words to stand as they are: there is a plain distinction between "God" and our Saviour, to the entire exclusion of the latter from Deity. Again I shall refer you to

2 COR. i. 3. Blessed be GOD, EVEN THE FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

And 2 Cor. xi. 31. The GOD AND FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

These sentiments are mine. I bow my knee, with the Apostle, to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I own, with the Apostle, that he had a God and Father. I believe the express testimony of Scripture on the subject. I receive it in its plain, simple, obvious sense and meaning. I leave it to others who believe in creeds, to puzzle themselves with essences, subsistences, hypostases, and plurality of persons, distinctions, or somewhats! My creed requires no such aids. It is that indicated by the Scripture phraseology in

EPH. i. 3. Blessed be the GOD AND FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ.

And in EPH. i. 17. [In my prayers] that THE GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ, the FATHER OF GLORY, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

Surely no distinction can be more marked in itself, or more consistently preserved, than that which these passages make, between our Lord Jesus Christ, and that Supreme Being who is called his "GOD," and his "FATHER." To the same effect is

COL. i. 3. We give thanks to God, even THE FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

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Where it is to be observed, that instead of "even," the received version reads and:"-to give a plausible ground for prayer to the Trinity. But this makes perfect nonsense of the passage. I say, this makes nonsense of the passage; for suppose the term God to mean the three persons of the Trinity, the verse will read thus: "We give thanks to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,— AND TO THE FATHER!-which would be absurd.

1 PET. i. 3. Blessed be THE GOD AND FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 THESS. i. 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, EVEN OUR FATHER.

These last two texts plainly show, that the distinction between Christ and God, which it was my object to prove, is carefully preserved by the Sacred Writers.

1 THESS. i. 9, 10. ** Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

I shall now turn your attention to—

SOME PASSAGES IN WHICH CHRIST TEACHES THAT GOD THE FATHER IS THE ONLY OBJECT OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

MATT. vi. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify YOUR FATHER who is in heaven.

MATT. vi. 8. YOUR FATHER knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.

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I also refer to that prayer, commonly called the Lord's Prayer, (MATT. vi. 9, &c.) which, I do think, is an address to THE FATHER" exclusively, notwithstanding the authority of Mr. Bagot's assertion to the contrary. Again we read in

MATT. vii. 11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER give good things unto them that ask him?

Here it is plainly taken for granted, that OUR HEAVENLY FATHER is the person to whom prayer ought to be addressed. I do not agree with Mr. Bagot, that the word Father is equivalent to Creator. If indeed that criticism be admitted, it would be destructive to his own theory.

The same principle, that the Father alone is the object of religious worship, is assumed in

MARK Xi. 25, 26. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that YOUR FATHER Who is in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Our Lord does not say, Forgive your brethren, that "GOD THE FATHER, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost," may forgive you your trespasses; but "THE FATHER"-"your Father who is in heaven." The Father, therefore, is the object of worship. To the same conclusion we are led by

LUKE Xi. 1, 2. As he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, "When ye pray, say, OUR FATHER WHO

ART IN HEAVEN!"

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This is the same mode of address which occurs in the Lord's prayer, but taught on another occasion; for it appears from the circumstances related in the context, that this could not be the form delivered in connexion with the Sermon on the Mount. This prayer sanctions the principle which I before laid down, that, according to our Saviour's instruction, prayer is to be addressed specifically to the Father. This was the form which our Saviour taught, OUR FATHER who art in heaven;" but who, I would ask, taught that form of prayer which is offered up by orthodox congregations, and which forms a part of established Liturgies; and which is addressed to "God the Son," and "God the Holy Ghost," and to "the glorious Trinity, three persons and one God?" Who taught it I know not; but I am sure it was never taught by our Lord Jesus Christ.

JOHN XV. 16. have chosen you, ** that whatsoever ye shall ask THE FATHER in my name, he may give it you.

I presume this passage sufficiently explains the text upon which Mr. Bagot laid so much stress, "If ye ask any thing in my name, I will give it you." If Scripture be explained by Scripture, and pas

sage by passage, those places in which ambiguities may be found by those which are direct and plain, all difficulties will vanish. Here THE FATHER is to be asked, because he alone can grant.

I shall even refer to the 26th verse of this chapter, the same which Mr. Bagot quoted:

JOHN xvi. 26. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you.

I find I made a mistake in the reference, this not being the text to which Mr. Bagot adverted; but it is as express as the other: it tells against his own cause, and overturns the argument built on those texts which he delivered yesterday with such rapid volubility; for it shows that the Father, not Christ, is the being to whom petitions are to be addressed. Farther

CHRIST HIMself addreSSED PRAYER TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE FATHER ONLY.

And this, it must be allowed, is a circumstance which bears directly on the question at issue between us. Hitherto I have been strength

ening Mr. Bagot's first proposition against himself; but I now proceed to draw the net a little closer around him, by bringing in those proofs which will plainly and directly establish my own second proposition. And I have indeed done so in some degree already, by the distinction which I have shown to exist in the language of Scripture, between God and our Saviour; but the texts to which I now refer, will establish the point even more directly.

