multitude of Jews. I wonder still more, to observe, that notwithstanding the Editor declares the apostles and primitive Christians, (whom he does not esteem as persons of the Godhead, but admits to be mere men,) to have been possessed of the power of pardoning sins through the influence of Jesus; yet he maintains the opinion, that none, except God, can forgive sins even through the gift of the Deity himself.

The Editor says, "Not, however, in the opinion of the Scribes, who were better acquainted with their own scriptures, and who, although they glorified him not as God, could not restrain themselves from acknowledging the display of his Godhead by accusing him of blasphemy on that very account."

The Jews were so ill-disposed towards Jesus, that this is not the first instance in which they sought a pretence for destroying him under the charge of blasphemy; for in John v. 16, they resolve to slay him merely on pretence of his having healed a man on the sabbath day, as I noticed before; and, in chapter xii. 10, 11, they came to a determination, under the cloak of religion, to kill him and Lazarus also, whom Jesus raised after death, though they knew that many of their prophets raised the dead, without offending God or the people. And they also very frequently mistook his meaning. But Jesus often forbore to repel their charges, some instances of which I have already pointed out in page 562. As to Jesus's knowledge of the human heart,

as far as it respects his divine commission and future judgment, and his power of performing miraculous deeds, even sometimes without verbal reference to God, having often noticed these matters in PP. 439 and 536, I shall not recur to them here.

The Editor denies the apostles having been impressed with a belief, that it was the Almighty Father that empowered Jesus to forgive sins and to perform miracles. I therefore refer the Editor to the very phrase, "Who had given such power unto men," and to Acts v. 31, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” xiii. 38, "Through this man (meaning the Saviour) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Do not these verses shew, beyond a doubt, that Jesus received from God the power of forgiving sins on sincere repentance?

The Editor makes no direct answer to Luke xxiii. 34, in which Jesus prays to the Father for the pardon of the murder perpetrated by the Jews upon him, nor to Luke xi. 4, Matt. vi. 14, which I quoted in my Second Appeal, page 184. The Editor alludes to the importance of the expression, "That thy Son may glorify thee." But by referring to the Scriptures, he will find, that similar terms are as common in the language of the Jews, in their address to God, as any other expressions of reverence for the Deity.

multitude of Jews. I wonder still more, to observe, that notwithstanding the Editor declares the apostles and primitive Christians, (whom he does not esteem as persons of the Godhead, but admits to be mere men,) to have been possessed of the power of pardoning sins through the influence of Jesus; yet he maintains the opinion, that none, except God, can forgive sins even through the gift of the Deity himself.

The Editor 66 says, Not, however, in the opinion of the Scribes, who were better acquainted with their own scriptures, and who, although they glorified him not as God, could not restrain themselves from acknowledging the display of his Godhead by accusing him of blasphemy on that very account."

The Jews were so ill-disposed towards Jesus, that this is not the first instance in which they sought a pretence for destroying him under the charge of blasphemy; for in John v. 16, they resolve to slay him merely on pretence of his having healed a man on the sabbath day, as I noticed before; and, in chapter xii. 10, 11, they came to a determination, under the cloak of religion, to kill him and Lazarus also, whom Jesus raised after death, though they knew that many of their prophets raised the dead, without offending God or the people. And they also very frequently mistook his meaning. But Jesus often forbore to repel their charges, some instances of which I have already pointed out in page 562. As to Jesus's knowledge of the human heart,

as far as it respects his divine commission and future judgment, and his power of performing miraculous deeds, even sometimes without verbal reference to God, having often noticed these matters in pp. 439 and 536, I shall not recur to them here.

The Editor denies the apostles having been impressed with a belief, that it was the Almighty Father that empowered Jesus to forgive sins and to perform miracles. I therefore refer the Editor to the very phrase, "Who had given such power unto men," and to Acts v. 31, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." xiii. 38, "Through this man (meaning the Saviour) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Do not these verses shew, beyond a doubt, that Jesus received from God the power of forgiving sins on sincere repentance?

The Editor makes no direct answer to Luke xxiii. 34, in which Jesus prays to the Father for the pardon of the murder perpetrated by the Jews upon him, nor to Luke xi. 4, Matt. vi. 14, which I quoted in my Second Appeal, page 184. The Editor alludes to the importance of the expression, "That thy Son may glorify thee." But by referring to the Scriptures, he will find, that similar terms are as common in the language of the Jews, in their address to God, as any other expressions of reverence for the Deity.

FOURTH POSITION.

With a view to substantiate his fourth position, that almighty power is claimed by Jesus in the most unequivocal manner, the Editor thus comments on the passage, John v. 19-36, quoted by me in my Second Appeal: "Jesus, when persecuted by the Jews, for having healed a man on the sabbath day, said, 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.' This provoked the Jews still more, because he had now said, that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." The Editor adds, "This observation shews us, that not only the Jews, but John himself, understood Christ's calling God his Father, to be making himself God." It would have been a correct translation of the original Greek, if the Editor had said, “making himself equal with, or like God," instead of "making himself God" (vide the original Greek). It is obvious, that one's calling another his Father, gives apparent ground to understand that there is an equality of nature or likeness of properties between them, either in quantity or quality of power in performing works. But to know what kind of equality or likeness should be meant in ch. v. 18, we have luckily before us the following texts, in which Jesus declares, that his likeness with God consisted in doing what he saw the Father do, and quickening the dead; avowing