to this economy, the Son, the Redeemer, Facts under the Father, and by his will and appointment, and in this respect takes an important part; and in this sense he is supposed to speak, when he says, the Father is greater than I."

The Encyclopædia of Religious Knowledge, edited by Rev. J. Newton Brown, defines the Trinity to be, "the union of three in one generally applied to the ineffable mystery of three persons in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The term, which might more properly be expressed by triunity, corresponds to the trinitates unitas of Tertullian. It was less properly expressed by the Greek fathers by the word trias, a term which had been employed by certain Platonic philosophers, when they spoke of the many triads in the Deity, but was first introduced in application to the Christian doctrine by Theophilus of Antioch, in the second century. This Tertullian rendered into Latin by trinitas.

Rev. Dr. John Dick, in his lectures on theology of the Trinity, observes, "The doctrine which I am about to illus trate, is thus expressed in our confession of faith: "In the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is the eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son." The sum of this definition is, that while there is only one divine nature, there are three subsistences or persons, called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who possess not a similar, but the same numerical essence; and that the distinction between them is not merely nominal, but real. The term which has been used to express this doctrine is Trinity, a compound Latin word, signifying THREE IN UNITY. The Greeks use the word trias, which serves the purpose; although it does not so explicitly convey the idea of a three-fold distinction in unity, its proper meaning being numerus ternarius, or ternio, the number three.

Some think the word Trinity was first used in a synod which met at Alexandria in the year 317; but others assign to it an earlier date, and give as the author Theophilus of Antioch, who flourished about the year 162."-Dick's Theology, vol. 1, page 286,

Concerning Theophilus of Antioch, the translator of Masheim, remarks, "He was the first who made use of the word Trinity, to express the distinction of what divines call persons in the Godhead. The Christian church is very little obliged to him for his invention. The use of this and other unscriptural terms, to which men attach either no ideas or false ones, has wounded charity and peace, without promoting truth or knowledge. It has produced heresies of the very worst kind.".

God,

The phraseology peculiar to the doctrine of the Trinity is, Triune, Triad, God the Son, God the Spirit, God the Holy Ghost, Jehovah, Jesus, God-man, God-mediator, incarnate first person, second person, third person, three in one, one in three, three equal persons in the Godhead, three-one God, the sacred Three, eternal Three, two natures, double nature, human and divine nature, very God, very man, coequal, co-eternal, co-essential, eternally begotten, eternally proceeding, eternal Son of God. The Bible student readily discovers that Christ and the Apostles never employed any of the above phrases. It is not, therefore, heresy to abandon their use entirely. It is sufficiently distinct to say, respecting this subject, "I and my Father are one." "My Father is greater than I.” "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one." There can be no lack of evidence to sustain an evangelical character, if we adopt and use precisely the phraseology employed by Christ and his Apostles. What they taught let us receive in the fullness of their spirit. If Christ and the Apostles should come from heaven and preach precisely the same gospel they did when on earth, no one

would dare question the soundness of their faith, or say they did not preach the whole truth, because they were never heard to express their thoughts of God, his Son and the Holy Ghost, by any of the terms and phrases above named. The doctrine of the Trinity has to be explained by seeking a signification, independent of the scriptures; and in its application to Christian theology it receives the signification of an "ineffable mystery," and as a mystery we leave the subject, and lay aside the use of the term as wholly unnecessary.

CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

One of the most prominent and frequent titles applied to Christ in the scriptures is, "Son of God." This title is applied to him not as a title of office; he is called the "Son of God" in a proper sense. The Father says of Christ, "This is my Son ;" and Christ says of the eternal God, he is "My Father." The Father, the Son, the disciples, the convinced murderers of Christ; and even devils, with one voice declare Jesus to be the "Son of God." This is the true meaning of his sonship, because the scriptures repeatedly say he is the "begotten of God," "The only begotten of the Father," "The only begotten Son of God."

Christ is not therefore a created being, nor the natural son of Joseph and Mary; for then it would appear that Christ is no more competent to save the world than some other devout The doctrine that presents Christ as a human, created being, is wholly unscriptural, and subversive of the whole plan of salvation.

man.

Created nature may differ altogether from the nature of him who creates. God created our first parent with a nature inferior to his own. The nature of the begotten must necessarily agree with the nature of him that begat. This being

a universal law, therefore the son whom God begat, is not human but divine.

In the origin of Christ, by the scriptures, we are carried far back beyond visible and mortal 'things. He existed befoer he appeared on earth. He that existed before, when he appeared on earth was "made flesh," and he that had been invisible was then "beheld." Christ says he existed "before Abraham ;" and that he was with the Father "before the world was;" that he "proceeded forth and came from God, and came unto this world," and that when "he left the world, he went to the Father and ascended up where he was before." Christ was present at the creation, and all things that God created were created by him; for "God created all things by Jesus Christ," saith the inspired Apostle. In this view of the nature and character of Christ a glorious harmony and beauty appear extending to his work and offices as Mediator, Savior, Redeemer, Prophet, Priest, King and final Judge. Christ with a name better than the angels, reigns above all heavens, angels being made subject to him. As LORD OF ALL, he commands the obedience of all; and saves all who submit to him; but will at the last day bring forth his enemies and slay them before him.

The period of his mediatorial office is limited. He reigns "till he has put down all rule, and all authority and power.

Paul says when the end cometh," he shall have delivered np the kingdom to God, even the Father. Then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

From the scriptures, therefore, we have set forth an ample Savior, "able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him," "for he ever liveth to make intercession for us."

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

From time immemorial God has held converse with his intelligent creatures through that essence of his nature which the Bible denominates "the Spirit." This divine and incomprehensible agent under the gospel dispensation has wrought wonders and revealed secrets that had been hid for ages. Its nature is sufficiently made known by terms used in the scriptures to designate and describe its operations among men.

"Spirit," "Holy Spirit," "Spirit of God." These phrases show that in its nature it is not only immaterial, but of the nature of God. The revelations to the prophets were by the Holy Spirit. It rested on Christ without measure. By its influence the past was brought to the remembrance of the Apostles, and by it was their power manifested. It fell upon the Apostles' congregations, and by it their hearers were awakened. It is this essence of the divine mind that reproves the world; and this is the mighty, invisible agent that sets home truth, awakens fears, strengthens sinners to lay hold on Christ, and fills the believer's mind with pure and heavenly joy. Without it the gospel would fall powerless upon the hearts of careless sinners, and forever cease to turn them from darkness to light. To doubt or deny the necessity or the agency of the Holy Ghost, both in conversion and in Christian progress, is to assume the position of a mere philosopher or formalist. "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities." "If any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his." "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." By this Spirit Christ went and "preached to the spirits in prison," and by this spirit he was quickened " from the dead; and it is this spirit that will "also quicken our mortal bodies," at the resurrection of the last day. That this Divine Comforter might come and execute a glorious mission, Christ left earth and ascended far above all heavens