266 THE ARIAN INVITED TO ORTHÓ,DOX FAITH. Preserver, or Rewarder, hinders us from considering him also as divine. I perfectly agree to these sentiments. All the Wor- ship that is paid to Christ may be called divine, because the complex object of it has a divine nature, yet I think it cannot always so properly be called supreme and ultimate ; because some of the addresseswhich are made to him who is God, particularly refer to what he has done, and to what he does, as man and Me- diator, which is a subordinate and not a supreme character. Nor can I see any inconvenience in calling this worship mediatorial or subordinate, especially since the New Testament seems to give the most frequent precepts and patterns of that worship which is' due to Christ in his mediatorial character rather than in his pure godhead. I think we may maintain the deity of Christ, and the neces- sity of his deity to render him adorable, without denying that mediatorial worship which seems to be the most natural and ob- vious meaning of several scriptures. And even in the esteem of our opponents, it adds honour and justice to an argument against themselves, when we allowwhat may fairly be allowed, and do not strain the scripture from its most obvious meaning, in order 'to disallow and deny every thing which our opponents have some 'colour toassert. Objection. There is no worship of God the supreme being, according to the gospel, but what must be offered through Christ as a Mediator. No man comes to the Father but by me; John xiv. 6. Now if Christ be worshipped with divine worship as God supreme, who can be the mediator ? So that when I worship him with divine worship as God, I must worshiphim without a medi- ator, which is not according to the gospel. This objection may be answered two ways, viz. By considering Christ the Mediator in his human nature, or in his divine. Answer I. If we consider Christ in his human nature, lie is an all -sufficient Mediator to bringsinners into the favour of God, becausebe has done and suffered every thing that is necessary to procure peace ; and he is united to the divine nature, whence all his mediatorial actions and capacities receive their efficacy. The man Jesus Christ is a Mediator between God and man as the scripture expresses it; 1 Tim. ii. 5. and he may be addressed with religious worship, because he is united to God, or lie is one with God : And yet he,may be thus addressedwith- out another mediator, for nothing in the gospel forbids a sinner to worship God -man, or a man united to God, without any medium. Or, II. If we consider Christ the Mediator in his divine nature, we may address himwith divine and mediatorial worship without tiny other Medium ; for in the character of m.ediator, and as he is united to man, he is not that supreme offended majesty of
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