples or difficulties remaining upon his mind, about some opi- 'Inions relating fo ether parts of the doctrine of the Trinity. The most natural and pressing objection which here would arise in the mind is this, " If the divine nature or true God be but one single conscious mind or spirit, and this spirit be united to human nature, or the man Jesus, then does not God the Fa- ther seem to be incarnate ? , Is there not too, great an approach made to that doctrine which was called the heresy of the Saber linos, or the I'atripassians, viz.. That God the Father took flesh, súffered, died, and rose again, and ascended to heaven ?" To this I answer, I, If the sonship of Christ be not referred to his divine na- tnre,'but rather to the extraordinary production of his human nature, or to its personal union with the godhead, or to his office as Messiah, then the name of Father will not import any inter. mil real distinction in tite divine nature or essence, but rather it s< That the notions of. paternity and sonship are not necessary internal dis- unction of the divine essence, but rather economical, external and relative, seems to be the ernse of some learned trioitarians. " Though these three are in the holy:scriptures spoken of under the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and as begetting, begotten andproceeding;. yet still we leave it to those who are wiser, 'ór at least morehold and daring than we, to say, that this does, and to stone afterwards how it doesrelate to the divine essence : For we have no notion of agrenter or lesser in the godhead."See ,r Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity by some London Ministers," page Cl,
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