out measure, and dwelt in him, enabling him to work miracles, and speak as man never spake before. But how came he by this fulness? Let the apostle answer. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Very well. If he was dependent on his Father for all the fulness of the God-head, he was neither God, nor equal to the giver of his spiritual treasures. This text, therefore, instead of proving Jesus to be either God, or equal with God, proves him to be a dependent being; dependent on the Father for all the miraculous powers he possessed. Col. ii. 9 Eph. iii.19. Col. i. 9.

4. In the epistle to the Philippians, it is said that Jesus "thought it not robbery to be equal with God." This passage likewise explains itself. Let me quote the whole sentence. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God also hath highly exalted him; and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Now, by looking at the whole connexion, you see at once, that Paul could not possibly intend so convey the idea of Jesus being equal with God. For in the first place, ho uniformly speaks of Jesus as a being distinct from God, and wholly depen dent on him. In the second place, he speaks of Jesus humbling himself, becoming obedient to death, being highly exalted, receiving the most lofty name, and of worship being offered-not to him, but simply in his name, solely for the glory of his God and Father. Now you well know, that neither God, nor an equal with God, could either humble himself, or die or be exalted, or receive a more glorious name; and you also know that an equal with God would be entitled to equal worship; but in this place all worship is to be offered in the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father; so that no religious homage is given to the son. And in the third place, you perceive that Paul is inculcating humility upon his converts from the example of Jesus. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." "Now can you believe, that when the apostle is exhorting his brethren to think of others more highly than themselves, he would mention as instance of Christ's humility, that he thought it nothing wrong to claim an equality with the infinite Jehovah! A singular way indeed of promoting humility; and making Christians of the same mind with Christ. No. No, you will not attribute such absurdities to the pen of the inspired Paul.

What then must be our conclusion? The old Testament does not contain one passage in which it is either declared or implied, that the son is equal with God, On the contrary, it is its uniform testimony, that God has no equal, and also that the son is wholly dependent on him for all things. The New-Testament does not furnish ONE passage, in which it is either declared, or implied that the son is equal with God. On the contrary, it contains a bove three hundred passages, in which it is either positively declared or clearly implied, that he is inferior to the Father, Jesus dcclared," My Father is greater than I."

Extract from the 'Christian Disciple,' for 1819.

"For there are three, that bare record in Heaven, the Father the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

I have lately been informed that the text of the three heavenly witnesses, as it is sometimes called, has been quoted in a pulpit at Baltimore, as a good argument for the doctrine of the trinity. Most of the readers of the Christian Disciple proba

bly know that the text is spurious. Upon this subject, I have no intention of entering into an argument,but shall merely quote two passages from professedly trinitarian writers.

The first is from an article upon the Improved Version of the New Testament, published in the Eclectic Review. The author discovers no feeling of good will towards the editors of this version, and writes throughout as a trinitarian, but with much learning and ability, and a considerable degree of candor. Respecting the verse in question, he says;

"Upon this passage (1 John v. 7.) we need not spend many words. It is found in No Greek manuscript, ancient or recent, except one to which we shall presently advert; in no ancient version, being interpolated only in the late transcripts of the Vulgate. Not one of the Greek Fathers recognizes it, though many of them collect every species and shadow of argument, down to the most allegorical and shockingly ridiculous in favor of the doctrine of the Trinity,-though they often cite the words immediately contiguous both before and after,-and though, with immense labour and art, they extract from the next words the very sense which this passage has in following times been adduced to furnish. Of the Latin Fathers, not one has quoted it, till Eucherius of Lyons in the middle of the fifth century; and in his work there is much reason to believe that it has been interpolated.

"Under these circumstances, we are unspeakably ashamed that any modern divines should have fought pedibus et unguibus, for the retention of a passage so indisputably spurious. We could adduce half a dozen or half a score passages of ample length, supported by better authority than this, but which are rejected in every printed edition and translation."

"We have some wranglers in theology, sworn to follow their master, who are prepared to defend any thing, however absurd, should there be occasion. But I believe there is no one among us, in the least degree conversant with sacred criticism, and having the use of his understanding, who would be willing to contend for the genuineness of the verse, 1 John v. 7.”

Such, it seems, is the opinion of learned trinitarians,and many more passages might be quoted to the same purpose. But before bringing the charge of unfairness against those gentlemen who have made use of this verse, we ought to recollect, that they may, very probably, be ignorant that its genuineness has ever been disputed. There is another fact likewise with which, perhaps,they are unacquainted,viz.that some trinitarians,including the great master of modern orthodoxy, Calvin, have thought that the verse, even upon supposition of its genuineness, did not prove so much in favour of the doctrine of the trinity as is com

monly supposed. The following is part of Calvin's comment upon it.

"The expression, 'these three are one,' does not relate to the essence, but to the agreement of the persons spoken of. The meaning is, the Father, and his eternal Word, and Spirit harmoniously bear testimony to Christ. Some copies accordingly read agree in one thing. But although you read are one as it is in other copies, still, there is no doubt that the Father, Word, and Spirit are said to be one in the same sense as the blood and water and spirit, in the verse immediately succeeding."

The foregoing extracts, I trust will be sufficient in this place to convince the reader of some of the impositions of the orthodox. But the half is not told. Let me have your attention a few moments in perusing the Creed of all the Calvinist Baptists', Orthodox, and Presbyterians, in New-England, and in the United States, generally. Messrs. Morse & Parish, in their History of New-England, acknowledge this creed as genuine; and many other divines, more recently, have borne their testimony in favor of it. The sentiments and doctrines of this creed are now zealously defended by the Calvinists, as I shall presently prove.

Extracts from the Creed of the Calvinist churches in NewHampshire, and throughout New-England.

1. "There is but one only living and true God; who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure Spirit, invisible without body, parts or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory.

2. 'In the unity of the God-head, there be three persons of one substance, power and eternity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father, and the Son. Which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence upon him.

3. 'God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will,freely, and unchangeably ordain,whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered unto the will of the creatures, nor in the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

4. 'By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained unto everlasting death.

5. 'These angels and men thus predestinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either in creased or diminished.

God

6. "Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life. before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free-grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him thereunto, and all to the praise of his glorious grace.

7. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, fore-ordained all the means thereunto: wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified and saved, but the elect only.

8. The rest of mankind, God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy, as he pleaseth, for the glory of his Sovreign Power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath, for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.

9. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination, is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election.

10 'So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence and admiration of God, and of humility, dilligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.

11 'It pleased God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom and goodness in the beginning, to create and make of nothing the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.

12. 'God having made a covenant of works and life thereupon, with our first parents, and all their posterity in them, they being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of satan, did wil

fully transgress the law of their creation, and break the covenant in eating the forbidden fruit.

13. By this sin, they and we in them, fell from original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.

14. "They being the root, and by God's appointment standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed to all posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.

15. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.

16. 'This corruption of nature, during this life doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ, pardoned and mortified, yet both itself and all the motions thereof are truly and properly sin.

17 'Every sin both original and actual being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and the curse of the law and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal and eternal.

18. 'It pleased God in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotton Son, according to a covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man: The Prophet, Priest and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world, unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed, and to be by him, in time, redeemed, called, justified, sanctified and glorified.

19. "The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the father, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon him man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance: So that two whole perfect and distinct natures, the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joined together in one person without conversion, composition or confusion; which person is very God and very Man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.

20. "The Lord Jesus in his human nature, thus united to the divine, in the person of the Son, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom it pleased the