Chap. II.      eſſential to the Chaiſtian Religion.     27

theſe things Mahomet endeavours to per-
ſuade mankind. And for this purpoſe he
makes uſe of plain, and ſtrong, and proper
expreſſions. He loudly and vehemently de-
clares, that they who treat Jeſus Chriſt as
God, are idolaters ; which is the direct way
to accompliſh his deſign.-It is ſuppoſed
alſo, that the great end of Jeſus Chriſt is to
glorify God. To glorify God, is, according
to the language of inſpiration, to exalt him
far above all other beings. The ancient
prophets fortelling that God ſhould be glo-
rified, in an extraordinary manner, in the
latter times, expreſs their ideas in the fol-
lowing words ; 'The lofty looks of man
' ſhall be humbled, and the haughtineſs of
' men ſhall be bowed down, and the Lord
' alone ſhall be exaſted in that day.' But
Chriſt debaſes God, at the very time he pro-
feſſes to exalt him : for, by his expreſſions,
he puts himſelf in the place of God. This
he does, when he calls himſelf God ; when
he claims Divine perfections; when he at-
tributes to himſelf the work of creation;
and when he applies to himſelf thoſe ora-
cles of the prophets, which diſplay the eſ-
ſential characters of the Supreme Being.

If it be ſaid, ' It is ſufficient that Chriſt
' declares, his Father is greater than he ;' I
anſwer, It would be a haughty kind of mo-
deſty for a mere creature to ſay, The Form-
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