gation, denounce in the most unqualified terms, all who maintain this faith, as supporting the doctrine of Devils; when in truth, there is no Scripture doctrine more dreaded by Devils, than is that, which deprives them of all hope of forever triumphing over that nature, which the Arch-Fiend has estranged from its Maker and God! As Trinitarians they are condemned by Arians, Socinians, and Unitarians, as Tritheists, Polytheists, and hence Idolaters. Thus assailed on all hands, the Trinitarian Universalist, has no alternative left him, but that of defending his faith, by an honest, dignified and candid appeal to the Christian world, for a fair and impartial hearing; or else, of being considered the adherents and advocates of a baseless theory, which has been founded in error, and persisted in from obstinacy; and for the belief and support of which, he is not prepared "to render unto every one that asketh, the reason of the hope that is in him." And having in the preceeding sections, offered some weighty reasons for being the advocates of this doctrine, and associates in this faith; we shall in this, offer equally strong reasons, why we are Trinitarian Universalists. In order to this, we shall enter freely and extensively upon such propositions, arguments and inferences, or deductions as proofs, that must, in their own intrinsic character, bid defiance to honest doubt or lawful contradiction, with regard to the validity of our faith in the eternal nature and essential divinity of the Son of God, and in support of our faith in the Trinity. That the general reader may be qualified to judge between us and our opponents, we consider it necessary to explain the leading features of the Unitarian scheme, as derived from the most learned and popular writers of their party, before we enter into our defence; together with the full developement of the principles upon which that defence is founded. And here let it be remembered, that we intend not to meet our opponents upon the ground of their being here tics and apostates from the true faith; but as sincere, devoted Christians, whose sole object is that of Truth, to the comfort and satisfaction of their souls, and the glory of their God and His Christ! We desire to meet them as Christians, in the mild spirit of Christian feeling and sympathy; and while we consider them to have overlooked those truths that have permanently fixed our faith as Trinitarians, and are conscious, that they have erred on this subject, and that theirs has been an error of the head and not of the heart; with this conviction, we should violate our own profession of universal charity, were we to deny the conscientious Unitarian his claims to Christianity; and we now offer to the candid consideration of our readers the theory of Unitarian Believers in the following abridged form: The Unitarian Faith consists in their belief-1, "In the doctrine of God's Unity; or, that there is ONE GOD, and ONE ONLY."* 2, "We object to the doctrine of the Trinity, that it subverts the Unity of God. According to this doctrine there are three infinite and equal persons, possessing supreme divinity, called the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each of these persons, as described by Theologians, has his own particular consciousness, will, and perceptions." 3, "We believe in the Unity of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is one mind, one soul, one being, as truly as we are, and equally distinct from the one God," "and inferior to God."§ And comparing the views of Trinitarians with regard to the nature and character of the Son of God, with their views, the Doctor says: "We esteem our own views to be vastly more affecting, especially those of us who helieve in Christ's pre-existence. It is our belief that Christ's humiliation was real and entire; that the whole Saviour, and not a part of him, suffered; that his crucifixion was a scene of deep and unmixed agony."|| 4, "We believe that all virtue has its foundation in the moral nature of * Dr. Channing's Sermon, delivered at the ordination of the Rev. Jared Sparks, to the Pastoral care of the First Independent Church in Baltimore, May 5th, 1819-11th edition. Boston, 1824. p. 10. + lb. id. p. 11. Ib. id. p. 15. § p. 21. pp. 19, 20. man; that is, in conscience, or his sense of duty, and in the power of forming his temper and life according to conscience."* 5. "We do not mean to deny the importance of God's aid or Spirit: But, by his Spirit, we mean a moral, illuminating and persuasive influence, not physical, not compulsory, not involving a necessity of virtue."+ "We lay no stress on strong excitements: we esteem him, and him only, a pious man, who practically conforms to God's moral perfections and government; who shows his delight in God's benevolence, by loving and serving his neighbor; his delight in God's justice, by being resolutely upright; his sense of God's purity, by regulating his thoughts imaginations and desires; and whose conversation, business, and domestic life, are swayed by a regard to God's presence and authority. In all things else, men may deceive themselves." We believe this to be a fair specimen of the faith of the Unitarian believer. There are, however, many shades of difference, on different points of religious faith among these, as we shall presently show; and in the mean time, take some notice of the theory of the Rev. Dr. Worcester. This learned and zealous Divine contends, also 1, For the Unity of God. 2, The real divinity and glory of Christ. 