A plea for the deity of Jesus, and the doctrine of the Trinity; being a chronological view of what is related concerning the person of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity; whether in the sacred writings, or in Jewish, heathen, and Christian authors

Front matter

Qass Book

A PLEA

FOR THE

Preface

lix of the Christian writers, who lived in the first centuries after the birth of our Saviour, They are our best human guides, at least so far as facts are concerned ; and what they have concurred to establish, under the direction of the sacred writings* bids fair to be the truth.

In addition to the whole, he has thrown 4nto the notes the observations and reasonings of many of our first theologians, to corroborate and illustrate what had been advanced in the text ; and he makes no question but these will be considered as the most valuable parts of the work. The opinions of the Fathers too, have been frequently added, to illustrate a variety of passages, and sometimes even more than once, besides the general view of their opinions which is given in the seventh part. This is the case likewise with some of the scriptural quotations ; but then they are always produced with different views, and to prove a different doctrine. In short, the author has used every help within the compass of a small library, in a country place, and without any advice or assistance from the learned. This he hath done for his own satisfaction. The labour hath been considerable, but not unpleasant. And he has reaped the consolation of finding, that the divinity of Christ, and the Holy Spirit, together with the doctrine of the Trinity, are not only contained in the pages of divine revelation, but have pervaded all nations and all time, with greater or less degrees of perspicuity,

But, these doctrines are attended with difficulty !— True. — This, however, is not our concern. The simple question is — Do the sacred writings contain these distinguishing peculiarities? If they do, the point in question is gained. To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according; to that word, it is because there is no light in them. The difficulty attending the comprehension of any particular representation of the nature of the Divine Being, supposing it to be clearly revealed, is no substantial objection. The first principle of natural religion contains innumerable — I had almost said — impossibilities. What is God 1 is involved in the most absolute incomprehensibility. And yet we must either admit the principle, or embrace ten thousand absurdities and impossibilities. Man was not made to cavil at lx THE AUTHORS

every thing he does not comprehend (for what does he fully comprehend ?) but modestly to investigate the truth — to submit to the best evidence the nature of the case will admit — and zealously to adore the Author of his being, according to the fullest light, which reason and revelation have afforded him. It is much to be apprehended, various mistakes will be discovered by the attentive reader in the course of so long a work, especially in the quotations, references, and translations. The Author deprecates the severity of criticism. He can assure the reader, however, much attention has been paid to these matters, and he is not conscious of having, in any instance, perverted a sentiment to favour an hypothesis. He sincerely wishes truth to have its full scope. If any passage is turned from its proper meaning, he is not conscious of it, is sorry for it, and intreats the reader to restore it to its genuine signification. It has been his endeavour to bring every thing that is material upon the great doctrines under consideration, into on view, to make certain observations upon such as seemed to need it, and then to leave the serious Christian to draw his own conclusions. He contends for no human creeds or explications whatever. He would not give a rush for a million of them. They may be right, or they may be wrong. He troubles not his head about them. The scripture is enough for him. Every other authority is human. Christ alone is king in his own church. It will be perceived, that one or more asterisks are placed before several of the quotations from scripture. These are designed to draw the reader's attention to such passages as are more important than ordinary, and absolutely conclusive against some peculiarity of the Arian or Socinian schemes. Upon some of the scriptures quoted he does not lay any serious stress. But, as they have all been brought forward, by one or another, he has noticed them in their respective places, bearing his testimony, at the same time, against al 1 evidence tha t is not solid and substantial. Nothing will stand, nothing can stand, but what is so, Nor ought we even to wish to extract meanings from the Scriptures which the Divine Spirit never intended. We always injure the cause of truth, when we attempt to make scripture prove too much.

PREFACE, 1X1

The strength of the following evidence will chiefly depend upon the connected view of it. But though every text of scripture, which is brought to support any particular doctrine, were set aside, but one, as being little or nothing to the purpose, that one ought to be considered as conclusive, till the validity of it can be fairly disproved. It is disingenuous to conclude we have subverted any particular doctrine when we have only tried our strength with its feeblest supports, while its main arguments are left untouched.

