nature and if as Christ tells us he that breaks one Commandment is guilty of the whole Law what must our wilful Trinitarians expect Nay and if not surely 't were better for them to be Adulterers than Idolaters if Christ knew which Commandment was greatest Forsooth the Trinitarians have been apt to accuse us Unitarians of Heresie and Blasphemy in denying the Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost Bless me that Men can so grosly oversee their own Guilt on the other hand so as to make nothing of Idolatrously equalling and worshipping them with the Father In plain terms men that can cherish this Errour knowingly and as I fear too many do make Interest and Reputation only their God and the Almighty God their Laughing-stock And what could Christ say of the Pharisees of old That Whoremongers and Adulterers entred the Kingdom of God before them And can such our modern Idolaters expect a better Sentence No certainly if there be any such a thing as Sin or Guilt in nature they as much exceed our common Villains and Criminals in it as a Bankrupt a generous Robber or a Popish Adulterer that vows Chastity a common Fornicator To be short well might Christ say when the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith upon Earth For were that time now where should he look for it What among the Heathen If not what can a Trinitarian pretend to it that dares not even to value Idolatry and the first Commandment We are reformed with Luther you say Ay just as men that love to follow a new Song we admire him but I fear God will shew us one day that our Hearts are still as Popish as ever XIII Nay I may say the Guilt and Horror of this Idolatry has been so gross in the all-seeing Prophecy of God that he has marked it all along as the great Characteristick of Antichrist And thus Jurieu and who I think also best interpreâ—s the Prophecies places the rise of Antichrist just about the time of the settlement of this Mystery But not to rest on fickle Interpretations of that nature only pray but mind how the Holy Ghost even engraves this Doctrine on the Forehead of Antichrist Says he Rev. 17.5 And upon her forehead was a name written Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth And unto what I pray in Popery can that word Mystery there so properly relate as the Trinity Nor is this all the Holy Ghost is yet more express says he 2 Thes 2.11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth c. And now I pray what Lie in Faith has Antichrist but the Trinity And what then Can we we see this Nay can we see Antichrist at every foot branded for an Idolater and no doubt for nothing more than this For to alledge that the Papists worship their Saints or Images as Gods is as impertinent as false I say can we but see this and not be fired with a just Zeal to rescue the Honour of God Nay for my part I declare I should think my self mad to scruple at or make bones of the rest of Popery if I could but once be perswaded to down with this Mystery But good God! in the mean while where is our Conscience gone In plain terms we had as good burn our Bibles and fire our Temples as thus fling away a 7th of our time in Hypocrisie and Idolatry before God What for shame can we think we serve him when we thus spit in his Face XIV Nay and methinks he has winked at our Ignorance long enough in it And surely were we not quite sear'd 't were enough to make us tremble to think how sacrilegiously we have withdrawn his Honour from him Strange the Jews of old would rather perish than suffer the Roman Ensigns to be put up for fear of Idolatry But good God! what is become of such our holy Jealousies who care not how we treat our God But what then If some men blaspheme God and his Holy Revelation with a Faith fitter for Madmen than Christians and wilfully persist to do so shall not others dare vindicate his Holy Name in publickly professing his Truth Christ came to preach to us to a fine purpose and we are baptized as hopefully to fight under his Banner if we are excus'd for dangers sake only of entertaining and professing his Truths too where they are offer'd Yes truly and the Church it self too that Christ has prophesied should endure so long would quickly be in a hopeful condition should every little or great Revolution of Persecution silence us from our acknowledging our God and his Worship to the World if some had not hazarded more for the Glory of God than so before us one might easily guess what fine Christians we should have been by this time To be short the Israelites in setting up a Calf for their God that brought them out of Egypt were not more guilty of Idolatry call it in a mistake Mis-speculation or how you will than our present Trinitarians And what then is it not enough for every little Luke-warm Heart to hear Christ's Sentence That whoever confesses not him nor his truths before man neither will Christ acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels to the deterring of him from smothering thus as well the Fountains of Truth as Christianity Besides that we have in Example the manifest approbation of God of Phineas and several of the Kings of Israel for their attempting the Reformation of the Church tho' to their hazard to encourage us to do the like after them Nay and what tho' with Socrates and others in such case a man hazards Death for his Reproof what mayn't a man be a Soldier and venture as wisely and as freely for his God as many others do for their Prince I know the World 's too cowardly and irreligious generally their Love to God proves too cold and their hazard too certain and that 't is makes 'em turn their backs in this matter if not quarrel with them that put them on it But surely if Martyrdom it self been't Folly this course especially for this Truth is blameless XV. But good God! then does it not deserve our pity to see how on the other side some men rather shipwrack Conscience than not write any thing to varnish over an old rotten Error for Preferment and that right Mountebank-like so that they can but be confident and bold enough to gull the People nor care what they say nor what they tumble down but per fas nefas either by Sophistry or Butchery endeavour to make all good Catholicks Bless me Are not these Men far enough from hazarding all for the Truth So some also as they know that commonly the best Sophister passes for the best Christian and a bold and wicked uncharitableness for the best Argument What do they not deal with
