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

creed-Firet, God the Father, who Is
the original ground of all life, the abb
solute and ultimate source Of all vls!c
bic and invisible gifts; who is himself
Invisible, unsearchsble and inaccessl-
BILE. who dwells unknown and IN
movable by all creatures-eternnally
al rest on his eternal throne: Then
there is God the Son, the brightness OF
the Fathers glory and express image
of his person; in order OF duration as
eternal as the Father himself; but In
order of relation the Fathers Son; yet
eternally possessed of inherent
omnipotence, and endowed with self
existent and intimate life. Using the
personal distinction Heis God mani
tested. He is the God who may be
approached and known, touched and
enioyed. He first come from the
bosom of the Father as Creator; next
as the eternal High Priest to atone
for sin, and mediate between the SIN
ner and the Holy God.
Then there is and must be God the
HOLY Ghost, who proceeding from the
Father and the Son binds them in
perfect unity and c)mmunions; who
from the Father and through the Son
communicate to creation, energy ana
life; and who is tho ecouomy of re-
dempti,yn. regenerates and sanctilies.
Regeneration aud s5ncuioation can
not be the proper work OF he Father.
He is eternally at rest upon his throne
the King and Jusgc. Nor can it be
the proper work Of Jesus, the Son.
He is the High Priest whose work IT
is to make atonement and to intercede
for sinners. II must therefore be the
work of third person, and He must
be essentially divine. because it is the
work requiring the continual exertion
of omnipotenee.
Hence, we see that the doctrine of
the Trinity is peculiarly the doctrine
of Christianity. No other system OF
religion holds it; for no other system
of religion recognizes the redemption
of man by satisfaction TO infinite JUS
tice. 1t is necessarily the fundamen-
tai, the grand undergirding doctrine
of Christianity. Without it Christian
ity as a reasonable system would be
dissipated like fog, and redemption
reduced to a cipher.
The popular objection to the doc
trine is its incomprehenSibility, and its
seeming absurdity. Il cannot com
prehend," says the objector, "how
there can be three and at the same
time only one. 1t strikes
me as an inevitable self-0ou-
tradiction." This objection would be
valid were it not for the simple fact
that it lies entirely in a misconeeptiOn
and misunderstanding on the part OF
the objector. 1t would indeed be a
contradiction and abhrdlty, which no
rational man could be expected to
receive, to say that there are three
persons andsat the same time only one
person. But it is neither absurd nor
unreasonable to say thar there are
three persons and at the same time
only one generic essence, one substan-
tial Godhead. There is only one
manhood upon earth, one great generic
humanity. But at the same time
there are millions of human persons.
So there is but one Godhead, one
Divinity, one great Deity, but in that
Godhead, Divinity, Deity, it is per-
iectly reasonable that there may be
three Divine persons, each of which is
God.
Draw an equilatral triangle. There
is but one figure, there is but one con
tinuous that line bounds and consti.
tutes the figure. Yet it is equally true
that this triangle has three equal sides.
1t has lines, three each of which is equal
to the other, and each holding its own
proper place in the figure, and each
absolutely necessary to the existence
Of the figure as it is.
So in reference to the Godhead.
There is but one Divine essence, but
one Divine integrity of attributes; but
at the same time there are three dis
tinct persons, each in all respects equal
to the other; each occupying his own
place in the Divine existence, and
each absolutely necessary to the exist
ence of the Deity as he is revealed to
US in the Scriptures. For the Bible
reveals God as tie God of salvation;
but take out of the plan of salvation
either of these three persons with his
peculiar Office and work, and there is
no longer a God of salvation and there
fore, 50 far as the Gospel is concerned,
no Godhead.
Suppose an institution of learning
whose constitution provides for three
professional chairs, each to be occu-
pied by professor, who must be equal
in authority aud honor " each Of the
others. Now, regarded as to physical
essence and constitution, that faculty
is a unit Regarded az a genus it is
unit. Regarded as an executive and
governing body. 10 whose hands are
the control and regulation oflhc nsti-
tuition, 1T is unit. And yet it is
composed Of three distinct persons
each most strictly an individual, each
holding his own respective Office, dis
charging his own peculiar duties, and
each absolutely necessary to the inten
sity of the faculty as provided by the
constitution of the college.
The analogy holds geod ithus far
In the universe oil matter and of spirit
there is one Deity, one eternal Facul-
ty, constituting the original ground Of
all existence, and source Of all life,
one eternal self existent living essence.
in everlasting harmony aud concert of
thought and will this original Facul-
ty of all faculties made, upholds,
guides and governs all matter and
spirit As genus, governing power,
controlling faculty, it is absolutely
one. But this does not render dis
tinetiOn of persons either impossible
or unreasonable. nor indeed does il
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