PREFACE. 111 H. To describe, according to the revelation of scripture, what are the same divine honours and duties that may be paid to the sacred Three, considered as one in godhead ; and what are the distinct per- sonal duties and honours that we are required to pay to each divine person, considered in their distinct characters and offices. III. To shew that all the necessary truths that relate to this doc- trine may be believed, and all the necessary duties that flow from it may be performed, without enquiring into any particular schemes to explain this great mystery of godliness, or to determine the manner, " how one God subsists in three persons." To thisend I have taken care to avoid every argument, and every expression that would confine our thoughts to any onescheme of explication, or necessarily lead us into any one hypothesis. For since theDoctrineof the Trini- ty is so important in itself, and so necessary to true christianity, I would not willingly bring in any thing as a necessary part of this doctrine, but what might be acknowledged and professed by all who believe that the Son and Spirit are the true God, though they may fall into very variousand different sentiments about the way of explain- ing it. And in the last place, I have attempted to do all this in such plain and easy language, that every private christian who reads this doctrine may understand it, so far as is necessary, may he established in the scriptural proofs of it, and may have his faith secured in this day of temptation. Upon this account I have been watchful against admitting those latin and greek words and terms of art, which have too often tended to flatter the vanity of men, and make them learned inmere words and syllables, and which have often proved an incum- brance and burthen to their faith, rather than a support of it. Having these views and designs always inmy eye, the judicious reader will not wonder that I have omitted some forms of argument, and'some texts ofscripture which have been often called into this ser- vice. Some of these perhaps would have led me to speak of some particular scheme of explication which was contrary to my great design. Others did not strike me with the samesatisfactory evidence, as some ofmy fathers or brethrenhave found from them : And though I will not rob them of their arguments, yet 1 beg leave to produce none but my own. And yet I may he bold to profess, that I believe this sacred doctrine as firmly as those who think they can prove it by a multitude of scriptures which I have omitted : And I hope this may be a sufficient apology, for any such omissions. It is a most uncharitable and unrighteous thing, while a man is professing and proving any article of faith in most express language, and by convincing demonstrations, that he should be suspected of heresy, merely because he chuses to leave out some public phrases, or happens to drop some popular argument in that controversy, or excuses some doubtful text of scripture from that service ; And yet this bath been too often the shameful practice and the just reproaclt of many christians, in whom the fury ofan ignorant zeal has prevail- ed above the heavenly graces of light and love. At the same time I will take the freedom to declare, that when a man excepts against.one argument for any sacred truth as feeble, and treats another with jest and raillery ; when be tells you this is not
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