of the Holy Ghost and the Homoousiotes Great and noble Thoughts indeed if true But I here challenge any man upon the face of the Earth to shew so much as one Text with sence to favour them and might not we be asham'd then of such Castles in the Air. IX Nor is the Tradition of this Doctrine when examined less considerable than its Scripture proof What Are not all our Prayers even at this day to the Father except a few and trifling innovations And can there be a greater Tradition in Nature for it than that is against it They Christen this Doctrine Athanasian indeed and surely a happy Doctrine to as happy a Patron What was his first entrance into the Ministry but a wicked Mock-Baptism And while that for which another would have punished him as confident and impious Alexander forsooth admires and advances him Nay read but his treatment of the excellent Emperour Constantius not so much an Arrian as one who sought the Apostolique Liberty and you will quickly see what a blessed Saint he was I may say Mr. Johnson in his Book call'd Julian's Arts p. 55. has set out Athanasius and his Followers beyond all the bloody Anabaptists Jesuits and Villains that ever professed Christianity had they not been more cowardly in acting than thinking His Passage is too fine of it self about it to need the least stroke of an Unitarian Addition Nor may I add is the common Doxology of a less precious stamp than its Patron Sparks himself on the Liturgy tells you that before the Trinitarians alter'd it it run Glory be to the Father through the Son and by the Holy Ghost and then surely hopefully improved since To be short who can read Histories and not see that Popes that Councils yea that the whole World was Unitarian at one time and till a corrupter Church that has since forged and mangled as well all Histories as Traditions as the Apostle prophesied was given up to believe a Lie X. And what these things consider'd then can any Mortal be so unreasonable as to vindicate an Imposition of the Trinity or an innovation of new Articles of Faith upon us for it And thus also what tho this Doctrine were a most Divine Truth yet in the terms explain'd is it not apparently humane What Is there either Trinity in Unity Homoousios Eternal Generation Procession of the Holy Ghost or Athanasian Creed to be found in Holy Writ And are not men very confident then that dare change the words and yet not fear the spoiling of incomprehensible Mysteries under them and in Scripture-terms pray who will disagree with them Nay or what can the Trinitarians mean when they explain this Doctrine the most nicely of any and yet at the same time cry out 't is incomprehensible What Are not these shrewd men that would force all Mankind to conceive things even by themselves confessed inconceivable Nay and what says Christ in this case Wo be to him that gives Offence it were better that a milâ—â—one were hung about his neck c. But are our Trinitarians of that mind No they are glad of an incomprehensible stumbling-block and hug and enforce it more eagerly tho' confessed unintelligible than the plainest Doctrins whatever To be short History tells us that the Jews have often met if possible to reconcile themselves to Christianity and what think you has hindred Nothing but this and a few other enforced unscriptural Mysteries that were it not for prejudice none but an Idiot could go down with And think you then that these men shall not one day pay for these their Offences In plain terms I 'd loose a Million were I worth it but to hear one inconvenience named in the ancient and Apostolick Liberty and Freedom But no forsooth that 's not the case with our Trinitarians a bastard Constancy and Obstinacy shall make them maintain a Creed with Damnation at middle and both ends be it only to set us on Sins and Confusions inextricable and to fright every body from the Church of Christ that would approach it Says Constantine Christians fall short of Heathen Philosophers for they tho' disagreeing in multitudes of Opinions yet still and nevertheless esteem one another for their Learning And in truth our different Opinions of God should rather convince us of our Ignorance and teach us how to adore his unsearchable Goodness then set us to quarrelling with one another So St. Hillary Bp. of Poictiers in France writing of the times about the Council of Nice says Annuas menstruas de deo fides decernimus decretis paenitemus paenitentes defendimus defendentes anthematizamur aut in nostris aliena aut in alienis nostra damnamus mordentes invicem jam absumpti sumus But what says a Modern Author upon it Nevertheless the more advised Christians were more moderate still reputing honest men honest men tho' weak and not able to discern the subtilties of the times But what is this like the Temper of our present Mystery Men Nay and this on the supposition that this Doctrine of the Trinity may be a probable Doctrine and not absolutely false But good God! how little grounds of any probability is there to be found in this Mystery And then pray what can be alledged for its unreasonableness XI And thus first is it likely that God should so far innovate with the Jews on their first Commandment as the