As the Author avows himself a believer of the pre-existence and divinity of the Savionr of mankind, and the personality and deity of the Holy Ghost, after the fullest investigation of these subjects of which he is capable, the reader will therefore peruse those parts of this Apology with caution, and weigh the premises and conclusions with the most scrupulous exactness. He is not backward to confess, that to him these doctrines appear essential to the Christian scheme of redemption. If others are of a different opinion, he has no quarrel with them. Every man must examine and judge for himself. To our own master we stand or fall. He has no fear but the genuine truths of Christianity shall ultimately prevail, whatever those truths may be. God will vindicate his own cause. The gates of hell have long been at work to subvert the whole system of divine truth, but they have not yet prevailed, nor is it to be apprehended they ever will. The great Head of the church, indeed, is shaking •the nations, and is about to purge his floor. The gold, silver, and precious stones shall abide the day of trial ; but the chaff will be blown away ; the wood, hay, and stubble shall be burnt up; all superstitious ordinances shall be subverted; but the Word of the Lord shall endure for ever.

Here then the author of this treatise rests his faith. Antichrist may fail ; superstitious observances may cease; religious establishments may be tumbled into ruins ; empires and kingdoms may be overturned ; princes and governors may be deposed ; the wise men of the world may take part with the enemies of truth; error and delusion may run like wild-fire among the thickest ranks of the people ; unbelievers may rage, and

Ixii

PREFACE.

minute philosophers imagine a vain thing ; but the Bible shall arise out of its present obscurity, and, being stripped of all human appendages, shall be universally had in honour; the method of redeeming a lost race therein revealed shall be generally seen and embraced ; the enemies of evangelical religion shall be confounded world without end; Jesus shall reign, triumphant over all opposition, in his glorified human body, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, till all the ends of the earth have seen his great salvation, and every opposing power is brought into complete subjection. At the present moment, he is dashing the nations together like the vessels of a potter ; but yet, notwithstanding the confusion and disorder of the world, of which we have heard so much, and which we oursleves may yet possibly witness ; all the dispensations of creation, providence, and grace, are founded in wisdom and goodness, and shall wind up, to the Redeemer's everlasting honour.

DAVID SIMPSON.

Macclesfield, Jan. 1. 1798.

Part Ii.— Section I

Information concerning the Messiah for the first 3000 years of the world . . 63— 75

SECTION II.

Information concerning the Messiah from the Psalms and writings of David .............. 75— 87

SECTION III.

Information concerning the Messiah from the writings of Solomon 87 — 90

Part Iii.— Section I

Various Testimonies to the Person and Character of Christ, immediately antecedent to his

birth, and during his abode upon earth 152 — 165

SECTION II.

The Testimony of Christ himself, concerning

his own Person and Character 165 — 195

SECTION III.

Christ's Manner of working miracles a proof of his divinity 195 — 198

SECTION IV.

Christ's Testimony to his own Person and Character at the close of his life and after his resurrection 193—206

SECTION V.

Testimonies to the Person and Character of Christ, by his Apostles and Disciples, after his

ascension into heaven ; 206—218

SECTION VI.

The Divinity of Christ argued from some circumstances in the Acts of the Apostles 218 — -223

SECTION VII.

The Invocation of Christ a proof of his Divinity 223 — 238

SECTION VIII.

The Divinity of Christ argued from various

passages in the writings of Paul 238 — 256

Part Iv.— Section I

A view of the doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit, from the Old Testament 306—321

SECTION II.

A view of the doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit, from the New Testament 321—349

PART V.— SECTION L A view of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, from the Old Testament 349—378

SECTION II.

A view of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, from the New Testament , 378—406

Part VI. — Section I

Opinions of the ancient Jews concerning the plurality of the Divine Nature, from the Apocryphal books 406—412

SECTION II.

The Opinions of Philo, and other ancient Jews, concerning the plurality of the Divine Nature « . 412—431

Part Vii.— Section I

Opinions of the ancient Heathen concerning the plurality of the Divine Nature 431— 44S

SECTION II.

Opinions of the more modern Heathens concerning the plurality of the Divine Nature .... 443 — 456

Part Viii.— Section I

On the utility of the writings of the Christian fathers, in determining the question concerning the doctrine of the Holy Trinity . . , , , 456—463

IXV CONTENTS.

Page.

SECTION II.

The opinions of the Apostolical fathers, concerning the Person of Christ, and doctrine of the Trinity 463-475

SECTION III.

The opinions of the Christian fathers, who lived in the first part of the second century, concerning the Person of Christ, and the doctrine of the Trinity '.} 475—479

SECTION IV.

The opinion of Justin Martyr concerning the Person of Christ, with a vindication of him from the charge of innovation 479 — 490

SECTION V.

The opinions of the Christian fathers, who lived in the latter part of the second century, concerning the Person of Christ, and the doctrine of the Trinity 490 — 504

SECTION VI.

The opinions of the Christian fathers, and others, of the third century, concerning the Person of Christ, and the doctrine of the Trinity . . 504 — 524

SECTION VII.

