and incomprehensible being be an object of our worship, unless he condescended to manifest himself in human form, because there would be no object for our adoration.

I come now to the application, viz. to show from the express letter of Scripture, consistently with what has been said, whom we are to understand this Elhoim, God, of the Old Testament, and sòs, Theos, God, of the New Testament, to be. The apostle, speaking of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, and the mighty things that □ Elhoim, did for them, says, that this Elhoim, God, was "the rock that followed them, and that this rock was Christ." Isaiah says concerning this Elhoim, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us." Matthew confirms it by saying, that " these words were spoken of the Lord Christ." John 1. 1. calls him eòs, God, "who was in the beginning, and who was made flesh," which is fully confirmed by the Apostle Paul, who declares, that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Now if all the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Christ, where are we to direct our views in divine worship but to him in whom the whole fulness of the Godhead dwells?

Having proved from Scripture, that the visible manifestation of Deity is Christ, or which is the same, that the manifestation of "Deity in human form is Christ," I may be asked the same question as was put to me by the late Dr.Priestley, viz. " If Christ be God, was heaven without God when Christ was upon the earth." Such reasoners suppose that God possesses perfections in common with themselves; they forget that he alone possesses ubiquity, that he is Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent, and therefore that he can manifest himself in all places at the same time. Now as God only can possess these infinite perfections, I hope there is not a member of the Church of England, nor of any other church, that believes in the divinity of Christ, but who also believes in his ubiquity. However, as in all these cases the Scripture is to determine the matter, we will turn to that authority.

Christ in plain terms informs us that he possesses these infinite perfections, that he is Omnipresent, Omniscient, and

Omnipotent. John III. 13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heare", even the son of man who is in heaven. That there are three visible persons out of the divine nature "united in council and effort" is asserted by this commentator, and many before him: but I trust it will appear that this view of the subject is inconsistent with scripture as it is with right reason. That there is a divine Trinity in the divine nature consisting of three persons, is certainly the language of scripture; Nevertheless, this must be understood agreeably to the true and ancient meaning and application of the latin word persona, from whence comes the English word person. This error has been committed by the very improper understanding, and customary application of the word persona, which in ancient latinity was never used in the sense in which it is now understood. When the latin was a living language, the word persona was understood to mean the qualities of the mind as constituting a character, either good or bad; but it has so far degenerated into tangible materiality, that instead of its being used as anciently to signify a character, office, or personal qualities, it is applied to mean the material body of man. That it was originally applied to signify personal qualities, a character, or office, is confirmed by the following authorities.-Sustineo unus tres personas, meam adversari Judices.'- Persona tragica.—Eripitur persona, manet res. 3—Magistratus gerit personam civitatis.+-Ad tuendam personam magistratûs. From which it appears that the word persona among the ancient Latins was used to signify a character and not a person, as is now commonly understood.

Hence it is certain without any controversy, that the true doctrine of the scriptures on this subject is; that there is one God operating in three distinct characters,-that the ineffable Deity cannot be known, or seen, only as he has condescended to embody his divinity in the divine human of Christ, who in his divine body is the visible manifestation of God in visible human form, independent of created matter: the visible medium, IN

Cic.

2 Phædr.

3 Lucr.

+ Plan. 100.

5 de Or. 169.

whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, THROUGH whom he made the worlds,-and BY whom he redeemed man. This is the view that the apostles had of the eternal Trinity in unity, in one divine human form, even Christ who followed them through the wilderness. Thus the apostles understood that the Godhead was the Father, who dwells in Christ as the soul dwells in the body of man, my Father that dwelleth IN ME, he doeth the works. So that consistently with the express declaration of Scripture, if I may be allowed the expression, and it were possible to speak with that reverence which the subject requires: the body of the Father is the Son-the divine essence, or soul of the Son is the Father-and the holy proceeding from the Father and the Son, which creative influence manifested the visible creation, and by perpetual influx supports the universe, is the Holy Spirit.

