Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

Later Unitarians in Christianity 209

Thirdly, Jesus disclaims those infinite perfections

(underived power, absolute goodness, unlimited knowl­

edge), which belong only to the Supreme God of Gods.

And it is most certain that, ifhe lacks one or any of these

perfections that are essential to the Deity he is not God

in the same sense. If we find him disclaiming the one,

he cannot challenge the other, for to deny himself to have

all Divine Perfections, or to deny himself to be the Infi­

nite God is the same thing.

Emlyn then goes on to give sorne examples in order to illustrate
this last point:

One great and peculiar Perfection of the Deity, is abso­

lute and underived Omnipotence. He who cannot work

all miracles, and do whatever he wills by himself can

never be the Supreme Being if he cannot do it without

the help of another. He appears to be an imperfect de­

fective being, comparatively, since he needs help, and

asks for additional strength from another than himself.

Now it is most evident, that Jesus, (whatever power

he had), confesses again and again, that he had not infi­

nite power by himself:'Of myselfl cm do nothing.' (John

5: 30). He had been speaking of great miracles, viz.: rais­

ing the dead, of executing universal judgement; he

makes it quite clear, that men should know that his suf­

ficieney for these things was of God. In the beginning

he says, 'The son cm do nothing but what he sees the

Father do.' So in the middle he says the same thing. As

if he could never too much inculcate this great truth, he

adds towards the conclusion,'I can do nothing of my­

self ... ' Surely this is not the Voice of Gad, but of man!

The Most High can receive from none. He cannot be

made more mighty or wise, because to absolute Perfec­

tion, there can be no addition. Since power in God is an

essential Perfection, it follows that if it be derived, then

so would be the essence or Being itself, which is Mas­

phemy against the most l:figh. To number Him among

dependent derivative be(ngs will be tantamount to 'un­

God' Him. The supreme God indeed is only He who is

the first Cause and absolute original of all.