Incomprehenfible Myfteries; which yet hinder not our Belief of a God. And therefere not being able fully and clearly to explain the Trinity, which is the very Nature of God, can be no Reafon for us to reject fuch Revelation which God has given us of Himfelf. Yet do we not want feveral Shadows and Refemblances of one Nature communicating it felf to many Individuals, without either a Multipli cation or Divifion of the Nature. We fay that the Soul is all in all, and all in every part of the Body; yet that the Soul is neither Multiplied nor Divided among the feveral Members of the Body. It is impoffible for us either to Explain this, or to Deny it; for we feel it to be fo, though it is wholly unconceivable to us how it can be. Now if the Soul, which is but an Image of God, at an Infinite diftance, can Communicate it felf to feveral Members, without breach of its Unity; why fhould it be Impoffible for the Eternal and Infinite Mind to Communicate it felf to feveral Perfons, without breach of its Unity? I will be bold to fay, you will not find fo near a Parallel in Nature whereby to conceive of God's Eternity, or his Infinity, as this, and a great many more, whereby we may conceive of His Trinity and Unity, by what we feel in our felves, and fee in a thoufand things that are before us. We fee Extenfion not Divided but Diftinguifh'd into its three Dimensions; 'and Communicating its whole Nature to each of

the

1

the Three, for Each is Extenfion; and yet there is but one Extenfion in all the Three.

The Soul is not Divided betwixt its feveral Faculties; they remain perfectly distinguish d, though not divided from one another: To understand what is prefent, is a quite different thing from Remembring what is Paft, and to Love or Hate, is different from both of thefe; yet thefe Three Faculties, the Understanding, the Memory, and the Will, partake all equally of the fame Soal.

Light and Heat are so different, that some are capable of the One, who are not of the Other ; and yet they are not Divided in the Sun; but flow equally and naturally from it without any Divifion of its Nature.

I fay not that any of these Parallels do come up to the full explanation of the Communication of the Divine Nature to. feveral Perfons, without any Division or Multiplication of the Nature. But I am fure they take away the Contradiction alledged to be in it, while we see the fame Dificulty in our own and other Natures, which we can as little Explain.

(V.) But instead of folving this difficulty, the Socinians have made it a downright and Irreconcileable Contradiction. They would have Three to be One and the self-fame Perfon. This cannot be fav'd from a Contradiction. They acknowledge the Three in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit. If they are One and the self-fame Person, they cannot be Three. If they are one Nature and feveral Per

fons;

fons; this is a Difficulty, it is a Miftery; but it is no Contradiction, because they are not One and Three in the fame refpect; for that is neceffary to make it a Contradiction. In one Respect, that is of their Nature, they are One; in an other Respect, that is, of their Perfons, they are Three. But if they are One in Perfon, as well as in Nature; and yet are Three (as these Socinians do confefs) then they are Three and One, in the self-fame Respect, which is a full Contradiction.

THE

Second LETTER,

Puts our

English UNITARIANS,

ΤΟ

DEFEND Themfelves..

And fhews they are not

CHRISTIANS.

I

SIR,

July 17. 1697.

Have received yours Dated the 5th Inftant, wherein you Defire a Second Letter from me concerning the Socinians, or Unitarians (as they call themselves) And you tell me how much you have been Disappointed as to the Iffue of the Firft, which you Defir'd from me: That you were made believe by thofe Socinians of your Acquaintance, that they were as Ready to Defend their own Principles, by Reason, as to object against others: And that they wou'd Immediatly give you an Answer to any thing upon that Head, provided it were: Short and Clear. You tell me, that they object nothing against my first Letter, upon either of thefe

AC

Accounts: And yet that now in three Years time, you can get no Answer from them, tho' you have been made Daily to Expect it. Sir, this is no furprize to me, this is what I told you, at the beginning, wou'd be the Event of it. I told you, that men of leaft Reason, were the greatest Pretenders that many can Apprehend an Objection, who have not Depth of Reafon enough to fearch into the Solution. Therefore Obfecting is the Eafier Task; according to the Proverb, that A F may Ask more Questions than a wife man can Answer. Therefore I told you, that thefe fort of Men wou'd never Endure to have the Tables turn'd upon them, and be put to Defend themselves That when they faw imore Contradiction amongst themfelves than they can Pretend amongst us: And the Difficulties which they Object against our Hypothefis, return ten times more Monftrous and Manyfold against their own, they wou'd be Silent, and at laft, Modeft.

Therefore fince they have worn out your Patience, and that you are now out of Hopes of having any Anfwer from them, you are Provok'd to purfucthem; and defire to know from me how far they ought to be allow'd as Chriftians. You fpeak of our English Unitarians.

But I must first Enter my Protest against their affuming the Name of Unitarians: For tho' they Profefs the Unity of God (whence they take that Name) yet they Profess it not more than all Chriftians do: Neither can they avoid that Name which they

wou'd