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CHAP. IV.

One GOD.

ESUS CHRIST and his apoftles believed there was one GOD: and they taught their difciples the fame belief.

༣ ཏཾ..

Christ

in our modern copies, named in the fame fentence, one abfolutely, with whom the word was; and the other, with the character of being with GOD. A character clearly distinguishing the latter from the former; and strongly denoting Chrift's Special prefence, intimacy, and favour with GOD; but as ftrongly alfo denoting, his not being that GOD, with whom he was: nor GOD indeed, in the higheft fenfe of that word. Otherwife it would follow, that St. John held and taught two Gods in the chriftian religion, in the higheft fenfe of the word, who were equal, and companions one with the other. A notion utterly contrary to his whole Gospel, and to many hundred texts in the New Teftament; and contrary to the exprefs words and doctrine of Jesus Chrift himfelf, as related by St. John himself. See chapters, Of GOD; of Chrift; and the whole feventeenth chapter of St. John's Gospel, where Chrift, in moft devout and exprefs words, ftiles the Father, the only true GOD.

6. For the honour of St. John, and the chriftian religion too, it is moft reasonable to fuppofe, that in St.

John's

Christ faid, There is no one good, fo 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.

John's original it was written, not eos

Θεου ην ο Λόγος»

The

Aayos, but

And fo the fense of St. John is—In or at the beginning, of the Gofpel, was the WORD, that is, the preacher, the great publisher and interpreter of God's will; and this preacher was with GOD: that is, intimate in the favour and the knowledge of the will of God: and then it is added,—and this was God's preacher. This reading is confirmed by St. John himself, who exprefsly tells us, Rev. xix. 13. that Christ's name was, or hath been called, in my Gofpel, &c.—o Moyos TOU OU, the word of GOD, that is, the preacher of God's word, or the publisher of GOD's will. And this character of Jefus Chrift is confirmed by his whole miniftry, through all the four gofpels: in which we find Christ very often declaring, that the doctrine he taught, and the words he spake were not his own, but his that sent him. I am doing nothing from myself, faith Christ, but as my Father hath taught me, thofe things I am speaking. The word which ye are hearing is not mine, but the FATHER'S WHO HATH SENT ME, John vii. 16, 17, 18, 28. viii. 28. xiv. 24.

If the reading in the Alexandrian MS. xénλilaı. Rev. xix. 13, be preferred to the text in the other Greek copies, then St. John feems to intimate, that Chrift had been named, or called the wORD of GOD, by him

felf

The fcribes and pharifees held the fame great truth, as appears in the difcourfe they had abouť Christ's forgiving fins; for they faid, Who can forgive fins but the one GOD? Mark ii. 7. Luke v. 21.

Mat. xxii. 36, 37. Mark xii. 29-32. Chrift 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 Ifracl, thy GOD is one Lord, or JEHOVAH.-The Scribe approved this anfwer of Christ, saying, There is but one GOD, and there is not any other but he, or befides him. Here again there is a perfect agreement between Chrift and the lawyer in this great point—that there is but one GOD.

Jefus Chrift in his moft folemn prayer to the Father, John xvii. throughout, fpake thefe decifive 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 faith, It is one GOD who will justify. Rom. iii. 30.

felf and others too. If, I fay, that be the true reading of the text, then it is no remote, but a reasonable conjecture, that Jefus Chrift might be commonly named, fpoken of, and mentioned by this diftinctive character, the word of God. As he is alfo called the Chrift of God. Luke ix. 20. 1 Cor. iii. 23. And, the power of GOD: and the wisdom of GOD. 1 Cor. i. 24. And the Lord's Chrift; and GoD's Chrift. Rev. xi. 15. xii. 10.

We

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... 1 Cor. viii. 4, 6. In this noted text St. Paul appeals to the Corinthians, as perfons 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. Ephef. iv. 6.

There is one GOD-and one mediator-the man Chrift Jefus. 1 Tim. ii. 5. .

St. James faith, Thou believeft that there is one GOD, fo far you are right, but this even the devils do and tremble. Jam. ii. 19.

These paffages are exprefs: the texts to the fame purpose are very numerous in the Old and New Teftaments. See the following chapters, Of God one perfon Of GOD one fpirit-Of God the father ---Of GOD mentioned with characters and attributes all fingular; and feveral with terms exclufive of any other being*.

CHAP.

* In short, it is not only the general language and fense of the bible; but the general belief and sense of creeds and confeffions of all chriftians 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 fame words began many of the antient creeds both Greek and Latin: Dr. Pearfon on the

creed

CHA P. V.

GOD filed a fpirit, that is one fpirit, &c.

ESUS CHRIST taught GOD to be a spirit, or one fpirit.

JES

A very remarkable paffage to this purpose we find John iv. 20---24. where Chrift fpake thus to the Woman of Samaria, who thought the mountain whereon

creed faith from Ruffin in Symbol. that before the Coun-cil of Nice, in this (the Apoftles Creed) all the Eaftern churches expreffed this article thus, I believe in one GOD the Father Almighty,

"It is neceffary to believe the unity of the Godhead,

left our minds fhould wander and fluctuate in our "worship about various and uncertain objects. If we "fhould apprehend more Gods than one, I know not "what could determine us to the adoration of one, ra"ther than another, for where no difference appears, "and no difference could be, if all by nature were "Gods, what inclination, what reafon could we have "to prefer any one before the rest for the object of "our worship?

"And it is necessary alfo to believe the unity of "GOD, for without fuch 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