76 THE KEY OF MYSTERIES

tells us how with a word He again and again cast out devils from those who were possessed. The authority 1 with which He taught impressed people exceedingly. John the Baptist spoke thus of Him:'He 2 that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all. What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness . . . . For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' St. Peter testified of Christ, saying:'He 3 is Lord of all;' and elsewhere he says that Christ'is 4 on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subjects 5 unto him.' St. John in the Book of Revelation says that the Lord Jesus Christ is'the 6 faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.'

3. In the third place, the title of God or Son of God is given to Him by the Apostles. For example, St. Peter writes thus:'Simon Peter, 7


1 Matt. vii. 29; John vii. 46. 2 John iii. 31-6.
3 Acts x. 36. 4 1 Pet. iii. 22.
5 Christ's own words: John v. 19-21; xvi. 15; Matt. xi. 27.
6 Rev. i. 5. 7 2 Pet. i. 1-2.
PROOF OF THE DEITY OF CHRIST 77

a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.' St. John says:'In 1 the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' Elsewhere he writes:'Our 2 fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ .... If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' And again:'Who 3 is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.' In the last chapter of the same Epistle the same apostle says:'Who 4 is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? . . . These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God . . . . And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal 5 life.' Still more plainly is the divine title given to Christ in the Book of Revelation: for instance, in


1 John i. 1. 2 1 John i. 3-7.
3 1 John ii. 22. 4 1 John v. 5,13, 20.
5 Cf. Christ's testimony about Himself: John v. 19-23; xiv. 9.