306 QUESTIONS CONCERNING JESUS. study of near 1400 years, is so inconceivable in itself, and was at first so obscurely revealed ; much less can I suppose this notion of the Soli of God could be made a necessary and fundamental article in those dawnings of the gospel-day. Besides, 3. There have been some very pious and learned men in several ages, who have acknowledgedChrist's true godhead, and yet have supposed that the sonshipof Christ referred rather to his human nature, or to his office of Messiah, than to such an eternal generation and consubstantial sonship : And there are some in our age who have given sufficient proofs of their good learning, and sincere piety, who heartily believe the eternal godhead of Christ, and yet doubt or disbelieve,this eter- nal generation and derivation of his person, as God, and I will never pronounce an anathema upon them. Objection I. But some will say, " If the naine Son of God cloth not signify eternal generation by the Father in the sameness of the divine essence or substance, yet surely it must at leastitn- port Christ's true and eternal godhead." AnswerI. This name son and sons of God is often used in the bible, and applied variously to men and to angels as well as to Christ : but it is never used in any one place to signify true and eternal godhead that I can find, unless it be in those very places which are at present under debate. And thereforewhen Christ is called eminently and absolutely the Son of God, the meaning of it does not necessarily rise higher than that he is the most eminent of all other beings, men or angels, that are called sons of. God, without a certain determination whether he be true God, or no, by the mere use of that name. II. This name Son of God cannot necessarily signify his true godhead any otherwise, than by supposing it primarily to signify his co-essential sonship or that he is a Son of the same nature and essence with the Father, even as a son among men has the same specificai essence with his father, and then conse- quentially that theSon of God is true God, becausehis Father is so. Now, we have before proved, that this name cannot neces- sarily signify his co-essential or consubstantial sonship, and there- fore it cannot necessarily signify his true godhead. III. It is evident from seine parts of the conduct of Peter and other disciples during the life of Christ on earth, that they did not heartily believethey had the true and eternal'God among them, and that their Master was the true and eternal God, as when they rebuked him, when they questioned his knowledge in sortie things, when they wondered, and were so astonished at his working miracles, &c. as I shall shew hereafter : Yet it is piaiv that they then.believed him to be the Son of God ; forthis was made necessary to their salvation in that days and they professed
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