more does this three fold appearance of the dove, the voice, and the Lord's person, represent the same.

Thus this passage, though it does indeed prove a trinity, does not prove a trinity of persons. And we deem ourselves justified in concluding from this passage too, that there are three essential divine principles in the one God.

Besides the passages above noticed, there are many others in the New Testament from which the doctrine of a trinity can be inferentially deduced: but it is needless to do more than advert to the first of John, where it is said, "In the beginning was the word," ," "and the word was made flesh;" which word made flesh afterwards breathed on his disciples and said “receive ye the holy ghost." Here mention is made of the word, "which was God," or the essential divine principle-the word made flesh, which was "Immanuel, or God with us," the " express image" of God's substance, the " form of God," and therefore the divine formative principle-and the breath, or proceeding influence of Jesus Christ, the word made flesh, which was called the holy ghost, and was the divine spherical principle. Thus by this passage a trinity of principles is most clearly proved.

We may here just add, finally, that the Lord Jesus fre quently speaks of the father as in him, of himself as coming forth from the father, and of the holy ghost, or the comforter, as sent by him from the father. And in the last of Matthew he commands his apostles expressly to baptize all nations in "the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. In these passages, too, the same three fold distinction is kept up. Frequent mention is made moreover of the father, the son, and the holy ghost in the Epistles of the Apostles; and so their testimony is given to the existence of a trinity. A very remarkable instance of distinct reference to a trinity in the one God is found in John's First General Epistle, (v. 7,) "There are three that bear record in heaven, the father, the word, and the holy ghost and these three are one. Here both the trinity and unity of God are expressly asserted.

We are aware that this is a disputed passage, and that many Trinitarians have relinquished their hold upon it as an authentic part of the original epistle. But we are not disposed to give it wholly up, both because it is quoted as genuine by the divinely commissioned teacher of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem and because there are both intrinsic and extrinsic evidences of its genuineness.

Some of the arguments for the authenticity of this verse are: 1. That the connection would be incomplete without it. To see this, just read the sixth, seventh and eighth verses consecutively. Now would not the mention in the eighth verse of three who bear witness in earth be too abrupt a transition from the sixth verse? What possible connection can there be imagined, in the drift of the apostle's ideas, between the sixth and eighth verses? Moreover, can there be three principles in earth without three correspondent principles in heaven? There is no question about the authenticity of the eighth verse, and if this is genuine, then there is a trinity in earth; and if so, why should there not be a trinity in heaven also? Is not the earth created of God, and does not the creation bear the image of its creator? Are not "the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made-even his eternal power and godhead?" (Heb. i. 20.) Hence, if there is a trinity in earth, must there not be a trinity in God too? And if there are three correspondent principles in the Divine Being, and in heaven from him, why not mention them? We reason, then, that the connection requires the verse which is supposed to be spurious; and, therefore, there is intrinsic evidence that it is in reality genuine.

But, from what has been just advanced, we may shift our position, and directly argue, that, though the seventh verse be omitted, still the doctrine of a trinity is effectually proved by the eighth. For in this it is said there are three that bear witness in earth. And we contend that there cannot be principles in earth which have not principles in heaven from which they exist and to which they correspond. And therefore, if it be admitted that there is a trinity in earth, it will follow that there is a trinity in heaven. Indeed Paul clearly shows that this is so, when he says he was caught up into the third heaven. Hence there is a trinity in the complex heaven. Consequently there must be a trinity in God, from whom heaven exists.

2. The clause in the eighth verse, καὶ ὁι τρεῖς ἐἰς τὸ ἓν ἐισιν, which is rendered, "and these three agree in one," if rendered literally would read, "and these three are in (the or) that one." It might be rendered, "and these three correspond to that one." The article in the phrase is to "v, is evidently relative, and relates to a one which has been previously mentioned. So that the sense of the eighth verse is in this way, too, proved to be defective without the seventh.

3. The most ancient and most accurate manuscripts are said to contain this verse: thus affording extrinsic evidence that it is genuine.

4. It rests upon the authority, among others, of Cyprian, one of the Fathers, who lived in the third century, before the rise and spread of arianism: which proves that this seventh verse existed in copies of John's First Epistle at a time when there could be no temptation to interpolate arising out of the arian controversy.

We conclude, then, that this verse is authentic; and, of course, the doctrine which it so unequivocally sets forth, cannot be impugned. But, admitting that it were not genuine, still the doctrine of the trinity is so interwoven with the very texture of the whole Sacred Scriptures, that the whole must be destroyed before it can be obliterated. And passages enough, without this, have been adduced from the Word of God to prove that there is a trinity in the one God.

IV. There MUST BE a trinity in God.-We proceed in this number to demonstrate that, in the nature of things, there must be a trinity in the one God.

