COROLLARIES.

1. By the frequent use of this ftile, GOD the Father: &c. it feems very probable, that the apostles, and their difciples, the first chriftians, commonly made use of these words in writing and speaking of God.

2. It

Christ, or the Meffias, was a person sent by GoD, or GOD's meffenger.

6. That person whom Jefus Chrift prayed to, and folemnly acknowledged to be the only true God, must be owned and acknowledged by all good chriftians to be the only true GOD.

7. That perfon whom Jefus Christ folemnly declares to be the messenger of GOD, or sent by GoD, cannot poffibly be the true God in the highest sense of those words, because Christ declares the Father alone to be the only true GOD whom he prayed to: and because all must acknowledge that Chrift plainly diftinguished himself by praying to his Father as the only true GOD, and by owning himself to be sent, or to be the messenger of that true God.

8. If this be the fenfe of Chrift, and his true meaning, then it is alfo the doctrine of eternal life; and also a principal doctrine, as appears by the demonstrative pronoun this, and confequently this doctrine ought to be received and acknowledged by all the shriftian world.

9. This

2. It is moft obfervable, and very notorious, that Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Ghoft, are never mentioned, in the Holy Scriptures, in a like ftile; viz. GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghoft: though thefe be now the unfcriptural and antifcriptural terms of the modern tritheifts, in moft religious affemblies, throughout

chriftendom.

3. It is most evident from these terms, viz. GOD the Father, who was the GOD, and the one God of

9. This very doctrine Chrift declares, that the Father gave him, ver. 2, on purpose that he should deliver it to his followers: and ver. 8. This doctrine, or the words which God had given him, he himfelf had delivered to his difciples, and they had received it, and acknowledged indeed that he came forth from GOD, and believed that God had fent him.

10. Who then that profeffes himself a christian can refuse to acknowledge a doctrine delivered from God to Chrift, and by Christ owned, and delivered to his difciples, and by them received and acknowledged, as he declares in this prayer to God the Father. John xvii. 3, 7, 8.

In Chrift's words, ver. 3, there are exprefsly mentioned two perfons, and each of those two persons are defcribed by two distinguishing characters, by Christ himself, viz. 1. The Father is called the only true God. And 2. Jefus Chrift is called him whom the Father fent. And the second characters contain two more remarkable points, viz. 1. That the Father was the person who fent. And 2. Jesus Christ was the perfon fent.

the

the apostles, &c. And the fame great truth will also appear in several other heads, or titles, in this collection.

4. It is alfo moft obfervable, that although in the apoftacy of the christian church from fome of the great and fundamental doctrines of Jefus Chrift and his apoftles, many difputes have rifen about the Son and Holy Ghoft, and for many ages overspread most part of Christendom: yet it hath never been queftioned, but in all times and countries ever held and maintained, that the Father is GOD. This great truth has ever stood firm and unqueftioned amongst all the trinitarian and tritheistic fophifters in the chriftian church. Now when this great point hath ever been held in all the ages and countries whereever christianity hath been believed and profeffed; it is an amazing thought, that a firm ftand was not made here; but some chriftians should boldly advance, and dare to affert, that befide and after the Father, a fecond and a third perfon, are GoD

too.

5. If the concurring language of the foregoing texts be sufficient, as it certainly must be, to eftablish this notion that the Father is the only true GOD, then it must follow, that it is not in the power of any general council, fynod, or conyocation, to establish any contrary or different doctrine ; nor, indeed, to appoint the use of any form of words

inconsistent

inconfiftent with that doctrine; fuch as this vulgar doxology, to GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY GHOST: which set of words not only lead directly to tritheism, but exprefs a formal tritheifm.

CHAP. IX.

GOD the FATHER, and the GOD of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and the GoD and FATHER of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, the frequent file and characters, of the ONE true GOD in the New Teftament.

Note 1.

THIS

HIS ftile cannot poffibly be afcribed to Chrift, or to the Holy Ghoft.

2. Jefus Chrift and the Holy Ghoft, are never in all the New Teftament expressly stiled the GOD and FATHER of us chriftians; or God the Son, GOD the Holy Ghoft, in express terms.

Jefus Chrift expressly owns the FATHER to be the only true GOD, John xvii. 3. See chap. Of his Worship.

Rom. i. 7. St. Paul has thefe words, the GOD and FATHER of us, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Rom. xv. 5, 6. St. Paul wishes or prays that the Roman Chriftians may be of one mind, according to Chrift Jefus, that they might with one mind and

with one mouth glorify the GOD and FATHER of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

1 Cor. i. 3. St. Paul wifhes for the Corinthians in these words, Grace and peace from GOD the FATHER of us, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And viii. 5, 6. Though there be Gods many fo called (among the heathens) yet to us (chriftians) there is but ONE GOD, the FATHER.

xv. 24. Then cometh the end, when he (that is Chrift) Shall deliver up the kingdom to GOD even the FATHER, ver. 23. And when all things have been put under him (that is, Chrift) then fhall the Son alfo himself be put under him (that is, GoD) who did put all things under him, that GOD may be all in all.

2 Cor. i. 2. Grace and peace from the GOD and FATHER of us, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Ver. 3. Bleffed be the GOD and FATHER of us, and of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

xi. 31. The GOD and FATHER of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is blessed for evermore.

Gal. i. 1. GOD the FATHER who hath raifed him (that is, Chrift) from the dead.

Ver. 3. Grace and peace from GOD the FATHER of us, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift. So the Alexandrian and other MSS. Aud it is St. Paul's ordinary salutation in his epistles.

Ver. 4. According to the will of God our FATHER; or the GOD and FATHER of us.

Ephef. i. 2. St. Paul ufeth the fame form of fpeech,