Dr. Doddridge pursued. A variety of undisputed texts might be cited for this purpose; but, as there are two which appear in themselves decisive, it may be sufficient to quote them alone.-JOHN xii. 49. "For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." JOHN xiv. 10. "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me He doeth the works."-In the verse first quoted, we have an unquestionable declaration of the dependent character of Christ, in his personal capacity; and, in the second, an explanation which renders it evident that terms and phrases, implying direct Deity, when addressed to the Messiah, refer essentially to God, without any intervention of separate persons, and as a being unlimited by space, and then under a peculiar manifestation. These are known to have been the sentiments of Dr. Watts; and, from the following passage, in his letter to the Rev. David Longueville, when referring to Dr. Doddridge, a strong collateral proof is afforded that they are now correctly ascribed to him also: "Nor is there any person of my acquaintance with whom I more entirely agree in all the sentiments of the doctrine of Christ."* A farther evidence occurs in the following passage from Dr. Doddridge's plan for daily meditation, as quoted by Mr. Orton, page 278: "Evangelical views:-bless God for Christ, and the Spirit: exercise faith daily in Christ, * Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, by the Rev. Job Orton, p. 149. as Teacher, Atonement, Intercessor, Governor, Example, Strength, Guardian, Forerunner." As, in accordance with these views, it may be observed that there is a remarkable delicacy and caution evinced in the works of Dr. Doddridge, whenever the subject approaches the disputed points of theology. The genuine expressions of the sacred writers are then employed, and the reader is allowed to draw his own conclusions, unbiassed by the prejudices of human authorities. Those portions of his Theological Lectures, which treat on the matter alluded to, substantiate this statement.* And to this admirable practice of his friend and tutor, Mr. Orton bears witness in the following remarks.† “It grieved • From the great importance of the subject the following passages, extracted from Dr. Doddridge's Lectures on Divinity, cannot but be interesting to the reader. "The Christian scheme directs us not to terminate our regards in the Mediator, but to address our petitions to God, through him, and every where represents it as his office to bring us to God." "It is to be remembered, in all the Christian doctrines relating both to the atonement and intercession of Christ, that we are to consider him as a person graciously appointed by GoD to this purpose: which, if it be duly attended to, will prevent the apprehension, as if God were the less gracious, or our obligations to the Father at all diminished by those we are under to the Son :" 1 Cor. i. 30. 2 Cor. v. 18. Eph. i. 3—6, 9, 11, 12. 1 Pet. i. 2-5. Heb. v. 4, 5. LECT. CLXXXVII."The Scripture represents the DIVINE BEING as appearing in, and manifesting Himself by the distinct persons of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, each of which has his peculiar province in accomplishing the work of our redemption and salvation, and to each of which we owe an unlimited veneration, love, and obedience."—"If it be inquired in what sense the word person is used in the proposition, we answer, it must at least be true in a political sense, yet cannot amount to so + Memoirs, page 195, 196. him to see impositions upon Conscience any where, especially among Dissenters, as they were so evidently contrary to their own principles. Our interest,' saith he, hath received great damage by unscriptural impositions and uncharitable contentions with each other." "It appears, from what was said above, of his behaviour to his pupils, that he thought it unjust in itself, and very injurious to the interest of religion, to be rigorous with young Ministers and Students about their particular sentiments, and to tie them down to profess their assent to Formularies, much as a philosophical personality, unless we allow a plurality of Gods and if there be any medium between these, which we cannot certainly say there is not, we must confess it to be to us unsearchable; and the higher our notions of distinct personality are carried, the more difficult does it appear to our feeble reason, to clear up the supreme divinity of each, and vice versa. We must acknowledge that Scripture seems sometimes to neglect this distinction of persons; and GOD dwelling in Christ, is sometimes called the Father, and sometimes the Holy Spirit: vide John xiv. 9, 10. Matt. xii. 28. John i. 32. