cords with the assumption, that the knowledge of God, was in an extraordinary manner, made plainer to the sacred penmen than to any other persons. Compare the Dissertation entitled, "The natural views of God given in the Scriptures, compared with the revealed views of the divine Being."

Ewald, in his "Religionslehren der Bibel," remarks: “The pretended revelations of other ancient nations, are not at all calculated to satisfy the spiritual necessities of well informed persons, who are acquainted with themselves. To many of these necessities, they have no reference at all. They cannot, in the view of reason, assume an authenticated character; as well because they contain much that is manifestly fabulous, and of human invention; as because they are destitute of the positive evidences of a divine origin."—"The writings which the christian regards as a divine revelation, even independently of their divinity, contain much interesting matter, calculated to enlighten the understanding, and improve the heart; they contain an elevated and dignified Theodicea. In no other religion was every thing connected so closely with God, with one God, as in the Jewish; in no other was holiness so made the object and aim of every thing. No other religion ever exhibited such striking, such undeniable proof of the supernatural agency of God; none ever combined so closely morality with religion." "And the most refined and enlightened person, however numerous and various his necessities, never fails to find in christianity, what is necessary to meet all his wants. And all this he can find no where else."

In Hess' Bibliothek of sacred history, Vol. II. p. 113 &c. 2 Theil I. S. 65, 67, 232-235. and Theil II. S. 197-200.

44

§ 28.

The unity of God.

We can discover no reason for believing in the existence of more than one God. For, when we contemplate (1) the works of nature, we find that, so far as our observation extends, they stand in such intimate connexion with each other, that their dependance on one Creator and Lord becomes highly probable (2); or if we reason from the idea of a moral government of the world, we cannot conceive how it can be divided among a multitude of regents; unless we admit that among these regents, so arbitrarily supposed, there is a perfect unity of purposes, and of manner of accomplishing them (3). But in a matter of such importance, one which has so great an influence on our exclusive reverence and respect for God (Deut. 6: 5. Mark 12: 30), we ought to regard the testimony of God himself as of the greater consequence; because thereby our belief (4) of the divine unity, is so confirmed (5), that we may now, with perfect certainty, affirm that there is but one God. For, if the Creator and Lord of nature had been produced by another being on whom he is dependent, or if he formed and governed this world in conjunction with another being; he would certainly, as his knowledge is so extensive, know something of such a being. But he knows of none who existed before him, or was his superior, or who cooperated with him in the work of creation (6). Jehovah, the God of the Israelites, is the only Jehovah (Deut. 6: 4. Mark 12: 29); that is, Jehovah, the Creator and Lord of nature, is the only Being to whom the name Jehovah belongs (7): he cannot possess the adorable and glorious

perfections (in) indicated by the name Jehovah, in common with any other being (Is. 42: 8); beside God (the only Governor move duvavin) there is no governor; for all others are subject to him τῳ κυριῳ των κυριευοντων 1 Tim. 6: 15. No one, however distinguished he may be for wisdom, is wise, in comparison with "the only wise" (uovo copo Rom. 16:27). Compared with God, there is no ዋ one good, ουδεις αγαθος, ει μη είς, ὁ θεος Mark 10: 18 (8). The excellences of every other being, compared with those of God, are as nothing; much less can any being surpass or equal God in divine attributes.

66

ILLUSTRATION 1.

Every thing in nature proves the unity of its own adaptation, the unity of its object, and the unity of the means appointed for that object. There is nothing which can justify the idea of different systems, objects, and means. And beyond this, reason cannot carry the proof of the unity of God." Platner's Aphorisms, Pt. I, § 1143. edit. of 1784. (in the edit. of 1793, $959). Compare Michaelis' Dogmatik, § 41. p. 176.

ILLUSTRATION 2.

It has been seen above (§ 18. Illust. 1. § 23, 24. Illust. 8), that when the attributes of God have been proved, even those things which appear to be at variance with these attributes, may be made to harmonize with them.

