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descending upon Christ, when John baptised him (at which time the Holy Trinity was made manifest)---The Son, in the form of man in the water, being, as a man baptised; the Holy Spirit, (in the form of a dove, descending upon him;) and the Father communicating the knowledge of his presence, by an audible declaration from heaven, "This is This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!" St. Mark, c. 3, 14.The Holy Spirit also appeared in the form of cloven tongues of fire, when he descended upon the apostles at the feast of Pentecost. There are, in the Trinity, three persons, or hypostases; the Trinity in Unity being called the Hypostatical Union-an hypostasis means a distinct substance; and a substance is described by logicians to be a being which subsists in and by itself. We pray to the Father, to grant us the Holy Spirit, through the mediation of the Son. The Son redeems us, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, and the Father gives us all

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things, through the name of the Son.So that, with all which concerns the grace and goodness of God, operating to our salvation, the three persons of the Holy Trinity are connected; but we are, nevertheless, commanded to worship the Trinity in Unity, that is-one God. I have thus endeavoured, as clearly as I am able, (from the Holy Scriptures, and the writings of eminent men,) to throw some light upon this sacred mystery; and to shew the reasonableness of believing it; not to explain it, because no human being can; and I have been the more particular, because there are a number of persons, calling themselves Unitarians, Socinians, Arians, &c. who deny the divinity or deity of Christ; upon which deity depends the efficacy of the Christian religion; for, unless we are redeemed by Christ, the Christian religion cannot save us; and no mere man nor angel, nor archangel, could make satisfaction and atonement to God for the sins of man; and un

less such satisfaction was made, none can be saved. I recommend you not to perplex yourself with endeavouring to understand the mystery, but humbly to believe in it; and then you will act judiciously towards yourself and obediently towards God. Bishop Taylor remarks, "He who goes about to speak of the mystery of the Trinity, and does it by words and names of man's invention; talking of essences and existences, hypostases and personalities, priorities in co-equalities, and unity in pluralities; may amuse himself, and build a tabernacle in his head, and talk something he knows not what; but the good man, who feels the power of the Father, and to whom the Son is become wisdom, sanctification and redemption, and in whose heart the love of the Spirit of God is shed abroad:-this man, though he understands nothing of what is unintelligible, yet he alone truly understands the Christian doctrine of the Trinity." I will conclude with a few obser

vations on the Athanasian creed, and the Sin against the Holy Ghost; the former, having a relation to the doctrine of the Trinity, follows appropriately here. Many pious Christians have an objection to this creed, observing that "they cannot understand the explanation of the nature of the Trinity given therein; which they are, nevertheless, called upon by the church to acknowledge their belief in, under pain of damnation." It is first necessary to say, that no church can call upon us to believe any thing that the Scripture does not warrant; and although the explanatory clauses in the Athanasian creed may be comprehended by men who have capacities for subtle disquisitions, to the ignorant they are perfectly incomprehensible; yet this does not prove that the doctrine therein taught is contrary to the Scriptures. But no person need be fearful of this creed, from the notion that they are called upon to believe that which they cannot reconcile to their consciences; since

they are only called upon to believe that which without believing they cannot be saved, if the Scriptures are true it begins thus

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"Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith, which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt, he shall perish everlastingly." Now what the Catholic faith is the Scriptures informs us; and we cannot be required to believe any thing not found therein.

We are commanded to worship one God; and God (from the proofs I have advanced, and many more remain, as explained in the writings of many of the most pious and enlightened men,) being a Trinity of Persons, we are to worship the Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; and to believe that our Saviour was made man, in the manner delivered to us in the Scriptures; that he suffered death to redeem us; was buried, rose

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