and through all, and in you all, obferves that the heretics thought that the prepofition d (through) was peculiar to the Son, and (in) to the Spirit; both implying inferiority; whereas he fays they are now both applied to the Father *."

In Coll. i. 15. Chrift is called the first born of every creature. On this Marcellus faid, "How could he who exifted always "be the first-born of any thing; but the 'first new man, in whom God would that "all things fhould be collected; the holy fcriptures calling him the firft-born of "the creation t." Cyril of Alexandria, alfo fays, They continually urge the more fimple with the word first-born ‡.”

* Σημειωσαι δε ότι οι μεν αιρετικοι την, δια, πρόθεσιν αποκληρεσι τε υιω, και την, εν τω πνευματι, ως ελατίωσιν εισάγεσαν. νυν δε τω παίρι ευρισκονται προσκείμεναι . εκ αρα ελατώσεως. Vol. 2. p. 533.

+ Πως γαρ δυναίον, τον αει οντα, πρωτότοκον είναι τινος, αλλα τον πρώτον καινον ανθρωπον, εις ον τα πανία ανακεφαλαιώσασθαι εβελήθη ο Θεος . τόλον αι θείαι γραφαι πρωτότοκον πάσης ονομαζεσι κλισεως. Eufeb. contra Marcellum, lib. 2. P. 44.

Semper infipienter dicunt nomen primogenitus fimplicioribus objicientes. De Trinitate, lib. 4. Opera, vol. 2. p. 415.

But the two decifive texts in proof of the unity of God, and the proper humanity of Chrift, in this epiftle, are the following: Eph. iv. 5. One Lord, one faith, one baptifm, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all; which was urged, as Eufebius informs us, by Marcellus * ; and i Tim. ii. 5. There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus; which was pleaded by the fame†. This was alfo alledged by Photinus.

* Και παλιν είναι τον πατερα [και] τον υιον επιδειξαι πειρωμένος εξω γράφει αυτος γαρ ομολογει λεγων, εν εμοι ο πόλης, καγω εν τω παρι· ότι δε τελο εχ απλώς εδε ασκόπως είρηκε, δηλον [αν] και αφ' είερας αποτολικής ρήσεως . εις γαρ ο, ειπων, κύριος, μια πιτις, εν βαπδισμα, εις θεος εφη, και πάλης, ο επι πανίων και δια πανίων, και εν πασιν Ec. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 19. p. 131.

* Νυν αύλον συκοφανίει, ως ψιλον ανθρωπον λεγονία είναι τον Χρισον, προφανως καταψευδόμενος, εν τε οις ειρηκε, και εν οις εξης επαγει αυθις περι αυτά λέγων· αλλ' ο προειρημένος, βραχέα των αγίων προβήλων Φροντισας, ως απορρῆλον τινα καὶ λανθανεσαν τε αποτολες θεολογίαν εξηγέμενος, εις θεος εφη, εις και μεσίλης θες και ανθρωπων, ανθρωπος Ιησες χρισος, Eufeb. Con. Marcellum, lib. I. p. 28.

+ Hoc fi timemus, deleamus in apoftolo quod dictum eft: mediator dei et hominum homo Chriftus Jefus, quia ad authoritatem hærefis fuæ Photinus hoc utitur: et non legatur a nobis, quia ab illo male intelligatur. Hil. Ad Arianos, Opera, p. 392.

Ff3

Παυλιν

If my readers only compare thefe unitarian interpretations of fcripture with those made by the trinitarians, in a former part of the work, he must be fenfible, without any affistance from me, how infinitely more natural thefe are than those. The wonder is, that any other fenfe fhould ever have been put upon them. The history, however, that I have given of the rife of the doctrine of the trinity, folves this difficulty, and shows the neceffity the trinitarians were under of wrefting the fcriptures fo miferably as they did.

Πάλιν δε προφασιζεται λέγων, ότι έφη περί αυτός ο απότολος, ότι μεσίλης θες και ανθρωπων χρισος Ιησες. Epiphanius, Har. 541 Opera, vol. 1. p. 467.

Of the Practice of the Unitarians with respect to Baptifm.

THE form of baptifm, fuppofed to be prescribed in the gospel of Matthew, viz. in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the trine immerfion, which was ufed along with it, contributed very much to establish the doctrine of the trinity. It was natural enough, therefore, for the unitarians to oppofe this fuperflition by discontinuing the practice; though it is probable that the custom itself was an innovation. That it was not in ufe from the beginning, is pretty evident from there being no trace of it in the New Teftament, though we are not able to fay at what time. it began. However, that many perfons did not baptize in this manner, before, as well as after, the council of Nice, is evident from the decrees of that council, and other

proceedings

ceedings of a fimilar nature; and this was the foundation of the different treatment of those who were called heretics, when they returned into the bofom of the church. For if they had been baptized in the usual form, their baptifm was deemed to be valid, how heretical foever the church had been in which they had received it; but if they had not been baptized in that particular form, it was decreed that they should be rebaptized.

In what manner the unitarians, who difapproved of the common form, did baptize their catechumens, does not clearly appear. But it should feem that fome of them baptized in the name of Chrift only, and others into the death of Chrift, which they probably adopted from that expreffion of the apostle Paul. It appears from Bafil, that "fome held that it was fufficient to baptize in the name of Chrift*."

66

And

the canons which are afcribed to the apoftles ordered that "if any bishop did "not use trine immerfion, but baptized

* Προς τις λεγονίας εξαςκειν και μόνον το εις τον κύριον βαπτισμα. De Sp. S. cap. 12. Opera, vol. 2. p. 315.