وو

and was God," - in a word, God-man, — this complex person might have a kʊping that was delegated or conferred. Was this in fact so? Has Paul and his coadjutors taught us such doctrine? These questions I feel myself obliged to answer in the affirmative. The apostle, in Phil. ii. 5–11, states it as a ground of Christ's exaltation to be Lord of all, that "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; for, when he had made mention of this obedience, he immediately adds, "wherefore," i.e., because he was thus obedient, he was exalted to a throne of glory. Consequently, the dominion in question was the reward of obedience; i.e., it was conferred, bestowed, and not original. In exact accordance with this is the passage in Heb. ii. 10, which represents Christ as perfected in glory, advanced to the highest honor and happiness, as a consequence of his sufferings. Of the same tenor also are all those passages which speak of Jesus as exalted to the right hand of God, after his resurrection. So testifies also the beloved disciple: "Even as I (Christ) overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne," Rev. iii. 21; i.e., his kupɩórns, or being enthroned, was the consequence of his overcoming; viz., overcoming the temptations and trials of life, overcoming his spiritual enemies, and persevering even to the end in a course of entire duty and holiness. Again, John xiii. 3; xvii. 2; iii. 35; v. 26, 27; v. 22. With this testimony agree the declarations of Jesus as recorded by another disciple: "All things are delivered unto me of my Father," Matt. xi. 27. "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth," Matt. xxviii. 18. These are only a few of the many texts which speak plainly on the subject of the Messiah's conferred dominion. It is impossible to set them aside. Whatever dominion he possessed as Messiah, as God-man, as Mediator, as Head of the church militant, it is one which is bestowed. Abridged from MOSES STUART, in Biblical Repository for October, 1831, pp. 749–51.

With the aid of Trinitarian divines, we showed, in preceding pages, that Jesus Christ, whether regarded as a superhuman being, who existed before his residence in the world, or as the Messiah with all the functions and qualifications requisite for his acting on earth in this character, received his existence, his possessions, and his powers, from his heavenly Father. In the present section, we have proved, with the same help, that our Lord, in that state of exaltation to which he was raised after the completion of his earthly course, was and is indebted to the same great Being for his regal power and dominion, for his authority as the Head and Sovereign of the

universal church.

SECT. X.

CHRIST NOT TO BE WORSHIPPED WITH SUPREME VENERATION, BUT WITH THE HONOR DUE TO ONE WHO FAITHFULLY PERFORMED THE WILL OF GOD, AND DIED FOR THE SALVATION OF MEN.

§ 1. CIVIL, NOT DIVINE, HOMAGE PAID TO JESUS WHILE ON EARTH.

Should any one peruse the evangelical narratives with the requisite attention, he would hardly affirm that the persons who worshipped Christ while on earth acknowledged him to be the Son of God [in the Trinitarian sense, we suppose, is intended]. They believed, indeed, that he was a distinguished prophet, sent by the Almighty, by whose assistance he cured the blind, the deaf, and the lame; but they did not recognize him as the true Son of God. This is proved by the opinion of Nicodemus, John iii. 2; the confession of Peter and the other disciples, Matt. xvi. 13, 14; and the exclamation of the inhabitants of Nain, Luke vii. 16. Accordingly, the magi, the leper, the centurion, and others, though as yet they did not acknowledge Christ to be the Son of God manifest in the flesh, felt persuaded that the power of the Most High was exhibited in him; and therefore the wise men honored him as their King, and others sought aid and health from him as from a mighty Prophet of God. ABRAHAM SCULTET: Exercitationes, lib. i. cap. 59.

I do not, in proof of this [that Christ is the object of divine worship], urge the instances of those who fell down at Christ's feet and worshipped him while he was on earth; for it may be well answered to that, that a prophet was worshipped with the civil respect of falling down before him, among the Jews, as appears in the history of Elijah and Elisha. Nor does it appear that those who worshipped Christ had any apprehension of his being God: they only considered him as the Messias, or as some eminent prophet. BISHOP BURNET: Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles, Art. I.

The bishop, however, excepts from such instances those in which the disciples are said to have worshipped Christ at his ascension.

Doing reverence by prostration is not only an act of worship paid to God, but often to kings and great men in the Old Testament, according to the custom of Eastern countries: see 2 Sam. ix. 6; xiv. 33. It was likewise an expression of reverence paid to prophets, on the account of the sanctity of their office, and not refused by them: see 1 Kings xviii. 7. Of this kind probably was the worship paid by the leper to Christ (Matt. viii. 2), whom he took for a prophet. WILLIAM LOWTH on Dan. ii. 46.

Those who render, "they adored him," suppose that the magi were acquainted with the mystery of the Saviour's Incarnation and Divinity, which the apostles obtained only after his resurrection. I do not say this in order to favor a Christian sect that has false opinions on the person of the Saviour. It is certain that the Jews paid the homage of prostration to persons of dignity whom they respected. ISAAC DE BEAUSOBRE on Matt. ii. 11: Remarques, tom. i.

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p. 10.