This scriptural definition of the divine Trinity in the supreme being, will perfectly agree with that copy of the genuine faith of the apostolic churches, which is called the Athanasian creed. It becomes plain to the meanest capacity, that "we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity; neither confounding the · persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one CHARACTER of the FATHER, another of the SoN, and another of the HOLY SPIRIT. But the Godhead of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. The FATHER uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the HOLY SPIRIT uncreate. The FATHER eternal, the SON eternal, and the HOLY SPIRIT eternal; and yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. The FATHER IS GOD, the SON IS GOD, and the HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD. And yet they are not THREE GODS, but ONE God."

Before I conclude, I think it necessary to say by way of caution, that whoever may be disposed to cavil on the ground of their understanding, independently of the authority of Scripture, to which I have uniformly attended for proof of what is advanced in these pages, do not charge me with any inconsistency, because I have said, consistently with the Scripttures, that God manifests himself in human form. It is not meant that he is necessarily confined to that one form, in one place, or as was asserted by Dr. Priestley, viz. " to make God to

up to

be in the form of man, is to make him a man and nothing more," the same reasoning will apply to those sceptics, who have no other view of God but that of infinite space, for, " to make God to be infinite space, is to make him infinite space and nothing more." I again repeat that such persons form ideas of God, similar to those they form of man; they forget that he only possesses ubiquity, and that by this attribute, inconceivable to us, he is omnipresent, agreeably to the words of Christ as above cited: "No man hath ascended heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man who is in heaven.' This is he who declares himself to be the Father and the Son. "Philip saith, Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?" This is he who declares himself to be the Father, Son, and Spirit. John xvi. 7. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."

"

He also declares himself to be omnipotent, Matt. xxviii. 18. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given to me in heaven and in earth." That he is also omniscient, Matt. ix. 4. "And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said, wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" John ii. 24. "And Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and he needed not that any should testify of him, for he knew what was in man. Ch. vi. 64. For Jesus knew from the beginning, "who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." That he forgives sins, and gives eternal life. Matt. ix. 6. That ye may know that the son of man hath power" on earth to forgive sins." Luke vii. 48, "thy sins are forgiven.” And lastly, that he gives eternal life, John x. 27, 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.”

JOHN BELLAMY.

London.

320

ORATIO DE LINGUE ARABICE ANTIQUITATE, PRESTANTIA, ET UTILITATE.

DE linguæ Arabicæ antiquitate et præstantiâ et utilitate dicturus nolo quidem affectare inanem grandiloquentiæ pompam, nec fucatum verborum ornatum et lenocinium quæram, quippe veritas fuco non eget; nec magnâ prolixitate agam, prout subjecti amplitudo deposceret et dicendi materiam suppeditaret, sed historicâ simplicitate pariter et brevitate rem perstringere decrevi.

Ut itaque ordine dicam, et nec pientissimus Lecture Arabice Fundator justo honoris merito fraudetur, nec unde tantum Academiæ Beneficium accreverit ignoretur, præmittendum est, quòd utilissimæ hujus Linguæ Professionem in hoc loco instituit et omnium studio commendavit Reverendissimus in Christo Pater D. Gul. Laud olim Archiepiscopus Cant. hujus Academiæ tunc Cancellarius, qui bonarum Literarum curâ et amore ductus, reliquis hujus loci Institutis, tanquam supremam omnis Literaturæ coronidem, Linguæ Arabicæ culturam superaddidit; utpote quæ limatissimo ipsius judicio reliquarum Literarum complementum esse posse censeretur.

Quem in finem, ut res optatum successum sortiri posset, de locupletissimâ Codicum Arabicorum supellectili et inexhausto penu comparando maturè cogitavit, misso in Orientem Doctissimo nostro Prædecessore, qui Fundatoris nostri jussu et sumtu comparavit quæcunque hujus generis xa coëmi possent, in Bibliothecâ Publicâ reponenda, quæ jam nuper etiam amplioribus Orientis spoliis multo auctior et locupletior evasit.