The

But this spiritual precept reaches much further. To love, desire, delight in, or expect good from any forbidden indulgence, even in the smallest degree, is evidently a violation of it; and to suffer the most valuable and excellent creature to rival God in our affections, must be a proportionable contempt of him. By atheism and irreligion, men set up themselves as gods, aspire at independence, reject subordination, and refuse to render homage, worship, love, or praise, to any superior or benefactor; as if they had created themselves, and were sufficent for their own happiness! The proud man idolizes himself, offers incense to his own deity, and expects others to do the same: therefore "God resists him" as his rival. ambitious pay homage to the opinions of men, and seek happiness in their applause, or in such distinctions as they can bestow. The revengeful usurp the throne of God, and invade the prerogative of him to whom vengeance belongeth. The covetous man deifies his wealth; the sensualist his vile appetites; and the rapturous lover his mistress: he lives on her smiles, his heaven is placed in her favour, and her frown would make him the most miserable of creatures. Nay, the doating husband and fond parent may deify the objects of their affections: for though they ought to love them tenderly; yet this affection, and the manner in which it is exercised, should be absolutely subordinate to the will and glory of God.

"The second commandment requires us to render the Lord our God a worship and service, suited to his perfections and honorable to his name. His incomprehensible* nature cannot be represented by any similitude. The most exquisite painting or sculpture can only give an external resemblance of a anan: even animal life, with its several functions, cannot be thus exhibited, much less can a likeness be made of the soul and its operations. How dishonorable then must every attempt be to represent the infinite God, "by silver or gold graven by art and man's device!" The general disposition of mankind, to form such similitudes of the deity, proves that low apprehensions of him are congenial to our nature; and the practice has exceedingly increased the confusion and grossness of men's conceptions* concerning him. The more stupid of the heathen alone worshipped the picture or image itself; others used it as a visible representation of the invisible Numen, or Deity: and all that ingenious papists have urged in behalf of their images, is equally applicable to Israel's worship of the golden calves, or to that rendered by the Ephesians to the image of Diana "which fell down from Jupiter." A material image of the deity is likewise an affront *Solemn truth. Unitarians fully believe this, and prove it,

to the Person of Christ, the only adequate "Image of the invisible God:" and the worship of saints and angels, as mediators and present deities, by images, in every respect robs him of his mediatorial glory. The prohibition includes every kind of creature, because all are utterly unfit to represent the infinite Creator: and there are some devices common among us, as emblematic of the Trinity, which seems not to accord to the strictness of this injunction. But the spiritual import of the commandment reaches much further. Superstition,

and human inventions in religious worship, when at all relied on as acceptable with God, are evident violations of its spirit and intent."

In these extracts from Mr. Scott's commentary, we have the true sentiments of all Trinitarians. I believe this work of Scott, is as common as Watts' psalms and hymns-they are in nearly every orthodox family; for this reason I quote from them, that none may say I misrepresent them, or apply my own words to them Every man can judge whether all of this long extract is free from superstition, and enjoy his own reflections.

The reader will observe, Mr. Scott speaks of 'the person of Christ,' and of 'devices common among us as emblematic of the Trinity,' and says, "superstition, and human inventions in religious worship, when at all relied on as acceptable with God, are evident violations of the spirit and intent" of these commandments. This I firmly believe. Now, to apply this rule, which is universally received by Calvinist Baptists', the Methodists, Presbyterians, Orthodox, and all other Trinitarians, they must plead guilty-and found to be IDOLATORS! for "the general disposition of mankind, to form similitudes of the deity, proves that low apprehensions of him are congenial to our nature; and the practice has exceedingly increased the confusion and grossness of men's conceptions concerning him," and this practice is common among Trinitarians. I shall say no more-but offer extracts from Trinitarian books to prove this idolatry- and leave every man, woman and child, to judge for themselves. Remember, "Superstition," and "human inventions," if “relied on," is idolatry! If this is true, we need not be concerned about the destitute heathen, for our own New-England is filled with idol temples, and our good people really worship an image-inary God. Let FACTS speak for themselves. What can you make out, of all this superstitious, visionary, and contradictory matter, which follows, taken from the works of those, who believed that Jesus Christ was truly and really our God, and a man, or Mangod.

See how these witnesses agree in building the Trinitarian Babel. Read for yourselves the following

Extracts from various authors in support of three persons in one God.

"I freely grant," says Mr. Saurin, "that had I consulted my own reason only, I could not have discovered some mysteries of the gospel.... Nevertheless, when I think on the granduer of God, when I cast my eyes on that vast ocean, when I consider that immense ALL, nothing astonishes me, nothing stumbles me, nothing seems to be inadmissible, however incomprehensible it may be. When the subject is divine, I am ready to believe all, to admit all, to receive all, provided I be convinced that it is God himself who speaks to me, or any one on his part. After this, I am no more astonished that there are three distinct persons in one divine essence: one God, and yet a Father, a Son, and a Holy Ghost. Either religion must tell us nothing about God, or what it tells us must be beyond our capacites, and in discovering even the borders of this immense ocean, it must needs exhibit a vast extent in which our feeble eyes are lost." [Saurin's Ser. vol. i, p 78.]

Here is an honest confession; Saurin says; "Had I consulted my own reason, I could not have discovered some mysteries of the gospel." This fact, from an honest man, is worthy of our highest regard. Hear another

"The doctrine of the Trinity appears to me to be so interwoven with Christianity in general, and the plan of apostolic preaching in particular, as to make an essential part of it. The Father is represented as choosing, the Son as Redeeming, and the Holy Ghost as calling and sanctifying." (Stillman's ser. p. 145.)

