"reconcile them with that holy record.

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Know then, my 'friend, it was born above three hundred years after the "ancient Gospel was declared; it was conceived in ignorance, brought forth and maintained by cruelty; for though he that "was strongest imposed his opinion, persecuting the contrary, yet the scale turning on the Trinitarian side, it has there con"tinued through all the Romish generations."-WILLIAM PENN.

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"The true reformed religion (or, if you please, the truly old religion) is the Holy Scriptures (or the sum of the faith in "them, the Apostles' Creed) and holy life.

In

"the appendages and circumstantials of Christianity, in fine, "scholastic, improved notions, charity, peace, and meekness "become us,-not zeal. Give me leave to demand

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of the world a reason why Christian communion should not "be left at that latitude at which Christ and his apostles in Holy Scripture have left it? To this, if men would addict "themselves (and why should they not) all schisms would soon be at an end".-BISHOP WETENHALL.

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THE strict and absolute unity of God is a first principle of the Bible. The entire scope and spirit of both the Old and New Testament are distinctly on the side of the uni-personality of God. The Jews, who made Monotheism their boast and glory, never charge Christ, or the first teachers of Christianity, with originating any new theory of the Godhead. Christ and the apostles spoke of the Father as the "ONLY 66 TRUE GOD". It is repeatedly admitted by Trinitarians that the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible; and that in the earliest records of our religion, not only the word Trinity is not to be found, but no equivalent of the word, nor any proposition that intimates God is three persons. An additional fact, confirmatory of the sole Deity of God the Father, is found in Christ's instruction and example of prayer, which were followed during the first two centuries. The two or three texts in the Bible supposed by some to foreshadow, or hint at, or imply the Trinity, receive at the hands of Trinitarian scholars a very simple and rational explanation, which lends no countenance to the theory of a plurality of persons in the Godhead. The doctrine of the Primitive Church is found in the Scripture, and also in the Apostles' Creed; the doctrine of later times in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. The word Trinity, familiar to schools of philosophy, was introduced into Christian literature about the close of the second century. The Pagan Trinities of the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Hindoo systems of religion (and also of Platonic philosophy) were popular at the time of the first planting of Christianity. The origin and developement of the doctrine of a Triune Deity in the Church is clearly traced to Platonic and other influences during the third and fourth centuries. Its introduction caused considerable discussion, agitation, and strife during the period named. The Council of Nice (A.D. 325) voted in favour of the Deity of Christ ;. the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381) fixed the doctrine of the Trinity. From that time the Roman Emperors resolved and proclaimed they would punish all Christians who would not believe in and worship. three persons in one God. The following chronological data may aid the reader of this treatise to mark the progress of the doctrine, from the close of the second to the close of the fourth century:

A.D.

1.-Monotheism the boast and glory of the Jews.

29.-About this time Jesus said, "The first commandment is, the Lord' "our God is one Lord" * * * * "The true worshippers shall worship the Father".

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32.—About this time Jesus said, "I ascend unto your Father and my "Father, your God and my God".

"one".

57.-About this time Paul wrote, "There is none other Goa but "To us there is at ONE God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ ".

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96.-About this time Clement wrote, "Christ was sent by God and "the Apostles were sent by Christ ".

120.-The Apostles' Creed begins to be known to the Church. It says,. "I believe in God the Father Almigl.ty".

150.-Justin Martyr about this time began with Platonic teaching to corrupt Christian simplicity.

170.-The word Trias first occurs in Christian literature.

200.-The word Trinitas is first used by Tertullian.

230.-Origen writes against prayers being offered to Christ.

260.-Sabellius teaches,-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are three names for the same God.

300.-No Trinitarian forms of prayer are yet known to the Church. 310.-Lactantius (orthodox father) writes, "Christ never calls himself "God".

320.-Eusebius writes, "Christ teaches us to call his Father the true "God, and to worship Him ".

325.-The Nicene Council agree to call Christ, "God of God, very "God of very God".

350. Great conflicts in the Church about the doctrine of the Trinity. 370.-The Doxology, "Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy "Ghost", composed, and complained of as a novelty.

381.-The Council of Constantinople gives the finishing touch to the doctrine of "three persons in one God".

383.-The Emperor Theodosius threatens o punish all who will not believe in and worship the Trinity.

From this date Arianism rapidly declines In A.D. 451, the doctrine of the two natures of Christ becomes an e tablished dogma. "Glory "be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost ", is ordered. to be sung in all Churches, A.D. 529. The Clergy are commanded, A.D. 669, to commit to memory the Athanasian Creed. Bishop Basil required the Clergy, A.D. 826, to repeat this Creed every Sunday.

INTRODUCTION.

CONSIDERATIONS, BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL, WHICH SUPPORT THE DOCTRINE OF THE

ABSOLUTE ONENESS OF GOD.

THERE is an increasing belief that the creeds, generally accepted among the Churches, differ very widely from the statements of the Sacred Volume, and from the doctrines which were common in the first period of the Christian Church. On no question is this more striking than on that which refers to the Unity of God. While there is not the slightest hint in the Old Testament or the New of a plurality of persons in the Godhead, the doctrine of a Triune deity is spoken of at the present time, and has been for ages, as a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith.

All Christians are persuaded that God has revealed himself to us in the Holy Scriptures; and all agree that there is ONE GOD and Father of all, and that this doctrine is certified by revelation, and accords with enlightened reason. Yet a very grave divergence appears on the question of the absolute Unity of God. There are those who, when speaking of God, are satisfied with the simple and magnificent language of the Bible, that "there is one God; and there is none other but He"; while there are others who speak of the Godhead as a Trinity composed of Father, Son, ard

B

ΙΟ

Bible Testimony to the Unity of God.

Holy Ghost.

With respect to this difference which has divided Christians, "what saith the Scripture"?

In making our appeal to the Sacred Volume, we may be allowed to recall to the memory of our readers the memorable words of Chillingworth:-"The Bible, I say, "the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants. Whatsoever "else they believe besides it and the plain, irrefragable, "indubitable consequences of it, well may they hold it as a matter of opinion; but as a matter of faith and religion,. "neither can they with coherence to their own grounds. "believe it themselves, nor require the belief of it of others. He that believes the Scripture sincerely, and "endeavours to believe it in the true sense, cannot possibly "be an heretic ".

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THE TESTIMONY OF THE BIBLE TO THE UNITY OF GOD.

66 Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation ".Articles of the Church of England.

On a question of such vital importance to the simplicity of belief and the purity of worship, as the UNITY of God, we go to the Bible. We learn in the clear, precise, and unequivocal language of its pages, that there is "ONE God "and there is none other"; and this statement being in perfect accord with every chapter and verse of both Old and New Testament, we may fairly speak of it as a first principle of divine revelation. There are not only thousands of texts which teach this, but the entire complexion of the Bible sets forth the sole deity of ONE PERSON, called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and also repeatedly said to be "the God "and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ".

In the following and other texts God is styled "ONE":-"Jehovah our God is one Jehovah"-Deut. vi. 4. "In that