Reason, the Only Oracle of Man; Or, A Compendius System of Natural ReligionAllen, Ethan
Religion
Reason, the Only Oracle of Man; Or, A Compendius System of Natural Religion
Allen, Ethan
Rationalism
The creed-mongers have exhibited the doctrine of the Trinity in an
alarming point of light, viz.: "Whoever would be saved before all things
it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith, which faith, except
every one doth keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly." We next proceed to the doctrine, "The Father is eternal,
the Son is eternal, and the Holy Ghost is eternal, and yet there are not
three eternals but one eternal." The plain English is, that the three
persons in the Trinity are three eternals, individually considered, and
yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
To say that there are three eternals in the Trinity, and yet that there
are not three eternals therein, is a contradiction in terms, as much as
to say, that there are three persons in the Trinity and yet there are
not three persons in the Trinity.
The first proposition in the creed affirms, that "the Father is
eternal," the second affirms that "the Son is eternal," the third
affirms that "the Holy Ghost is eternal," the fourth affirms that "there
are not three eternals," and the fifth that there is "but one eternal."
The reader will observe, that the three first propositions are denied by
the fourth, which denies that there are three eternals, though the three
first propositions affirmed, that there were three eternals by
name, viz. the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The fifth proposition is
unconnected with either of the former, and is undoubtedly true, viz.
"but there is one eternal." "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the
Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God." Here
again we have three Gods by name, affirmed to have an existence by the
three first propositions, by the fourth they are negatived, and the
fifth affirms the truth again, viz. that there is "but one God."
Admitting the three first propositions to be true, to wit, that there
are three Gods, the three could not be one and the same God, any more
than Diana, Dagan and Moloch may be supposed to be the same; and if
three Gods, their essences and providences would interfere and make
universal confusion and disorder.
"The Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy Ghost is
Almighty, and yet there are not three Almighties but one Almighty." Here
we have three Almighties and at the same time but one Almighty. So that
the point at issue is brought to this simple question, viz. whether
three units can be one, or one unit three or not? Which is submitted to
the curious to determine. Our creed further informs us, that the three
persons in the Trinity are co-eternal together and co-equal, but in
its sequel we are told that one was begotten of the other; and when we
advert to the history of that transaction, we find it to be not quite
eighteen hundred years ago, and took place in the reign of Herod, the
King of Judea, which faith except "we keep whole and undefined," we have
a threat, that "without doubt we shall perish everlastingly."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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