Trinity implies and yet not give it an express Repeal and Construction Or is it probable that the Scriptures should be so silent of the Worship and Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost if Persons really coequal with the Father as not once to mention it Or is it probable that so great a truth should be left for Alexander and Athanasius only to declare it and that near 300 years after Christ and his Apostles Or is it probable that the Apostolique Church that wanted this new-fangled Faith was therefore less perfect than our present Churches Or if it were is it probable that they would have omitted it Or is it probable that as the Athanasian Creed implies we should be saved only by Parroting over a few and unintelligible Articles of Faith Or is it more probable that the Church should be less pure or Orthodox in a Primitive Simplicity without them Nay is it probable that ever that can be a plainly revealed Divine Mystery which the Trinitarians for this 1300 years have neither known what 't is they mean nor agreed either in Expressions or Sence about it and so that their Foundation is after all so tottering that not a little Heretick as they call them appears but what is able to put them to suppression and to use Force instead of Argument XII But good God! this charging of the Trinitarians with Unreasonableness and Improbabilities is trifling tho most just when compared with their real Guilt To be short as I have said Trinitarianism is Politheism and Idolatry if there be any such a thing in
A DIALOGUE By Way of Question and Answer Concerning the DEITY All the Responses being taken verbatim out of the Scriptures Q. 1. WHO and what is God They say there are several called GOD's in Scripture besides the Most High GOD if it be so pray give me some examples in the matter A. Exod. 20.28 Thou shalt not revile the GODs nor curse the Ruler of thy people Exod. 7.1 And the Lord said unto Moses see I have made thee a GOD to Pharaoh and Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the GOD of this world i. e. the Devil hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of GOD should shine unto them Q. 2. But are not all these true Gods then as well as the Supream What say the Scriptures A. 1 Cor. 8.5 6. For though there be that are called GODS whether in Heaven or Earth as there be GODS many and Lords many but to us there is but one GOD the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Q. 3. What say the Scriptures then of these lesser GOD's A. Psalm 97.7 Confounded be they all that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols worship him i. e. GOD all ye Gods Q. 4. They say GOD has forbid our worshipping any other but himself by the First Commandment and other places pray repeat then if there be such places in Scripture A. Exod. 20.2 Thou shalt have no other GOD's before me Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord our GOD is one Lord v. also the Emphatick Discourse in the Text that follows it Mat. 4.10 Then said Jesus unto him get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD and him only shalt thou serve Q. 5. But is there not a Trinity in Unity in this GOD You said you would shew me a Text that calls the Father the one GOD in opposition to the Son and Holy Ghost pray what is it A. Eph. 4.4 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one GOD and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Rev. 4.2 And immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sate on the Throne Cap. 5. Ver. 6 7. And I beheld and lo in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as if he had been slain having seven Horns and seven Eyes which are the seven Spirits of GOD sent forth into all the earth and he came and took the Book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne c. 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Q. 6. I see then that from these places and because that there are no such words in Scripture as Trinity in Unity you are apt to believe that there is no such Doctrine but what say you then to John 10.30 I and my Father are one and 1 Joh. 5.7 For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one you us'd to say that one here only signified a Unity in Record and Testimony and not a substantial Unity but pray what Scripture find you to favour such a Construction A. Joh. 17.21 Christ praying for his Disciples says That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me 1 Cor. 3.6 7 8. I have planted Apollo water'd but GOD gave the increase now he that planteth and he that watereth are one c. Q. 7. You us'd to speak also of a gradative precedency of Stile when there are these three Persons mention'd in Scripture you are in the right in this indeed that the Father is for the most part called GOD the Son only Lord and the Spirit but Holy as in the Apostles Creed but pray what other find you A. 