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creatures, such as in Psalms LXVIII. 28. Psalm IV. 1, and 2. Psalm IX. 5, 6, 10 and 11. Psalm LXVI. 15, 16. Psalm XCI. 13 and 14. There is nothing therefore unusual or strange in applying the verse in question, though originally relating to Moses, in an accommodated sense to Jesus.

To prove the figurative application of the God to Jesus and to other superior creatures from the authority of the saviour himself I quoted (Second Appeal page 25.) John X. 34. "Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are Gods?" With a view to invalidate this argument the Editor puts three questions (page 564) the first is "what creatures of a superior nature are here termed Gods? Those that die like men." To this I answer, yes the term "God" is here applied to those chiefs of Israel who were men, and who consequently died like men; and from the very circumstance of their having had the appearance of man and having been endowed with human feelings, as well as their having been ke men, liable to death, we are under the necessity of inferring that the application of the term "God" to them is figurative and that. it is by no means real; though we find them exalted by the terms "the sons of the

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most high," (Psalm LXXXII. 6.*) the first born of God," (Exodus IV. 22.) the "peculiar people of God above all nations," (XIX. 5.) the kingdom of priests and holy uation" (6) and even by the most glorifying title of " Goas" (Psalm LXXXII. 6) Upon the same ground and the same principle, we must consider (if not biassed by prejudice) the use of the word "God" aud the son of God" for Jesus to be figurative, as he himself explained (John X. 34) for, although Jesus was honored with abundantly high titles, yet he was in the ap pearance of man and possessed of human feelings and liable to death like those chiefs of Israel, as is evident from the following as well as many other facts recorded in the scriptures. "She brought forth her first born son" (Jesus) (Luke II. 7.) "And when eight days were accomplished for circumcising of the child his name was called Jesus" (21) "And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with widom, and the grace of God was upon him" (40)

When he was twelve years old” (42) “ And was subject unto them" (his parents) (51)" Jesus increased in wisdom and stature" (52) “The son of man came eating and drinking" &c (Matt. XI. 19) " And when he had looked

* In the original Bebrew the word signifying sons is found instead of 1751 or children as found in the English version.

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round about on them with anger being grieved" (Mark III. 5.) Jesus therefore being weary with his journey" (John IV. 6) "Now is my soul troubled" XII. 27. "And began to wash his disciple's feet" XIII. 5. "He was troubled in spirit" (21) "and being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly (Luke XXII. 44) "And (Jesus) saith unto them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death" Mark XIV. 34. "Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yielded up the ghost" (Matt. XXVII. 50) Philippians 11. 8. "And became obedient unto death even the death of the cross." Ought not the consideration of the foregoing circumstances relating to Jesus Christ to have prevented the Editor from inquiring "what creatures of a superior nature are here termed Gods. Those (Israelites) that die like men"? For, if the cricumstance of being men and dying like men must preclude the chiefs of Israel from being supposed to be creatures of a su perior nature, notwithstanding they are called Gods, the highest of all the honorary terms with which any being can be exalted, how can the same argument fail of proving the common humanity of Jesus, who was like them in the shape of a man and died as a man? If the Editor say that Jesus though he died like man, yet was raised again from the dead, I

shall remind him that Enoch, one of the sons of men, and Elijah, a Jewish prophet, never tasted death at all like other men*; that the dead who happened to touch the body of Elisha revived and stood upt; and that a dead boy also was raised by him; and then ask the Editor, are not these circumstances more wonderful than Christ's being raised after death? Is not the fact of Elijah's not having died at all more conclusive evidence of a su perior nature, according to the mode of reasoning employed by the Editor, than the resurrection of Christ after his death on the cross?

In case the Editor should have recourse to the generally adopted argument that Jesus was possessed of a two fold nature, the nature of God and the nature of man; the former because he is termed God in scripture, and the latter because he was in the shape of man; I would ask, Is there any authority in the sacred writings for alleging that Jesus was possessed of such two fold nature? A question which indeed I took upon myself to put to the Editor in the Second Appeal (page 108.) but which he has avoided to answer. Are not Moses and the chiefs of Israel termed in like manner Gods||

* 2 Kings 11. 11. + 2 Kings XIII, 21. Exo. VII. 1,

2 Kings IV. 34, 35.

as well as men*? Did not they perform wonderful miracles, as raising the dead and commanding wind and watert as well as the sun and moon? Did not some of them talk of themselves in a manner suitable to the nature of God alone? Are we from these circumstances to represent them as possessing a twofold nature divine and human? If not, let us give up such an unscriptural and irrational idea as attributing to Jesus or to any human being a double nature of God and man, and restrain ourselves from bringing Christianity to a level with the doctrines of heathenish polytheism. Is it not a general rule adopted to preserve concordance between all the passages of scripture and to render them consistent with reason, that when terms, phrases, or circumstances, which are applicable to God alone, are found ascribed to a created being either man or angel, these are to be interpreted in an inferior sense? Were we to deviate from this general rule and take these terms to be real, Judaism and Christianity would be but systems of polytheism and unworthy of adoption by rational beings. Such an attempt as to shew that Moses and the chiefs of Israel having been types and shadows of Jesus, are

*Deut, XXXIII. 1. Ezkeil XXXIV. 31.

+1 Kings XVII. 1. XVIII. 44. 45. and 2 Kings II. 22.

Joshua X. 12, and 13.

Deut. XXVII, 1, XXXII, 1.

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