JOHN Xi. 41, 42. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, FATHER! I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but be cause of the people who stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

Can words be more express? Can these words be reconciled with the opinion which makes Christ himself the hearer of prayer, and the person who is alone able to grant petitions? If Christ were God, why should he pray at all? It will be said, as has been said, that Christ had no need of praying for himself, and that he did so only as an example to others; but that assertion is dishonourable to Christ. It would make his example to be the example of hypocrisy. I do not believe that such a charge lies against our Saviour; for I am sure that our Lord never prayed but in spirit and in truth, and for blessings actually desired. Our Lord declares to his disciples

in

JOHN xiv. 16, I will pray THE FATHER, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.

These words represent the Father as the being to whom our Lord addressed prayer, and looked for blessings.

JOHN Xvii. 1. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, FATHER! the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee!

JOHN xvii. 5. And now, O FATHER! glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

JOHN Xvii. 11. ** HOLY FATHER! keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

As a sufficient answer to the arguments broached on this subject, arising from the text "I and my Father are one,” I read—

JOHN Xvii. 21. [I pray] as thou, FATHER! art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. This text affords a sufficient answer to the argument brought forward by Mr. Bagot, proving the Deity of the Son, by the mutual indwelling which submits between him and the Father. If that text proves the Deity of the Son, the one now before us, equally proves the Deity of all his followers.

JOHN Xvii. 24. FATHER! I will that they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Here not only does our Saviour address prayer to the Father, but it is declared that the glory to which Christ attained, was a glory which his Father gave him; and the ground for the impartation of this gift, was the love which the Father bore to the Son. This, however, is perfectly incompatible with the idea of his perfect Deity. How could glory be given to that Being who possesses, from eternity, all glory, power, and honour?

JOHN Xvii. 25. O RIGHTEOUS FATHER! the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

I quote these texts from every part of JOHN xvii. to show that the whole of it is a prayer addressed to the Father;— —a prayer the most solemn and the most impressive ever written. I now turn to

JOHN Xii. 27, 28. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? FATHER! save me from this hour: but therefore came I unto this hour. FATHER! glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, [saying,] I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

These affecting words were spoken at a time when a cruel fate was about to overtake the Saviour, and his end was drawing near. Observe the person to whom his prayer was addressed, and the total submission of his soul to another's will; and ask yourselves, if this be the language of God Supreme!

MATT. XXVI. 39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O FATHER! if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as THOU wilt.

This text was formerly quoted by me, and explained by Mr. Bagot; but his explanation I leave to make its own impression.

MATT. xxvi. 42. And he went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O MY FATHER! if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done.

The same transactions are recorded in MARK xiv. 35-39; Luke xxii. 41-45; with the addition, by LUKE, that there appeared to him an angel strengthening him. An angel to strengthen Almighty God!

Again, when his disciples seemed disposed to resist the officers who were sent to apprehend him, he said to one of them

MATT. xxvi. 53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to MY FATHER, and HE will give me more than twelve legions of angels?

And when he hung upon the cross, we read

LUKE Xxiii. 34. Then said Jesus, FATHER! forgive them, for they know not what they do.

And we find that in

MATT. xxvii. 46. About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli! Eli! lama sabachthani! that is to say, My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me!

Still farther, as we find it recorded in

LUKE Xxii. 46. When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, FATHER! into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having thus said, he gave up the ghost.

And now, my friends-fellow Christians-fellow Protestantsyou who take the Bible for your guide-you who make the example of Jesus model-you your who take the word of Jesus for your rule! -I ask you what is that worship which is required to be offered up by the disciples of Jesus? Are we to suppose, if there be a proper Deity of the Father-and if there be a proper Deity of the Word— and if there be a proper Deity of the Holy Ghost-are we to suppose, that he who left us an example that we should follow his steps, would so far mislead us by that example as to confine our worship to one only; whereas to three persons that worship is due? I call on any of you to sit down, and read the record of Christ's life-to find him engaged frequently in prayer to the Father, from the earliest period of his ministry on earth-to see how, in every circumstance of his eventful life, he addresses himself in supplication to the Father who sent him to find him, when about to work miracles, address the throne of God in prayer-to observe how, when about to part with his disciples, he commends them in solemn petition to his Fatherto find him, when his crucifixion was approaching, expressing his humility and resignation to God by prayer to his Father-to find him, on the cross, commending his murderers to the mercy of their Maker, and his own spirit to the God who gave it;-yes, follow him in his devotions from the beginning to the close of his career, and then say, if you can all these facts being taken together-whether this is the conduct of one who was God over all blessed for ever? This is a point which would well bear to be dilated on; but I spare you. It is an argument which addresses itself as much to the heart as to the head. I have read to you the words of our blessed Saviour; and if they do not speak to your feelings, why should I address inyself to your understandings?

As I have now but a short time remaining of my forty minutes, I shall not enter on a new argument. I was about to reply to some observations advanced by Mr. Bagot; but these topics I must reserve for my last speech on this day.

MR. BAGOT.-Mr. Porter has informed you, in his last address, that I have been indebted to a Unitarian writer, Mr. LOCKE, for the eulogium which I pronounced upon the Bible this day. This remark