DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9552#0185
TO THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC.
155
Prophet, whom he dignified with the name of "Son of
God;" and as he honours God, he will also honour that
Prophet, though he be weil aware of the distinction be-
tween the Almighty and his chosen Son. The honour
paid to the Prophet may in this sense be fairly consi-
dered the test of the real degree of respect entertained
for God—as Jesus saith, Matthew, ch. x, ver. 40, "He
that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth
me, receiveth him that sent me." The obvious mean-
ing of which words is, As far as men listen to your ins-
tructions, they listen to mine, and in so far they receive
the commandments of God who hath sent me. Pre-
judice alone could, I think, infer from such expressions,
that those who received the Apostles were literally re-
ceiving God himself under their form and substance.
Equally demonstrative of prejudice, I conceive, would it
be to deduce the identity or equality of the Father and
and the Son from the following passage, John, ch. v. ver.
23 : "That all men should honour the Son, even as they
honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son,
honoureth not the Father who hath sent him." For in
this very passage the Son is represented as the Messen-
ger of the Father, and for that reason only entitled to
honour. That the preposition [conj.?] "as" implies
here, as in many other places, likeness in nature and
quality, and not in exact degree of honour, ^s illustrated
by its obvious meaning in the last verse of Matthew, ch.
v., "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in
heaven is perfect;" for by these word^ no one can con-
ceive, that equality in degree of perfection between God
and the disciples is intended to be enjoined. »
The fifth position is, that his heavenly Father had
155
Prophet, whom he dignified with the name of "Son of
God;" and as he honours God, he will also honour that
Prophet, though he be weil aware of the distinction be-
tween the Almighty and his chosen Son. The honour
paid to the Prophet may in this sense be fairly consi-
dered the test of the real degree of respect entertained
for God—as Jesus saith, Matthew, ch. x, ver. 40, "He
that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth
me, receiveth him that sent me." The obvious mean-
ing of which words is, As far as men listen to your ins-
tructions, they listen to mine, and in so far they receive
the commandments of God who hath sent me. Pre-
judice alone could, I think, infer from such expressions,
that those who received the Apostles were literally re-
ceiving God himself under their form and substance.
Equally demonstrative of prejudice, I conceive, would it
be to deduce the identity or equality of the Father and
and the Son from the following passage, John, ch. v. ver.
23 : "That all men should honour the Son, even as they
honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son,
honoureth not the Father who hath sent him." For in
this very passage the Son is represented as the Messen-
ger of the Father, and for that reason only entitled to
honour. That the preposition [conj.?] "as" implies
here, as in many other places, likeness in nature and
quality, and not in exact degree of honour, ^s illustrated
by its obvious meaning in the last verse of Matthew, ch.
v., "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in
heaven is perfect;" for by these word^ no one can con-
ceive, that equality in degree of perfection between God
and the disciples is intended to be enjoined. »
The fifth position is, that his heavenly Father had