his revelation from the lips of the angel, he, no doubt, bewildered with his glory, and verily thought that he wa presence of him who had been dead but was alive again in these attempts to worship the angel, he probably inte worship Christ, at whose feet he had prostrated him previously. But the angel refused to be worshipped a "See thou do it not . . . Worship God." But Jesus ne fused to be worshipped. The highest homage ever off him, he accepted, whether from his disciples or others there no danger in this? Persons of Jewish extractio and worshipped him. The Jews were greatly prone to the example of their heathen neighbors, and degenera idolatry. And yet the Redeemer who came to destroy and honor God, uttered to them no word of rebuke or against the idolatrous worship of himself. One wom was not a Jew but a Gentile§ came and followed him, an after him, and cast herself down before him, and held the feet, and worshipped him. The Saviour commen faith, gave her no hint that she was in danger of exc one form of idolatry for another, furnished no hint to b that there was any distinction between what this wors peared to be and what it really was.

Once when the winds were blowing, and the discipl tempest tossed, the Saviour came to them upon the wave

*Matt. 18: 26.

†Mark 15:19.

Rev. 1: 17; 19: 10; 22: 9.
§Mark 7: 26.

15*

saw him, thought him a spirit, and screamed with terror. Peter met him, treading the angry billows till his faith failed. Jesus saved him by a miracle. As soon as he entered the ship the wind ceased, and the awe-stricken disciples crowded around him, and with one consent they worshipped him* without reproof. Rulers came, lepers came, the mother of Zebedee's children came, demoniacs came, but no friendly voice from him who came to redeem the world, warned them of the idolatry of worshipping him. After his resurrection the disciples worshipped him often; held him by the feet and worshipped him. And one of them, who had been filled with doubts, when he saw that it was indeed the Saviour, cried out, "my Lord and my God." After he ascended up on high, and they had watched his receding form till the parting cloud had received him, they worshipped him before they returned to their homes, there on the spot from which he ascended.† And all this was allowed, though the Saviour knew that out of it would grow an idolatry deeper rooted than paganism, instead of a pure Christianity, provided the worship of Christ is not Christianity itself. "Nor is there a single case in which homage is paid to him in the way in which it is paid to God." Can the distinction be pointed out? Can our Unitarian friends show how all men can "honor the Son even as they honor the Father," as commanded to do,‡ without offering him divine worship? What possible method of interpretation, short of absolute perversion of the text, can make this passage any thing less than a demand that divine honors be bestowed on Christ by all men? The Jews had charged Christ with having violated the Sabbath. He replies to them by affirming that he is Lord of the Sabbath, draws a parallel between himself and the Father in regard to their power and authority, and declares that the same honors as are conferred on the Father should be also bestowed on the Son, and adds, "He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that hath sent him." Is not this equivalent to saying that no man offers acceptable worship to the Father who does not worship the Son?

*Matt. 14: 24, &c.

†Luke 24: 52.

+John 5: 23.

in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God tho not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself reputation, and took on himself the form of a servan was made in the likeness of men: and, being found in ion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedie death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God als

highly exalted him, and given him a name above every that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of thi heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is [Kurios] to the glory of God the Father."+ "For it is v As I live, saith the Lord, [Kurio from Kurios] every kne bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." It less to say, as some have said, that these passages, ins worship imply subjugation. They imply both subj and adoration. The fact that it may not indicate volunta heartfelt worship on the part of all, only, if possible, in the force of the passage, as it shows that all who will no ship the Son voluntary, shall be brought, by the inflexible of Jehovah, to bend the knee to Christ, and confess him It also shows, in common with many other passages, th is glorified when the Son is worshipped.

It has been remarked that the Greek word Proskuneo, w is clearly applied to the Saviour, in some fifteen instance

*Heb. 1: 6,
†Phil. 2: 5-11.

Rom. 14: 11.

New Testament. Besides these, in Rev. 4: 10, the highest worship and praise are offered to him that liveth forever and ever, who was and is and is to come, and who created all things. As such ascriptions are sometimes made to Christ, this may or may not allude to the Son. In the following passages the very highest adoration is offered, both to the Father and Son. "After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen; blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God, forever and ever. Amen. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters."* In other instances innumerable companies of angels, elders and saints, that worship before the throne, ascribe to God and to the Lamb all glory and praise.† The following may be regarded as a sample. "The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Amen. And the four beasts said Amen.

*Rev. 7; 9, &c.

†Rev. 1:5-13; 12: 10, 11; 14: 4; 17: 14; 19: 16.

And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever.

Who is the man that can read these most sublime passages of all the revelation of God, and pretend to find a distinction between the character of the worship offered to God, and that offered to the Lamb? Who, with these inspired words before him, can pretend that Christ is not to receive from all men, and all angels, and all other beings, in heaven, earth and sea, the highest homage and the most spiritual worship that the universe can offer now and forever more? Is heaven itself as well as all the Christian church below full of idolatry?

But it is claimed that the Scriptures speak of Christ as a created being. Let us see.

He is called "The only begotten of the Father."+ But this obviously refers to his miraculous generation when he became incarnate, and argues nothing in favor of our opponents, though often quoted. The passage is, "The word [which was God] was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory; the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” But he is "The first begotten from the dead." Yes, "That in all things he might have the pre-eminence." This evidently refers to his resurrection and not his generation, and is irrele"The first-born among many brethren."§ "In whom we have redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born every creature; for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were made by him and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."||

vant.

of

The above passages contain two members which are exceedingly current among our Unitarian friends, in proof that Christ is a created being, viz., "The first-born among many brethren," and "The first-born of every creature." The latter, standing

*Rev. 5: 11-14.

†John 1: 14, 18, and 3: 16, 18.

Col. 1: 18.

§ Rom. 8: 29.

Col. 1: 14-16.