274 PREFACE. trine of their personality in stronger, and more unlimited terms heretofore, than I have done in these papers. Here let me first give one general answer,: and then descend to particulars : The general answer is this. When I apply myself with diligence tomake further enquiries into the great doctrines of the gospel, I would never make myown former, opinions the standard of truth, and the rule by which to determine my future judgment. DV work is always to lay the bible before me, to consult that sacred and infallible guide, and to square and adjust all my sentiments by that certain and unerring rule. It is to this supreme Judge of controversies that I-pay an unreserved sub- mission, and would derive all further light from this fountain. I thankGod, that I have learned to retract my former sentiments, and change them, when, upon stricter search and review, they appear less agreeable to the divine stan- dard of faith. Though a sentence or two from any man's formerwritingsmay be cited, perhaps, to confront his later thoughts, yet that is not sufficient to refute them. All that it will prove is this, that that man keeps his mind ever open. toconviction, and that he is willing and desirous to change a darkerfor a. cleareridea. It will only declare to theworld, that he can part with a mis.. take for the hope of truth, that he dares confess himself a fallible creature, and that his knowledge is capable of improvement. It becomes the all-wise. God, and not mortal man, to be unchangeable. It doth not belong to such poor imperfect beings, as we are, to remain for ever unmoveable in all the sameopinions that we have once indulged, nor to stamp every sentiment with immortality. For a man to be obstinately tenacious of an oldmistake, and .incorrigibly fond of any obscure phrase or conception, because hehas once admitted it, is the shame, and not the glory of human nature. The particular answers to this objection, relating to thepersonality of the Son and Spirit, are as follow, viz. Answer 1. lily design inwriting the Christian Doctrine of theTrinity, was to represent in theplainest manner, what appeared to be the most obvious ideas of scriptureconcerning the sacred Three, for the use of privatechris- tians. And as I supposed boththeir deity, and their personality, to be plainly exhibited in the letter of the scripture, I represent them both in that manner in thatlittle book, without so great a solicitude about reconciling the difficul- ties arising thence, as may be necessary fòr a person who undertakes further to explain that sacred doctrine, and to vindicate it against the exceptions of learned men. I think it also proper to acknowledge, that I was at that time inclined to suppose these personal representations in scripture, especially sp far as relates to the blessed Spirit, were really to be understood in the more proper and literal sense, than I now find necessary ; and on that account I did then express the doctrine of threepersons, or three distinct intelligent agents, in terms a little stronger, and more unlimited, than my judgment now ap- proves. For since that time I have more carefully considered the Jewish idiomsof speech, wherein powers, virtues, and properties are frequently per- sonalized, or represented in a personal manner. II. As it wasmy purpose, in that little treatise, to shew, that the scrip- ture ascribes deity and personality, both to the Word and to the Spirit, sothe businessof my present dissertations, is to skew, how these two may be re- conciled. Now, if personality and deity cap scarce be fairly explained, and happily reconciled in a proper literal sense, I think it much more agreeable to scripture, to explain the deity ascribed to the Word and Spirit in a proper and literal sense, and to explain the personality in a figurative manner, than to cobstrue thedeityof the Word and Spirit into a mere figurative godhead, and sink theircharacter into that of two creatures, inorder to maintain their literal and proper personality. Ill. 1 e itbe further considered, that the çommon scholastic explication of the doctrine of the Trinity, which for some centuries bathbeen called or-
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