ments, and at the fame time to place an entire Credit in the Inventions and Notions of Men.

BUT that there is but one GOD, the Maker of all Things, you may thus conceive, and thereby have a good Rationale of our Faith. If there were at firft two or more Gods, they must have exifted either together in one and the fame Place, or each feparately by himself: Now they could not exift in the fame Place, they being of the fame Nature both, and equal and commenfurate to each other; for if they could, then must two Commenfurates of the fame Kind exift in one and the fame Place. Things indeed created, and uncreated, do not ne ceffarily exclude each other from Place, as being unequal, and incommenfurate to each other, and alfo of a different Kind. 'If then they were equal and commenfurate to each other, they could not have exifted in, and both filled the fame Place: But Things created and uncreated may, as being unequal and incommenfurate; the Created after fome Exemplar or Pattern, the Uncreated after none. But if as the Hand, the Eye, the Foot, conftitute one Body, are the Complement of Parts, and all together compofe one Being, and GOD be imagined to be after this Manner one, as made up of several integral Parts, it follows GOD is corruptible and perishable For Man, as being fubject.

to

to Divifion, and a Separation of Parts, is confequently a Creature, and corruptible. But GOD must be uncreated, impaffible, and not to be divided, and therefore cannot confift of Parts. But on the other hand, if these Gods exifted each feparately, that GOD which made the Univerfe was immediately above the Things created, and comprehended within Himfelf all the Things He formed and regulated; where then can the other God be? For if the Universe be spherical, and the whole Syftem be filled with Orbs, and the Builder of the World be above His Works, and governs them all by His Providence; what Place can there be for any other God, or Gods? Not in this World, because it is the Place of another; nor above it, for the GOD of this World is above, and comprehends within Himself all His Works. If then He is not either in or above this World, (for the Whole of it is filled by its Creator) where is He? Is he above this in fome other Mundal System? which if it be granted, concerns not us at all, fince He is not over us, because He governs not this World; nor can His Power be Divine, which is bounded by all this visible Univerfe. But farther, He cannot be in or over another World, for the Creator of ours fills all conceivable Space, governs all imaginable Beings: Therefore he cannot exift, for there is no Place wherein he fhould exift; and with

without being in fome Place, it is impoffible he fhould be at all. But fuppofing he should be fome where, what would he do? the Univerfe belongs to another: He must be imagined to be fome where beyond the Creator of this World, fince he cannot be over this, nor within it. But where is that Place where this imaginary Being can exist extrinfically to the Uncreated GOD? GOD and His Power mult fill all Space, and leave no Void for another's Exiftence: Nor can that other God be conceiv'd to exercise a Providence and Care, because he made nothing to take Care of. It is evident then, that any other imagined God can neither do any thing, nor exift any where, and therefore there was from Eternity but one GOD only, namely, the Creator of the Universe.

BUT did we build our Belief on fuch Speculations as thefe, were fuch as these the only Proofs of our Religion, it might juftly be looked on as a humane Scheme; but we have the Word of Prophecy to secureour Faith, and ftrengthen our Reafon. I believe your Majefties, who are fuch great Lovers and Patrons of Learning, and learned Men, not to be unacquainted with the Writings of Mofes, Ifaiah, and Jeremiah, and of the other Prophets, who, in Extafies, delivered fuch Notions as were infpired into them by the Holy SPIRIT, who used them (to make a low Comparison) as a Musician

doth

doth a Pipe; to communicate his Will to Mankind. And what do they say? I am the Lord, and there is none else; there is no GOD befides Me. There is none befides Me; I am the Lord, and there is none else; Ifa. xlv. 5, 6. And again, I, even I am He: Before Me, there was no GOD formed, neither shall there be after Me; Ifa. xliii. 10. And again, See now that I, even I am He, and there is no God with Me: --- For I lift up My Hand to Heaven, and say, I live for ever; Deut. xxxii. 39, 40. And of His Greatnefs; Thus faith the Lord, The Heaven is My Throne, and the Earth is My Footftool: Where is the House that you build unto Me? And, where is the Place of My Reft? Ifa. lxvi. 1. I fhall inftance in no more Paffages, but leave the whole Books to your own Perufal and Confideration,' that you may yourfelves fearch into the Prophecies, and, from your own personal Knowledge, vindicate us from all malicious Cavils and Cenfure.

Ir is abundantly plain then, that we do not deny the Existence of a GOD: We who maintain, there is one uncreated, eternal, invifible GOD, not subject to Paffions,' not to be circumfcribed in Place, not capable of Divifibility, only to be comprehended in the Mind, and Spirit, and endued with incomprehenfible Glory, Beauty, Power, and Majefty, by whom all Things were made

M

made thro' His WORD, were difpofed in this beautiful Harmony, and are continually fuftained. We believe too in the Son of GOD; let not this be a Subject of Ridicule, because we mention a Son of GOD: We have not the fame Notions of GOD, the Father, or the Son, as your abfurd Poets and Mythologists have, who make their Gods as foolish and as wicked as themfelves. The Son of GOD is the WORD of the Father, in Power and Energy: By Him and thro' Him were all Things created: For the Father and the Son are One: The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, by the Unity and Power of the HOLY GHOST. For the Son of GOD is the WISDOM and WORD of GOD. If you defire a farther Explanation of the Meaning of Son in this Point, I will endeavour to give you a brief one: He is the FirstBorn of the Father, but not as ever beginning to exift; for from the Beginning, GOD being an eternal Mind, must have had, from all Eternity, the WORD in Himself; and as the Wisdom and Power, He exerted Himself in all things: All Matter was subject to Him by Formation, and the Elements blended together, and mixed by His Operation. The Prophetical Spirit too confirms this: The Lord poffeffed Me in the Beginning of His Way, before His Works of Old: I was fet up from Everlasting, from

the