Gen. i. 1. Eloheem bara, "GOD (plur.) made" (sing.). Plurality of persons and unity of essence. This phrase occurs thirty times in the first chapter of Genesis. See also Zech. i. 3; iii. 1-3. c. Mention is indirectly made of the Three Persons in the GODHEAD. Ps. xxxiii. 6. "By the Word of the 2 Sam. xxxiii. 2. "The Spirit of the I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul Isa. xlviii. 16. "I have not spoken in secret from the beginning: from the time that it was there am I: and now the LORD GOD and His Spirit have sent Me." See also Isa. Ixiii. 9, 10; Dan. ix. 4, 17, 19. d. Cherubic representations. 1 Sam. iv. 6-8. "And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were 5 The Personality and Divinity of the Word, Logos, Mimra da Jehovah. Kidder's Dem. Part III. pp. 108, 109. 6 The Personality and Divinity of the Third Person, Ruach Hakkodesh. Dr. Allix's Judgment, p. 168. 7 Tertull. Adv. Prax. cxii. 8 These are referred to in deference to the views of the pious and learned Parkhurst, in v. "♪. 27 afraid, for they said, GOD is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty GODS? these are the GODS that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness." 1 Sam. vi. 20. "And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD GOD? and to whom shall he go up from us?" e. The clear testimony of the Old Testament to the Unity of GOD, and its equally clear testimony to the Divinity of the FATHER, and of the Son, and of the HOLY GHOST. The FATHER. Deut. vi. 4. "Hear, O The SON. Jer. xxiii. 6. "This is His name whereby He shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness." The HOLY GHOST. Ezek. viii. 1, 3. "The LORD JEHOVAH put forth the form of a hand, and took me ;-and the SPIRIT lifted me up." The legitimate conclusion is that in the Unity of this GODHEAD there be Three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST. f. In the Old Testament the same names, attributes, titles, works, and honours are assigned to the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, and yet the utmost importance is attached to the doctrine of the Unity of GOD. Ps. lxxxiii. 18; xlv. 6; 1 Chron. xxviii. 12. JEHOVAH. Jer. xxiii. 24. Ps. viii. 6; cxxxix. 7, 8. g. To these may fairly be added the testimonies of the Apocryphal writers of the Old Testament, for they are admissible witnesses of the religious opinions of the Jews before the Christian æra. Tobit viii. 6. "Thou madest man, and gavest him Eve his wife for an helper and a stay of them came mankind. Thou hast said, It is not good that man should be alone; Let us make unto him an aid like unto himself." See also Book of Wisdom, vii. 22-25, (compare Heb. i. 3), ix. i. 17; Judith xvi. 13, 14. B. New Testament. a. Direct or those in which the THREE PERSONS are mentioned together. Matt. iii. 16, 17. "And JESUS, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of GOD descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased."1 : 9 In the Hebrew (of Genesis i. 18) it is only "I will make."-Dr. Allix: see his Judgment of the Jewish Church, &c. chap. VIII. 1 Pater auditur in voce, Filius manifestatur in carne, Spiritus Sanctus dignoscitur in columba.-August. In Joh. Trad. vi. 5, vol. III. part ii. 2 Athanas. Orat. cont. Arian. 11. 41, p. 508; Basil. De Spirit. Sanct. c. xviii. Compare 1 Cor. 14, 15. "I thank GOD that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized IN MY OWN NAME." tions, but the same LORD. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same GOD who worketh all in all." 2 Cor. xiii. 14. "The grace of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD, and the communion of the HOLY GHOST, be with you all. Amen." Rev. i. 4, 5. "Grace be unto you and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne, and from JESUS CHRIST, the faithful Witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth." See also Luke i. 35. John xiv. 26; xv. 26; xvi. 13, 14. Rom. viii. 27; xi. 36. Gal. iv. 6. Ephes. ii. 18; iv. 4-6.' Tit. iii. 4-6. 1 Pet. i. 2, 3. Jude 20. 1.' b. Indirect. Preliminary remark. The value of indirect testimony is universally and practically allowed. 3 Bishop Pearson On the Creed. (1) The clear testimony of the New Testament to the Unity of the GODHEAD. Mark xii. 29. "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our GoD is one LORD." (2) The equally clear testimony of the New Testament to the proper divinity of The FATHER. John vi. 44-46. "No man can come to Me, except the 4 Iren. v. xviii. 2; rv. vi. 7. Hipp. cont. Noet. 14, vol. II. p. 16. Orig. Ad Rom. lib. vII. § 13. Athan. Orat. 111. xv. p. 565. 5 I do not cite 1 John v. 7. But few minds can resist the cogency of the arguments which the late Greek Professor Porson and the Bishop of Ély have adduced against its genuineness. Father which hath sent Me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of GOD. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of GOD, He hath seen the Father." The SON. 1 John v. 20. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son JESUS CHRIST. This (or The same) is the true GOD, and eternal life." The HOLY GHOST. Acts v. 3, 4. "And Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the HOLY GHOST, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." The legitimate conclusion is that in the Unity of the GODHEAD there be three |