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CHAP. IV.

One God.

JESUS CHRIST and his apostles believed there was one God: and they taught their disciples the same belief.

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Christ said, There is no one good,' so commonly called, but one, that is God,' or only the one God.' Mark x. 18. Cant. MS. Clem. Alex. adds, my

Father who is in heaven.'

The scribes and pharisees held the same great truth, as appears in the discourse they had about Christ's forgiving sins; for they said, Who can forgive sins but the one God?' Mark ii. 7. Luke v. 21. Mat. xxii. 36, 37. Mark xii. 29-32. Christ being asked by one of the scribes, a lawyer, which was the great or chief commandment in the law? cites Deut. vi. 4, 5. 'Hear, O Israel, thy God is one Lord,' or Jehovah.-The scribe approved this answer of Christ, saying, 'There is but one God, and there is not any other but he, or besides him. Here again there is a perfect agreement between Christ and the lawyer in this great point-that there is but one God.

Jesus Christ in his most solemn prayer to the Father, John xvii. throughout, spake these decisive words, incapable of being, perverted by any skill or criticism. This is life eternal, to acknowledge thee, O Father, to be the only true God.'

St. Paul saith, It is one God who will justify.'

Rom.. iii. 30.

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We,' Corinthians, 'know that there is none other God but one, For to us,' to you Christian Corinthians, and to me, there is one God the Father.' I Cor. viii. 4, 6. In this noted text, St. Paul appeals to the Corinthians, as persons perfectly acquainted with this

great truth.

'There is One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in you all.' Ephes, iv. 6.

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There is one God-and one mediator-the man Christ Jesus.' 1 Tim. ii. 5.

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St. James saith, Thou believest that there is one God,' so far you are right, 'but this even the devils do and tremble.' Jam. ii. 19.

These passages are express: the texts to the same purpose are very numerous in the Old and New Testaments. See the following chapters, Of God one person-Of God one spirit-Of God the FatherOf God mentioned with characters and attributes all singular; and several with terms exclusive of any other being.*

In short, it is not only the general language and sense of the Bible; but the general belief and sense of creeds and confessions of all Christians that agree in this great and fundamental article of faith, that there is one God, and but one God. The Nicene creed begins thus "I believe in one God the Father:" and with the very same words began many of the ancient creeds, both Greek and Latin: Dr. Pearson on the Creed, saith from Ruffin. in Symbol. that before the Council of Nice, in this (the Apostles Creed) all the Eastern churches expressed this article thus, "I believe in one God the Father Almighty."

"It is necessary to believe the unity of the Godhead, lest our minds should wander and fluctua'e in our worship about various and uncertain objects-If we should apprehend more gods than one, I know not what could deterrnine us to the adoration of one, rather than another, for where no difference appears, and no difference could be if all by nature were gods, what inclination, what reason could we have to prefer any one before the rest for the object of our worship?

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"And it is necessary also to believe the unity of God, for without such belief we cannot give unto God the things that are God's. It being part of the worship and honour due unto God, to accept of no co-partner with him When the law was given by Moses to the Israelites, the first and chief precept of their religion was-Thou shalt have none other gods before me.' Deut. iv. 35. v. 7. Whosoever violateth this command, denieth the foundation, on which all the rest depend, and therefore we are commanded, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve,' because he alone is God. Mat. iv. 10. Deut. vi. 4, 5. Him only shalt thou fear,'- because he alone hath infinite power. The whole heart is required by him, and should be engaged to him. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul.' Mark xii. 29, 30. If there were more gods than one, our love must be divided.”— Pearson on the Creed, p. 25..

CHAP. V.

God styled a spirit, that is, one spirit, &c. JESUS CHRIST taught God to be a spirit, or one spirit.

A very remarkable passage to this purpose we find John iv. 20-24, where Christ spake thus to the woman of Samaria, who thought the mountain whereon the Samaritans worshipped God was the proper place for that worship, according to the practice of their ancestors. 'Believe me,' saith Christ,

the hour or time is coming, when not only in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, only, ye shall worship the Father, but the time is now come, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.'

