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have advanced upon this head. To take a few of them as they fall in our way. Wollebius lays down the following principle as an indubitable one. Etfi Veteris Teftamenti tempore doctrina S. S. Trinitatis obfcurior fuerit, non tamen plane ignota fuit. He then quotes the first Chap. of Genefis, and other paffages in the Old Teftament, in common with other authors, in fupport of his position, or his Canon, as he calls it, and finishes the paragraph in the following words; quæ teftimonia tametfi pertinaces Judei eludere fatagunt, Chriftianæ tamen menti fatisfaciunt. The learned Dr. Lightfoot's sentiments on this fubject, which Mr. Parkhurst has adopted, or rather with particular warmth espoused, are as follows.

"The very first thing, fays he, that is taught "in all the Bible is this very mystery." God created; God, i. e. the Word faid; and the Spirit, i. e. the Holy Ghoft moved.. " So Mofes alfo when "he is to teach concerning the creation of man, he "first teacheth that it was the Trinity that created "him. And God faid, Let us make man after our

image. He faith Let us, to fhew the Trinity of "Perfons; and he faith in our image, not in our "images, to fhew the unity of effence." The Trinity is fuppofed by Dr. L. to be declared in many places; even at v. 4. of Deut. 6. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord, our God, the Lord is one. Dr. L. gives

* See Genefis 1. 1, 2, 3, &c.

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this as the true reading, which, fays he, "teaches "the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity. "Three words anfwer the three Perfons, and the “middle word our God, deciphering fitly the Se"cond, who affumed our nature." This learned writer fuppofes the fame mystery to be imported in the following among many other texts. Exo. 34. v. 6. Isa. 6. v. 3. Pfalms 50. v. 1. 136. v. 1, 2, 3.

Indeed, Jefus Chrift is by the almost unanimous fuffrage of writers the Jehovah of the Old Teftament. The Angel of the Covenant, the Angel who appeared to Mofes at the bush, the chief of the Angels who were entertained by Abraham, &c, is generally fuppofed to have been the Second Perfon in the Trinity. A fenfible writer endeavours to prove, that the doctrine of the Trinity is contained in the Law, and that it is in fact acknowleged and afferted by the Jewish Rabbies, by Philo and Maimonides, &c. The Jewish Cabalifts, fays he, "dif

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tinguish God into three Lights; and fome of them "call them by the fame names, as the Chriftians, "of the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; "and yet say that this does not at all break the "Unity of God. Your famous Philo, says he, ex"preffes the fame in many places." And he produces à confiderable number of inftances, by which it appears that this celebrated Rabbin at least lays

+ See particularly ALLIX. BULL. JUSTIN MARTYR. IRENEUS, and TERTULLIAN.

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himself open to the attacks of every Christian adversary.

To the fame effect Dr. Randolph quotes a remarkable paffage from Eufebius, in which it is obferved, that, according to the doctrine of the Jews, "there is, after the Effence of God, &c, a principle begotten of no other but the Father, being first-begotten, &c, being the image of God, the power of God, the wifdom of God, and the word "of God; the true light, the Sun of righteousness, "&c, &c."

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There are two ftriking paffages, the one in the book of Proverbs, and the other in the apocryphal book entitled the Wisdom of Solomon, which have been pretty generally confidered as defignative of the Second Person in the Chriftian Trinity. I was fet up from everlasting, or ever the earth was. When be prepared the heavens, I was there; when he appointed the foundations of the earth, then was I by him, as one brought up with him, &c. (Prov. 8. v. 22. &c.) When all things were in quiet filence, thine Almighty Word leapt down from heaven out of thy royal throne, &c, &c. (Wifd. 18. v. 15. &c.).

The anonymous Author of the testaments of the twelve Patriarchs, (who, as Dr. Grabe supposes, wrote at the latter end of the fecond century,) make's every one of them foretell the coming of the Meffiah, and most of them, in the plainest terms, the incarnation of the Son of God, or rather fimply of God.

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All this put together, intricate or incoherent as it may appear, will be thought moft clearly to import a Trinity of some kind in the Godhead; and we may accordingly difcern in a moment wherein lies the precife difference between the Pagan, the Jewish, the Arian, and the true Christian theory. By the hypothefis of each of the three former, the Supreme God neither is nor can be more than One Perfon; by that of the latter, the Deity confifts of three Perfons and one undivided effence. This as manifeftly refifts the idea of dependence and inferiority, as the other is compatible with it, or rather, under the notion of a Trinity, fuppofes it. In fhort, it will, I prefume, be no easy matter to fay what objection of weight Jews, and Gentiles, Pythagoreans, and Platonists, could have made to the Gospel, what obftacle there was to their becoming obedient to the faith without delay, except that the universally adopted principle of SUBORDINATION was fuperfeded, and effectually destroyed by the peculiarly Christian doctrine of EQUALITY.

Perhaps I shall be thought to take upon me here the character of Moderator in the difpute between Mr. Parkhurst and Dr. Prieftly. I had no fuch intention. But if what has been offered does not exactly coincide with the notions of the former, it will at least in the refult be fubverfive of the principles of the latter. The Christian doctrine of an equal Trinity will be established by the acknowlegement

knowlegement of a plurality of any kind, refpecting the Godhead, by Jews, antient, or modern, or both. With regard to the notions of Philo, &c, fee Howes's Remarks in Vindication of the antient Fathers &c. p. 41, 42, and feq.

It is obfervable, in conformity herewith, that the Fathers in general confider the doctrine of the Trinity, in the fenfe of the Catholic Church, as that which characteristically discriminates Chriftianity both from Judaifm and Heathenifm. With respect to the former, Tertullian has thefe remarkable words; Judaicæ fidei eft res, fic unum Deum credere, ut Filium adnumera re ei nolis, et poft Filium, Spiritum. Quid enim erit inter nos et illos nifi differentia ifta? Quod opus Evangelii? Quæ eft fubftantia Novi Teftamenti, ftatuens Legem et Prophetas ufque ad Johannem, fi non exinde Pater, Filius, et Spiritus, tres crediti, unum Deum fiftunt?

HOOKER'S Ecclef. Pol. p. A. Ross's View of all Rel. Sect. 7. p. 185. CUDWORTH's Intell. Sys. p. 206. WOLLEBIUS's Compen. Theol. l. 1. c. 2. p. 15. LIGHTFOOT on Gen. 1. STACKHOUSE's Hift. of Bib. Ch. 1. p. 223. Bp. ANDREWS's Lect. p. 552. LowTH's Direct. for reading S. S. p. 68, 69. See PATRICK'S Notes at Exod. 3. v. 14. 6. v. 3. 18. v. 2. TERTULL. adv. Prax. c. 31. See Mr. PARKHURST's Tract on the Divinity, &c. of our Lord from p. 1. to p. 46. See JONES. Chap. 3. Sect. 1, 2, 3. See PATRICK on Gen. 1. v. 26. LESLIE'S

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