II. What I chufe to mention next as liable to

Exception, mail be taken from the Fifteenth
Homily, where our Author Exalts the Human \>t'l79
Nature above that o$ Angels \ and to Support the
Atfertion Denies that Angels were Created in the
Image of God. But here the firlt thing which
I can't but Obferve is, that the Cologne Divines
have fuffer'd This to pafs without any Cenfure.
° Tribbechovius indeed of Sax-Got ha is for foft-
ning the Pofition, from the Words which he
obferves it to be Introduc'd with, viz. Tu%a 3
ToXjutuVw Xsyetv- He gives it up for a Singularity,
which is neither to be Treated with Contempt,
much lefs with Calumny, nor yet to beEmbrac'd
with Greedinefs.

2. This PafTage, however, might probably be
Confirm'd from other Fathers. Others rather
think it can be made out from None. Setting
this afide -> As to Macarius himfelf, his Reafons are
certainly not All of equal Force. For ( 1 .) to Over-
come Corrupt Inclinations and Vitious Thoughts, is
what Angels are perhaps as Capable of, as Man.
And whenever they ceafe fo to do, They certainly
muftSin, as well as We. (2..) Angels, I make no
doubt were Originally as much at liberty to Blaf-
pheme, &c. as Adam: Witnefs thofe that Fell.
The Ballance otHappinefs (which they that flood
were confirm'd in the Pofleflion of) was no more
zwObJlruclion to their Real L/for/y, than the Un-
happy Byafs of Original Sin in the Saints, Hinders

b De QrtH Afali Aphorifipi Theol. p. 12.

D 4 their

V.J.

40 Tlje Introduction.

their Mounting Upwards by Faith. And does it
really Appear that they are Never Capable of
Forfeiting their Happinefs by Difobedience, not-
with Handing the Prevailing Advantages which
they Enjoy? (3.) Let us make Man in our own
Image, Argues only that there is no part of the
P Vijtbh Creation, but what is Man's Inferiour :
Not the Invifible. The Angelic Creation is not
job Defcrib'd, but Suppos'd in Scripture. And is it
xxviij. not more foitable to the Stable Wifdom of the
Great Creator, to fuppofe him to have Acted U-
niformly in the Production of All his Intellectual
Creatures, and to have made the Angels in his
own Image, as well as Man ? 1 Feuar dentins, I
know, thinks none but the BlefTed Virgin, and
perhaps John the Baptift, and the Prophet Jere-
my, to be Exalted thus Above the Holy Angels.
And Dr. Grabe r, none but the BlefTed Virgin her
felf.

3 . But with all due Submiflion to both thofe
Learned Names, the Queftion feems to be, as I
take it, not fo much about the Perfons of Men,
as the Nature. And that without all doubt is as
much Exalted in Four, or Tkvo, or even in One, as
in a Thoufand. Jefus Chrifi's having Adopted our
Nature in the Redemption is the Beft and perhaps
the Only Argument for what Macarius Contends,
that will ftand I mean the Teft of a ftrict. Exami-
nation. So Biihop Andrews f, and Dr. Barrow l at
leaft, would not fcruple to Affirm. And I can-
not but obfervTe, that the Learned Monfieur .Mz/-
fuet y, in his Noble Edition of Iren^us, omits the

p See Petazii Dogm. Theol. de Opificio fex Dierum, Lib. ii.
Cap. 3. §,8.

1 In hen. Lib. v. Cap, ult, r Ibid.

1 On the Lord's Prayer. Item, Serm. vii. p. 60. Fol. upon
Heb. i. 1. « Vol.ii. Sermon x. p. 146.

I Infantum, Lib. v. Cap. ult. p. 209.

Note

The Introduction. 41

Note which Dr. Grabe had Subjoin'd to that of -v
Feuar dentins ^ viz. At que huic equidem Opinioni
AJfentiri nequeo, Sec.

4. But then, the Strefs will plainly lie, not up-
on the Fir ft, but Second or New Creation, when
the Image of God is Renew'd, and takes Root in
the Heart by Faith, as Chrift is Our Head, and
We his Members. To him that Overcometh by Rev. iif.
this Faith, will Chrift grant the Privilege of Sit- *i-
ting upon his Throne : which is a Station above Hebr. i.
that of the Angels. Thus indeed does Iren<eus 4— 8*
himfelf Argue. And under this View the Argu-
ment, I confefs, has fome Weight in it.

y . That other Argument which our Egyptian
urges, and which is but a Sequel of this, is not
eahly to be got over, viz. As Chriflians, Man-
kind are the very Heirs of Salvation in and thro'
Chrift $ and that Angels are but Miniftring Spirits, Heb. i. 14
Appointed to Attend them. Now to Borrow aPf-xxxiv»
Comparifon from the Court of an Earthly Prince, 7*
the very Fir ft Minifter of State, tho' Highly Emi-
nent and Noble, is yet not the Heir o£ the Crown
and Kingdom.

6. However, not to be Peremptory : Which
way foever we take, the Scope of our Author is
evidently much the fame with that of the Great
Apoftle of the Gentiles, viz. To Acquaint us Hebr. ii.
with our True felves, as we are the Offspring, 3> ?• m
Image, and Adopted Sons of God in Chrift 3 and A<a« xv"«
to Infpire us, as fuch, with an Holy Emulation,
fo as to AfTert the Dignity of our High Calling
and Character in a fuitable Life and Demeanour,
Worthy of God and of our felves. Thus certain-
ly the Opinion may not only pafs off without
Cenfure, but Challenge at the fame time a due
Degree of particular Applaufe.