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always act right and do good, tho' he is perfectly at liberty to act otherwife. And

As the defign which plainly appears to take place in the univerfe, can no otherwife be accounted for, than by admitting the fuppofition of a defigning mind; fo it admits of a queftion, whether the defign referred to be the produce of one, or of many minds? whether univerfal nature through which defign appears to take place, in every part, be the produce of one intelligent, active principle, which, as an intelligent, active principle, is commonly called an agent; or, whether it be the produce of a coalition, or fociety of agents? Were I to attempt to prove, that there can be but one neceffarily exifting agent; or, in other words, the unity of God, I might, perhaps, go out of my depth, and thereby be in danger of finking; all, therefore, that I have to obferve, is only this, viz. that neceffarily exifting mind, I think, must be either unity, or infinity, betwixt which, I think, there can be no medium. That mind which exifts neceffarily, and which has been originally, and primarily, the ground and foundation of all those great and noble defigns that appear to take place in the universe, muft,

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muft, I think, of neceffity, be but one, or elfe an infinity of minds; because, if we admit plurality, then nature does not feem to admit of any stop that is fhort of infinity, the former of which, perhaps, may be thought most probable. For if one infinite intelligence be fufficient to answer all the purposes, that are anfwered through the univerfe, which poffibly may be the cafe; then it may be urged, that there can be no reason for admitting an infinity of such intelligences; feeing there is nothing in nature which countenances fuch a fuppofition. And, as the fuppofition of one infinite intelligence or mind, in oppofition to a plurality, or infinity of such minds, feems to be most natural, and therefore, may be thought to be most probable; so, I apprehend, it has generally prevailed amongst mankind. For, though, in the Pagan theology, a plurality of Deities were admitted; yet, I apprehend, the Pagans admitted of but one fupreme Deity; their fubordinate Gods were many, over whom there was one fupreme. The Pagans, of antient times, are reprefented to have thought, that the one God over all committed the care and government of the several parts of the world to tutelar Deities, to whom

whom those Pagans addreffed themselves, and paid divine honours; they also, in aftertimes, deified their heroes and great men; but then, those tutelar Deities were confidered as below and fubordinate to the one God over all, and thus those Pagans maintained the unity of God.

BUT though the divine unity has been maintained by the bulk of mankind; yet there not only are, but also have been, for many ages past, a great number of persons, who have come under the denomination of Chriftians, that have diffented from the reft of the world, in this grand article of the unity of God, as their forms of devotion and their confeffions of faith do plainly fhew. And this has been the cafe, almoft as long as the Chriftian fect has had a being; whilft, at the fame time, thofe very diffenters, (commonly called Trinitarians) have pretended to maintain, though with much confufion, and contradiction, the divine unity. But then, thofe men do not admit that there are an infinity, but only that there are three fuch minds, or intelligent active principles as aforefaid, whole complex idea they exprefs by the term Trinity. Thus, in the litany, or form of devotion,

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votion, used by fome chriftian churches, both priest and people are directed to put up their petitions to heaven, in the following words. O God the father of heaven: have mercy upon us miferable finners. O God the fon, redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miferable finners. O God the holy-gboft proceeding from the father and the fon: have mercy upon us miferable finners. Here, we fee, are three diftin&t, intelligent, active principles addreffed to, each of which is fuppofed to be offended with our tranfgreffions, and to be capable of, and difpofed to shew mercy in the forgiveness of them. And as each of thefe is characterised by a particular name; so that name is supposed to be applicable only to that particular intelligence, or mind, to whom it is given; and not to all three in conjunction, nor to any other individual. Thus, the term father is fuppofed to be applicable to that particular intelligence, who is fo called, and to him only; and not to all three in their focial capacity, nor to either of the other two, when confifidered feparately. The cafe is the fame, with refpect to the terms fon and holy-ghost, each of these names is fuppofed to be applicable only to that particular mind to whom it is

given ;

given; and not to all three in conjunction, nor to any other individual. The ground of this distinction, and the application of those names, I apprehend to be as followeth, at least, with respect to thofe terms father and fon, that of holy-ghost, I think, not being quite fo clear. The term father is applied to that particular intelligence, or mind, who is supposed to be, in a particular manner, eternally producing another intelligent principle, or mind; which manner of production is improperly and figuratively called begetting or generating; I fay, it is improperly and figuratively fo called, because it is not to be supposed, in the present case, that one mind begets or generates another mind, that is, that Deity begets Deity, in the fame manner, and by the fame kind of operation that one man begets, or generates another man, as in human generation, where those terms are used properly, and from which they are borrowed. And as the term father is applied to that particular intelligence, who eternally begetteth or generateth; fo the termi fon is applied to that particular intelligence, who is eternally generating, and fo exifts by eternal generation, as aforefaid. And as, in this cafe, one mind is eternally begetting another

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