3, That he is truly the Son of God; that he is not a created, intelligent being, but a being who properly derived his existence and his nature from God; that he is of Divine dignity; that he is a constituted character; that he existed with God before he came into the world; that Divine honors are due to him, as God's own Son, on the ground of his Divine fullness, his Divine offices, his Divine works, and as the constituted Lord of all, Judge and Saviour of the world: not, however, as God, but as the Son of God. 4, That by the Holy Spirit is intended the same as the "fulness of God;" and that the Holy Spirit is not a distinct person.§ lb. p. 29. * Dr. Channing's Sermon, p. 27. Ib. p. 28. "Unitarians," says Miss Adams, "a comprehensive term, including all who believe the Deity to subsist in one person only; it "Amongst Unitarians, however, there are considerable shades of difference. Some believe that Jesus Christ was literally the Son of God, as Isaac was the son of Abraham; that he constituted the soul of Christ, and is next to God himself; and thus, from his dignity of character, gave efficacy to his atonement. These are called Arians. Others believe that he was only called the Son of God in a figurative sense, as being the first born of every creature; that he pre-existed in Heaven, in the highest Archangel form, and was united to the body which God had prepared for him, and thus became the Messiah, These are called Pre-existents. Others again believe him to have been really and truly the Son of Joseph, as he is called in John i. 45. "We have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph; or, as Peter styles him, a man approved of God, by signs and wonders which God did by him; that upon him was poured out the Spirit of God without measure; that he is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows; that he is our elder brother. They believe that he is the great prophet of the Most High! greater than Moses, greater than any of the prophets who preceded him, or than John, his forerunner, according to what Moses said, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things." (Acts iii. 22.) They believe that he comes the Messenger from God, to announce his will to mortals; that he died a martyr to the truth of his religion, and arose from the dead as the proof, the first fruits and earnest of the resurrection of mankind. These are called Humanitarians, because they believe in the simple humanity of Christ."* does not denote a believer in one God only, but a believer in God in one person only, in opposition to the Trinitarians." We, as Trinitarians, believe in one God in one person only," that this one person is Jesus Christ, in whom dwelt all the entire fulness of the Invisible Deity from everlasting; that he ever was, and ever will be invisible to man, perhaps even to Angels, except in the person of Jesus Christ, his manifesting property. * Sermon on the Religious Opinions of the present day, by Thomas Gray, A. M. 2d ed. Boston, 1822. pp. 29, 30. We consider the foregoing extracts as fully sufficient to show the grades of difference amongst Unitarians; and shall now proceed to offer a brief outline, or synopsis, of a Theory for explaining our doctrine of the Trinity; accompanied by such arguments and deductions as are clearly authorised by the Scriptures, and are supported by the most rigid rules of genuine philosophy. SCHEME. I. Outlines of a Theory, illustrative of the Doctrines of the Holy Undivided Trinity. AXIOM I. Property, or principle, is essential to Being, who cannot exist without them; whence, Being, whether uncreate or create, consists of, and is constituted by, properties or principles, whose uncreate, and hence, self-subsisting, or create, and hence, dependant existence, determines the nature and order of Being. DEFINITIONS* AND REMARKS. 1. Principle is the cause, source, or origin of a thing; whence, God is the First Principle. Remarks.As God is a Supreme, eternal, uncreate, and self-subsisting Spirit, the properties that are essential to his being, must of necessity be also eternal, uncreate, and co-existent in and with him, as the constituents of an all-perfect Being. The term constituents, applied to Deity, who is self-subsisting, may appear rather presumptuous; but we know of no other term by which to say if Deity possessed but one deficient property essential to his perfection as God, the conclusion is evident. Definition 2. "Substance is that thing which we conceive to subsist of itself, independently of any other created being, or any particular mode or accident; and it is the support of qualities, or powers, that are capable of producing simple ideas in us. Remarks. As God is a Spirit, and hence invisible, his *The author is indebted for these definitions to Dr. O'Gallagher's "First Principles of Philosophy," Vol. i. pp. 20, 21. The Remarks are his own. |