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teous and glorious Creator has bestowed upon mankind , or to undervalue that distinguishing gift of the Supreme Intelligence , Reason , which serves to connect us with whatever superior orexistand
ders of spiritual beings may , forms part of that divine image In which pk&i' was originally created . I consider this as an invulnerable point , that whatever is clearly proved to be irrational cannot be a doctrine of
revelation . Reason as well as revelation is the * gift of God , and , therefore , they cannot contradict each other . But reason may be imperfect ; certainly it has its limits : and if it attempts to grasp what exceeds its powers , or what
was never designed to be brought within its comprehension ^ why should it excite surprise that it is unequal to the task ? Revelation has brought subjects of the most interesting nature to the notice of reason , which of itself
it could never have discovered ; it has disclosed facts , the certainty of which reason can comprehend , though it cannot ascertain the manner of their existence or operation , and being above
reason cannot therefore be proved to be contrary to it . I propose to defend my present views on this ground , and to shew that they are worthy of all acceptation because they are most reasonable .
The doctrine of revelation concern ing the objeet of worship is a subject of such vast importance , that it appears quite unreasonable to suppose , while admitting the exercise of a divine providence , that God should suffer thfe
writers of the Scriptures to convey to all future generations , descriptions of the person , character , offices and work of the Messiah , in such ambiguous terms as would admit of their being understood to describe a Divine person , if he were not , in feet , tl | e true
God . For instance , will anjr one say , that the clause in John i . 1 cannot be translated 4 t the word was God" t And if the idea intended to be conveyed was only , $ * ttoe word was a 1 } w }*" i . e . tW the Christ was a person of
the greatest dignity , but not the Supreme , Qofy vfiH reason teach us that a phrase vmn ! d have bete used so l&el y to lead 4 d t&e promulgation of an opposite idea ? I wave here entirely the question of inspiration , but oifly &sk any unwejudieed , rational tna » , whether John , as an honest man ,
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would not have used terms that could » P * have been translated so as to authorize the greatest of crimes , idolatiy ? The same argument applies equally to Ephes . v . S ; Ti& fi . ' 13 ; 2 P 6 t . | .
1 ; which , although they appear other wise in the Received version , may be translated so as to bear a cjir ^ ct and positive testimony to the Deity pfJ <* sus Christ . Numerous other parts of the Scriptures ascribe divine attributes and honours to the $ on of <^ d , wlitth either teaeh his Divine Nature , or are
calculated to mislead mankind and to teach what was not triie , since the writers eonM have employed simple and unambiguous language if they had designed to convey other ideas . It seems , therefore , reasonable to
conclude either that Jesus , the Christ , was the Divine Being incarnate , God manifest in the flesh , or that revelation is all a fable ; but if facts can be proved by evidence , Christianity is founded on a rock .
I am not going to defend the Athanasian , the Nicene , or any other hu * - raan creed , and while I think tike Scriptures do deseribe the One only God , under the threefold personal character of Father , Son and Spirit , with Luther and Calvin I doubt much the
propriety of adopting the term Trinity . Thus far revelation affords us light , and no farther . Here , too , reason ought to stop . Being totally ignorant
concerning the mode of the Divine existence , we are < quite incompetent to penetrate those secret things which belong unto the Lord our God . Had men been satisfied with what Is
revealed , much of that mystery which fa ascribed to the orthodox system would not have existed . I admit with you that we are & <* £ called upon to believe mysteries : we are required to credit what is revolted , and' whatever is
revealed ceases to b $ a mysteiy . That one only God exists , and that he exists ee tfie Father , tfce Word and the Holjr Spirit , is revealed : how he exists , & n < Hr revealefl » " ~ i 8 a ttiyBterr , - ^ itf *! therefore not A matter of faith . The term Person hm been commonly itfted when wferrii ^ to this doctri | le , ^ # t > Sl can * w ? ver b # imdferstood to eonveyjtfee same Wea pf perfect indMduaiky ^ f ^ qh 4 VL Jv 4 ^ 3 |^ 9 H ^ VfVvrJvvB ^ vi ^ vV , ^ A v | r « V | iBi ^ V ^^ ^ MfF ^^^ bv ^^^^ P ^ BMP *^^^^^ ^ r ^^^^^^ r ^^^ JE ^ M ^ ^^^ P ^ J ^ j ^^ T ^^^^^^ jt ^ SP ' t ^ ^^^^^ B ^ l - ^|^^ ^ P ^ TI ^^^^ ^^^¦( fc ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ T ^^ ^^^ JT ^^ ^^ ^ E ^^^^*^^^ Jfi- ^^^ ^^^^ yff ^^ xfr ojGSces-. and hatvittjf woni ^ p&fetlbtid t #
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/> . Harwoods 'Reason * for returning to Trinitarianism . 339
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vol . xv . 3 k
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1820, page 389, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2490/page/9/
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