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PART SECOND.

EXAMINATION

OF THE

ALLEGED SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE FOR

THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY,

THE PROPER DEITY OF CHRIST, AND THE DIVINE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

ACCOMPANIED WITH

BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF UNITARIANISM.

The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture, it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.

...

Westminster Confession of Faith.

PREFATORY REMARKS.

THE following Part admits of being perused according to several methods. If the Inquirer wish merely to consult the Work, he may discover the point required, by referring to the CONTENTS, placed at the beginning, or to the INDEX OF TEXTS, at the end of the volume,-and by attending to the particular sizes of type employed to indicate the Scripture Passages examined, the different Translations or various Readings, the Expositions, the Critical Remarks, the Illustrative Texts, and the Author's Observations. If, however, he be desirous of proceeding throughout, perhaps the more eligible mode would be, first to read the controverted passage; then to inspect the texts in the corresponding column, which are put there for the sake of illustration or elucidation; afterwards to peruse the Observations in the right-hand page, referring again to the Illustrative Texts; and, lastly, to examine the various renderings of the passages, with the different views which have been taken by eminent and learned individuals concerning the subject discussed. The numbers and the marks of reference are, it is hoped, so used, as to make any further explanation unnecessary.

CHAPTER I.-OF THE TRINITY.

SECT. I.-EXAMINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE ALLEGED FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.

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ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS.

a 2 Sam. xviii. 33: And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and, as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Matt. xxiii. 37: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!.. how often would Matt. xxvii. 46: Jesus cried with a loud I have gathered thy children together, &c.

voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?-See Exod. ii. 24, 25; iii. 4, 6. Ps. xxix. 1-11. Isa. xxiv. 16; xxv. 9; xxxviii. 19; xl. 1; li. 17; lvii. 19. Jer. iv. 19. Lam, i. 16; iii, 48, 49. et al.

b Jer. xxii, 29: O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah. Ezek. xxi. 27: I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. Rev. viii. 13: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth.-See Gen. xxix. 10. Isa. viii. 9; li. 9; lxvi. 6. Lam, iv. 15.

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CHAPTER I.-OF THE TRINITY.

SECT. I.-EXAMINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE ALLEGED FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.

OBSERVATIONS.

1, 2. Surely that mind must be imbued with a strong bias for system, which can discover in these passages any shadow of proof for the doctrine "that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that these three are one God." It is well known, that in languages of a limited vocabulary, words designed to be expressive of pathetic or animated sentiment are generally repeated. Repetition is, indeed, the language of emotion-the vehicle of simplicity, of passion, and even of sublimity. It abounds in the Sacred Writings," and is not unfrequently used in a threefold manner.

The extreme puerility of adducing texts of this kind in support of the Trinity, may be easily perceived by considering, that, if by thrice. repeating the name Jehovah, and the epithet holy, it be proved that there are three holy persons in one being, or rather that there are three Jehovahs; then, on the same principle of interpretation, it will also be proved, from the repetition of the word earth by the prophet Jeremiah,' that there are three earths, or that these three earths are combined into one.

3. Why should such a text be adduced to substantiate the doctrine of a Triune God? The utmost that the passage can prove is, the existence of two or three distinct agents; but it does not assert, or even imply, that these are each Almighty God. Suppose the authorised translation were genuine, and referred to three distinct persons, the passage would not be unfavourable to Unitarianism; for the name Jehovah would evidently be restricted to one of the persons mentioned in the verse. But if not genuine if the words "my mouth" should be rendered "his mouth," then the whole verse would probably refer to the agency of one being; mouth and spirit (or breath) being used as synonymous terms. In the Bible, the spirit of a person frequently denotes the person himself.

4. Whatever opinion may be entertained concerning the personality of the Spirit, it cannot be proved or inferred from this passage, that it is a divine person, distinct from and equal to Jehovah. In all probability, the messenger was the prophet himself; for it would be repugnant both to reason and scripture to think, that a messenger could be the same being as he who sent him, or that the Deity could execute the commands of another.d To affirm that the speaker was the Messiah, is to assume the very point which ought to be proved.

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ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS.

e Eph. iv. 6: One God and FATHER of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in us all. John iii. 34: He whom

God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the spirit by measure [unto him]. Acts x. 38: GoD anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy spirit and with power. Chap. ii. 33, 34: This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of GoD exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. Heb. i. 9: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] Thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

ƒ I Cor. x. 1, 2: Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant,how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

into Moses.-Pearce, Parkhurst, A. Clarke, Macknight; Emlyn, Lindsey, Belsham, Carpenter, Yates,

Imp. Ver. by Moses-Smith. to Moses.-Eyre.

g Acts xix. 2, 3: He [Paul] said unto them, Have ye received the holy spirit since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any holy spirit. And he said unto them, Unto what, then, were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Into John's baptism.-Whitby, Imp. Ver.
Pour le baptême de Jean.-Le Clerc.

h 1 Cor. i. 13-15: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

baptized into.-Locke, Belsham, Eyre.

i Rom. vi. 3, 4: So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, &c.

j Ps. xx. 1: Jehovah hear thee in the day of trouble: the name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Jer. xxxiii. 9: It shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour.- See Greek of Rev. xi. 13.

OBSERVATIONS.

5. "Go, Arian! to the Jordan, and see the Trinity," are words which were once not unfrequently addressed to the believer in the personal unity of God. And to the Jordan the Unitarian may indeed go, and see the Trinity-the Trinity of the New Testament: namely, the "one God and Father of all;"the "well-beloved Son" of the Almighty;-and that holy spirit which was so liberally bestowed on the Prophet of Nazareth, to qualify him to be the Teacher and Saviour of the world. But the Unitarian cannot see there any manifestation of what is called the orthodox doctrine of three co-equal and co-eternal persons in the Godhead. He cannot, so long as he is guided either by the dictates of reason, or the teachings of revelation, believe that the spirit of God, which descended and lighted upon Jesus, and with which he was anointed, was an omnipresent and omnipotent being; or that Jesus himself, who was addressed in the highest terms of paternal endearment, was perfectly equal to Him from whom he derived the title of "beloved Son."

6. This passage is undoubtedly the great bulwark of Trinitarianism; and yet it may be averred, that no person whose mind was not previously imbued with the popular notion of the Trinity, could discover in these words of our Saviour, the slightest evidence for such a doctrine. Let the text be compared with any one of the various statements which have issued from the orthodox pulpit or the orthodox press, and it will be found extremely deficient indeed in testifying that the Almighty One consists of "three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost." The language of Jesus neither expresses nor implies this mysterious and inconsistent doctrine.

It is, however, urged that the ordinance of baptism, as prescribed in this passage, involves an act of religious worship; and that the persons in whose name the rite is administered must necessarily be on a footing of equality with each other; it being deemed highly unreasonable, if not impious, to suppose the name of one or more frail, finite beings to be conjoined with that of the almighty and infinite Creator.

In answer to these assertions, we remark that they are entirely unfounded. Baptism is not an act of religious adoration: it is a simple rite, expressive merely of belief and obedience. Thus, we find that the Israelites were baptized unto Moses, namely, into a belief of his divine commission; and the followers of John were baptized into his baptism, that is, they professed to be his disciples:" for the Jews worshipped neither the legislator, nor the harbinger of the Messiah. St. Paul thanked God that he had baptized none but Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say, that he had baptized in his own name;-words which evidently imply, not that he was apprehensive of being considered an object of supreme homage, but of claiming undue authority in the

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