much, and made Christianity fuffer along with it. For these two Things must be granted: Firft, That Men of wicked Lives would be very glad there were no Truth in Christianity at all: And, fecondly, If they can pick out any one fingle Article in the Chriftian Religion which appeareth not agreeable to their own corrupted Reason, or to the Arguments of those bad People, who follow the Trade of feducing others, they prefently conclude, that the Truth of the whole Gospel must sink along with that one Article; which is just as wife, as if a Man should say, because he disliketh one Law of his Country, he will therefore observe no Law at all; and yet, that one Law be very may be reasonable in itself, although he doth not allow it, or doth not know the Rea fon of the Lawgivers.

Thus it hath happened with the great Doctrine of the Trinity; which Word is indeed not in Scripture, but was a Term of Art invented in the earlier Times, to exprefs the Doctrine by a fingle Word, for the Sake of Brevity and Convenience. The Doctrine then, as delivered in Holy Scripture, although not exactly in the fame Words, is very short, and amounteth only to this, That the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are each of them God, and yet that there is but One God. For, as to the Word Perfon, when we say there are Three Perfons; and as to thofe other Expla nations in the Athanafian Creed, this Day read

to

to you, (whether compiled by Athanafius, or no) they were taken up three hundred Years after Christ, to expound this Doctrine; and I will tell you upon what Occafion. About that Time there fprang up an Herefy of a People called Arians, from one Arius the Leader of them. These denied our Saviour to be God, although they allowed all the rest of the Gofpel (wherein they were more fincere than their Followers among us.) Thus the Christian World was divided into two Parts, until, at length, by the Zeal and Courage of Saint Athanafius, the Arians were condemned in a general Council, and a Creed formed upon the true Faith, as Saint Athanafius hath settled it. This Creed is now read at certain Times in our Churches, which, although it is useful for Edification to those who understand it yet, fince it containeth fome nice and philofophical Points, which few People can comprehend, the Bulk of Mankind is obliged to believe no more than the Scripture-Doctrine, as I have delivered it. Because that Creed was intended only as an Answer to the Arians in their own Way, who were very subtle Difputers.

;

But this Herefy having revived in the World about an hundred Years ago, and continued ever fince; not out of a Zeal to Truth, but to give a Loose to Wickedness, by throwing off all Religion; feveral Divines, in order to anfwer the Cavils of thofe Adverfaries to Truth VOL. VIII,

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and Morality, began to find out farther Expla nations of this Doctrine of the Trinity, by Rules of Philofophy; which have multiplied Controverfies to fuch a Degree, as to beget Scruples that have perplexed the Minds of many fober Chriftians, who otherwise could never have entertained them.

I must therefore be fo bold to affirm, that the Method taken by many of those learned Men, to defend the Doctrine of the Trinity, hath been founded upon a Mistake.

It must be allowed, that every Man is bound to follow the Rules and Directions of that Measure of Reafon which God hath given him; and, indeed, he cannot do otherwife, if he will be fincere, or act like a Man. For Inftance: If I fhould be commanded by an Angel from Heaven to believe it is Mid-night at Noon-day, yet I could not believe him: So, if I were directly told in Scripture, that Three are One, and One is Three, I could not conceive or believe it in the natural common Senfe of that Expreffion, but must suppose that fomething dark or myftical was meant, which it pleased God to conceal from me, and from all the World. Thus, in the Text, There are Three that bear Record, &c. Am I capable of knowing and defining what Union, and what Distinction, there may be in the Divine Nature? which poffibly may be hid from the Angels themselves. Again, I fee it plainly declared in Scripture, that there is but one God; and

and yet I find our Saviour claiming the Prerogative of God in knowing Men's Thoughts; in faying, He and his Father are One; and before Abraham was, I am. I read, that the Difciples worshipped him; that Thomas faid to him, My Lord and my God.

And Saint

John, Chap. 1. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I read likewife, that the Holy Ghoft bestowed the Gift of Tongues, and the Power of working Miracles; which, if rightly confidered, is as great a Miracle as any, that a Number of illiterate Men, fhould of a fudden be qualified to fpeak all the Languages then known in the World; fuch as could be done by the Inspiration of God alone. From these feveral Texts it is plain, that God commandeth us to believe there is an Union, and there is a Distinction; but what that Union, or what that Diftinction is, all Mankind are equally ignorant, and muft continue fo, at least until the Day of Judgment, without fome new Revelation.

But because I cannot conceive the Nature of this Union and Diftinction in the Divine Nature, am I therefore to reject them as abfurd and impoffible; as I would if any one told me, that three Men are one, and one Man is three? We are told, that a Man and his Wife are one Flesh This I can comprehend the Meaning of, yet, literally taken, it is a Thing impoffiBut the Apostle telleth us, We fee but in

ble.

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Part,

Part, and we know but in Part; and yet we would comprehend all the fecret Ways and Workings of God.

Therefore I fhall again repeat the Doctrine of the Trinity, as it is pofitively affirmed in Scripture; that God is there expreffed in three different Names, as Father, as Son, and as Holy Ghoft; that each of these is God, and that there is but one God. But this Union and Distinction are a Mystery utterly unknown to Mankind.

This is enough for any good Christian to believe on this great Article, without ever inquiring any farther: And this can be contrary to no Man's Reason, although the Knowledge of it is hid from him.

But there is another Difficulty of great Importance, among those who quarrel with the Doctrine of the Trinity, as well as with feveral other Articles of Christianity; which is, that our Religion aboundeth in Mysteries, and these they are fo bold to revile as Cant, Imposture, and Prieft-craft. It is impoffible for us to determine for what Reasons God thought fit to communicate fome Things to us in Part, and leave fome Part a Myftery. But fo it is in Fact, and fo the Holy Scripture telleth us in feveral Places. For Inftance: The Refurrection and Change of our Bodies are called Mysteries by Saint Paul; our Saviour's Incarnation is another; the Kingdom of God is called a Mystery by our Saviour, to be only

known