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Scripture , and consequently whatever ^ the Scripture says aboat it , is < to be understood in some other sense . " Do not mistake me , dear Sir , T only tell you what T have met with , and therefore would not have any thing I have said , construed to your disadvantage .
' * 4- I was very sensible that reason is a proper judge , whether we have the divine-testimony in the Scriptures for this important doctrine , or not ; and upon examination 1 thought it was -apparent that we had , from a multitude of texts of Scripture .
" 5 . I could not but believe it was the design of God in revealing any important doctrine , that it should be received , and that we are not left to our libert y whether we will believe it
or not , and consequently that it is expressed in such intelligible terms , that his mind may be known therein by the lowest class of Christians . " 6 . I also thought we ought to distinguish between the doctrine itself and the explanation of it . " The explanation is not of the
same authority with the original revelation . To instance in the doctrine of the Trinity—the original revelation is , that there is one living and true God — -that this one God is Father , Son and Holy Ghost , or that these three equally partake of the same divine nature or Godhead ; but that there is nevertheless expressed in Scripture
such a . distinction between the Father , Son and Holy Ghost , as that each of them take a * part in the ceconomy of our redemption , and have personal properties , &c . &c . ascribed to- them . Now these propositions being the principal object of our faith , there is no need of any farther explication , &c .
' * I know it is usual for those who deny the doctrine of the Trinity * to urge the . distinction agaiust the Unity , -and the Unity against the distinction , as inconsistent , and here they make their strongest effprts agaiust the doctrine ; but whether they be inconsistent , let the Scripture determine ,
since one is as expressly revealed as the other , and therefore both ought to be believed—but after all , if there bean inconsistency * jthe Holy Ghost ( not we must account for it , on whose bare authority and testimony we solely rely . ... » . •¦ ¦ . ¦ . \ 7 . J . cjo ^ afdeued that if ray reason
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be nonplused , in the apprehension of this important point , it is no more than I may expect , since we are told , it is a mystery , and that without controversy * I was always afraid of using such boldness , as to trifle with or
ridicule the term mystery , for fear of grieving the Holy G host and provoking him , &c . ** 8 . I considered , that the excellency of a divine faith lies in resting
upon the bare testimony of God in the face of difficulties ; yea , the greater and more difficulties it has to struggle with , arising from natural and carnal reason , the more God is honoured by it
" 9 « I considered ( which , indeed , as a moral argument was of great weight with me ) that the church of God has been in possession of this doctrine ever since the apostles ' times ^ if any credit may be given to
ecclesiastical history . However , the very adversaries of it cannot deny , but she ' was possessed of it for above 150 O years , and it is certain that at the time of the reformation from Popery , the churches of Christ in Germany , &c-&c . harmonized in it . Now whence
is it they should all fall into the same way of thinking , so very different from those who glory in the new light they have received , and this in a doctrine so very mysterious ? The truth is , thev better understood the nature of
faith , paid a just and reverent regard to the authority of God in his word , resigning up their understandings to him as a Rasa Tabula , &c . We are told it was a common saying of Lrtither , ' Reason , thou art a fool ! hold thy peace and let trutli speak . * Must they all then pass for fools and madmen ?
Be it so . It was , however , no small comfort to me , that if I be in an error , it is with good company ! I therefore was * unwilling , though a hard task to proud nature , to sacrifice my purblind reason to faith founded upon the unerring testimony of God , and backed with such a cloud of witnesses as a
corroborating evidence * " 10 . I considered that Christ , in his highest capacity , must either be a finite or infinite Being , there being no possible medium between , and con sequently the error 1 must be great on * Is not this an error in the copy , and should it not be iepd willing t
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Some Account of Mr * William Manning . 381
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1817, page 381, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2466/page/5/
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