To do him homage," πроσкνvñσαι airy. The homage of prostration, which is signified by this Greek word in sacred authors as well as in profane, was, throughout all Asia, commonly paid to kings and other superiors, both by Jews and by Pagans. It was paid by Moses to his father-in-law (Exod. xviii. 7), called in the English translation "obeisance." The instances of this application are so numerous, both in the Old Testament and in the New, as to render more quotations unnecessary. When God is the object, the word denotes adoration in the highest sense. In old English, the term "worship" was indifferently used of both. It is not commonly so now. DR. GEORGE CAMPBELL on Matt. ii. 2.

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IIpoσκvvεiv, in the New Testament, particularly denotes, "with the head and body bent, to show reverence and offer civil worship to any one; to salute any one, so as to prostrate the body to the ground, and touch it even with the chin;" a mode of salutation which was almost universally adopted by Eastern nations. Προσκυνεῖν also signifies “ to bend the knee in reverence and honor, or in supplication;" corresponding, in this sense, to the Hebrew word, "he bent” or "prostrated himself at the feet of any one for the sake of honor and reverence; for which it is used in the Septuagint, Gen. xviii. 2; xxiii. 7, 12; xix. i. Esth. iii. 2, 5, &c. See Matt. ii. 2, 8, 11; viii. 2; ix. 18, comp. Mark v. 22 and Luke v. 12. Matt. xv. 25; xviii. 26; xx. 20; xxviii. 9, 17. Mark v. 6; xv. 19. John ix. 38.

Acts x. 25.

art. Προσκυνέω, 3.

Lexicon in Novum Testamentum,

§ 2. SECONDARY, NOT SUPREME, HOMAGE PAID, OR REQUIRED TO BE PAID, TO CHRIST, AFTER HIS EXALTATION TO HEAVEN.

The former kind of worship [to Jesus as God] is not different from that which is exhibited to God the Father: the latter worship is not absolutely supreme, and is suitable to Christ as Mediator, but subordinate to that of the Father, by whom it has been graciously communicated to Christ, and is expressly commanded in Scripture to be paid to him. It therefore follows, that this worship does not terminate in Christ himself, but tends to the glory of God the Father, to whom it is either expressly or tacitly referred; just as the honor which is manifested towards a legate does not terminate in him, but tends to the glory of the king by whom he is sent. Thus, Phil. ii. 11: "That every tongue should confess the Lord Jesus, to the glory of God the Father." The Lord Jesus is to be worshipped, because in his name every knee must bow, and every tongue confess him to be Lord; and because the basis of this worship is his exaltation by the Father, for having suffered the death of the cross. But surely these circumstances are suitable to him, not as God, but as man, and directly refer to his office of Mediator. The whole of this adoration is subordinate to that of the Father, and terminates in him; which is proved from the concluding words, " to the glory of God the Father." To this passage, and John v. 22, 23, may be added Heb. i. 6 from Ps. xcvii. 7.- PHILIP LIMBORCH: Theol. Christ., lib. v. cap. 18, § 2, 5.

This unparalleled act of obedience God hath rewarded, by advancing his human nature to universal dominion, that the man Christ Jesus should now rule over, and be adored by, all creatures; that all nations should acknowledge this king, and, by submitting to his laws and government, promote the glory of God the Father, who delights to be honored in the belief and obedience paid to his blessed Son and his gospel. — DR. GEORGE STANHOPE on Phil. ii. 9-11: Comment on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. ii. p. 433.

As the fundamental reason for which God the Father receiveth worship of the Jews and Gentiles is because he hath created all things, and preserves them by his will, to have it perfected and executed on them; so the fundamental reason for which the Son is worshipped is because he was slain, and shed his blood to redeem thereby all mankind. - CHARLES DAUBUZ on Rev. v. 9.

This writer afterwards endeavors to explain this Unitarian remark in conformity with Trinitarianism.

In the Revelation of St. John, we have several hymns recorded, which the church of the first-born sing to God and to his Christ; and we cannot form our devotions from a better copy than that which they have set us. In the fourth chapter [eleventh verse], the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord! to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Here you see plainly that the adoration paid to God the Father is founded upon his being the Creator of all things. Look a little farther into the next chapter [chap. v. 9, 10], and you will find the same persons praising and adoring Christ Jesus, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Here you as plainly see the worship paid to Christ to be founded in this, that he was slain, and did by his blood redeem us; nay, the very choir of angels sing praises to him in the same strain [ver. 12], saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." From all which it is evident, that the worship paid to Christ is founded upon the redemption, and relates to that power and authority which he received from God at his resurrection. . . . . Here [Rom. x. 8, 9] you see St. Paul requires all men to honor the Lord Jesus upon this account, because “God hath raised him from the dead." Every man must "honor the Son, even as he honoreth the Father" [John v. 23]. This honor paid to the Son must proceed from this principle of faith, that in your heart you believe that God raised him from the dead, and made him Lord of all. . . . If he be risen from the dead, if he now reigns in power at the right hand of the Almighty, if he received this power, and if he uses it in order to our salvation, can any thing be more absurd than to deny him those honors which are due to him in consequence of his glory, and necessarily flow from the relation we stand in towards him? The danger which some apprehend, in paying this duty to their Redeemer, of robbing God of his peculiar honor, and setting up a new and distinct object of worship, in opposition to those plain commands which confine our religious service to God alone, will vanish away, if we consider that all powers exercised by Christ, all