In these very remarkable words of Jesus Christ, the following propositions or doctrines are very evidently contained.

1. That Christ admits, that the Samaritans as well as the other Jews worshipped the Father, and the Father only.

2. That the time was at hand, when the worship of the Father was not to be confined, to Samaria or Jerusalem, but that the worship of God the Father was to be performed every where.

3. That they who worshipped the Father at Samaria and Jerusalem worshipped the true God.

4. That this true God was the Father in Christ's account; and they only the true worshippers who worshipped the Father in spirit and in truth: and the Father sought (approved) such worshippers.

5. That by a true consequence, such who worship others, with, or besides the Father, with equal honour and glory as they offer to the Father, are not true, or right worshippers, nor such worshippers as the Father seeketh or approves.

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6. That the true notion of God is, that he is a spirit, or one spirit, or one person or spiritual being; not three spirits, or three persons, or three infinite minds, or intelligent beings,* as some have most dangerously spoken. Dean Sherlock, &c.

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CHAP. VI.

God, one person.

ALL the writers of the Old Testament, and of the New Testament, always represent, in the language of Moses and the prophets, and of Christ and his apostles, God to be one person; that is, one infinite spirit, or intelligent being, mind, or substance; and never once in all the Bible is God said to be three persons, or that there are three persons in the Godhead.

If all the texts which expressly declare God to be one person, or one spirit, were to be mentioned, a great part of the Bible would be transcribed.

In order to state the proofs of this important doctrine, it must be granted, and cannot be denied, that wherever God speaks of himself, or is spoken of, or to, in pronouns, and all their correlates, or their corresponding terms, in the singular number only; I say, in all such passages, and they are innumerable, we must understand, and cannot but understand God 'to be unquestionably represented as one person, mind, or spiritual being, and one alone..

And here for brevity's sake, I wave numberless

The doctrine of three co-equal persons in one supreme God, and the worship of three co-equal persons, &c. is not the true doctrine nor the true worship, according to the mind of Jesus Christ; but on the contrary, both the doctrine and worship too are false, antichristian, polytheistic, and idolatrous, and hath been the true and most woeful cause of the great and general apostacy which for many centuries hath reigned through all the Christian world, and hath been and continues to be, a stumbling block to Jews, Turks, and Infidels of all nations.

passages which every reader may find in almost every chapter in the five books of Moses, and the prophets; and I desire the terms used in Exodus xx. and Deuteronomy v. at the most solemn delivery of the law of the ten commandments, may be duly regarded in the first place.

'I am the Lord, Jehovah, thy God'-' He who brought thee out,' &c. And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord Jehovah, thy God; thou shalt have none other Gods but me,' or besides me, or before me. Exod. xx. Deut. v.

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'I the Lord, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God." Deut. v. 9. Note here, God speaks of himself in the first person singular, or an angel who personated God. And the relative terms which follow are all in the third person singular. He who visits'-'on them that hate me.' He who sheweth mercy to them that love me and keep my commandments.' will not hold guiltless' His name' He the Lord. Jehovah made'' He rested' He blessed'-' He hallowed' He giveth' I even I bring a flood'---'I establish my covenant'-'I am God, and there is no God with me'-I am God, and beside me there is no Saviour.' 'I am the Lord, who maketh all things, who stretcheth forth the heavens alone; who spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. I am the Lord, there is none else, none beside me.' 'I am God, and there is none else.' I am God, and there is none like me.' Gen. vi. 17. ix. 9. Lev. xxvi. Deut. xxxii. 39. Isa. xliii. 11. xliv. 6, 24. xlv. 5, 6, 7, 21, 22. xlvi. 9.

In the second person singular, thou, thee, thine, and thyself, God is often addressed, Thou art the God.' Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth' ---' that all the kingdoms may know, that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.' 'Thou, even thou, art Lord alone.' In the Psalms often, Thou, whose name is Jehovah.' Thou alone art most high'--"thou art my God,' &c. Thus in the Old Testament.

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