Chap. III      eſſential to the Chriſtian Religion.       323

they conſidered him ſtill as a real man. They who caſt a
grain of incenſe before an idol, were guilty of idolatry though
they did it with reluctance. One could not ſwear by the
emperor's head, without being guilty of the ſame crime; tho'
nobody, on that account, could imagine the emperor to be
God, But it would be the height of idolatry to call him God,
and to pay him Divine honours, as the Romans did, on ſome
occaſions. Becauſe idolatry does not only conſiſt in giving ſo
a creature all that is due to the Creator; but in giving any
thing to the former, which belongs to none but the latter.
The ſacred writers, however, not only aſcribe to Jeſus Chriſt
a part of what is peculiar to God ; but they agree in attribu-
ting to him all the moſt peculiar and eſſential characteriſtics
of his glory. They aſcribe to Jeſus the moſt magnificent of
all Divine works. To him they attribute the power and wiſ-
dom. the immenſity and eternity of God with other perfecti-
out of the Divine nature. They alſo give him God's titles,
names, and glory. How, then, would it be poſſible to con-
found the creature with the Creator to a greater degree.
It may, perhaps, be ſaid; Though the Writers of the New
' Teſtament ſpeak of Chriſt as of one that partakes, in ſome
' meaſure, of the glory of the Deity yet, that he might not
'  be accuſed of a deſign to confound himſelf with God, he ex-
' preſsly declared, The Father is greater than I.'— But this
is far from invalidating our' argument. A perſon, for inſtance,
who loves money, who is really a coveious man, and who has
bowed all his life at the ſhrine of Mammon, will readily al-
low, That God it the chief good, and to be loved above all
riches. Yet ſuch an acknowledgement will neither acquit
him from the charge of covetouſneſs, nor from the guilt of
idolatry.-A man who ſhould aſſume the titles and names of
God, with a view to be worſhipped, would ſet himſelf up for
an idol, though he were once and again to confeſs, That
God is greater than he. Or, to vary the compariſon, a ſub-
ject who ſhould aſcribe to himſelf all the works of his ſovereign;
aſſume his titles; and call himſelf, the true king, the great
king, and the lord of the ſtate, whom all around are bound to
obey ;—who ſhould cauſe himſelf to be addreſſed as king, and
exact ſuch honours as were never given to any but the real
                                                                                  monarch