Editor replies, "What is the sun to his Maker ?"— I wish he had also added, "but that which a son and creature is to his Father and Creator?" When he again inquires, saying, "If the sun has no claim to godhead, has its Maker none?" (alluding to Christ,) he might have recollected that neither the sun nor Jesus has ever arrogated to himself godhead, but that it is their worshippers that have advanced doctrines ascribing godhead and infinite perfection to these finite objects. Notwithstanding that we daily witness the power of the glorious sun in bringing into life, and preserving to maturity, an infinite variety of vegetable and animal objects, yet our gratitude and admiration recognize in him only a being instrumental in the hands of God, and we offer worship and duty to him alone, who has given to the sun all the light and animating warmth which he sheds on our globe. On the same ground, whether we understand from scriptural authority, that the supreme Deity made through Jesus Christ all the things belonging to the Christian dispensation, or every thing relating to this visible world, (as interpreted by the worshippers of Jesus,) we must not, in either case, esteem him as the supreme Deity, in whose hand he is represented by the same Scriptures but as an instrument.

The Editor says, that though the power of effecting a material change, without the aid of physical means, be peculiar to God, " yet this power Christ not only possessed, but bestowed on his apostles.'

Supposing Jesus alone had the power of effecting material changes without the aid of physical means, and of bestowing on others the same gift, it could have proved only his being singular in the enjoyment of this peculiar blessing of God, and not his being identical or equal with Him who conferred such a power on him; but it is notorious that Jesus was not at all peculiar in this point. Were not the miracles performed by Joshua and Elijah, as wonderful as those done by Jesus? Did not Elijah bestow on his servant Elisha the power of effecting changes without physical means, by putting his own spirit on him? Is Elijah, from the possession of this power, to be considered an incarnation of the supreme Deity? 2 Kings ii. 9-12: "And it came to pass when they (Elijah and Elisha) were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing, nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.-And Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father," &c. Vers. 14-15: "And when he had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over. When the sons of the prophets saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before

me.

him." Besides, we find in the evangelical writings, that notwithstanding the power of performing miracles given by Jesus to his apostles, they could not avail themselves of such a gift, until their faith in God was become firm and complete: it is thence evident that God is the only source of the power and influence that one creature has over another. Matt. x. 1: "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease." Ch. xvii. 16: "And I brought him (the lunatic child) to thy disciples, and they could not cure him." Vers. 19-21: "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why I could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say if you, ye have faith as a grain of mustardseed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to another place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Mark xi. 22: "And Jesus answering saith unto them, (his disciples,) Have faith in God; for verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed," &c.

unto

་

In my Second Appeal I mentioned, that it is evident from the first chapter of Genesis, that " in the beginning of the creation, God bestowed on man his likeness, and sovereignty over all living creatures. Was not his own likeness, and that dominion, pecu

liar to God, before mankind were made partakers of them? Did God then deify man by such a mark of distinction ?" On which the Editor thus remarks: "It is in reality asking, Did God make him cease to be a creature by thus creating him? We presume he expects no answer." If the Editor acknowledges that God, by bestowing on man his peculiar likeness and dominion, did not make him cease to be a creature, is he not, according to the same principle, obliged to admit the opinion, that although God raised Jesus above all, and bestowed on him a portion of his peculiar power and influence, yet he did not make him cease to be a creature?

In my Second Appeal, (pages 157, 158,) I selected nineteen passages out of many, in which Jesus distinctly disavows the divine nature, and manifests his subordination to God; to which the Editor replies,

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They can prove nothing to his purpose, till they shew that his thus becoming incarnate, changed that divine nature which he possessed from eternity," &c. I therefore take upon myself to ask the Reverend Editor, whether the following passages found among those already quoted, do not prove the entire humanity of the Son, or (in the words of the Editor) a complete change in his divine nature, if he was ever possessed of it? "As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do." "I CAN Of mine ownself do

NOTHING." "All that the Father giveth me shall

come to me.”

"As my
To my Father and your Father,

Father hath taught me I

speak these things."

and to my God and your God." "Behold my servant whom I have chosen." If these declarations do

fall short of shewing the human nature of the person who affirms them, I, as well as the Editor, should be at a loss to point out any saying of any of the preceding prophets, that might tend to substantiate their humanity. The Editor may perhaps say, after the example of his orthodox friends, that these, as well as other sayings to the same effect, proceeded from Jesus in his human capacity. I shall then entreat the Editor to shew me any authority in the Scriptures, distinguishing one class of the sayings of Jesus Christ, as man, from another set of the same author as God. Supposing Jesus was of a two-fold nature, divine and human, as the Editor believes him to be; his divine nature in this case, before his appearance in this world, must be acknowledged perfectly pure and unadulterated by humanity. But after he had become incarnate, according to the Editor, was he not made of a mixed nature of God and man, possessing at one time both opposite sorts of consciousness and capacity? Was there not a CHANGE of a pure nature into a mixed one? I will not, however, pursue the subject further now, as I have already fully noticed it in another place (pages 464 and 467). The Editor adverts here to Heb. i. 10, 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25; but as I have examined the former in page 452, and the latter in page 455, I will not revert to the consideration of them in this place.

At page 589, the Editor thus censures me: "To