not bear to be directly told, that their messiah, a mortal man, was the fupreme God (n).

When men find no mention made in the fcriptures, where naturally it was to be expected, of a doctrine, which they think fundamental and most important, it behoves them certainly to try to discover fome reafon, why the apoftles fhould take no notice of it. Others however, who do not think it right to make history, but to take it as they find it, will be inclined to think, that the apoftles did not teach either jews or heathens, that Chrift was God, because they did not believe it, but held him to be a mortal creature only, highly favoured by God; and that with respect to a Trinity of Divine Perfons, each of them. God, they appear not to have had the remotest idea of any fuch thing.

These perfons do not confider, that it is a heavy reflection upon the gospel, as fabricated by them, that when its divine teacher came to destroy ido latry, his own doctrine fhould bear fuch affinity to it, that it must be preached with caution and reserve, for fear of encouraging heathens in the worship of their many gods.

It

(n) Much unlearned and unworthy contradiction and op, pofition hath been made to Dr. Priefley, in his controverfy with Bp. Horfley, on this fubject, which has given him opportunity of throwing a pleafing light upon it, to the fatis faction of all who love to fee curious and important facts illuftrated.

It is however but too true of the chriftian doctrine, not as delivered by its divine author, but as his followers have corrupted, and new-modelled it, that it notoriously borders upon, and favours idolatry; and this is known to be the grand ftumblingblock in the way of jews, mahometans; and deists, which prevents all examination of the christian scriptures, because they think, but very erroneoufly, that they teach this polytheistic doctrine.

SECTION XII.

The worship of the truly primitive church, made up of the apostles and their friends, as recorded by St. Luke in THE ACTS.

is

The Alts was one of the last written books of the New Testament, and carries down the state of things in the christian church, till within a few years of the deftruction of Jerufalem. After which, there a great chasm, for forty years, in the history of our religion. One cannot therefore but reflect with peculiar fatisfaction, that we have a pattern of divine worship, in which all the apostles joined, preferved to us by St. Luke; because this will be a model, to which we can conform with full fatisfaction; and from a comparison with it, we may be able to judge, how far our own devotions are

directed

directed to their right object. It is contained in Acts iv. 23.-30. And the Great God is there addreffed in the fingular number, and with the pronoun thou, which abfolutely denotes one Perfon only, and excludes every other. It is recorded that they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and faid, Sovereign lord, THOU art the God, who baft made heaven and earth, and the fea, and all that in them is! And, in their prayer, they twice ftile Jefus, the holy fervant of the God they worship.

COROLLARIES,

deducible from the foregoing account.

I.

The fovereign lord of all, and God of the apoftles, the God of chriftians, is not compofed of Three Perfons, but is One Perfon only.

II.

Jefus Chrift is not the God of christians, but the boly fervant of the God whom the apostles worfhiped, and whom alone all chriftians are to worfhip.

III.

They, who, befides this God, the fovereign lord and creator of all things, worship two other

Perfons,

Perfons, whom they call God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, do not conform to the example of the apoftles, nor worship the God whom they worshiped.

IV.

All the jewish chriftians were Unitarians. They could not poffibly be different, who were taught by the apoftles. And the accounts that remain of thefe firft jewish chriftians confirm this fact, as Dr. Pricftley hath abundantly evinced against the unbecoming cavils of his opponents, Mr. Badcock and Bishop Horsley.

V.

All the gentile christians were at first Unitarians; for they received the gofpel from the apostles and other jewish chriftians. And common unlearned christians continued to be Unitarians, for several centuries. But the learned among them foon began to corrupt the true doctrine of the Scriptures concerning Jefus Chrift, by making him a perfon that preexifted, and who was an inferior God, and employed by the father of the universe in making the world, before he became man; and at length, by converting him into the fupreme God, as he is looked upon

by

by many unto this day. How this fatal defection from the truth first began, is fhewn in the following chapter of this work.

VI.

All chriftians who would conform to the fentiments, worship and practice of the apostles, muft be unitarians: that is, they must pray to and worfhip the fingle Perfon of Jehovah, the Father of the universe, the only true God; and confider, refpect and honour Jefus Chrift, as his holy fervant, and meffenger to mankind, once their fellowmortal, but now worthily exalted, and appointed to be the future judge at that day, when the whole race of mankind fhall have different allotments of happiness or mifery, according as they have done good or evil in the world.

VII.

Some chriftians, in former time, and lately, not finding that Chrift was looked upon as any thing more than a man in his life-time, have taken upon them to say that his divinity began to be displayed at his refurrection. But they are to be reminded, that the foregoing conclufions are drawn from the words and practice of his apostles, after his refurrection and afcenfion into heaven; and that their