Page images
PDF
EPUB

the subject is neither more nor less difficult than the comprehension of any of the Divine attributes. Our faith embraces the fact as a matter of revelation; the manner of the fact, which involves the stupendous mystery, not being revealed, we leave beyond the veil, as a theme which may be presented for contemplation when we "shall know even as also we are known." All attempts, therefore, to explain the mystery of the Trinity, or the manner in which three persons constitute one God, we would repudiate as vain and futile, while we would plant our faith firm and immovable in the truth of the fact as revealed in the Bible.

II. Our second position is, to show that the doctrine of the Trinity, as already exhibited, is in accordance with the Scriptures.

1. It is necessarily implied in several positions which we have already seen established, in the preceding lectures.

(1.) Unity of God. In the second lecture, we showed, by various and express declarations of Scripture, that there is but ONE God. Indeed, this great principle,—the unity of the Godhead,—is the very foundation upon which the true worship is established. It is the denial of this which constitutes the greatest error and absurdity of Paganism. And we may say, that if the unity of God be not established in the Bible, it is in vain for us to appeal to that volume for testimony on any point whatever. The very first of the ten commandments is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me;" and the constant language of God throughout the Bible is, "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah, our God, is ONE Jehovah." This great truth, then, so essential for the prevention of idolatry, is thus strongly stamped upon the page of inspiration, and, we may add, abundantly confirmed by the harmony displayed in the works' of God around us.

(2.) Deity of Christ. In the third lecture, we saw the Scripture evidence plainly establishing the real and proper Divinity of Jesus Christ. So pointed and direct was this testimony, as seen from the Titles, Attributes, Works, and Honors, ascribed to Christ, that, if we reject the doctrine of the Godhead of Christ, we flatly deny the word of God, nor can we appeal again to that volume for the establishment of any truth whatever.

(3.) Deity of the Holy Spirit. In the fourth lecture, we saw, with equal clearness and force, and by proofs of a similar character, the real Deity of the Holy Spirit established beyond the possibility of a doubt, unless we discard the Bible itself, and explain away, by a resort to strained and far-fetched criticism, the plainest declarations of the inspired record.

We now ask attention to the foregoing points, universally admitted or clearly established, and demand it at the hands of all who reject the

Trinity, to explain and reconcile these points, if they can, without admitting all that is meant by the Trinity.

(1.) That God the Father is properly God, all admit. (2.) That the Son is God, has been already proved.

(3.) That the Holy Spirit is God, has been already proved. (4.) That there is but one God, has been already proved.

Here, then, we say, is a Trinity clearly established. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are three, in one sense of the word at least. The first all admit to be God, and the second and third have been proved to be God. Then it follows that there are three that are God; but it has also been proved that there is but one God. Then we have clearly established a three one God, which is the same as a Trinity. But it is clear that three cannot be one, in the same sense in which they are three. This would be self-contradictory; but for there to be three in one sense, and one in another sense, would involve no contradiction. Then it must be obvious that there are not three and one in the same sense. In what sense, then, shall we understand that there is one? Certainly in reference to the Godhead. There is but one God. But in what sense shall we understand that there are three? Certainly not in reference to the Godhead; for this, as we have seen, would be self-contradictory. But it must be understood in reference to some other distinction. This we denominate a personal distinction; first, because it is expressed in the Scriptures by the personal pronouns, I, thou, he, &c. ; and these, in all languages, are proper appellatives of persons: secondly, the expression of this distinction by the term person is scriptural; for we find the word used to distinguish the person of the Father from that of the Son: "Who being the brightness of his (the Father's) glory, and the express image of his person."

Thus have we seen that there is but ONE God, and that in the unity of this Godhead there are THREE distinctions, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these distinctions are scripturally expressed by the term person. Then the sum of the whole matter is this:-that there are three persons in one God; or, in other words, the doctrine of the Trinity is a Bible truth.

2. The doctrine of the Trinity is confirmed, by frequent allusions to a plurality and threefold distinction in the Deity, more or less direct, in almost all parts of the Scriptures.

(1.) In the beginning of Genesis, the name by which God first reveals himself to us is elohim, a plural noun, the singular form of which is eloah. Now, if there be no plurality of persons in the Godhead, it is difficult to account for the use of the plural, instead of the singular noun; especially as the verb connected therewith is in the singular number.

Hence, there seems to be a strong probability that there is here a plain allusion to the doctrine of the Trinity, which was afterwards more clearly revealed.

(2.) This conclusion is still further confirmed by what we read in the 26th verse of the chapter: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Here the personal pronoun is used three times in the plural form. To account for this upon any other hypothesis than that there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead, is impossible. But on the supposition that there are three persons in the Unity of the Godhead, the matter becomes plain and easy. That the Word, or Son of God, was the active agent in the work of creation, is declared in the first chapter of John; and it is remarkable, that the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis introduces the agency of the Spirit also in this great work. "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Thus we have the agency of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all connected in the great work of creation, and yet "he that built (or made) all things is God." Again, in the 22d verse of the 3d chapter of Genesis, we have this plural form of the pronoun repeated; "And the Lord God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil." How difficult must it be for the anti-trinitarian to find a consistent interpretation!