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Peter iii. 18. Acts x. 38." LECT. CLXI.— "Mr. Baxter seems, as some of the schoolmen did, to have thought the three divine persons to be one and the same God, understanding, willing, and beloved by himself, or Wisdom, Power, and Love; which he thinks illustrated by the three essential formalities (as he calls them) in the soul of man; viz. vital active power, intellect, and will; and in the sun, motion, light, and heat.* "Dr. Clark's scheme is, that there is One Supreme Being, who is the Father, and two derived, dependent beings: but he waves calling Christ a creature, as the ancient Arians did, and principally on that foundation disclaims the charge of Arianism.t "Dr. Thomas Burnet maintains one self-existent and two dependent * Baxter's End of Contr. c. ii. Works, vol. ii. p. 132. Ibid. vol. iii. p. 568. + Clark on Trin. part ii. prop. 7, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22. VOL. V. C containing Points of a very abstruse, or a very doubtful nature."-" It was an inviolable maxim with him; 'never to condemn his brethren, as having forfeited all title to the name of Christian, because their Creeds, or Confessions of faith did not come up to the standard of his own; yea, he thought, that if it were a matter that seemed of such great importance, as to give some room to suspect that the mistake was fatal (which, surely nothing can be, which does not beings, but asserts that the two latter are so united to, and inhabited by the former, that, by virtue of that union, divine perfections may be ascribed, and divine worship paid to them.* "Dr. Wallis thought that the distinction between the three persons was only modal; which seems also to have been Archbishop Tillotson's opinion.t "Dr. Watts maintained one Supreme God dwelling in the human nature of Christ, which he supposes to have existed the first of all creatures; and speaks of the Divine Logos as the wisdom of God, and the Holy Spirit as the Divine Power, or the influence and effect of it; which, he says, is a scriptural form, i. e. spoken of figuratively in Scripture, under personal characters.‡ 6 "Dr. Jeremiah Taylor says, that he who goes about to speak of the mystery of the Trinity, and does it by words and names of man's invention, talking of essences and existences, hypostases and personalities, priorities in coequalities, &c. and unity in pluralities, may amuse himself, and build a tabernacle in his head, and talk something he knows not what; but the good man, that feels the power of the Father, and to whom the Son is become wisdom, sanctification, and redemption, in whose heart the love of the Spirit of God is shed abroad, this man, though he understands nothing of what is unintelligible, yet he alone truly understands the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.'"-Taylor on the Trinity, part i. puss. præs.—LECT. CLXIII. * Burnet's Scripr. Doct. p. 173, 174. p. 492-494. greatly affect men's temper towards God and each other,) even that consideration should engage us to gentleness and tenderness, rather than severity, if, peradventure we might remove their prejudice.' FROM THE REV. JOHN BARKER. DEAR AND REV. SIR, Walthamstow, Nov. 4, 1747. I SHALL not be able to think well of myself till I have told you how well I think of Col. Gardiner's Life; I mean, not only as it was exemplified by him, but as represented by you to the world. I own, my dear Doctor, I was not without my fears lest your love to that excellent person should have overcharged some of your pages with panegyric, and the extraordinary manner of his conversion have given some occasion to the present age to charge him or you with enthusiasm. But in reading the book I was agreeably surprised, and exceedingly pleased; and I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, that your friends here are of opinion, that you have performed what you have undertaken in a most excellent manner, and that it is suited to do a great deal of good. As for the unmanly flirts, and ungenerous reflections of those who are not worthy to carry your books after you, it puts me in mind of a dog barking at the moon, who, after all his impotent anger, shines, and is still very far out of his reach. Happy, my dear friend, are you in the Divine approbation, in the esteem of the best men in and out of the Establishment; the best, I say, for wisdom, piety, and candour; and in the excellent use you make of those ad * Dr. Doddridge's Sermon on Candour. Tracts, vol. iii. p. 219. |