Chap. II.             eſſential to the Chriſtian Religion              219

in their account. And, indeed, the characters, own Son, and
only Son, naturally ſignify an equality, a ſameneſs of eſſence.
---We have no reaſon, therefore, to be ſurpriſed that the Jews,
taking his words in their proper ſenſe, ſhould think that he
claimed and aſſerted an equality with God. Nor did our
Lord give them any intimation, that they had miſunderſtood
him ; not yet the evangeliſt, as he does in ſeveral other inſtan-
ces of much leſs importance : which ſilence is a ſtrong pre-
ſumptive proof, that they were not under a miſtake about the
ſenſe of the words : for ſuch a miſtake, on the principles of
our oppoſers, might have been an occaſion of idolatry in them ;
and a miſtake of that kind not remarked by the hiſtorian,
would be calculated to anſwer the ſame pernicious purpoſe in
ſucceeding generations.

Nothing can be more oppoſite than the conduct of thoſe
Jews, who accuſed Chriſt of blaſphemy : and that of others,
who ſaid of Herod, ' It is the voice of a god, and not of a
' man.' When, therefore, we juſtify the one, we muſt con-
demn the other. The former will not allow Jeſus to ſpeak
of himſelf as God, becauſe he is a man : the latter will not
have Herod to expreſs himſelf as a man, but aſcribe to him
the voice of God. Now if Providence condemn the impiety
of theſe, by puniſhing Herod in a ſignal manner, for not re-
jecting their blaſphemous applauſe; Heaven, on the hypotheſis
of our oppoſers, muſt approve the language of thoſe who ex-
claim againſt Jeſus Chriſt, for making himſelf equal with God.
And if their charge of blaſphemy had been founded on a miſt-
ake, by taking his words in a wrong ſenſe ; he ought, one
would think, to have ſet them right, by explaining the terms
he uſed. But if he refuſed to correct ſo dangerous a miſtake
on their account, yet was it not neceſſary that he ſhould have
done it on ours ! that when we read his goſpel, we might not
entertain the deteſtable thought, that he equalled himſelf with
the Moſt High. If, however, he thought it proper not to ex-
plain himſelf, at that time; yet it might have been expected,
that his diſciples ſhould have given us the true ſenſe of the
myſterious words, when they reported them.

But, ſo far from this, the evangeliſts and apoſtles, who un-
doubtedly knew his meaning; and who knew alſo that ho was
                                                                                     condemned