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.