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worship of three perfons and one God, that they have not left us the most diftant intimation of any fuch religious practice; which you will readily perceive, when you have carefully examined all their declarations relating to the duty of worship. If it had been the will of God, that the difciples of Chrift should have worshipped one God, under the character of three perfons, it would have been as plainly fet forth in the new Testament, as it is in the liturgy of the church of England: and confequently, the athanafian forms of worship must appear, to all fincere Bereans, falfe and unfcriptural, as being deftitute of all fupport from the directions of Chrift and his apostles.

ATHANASIAN. But furely the great power and authority of Chrift, who is fo frequently joined together with the Father, as alfo the high offices which the holy spirit sustains; and both of them being sometimes mentioned, together with the Father, as concerned in the great work of our falvation, afford good grounds for the direct invocation of them in prayer or praise; particularly, as we are commanded to be baptized into the name of the fon and holy fpirit, as well as of the Father. (Mat. xxviii. 19.) And the apoftolical benediction (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) seems to imply worship to the fon and holy spirit.

UNITARIAN. That the fon is employed by God in very high offices for the falvation of mankind, every christian must readily grant, with joy and gratitude and the promised affiftance of the holy

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fpirit is also deserving of our thankfulness. almighty God empowered Chrift to preach and make known the terms of falvation to the world; fo after he had compleated the gracious work affigned him, he received a commiffion to fend down the holy spirit upon the apoftles, to enable them to propagate the gospel through the world: the comfortable affiftance of the fame holy spirit of God, (that is, his guidance and protection) is likewife promised to all fincere chriftians in the discharge of their moft difficult duties. Upon this account, the difciples of Chrift are commanded to be baptized into the name of the fon and holy fpirit, as well as of the Father. To be baptized into the name of the holy fpirit, or into the belief of the extraordinary guidance and direction of the holy fpirit, which was given to the apoftles, cannot be of the like import, with addreffing ourselves to the fame in prayer and praife. When this famous text in Matthew's gospel is cited, the words immediately foregoing fhould always be added, as being necessary to complete the sense: all power, (that is, all power relating to the gofpel-difpenfation,) is given unto me in heaven, and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the fon, and of the holy spirit: (Matt. xxviii. 18, 19.) and confequently, the Father is mentioned as the giver of that power, the fon as the perfon to whom that power is given, and the holy spirit, as the bleffing of God, accompanying our endeavours, and the

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effectual means of our fupporting our chriftian warfare. This power, of which Chrift fpeaks, is that which he, in other words, calls the holy fpirit; and, therefore, the Father is mentioned as the giver of that power, and the fon as the perfon to whom it is given. This seems to be the true fcriptural account of this paffage, about which there have been fo many angry difputes, but concerning which you, and every one, muft judge for himself.

The other text you mention, (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) is no more than a folemn wifh of the apostle Paul, that the favour of Chrift, the love of God, and the communion of the holy fpirit, or joint partaking in the divine affiftance, might be and continue with the Corinthians. But I refer you to every thing relating to this text, fairly difcuffed in the APPEALS before mentioned.

As to any doxology, or the afcribing of glory to the person of the holy fpirit, it is not even pretended, by learned men, that one inftance of it can be produced from scripture. The new Teftament lies open before you, and you may fee with your own eyes, whether the common church-doxology be there or not,-Glory be to the Father, and to the fon, and to the holy ghost. The fcripure-doxologies are to this effect: Glory to God through Jefus Chrift.-Blessing, &c. be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, (viz. the one fupreme God) and unto the lamb, (that is, God's holy and innocent creature, and great inftrument employed

by him, for the falvation of mankind,) for ever and ever. (Rom. xvi. 27. Rev. v. 13.)

Again; with refpect to the worship of Father, fon, and holy fpirit, as being one God, it is a notorious fact, not to be overthrown, by all the fubtle inventions of learned men through the whole chriftian world, that this form of worthip is fo far from being commanded, or authorised by the facred writers, that the worship required in the fcriptures is abfolutely inconfiftent with it; the one fupreme God, who is generally defcribed by the character of Father, being conftantly set forth, as the only object to whom all religious invocation fhould be directed. Nothing is more easy than for you, or for any other common chriftian, to determine this plain queftion, whether the worship of three perfons and one God, be in the new Teftament, which you have in your hands, or whether it be not.

ATHANASIAN. To fpeak impartially, your obfervations upon this article of religious worship appear to me of confiderable weight, If the matter of fact be as you have represented it, (and you very fairly refer me to the fcripture itself, for my complete fatisfaction,) I fhall be obliged to give up the athanafian worship, as what cannot be defended by the word of God.

But as worship is paid to Chrift in fcripture, and glory is exprefsly afcribed to him, is not this a very

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ftrong and conclufive argument, that Chrift is equally divine, or one God, with the Father?

UNITARIAN. My good friend, as you begin to fee fome light and evidence, which you had not obferved before, I fhall take a particular pleasure in employing my best endeavours to give you every poffible fatisfacttion upon this important article of religious worship. The argument ufually urged, by learned men, to prove Chrift's fupreme divinity, is clearly and folidly answered, by the plain scripture account of the honour and worship which is to be paid to him, and which furely will be found to be very fhort of divine worship. From fcripture then we learn, that we muft honour the fon, because the Father hath committed all judgment unto him; (John v. 22. 23.) that we must confefs Christ to be lord, to the glory of God the Father, i. e. acknowledge his high authority from God. (Philip. ii. 10. 11.)

More particularly in the Revelation, (ch. v.) where in an heavenly vifion exhibited before the apoftle John, our lord is emblematically defcribed as a lamb, receiving honours and worship. Be pleased, however, to obferve, that the ground of thefe honours and worship, was not, his being God, equal to the Father; was not, because he was employed by God as an inferior inftrument in the creation of the world; but because he was thought worthy to receive this tribute of bleffing and praise, as a reward for his faithful attachment to the caufe of God, and his

willing

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