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. Now there are Diversities of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are Diversities of operations but it is the same GOD which worketh all in all 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Rom. 15.16 That I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministring the gospel of GOD that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost Q. 8. I perceive then by this gradation that you would insinuate as if the Son and Holy Ghost were as Servants to the Father but pray how comes it then that the Son is so often called GOD in Scripture as John 20.28 And Thomas answered and said unto him i.e. Christ my Lord and my GOD Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all GOD blessed for ever Amen and Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of GOD which he hath purchas'd by his blood I have repeated these Texts because they seem too considerable to leave Christ among the lesser GOD's if you have any warrant therefore to call the Father the GOD even of Christ's GODhead pray shew us so weighty a Text for we do not deny him to be Christ's GOD as he was Man A. Heb. 1.8 9. But unto the Son he saith thy Throne O GOD is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity and therefore GOD even thy GOD has anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy fellows Q. 9. But what have you no other Scriptures to prove the preference of the Father in the Deity that he is the Son 's GOD and that the Son wholly depends on him If you have pray inform me what they are A. Rev. 3.12 wrote as spoke by Christ after his Resurrection Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of GOD and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my GOD and the name of the City of my GOD which is the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my GOD and I will write upon him my new name c. John 10.29 14.28 John 20.17 Jesus saith unto her touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my GOD and your GOD. Eph. 1.17 That the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father
and Holy Ghost A. Gen. 48.16 The Angel which redeem'd me from all evil bless the Lads and let my name be named on them and the name of my Father Abraham and Isaac and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth That is as if he had said God grant the Angel bless the Lads c. Q. 29. But can you shew me any Text then where we are forbidden to worship either the Son or Holy Ghost if you can pray what is it A. John 16.23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you John 16.26 At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you Q. 30. What Scriptures have you that testifie of the Holy Ghost pray declare them A. John 14.16 17 27. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for be dwelleth in you and shall be in you Eph. 1.13 1 Cor. 12. 6.19 2 Cor. 1.22 John 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me Q. 31. But is there any Text that shews you an absolute Duality in the Father and Holy Spirit to confute the Socinians who think them one and the Trinitarians that think them at least Coequal and Essentially one A. Rom. 26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it 's self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be utter'd and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of GOD. Eph. 2.18 For thro' him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Q. 32. I perceive then by these Texts that you take the Holy Ghost as well since the Prophets as before Acts 28.25 Luke 2.25 26. to be Christ's Deputy-Angel for I see not how you can suppose Christ to send the power of the Father from the Father as the Socinians imagine pray therefore let me know if there are any other Texts which shew the Son to command the Holy Ghost as his Lord. A. John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you 13 14 15 Verses following Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come he shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you all things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shew it unto you John 7.39 14. 12. 20.22 Luke 24.49 Acts 1.2 Vntil the day in which he Christ was taken up after that he thro' the Holy Ghost had given commandment to the Apostles whom he had chosen 1 Cor. 12.13 Eph. 4.11 Acts 1. 8 20 28. Acts 2.33 Therefore being by the right hand of GOD exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which we see and hear Rev. 5.6 Mat 3.11 Q. 33. But how comes it to be so peremptory then to Blaspheme the Holy Ghost according to the words of Christ Mat. 12 31. Mark 3.28 A. Acts 5.3 4. But Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost thou hast not lied unto men but unto God i. e. Thou hast studiedly affronted even God himself thro' us and the Holy Ghost for tho' Rev. 1.1 2. 