Again, the same writer says, on p. 146, "We do not find that the apostles ever made a single attempt to explain how it is that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are three persons yet one God, nor how the divine and human natures were united in Jesus Christ. They maintained this threefold distinction in the Godhead, and assure us that "God was manifest in the flesh :" but confessed the mystery, and submitted their reason to divine revelation, in which God's "design is to make known realities and facts, not the manner of them."

He says,

Dr. Stillman, was an eminent, and a good man; and was for many years, pastor of the first Baptist church, in Boston, With Saurin, he has left his testimony against the trinity, and in favor of reason. "We do not find that the apostles ever made a single attempt to explain how it is that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are three persons, yet one God;" very true, for the apostles never heard of such an outrage on common sense. This monstrous doctrine was invented by men in the dark ages. It is the work of darkness, like many other religious superstitions. We find that trinitarians invariably receive their doctrines in an implicit manner, not suffering their Reason to assist them in searching the scriptures. Hear another trinitarian:

"Almost every thing in the system of nature, notwithstanding the great improvements in modern philosophy, is attended with difficulties. If you look up to the heavens, you stand astonished at their greatness, and feel yourself incapable of comprehending that immensity which lies beyond those vast spaces which surround us. If you cast your eyes on the earth, you meet with as many mysteries as there are animals, plants, and creatures inanimate. You meet with innumerable difficulties in explaining the sensation of the one, the vegetation of another, and the motion of a third. If you consider material nature in its wide extremes, of immense greatness and invisib'e minuteness, you are struck with amazement, and imagination is nonplussed. If, to the consideration of bodies, you take in that of their duration, time will shew you incomprehensible wonder, both in the succession of ages past, and in that which is future. If you turn your thoughts to spiritual essences, every thing surpasses your comprehension. You cannot comprehend, either their manner of existing, or their manner of acting. Even the human soul is so great a paradox to itself, that it long since despaired, not only of comprehending, but of knowing itself.

And if so, is there any reason to assert, as our adversaries do, that there are no mysteries in religion? Or have they sufficient ground to refuse their assent to our Lord's eternal Divinity, so clearly revealed in the Bible, because it is attended with such difficulties as are insuperable to the powers of reason? Is it any wonder if the difficulties with which we meet in the christian religion, and especially those that regard the Deity of Christ, and the doctrine of the Trinity, should be found greater, much greater than those which attend a philosophical inquiry into the system of nature? It would indeed be a wonder if it were not so; because the constitution and capacities of our minds bear some proportion to natural objects, which are created and finite, and are much better qualified to inquire into their causes and properties, their connexions and uses, than into those of religion, which are of a spiritual kind, and particularly what relates to the infinite Godhead." [Dr. Abbadie on the Deity of Christ.]

Observe, This writer asks, "Is there any reason to assert, as our adversaries do, that there are no mysteries in religion?" Liberal Christians have never denied evangelical religion, or the mystery of " the love of God shed abroad in the heart, by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." This work of God in the soul, sanctifying and purifying the heart, enabling us to overcome our evil propensities, is a sublime mystery, and we acknowledge it. The doctrine of the resurrection, and a future state, are also great mysteries. The mediation of Christ, in heaven, is a mystery to us-but we do not doubt these holy truths, because they are mysteries-we believe them as much as any Christians. But when told that Jesus was Mangod, a mediator between himself and us-a sucking infant, and at the same time Almighty God-when nursed by Mary, was at the same time in heaven-which every orthodox, of regular standing, does believe, and teaches to this day, throughout the United States-when, I say, we are taught to believe in such abominable blasphemy, we deny its truth-and for this

cause, AND NO OTHER, the orthodox in America, have done every thing that mortal man in this country can do, to destroy Unitarians. In other countries men have been put to death,* for not believing in this monstrous doctrine-and the orthodox would now do the same if THEY had the POWER. They already call Unitarians, INFIDELS! and EXCLUDE them from Christian fellowship-and represent them as denying the bible, and ALL the ESSENTIAL doctrines of the gospeland what more can they do? And all this unhallowed persecution is raised against us, because we do not believe that the infant child, Jesus, was Almighty God.-This IS THE TRUTH, and I challenge all the Trinitarians in America to refute it. That I have not made a false statement, in the above paragraph, relative to the doctrine called the trinity, (which Unitarians do not believe,) will appear evident, by the following extracts. They are laid down with all solemnity in Doolittle's body of divinity. There is a passage to much the same effect in one of South's sermons.

“I. That the same person should be the Creator and yet a creature. Is not this wonderful?

II. That the Father of Eternity should be born in time. Is not this wonderful?

« III. That the Mighty God should be a weak babe. Is not this wonderful?

IV. That the virgin's womb should centain Him, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain. Is not this wonderful?

"V. That he that had both father and mother, should have neither father nor mother. Is not this another thing in him very wonderful?

VI. That his Father should be greater than he, and yet he be his Father's equal. Is not this also wonderful?

"VII. That he was before Abraham was born, and yet Abraham was born before him, about the space of two thousand years. Shall not this be accounted wonderful?

«VIII. That he was David's son, and yet David's Lord. Was not this such a wonder, that the great rabbies among the Pharisees could not understand it?

« IX. That the wisdom and word was an infant, that could not speak a word. Who with words can declare how great this wonder was?

X. Who can reckon up the wonders in him? He was omnipotent, and yet weak; infinite, and yet finite; invisible, and yet was seen! immortal, and yet did die; he was a most spirital being, and yet had flesh, and blood, and bones. That he was GÓD, what more glorious? That he was flesh, what more inglorious? That he was GOD, in flesh, what more marvellous ?"

Is it possible for the ingenuity of man to invent a more complete system of contradiction and absurdity, than this grand CONJUMBLEMENT, which the orthodox claim as an esWhat perfect confusion. If Christ WAS GOD, what is meant by equality? Equal to nonsense.

*See chapter on Martyrs.