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of their fins, and bringing forth fruits mect for repentance.

This is the effence of what is called focinianifm ; and though this fimple doctrine may, on account of its excellence and fimplicity, be a ftumblingblock to fome, and foolishness to others, I believe it to be the fum and fubftance of the gofpel of Jefus Chrift, and the wisdom and power of God.

Formidable as the greatest adverfary of the truth may be, I make no doubt but that, by the help of reason, and the fiord of the spirit, which is the word of God, it will be finally overcome. And whenever the holy apoftles and prophets shall rejoice at the fall of this last part of myfiical Babylon, Rev. xviii. 20; happy will they be who may join the chorus, as having employed their efforts, however feeble, with thofe who, in this great caufe, fight under the banners of the lamb, and who are called, and chofen, and faithful; Rev. xvii. 14.

A GENERAL VIEW

OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE

UNITY OF GOD;

AND AGAINST THE

DIVINITY AND PRE-EXISTENCE

OF

CHRIST;

FROM REASON, FROM THE SCRIPTURES, AND FROM HISTORY.

A

GENERAL VIEW.

1. ARGUMENTS FROM REASON AGAINST THE TRINITARIAN HYPOTHESIS.

THAT the doctrine of the trinity could ever have been fuggested by any thing in the course of nature (though it has been imagined by fome perfons of a peculiarly fanciful turn, and previously perfuaded of the truth of it) is not maintained by any perfons to whom my writings can be at all ufeful. I fhall therefore only addrefs myself to those who believe the doctrine on the supposition of its being contained in the fcriptures, at the fame time maintaining, that, though it is above, it is not properly contrary to reafon; and I hope to make it sufficiently evident, either that they do not hold the doctrine, or that the opinion of three divine perfons conftituting one God is ftrictly speaking an absurdity, or contradiction; and that it is therefore incapable of any proof, even by miracles. With this view, I fhall recite in order all the diftinct modifications of this doctrine, and fhew that, upon any of them, there is either no proper unity, in the divine nature, or no proper trinity.

If, with Dr. Waterland, and others who are reckoned the strictest Athanafians, (though their. opinions were not known in the time of Athanafius himself,) it be supposed that there are three perfons properly equal, and that no one of them has any

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