(3.) The three sacred names used in baptism, has already been mentioned in proof of the Divinity of the Son and Holy Spirit. To which we may now add, that we here see a direct acknowledgment of all the persons of the Trinity. Upon the formula of baptism we would remark, that if there be no personal distinction between Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, why the necessity for the three names; and if each person named be not God, why the propriety of connecting the name of a creature, in terms of apparent perfect equality, with the name of the Supreme God, in a solemn act of worship?

(4.) In the conclusion of the last chapter of 2 Corinthians we have this solemn form of benediction: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." This benediction is virtually the offering up of a prayer to the three personages here specified; and from anything that appears, they are all petitioned with equal solemnity and reverence. If they be not all Divine, how could the apostle ever again admonish the Corinthians against idolatry? Surely, he had presented them an example of direct homage and supreme worship to a creature!

Thus have we seen the doctrine of the Trinity, or three persons in one God, abundantly established from the Scriptures; first, as necessarily implied in the admitted or established facts, that there is but one

God, that God the Father is God, that God the Son is God, and that God the Holy Spirit is God; secondly, we have seen it confirmed by frequent allusions, more or less explicit, in different parts of the Scriptures, to the several persons of the Godhead. We now close our argument with a single quotation from 1 John v. 7, which embodies, in one verse, the whole doctrine of the Trinity: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one."

III. In the last place, we would notice the principal objection which has been urged against this doctrine. It is this, that "the doctrine of the Trinity is incomprehensible, and requires us to believe in mysteries." To which we reply, that the question with us ought not to be, whether we can comprehend the doctrine or not, but whether it is a doctrine declared in the Scriptures or not. If the latter can be established, then the circumstance of its being plain or mysterious to our understanding cannot affect our obligations to believe it in the least. It should be enough for us to know that God has spoken; and what he has declared we are bound to believe, or discard the whole Bible.

That the plain, common sense interpretation of Scripture teaches the doctrine, we might almost infer from the strong disposition of Socinians to twist from their plain import many passages of Scripture, to expunge others entirely from the sacred canon, and even to undervalue inspiration itself. But the objection is based upon a false premise. It assumes that we ought not to believe anything till we can comprehend it. If this be true, then we must hang up our flag of high-toned and universal scepticism; for what is there that we can comprehend? From the smallest insect, up through every link" of being's endless chain," there are mysteries, inexplicable mysteries, in every object that we contemplate. But yet we believe firmly in the existence of things. But, after all that has been said by way of objection about the mystery of the Trinity, the difficulty is equally great upon any subject connected with the Divine Being; for what attribute of God is it that we can comprehend? But let it be remembered that the great mystery about which the objection is started, relates not to the fact that there are three persons in one God, but to the manner of the fact. We cannot conceive how it can be; and yet the manner of the fact we are not required to embrace in our faith; - that is something not revealed. We are simply required to believe the fact as declared in Scripture.

In conclusion, we might ask, what could we gain, even in respect to exemption from difficulty, by renouncing the Trinity? We reply, that we would involve ourselves in difficulties far more numerous and perplexing. To instance only one; how could we reconcile it to the gen

eral tenor of Scripture, and the plan of salvation, that the great work of changing the heart, and preparing the soul for heaven, is repeatedly attributed to the "power of Christ," and the "sanctification of the Spirit?" This is a work proper to God alone; a work which none but the Divine power can effect; and yet, if we deny the Trinity, we must attribute it, in the supreme sense, to a creature. We must look to the power of a creature to renew our souls, and lean upon a finite arm as the source of our eternal salvation.

The difficulties involved in the anti-trinitarian scheme might be multiplied, but enough has been said to show that the only consistent and scriptural scheme, and that which involves the least difficulty of all, is this, that there is "one only living and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, of equal power and glory forever." To Him be ascribed eternal praise!

"The Scriptures, while they declare the fundamental truth of natural religion, that God is one, reveal two persons, each of whom, with the Father, we are led to consider as God, and ascribe to all the three distinct personal properties. It is impossible that the three can be one in the same sense in which they are three; and therefore it follows, by necessary inference, that the unity of God is not a unity of persons; but it does not follow that it may not be a unity of a more intimate kind than any which we behold. A unity of consent and will neither corresponds to the conclusions of reason, nor is by any means adequate to a great part of the language of Scripture, for both concur in leading us to suppose a unity of nature. Whether the substance common to the three persons be specifically or numerically the same, is a question, the discussion of which cannot advance our knowledge, because neither of the terms is applicable to the subject; and, after all our researches and reading, we shall find ourselves just where we began, incapable of perceiving the manner in which the three persons partake of the same Divine nature. But we are very shallow philosophers indeed, if we consider this as any reason for believing that they do not partake of it; for we are by much too ignorant of the manner of the Divine existence to be warranted to say that the distinction of persons is an infringement of the Divine unity. 'It is strange boldness in men,' says Bishop Stillingfleet, to talk of contradictions in things above their reach. Hath not God revealed to us that he created all things; and is it not reasonable for us to believe this, unless we are able to comprehend the manner of doing it? Hath not God plainly revealed that there shall be a resurrection of the dead? And must we think it unreasonable to believe it, till we are able to comprehend all the changes of the particles of matter from the creation to the general resurrection? If nothing is to be

« PreviousContinue »