Opinions of the Christian fathers, and other*, who flourished in the fourth, and beginning of the fifth centuries, concerning the Person of Christ, and the doctrine of the Trinity 525 — 544

SECTION VIII.

Miscellaneous evidence to the Person of Christ, and doctrine of the Trinity, from Councils, Heretics, and other circumstances of the first ages ..,...».. 545 — 553

Recapitulation of the whole Evidence ...... 553 — 577

Section I

THE IMPORTANCE OP THE DOCTRINE OP OUR SAVIOUR'S DEITY, AND THE REASONABLENESS OP BELIEVING IT.

The necessity of a Saviour.— His character.— 'Equality ivith the Father: — Illustrated by an historical fact. — State of Religion where this doctrine is discarded. — Scriptures produced by unbelievers to prove Jesus inferior to the Father. — Unity of God, a first principle in religion. — The necessity of decision in the faith of his Divinity. — Guilt of infidelity.

A right knowledge of God, and the relation we stand in to him, are essentially necessary, it should seem, in all, ordinary cases, to the attainment of future felicity. If our general notions of the Divine Being are wrong, considered as an object of worship, we adore a creature of our own imagination, rather than the living and true God. If we are not well acquainted also, with our own real and relative state respecting him, it is impossible we should demean ourselves in a becoming and acceptable manner : for, we should ever remember, that very different conduct is due from an innocent creature, to that which is due from one in a state of degeneracy and moral depravity*

2 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. PART. 1 4

An innocent creature can be in no need of a Saviour, in no need of repentance, in no need of pardon, in no need of sanctification. Guilty fears, dread of God's wrath, remorse of conscience, and the like uneasy sensations of mind, are things to which he must ever be a stranger, while he retains his integrity. But a sinner, as such, is in want of pardon ; and, if his Creator thinks not proper to grant that pardon, by an absolute act of sovereignty, he is in want of a Saviour; and if his nature, at the same time that it contracted guilt, contracted also a moral stain, and became depraved, he will need a Sanctifier: repentance, fear, dread, remorse, and all the other concomitants of guilt, are not less the sure consequences thereof, than they are becoming his situation and circumstances.

This is the state of human nature. We have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and he hath declared he will not pardon, by an absolute act of grace : and if we have all sinned, and God will not pardon, by an absolute act of grace, we stand in need of a Saviour : and if our natures have contracted a moral taint, we want some being or other, to restore our lapsed powers. Fear, dread, and remorse of conscience become us. And not to repent, not to be grieved and sorry, not to be possessed with fear, dread, remorse, and the like uneasy sensations, is unnatural, and infinitely unbecoming our situation.

But, if we are in want of a Saviour, and if a Saviour has been graciously provided for us, it will become us, not only to believe in him, but narrowly to examine, under the guidance of God's own manifestations, into the nature and offices of that Saviour ; and, at the same time, closely to consider, in what respects we stand in need of his assistance. These two views will have a tendency to throw light upon each other. And, if we act a reasonable part, our dependance upon, and confidence in the Redeemer, will be in exact proportion to our own wants, his ability, and the knowledge we have of God, the Redeemer, and ourselves. For instance, if we think ourselves innocent, the gospel of Christ is to us no better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; it is a pretended remedy where there is no need. And if we think ourselves, though not innocent, yet pretty good, and in no imminent danger of future misery, our

SECT. I.

Deity of Jesus.

love to Christ will be faint, weak, feeble, almost nothing. To whom little is forgiven, they will love little. If we are convinced of sin, and of our dangerous condition, so far as to be weary and distressed with its burden, the news of salvation by Jesus Christ will be glad tidings of great joy. To whom much is forgiven, they will love much. On the other hand, if we consider God as a being all mercy, without any regard to the veracity, justice, and holiness of his nature; then Christ will not be so supereminently precious ; because we shall not discover either the necessity or fitness of his mediation.

If we look upon our blessed Saviour as a mere man only, then we shall esteem him but little more than as Moses, or as one of the Prophets. If in short, we consider him at all, with regard to his superior nature, as a created being, though of the most exalted kind, our regard to him, and esteem for him, will be that of one creature to another; consideiable indeed, according to the rank he bears ; but far from that supreme regard, that unbounded confidence, that matchless love, which are due to him, in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost.

From this consideration it may be observed how necessary it is, that we should have a competent scriptural knowledge of the person and offices of the Redeemer, if we would pay unto him a reasonable service. If he is a mere man, he ought to be looked upon as such, by all created intelligences. If he is but an angel, though of the highest order, he ought to be regarded as an angel. He ought not, surely, to have religious adoration paid him ; nor is he capable, scripture and reason being judge, of making satisfaction to divine justice for the sins of the world.

