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from the sacred text were alone sufficient (had not experience taught us otherwise) to prevent the possibility of the least doubt or hesitation in the minds of men who pay any regard to Revelation.

It must be owned, that the ignorance of human nature, and our proneness to error are so great, that a prudent man is justly fearful of giving the reins to his own Imagination, in a matter of so vast Importance as this before us. We are moving on sacred ground, where every step should be taken with reverence and caution. In these most serious Inquiries, a vigilant guard on the mind is absolutely necessary; lest a favourite pursuit should hurry and delude our Judgment, and, what is of infinitely deeper concern, endanger our future Tranquility. The warm emotions of Zeal, may be checked by remembering that, Whenever Reason is forced to give place to our Passions or our Prejudices, Truth is very apt to retire also. But, in the present research, we venture not without a steady and faithful Guide, whose divine Counsels we shall endeavour to Obey: And, indeed, when we find the Testimony of the inspired Writings, so clear and strong in favour of the absolute Unity of the Deity; it appears to be a criminal weakness to withhold

our assent to a Truth, which so nearly concerns His Transcendent Glory; which frees us at once from all perplexity; meets the fullest investigations of human Reason; and administers to the believing Mind the invaluable blessings of Satisfaction and Peace. And it is, with great submission, offered to the serious Consideration of some men, whether, from Experience, any different Faith is ever likely to produce these Effects?— and whether, while they are maintaining with so sharp a Zeal, a system which acknowledges more Objects of Divine Worship than One, and transfers the most sacred Honours alternately from one to the other, they may not be too often in danger of Forgetting and Offending Him, the Father Omnipotent, Who hath declared that He will not give His Glory unto another (Isa. xlviii, 11*), and Whom, our blessed Master, with an awful reference to His Power, has warned us to Fear above all?-Luke xii, 5.

* See also, Isa. xlii, 8, where we find the same Solemn Declaration from the LORD God ; which appears the more Remarkable and Provident, as it Immediately follows a clear Prophecy concerning Christ and his office.

PROOFS

OF THE

UNITY OF GOD

FROM THE

OLD TESTAMENT.

Hear, O Israel, The LORD our God is ONe Lord. -Deut. vi, 4.

Thou shalt have no other Gods before ME*. -Exod. xx, 3.

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD HE is God in HEAVEN ABOVE and upon the Earth beneath: there is none else.Deut. iv, 39,

-

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know

* Before me. The word before, seems here rather ambiguous in our language; and may appear to some to signify above me, or in preference to me. But the meaning is, "Thou shalt have no other Gods in my Presence" (which we all believe to be Universal); as is clear from similar Scripture Expressions; for instance, Abraham says to God (Gen. xvii, 18), "O that Ishmael might live before thee!" i. e. in thy Presence.

that the LORD HE is God, there is none else besides HIM.-Ibid. ver. 35.

See now that I, even I am HE, and there is no God WITH ME: &c.—Ibid. xxxii, 39,

To whom then will ye LIKEN ME, or shall I be EQUAL? saith the holy ONE*.-Isa. xl, 18, 25; xlvi, 5.

I am the first, and I am the last, and besides ME there is no God.-Ibid. xliv, 6.

Is there a God besides ME? yea, there is no God: I know not any.-Ibid. ver. 8; see chap. xliii, 10.

* From these very words one would think that the Prophet foresaw the distracting Tenets of future times. Do either of the discriminating Personal terms, One, he, him, I, me, thou, (thine own self, Exod. xxxii, 13), in the Hebrew, or in any other language, imply or denote a Plurality? Such a perplexing opposition to all rule, or mental conception, would render any language vague and Unintelligible. What other sense, therefore, can we justly impute to the passages cited above, than that which is so distinctly impressed on the face of them? There are some men of talents in the world, who would persuade us that they can discover the deepest Mysteries through the thickest obscurity; and yet, unhappily (perhaps, from some remains of the darkness they have been intent upon, adhering to them), cannot readily discern or recognise plain Truth when presented to their eyes in bright day.

D

There is no God ELSE beside ME; a just God, and

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For I am God, and there is none ELSE: I am God, and there is none LIKE ME.-Ibid. xlvi, 9.

Among the gods there is none like unto THEE, O LORD; neither are there any works like unto Thy works.

All nations, whom THOU hast made, shall come and worship before Thee, O LORD; and shall glorify thy

name.

For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: THOU art God ALONE.-Psalm lxxxvi, 8, 9, 10.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever THOU* hadst formed the earth and the world: even from everlasting to everlasting THOU art Gon. -Psalm xc, 2.

THE 44th, 45th and 46th Chapters of the Prophet Isaiah contain a continual repetition of the Unity of the Deity; enforced in a most remarkable manner in the 45th. The holy One

Some of the passages above, with many others, certainly militate directly against the notion of a subordinate Creator.

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