no PfEPACE. But While I was engaged in this study, I found that the schola- tic explication of this sacred doctrine was not in all the parts of it so evidently revealed, and so firmly grounded upon scripture as the plain doctrine Itself. Thuswhile my faith grew bolder in this sacred article, my assurance as the modes of explication sensibly abated. Though none of the Arian arguments could prevail against my belief of the true and eternal godhead subsisting in three persons, yet my thoughts were often embarrassed about the co-eternal and co-equal sonship of Christ, and possession of the holy Spirit, about the communication of the same infinite individual essence, or the conveyance of the same unoriginated and self-existent nature to two other distinct persons in the godhead. I began to think that we had been too bold in our de- terminations of the " modus" of this mystery ; we had entered too far, and been too positive indescribing the eternal and consubstantial generation, of the Son, and inspiration of the IIoly Ghost in the same numerical essence ; and what we had made particular detail of these incomprehensibles too necessary a part of our creed: And especially when I came to reflect, that there had been some other modes of explaining this sacred article proposed to the world, and some of them patronized by men of distinguished learning and unblemished piety, I found that these learned scholatic forms and terms of explication were by no means necessary to support the scriptural doctrine : I took notice also how much occasion the unskilful management of these artificial hypotheses had given to the cavils of heretical wits to blaspheme the doctrine itself. I then considered with myself, how useful it might be to private christians to have the plain naked doctrine of scripture concerning the Trinity fairly drawn out, and set before their eyes with all its divine vouchers : How much more easily they would embrace this article when they see the whole of it so expressly revealed : And though they might confess they knew not the way to explain it, yet perhaps they might be more firmly established in the truth, and bet- ter guarded against temptations to heresy, than if it were surrounded and incorporated with hard words and learned explications, which could not be proved with such express evidence from the word of God, which are confessed to be as inconceivable as the doctrine itself, and which had often ministered to strife and controversy. I imagined also, that it would be an acceptable service to the church of Christ, if this sublime and important doctrine were brought down to a practical use, and our particular duties to the sacred Three were distinctly declared and vindicated out of the holy scriptures ; which is of far greater moment to our piety and salvation thanany nice ad- justment of all the mysterious circumstances that relate to this article in the theory of it. I knowof no treatise on this subject written in this manner, and therefore I attempted it. Now the reader will find these four things followingdesigned and kept in view throughout this discourse, viz. I. To declare-and confirm this blessed doctrine of the Trinity, by plain and express testimonies of scripture. As far as I was capable, I would make this truth appear to the world with as much evidence as it has appeared to me, that thesame true godhead belongs to Father. Son and Spirit, and yet that they are three such distinct agents or principles of action, as may reasonably be called person,
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