shall come but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince Dan. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be deliver'd every one that shall be found written in the book Q. 35. I shall trouble you but with two or three Questions more pray acquaint me whether Christ died for a Universal Redemption or not That is did he die to Reconcile us all to GOD And was his Death for others as well as Christians A. 1 John 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he enter'd in once into the holy place having obtain'd eternal Redemption for us 25 26 Verses nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high-priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appear'd to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Q. 36. Pray then acquaint me also whether the Scripture assures us of any safety in natural Religion where a Man has never been able to come to hear of Christ A. John 9.41 Jesus saith unto them if ye were blind ye would have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth James 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law in themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another c. Q. 37. But do not the Scriptures threaten the wilfully ignorant A. Hos 4.6 My people are destroy'd for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy GOD I will also forget thy children FINIS A Brief but Clear CONFUTATION of the Doctrine of the TRINITY I. SUrely if God gave Man his Reason to serve him or if a Religious Enquiry be any end of our Being this Controversie deserves the greatest of our Care and the strictest Scrutiny For what shall we slightly transfer the Honour of God to his Creatures and think to go unpunished Shall we thwart the very design of our Creation and yet after all not imagine that 't is a Controversie worth examining Nay or if we believe but our own Scriptures can we slightly entertain a breach of the first and greatest Commandment as Christ calls it and be guiltless Shall God himself tell us in Jealousie That none other shall be worshipped but himself Nay shall God destroy whole Nations for Idolatry and the Holy Ghost reckon Idolatry with Whoredom and Sorcery Rev. 21.8 and yet we not tremble at the very Thoughts of such an high Treason against the Infinite Majesty of God But forsooth we must not name the word Idolat y 't is not grateful nor genteel you say in Controversie And what must I not rub my Friends Nose in a Sound or Lethargy because 't is an Affront when he is well Nay and may I not follow the Holy Ghost in this case who has commanded our denouncing Idolatry against Antichrist as a Sin that not only offends God but has corrupted our Christian as well as the Heathen Morals And what are we not all on Fire in our Zeal then on the least Apprehension of such a Guilt Or what can we bear such a Charge as this with any thing like Moderation In plain terms either Christ and the Holy Ghost are Creatures or the real supream God If Creatures 't is plain 't is as much Idolatry to worship an Angel as a Worm and how glorious soever God has made them we are mad-men to think he has set them up in rivalry with himself when he has absolutely declared that he will not impart with his Glory to another And these things therefore duly considered methinks I have little reason to trouble my self further to shew that the Design of this Paper is considerable and that 〈…〉 every Man's Duty impartially to con 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ says that he that is not for us is against us and if he judges right the Luke-warm's as bad as the Reprobate and he that buries his Talents as bad as he that abuses them II. But good God! what do I propose I endeavour to shew that the Divinity attributed to the Son and Holy Ghost is both unscriptural and Idolatrous and an Injustice to the Father But I forget that I write to Men that dare not even by Principle regard me I 'le maintain to scruple Purgatory and Transubstantiation of old was never more dreadful to the blind Papists than but to think of this Mystery is to our present Protestants Strange Infatuation that Priests should as it were thus eternize their Tyranny over us and we should never dare to look out of it Christ purposely as it were condemns him that had one Talent for burying it to shew us that not the least Abilities ought to rest idle on others And we Protestants by our very Name profess our selves such as will not hearken to a confident corrupt Church and now what at last must we degenerate and apostatize from our Profession Nay the Apostles call'd even the Bereans Noble for not taking things in trust from themselves and a Prophet of old was torn in pieces by a Lyon for hearkning to another Prophet because it was wilfully to his deceit but with us alas it begins to be a Merit again to believe as the Church believes Forsooth these things are too high for me says one Says another I 'll follow Dr. such an one he is a learned Man And what was it not said of Christ of old Have any of the Scribes and Pharisees believed on him In plain terms he that will rely on Learned Men and on prospect of Arguments not in his present reach or capacity to search or enquire has fortify'd himself against all the Powers of Truth or Conviction Nay and what says the Apostle in this case Does he not tell us That not many wise not many learned c. are accepted 1 Cor. 1.20 to shew us plainly that 't is neither the Great nor
