If. xl. 28. Haft thou not known, haft thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, nor is weary?

Ch. xliv. 24. Thus faith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am the Lord, that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that Spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. See also ch. xlv. 11. 12. li. 12. 13. Jer. x. 12. li. 15. and elsewhere.

Let us now confider the words in Gen. i. 26. And God faid: Let us make man in our image, after our likenesse.

Some Chriftians have faid, that here is a proof of a trinity of perfons in the unity of the Godhead. The learned writer now before us, argues hence for feveral creators, one fupreme, another, or feveral fubordinate. But it is eafy to anfwer, that the Jewish people never understood thefe expreffions after that manner. For they always believed one God, and Creator, and that God to be one perfon. And many learned interpreters among Chriftians have faid, that the ftile [1], common with princes, and other great men, who often fpeak in the plural number,

[1] Faciamus.] Mos eft Hebræis de Deo, ut de Rege loqui. Reges res magnas agunt de confilio Primorum. Reg. xii. 6. 2 Paral. x. 9. Sic et Deus 1 Reg. xxii. 20. Vid. et infra x. Grot. ad Gen. i. 36.

number, is here afcribed to God. Nor needs the confultation here reprefented, be fuppofed to be between equals. But God may be rather understood to declare his mind to the angels, as his counsellors.

But indeed we need not fuppofe any discourse, or confultation at all. The meaning is no more than this." All other things being made, God proceeded to the creation of man: or, he now purposed, at the conclufion, to make man.” And it may be reckoned probable, that Mofes introduces God, in this peculiar manner deliberating and confulting upon the creation of man, to intimate thereby, that he is the chief of the works of God. Or, in other words, according to Patrick," God not only reserved man for the laft of his works, but does, as it were, advise, and confult, and deliberate about his production: the better to reprefent the dignity of man, and that he was made with admirable wisdom and prudence."

We may be confirmed in the reasonableness of this way of thinking, by obferving the ftile made ufe of in speaking of all the other parts of the creation, which is to this effect. God faid: Let there be light, and there was light. God faid: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters And God faid: Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind.

There is another like inftance, ch. ii. 18. And the Lord God, Jehovah Elohim, faid: It is not good,

that

that the man fhould be alone, I will make him an help meet for him. The defign of the other expreffions, as before obferved, was to intimate the great dignity and fuperior excellence of man above the other creatures, whofe formation had been already related. In like manner, when God proceeds to the making of the woman, he is reprefented as confulting, and refolving what to do: that the man might be the more fenfible of the goodness of the Creator in providing for him fo fuitable a help.

So God created

Moreover, though in Gen. i. 26. the words are, And God faid: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness the execution of that purpose, as related in ver. 27. is in these words. man in HIS own image: in the image of God created HE him: male and female created HE them. And when the formation of man is mentioned in other places of fcripture, no intimation is given, that more than one had a hand in his creation. See particularly Matt. xix. 3..6. Mark x. 2..9. When our bleffed Lord himself fays: From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. And what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. For certain therefore man, as well as the other creatures, was made by God himself.

If more than one being had been concerned in the creation of man, or any other parts of the world, we ought to have been acquainted with it, that due respect might be paid to them by us. As fcripture is

here

all

ye

here filent, no man has a right to afcribe that to another, which the fcripture afcribes to God alone. And wherein, as in Pf. cxlviii. all beings, of every rank, in heaven and on earth, are required to praise God, for the wonders of their formation. Praise ye the Lord. Praife him from the heavens. Praise him, his angels, praife ye him all his hofts. Praile ye him, fun and moon. Praife him, all ye ftars Let them praife the name of the Lord. manded, and they were created... Kings of the earth, and all people: Princes, and all judges of the earth ... Let them praife the name of the Lord. For his name alone is excellent. And his glory is above the earth and beaven.

of light. . . For he com

Ecc. xii. 1. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. In the Hebrew the word is plural, Nevertheless not only our own, but all

creators.

other verfions tranflate, and rightly, creator. Και μνησθηκε το κισανίος σε εν ημέραις νεοληλος σε. Gr. Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ.

Lat.

If. liv. 5. For thy maker is thy husband. In the Hebrew, literally, for thy makers are thy husbands. Nevertheless the words are always understood as fingular and what follows fhews, that one perfon enly is intended. The Lord of hefts is his name.

Calvin's remark upon Gen. iii. 22. is to this purpose. "Whereas, fays he, many chriftians from this place draw the doctrine of a trinity of perfons

perfons in the deity; I fear, their argument is not folid." Quod autem eliciunt ex hoc loco christiani doctrinam de tribus in Deo perfonis, vereor ne fatis firmum fit argumentum.

But Patrick fays: "Those words plainly infinuate a plurality of perfons: and all other interpretations feem forced and unnatural." And he particularly

rejects what Calvin says.

For my part, fo far as I am able to judge, if thofe words implied more Divine Perfons than one, or more Creators than one, it would not be worth while to difpute, whether they are equal or

not.

But, as before intimated, I rather think, that here, and in fome other like texts, there is a reference to the angelical order of beings, fuppofed to be more perfect, and more knowing than man. For though Mofes gives no particular account of the creation of angels, their exiftence is fuppofed in divers parts of his hiftory: and they may be confidered as counsellors only, or witneffes and attendants.

And I cannot help being of opinion, that those christians who endeavour to prove, from the Old Teftament, a trinity of Divine Perfons, or more Creators than one, whether co-equal or fubordinate, expose themselves to the unbelieving part of the Jewish people, whom they are defirous to gain. For the Divine Unity is with them a fundamental article of religion. Remarkable are the words of Lord