dom he appeared a temporary minister. He exercised a legatarian power as the ambaffador of the most high God, and by a commiffion fealed with the divine feal of infallibility, by an authority supported by miracles, and those miracles proportioned in kind and moment to the knowledge and power claimed, he made it certain, he proved beyond a poffibility of reasonable objection, that the practice of virtue is the only way to happiness in a future ftate, and vice that only which can render miferable in it. Nothing can be more beautiful and useful than this fcheme. It is quite heavenly. Yet it could not fatisfy the theological heads of our reverend doctors. It was not enough for them, that the chosen fervant of God, Chrift Jefus, promulgated a system of spiritual laws, and thereby endeavoured to render mankind useful members of fociety, noble patterns of every good and praife-worthy action, and lead them to the immenfe realms of blifs, upon the fair terms of imitating, according to their measure, his fpotlefs virtue and perfect obedience. This was too plain a thing for the theologers. There must be a gospel fublime and myfterious, and therefore to work they go, and by a learning produce a tritheifm. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, they make equally omnipotent in wisdom and action, and notwithstanding they

are three agents or Beings, yet they are but

one.

The theologers maintain that, the Father is a fupreme almighty Spirit, a living intelligent Being, abfolute in wisdom, in power, in goodness, in all natural and moral perfections, and a perfect diftinct Being that is nei ther Son, nor Holy Ghoft; that the Son is another Sovereign Intelligence, a perfect diftinct Being of unlimited wifdom and power, who is neither Father or Holy Ghoft; and the Holy Ghost a third fupreme over-ruling Spirit, omnipotent in wifdom and action, who is neither Father or Son ; and yet, yet, thefe three are one. Three ideas as diftinct as your ideas of your cap, your fan, and your tippet, conceived by three diftinct names, are to be conceived as one idea by one distinct This they tell us is a mystery. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be faved,

name.

Stuff, ladys. It is a mystery invented by the priests. The fenfelefs doctrine ftands condemned by common sense, and the mind of the Lord Jefus ; and notwithstanding thofe unhappy divines defend this triple-deity by comments, explanations, fyllogifms, and fathers, yet it is not only a fhocking abfurdity, but intirely inconfiftent with the christian religion, and what we cannot reconcile to the perfections of that Being, from whom that religion

religion profeffes to be derived. There is but one eternal refiftlefs Power, one eternal unerring wisdom, one fupreme over-ruling Spirit, if we will believe the great chriftian legislator, who orders us to pray, and for all things to give thanks to this one God, our Father, in the name of his Son Jesus; as the difciples, fubjects, and dependents of Chrift, our mafter; under the belief of that authority and power which the Father of the univerfe has conferred upon our Redeemer and Mediator, our King and our Judge. The gofpel in this light appears a rational, glorious miniftration of falvation. It comforts and makes glad the heart of man to glory in God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. But to receive that faith which Athanafius and his unhappy followers, the moderns, have written for us, is irrational and inglorious to the last degree. It diftreffes the foul, and finks the miserable chriftian far below the pagan in religion. It was not to give the world a creed of contradictions, and tranfform the human race into hairing, ftaring christians; to enlarge their throats, and make them take down the most unintelligible and most useless notions, that the Son of God came down from heaven, and took our nature upon him: but to lay before us a preceptive religion, which approves itself to our judgment and confcience; and as evidences

of

of his divine miffion to this glorious purpose, he appealed to the fulfilment of prophecies in his perfon, to the mighty works he performed, and to his refurrection from the dead: and after it, he sent down the gifts of the Holy Ghost upon his followers. This is the glory of the gofpel. It reaches the heart in a fhorter way than reafoning can do. In this state of temptations and snares in the way of virtue, deductions and the fitnefs of things can have but little force upon our conduct, to keep us close to duty, in refpect of a strong conviction by a revelation from heaven, that God will pardon and accept the righteous, in a way the most honourable to his government, and render to the wicked according to their deeds. The heavenly meffenger has moment. The divine negociation prevails upon reasonable people. It becomes the power of God unto Salvation. Whereas, mere reflexion upon the beauty of virtue, and the deformity of vice, may be made to warp fometimes in favour of paffion, and by the bias of affection, give way to that crowd of palliations, which the heart has ever ready to render the moft ugly things tolerable.

Adhere then, ladys, while you live, to the divine word, and let no arguments you may hear, ever feparat you from that method which the wisdom and goodness of God hath contrived, for delivering us from fin and re

ceiving

ceiving us to his mercy. To this purpose, continue to ftudy the gospel, and poffefs your mind with a comprehenfive knowledge of the christian religion. Ufe your own judgment in reading, and let your chief recourfe be to your own honeft meditations, in all the advances you strive to make in the christian scheme. Mark the glory and beauty which shine through the gofpel difpenfation, and as your discoveries of the wisdom of divine counsel encrease, and of confequence call for the most reverent affection to the bleffed God, manifeft a zeal for him and his religion; defend the faith to your power, whenever there is occafion to do it; and at all times, and in all places, fhew that the love of God is preferable to the love of this world, though you should even be unfortunate in this life by approving yourselves pious, righteous, and beneficent. Oppose, fo far as you are able, that deteftable system, called the theology of Athanafius, which the innovators have forged. As you value the favor of that God, whofe majefty is peerless, and whose name is jealous, flee the berefy of three Gods.

Three Gods there must be in orthodoxy's account, if Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are three perfect diftinct beings of unlimited wisdom and power. No learning can make them one. Do you regard only the divine

establish