11. Heb. 1.14 compar'd to Acts 2.2 3 4. and Luke 3.21 shew the Holy Ghost to be but an Angel yet as he is that Angel through whom by the Son of GOD he himself bear Record to us 1 John 5.7 So indeed in that respect he is the Representative both of Christ and God himself Q. 34. I perceive then that according to the Texts 1 John 4.6 John 14.17 15.26 which say We are of GOD he that knoweth GOD heareth us he that is not of GOD heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of error and Rom. 8.26 1 Thes 5.19 Mark 13.11 Luke 12.12 I say I find that you suppose with these Texts that there are two great Angels an evil one and a good one that help and tempt all Mankind severally at once but pray what Authority have you for Notioning such great Spirits from Scripture A. Rev. 12.9 10. And the great dragon was cast out the old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him and I heard a loud voice saying now is come salvation and strength the kingdom of our GOD and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our GOD day and night Rev. 20.2 3. And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season Eph. 2.2 Wherein in time past we walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual witkedness in high places Dan. 10.12 13. Then said he unto me fear not Daniel for from the first day thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before GOD thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days but lo Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me and I remain'd then with the Kings of Persia Verse 20 21. Then said he knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee and now will I return to fight with the Prince of Persia and when I am gone forth lo the Prince of Grecia
shall come but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince Dan. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be deliver'd every one that shall be found written in the book Q. 35. I shall trouble you but with two or three Questions more pray acquaint me whether Christ died for a Universal Redemption or not That is did he die to Reconcile us all to GOD And was his Death for others as well as Christians A. 1 John 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he enter'd in once into the holy place having obtain'd eternal Redemption for us 25 26 Verses nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high-priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appear'd to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Q. 36. Pray then acquaint me also whether the Scripture assures us of any safety in natural Religion where a Man has never been able to come to hear of Christ A. John 9.41 Jesus saith unto them if ye were blind ye would have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth James 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law in themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another c. Q. 37. But do not the Scriptures threaten the wilfully ignorant A. Hos 4.6 My people are destroy'd for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy GOD I will also forget thy children FINIS A Brief but Clear CONFUTATION of the Doctrine of the TRINITY I. SUrely if God gave Man his Reason to serve him or if a Religious Enquiry be any end of our Being this Controversie deserves the greatest of our Care and the strictest Scrutiny For what shall we slightly transfer the Honour of God to his Creatures and think to go unpunished Shall we thwart the very design of our Creation and yet after all not imagine that 't is a Controversie worth examining Nay or if we believe but our own Scriptures can we slightly entertain a breach of the first and greatest Commandment as Christ calls it and be guiltless Shall God himself tell us in Jealousie That none other shall be worshipped but himself Nay shall God destroy whole Nations for Idolatry and the Holy Ghost reckon Idolatry with Whoredom and Sorcery Rev. 21.8 and yet we not tremble at the very Thoughts of such an high Treason against the Infinite Majesty of God But forsooth we must not name the word Idolat y 't is not grateful nor genteel you say in Controversie And what must I not rub my Friends Nose in a Sound or Lethargy because 't is an Affront when he is well Nay and may I not follow the Holy Ghost in this case who has commanded our denouncing Idolatry against Antichrist as a Sin that not only offends God but has corrupted our Christian as well as the Heathen Morals And what are we not all on Fire in our Zeal then on the least Apprehension of such a Guilt Or what can we bear such a Charge as this with any thing like Moderation In plain terms either Christ and the Holy Ghost are Creatures or the real supream God If Creatures 't is plain 't is as much Idolatry to worship an Angel as a Worm and how glorious soever God has made them we are mad-men to think he has set them up in rivalry with himself when he has absolutely declared that he will not impart with his Glory to another And these things therefore duly considered methinks I have little reason to trouble my self further to shew that the Design of this Paper is considerable and that 〈…〉 every Man's Duty impartially to con 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ says that he that is not for us is against us and if he judges right the Luke-warm's as bad as the Reprobate and he that buries his Talents as bad as he that abuses them II. But good God! what do I propose I endeavour to shew that the Divinity attributed to the Son and Holy Ghost is both unscriptural and Idolatrous and an Injustice to the Father But I forget that I write to Men that dare not even by Principle regard me I 'le maintain to scruple Purgatory and Transubstantiation of old was never more dreadful to the blind Papists than but to think of this Mystery is to our present