Paul says, (Rom. i. 20,) "the invisible things of God,even his eternal power and godhead,-are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made." Wherefore, the nature of the Deity is discernible in his works. Consequently, we may reason from the essential principles of natural existence to the essential principles of divine existence, or, to use the words of the poet, we may "look through nature up to nature's God."

This mode of reasoning is not only legitimate and admissible, but, in the present constitution of man, it is the only way in which he can form any adequate conceptions of the Divine Being. Man is born in entire ignorance and helplessness. And, without instruction, he cannot know even how to feed and clothe himself. How then can he know his creator, unless he be instructed? And unless he has ideas in his mind from the objects of nature around him, there are no vehicles whatever by which instruction respecting the Deity can be conveyed to his mental apprehension or his moral feeling.

"That is first which is natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual." The form must first be impressed on the senses, before the rational and intellectual faculty can apprehend its qualities and its essence. Hence nothing of thought or affection can exist with man which has not with it a natural or

sensual idea. Qualities cannot exist without subjects in which they inhere; and the mind cannot comprehend qualities without a distinct idea of their subjects. Hence the mind cannot apprehend the qualities of the Deity unless, and only in the degree that, it has a distinct idea of the forms which these qualities assume. And this is one meaning of that scripture, "No man cometh to the father, but by me," the son.

The essential divine principles, which, in the unapproachable and indescribable adytum of their own infinite and eternal being, no man hath seen nor can see, flowing down by a regular gradation of cause and effect, at length clothe themselves in natural forms and thus produce creation. In this plane of creation man first exists; and the images of the natural forms, that are the outermost coverings of the divine principles from which they ultimately exist, form the ground-work of his mind. When the form is presented, and is seen or perceived, by the imprinting of its image on organs suited to receive it, the qualities of that form may be gradually discerned, and thus its essence apprehended. And no quality can be discerned, and no essence apprehended, until the image of the form in which they inhere is thus received. And unless the qualities and essences of natural forms are discerned and apprehended, there is no possible way by which the mind can have any conception of the divine principles from which they exist, and which are most intimately within them. Hence, without the images of natural forms impressed on the senses, it is altogether impossible that man can have any idea of God. But, when the images of these forms are thus impressed, then the perfection of man's wisdom consists in the eternal opening up of his mind towards the essential divine principles from which those forms come forth.

These natural forms are the effects of the influx of spiritual forms as causes. They are common things which involve innumerable spiritual and infinite divine particulars; which particulars can never be reached or approached, before the common things which contain them are known and apprehended. For illustration, take the case of the human body. This consists of various common members, which involve many organical, visceral, muscular, fibrous, nervous and other particular parts. And these again, may be traced to singular constituents so minute and hidden that they elude the ken of the most searching and scrutinizing microscopic vision. Now what anatomist can, or attempts to know the hidden parts of the human body without first becoming acquainted with its

common and obvious parts? In short, what is common is an effect caused by the influx of what is particular. And we cannot discern the cause if we do not know the effect.

Thus the only way in which man can attain to any knowledge of the hidden essences of things is, by tracing effects up to their causes. So that it is legitimate to reason from the essential principles of natural existence to the essential constituent principles of the Divine Being. In fact, these natural existences, or the works of creation, are the fruits of the Divine Being. And his own divine law must be universal in its application" By their fruits ye shall know them." Therefore, by his fruits we must know him.

Hence, if we discern that in every natural existence there is a threefold principle, we must conclude that there is a trinity in God.

In pursuing this argument, we must take things as they are. It is not necessary for us to show why they are so; nor to inquire whether the Divine Being could not have constituted things differently. It is sufficient for us to know that the order in which things do exist, is the result of infinite wisdom; and we are not to suppose that infinite wisdom could devise any other order than that which it has produced. For an infinite being cannot act otherwise than according to his nature-thus infinitely. And to suppose that he could produce any other order than the one he has produced, would be to suppose that he could produce either what is more than infinite, which is absurd; or what is less than infinite, which is impossible.

Our prescribed limits will not allow us to expatiate so widely on this head as might be necessary. And we must therefore confine ourselves within the narrow compass a very cursory

of

view of the general principles of natural existence.

In starting we take this position, that a trinity is necessary to every unity; which we will strive to maintain, first, by the fact that there is a threefold principle in every existence, and, secondly, by the rational deduction from this fact, that from a simple or metaphysical oneness of being nothing can exist: which will lead us directly to the conclusion that the Deity is not a simple oneness of being, and of course that he is a triune being.

Casting our eyes over the whole scope of creation, we cannot but observe this fact, viz. that in every existence there are three things essential to that existence, namely, an inmost, a middle and an ultimate. These three things are the essential principles of all being, and universally manifest themselves as