sense of the word only, but from the consideration that Christ did not, in any part of the prayer, address either his divine nature (as it is called), or the Holy Ghost;-an omission for which it is impossible to give a satisfactory reason, if we conceive the Son and the Spirit to be each the true God, as well as the Father. So far, indeed, from speaking of himself in this character, that Jesus Christ here styles himself, what he had often done on previous occasions, the Sent, or Messenger of the Father, the one true God.

But, from the word only not being always used in the Bible in the most restrictive sense, Dr. Whitby and others argue, that our Lord, by calling his Father the only true God, did not intend to exclude himself and the Holy Ghost.* The falsity of this argument, however, is easily shown from the preceding observation, that, in this prayer—as well as in all his other acts of devotion-Christ addressed the Father alone: this Being, therefore, must be the only true God. It may be further remarked, that the instances in which the epithet only is applied to the Divinity afford no foundation whatever for Dr. Whitby's criticism. This word may not, indeed, express a denial of our partaking, in a certain degree, of the perfections of Deity; but we have no doubt, that to the God and Author of all, it uniformly restricts absolute, independent, infinite perfection. Thus, when it is predicated of God, that "he only knoweth the hearts of men," such language does not imply, that none is, in any degree, acquainted with the human heart except the Omniscient Mind; for, to a certain extent, this knowledge may be obtained by human beings;-but it must, and does imply, that One Being alone is in possession of underived, unerring knowledge. Thus, too, when God is declared to be "the only Potentate," "Him who only hath immortality;" it is evident to any reflecting person, that these terms are not used to indicate the total exclusion of any created being from the possession of regal power and of immortal life; but are designed to express, with strength and simplicity, the unbounded dominion of the Almightythe imperishable duration of that Being "with whom there is no variableness, or shadow of turning." In the same manner, when the Deity is named the only true God, it cannot denote that those individuals whom he had constituted gods (that is, rulers, or prophets),† were not really invested with authority, and worthy of credence; but that, in the highest and most absolute sense, none is entitled to the designation of true God, except Jehovah-the One God-the Holy One of Israel—the great Father of Christ, and of all intelligent beings.

*See Whitby's "Commentary on the New Testament," note in loc.-With his own reasoning, however, this eminent author became dissatisfied; and, in his "Last Thoughts," renounced the doctrine in support of which the argument had been advanced.

+ See John x. 34-36, compared with Exod. vii. 1; Ps. lxxxii. 1, 6.

OBSERVATIONS ON SBCT. II.

The passages of Scripture contained in the preceding list have been collected with the design of showing, that one Being, termed Jehovah, is distinguished above all others in the universe; that, "though there be gods many and lords many," there is only One God in the highest signification of the word; that, though there be potentates and princes who assume the loftiest titles, there is only one mighty Sovereign who is supereminently called "the only Potentate, the King of kings;" that, though wisdom and knowledge and holiness do pertain to men and angels, there is only one Being who possesseth these attributes in their utmost perfection;-one who is higher than the highest, holier than the best, and infinitely wiser than the wisest of created beings; in short, one only who is really worthy of being called True, Wise, Good, Great, Immortal.

The texts which we have quoted from the Old Testament fully and directly evince Jehovah to be one person only. Those which we have borrowed from the New Testament are equally sublime, and still more important to the Unitarian cause; for they prove that the One Jehovah is the God and Father of Jesus Christ. There, the only wise God is distinctly separated from his chosen Messenger, by having praise offered to him through Jesus; and there, Jesus himself is said to have expressly called his Father the only true God. Were each and all of these passages erased from the Holy Scriptures, except this declaration of our Saviour, we should have sufficient reason for believing in the distinguishing doctrine of Unitarian Christianity. Jesus calls his Father the only true God, to the exclusion of every other being in the universe; and they who associate the Son and the Holy Ghost with the Father as being equally with him the only true God, employ contradictory terms, and oppose, though undesignedly, the plain language of their Lord and Master. No difference of translation can obscure the meaning; the mysteries of orthodoxy being alone calculated to produce such an effect.

To evade, however, the force of the passage, it is contended that our Lord, in addressing his Father by the title only true God, did not mean to contradistinguish God from himself, but merely to exclude false deities—the idols of the heathen. This sense of the passage we conceive to be far too limited; and, from the general terms in which our Saviour expressed himself, we think it unquestionable that he must have designed to exclude all beings from participating in the glory of the only true God. Yet even granting that Jesus employed this name merely to distinguish the Supreme Being from the deities of the Gentile nations, the concession would be of little value to Trinitarianism. The expression only true God, as used in relation to the Father, would still imply that no one else is entitled to such a designation. This is evident, not merely from the

sense of the word only, but from the consideration that Christ did not, in any part of the prayer, address either his divine nature (as it is called), or the Holy Ghost;- —an omission for which it is impossible to give a satisfactory reason, if we conceive the Son and the Spirit to be each the true God, as well as the Father. So far, indeed, from speaking of himself in this character, that Jesus Christ here styles himself, what he had often done on previous occasions, the Sent, or Messenger of the Father, the one true God.