ILLUSTRATION 3.

See Flatt's Letters, "Uber den moralischen Erkenntnitzgrund in der Religion," (p. 76.) "The perfect harmony between morality and happiness, does not indeed prove an absolute numerical unity in the Author of the world; but it does prove a perfect unity of design."

ILLUSTRATION 4.

Jacobi1 says, "No one has yet proved, that it is impossible that several necessary and eternal beings should possess creative power, and should have produced and governed this world in common." But whatever want of evidence may attend the supposition which reason makes: that there is only one God; it cannot be perfectly supplied in any other manner, than by the declarations of God himself. Hence it is not strange, that the unity of God should be entirely denied, or at least greatly adulterated, by those nations which had not even a traditional knowledge of divine revelation.3

Kant, in his work entitled, "Religion within the limits of mere reason," (p. 179,) asserts that the doctrine of the unity of God, was not so very important a superiority of the Jewish religion over the religions of other nations. In refutation of this assertion, it is remarked, in the dissertation in Flatt's Magazine (Pt. 3. p. 131 &c., entitled, “An apology for the Mosaic Religion,") that the religious history of the polytheistic nations, most clearly proves the contrary to be true. "Polytheism" (Ewald justly remarks) "has a necessary and unavoidable tendency to lead the human mind into other errors; as is clearly evinced by the history of man. The idea of deity, wherever it was not raised to monotheism, always became more and more gross. One deity was conceived as differing from another; and consequently they were not all viewed as perfect patterns of every moral and other excellence; some were necessarily represented as lacking in morality and perfection; in short, the idea of God, was depressed to the level of humanity, and was debased

1. Dissertations on important subjects in religion, No. XVI. Vol. III. p. 105 &c.

2 Compare Jacobi's Dissertt. &c. Vol. II. p. 160 &c.

3 On the dissemination of the doctrines of the Old Testament, by tradition, see Köppen, sup. cit. Vol. II. p. 309–321. (2d ed. p. 333-343).

by human passions." "Moreover, the principle of unity, is manifestly a principle which our reason approves. In every science, reason searches for some one fundamental principle.--She requires one first cause, one ideal of perfection, one supreme lawgiver. And whenever reason has to content herself with plurality, as the ultimate and absolute in any thing; she feels that she has not yet attained a resting place: the innate demands of reason are not satisfied."

The arguments by which Steger 2 has attempted to prove, that Moses did not teach the unity of God, admit of a satisfactory reply. See, in opposition to them, Stäudlin's Lehrbuch der dogmatik, p. 199 &c. and Jahn's Biblical Archaeology, Pt. III. § 14, where it is proved, that Moses did not teach the existence of merely a national God.

ILLUSTRATION 5.

Among the texts which assert the unity of God, are the fol

יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְבַדּוֹ 39 14:35 .lowing : Deut

Jehovah, he is God, and there is not another besides him. v. 39,

Jehovah, he is God, in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath, there is no other. Deut. 32: 39 7 NIT UN N N I, I am he, and there is no God with me. Is. 44: 6. 45: 5, 6, 14, 21, 22. 46: 9. Psalm 86: 10. John 17: 3, μονος αληθινος θεος the only true God. John 5: 44, παρα του μovov dɛou from the only God. Rom. 3: 29, 30. 1 Tim. 2: 5. comp. James 2: 19. 1 Tim. 1: 17, μovo dɛ. Jude 25. and 1 Cor. 8: 4—6, ουδεις θεος έτερος, ει μη εἷς-εἰς θεος ὁ πατηρ, o

1

Religionslehre der Bibel," Vol. I. p. 12, 13. See also Carus' " Moral and religious philosophy," (in his posthumous work, Vol. 7, Leipsic, 1810, p. 263.)

2 Henke's Mag. for Religious philosophy, Vol. 4. No. 1. p. 135-157. "Developement of the opinions of Moses relative to the deities of the heathen."