But, if he is God and man ineffably united in one mediator : if he is " God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds ; and man, of the substance of his mother, born in the world : if he is perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting," then only, as it seems to me, he is, and can be, such a Redeemer as we stand in need of. Then only he is, in common with the Father, the proper object of divine worship, prayer, praise, and adoration. And if he is God, equal

B 2

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. PARTI.

with the Father, and we Christians have in the bible sufficient evidence of this matter of fact, it must be an inexcusable dishonour to his glorious majesty, to demean him to the level of a mere man, or to the more exalted rank of an angel. If, I say, he is, in his divine nature, equal with the Father in majesty, glory and power ; not to honour him even as we honour the Father, is, to dethrone him, and, will one day be resented by him upon his adversaries. To illustrate my meaning by an historical fact : Maximums, emperor ©f Rome, no sooner came to the throne, than he adopted his son Maximus with him, as partner and emperor, with equal power and authority. Let it be supposed, that we, being the subjects of Maximinus, refused to pay the same respect to Maximus, the son, which we did to; Maximinus, the father, under a pretence that there could be but one emperor in any one empire : if instead of treating Maximus as emperor, we had upon all occasions considered him only as an equal, or as the first nobleman in the country : would not this have been to degrade him, and to deny the emperor of Rome, in a very strong sense ? To have degraded him in such a manner would, probably, have mortified him beyond forbearance. One may, at least,, venture to assert, that his dignity would have been so far affected, as to cause him to with-hold future favours from us. And if Maximus's power were equal to his inclination, we should have assuredly felt the weight of his indignation. Our honouring the father, as emperoiv could not make satisfaction for dishonouring the son. But if we should go still farther, and instead of treating Maximus as emperor of Rome, or as the first nobleman in the country, we should have considered him in no higher a light than a mere animal, destitute of all moral and religious principle ; and, moreover, if we should have used our most strenuous endeavours to make all his subjects consider him as a being of an inferior order, and unworthy even to rank with intelligent creatures, he would have reason to reprobate our conduct with still greater severity.

" In all effects that are voluntary, the cause must be prior to the effect ; as the father is to the son, in human generation. But in all that are necessary, the effect must be co-eval with the cause ; as the stream is with the fountain and light with the sun. Had the sun been eternal in sect. i. Deity of Jesus. 5

ks duration, light would have been co-eternal with it. Was the fountain from everlasting, the stream would be equally from everlasting too. And the Son of God, in the faith and confession of the Jews, was the Second Jehovah, or the Mediate God of the universe ; an Eternal De-rivation from the Eternal Fountain of Deity, an Everlasting De-radiation from the Everlasting Sun of Divinity, in God the Father" *» - — If we trace the Christian religion, says professor White, through the various revolutions of the church, w e shall observe two doctrines, which, beyond all the rest, mark with a distinguishing lustre the creed which justly deserves the appellation of catholic. Explications of those doctrines may vary ; but the grand essentials of them seem to be interwoven with the original texture of Christian faith ; I mean the doctrines of the Divinity and Atonement of Christ : doctrines alike unknown to the Koran of Mahomet, and the Creed of Socinus.t

If then Jesus Christ, in his higher nature, possesses divinity; if he is of the same essence with his heavenly Father, as every son in this world is of the same nature and essence with his earthly parent; and if he hath made satisfaction to divine justice for the sins of mankind ; to deny that divinity, and to reject that satisfaction ; to deny and reject that, in which alone his truest glory consists, and to degrade him to the level of a mere man, is, surely, to deny the Lord that bought us: And it may be left for every man to judge, whether it be not one of those damnable heresies spoken of by the apostle of the circumcision J.

Be this, however, as it may, I must own it has often appeared to me, when I have reflected upon these subjects, that our blessed Lord, in every age of the Christian church, hath clearly shewn his disapprobation of these degrading doctrines. For, in What societies soever the divinity of the Son and Spirit of God has been rejected, there also hath been a visible declension, not only in piety and good morals, but usually in the members of such societies, except where the officiating minister happens to be a man of very popular

* Whitaker's Origin of Arianism, p. 175. t Notes to his Sermons, p. 61. % See 2 Peter 2. 1—3. and Jude 3, 4.

