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whereon the Samaritans worshipped Gon was the proper place for that worship, according to the practice of their ancestors. Believe me, faith Christ, the hour or time is coming, when not only in this mountain, nor in Jerufalem only, ye shall worship the father---but the time is now come, when the true worShippers fhall worship the father in fpirit and in truth, for the father feeketh fuch to worship him. GOD is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in fpirit and in truth.

In these very remarkable words of Jefus Chrift, the following propofitions or doctrines are very evidently contained.

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accept of no co-partner with him. When the law "was given by Mofes, to the Ifraelites, the firft and "chief precept of their religion was-Thou shalt have -66 none other gods before me. Deut. iv. 35. v. 7. Who"foever violateth this command, denieth the foun"dation, on which all the reft depend, and therefore

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we are commanded, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy "GOD, and him only shalt thou ferve, because he alone "is GOD. Mat. iv. 10. Deut. vi. 4, 5. Him only "fhalt thou fear, because he alone hath infinite power. Act -The whole heart is required by him, and should "be engaged to him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy "GOD, with all thy heart, with all thy foul. Mark "xii. 29, 30. If there were more Gods than one, "' our love must be divided."-Pearfon on the creed, p. 25.

1. That Christ admits, that the Samaritans as well as the other Jews worshipped the Father, and the Father only.

2. That the time was at hand, when the worfhip of the Father was not to be confined to Samaria or Jerufalem, but that the worship of GoD the Father was to be performed every where.

3. That they who worshipped the Father at Samaria and Jerufalem worshipped the true GOD.

4. That this true GOD was the Father in Chrift's account; and they only the true worshippers who worshipped the Father in fpirit and in truth: and the Father fought (approved) fuch worshippers.

5. That by a true confequence, fuch who worfhip others, with, or befides the Father, with equal honour and glory as they offer to the Father, are not "true, or right worshippers, nor fuch worshippers as the Father feeketh or approves.

6. That the true notion of GOD. is, that he is a Spirit, or one fpirit, or one perfon or fpiritual being; not three fpirits, or three perfons, or three infinite minds, or intelligent beings*, as. fome have most dangeroufly spoken. Dean Sherlock, &e.

CHAP.

* The doctrine of three co-equal perfons in one Supreme GoD, and the worship of three co-equal perfons, &c. is not the true doctrine nor the true worship, according to the mind of Jefus Chrift; but on the com

trary

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CHAP. VI.

GOD, one person.

LL the writers of the Old Teftament, and of the New Teftament, always represent, in the language of Mofes and the prophets, and of Chrift and his apoftles, GOD to be one perfon; that is, one infinite fpirit, or intelligent being, mind, or substance; and never once in all the bible is GOD faid to be three perfons, or that there are three perfons in the Godhead.

If all the texts which exprefsly declare God to be one perfon, or one spirit, were to be mentioned, a great part of the bible would be tranfcribed.

In order to state the proofs of this important doctrine, it must be granted, and cannot be denied, that wherever GOD fpeaks of himself, or is spoken of, or to, in pronouns, and all their correlates, or their

trary, both the doctrine and worship too are false, antichriftian, polytheistic, and idolatrous: and hath been the true and moft woful cause of the great and general apoftacy which for many centuries hath reigned through all the chriftian world, and hath been and continues to be, a ftumbling block to Jews, Turks, and * Infidels of all nations.

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correfponding terms, in the fingular number only; I fay, in all fuch paffages, and they are innumerable, we must understand, and cannot but understand GOD to be unquestionably represented as one person, mind, or spiritual being, and one alone.

And here for brevity's fake, I wave numberless paffages which every reader may find in almost every chapter in the five books of Mofes, and the prophets; and I defire the terms used in Exodus xx. and Deuteronomy v. at the most folemn delivery of the law of the ten commandments, may be duly rẻgarded in the first place.

He who

I am the Lord, JEHOVAH, thy GOD brought thee out, &c. And GOD Shake all these words, faying, I am the Lord JEHOVAH, thy GOD; "thou shalt have none other Gods but me, or befides me, or before me. Exod. xx. Deut. v,

I the Lord, JEHOVAH, thy GOD am a jealous GOD. Deut. v. 9. Note here, GOD fpeaks of himself in the first perfon fingular, or an angel who perfonated GOD. And the relative terms which follow are all in the third perfon fingular. He who vifits-on them that hate me. He who fheweth mercy to them that love me, and keep my commandments.. He will not hold guiltless-His name-----He the Lord JEHOVAH made---He refted---He bleffed--- He hallowed---He giveth. I even I bring a flood---I eftablish my covenant---I am GOD, and there is no God with me----I am GOD, and befide me there is no Saviour

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Saviour. I am the Lord, who maketh all things, who ftretcheth forth the heavens alone; who spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. I am the Lord, there is nine elfe, none befide me. I am GOD, and there is none elfe. I am GOD, and there is none like me. Gen. vi. 17. ix. 9. Lev. xxvi. Deut. xxxii. 39. Ifa. xliii. 11. xliv. 6, 24. xlv.5, 6, 7, 21, 22. xlvi. 9.

In the fecond perfon fingular, thou, thee, thine, and thyself, GoD is often addreffed. Thou art the GOD. Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth--that all the kingdoms may know, that thou art the Lord GOD, even thou only. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone. In the Pfalms often, Thou, whofe name is Jehovah, Thou alone art moft high---Thou art my GOD, &c. Thus in the Old Teftament. 2 Kings xix. 15, 19. Nehem. ix. Ifa. xxxvii. 16. Pf. lxxxiii. 18. cxviii. 28.

Jefus Chrift himself, in speaking to his GoD and our GoD, prayed thus, Not as I will, but as thou wilt. Mat. xxvi. 39. It may be worth notice, that Jefus Christ mentions GoD above thirty times in the fingular number in St. Matthew's gospel, which, duly confidered, fully expreffeth his notion or belief to have been, that there is but ONE GOD, and that GOD is ONE. This is life eternal, to know, or own, thee, O Father, to be the only true GOD; and in this prayer with his difciples, GOD, the Father, is addressed feven times in the fecond fierfon fingular. John xvii.

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