but we have contrived to infer, contrary to another express declaration*, from a figurative expression made use of in John x. 30, which is however explained by John xvii. 11, 21, 22, and shewn to mean no such thing that he is equal to his Father; and from thence we draw another inference, inconsistent with the former express command, that when we pray, we are as frequently to say 'O God the Son,' and to pray to him. We think also, that we have collected by inference from other figurative passages, that there is another person called the Holy Ghost, who is equal to the Father ; and from thence we arrive at the further inference, that we are also to pray to him, and when we pray, to say 'Q God the Holy Ghost,' a practice equally inconsistent with our Lord's express precept, with his own uniform example, and with the equally undisputed example of all his apostles, none of whom ever delivered to us any precept to pray to this supposed person, nor appear to have ever prayed to him, even in one solitary instance, themselves. When therefore we take upon ourselves, on no other authority, than some supposed analogies and inferences of our own, to depart from the plain and express precepts of our blessed Lord, and to say 'O God the Son, have mercy upon us,' and

6

O God the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us,' is it wonderful, that some of our fellow Christians, who are determined to obey the commandments of our Lord himself, and not to defer to the mere opinions of uninspired and fallible men like themselves, should ask us the question, "Who hath required this at your

* John xiv. 28. "For my Father is greater than I."

hands?" and can we without trembling, upon no better authority than this, address those prayers to the Son, which that Son himself has commanded us to offer to his Father ?. Can we forget, that this stupendously great, and transcendently glorious, Being, to whom the Son addressed his own prayers, and required us to offer ours, is jealous of his name, and "will not give his glory to another?" Can we do otherwise,— when we feel our minds duly impressed with this sentiment, and penetrated with the deepest awe, and the most profound veneration, when contemplating his greatness and perfections,-than shudder, with the plain unlettered men described by Tertullian, who he says in his time always constituted the majority of be lievers, at the idea of adopting any doctrine interfering with his sole sovereignty, as they did, when that ancient father, and his learned contemporaries, who were labouring, however honestly in their own opinions, to corrupt the primitive purity, and simplicity, of the Gospel, endeavoured to introduce among them an ingenious theory, somewhat, though not exactly, resembling the trinity of modern times, to which he gave the name of the economy, as well as of the trinity, or perhaps endeavoured to explain his trinity by some supposed economy in the divine nature; but which he could not persuade them to believe, did not clash with the monarchy of the Father? Is it possible we can think that we testify our love or honour for the Son, by thus dis+ regarding his precepts, and doing that, which he never required, because a system formed by frail, and fallible, though perhaps well-meaning men, long after his death,

and the deaths of every one of his apostles, has without any authority been made to injoin it upon us? What does our Lord himself say, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John xiv. 15. He commands us, when we pray, to address ourselves to the Father, and always gave us the example of it in his own person. We, on our parts, have thought fit, without any commandment whatever, to offer up our prayers to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; neglecting the commandments of God, which were delivered to us by the Son himself, and making them of none effect by our traditions, and teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, thus rejecting, as our Saviour says, the commandments of God, that we may keep our own tradition. Is this the faith that was once delivered to the saints? No; that was plain and simple, requiring men only to believe, that Jesus was the Christ. Are they the doctrines inculcated in the Scriptures? In vain do we look for them there. But if any one, after having unsuccessfully searched for them in those sacred books, is desirous of knowing where they are to be met with, let him consult some of the writings of the fathers, and some of the services, creeds and catechisms, composed by philosophizing divines, where he will very soon discover them. But if he engages in the arduous task of attempting to trace them up to the only authentic sources, the writings of the evangelists, and apostles, and to establish them upon their authority, he will, or I am very much mistaken, find that he has laboured in vain, and spent his strength for nought.

I have now, I believe, offered my remarks upon

to thank

every thing contained in the second letter which your friendship has induced you to address to me with the kindest and purest motives; and I have many reasons you for it, as it has engaged me fully to reconsider the arguments for, and against, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the opinions connected with it: the result of which has been, the most perfect and satisfactory confirmation of the opinion I was compelled to adopt upon a former investigation,-antecedently to which I had been a Trinitarian myself,-that they have no foundation in Scripture, but are mere human inventions, by which the purity and simplicity of the Gospel have been most dreadfully corrupted. I have been obliged to express myself freely in writing upon these subjects; but, I trust you will do me the justice to believe, without a particle of asperity, or ill will, towards any of the individuals who maintain them. Great and excellent characters, men of the highest attainments, and of the most exemplary piety, have held, and still hold, those opinions, which appear to me, to be gross errors, and manifest absurdities; and most uprightly, and conscientiously, believe them to be sacred truths. But this does not alter their nature. That must be determined, not by great names, nor by high authorities, but by their conformity, or nonconformity, to the Holy Scriptures, which every man, calling in the best assistance he can obtain, must exercise his own judgment upon, and determine for himself. If the opinions of fathers and councils, however numerous, or of individual writers, however eminent and respectable, were to be implicitly relied upon,

we ought never to have renounced the errors of popery. It has been justly observed that there is no opinion so ridiculous and absurd, that it has not at some time or other been maintained by some man of learning and ability; and the history of the councils that have been held at various periods, displays to us such sad instances of ignorance and bigotry, fraud and violence, that it is impossible to feel the least degree of respect for the decrees, which they have from time to time thought fit to make. Constituted as they too frequently were, and conducting their deliberations, and making their decrees, in the manner, and upon the principles, which they too often did, they are entitled to no credit for their determinations with any one who reads the accounts we have of their proceedings, except as far as they accord with his own opinion, formed by deliberately, and impartially, examining and judging for himself. It frequently happened that the majority were manifestly wrong, and the minority as decidedly right; and it was no uncommon thing for some of these learned bodies to determine in direct opposition to others. Individual members, who had the courage to raise their voices against the general cry of bigotry and faction, have been reviled and ill-treated, during their sittings, in the grossest, and most outrageous manner, for the honest opinions which they thought it incumbent upon them to express. I should be glad to be able to say, that there was no instance, even in one of the earliest of these councils, of a member having actually been killed by his reverend brethren for venturing to dissent from the opinion of the ma