DISCOURSE III. 635 trine, and wait until providence may afford a fairer light to scat- ter the clouds that hang upon it. There is one learned author,* who has written upon this subject, speaks with so much freedom as to tell us, that " in this doctrine of the pre existent soul of Christ, the difficulty of every thing vanishes, except that of bringing men off from expounding the scripture by human autho- ritiesas the key of divine oracles; and without doubt, saith he, there the difficulty will lie, when all is said." So confident is he of the truth of it, and that ou solid and sufficient reason.----; However, that I may make it appear that the dificultiek and ob- jections which attend this doctrine may have a fair solution given them, I have left the last section for this purpose, in which they are ranged in a fair just order ; and I hope the opposers, if any. such be found, -will have no reason to complain that I have not displayed them in their complete light and strength ; and perhaps by this means the tender and scrupulous christiau may have some stumbling-blocks removed that lay in his way, and be more easily induced to receive this doctrine, and to pay proper honour to our blessed Lord. Objection I. " Is not Christ frequently in scripture called aman? Now this glorious Being with such extensive powers as you describe, is something above a human soul ; it is far above angels, and therefore though it be united to a body it will not make aman." Answer I. The name of man denotes a nature, which is made up of a mind or-spirit-united to an animal body in human shape. But the name angel signifies originally a messenger, and denotes the character of an office sustained by a spirit, either with, or rather without a human body, and is most frequently so used in scripture ; though angels haveoften appeared in humau shapes, being appointed by thegreat God to assume such a shape on proper occasions. II. All the idea which I have of a human soul is this, viz; A created mind or spirit which batti understanding and will, and rational powers, and which is fit to be united to a human body, in such a manner as to exert the powers of a man, to feel the appetites and sensibilities and passions of a man, as to receive impressions or sensations, whether pleasant or painful, by the means of that body, and is also able to actuate and influence all the animal powers of that body in a way agreeable to human nature. Now though the powers of the human soul of Christ may be as much superior to the most exalted man or angel, as the powers of the most exalted man are superior to the powers of an idiot ; yet this does not hinder it from being properly called a human soul, * Mr. Joseph Hussey. who was really a man thou,h he bail tome udd and peculiar seutiuseuts.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=