The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-06-13

nor shah We want Tile rafsstgQ and bFsUidnf
rays uf rine preSeDt sonfes Ut dss%sfd cen
ire of anrliifle system fer G0d, fAt sun
efsans. and som Of all sySie@s, shall dwell
m the city, Illuminating and che,ring It's
inhabitants Bun While the world suffers
m consequence Of sin---sorow aud crying
are egfeYitneed by the best of Adams
children; aud death, IN BnEABFrL aAJEs.
II, leatls proudly over fhe talle*t of all the
sons af men During this miserable aud
4.ntaDyy state Of human 1fdirs, we are not
authorised from tlie sacred writings, hi !
understand their internal senst,"l to ex
pect the New Jerusalem 10 come down
from God. oni ef Heaven You seem 10
think, that our ideas of God are alt0ge
Their confused aud PerpleSed,h leaving ns 10
doubt about the object If our des0ilon.-~i
admit that the doeh Inc of the Trinity Is
greatly mysterious and iacomprehenslhIe
nathef has The light from Baron Sweden
borg, nor his followers, fhow,uer rJutgeaf
u may bel been sufficient Ia strip fhe sub
ieot of my stery. Indeed shah be truly
grallfed, II yon nill explain in what sense
yau understand HE humanity of Christ To
b. divine for divine humanity" is AN cx-
pression employed by some Of your wri-
fcrs. Is Is not rs consistent 10 call the dl-
WITTY Of Christ, hHmaa divinity f? Are not
divinity and humanity as opposite AZ light
and darkness, only as united IN the person
Of Christ? And II this Union authorise your
mode Of expression, does IT not by parity
of reasoning, authmisc the other You
may answer me by saying, that Divinity,
which created all things, can, by a miracle,
change one substance into another, or
one essence into anoih.r, or change matter
Into sprit, and consequently humanity in
IN divinity ifso, il is no longer humanity:
and besides, ii God be able 10 change hu-
maBty to divinity, il follows OF necessary
consequence, that he can create divinity ;
and, i 80, he can make u God This IN.
droidabie conclusion must be grossly alb.
surd. Do you believe thai Christ possess
SEES any physical powers, or do you eonsi-
der him TO be entirely metaphysical be
Ing 7 II the latter, how do yuu account for
his saying, " handle me and see that
spirit hath not fesli aud bones AS We see
me have" Aud again, To Thomas, lie said
+" reach bither thy finger, aud behold my
hands and reach hither thy hand, and
thrust il intom my side And upon this by
pothcss, no. cpuidhe bleed aud die ? But
perhaps You may tell me he once posses.
sed the powers Of humanity, Which sulier.
I'd aud Uhich died, hut that, by some won
derlIl change, he lost these powers and
becane 0ttogethor directed of NATTER
When aud where did hc lose them The
expressions gnoted, respecting Thomas,
IrpnnrI ffnI, Ia .ft la.
aud consequently hr did not leave any Of
the principles of humanity in the grave
II understand your view of the Trinity,
II excludes the idea Of three persons in
one Trlune-God, | have Admitted the
unscarchable and inscrutable character OF
Christ Jesus, tac Only I,ord God of Hea-
ven and earth aud il must also be admit.
tea, that II WE could comprehend Deity,
the language ol nortals is loo poor and too
totc tocSpress The infinite excellence aud
glorious perfection of his character. |
hanhly conceive, however that we shall be
safe IN the conclusion thai God has employ
ed thu best modes of expression, in rela-
unn To hlmselt AZ he is not only acquatnt.
"a with our capacities, but also with his
own nature. How, then, do We reconcile
the language OF onr Lord, with your view
Of the Trinity He says, when the com
iorter ~ come, whom will send unto YOU,
from the father, eteH The Spirit Of truth,
which proceedetk from the father, he shall
TESTIFY of me." Here we find a personal
ptuhnun, third person, singular number,
aud masculine gender, and the holy spirit,
Tor lis antecedent are wc not, therefore,
justified in the conclusion that the holy
spirit Is pcrsonal Surely we are. or we
must conclude, that God could not find
words To express the real and true idea, or
that this part of the sacred writing is Inn
properly translated, (which has never been
preiended) or that Swcdenhorg's " Internal
sense explains away AN these expressions.
You will iind, by reading the 10Th chapter
oi the Gospel OF Christ, ny John. that the
same personal pronoun, he, is used in rela
ton to the Father, son and Holy Spirit
II ms language be not sufficient To author
lze The idea OF three persons ia one God, |
must acknowledge that am ignorant not
only OF God, but of the iRicraai sense of
The scriptures, and the sricnce Of words
through which ideas are conveyed 10 IN.
mhd. Another article OF your faith. asex-
pressed by the Rev. MIR. Roche. denies the
resurrection of the bodies we now have
II The same bodies rise not, | apprehend
There VIII be no resurrection at all for if
other bodies be furnished us, in the room
"i these we now have, the subject comes
properly under the idea OF new creation.
ask If the same body of Christ which
suffered, died, and was buried, did not rise
again lfnot why the prints ofthe nails
IN -ns hands after his resurrection /? But If
'4e same may we not expect to experience
a similar resurrection Paul saws, "ifwe
have been planted together in the likeness
OF his death, we shall De also in the likeness
OF ms resurrection" But" saws he.
some man will say, how are the dead
RAISED up, and with what body do thew