Protestants Strange Infatuation that Priests should as it were thus eternize their Tyranny over us and we should never dare to look out of it Christ purposely as it were condemns him that had one Talent for burying it to shew us that not the least Abilities ought to rest idle on others And we Protestants by our very Name profess our selves such as will not hearken to a confident corrupt Church and now what at last must we degenerate and apostatize from our Profession Nay the Apostles call'd even the Bereans Noble for not taking things in trust from themselves and a Prophet of old was torn in pieces by a Lyon for hearkning to another Prophet because it was wilfully to his deceit but with us alas it begins to be a Merit again to believe as the Church believes Forsooth these things are too high for me says one Says another I 'll follow Dr. such an one he is a learned Man And what was it not said of Christ of old Have any of the Scribes and Pharisees believed on him In plain terms he that will rely on Learned Men and on prospect of Arguments not in his present reach or capacity to search or enquire has fortify'd himself against all the Powers of Truth or Conviction Nay and what says the Apostle in this case Does he not tell us That not many wise not many learned c. are accepted 1 Cor. 1.20 to shew us plainly that 't is neither the Great nor
the Mighty but the sincere Enquirers only that shall be able to attain to Divine Truths And what will we regard neither Sence nor Scripture neither Thus the Ministers of all Sects what are they not all learned and yet who oversee Truths more than they Either their Simplicity offends them they are Tongue-tied for fear of Censure or Deprivation or at best they track like Wild-geese and rather regard Parties than Truth Alas Truth and Goodness are one but their Wisdom and Learning makes them not the nearer so In plain terms the Priests of all sort hope insensibly to raise themselves a Dominion over us and accordingly the Corrupter of them and which are still the more in number have always acted and are we not mad then tho' that we reverence their Offices duly yet to let their Blindness lead our Blindness hoodwink'd into the Ditch as Christ says And thus who can read our Ecclesiastical Histories and not perceive that all along the Priests of all Ages have rather strove as a Faction of Men to raise themselves great than to seek through Self-denial and Humility for the truly glorious and incorruptible Crown No no were Heaven an Estate they have taken the proper methods indeed to get it I cannot say so of the Laicks in their hindring them from it Nor suffices it in this case to say that there have been an abundance of good and well-meaning men amongst them even in all Ages Alas what have they been able to do 't has been your wicked and impudent and proud Designers that have exalted their Hierarchies that study rather Politicks than Religion and which find little difficulty to hurry the good with the bad in their Tides of the Times III. And now if what has been said prove enough to make my Argument worth examining and sufficient to make men lay by their Spectacles of Priests and Religious Factions I shall be able the more chearfully these Prejudices laid by as I hope to shew beyond all doubt both that the Doctrine of the Trinity is unscriptural nay and Idolatrous too and contrary to all the known reasonings of Mankind And thus First This Doctrine of the Trinity destroys the very Unity of God Our Trinitarians talk indeed of a Trinity in Unity and that Natural Religion teaches us that there is but one God a white black or an one set of Gods they mean or how else they can say that many personal Gods can make one God God only knows for I don 't this I am sure had the Heathen of old us'd this Argument even an Angel must have despaired of ever convincing them of Politheism though they had 10000 Gods So also our Trinitarians would tell us that God is the most pure and simple Being and yet again they can say that he is 3 Persons has 3 Wills and 3 Understandings c. Good God! that men can pretend to any conception of such a mock simplicity and Unity Nay and certainly I may as justly add in this case that this one fundamental false Principle as well with Jews as Turks and Heathens has done more mischief to Christianity than all our other Errours besides Mahomet inveighs above an hundred times against it in his Alchoran and I may say God has prospered him with this Weapon of Truth as an unpregnable Bulwark against all the Assaults of the New Antichristian Christianity To be short God that is most pure must he be thus confounded He that is immutable must he stoop to our little nonsensical and pragmatical Definitions of Faith So he that is infinite can he be incarnate Or he that is Almighty can he have Coequals much less die as in the Son or act such a mean and inglorious part in substitution to Father and Son as it put on the Holy Ghost IV. Nor is the abuse in this case less to the First Commandment than the truth of the Unity of God Thou shalt have none other Gods but me says God that is not me personally but me and my coequal Companion Gods Bless me would not this be an unlimitable