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Saviour any higher title than that of “ a man approved of God," I once more prove the contrary, by reminding you, that St. Paul calls the church sometimes "the church of God," and sometimes" the church of Christ ;" and that, speaking to the clergy at Ephesus, he exhorts them to feed the church of God, which he (God) "hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx. 28. Now, sir, God who hath thus purchased the church is peculiarly God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the unity of the Father and of the Spirit, is the same one God whom bible Christians worship in trinity, because" of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Rom. xi. 36.

If you ask, "How can St. Paul assert the divinity of Christ, when he writes to the Corinthians that Christ is the image of God? Is there no difference between God and his image? Will you worship God's image as if it were God himself?" I reply, that there is an imperfect image which expresses only a part of the external form of its original, and a perfect image which expresses its whole. nature, in a perfectly adequate and living manner. Thus four-footed beasts bear a resemblance to men in some things; but a son who looks, thinks, speaks, and acts like his father is a perfect image. Adam was an image of God in the first sense, and our Lord in the second sense. That Christ is this living and perfect image of the Father,

I

prove, 1. By his own words, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father;" and, 2. By these words of the apostle, which follow the text, on which the objection rests: God (the Spirit, by the light of the gospel, and by the light of faith) "hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of God" (the Father) shining "in the face of Jesus Christ, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." 2 Cor. iv. 6; Heb. i. 3. And our Lord's being such an image of God does not any more cut him off from divinity, than a human son's being the express image of his father deprives him of the human nature. Therefore, this objection also affords us a new proof of our Lord's divinity.

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CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

The epistle to the Romans reviewed, and sundry passages of it shown to be irreconcilable with common sense, on supposition that its author held the doctrine of Christ's mere humanity.

II.

The two epistles to the Corinthians considered, and many passages of a similar nature pointed out.

III.

The epistle to the Galatians and that to the Ephesians proved to contain a doctrine equally absurd, if Christ be a mere man.

IV.

The epistle to the Philippians and that to the Colossians must be viewed in the same light.

V.

The epistles to the Thessalonians equally inconsistent with common sense on the same supposition.

VI.

The epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon are also inconsistent therewith.

VII.

The epistle to the Hebrews affords abundant proof of the absurdity of its doctrine, if Christ be a mere

man.

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