But neither the Son, nor any man, knows the Father but by revelation. Whatever is revealed, by the Father, may be known by the Son, and by any one to whom the Son shall reveal him.

Almighty Power.

Matt. xxviii. 18. "All power (εovoia authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

As the highest authority, or power, exercised by Christ, was given to him, it is certain it was not inherent in him as his own attribute. Accordingly he is nowhere in the Scriptures called "Almighty."

CLASS VII.

PASSAGES IN WHICH THE PECULIAR WORKS OF GOD ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ASCRIBED TO CHRIST.

Creation of the World.

There is no passage of Scripture which asserts that Christ "made the world," or "created the world;" nor is he once called the "creator," or the " maker," of the world, or of any natural visible object. If those passages in the New Testament which ascribe creation to Christ, as in the Common Version, relate to the natural world, then Christ sustained the same relation to God in the creation, which he does in the redemption, of the world. "God, who . . . . spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, . . . by whom also he made the worlds.". -Heb. i. 1, 2. As the prophets were the intermediate ministers by whom God spake to the fathers, so his Son was the intermediate minister by whom he made the worlds. The Son is called the "appointed heir," verse 2; and the "image" of the Father's person, verse 3. But it is certain that the invisible God is not an heir, nor an image. "All things were made by him.".

John i. 3. Who made all things by him? Answer, "—God, who created all things by Jesus Christ."-Eph. iii. 9. But Griesbach has omitted the words, "by Jesus Christ," as spurious. In the longest, and as some think, the most explicit account in the New Testament of the creation, (Col. i. 15—19) the Apostle calls Christ "the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature." This is not a description of Jehovah. The Apostle concludes by saying, "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Whatever agency Christ exercised in the creation here described, was in subordination to the will of the Father. The doctrine of the creation, therefore, furnishes no evidence that Christ is God.

Forgiveness of Sins.

Mark ii. 7. "Who can forgive sins but God only?" Any one can forgive sins whom God is pleased to invest with adequate power and authority. Because Jesus said to the sick of the palsy, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," the Jews accused him of blasphemy. He replied, "Whether is it easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins."-Matt. ix. 2. Thus did Jesus teach them that it was as easy to forgive sins, as to heal the sick; and also repelled their charge of blasphemy by assuring them that he pronounced the forgiveness of sins as the Son of man, entirely dependent on God for his miraculous power. And thus was he understood by the people. For "when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God which had given such power unto men." If having power to forgive sins proves Christ to be God, the Apostles may be proved to be Gods. For Christ said unto them, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.... Whose soever sins ye remit, they are

remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they

are retained."—John xx. 21, 23.

Death and Resurrection.

John x. 17, 18. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

As Christ laid down his life and received it again, in obedience to his Father's command, his death and resurrection furnish no evidence that he is God. God cannot be the subject of a command..

Authority to judge the World.

2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."

1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?.... Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things which pertain to this life ?"

This passage fully justifies the conclusion that Christ being the constituted judge of the world is no evidence that he is God. For further illustration of this, see page 76, 77. See Norton's Statement of Reasons, Section IX. Wright's Essays, p. 431-481. Belsham's Calm Inquiry, Section III. IV. V. Vindication, &c by Yates, part III. Chap. V. VI. VII.

SECTION XIV.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD NOT ANOTHER PERSON DISTINCT

FROM GOD.

On all hands it is agreed," says Dr. Dwight, "that the Holy Ghost is acknowledged by Trinitarians to be a Divine Person." He uses the word 'person' in its proper and obvious sense. By 'person' he means a "percipient being," distinct from God the Father.

This doctrine is to be rejected for the following reasons. 1. It is incredible that a self-existent person should be the spirit of another person. The Spirit of God bears the same relation to God, that the Spirit of man bears to man. What man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man (no one) but the Spirit of God."—1 Cor. ii. 11. As the Spirit of a man is not another person distinct from him, but a consciousness by which he contemplates himself, and knows himself, and whatever is peculiar to himself, so the Spirit of God is not another person distinct from God, but is that consciousness and intelligence which is essential to him, whereby he manifests and reveals himself to his intelligent creatures. As the Spirit of a man means the man himself, so the Spirit of God means God himself, and not an other "percipient being" distinct from God. St. Paul unquestionably means, that as the man alone is conscious of what passes within himself, and as another man

cannot know it till it is revealed to him; so no one can know what passes in the mind of God, unless he reveal it to him. But St. Paul had received this revelation: For he adds, "Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things which are freely given us of God." Verse 12. Here the Spirit which is of God is contrasted with the Spirit which is of the world; and there is as much evidence that the Spirit of the world is a person distinct from the world, as that the Spirit of God is a person distinct from God.

2. The Greek word vεvμα, which is translated 'Spirit,' and Ghost,' in the New Testament, and the pronouns standing for it, are of the neuter gender; and consequently impersonal. A neuter noun is not used to express the proper name of a person; nor is a neuter pronoun used instead of a personal pronoun. It would not be proper to say, "There is one God, and none other but it.” "God itself, even our Father." "Christ loved the church, and gave itself for it." Sometimes the pronouns are translated correctly, and rendered it, its, itself. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit." "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us," Had the Translators always done

so, instead of giving us he,' his,' him,' they would have been correct, and would have appeared consistent. In John xiv. 17, the pronoun is four times mistranslated. It should have been,." Even the Spirit of Truth; which the world cannot receive, because it seeth it not, neither knoweth it: but ye know it; for it dwelleth with you and shall be in you." In the Greek the pronoun is avto, neuter gender. The Spirit of truth is contrasted with the Spirit of error; 1 John iv. 6. If the Spirit of Truth, which the Translators have incorrectly personified in John xiv. 17, be a person, then it is a person in 1 John iv. 6. But if the Spirit of truth be a person, the Spirit of error, with which it is