"And the Word was a God.] 'Was God.' Newcome. Jesus received a commission as a prophet of the Most High, and was invested with extraordinary miraculous powers. But in the Jewish phraseology they were called gods to whom the word of God came. (John x. 35.) So Moses is declared to be a god to Pharoah. (Exod. vii. 1.) Some translate the passage, God was the Word, q. d. it was not so properly he that spake to men as God that spake to them by him. Cappe, ibid. See John x. 30, compared with xvii. 8, ii. 16, iii. 34, v. 23, xii. 44. Crellius conjectured that the true reading was 8, the Word was God's, q. d. the first teacher of the gospel derived his commission from God. But this conjecture, however plausible, rests upon no authority."

"Was in the beginning with God.] Before he entered upon his ministry he was fully instructed, by intercourse with God, in the nature and extent of his commission."

"All things were done by him.] All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' Newcome; who explains it of the creation of the visible, material world by Christ, as the agent and instrument of God. See his notes on ver. 3 and 10. But this is a sense which the word εγενετο will not admit. Γίνομαι occurs upwards of seven hundred times in the New Testament, but never in the sense of create. It signifies, in this gospel, where it occurs fifty-three times, to

be, to come, to become, to come to pass; also, to be done or transacted, ch. xv. 7, xix. 36. It has the latter sense, Matt. v. 18, vi. 8, xxi. 42, xxvi. 6. All things in the Christian dispensation were done by Christ, i. e. by his authority, and according to his direction; and in the ministry committed to his his apostles, nothing has been done without his warrant. See John xv. 4, 5, Without me ye can do nothing.' Compare vers. 7, 10, 16; John xvii. 8; Col. i. 16, 17. Cappe, ibid."

Verse 14: "Nevertheless, the Word was flesh." "Though this first preacher of the gospel was honoured with such signal tokens of divine confidence and favour, though he was invested with so high an office, he was, nevertheless, a mortal man.' Cappe. In this sense the word flesh is used in the preceding verse. Flesh,' says Mr. Lindsey, Sequel to the Apology, p. 136, is frequently put for man. Psalm lxv. 2; Rom. iii. 20. But it frequently and peculiarly stands for man as mortal, subject to infirmities and sufferings; and as such, is particularly appropriated to Christ here, and in other places. 1 Tim. iii. 16; Rom. i. 3, ix. 5; 1 Pet. iii. 18, iv. 1. Ὁ λογος σαρξ εγενετο, the Word was flesh, not became flesh, which is Newcome's translation, or, was made flesh, which is the common version. The most usual meaning of youa, is to be. In this sense eyevero is used in this chapter, ver. 6; also in Luke xxiv. 19. The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, os eyevero, who was, not who

became a prophet. See Cappe, p. 86; and Socinus

in loc."

Now my readers may judge which of these interpretations of John i. 1, is consistent with scriptural authority and conformable to the human understanding.

The Editor denies, positively, the charge of admitting three Gods, though he is in the practice of worshipping God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. I could wish to know what he would say, when a Hindoo also would deny Polytheism on the same principle, that if three separate persons be admitted to make one God, and those that adore them be esteemed as worshippers of one God, what objection could be advanced, justly, to the oneness of three hundred and thirty three million of persons in the Deity, and to their worship in different emblems? for, oneness of three or of thirty millions of separate persons is equally impossible, according to human experience, and equally supportable by mystery alone.

The second passage of John, quoted by the Editor, which I have not yet noticed, is John xvi. 30, " Now are we sure that thou knowest all things." I admit that Jesus knows all things concerning his ministry and the execution of final judgment, but not those that bear no relation to either of them, as I noticed in pages 449, 518, and 538, since the phrase "all things," is very often used in a definite sense, both in the Old and New Testaments. In Joshua i. 17,

when the people said, "We hearkened to Moses in all things," they meant, of course, things with regard to the divine commandments. So, in Matt. xvii. 11, Elias is said to have "restored all things," that is, all things concerning his office as the forerunner of the Messiah. In Mark xiii. 23, Jesus said to his disciples, "I have foretold you all things," of course what respected their salvation. Eph. vi. 21: " "Tychicus, a beloved brother, and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things," of course belonging to their salvation. Besides, the

Scriptures inform us, that those who devote themselves to the contemplation of the Deity are endued with the free gift of knowing all things; but from this circumstance they are not considered to be elevated to the nature of God, nor numbered as persons of the Godhead. Prov. xxviii. 5: "They that seek the Lord, understand all things.” 2 Tim. ii. 7: "And the Lord give thee understanding in all things." 2 Sam. xiv. 20: "And my Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

The Editor quotes Paul, (page 598,) "God our Saviour," and 1 Peter, "The righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," and also Jude, [25,] "To the only wise God our Saviour." He intends, perhaps, to shew, that as both God and Jesus are styled "Saviours," consequently Jesus is God.-I have fully noticed that several others, beside Jesus, were, like him, appointed by God to save people

"And the Word was a God.] 'Was God.' Newcome. Jesus received a commission as a prophet of the Most High, and was invested with extraordinary miraculous powers. But in the Jewish phraseology they were called gods to whom the word of God came. (John x. 35.) So Moses is declared to be a god to Pharoah. (Exod. vii. 1.) Some translate the passage, God was the Word, q. d. it was not so properly he that spake to men as God that spake to them by him. Cappe, ibid. See John x. 30, compared with xvii. 8, ii. 16, iii. 34, v. 23, xii. 44. Crellius conjectured that the true reading was se, the Word was God's, q. d. the first teacher of the gospel derived his commission from God. But this conjecture, however plausible, rests upon no authority."

"Was in the beginning with God.] Before he entered upon his ministry he was fully instructed, by intercourse with God, in the nature and extent of his commission."

“All things were done by him.] All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' Newcome; who explains it of the creation of the visible, material world by Christ, as the agent and instrument of God. See his notes on ver. 3 and 10. But this is a sense which the word εγενετο will not admit. Γινομαι occurs upwards of seven hundred times in the New Testament, but never in the sense of create. It signifies, in this gospel, where it occurs fifty-three times, to