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    Now leaving out the clause respecting the Father ' s knowledge of the Son , the kind of knowledge of God intended , would be to be inferred , in a considerable degree , from the connexion , and the words being addressed to Jews , and spoken in reference to Jews , could not certainly be explained of the knowledge of the Great Supreme as distinguished from Heathen deities , but must have been interpreted of the real and correct knowledge of his

    character and dispensations in opposition to errors prevailing among those who supposed that they understood these subjects ; but granting Dr . S . ' s interpretation in the supposed case , what sort of logic is it which argues that because , leaving out an important member of a sentence , and considering what remains * independently of its context , it might be supposed to have a certain meaning , therefore that is the true meaning , and must be

    applied to explain the very member , without removing which it could not have been found out ? We are astonished that any man can pretend , by such a mockery of reasoning , to afford support to a doctrine so manifestly requiring the clearest and most direct evidence to overcome our justifiable scruples , so stupendous in itself , and so important in all its consequences .

    We will now turn to the 6 lh section of the same chapter , John x , 24—38 , including the words , " I and my Father are one . " We will first endeavour correctly to represent the nature of Dr . S . ' s argument , and to note his concessions , after which but few remarks from us will be needed . " la this portion of the doctrine of Jesus we find the following particulars : 1 . The avowal , so often made , on other occasions , of his official subordination to the Father . " — [ We do not find any such expression as

    official subordination in Scripture : to our apprehension the language of the New Testament expresses real and complete subordination , the sense of authority which was only derived , powers which were only communicated , and of a course of prescribed duty which must be accomplished . We have read of a feudal prince doing homage for a portion of his territories to a sovereign whom he equalled or exceeded in real power , and whom he shewed that he considered himself at least to equal , even whilst

    rendering to him a formal act of obeisance ; this is : our idea of merely official subordination , but it is not our understanding of the words of Christ , when he ascribes all his works to his Father , declares that he can do nothing of himself , and expressly affirms that his Father is greater than he . If it were , we could hardly retain our reverence for his character or our confidence in his instructions . ] " 2 . The assertion of his own power to confer the blessings of salvation the bestowment of which implies

    the attribute of All-sufficiency in the donor . " —[ We deny that there is here any assertion of our Lord ' s own , i . e . his independent , power to communicate any blessings , at least we find ourselves utterly incapable of perceiving any such meaning of what seem to us very plain words : The works which I do in THE NAME OF MY RfcTHEB ,, they testify concerning me . But ye believe not : for ye are not- of my sheep . As I said unto you , my sheep

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    Dr . •/ . P . Smith ' s Scripture Testimony to the Messiah . 591

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1831, page 591, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2601/page/15/