and incomprehensible Command And how dare we then but think that God should confound us thus To be short if the first Commandment has any Sence 't is plain 't is to prohibit Politheism and if there can be any Politheism 't is as plain that 't is where men set up many personal Gods As therefore the Commandment wrote by the Finger of God must be sence so many Persons in God must break it and the Trinity must have in it Politheism and Idolatry or there can be neither Politheism nor Idolatry And besides a Trinity supposes three Persons in God And why but three Surely all between One and Infinite's imperfect if divers Personality were a Perfection in God therefore Infinity should be the number and so in time by Joh. 17th and some other Texts we may happily at last make all the Apostles and good Christians in as great an Unity with God as Christ himself The Papists have made a fair step towards it some of them in Deifying the Blessed Virgin An admirable Foundation if but well improved V. But to return a little and examine those Contradictions as arise more at large from this Doctrine in the Athanasian Creed says it The Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet there are not three Gods but one God And why not as well Peter is man John is man and Thomas is man and yet there are not three men but one man Or the Father is one the Son is one and the Holy Ghost is one and yet there are not three ones but one one What Are not all these Expressions parallel and implicit Contradictions alike Yes surely they are and to say of three Persons each severally God that they are one God is as much a Contradiction as to say three men are one But no Dr. Wallis answers us to this matter That 't is three somewhat 's only are one God and not three common Personalities and in that there is no Contradiction he says But what are we come from Divinity to Juggling And shall Dr. W. change the Sence of Words and the very Hinge of Controversie at pleasure And so also for the Homoonsiotes is it not alike a Contradiction in terminis also that three Persons may be of like substance may by possibility be true But to say that they can be of the same Substance destroys their very distinct Personality and Subsistence And in plain terms Did not the Trinitarians help themselves out in these cases with Mystery Or did not their numbers support them or their Pretences to Religion screen them they could not but be deem'd as Metaphysical Madmen For my part I declare I shall never more admire at the Absurdities either of Papists Turks or Heathens nay and that be they as gross as they will I am sure they will never be able to exceed this Doctrine For instance as to Transubstantiation the
Body at 20 we see manifestly is not the same as it is at 30 and yet we say that 't is properly enough the same to most purposes And why then also might not the whole Doctrine be true by the same reason according to John the 6th c But what Is there any such Apology as this in nature for the Contradictions of the Trinity But good God then that in the mean while we should thus embrace even the worst of Popish Errours and out-do even the Deliriums of the Heathens But what while we do thus can we think that God will either prosper us or our Popish Reformation What Can we be so presumptuous as to continue in the very sink of Errours and that to the highest Dishonour of God and yet expect his Favour and Protection VI. Nor is this Doctrine one jot less absurd when examined more particularly than when thus in the gross And thus First with relation to the Son Bless me What a number of Absurdities quite drown his absolute and coequal Divinity with the Father What God himself must die to satisfie his own Justice to himself and that only because we have offended him Bless me What a notion we have of God's Justice and so that the Infinite and Immortal God could become incarnate grow in Wisdom and suffer nay and cry out unto himself upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yes yes Infinity could become a Babe Wisdom it Child and God impotent Nay surely Elijah was a vile and wretched Blasphemer to mock the Baalites as he did when he said their God was either walking talking or gone a Journey What Can we suppose that that great Prophet who was afterwards translated did not know that God himself was afterwards to become incarnate But what Did only the Man die Was only the Man tempted Christ then was but inhabited by the Godhead and when the Man was in his Streights God left him to comfort himself but where is the room for the Merits and Sufferings of the Godhead then So you say Christ liv'd and suffer'd as our Example Alas What Affinity for God to be a Pattern for Man What Is there any Parity in their Natures But no 't was not the Godhead that was tempted or suffered some say But why then is the Merits of it charged unjustly upon the Godhead when it belongs to the Man only So also sometimes by a kind of Ventriloquy they make Christ as God to be able to tell us all things but by and by again as as Man they attribute Ignorance to him So sometimes again they make him omnipotent and yet by and by again Hocus Focus we must have an Angel to comfort him against