But, from the word only not being always used in the Bible in the most restrictive sense, Dr. Whitby and others argue, that our Lord, by calling his Father the only true God, did not intend to exclude himself and the Holy Ghost.* The falsity of this argument, however, is easily shown from the preceding observation, that, in this prayer—as well as in all his other acts of devotion-Christ addressed the Father alone: this Being, therefore, must be the only true God. It may be further remarked, that the instances in which the epithet only is applied to the Divinity afford no foundation whatever for Dr. Whitby's criticism. This word may not, indeed, express a denial of our partaking, in a certain degree, of the perfections of Deity; but we have no doubt, that to the God and Author of all, it uniformly restricts absolute, independent, infinite perfection. Thus, when it is predicated of God, that "he only knoweth the hearts of men," such language does not imply, that none is, in any degree, acquainted with the human heart except the Omniscient Mind; for, to a certain extent, this knowledge may be obtained by human beings;-but it must, and does imply, that One Being alone is in possession of underived, unerring knowledge. Thus, too, when God is declared to be "the only Potentate,' "Him who only hath immortality;" it is evident to any reflecting person, that these terms are not used to indicate the total exclusion of any created being from the possession of regal power and of immortal life; but are designed to express, with strength and simplicity, the unbounded dominion of the Almightythe imperishable duration of that Being "with whom there is no variableness, or shadow of turning." In the same manner, when the Deity is named the only true God, it cannot denote that those individuals whom he had constituted gods (that is, rulers, or prophets),† were not really invested with authority, and worthy of credence; but that, in the highest and most absolute sense, none is entitled to the designation of true God, except Jehovah-the One God-the Holy One of Israel—the great Father of Christ, and of all intelligent beings.

* See Whitby's "Commentary on the New Testament," note in loc.-With his own reasoning, however, this eminent author became dissatisfied; and, in his "Last Thoughts," renounced the doctrine in support of which the argument had been advanced.

+ See John x. 34-36, compared with Exod. vii. 1; Ps. lxxxii. 1, 6.

SECT. III.-PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE IN WHICH THE ONE GOD, JEHOVAH, IS PRONOUNCED TO BE UNEQUALLED BY ANY BEING IN THE UNI

VERSE.

1. Exod. ix. 14: I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that [there is] NONE LIKE ME in all the earth. 2. Exod. xv. 11: Who [is] like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders? See chap. viii. 10.

3. Exod. xviii. 11: I know that Jehovah [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dwelt proudly, [he was] above them. 4. Deut. iii. 24: O Lord God, thou hast begun to show thy servant

thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what god [is there] in heaven or in earth that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?-See Deut. xxxiii. 26.

5. Deut. x. 17: Jehovah your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible.-See Josh. xxii. 22. Ps. cxxxvi. 2, 3. Dan. ii. 47.

6. 1 Kings viii. 23: Jehovah God of Israel, [there is] no god like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath.-Par. Pas. 2 Chron. vi. 14. -See 2 Sam. vii. 22, and Par. Pas. 1 Chron. xvii. 20.

7. 2 Chron. ii. 5: The house which I build [is] great; for great [is] our God above all gods.

8. Job xxxiii. 12, 13: God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him?

9. Job xxxvi. 22, 23: Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?-See chap. ix. 12; xxxiv. 13.

10. Job xl. 9: Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

11. Ps. lxxxvi. 8: Among the gods [there is] none like unto thee, O Jehovah; neither [are there any works] like unto thy works.

12. Ps. lxxxix. 6—8: Who in the heaven can be compared unto Jehovah? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto Jehovah?

O Jehovah God of hosts, who [is] a strong Jehovah like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

13. Ps. xcvii. 9: Thou, Jehovah, [art] high above all the earth; thou art exalted far above all gods. See Ps. xcv. 3; xcvi. 4; cxxxv. 5. 14. Ps. xcix. 2, 3: The Lord [is] great in Zion; and he [is] high above all people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; [for] it [is] holy.

15. Ps. cxiii. 5: Who [is] like unto Jehovah our God, who dwelleth on

high? See Ps. lxxi. 19.

16. Isa. xl. 13, 14: Who hath directed the spirit of Jehovah, or, [being] his counsellor, hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and [who] instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

......

17. Isa. xl. 18-25: To whom, then, will ye LIKEN GOD, or what LIKENESS will ye COMPARE UNTO HIM? To whom, then, will ye LIKEN ME, or SHALL I BE EQUAL? saith the Holy One. 18. Isa. xlvi. 5-9: To whom will ye liken me, and make [me] equal,

and compare me, that we may be like? Remember the former things of old; for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; I [am] God, and [there is] none like me.

19. Jer. x. 6, 7: [There is] none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou [art] great, and thy name [is] great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like unto thee.-See chap. xlix. 19; 1. 44. 20. Dan. iv. 35: And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

21. Micah vii. 18: Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression, &c.?

22. John x. 29: My Father, who gave [them] me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.

23. John xiv. 28: If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for MY FATHER is GREATER THAN I.

24. Rom. xi. 34, 35: Who hath known the mind of the LORD, or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things. See 1 Cor. ii. 16.

OBSERVATIONS.

In these passages of Holy Writ, the Deity is spoken of, or addressed, as a Being unparalleled by any in the universe as superior to men and angels as exalted above gods as GREATER THAN JESUS CHRIST. Jehovah is there exhibited, by the prophet, challenging all intelligent beings for a likeness that may be compared to himself, and, in the most emphatic words, pronouncing NONE TO BE LIKE HIM. And this language is employed not of three persons, but of one; it being impossible to discover a single passage, either in the above list, or in any part of the Bible, in which three divine persons are represented as equal to each other, or as unequalled by any other intelligences.