of the Holy Ghost and the Homoousiotes Great and noble Thoughts indeed if true But I here challenge any man upon the face of the Earth to shew so much as one Text with sence to favour them and might not we be asham'd then of such Castles in the Air. IX Nor is the Tradition of this Doctrine when examined less considerable than its Scripture proof What Are not all our Prayers even at this day to the Father except a few and trifling innovations And can there be a greater Tradition in Nature for it than that is against it They Christen this Doctrine Athanasian indeed and surely a happy Doctrine to as happy a Patron What was his first entrance into the Ministry but a wicked Mock-Baptism And while that for which another would have punished him as confident and impious Alexander forsooth admires and advances him Nay read but his treatment of the excellent Emperour Constantius not so much an Arrian as one who sought the Apostolique Liberty and you will quickly see what a blessed Saint he was I may say Mr. Johnson in his Book call'd Julian's Arts p. 55. has set out Athanasius and his Followers beyond all the bloody Anabaptists Jesuits and Villains that ever professed Christianity had they not been more cowardly in acting than thinking His Passage is too fine of it self about it to need the least stroke of an Unitarian Addition Nor may I add is the common Doxology of a less precious stamp than its Patron Sparks himself on the Liturgy tells you that before the Trinitarians alter'd it it run Glory be to the Father through the Son and by the Holy Ghost and then surely hopefully improved since To be short who can read Histories and not see that Popes that Councils yea that the whole World was Unitarian at one time and till a corrupter Church that has since forged and mangled as well all Histories as Traditions as the Apostle prophesied was given up to believe a Lie X. And what these things consider'd then can any Mortal be so unreasonable as to vindicate an Imposition of the Trinity or an innovation of new Articles of Faith upon us for it And thus also what tho this Doctrine were a most Divine Truth yet in the terms explain'd is it not apparently humane What Is there either Trinity in Unity Homoousios Eternal Generation Procession of the Holy Ghost or Athanasian Creed to be found in Holy Writ And are not men very confident then that dare change the words and yet not fear the spoiling of incomprehensible Mysteries under them and in Scripture-terms pray who will disagree with them Nay or what can the Trinitarians mean when they explain this Doctrine the most nicely of any and yet at the same time cry out 't is incomprehensible What Are not these shrewd men that would force all Mankind to conceive things even by themselves confessed inconceivable Nay and what says Christ in this case Wo be to him that gives Offence it were better that a milâ—â—one were hung about his neck c. But are our Trinitarians of that mind No they are glad of an incomprehensible stumbling-block and hug and enforce it more eagerly tho' confessed unintelligible than the plainest Doctrins whatever To be short History tells us that the Jews have often met if possible to reconcile themselves to Christianity and what think you has hindred Nothing but this and a few other enforced unscriptural Mysteries that were it not for prejudice none but an Idiot could go down with And think you then that these men shall not one day pay for these their Offences In plain terms I 'd loose a Million were I worth it but to hear one inconvenience named in the ancient and Apostolick Liberty and Freedom But no forsooth that 's not the case with our Trinitarians a bastard Constancy and Obstinacy shall make them maintain a Creed with Damnation at middle and both ends be it only to set us on Sins and Confusions inextricable and to fright every body from the Church of Christ that would approach it Says Constantine Christians fall short of Heathen Philosophers for they tho' disagreeing in multitudes of Opinions yet still and nevertheless esteem one another for their Learning And in truth our different Opinions of God should rather convince us of our Ignorance and teach us how to adore his unsearchable Goodness then set us to quarrelling with one another So St. Hillary Bp. of Poictiers in France writing of the times about the Council of Nice says Annuas menstruas de deo fides decernimus decretis paenitemus paenitentes defendimus defendentes anthematizamur aut in nostris aliena aut in alienis nostra damnamus mordentes invicem jam absumpti sumus But what says a Modern Author upon it Nevertheless the more advised Christians were more moderate still reputing honest men honest men tho' weak and not able to discern the subtilties of the times But what is this like the Temper of our present Mystery Men Nay and this on the supposition that this Doctrine of the Trinity may be a probable Doctrine and not absolutely false But good God! how little grounds of any probability is there to be found in this Mystery And then pray what can be alledged for its unreasonableness XI And thus first is it likely that God should so far innovate with the Jews on their first Commandment as the Trinity implies and yet not give it an express Repeal and Construction Or is it probable that the Scriptures should be so silent of the Worship and Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost if Persons really coequal with the Father as not once to mention it Or is it probable that so great a truth should be left for Alexander and Athanasius only to declare it and that near 300 years after Christ and his Apostles Or is it probable that the Apostolique Church that wanted this new-fangled Faith was therefore less perfect than our present Churches Or if it were is it probable that they would have omitted it Or is it probable that as the Athanasian Creed implies we should be saved only by Parroting over a few and unintelligible Articles of Faith Or is it more probable that the Church should be less pure or Orthodox in a Primitive Simplicity without them Nay is it probable that ever that can be a plainly revealed Divine Mystery which the Trinitarians for this 1300 years have neither known what 't is they mean nor agreed either in Expressions or Sence about it and so that their Foundation is after all so tottering that not a little Heretick as they call them appears but what is able to put them to suppression and to use Force instead of Argument XII But good God! this charging of the Trinitarians with Unreasonableness and Improbabilities is trifling tho most just when compared with their real Guilt To be short as I have said Trinitarianism is Politheism and Idolatry if there be any such a thing in