"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do;" "If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it." 1 The term Father, as the sole object of prayer, though it excludes only other gods, does not exclude the Son, because he is the same God. The Father and the Son, though distinct persons in the divine nature, are not separate, divided, persons; and therefore, in a qualified sense, the Son is the very self of the Father, another self, another same; distinct, and yet not different, one with the Father, and undivided from him. The Father is regarded as being first of the Unity, the head and fountain of all, because he is the first in our conception of God; when, therefore, we speak of the Almighty God, or the eternal God, the all-knowing God, we primarily and principally mean the Father, tacitly including the other persons of the divine nature. In strictness of speech, one God is the whole Trinity, but we are compelled to speak in such terms as the customary use of language supplies.2 I have, however, shown that Christ taught that prayer should be made unto him, and that he would not only be present in the assemblies when making supplication, that is, by the Holy Ghost, but that what was asked faithfully in his name, he would do it. St. Paul addresses one of his epistles

1 John, xiv. 13, 14.

2 See Waterland on the Divine Unity, vol. ii. p. 82.

to "all that, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, both theirs and ours:" that is, "whom we and all true Christians join in acknowledging and adoring, as their Lord and ours.” 1 Ananias, speaking of Saul, says, "And here he hath authority to bind all that call on thy name:"—— that is, "all who publicly avow the worship of Christ; "2 and afterwards, again, we read, "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is The Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them who called on this name?" that is, evidently, they who called on the name of Christ. And does not St. Paul expressly say, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved?" 3 A text which furnishes us with a double argument in favour of our Lord's divinity, for the Lord Jesus Christ is, without doubt, the only one here mentioned. "But," continues the Apostle, "how shall they call on him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Consequently, Christ is declared, by the Scriptures, the object of invocation, a principal part of religious adoration; and the man who desires to be saved must "call upon him" by prayer.

1 Doddridge in loc.

2 Acts, ix. 14. See Hammond in loc.

3 Rom. x. 13, 14.

4 Whitby in loc.

Lindsey. But permit me to say to this, that the phrase of "calling upon the name of Christ," is to be taken passively, as denoting those who were named by the name of Christ, or who were called "Christians."

Witness. But this cannot be. The name Christian was not known in the world till some time after St. Paul's conversion, when, as St. Luke expressly informs us, "the disciples were called Christians' first at Antioch: " whereas, before that time, they were distinguished by the title of "those who called on the name of Christ." (Štinakoúμevoi tò (ἐπικαλούμενοι

ovoμa Xpioтov.) St. Paul says, "the same Lord is ὄνομα Χριστοῦ.) rich to all who call upon him," "for whosoever shall call on the name shall be saved." And Paul himself, upon his conversion, was commanded "to wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord." 1 "And here,” says Origen," the apostle declares Him to be God, whose name was called

Lindsey. With respect to the case of the protomartyr St. Stephen, I think the words of his prayer, or rather the 59th verse of Acts vii., may well bear this signification, viz. "Stephen called upon God, saying, Lord of Jesus, receive my spirit;

1 Acts, xxii. 16.

2 Origen, Com. in Rom. x. lib. 8. See Bishop Horne's discourse upon "Christ adored."

for the use of the Greek word (mixaλew) in the Old and New Testament with "Lord" or "God," is so common, that either may be easily understood and safely supplied.1

Witness. I wholly protest against this alteration: any scholar will show you that the strict critical sense is otherwise. 2 We find the same word and expression used in Genesis: "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;" "Abram built an altar at Bethel, and there called upon the name of the Lord.” 3

Lindsey. Whether St. Stephen, at the sight of his master Christ at God's right hand, called to him, as he would have done had he seen him working miracles here on earth, to help and assist him; or whether St. Stephen, according to his Master's rule and example, called upon GoD, the God and Father of Jesus Christ, is not very material to be determined either way:

Witness. Of no consequence at all; for neither suppositions are true.

Lindsey. Be that, I say, as it may. The translators of the common version ought to have been more impartial; and instead of rendering the passage in question, "They stoned Stephen, calling

1 Sequel to Apology, p.59. 2 Vide Schleusner in verb. 3 Compare 1 Pet. i. 17. 1 Cor. i. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 22.; also Genesis iv. 26. and xii. 8.

upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;" it had been fairer and truer to have done it thus: "They stoned Stephen, calling (to Jesus, whom he saw at God's right hand) and saying, O Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”1

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Witness. Every scholar knows that "calling upon God,” used in this instance, is the rendering of the Greek word of which we have been speaking, and which I have shown to signify invoking. At all events, the matter resolves itself into what I have stated in my evidence; and the question still arises, Why did the martyr invoke Jesus, and not God, on whose right hand he stood?

Lindsey. This vision might give a sudden turn to his thoughts, and cause him to call out to Christ, and not upon God, as his disciples once did in a storm; for they, and Stephen too, well knew his power with God, and well they knew their own duty was to call upon God for help in extremity; but being persuaded, like Martha, "that whatever Christ should ask of God, God would grant it him," upon their seeing Christ, or being with him, they might readily apply to him, whom they knew to be in such favour with God: yet,2—

Witness. My Lord, there is no end to the suppositions which may be made by those determined

1 Sequel to Apology, p.61.

2 Ibid.