Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-09

time that in one divine subsistence
and consistence there are three dis
tinct persons, equal to one another in
existence, power and glory; but each
holding his own peculiar Office, and
dischargiDg his own peculiar functions
in the economy Of creation, redemp-
ton and Providence, is a glorious
matter of fact.
But if it is not true, then this
formula exalts two persons, the Son
and the Holy Ghost, to an equality
with the eternal and absolute God.
In other words, it makes them to be
God who are not God. 1t is therefore
blasphemy, it is idolatry; and Jesus,
who put this language ia the mouths
Of his Apostles to be the distinctive
and leading feature OF their ministry,
can not be regarded as any other than
a blasphemer and imposter.
In the next place | would have you
note the peculiar wording OF this
formula. It does not say "Baptizing
them in the names of the Father, Son
and HOLY Ghost" but in the name of
the Father, of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" Thus while it expressly
states the existence of three persons
and assigns to each name indicative
of his peculiar Office and functions,
vet to the three together it gives one
comprehensive name, that embraces
all three, and seems to bind them to-
gether in a oneness Of essence, author
ity and power-a name that may be
applied to all three together or to
either of the three.
Therefore the baptismal formula
propounds the awful and in some
respects the incomprehensible doc
trine. that while there is one Deity,
subsis.ing in a unity of essence,
attributes, power and conscious
ness, vet that Deity has eternally
existed in the form or mode
of a triad or trinity, consisting OF
three distinct persons, each holding
his own respective place in the econ
omy of eternal self existence end in
the economy of creation and redemp
tion.
Some theologians Of the profound
order, and especially of the German
school, have argued that trinity OF
persons in the Godhead is eternally
necessary from the very nature of
God. | do not presume to decide
upon the validity Of their argument.
/ confess / am unable to appreciate
its logical force. | cannot see how
the nature of God, considered as alb
solute, any more necessitates three
persons than it does a oneness Of per-
sonifcation. Indeed, it rather seems
to me that the nature of God, alb
stractly considered, would lead u3 to
the doctrine of unity of person as
we'll as of essence. | will give you
their argument, however, for what it
is worth, which is substantially this:
All life is necessarily active. The
distinctive property Of the living is its
activity. Extract this property from
the living and it is at once reduced to
a level and a sameness with the not
living; and God is eternally and in
fnitely living; hence God must be
externally and infinitely active. But
all real action must have an object
worthy of itself, and iii some respects
commensurate with itself. What,
then, can be the proper object of d.
vine activity Not the world nor even
the universe, for neither the world or
universal is eternal and infinite. There
was a period when the universe did
not exist; when nothing but God him
self existed. God was then as active
as heis now. The proper object Of
God eternal and infinite action must
therefore be within himself alone.
Hence God cannot exist in the form
of rigid unity, for every subject OF
agent must have anobject distinguish
able from itself on which to act. The
proper eternal and infinite action Of
Gods life is his deserving loving and
rejoicing. No finite thing can fill the
scope of these affections. Hence the
eternal necessity Of Gods unfolding
bis Being into Father and Son. The
Father is the eternal agent, loving,
desiring and rejoicing. The Son is
the eternal object on whom the Father
exercises these affections. But
Father and Son are simply a duality
an antithesis without unity. There
fore the eternal necessity of third
person, to constitute an intermediate
link. to destroy the antithesis and es-
tablish unity. This third person is
the Holy Ghost, eternally proceeding
from the Father and the Son, and
binding the two together 10 unity Of
essence, Of glory, Of vOlition, con-
seriousness and thought.
But however sound or unsound this
argument may be, every logical mind
will without discussion admit the
proposition that trinity of persons
in the Godhead is AN indispensable
condition to human salvation by re.
demption according to the Gospel.
Redemption through an atouement
offered as a satisfaction to infinite jus.
tice would be impossible without the
three distinct persons 10 the GOdhead.
A belief, therefore, in the distinct ex
istence of the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost is logically necessary in order
70 belief in the plan of salvation as
revealed in the Gospel. In corrobo
ration Of this statement have only
to cite the fact that every able mind
that has ever denied the Trinity has
equally denied the efficacy Of the
Atonement, or, rather, denied that
any atOnement was made as an ade.
quate satisfaction to eternal Justice.
| would not be understood, however.
as saying that a belief in the doc.
trine of the Trinity is necessary to
the salvation of the human soul, not
by any means. For that would Ger
tainly eliminate from Heaven thou.
sluds and millions of the early Chris.
taiuq Rooouca ~ 80 q xroll Lno,rr