Therefore the Father is the Holy Spirit.

Again,

The Son is the Only God,

The Holy Spirit is the Only God; Therefore the Son is the Holy Spirit. 3d, It follows from this doctrine, that neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit is the one true God. Thus, The Father is the One true God, The Son is not the Father;

Therefore the Son is not the One true

God. Again,

The Son is the One true God,

The Father is not the Son;

Therefore the Father is not the One true God.

The same applies in regard to the Holy Spirit.

4th, It follows that every person of the Trinity is divided into three persons. Thus,

The One God is divided into three sons,

per

Every divine person is the One God;
Therefore every divine person is divided

Division II.

Shewing that the eternal Existence of the Son of God, by the Production of the Father, overturns itself.

1st, It follows, that the Son is the Son of himself, and the Father of himself. Thus,

The Son was produced of the Essence of the Father,

The Essence of the Son is the same as the Essence of the Father ;

Therefore he was produced of the Essence of himself.

2d, It follows, that Christ did exist from all eternity, and did not exist; that he always was, and once was not. Thus, The great God existed from all eternity; Christ is the great God ;

Therefore Christ existed from all eter

nity.

What is begotten cannot have existed from all eternity;

Christ was begotten;

Therefore Christ cannot have existed from all eternity.

Division III.

Shewing that the Incarnation of the Son of God overturns itself.

1st, It follows from this doctrine, that not only the Son, but the Father and the Holy Spirit became incarnate and assumed the human nature. Thus,

The divine nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the same;

The divine nature of the Son assumed the human nature;

Therefore the divine nature of the Father, and of the Spirit, also assumed the human nature.

2d, It follows that the second person of the Divinity ceased to be a person. Thus, The person of Christ consisted of the divine and human nature;

No part of a person can be called the

person;

Therefore the divine nature of Christ was not a person.

3d, If the human nature of Christ was a person, the divine nature could not have been a person. Thus,

Jesus Christ was not two persons but one person;

The human Jesus Christ was a person. Therefore the divine nature could not have been a person.

Division IV.

Shewing that the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit being a third Person in the Trinity, overturns itself.

Thus, If the Holy Spirit be a person proceeding both from the Father and the Son, then was the Son equally with the Father, the Father of the Holy Spirit; But there is only one Father;

Therefore the Holy Spirit is not a person thus proceeding.

Or thus, If the Holy Spirit be a person proceeding from the Father and the Son, then was the Holy Spirit the Son of the Father equally with the Son;

But there are not two Sons, but only one Son.

Therefore the Holy Spirit is not a person thus proceeding.

EXTRACTS FROM CHRISTIE ON THE DIVINE

UNITY.

"The word Trinity (says Luther) sounds oddly, and is a human invention; it were better to call Almighty God, God, than Trinity." And Calvin observes in like manner, "I like not this prayer, O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity! It savours of barbarity: the word Trinity is barbarous, insipid, profane, a human invention, grounded on no testimony of God's word, the Popish God, unknown to the prophets and apostles."*

Divines may amuse themselves, and deceive others, with scholastic jargon, arbitrary and unmeaning distinctions, and terms of human invention; they may cry out mystery, ineffable mystery, but the nature of things will not be altered or changed. A God the Father, a God the Son, and a God the Holy Ghost, distinguished by their personal properties, and possessing each of them all the proper attributes of the divine nature, will still be

* Monthly Review for Oct. 1754, p. 257.