B 3 talents. Let us, moreover, look through the kingdom where we please, and attend to the state of the Arian and Socinian congregations, and we shall generally, if not universally, discover among them, a great want of serious godliness, much compliance with the spirit of the world, and a sovereign contempt of all those who embrace the system of orthodoxy. As they unanimously treat the Son of God and the Holy Spirit, with, comparative contempt ; so the grace of that Son, and the communications of that Spirit, without which we can do no manner of thing that is good, seem to be restrained and with-held from them. And this is perfectly reasonable, if those blessed Persons are treated with indignity by them. On the contrary, wherever the orthodox principles are plainly and faithfully inculcated, there we see the congregations increase, the people are converted from the error of their ways, become serious in their spirits, moral in their conduct, and, usually, die triumphing in the God of their salvation. It is very remarkable too, that when Arianism, Sabellianism, and various other erroneous systems, had overrun the churches in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries, it pleased God, soon after, to sweep them with the besom of destruction. The barbarous nations broke in upon the western churches in the fifth age, and carried slaughter and devastation wherever they came. Upon a large part of the eastern churches Mahomet came in the seventh age, and propagated with fire, sword, and wonderful success, his horrid delusion. And when the period arrives, that Socinianism becomes the prevailing religion of this country, as it shall in a little time, if the predictions of some warm contenders for it may be credited % iHs exceedingly probable, that the indignation of the Almighty, with a flood of vengeance, will follow hard after. To illustrate my meaning again by another historical fact : Let it be supposed, that when Cams, emperor also of Rome, joined his two sons Carinus and Numerianus with him, making them partners in the empire, and giving them equal power and authority with himself: let it be supposed, I say, that any of their subjects had rejected the authority of either Carinus, or Numerianus, or both, under a pretence that Carus was the only proper and

* See Priestley on the Importance of Free Inquiry, passim.

SECT. I.

Deity of Jesus.

lawful emperor; in such a case, the opposers of their honour and dignity could have had no just reason to complain, if the two sons should, not only have withheld their favours from such refractory subjects, but even have w reaked their vengeance upo; them. — The application is obvious.

Those, who are so zealous in degrading our blessed Saviour, bring us several passages of scripture to prove, that he is a man, and of consequence, inferior to the Father ; such as — There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: And — God hath commanded all men every where to repent ; because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man xvhomhehath ordained. Now these, and all such like passages, are leally nothing to the purpose for which they are brought ; because we ourselves also, as earnestly contend as the adversaries to the divinity of Jesus, that he is perfect man as well as perfect God *. It is absurd, therefore, and disingenuous, to dwell upon this while we insist upon the truth and importance of such declarations as strenuously as they can do. If the adversaries of the divinity of Christ would say any thing to the purpose, they should show us how all those passages of scripture, which speak of him in the highest style of deity, can be easily reconciled with those, which speak of his simple

* If our Saviour be spoken of thus exclusively in his different natures ; it ought not to be matter of wonder, that this Son of God and Son of Man should be described at times, with all that difference of character which subsists, in an infinite degree, between God and man. It ought not to be matter of wonder, that he who in the former capacity was to make " the dead hear his voice." should in the latter " receive authority to execute judgment:" that he, who in the former knew all tilings, should in the latter " not know the day and hour, ichen judgment ivas to be executed by himself:" that he, whom in the former " no man knoweth but the Father ;" should tell the Jews in the latter, that " they Imh knew him, and whence he was:" that he by whom as God all things consist should say of himself, as man, " and now I am no more in the world." The importance of attending to this distinction between our Saviour's natures, may be inferred from the question which he himself put- to his insidious enemies, " how Christ could be David's Lord, and at the same time his Son!" A question, by which they were so affected that, as Matthew declares, no man leasable to answer him a word: neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Eveleigh's Two Sermons on the Trinity, p. 56 and 37.

manhood. Till this be done they must give us leave to think, with the church in all ages, that Christ is perfect God, and perfect man ;* that the deity and humanity are ineffably united in him, as the soul and the body are ineffably united in a human being. Upon this supposition, all the seeming inconsistences in holy scripture, concerning the character of Messiah, vanish, and speak the same harmonious truth.

" Those who deny the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ,' 5 says a valuable writer, " bring us many passages of scripture to prove, that he was a man and inferior to the Father ; but these passages are really nothing to their purpose, for they do but prove what we v ourselves contend for. We believe that the Eternal Word not only took our nature upon him, but also, that he sustained the office of Mediator on our account; that through his own voluntary condescension, he was sent by the Father into the world ; fulfilled all righteousness in our nature, and became obedient even unto death ; that in consequence of this humiliation, he was highly exalted, made head over all things to the church, and constituted the judge of quick and dead ; and that, finally, when the work for which he undertook the office of Mediator shall be fully accomplished, he will then lay aside the peculiar dignities of his office, or mediatorial kingdom, and reign in the preceding dignity of his nature for ever and ever.