his Sufferings Good God! shall we never be delivered from these Labyrinths So also they tell us that Christ for his Sufferings is made our Mediator But what Is that an Honour for a coequal God 1 Cor. 15.28 And so that all Power in Heaven and Earth was given him on his Death But what Could he then be a coequal God before Or what Was such Power given to his Manhood only Nay and do not the Scriptures also assure us that the Son as God yet even as such has the Father as his God Heb. 1. and that even the Revelations he gave St. John he had from the Father Rev. 11. But alas our Trinitarians forsooth will not own that we honour Christ at all unless we hairbrainly equal him with them to the Father VII But now as for the pretended Deity of the Holy Ghost there there can be no such Shuffle and Apology as the Incarnation occasions for the Son and yet think you that our Trinitarians for all that cannot wire-draw the manifest Inferiority of that Holy Being also quite up to a Coequality with the Father Thus he that is not once called God in Scripture nor once order'd to be worship'd is it likely that he should be our one and only adorable Supream God And is not this true of the Holy Ghost And yet for all this do they not equal him to the Father So also he that has an Understanding distinct from God can he be God himself 1 Cor. 2.10 Or a Will distinct can he be God Rom. 8.26 27. And what then Would not these Reasonings make a man protest with the Holy Ghost that surely these men have Eyes and see not and Ears and hear not But to proceed the Holy Ghost prays to another how can he then be God Rev. 22.17 Matth. 10.20 Rom. 8.15.26 So he that men have not known much less believed and yet have been Disciples can he be God And are we not told this of the Holy Ghost in the Acts of the Apostles So also he that is sent by God and is his Gift John 16.7 Acts 12.17 1 Pet. 1.12 can he be that God giving and sending also Surely I may say that these bundles of Incongruities have so quite confounded our Trinitarians that they know not how to reason at all in the matter or their Enemy has a most peculiar Charm over them to with hold them from Truth against all the powers of Reasoning So he that receives from another or changes place cannot be God And does not this appear of the Holy Ghost by John 16 14 And his descending on Christ like a Dove and so also he that speaks not of himself can he be God And does not the Holy Ghost appear to receive what he shall speak by the whole course of Scriptures John 16.13 But good God then that Men can seign such Epicles in Theology on any pretence as that the all-wise and immutable God should be taught and truckle thus VIII Nor are these few only a small number of Consequences drawn from Reasoning Alas this Doctrine is as unscriptural as absurd The expressest Text of the Father is the first Commandment of the Son Heb. cap. 1. and of the Holy Ghost John 16.12 c. But surely those are all as contrary and remote from a coequal and independent Trinity in Unity as Light from Darkness Or if Men were otherwise minded to controvert this Doctrine by the whole Scriptures I say let them but do it fairly and have at them By wresting little single Scraps indeed the Trinitarians seem as if they had something to plead for themselves but when I have gather'd but all the Texts of a Subject together methinks nothing possibly can look more unscriptural Nay and 't is pleasant to observe how the Trinitarians even confound one another about this matter Forsooth for all this Creed is such an infallible Thunderer yet Dr. W. dares be so bold as to clip the Wings of its Damnatory Sentences and Dr. S. with the Greek Church to deny the Filioque I thought that this rare Contexture was all of a piece But I find for their turns even our very Adversaries can shew I am mistaken To be short the three grand Foundations of this Doctrine are the Eternal Generation the Procession
nature and if as Christ tells us he that breaks one Commandment is guilty of the whole Law what must our wilful Trinitarians expect Nay and if not surely 't were better for them to be Adulterers than Idolaters if Christ knew which Commandment was greatest Forsooth the Trinitarians have been apt to accuse us Unitarians of Heresie and Blasphemy in denying the Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost Bless me that Men can so grosly oversee their own Guilt on the other hand so as to make nothing of Idolatrously equalling and worshipping them with the Father In plain terms men that can cherish this Errour knowingly and as I fear too many do make Interest and Reputation only their God and the Almighty God their Laughing-stock And what could Christ say of the Pharisees of old That Whoremongers and Adulterers entred the Kingdom of God before them And can such our modern Idolaters expect a better Sentence No certainly if there be any such a thing as Sin or Guilt in nature they as much exceed our common Villains and Criminals in it as a Bankrupt a generous Robber or a Popish Adulterer that vows Chastity a common Fornicator To be short well might Christ say when the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith upon Earth For were that