Unitarian.

But it is proper to begin with a point universally agreed upon, in order to proceed in a regular manner to the examination of those points wherein we differ. Though the Lord's prayer is so familiar to you, by frequent use, yet it is very possible that you, and thousands of others, might not have attended to the consequences naturally arising from this divine and comprehensive prayer.

In the next place, I recommend to your serious consideration part of a discourse our Lord delivered to his disciples, just before he was going to suffer a painful and scandalous death. In that day ye shall ask me nothing: verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. At that day ye shall ask in my name. (John xv. 23, 24, 26). Be pleased to take particular notice, that our Lord hath, in these declarations, plainly set forth the true christian form of worship, which is no other than to worship the one God and Father of all, in the name, and as the disciples, of Jesus Christ.

But here I must earnestly desire you to consider, what foundation there is for the worship of Jesus Christ, or the holy spirit of God, or three persons in one God. 'Tis impossible for the art of man to find it out, in these plain declarations of our Lord, when he was professedly speaking of the duty of his disciples, with regard to the true object of religious worship.

Athanasian. I freely grant you that the church

worship does not appear in this discourse of Christ. But does he not promise his disciples to send the holy spirit, to guide them into all truth? From whence it is not improbable that some particulars were to be revealed to them after the descent of the holy spirit, which our Lord did not think proper to communicate to them in person; so that if the church worship be rightly deduced from the declarations of the inspired apostles, it will yet stand upon a scripture foundation.

Unitarian. Let us, for the present, confine our argument to our Lord's last discourse to his disciples. If the true character of God be, a Being consisting of three co-equal persons, and it be our duty to worship him under this character, is it possible to imagine, that our Lord should take no notice of such an essential part of our religious service? As no such worship can be deduced from this, or any other discourse of our Lord, it must certainly be given up, as false and unscriptural, unless the apostles, after the descent of the holy spirit, have made it our express duty, by clear precepts and example.

But the matter of fact is demonstrated, even to the eye-sight, that the apostles offered up their usual and stated devotions to God only, through Jesus Christ. They lift up their voice to God, saying, Lord, thou art God; grant that wonders may be done by the name of thy holy servant Jesus. (Acts iv. 24, 30.) Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. xv. 57.) The precepts relating to wor

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ship in the epistles, are to this effect: Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him. (Coloss. iii. 17.) In the review of all the forms of worship in the New Testament, will appear demonstrative evidence, that the worship of Christ, and the holy spirit, is no where warranted by the practice or precepts of the apostles: and so gross and absurd is the worship of three persons and one God, that they have not left us the most distant intimation of any such religious practice; which you will readily perceive, when you have carefully examined all their declarations relating to the duty of worship. If it had been the will of God, that the disciples of Christ should have worshipped one God, under the character of three persons, it would have been as plainly set forth in the New Testament, as it is in the liturgy of the church of England and, consequently, the athanasian forms of worship must appear, to all sincere Bereans, false and unscriptural, as being destitute of all support from the directions of Christ and his apos. tles.

Athanasian.

But surely the great power and authority of Christ, who is so frequently joined together with the Father, as also the high offices which the holy spirit sustains; and both of them being sometimes mentioned, together with the Father, as concerned in the great work of our salvation, afford good grounds for the direct invocation of them in prayer or praise; particularly, as we are commanded to be baptized into the name of the

son and holy spirit, as well as of the Father. (Mat. xxviii. 19.) And the apostolic benediction (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) seems to imply worship to the son and holy spirit.

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Unitarian. That the son is employed by God in very high offices for the salvation of mankind, every christian must readily grant, with joy and gratitude and the promised assistance of the holy spirit is also deserving of our thankfulness. As almighty God empowered Christ to preach and make known the terms of salvation to the world; so, after he had completed the gracious work assigned him, he received a commission to send down the holy spirit upon the apostles, to enable them to propagate the gospel through the world: the comfortable assistance of the same holy spirit of God (that is, his guidance and protection) is likewise promised to all sincere christians in the discharge of their most difficult duties. Upon this account, the disciples of Christ are commanded to be baptized into the name of the son and holy spirit, as well as of the Father. To be baptized into the name of the holy spirit, or into the belief of the extraordinary guidance and direction of the holy spirit, which was given to the apostles, cannot be of the like import with addressing ourselves to the same in prayer or praise. When this famous text in Matthew's gospel is cited, the words immediately foregoing should always be added, as being necessary to complete the sense: all power (that is, all power relating to the gospel dispensation) is given Go ye, thereunto me in heaven, and in earth. Go

fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit: (Matt. xxviii. 18, 19.) and consequently, the Father is mentioned as the giver of that power, the son as the person to whom that power is given, and the holy spirit as the blessing of God, accompanying our endeavours, and the effectual means of our supporting our christian warfare. This power, of which Christ speaks, is that which he, in other words, calls the holy spirit; and, therefore, the Father is mentioned as the giver of that power, and the son as the person to whom it is given. This seems to be the true scriptural account of this passage, about which there have been so many angry disputes, but concerning which you, and every one, must judge for himself.

The other text you mention (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) is no more than a solemn wish of the apostle Paul, that the favour of Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the holy spirit, or joint partaking in the divine assistance, might be and continue with the Corinthians.

As to any doxology, or the ascribing of glory to the person of the holy spirit, it is not even pretended by learned men, that one instance of it can be produced from scripture. The New Testament lies open before you, and you may see with your own eyes, whether the common church-doxology be there or not, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the holy ghost. The scripture doxologies are to this effect: Glory to God through Je