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cially the first , may be . The Trinity may be made to consist of three aspects , three modes , three manifestations , three somewhats—thus suffering decrease till it becomes little more than the name of a shadow . But this is not God the Father , God the Son , God the Holy Ghost , three persons in one God . It is not the Trinity held by the majority , nor the Trinity which the language of preachers would authorize . The Trinity of the majority
app roaches so nearly to Tritheism , that the metaphysics even of the schools would find it difficult to make a distinction between them , since there is no difference . The tendency of the ordinary services of the Dissenters and of the clergy is such as to infuse Tritheism into the minds of the people at large , and we have reason to believe that an unsophisticated mind would either , through the predominating influence of the Scriptures , remain attached to practical Unitarianism , or , the teachings of man mastering the
teachings of the Bible , the dictates of the heart , and the decisions of common sense , lapse into the error of Tritheism . No wonder this effect so often takes place when the perverting influences commence their operation with the first dawn of the intellect ; and no wonder , from the same reason , that thousands are unaware of their departure from the simplicity of the Christian faith . An instance lately occurred to the writer which shews in a striking manner the influence of the church services over the youthful mind .
A pupil was reading a lesson in which it was declared that the works of nature proved the existence of God , and that God was one . In examination the child was asked among other things , and solely with the intention of leading him to the assertion of the lesson , " How many Gods are there ?" Answer , " Three . " And we doubt not that the majority of Christians are practical Tritheists . Nor is there any definite medium between Tritheism and Unitarianism ; for whoever requires ideas instead of words , or accepts
of words only so far as they are representatives of ideas , must be , it seems to us , a Tritheist or an Unitarian , practically if not avowedly . Well , then , if Tritheism—or , if that term is preferred , the Athanasian Trinity—is the prevalent doctrine , and the doctrine which naturally results from creeds , litanies , articles , and sermons , as they now exist , we must be allowed to contend that this dogma is no less absurd than Transubstantiation . If we do not know that three cannot be one , and one cannot be three , we know nothing
whatever . It is in vain to have recourse to mystery , and declare we know nothing of the divine nature , because this will serve the purpose of the Hindoo equally with that of the Trinitarian . We know something of God , and we know enough to declare that the same thing cannot be , and not be , in the same time , place , and respect ; and this is all that it is requisite to know to make manifest the absurdity that three can be one . —Let us now advert to the doctrine of the two natures of Christ . He is the God-man ; that is , as far as
we know what is meant , and according to the conceptions of ordinary men , lie is at once finite and infinite . Here we have not only absurdity , but ideas united which are perfectly incompatible ; and how men can reject the doctrine of Transubstantiation , which maintains the union of that which is finite with that which is infinite , and yet retain a doctrine almost identicall y
the same , we are at a loss to imagine . But , replies our Critic , the doctrine of ihe Romish Church relates to physical , not to spiritual properties . At this we have no . doubt the Pope would vehemently demur . One of the substances of union is in the very teeth of the Reviewer ' s assertion , spiritual—for Gody we are told , is blended with the bread . ** But we can analyze the substance , and the result will disprove the allegation . " This is amusing . The Ca-
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The Watchman . 393
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1829, page 393, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2573/page/25/
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