322          The Deity of Jeſus Chriſt         Sect. V

led, God over all bleſſed for ever. ' Of whom,
' as concerning the fleſh, Chriſt came, who
' is over all, God bleſſed for ever.' The ear
neſt deſire of our opponents, to evade the
force of this paſſage, is evident by their
maintaining, that the words, ' who is over
' all, God bleſſed for ever,' relate to God the
Father; though he is not ſo much as men-
tioned in the preceding verſes, and though
the term Chriſt is the noun, to which the
relative who naturally and neceſſarily belongs.

                          CHAP. III.

If Jeſus Chriſt be not the true God, the Christian Religion has
not ſufficient Criteria by which to diſtinguiſh it from Idolatry
and Impoſture.

AND now, if the principles of our adver-
ſaries be true, it is no very difficult thing
to make good of the Chriſtian, what we have
already proved of the Jewiſh religion: that
is, horrid idea ! it is not diſtinguiſhable from
idolatry and impoſture.

Not from idolatry. For in what does ido-
latry conſiſt, but in confounding the crea-
ture with the Creator? And what is con-
founding the creature with the Creator, but
inveſting the former with the peculiar ho-
nours and eſſential glory of the latter? He-
rod, as before obſerved, was guilty of blaſ-
phemy, and the people of idolatry, when
he received their impious applauſe; ' It is
' the voice of a god and not of a man;' though
                                                                     they