time now where should he look for it What among the Heathen If not what can a Trinitarian pretend to it that dares not even to value Idolatry and the first Commandment We are reformed with Luther you say Ay just as men that love to follow a new Song we admire him but I fear God will shew us one day that our Hearts are still as Popish as ever XIII Nay I may say the Guilt and Horror of this Idolatry has been so gross in the all-seeing Prophecy of God that he has marked it all along as the great Characteristick of Antichrist And thus Jurieu and who I think also best interpreâ—s the Prophecies places the rise of Antichrist just about the time of the settlement of this Mystery But not to rest on fickle Interpretations of that nature only pray but mind how the Holy Ghost even engraves this Doctrine on the Forehead of Antichrist Says he Rev. 17.5 And upon her forehead was a name written Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth And unto what I pray in Popery can that word Mystery there so properly relate as the Trinity Nor is this all the Holy Ghost is yet more express says he 2 Thes 2.11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth c. And now I pray what Lie in Faith has Antichrist but the Trinity And what then Can we we see this Nay can we see Antichrist at every foot branded for an Idolater and no doubt for nothing more than this For to alledge that the Papists worship their Saints or Images as Gods is as impertinent as false I say can we but see this and not be fired with a just Zeal to rescue the Honour of God Nay for my part I declare I should think my self mad to scruple at or make bones of the rest of Popery if I could but once be perswaded to down with this Mystery But good God! in the mean while where is our Conscience gone In plain terms we had as good burn our Bibles and fire our Temples as thus fling away a 7th of our time in Hypocrisie and Idolatry before God What for shame can we think we serve him when we thus spit in his Face XIV Nay and methinks he has winked at our Ignorance long enough in it And surely were we not quite sear'd 't were enough to make us tremble to think how sacrilegiously we have withdrawn his Honour from him Strange the Jews of old would rather perish than suffer the Roman Ensigns to be put up for fear of Idolatry But good God! what is become of such our holy Jealousies who care not how we treat our God But what then If some men blaspheme God and his Holy Revelation with a Faith fitter for Madmen than Christians and wilfully persist to do so shall not others dare vindicate his Holy Name in publickly professing his Truth Christ came to preach to us to a fine purpose and we are baptized as hopefully to fight under his Banner if we are excus'd for dangers sake only of entertaining and professing his Truths too where they are offer'd Yes truly and the Church it self too that Christ has prophesied should endure so long would quickly be in a hopeful condition should every little or great Revolution of Persecution silence us from our acknowledging our God and his Worship to the World if some had not hazarded more for the Glory of God than so before us one might easily guess what fine Christians we should have been by this time To be short the Israelites in setting up a Calf for their God that brought them out of Egypt were not more guilty of Idolatry call it in a mistake Mis-speculation or how you will than our present Trinitarians And what then is it not enough for every little Luke-warm Heart to hear Christ's Sentence That whoever confesses not him nor his truths before man neither will Christ acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels to the deterring of him from smothering thus as well the Fountains of Truth as Christianity Besides that we have in Example the manifest approbation of God of Phineas and several of the Kings of Israel for their attempting the Reformation of the Church tho' to their hazard to encourage us to do the like after them Nay and what tho' with Socrates and others in such case a man hazards Death for his Reproof what mayn't a man be a Soldier and venture as wisely and as freely for his God as many others do for their Prince I know the World 's too cowardly and irreligious generally their Love to God proves too cold and their hazard too certain and that 't is makes 'em turn their backs in this matter if not quarrel with them that put them on it But surely if Martyrdom it self been't Folly this course especially for this Truth is blameless XV. But good God! then does it not deserve our pity to see how on the other side some men rather shipwrack Conscience than not write any thing to varnish over an old rotten Error for Preferment and that right Mountebank-like so that they can but be confident and bold enough to gull the People nor care what they say nor what they tumble down but per fas nefas either by Sophistry or Butchery endeavour to make all good Catholicks Bless me Are not these Men far enough from hazarding all for the Truth So some also as they know that commonly the best Sophister passes for the best Christian and a bold and wicked uncharitableness for the best Argument What do they not deal with