Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord, my God.-Psal. xxxviii. 15. Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.-1 Cor. ii. 13.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE pious and learned author of the following defence of the doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity, published, in the year 1766, a Third Edition of this invaluable Work, in the preface to which he observes, That the republication of this Work, though merely accidental, is not unseasonable at this time, when we are taught from the press, (in a book published the same year, entitled "The Confessional,”) that the only sure way of reducing Christianity to its primitive purity, is to abolish all Creeds and Articles. But the great rock of offence with this writer is the Trinity; to get rid of which, he would at once dissolve our whole ecclesiastical constitution and form of worship.' These principles, alas! correspond closely with the sentiments of too many in the present day. Had this zealous advocate (who has so ably defended this primary doctrine of the Christian faith) lived amongst us now, would he not have forcibly recommended the republication of this work as peculiarly seasonable at this alarming crisis? in a day like the present, when the inestimable word of God, and the precious doctrines which it inculcates, are slighted and despised by the philosophic infidel on the one hand, and the degrading Socinian on the other? With a view to counteract, in some degree, these increasing and destructive errors, the Publisher of this New Edition, at the request of several friends, has reprinted this excellent Work, with a wish that it may be read by every lover of the truth, as it is highly calculated to instruct, settle, and establish the unprejudiced and impartial reader. With a sincere wish that many happy and blessed effects may result from the perusal of it, the Bookseller has undertaken to offer this new Edition to the public at a cheap price, in a small Pocket Volume, for more general distribution; and that it may be always at hand for reference or constant perusal, for all those who are desirous of information on the important points upon which it so clearly treats. H. 1.

February 10th, 1820.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

My Bookseller having solicited me to republish this little Treatise, I have corrected the typographical errors of the last edition, and enlarged some passages of the work itself.

The attempt of the late Bishop of Clogher, to propagate Arianism in the Church of Ireland, induced me to keep the Doctrine of the Trinity in my thoughts for some years; and I had a particular attention to it as often as the Scriptures, either of the Old or New Testament, were before me. This little book was the fruit of my study; of which I have seen some good effects already, and ought not to despair of seeing more before I die.

Many other observations have occurred to me since the first publication, which I should willingly have added. But some readers might have been discouraged, if I had presented them with a book of too large a size: and the merits of the cause lie in a small compass.

The republication of this work, though merely accidental, is not unseasonable at this time, when we are taught from the press,* (and the author seems to be very much in earnest,) that the only sure way of reducing Christianity to its primitive purity, is to abolish all Creeds and Articles. But the great rock of offence, with this writer, is the Trinity; to get rid of which, he would at

*In a new Work entitled The Confessional.'

once dissolve our whole ecclesiastical constitution and form of worship.

This wild project furnishes a melancholy confirmation of the censure passed upon us by some learned Protestants abroad; who have reflected upon England as a country productive of literary monsters;* where some old heresy is frequently rising up, as old comets have been supposed to do, with new and portentous appearances. And the reader, whose sight can penetrate through the vehement accusations of Popery, Bigotry, Persecution, Imposition, and other fiery vapors with which this author has surrounded his performance, will discover little, if any thing, more than Arianism at the centre.

The Scripture is the only rule that can enable us to judge, whether that or the Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity is more agreeable to truth: therefore I have confined myself to this unexceptionable kind of evidence for the proof of the latter, and have made the Scripture its own interpreter. But our adversaries, though they allow the sufficiency of the Scripture, and unjustly pretend to distinguish themselves from us by insisting upon it, do nevertheless make such frequent use of a lower sort of evidence to bias common readers, and show the expediency of what they are pleased to call Reformation, that I have thought proper to exhibit a specimen of their method of proceeding in that respect, by adding to this edition, 'A Letter to the Common People, in Answer to some Popular Arguments against the Trinity.' These arguments are extracted chiefly from a small book entitled, An Appeal to the Common Sense of all Christian People;' a thing very highly commended by the author of The Confes

* Carptzov. Pref. in Pseudo Critic: Whistonii.