Object, that is, to HIMSELF ONLY*; Who is represented as being tenacious of this His distinguishing or Proper Glory, which, it is apparent, He cannot share with any Other, without a palpable diminution of His own unspeakable Greatness and Dignity, and (what must be with Him a principal consideration) the evident consequence of giving birth to Polytheism and its pernicious Effects, amongst His creatures. To guard against this prevalent Mischief, we find the most undisguised and conclusive expressions used. To whom will ye liken ME, and make ME equal, and compare ME, that we may be like? For, I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me. I am the first, and I am the last and besides ME there is no God, &c. If we are to be determined by the holy Scriptures, and the general acception of

Patriarchal times &c.); that he was a second, inferior Jehovah. But this notion is also overthrown in many parts of Scripture (seen more especially in the Hebrew original), and that sacred Name absolutely appropriated to One, to the Most High. For example:- That men may know that Thou, whose Name ALONE is JEHOVAH, art the most High over all the earth.-Psalm lxxxiii, 18; see Exodus vi, 2, 3.

*Exodus xx, 3; xxii, 20; xxxiv, 14; 1 Sam. vii, 3, 4, &c. &c. To which the words of Christ, Matt. iv, 10; Luke iv, 8, quoted above, are in exact agreement.

words, how shall we dare to pervert or explain away the plain sense of such awful declarations and demands? and yet, the strong influence of prejudice has often incited men to attempt it, with the most heavy Threatnings against those who venture to distrust their intricate doctrines and opinions, which distract the written word, and make it of none effect:-but, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto men more than unto God, Judge ye.

The Argument in the foregoing paragraph, is open to the most common Understanding, and requires but little Reflection: It will not be totally dropped in the ensuing pages but we now proceed to the New Testament, which may be expected to agree with the Old, in the Fundamental Truth before us.

PROOFS

OF THE

UNIT Y

FROM THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our GOD, is ONE Lord.-Mark xii, 29.

And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee (O Father) the ONLY True God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.-John xvii, 3.

There is ONE God, and there is None other but HÊ*. -Mark xii, 32.

"It cannot be doubted but the Scribe, when he spake "these Words, meant the One Supreme Governor of the Universe, even Him who was known to the Jews by the Title "of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and who is declared to

"

us Christians by the Title of the God and Father of our Lord "Jesus Christ.”

"That the writers of the N. T.-and the Christian "Writers in all Antiquity understood the Words, one God, "to signify the Father; I have shewn by a very large Collec"tion of Testimonies, in my Scripture Doctrine."-Dr. Clarke, Works, Fol. edit. vol. iv, p. 268.

: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save ONE, that is, GOD.-Luke xviii, 19; and Matt. xix, 17.

Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.-John xx, 17.

To us there is but One GOD, the FATHER, of whom are all things, &c.-1 Cor. viii, 6.

It is ONE God who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.Rom. iii, 30.

For there is ONE God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.-1 Tim. ii, 5.

ONE God and FATHER of all, who is ABOVE ALL, and through all, and in you all.—Eph. iv, 6.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the ONLY wise GOD, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.-1 Tim. i, 17*.

See also, Acts xvii, 23, 24, 25; Gal. iii, 20; James ii, 19, comp. with iii, 9; Jude 4, &c.

* "It is a principle with me" (says a learned Trini tarian lately) "that the true sense of any phrase in the "New Testament, is, what may be called its standing sense,

IF the doctrine of the Trinity had been as clearly and peremptorily insisted on in the Scriptures, as Is the Positive Unity of God; no serious Believer in Revelation would have contended one moment for the latter.

But it may be expected that the latter will ever be earnestly contended for, since our sacred Records present to us such decisive declarations as the above; which were certainly intended to free us from all dilemma, and to guard us against any deviation from the important Truth they enforce. "If," says a venerable writer, we cannot arrive at ab❝solute certainty in this great Point (the

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"that which will be the first to occur to common people, "of every country, and in every age." This is, without doubt, a good general rule: let it be applied, therefore, to the citations above, which are made from both the sacred Books. Such plain and reiterated Testimony may have its proper effect. It is certain that those passages afford some of the strongest evidences that can be produced, at this day, of the divine origin of the Scriptures; seeing They were the First writings in the World which discovered to Mankind, and declared in express terms, that great and leading Truth, the Unity of our Almighty Creator; and indeed, they were the only Documents, for many Ages, which preserved and maintained that holy Doctrine, in direct opposition to those gross Polytheistic Principles, which, unhappily, overspread the greatest part of the Earth.