Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-12-28

Of the creation of God. These are our
.ord's own words and are In full &C:
cord with the Apostle Paups statement
that our Lord is the image OF the 1nvls'
ible God, the first-born of every Great.
ure (nore literally. the first born OF
MI creation), for by Him were all
things created that are N heaven and
that are in earth, visible and invisible.
" all things were created Dy him
and for Him, and He was before an
things and by Him all things consist.
Our Lord Himself pointed out 10 US
that 1t is the heavenly Fathers Will
that we should honor the Son as we
honor the Father-also that we should
recognize Him as the Fathers repre-
sentative, through, whom He is work.
ing all things according to the counsel
of His own will. The Apostle explains
to us that although our Lord occupied
the chief position next to the Father
before He came into the world to be
our Redeemer, yet He now occupies Il
still higher position. He tells Is that
He, was obedient to the Father and
humbled Himself even unto death,
even the death of the cross.
Although the reformers did valiant
service In dispelling much of the gross
darkness and in lifting the true light
of Gods Word, they evidently over
looked the fallacy called the Trinity.
But we have in the Bible the standard
authority by which the reformers were
guided, and it is our duty as we'll as
our privilege to hear what the Lord
God hath spoken upon this subject and
to conform our faith thereto. The
Scriptures do indeed teach, as we have
seen. that there is an Almighty One,
The God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (ROmans, XIV, g.. They
do also teach that the only begotten
Son of God, highly exalted by the
Father, is to be reverenced even as We
reverence the Father: also that the
Scriptures do teach that there is
Holy Spirit of God, which, proceeding
from the Father and from the Son, is
also to be the Spirit of the sanctified
church.
But some one inquiries in astonish-
ment: Is not the doctrine of the Trim
ity particularly set forth in the Bible?
We answer. No. Everything as we
have shown is to the contrary; the
word Trinity, trinitarlan, etc, is not to
be found, even in our common version
of the Bible. which was made by those
who held this as the scriptural posi-
ton and who would have been glad to
thus translate any Hebrew or Greek
word If they had found any such word
capable of such translation.
The few of our day who would stand
up in defense of the unreasonable
that we have three gods
equal in power and glory. and yet that
the three in some incOmprehensible
manner are one in person, would like
to use the one text of Scripture which
has defended this absurdity for cCntu-
ries, but which all scholars now agree
with no part of the original writings.
but was added about the seventeenth
century. at the time when this doctrine
of the Trinity, by persecution. had
forced itself into the place Of full con-
troll.
The passage referred to is omitted in
the revised version of the Bible, al
though all the members of the COM
mittee were professedly trinitarians i'll
their views. They were too cOnscien-
tious to give further publicity to that
which was recognized as fraudulent
intended to deceive and
to support the trinitarian view. The
words not in the original. added In the
seventh century not found in any
Scriptures of earlier date than the sew
enth century-yOu should note in your
Testament by striking them out. name
ly. beginning with the words, "in heav-
en- the Father. the Word and the Holy
Ghost, and these three are one. And
there are three that bear witness in
earth" If those fraudulent words be
out the passage reads as 1t did
originally. with beautiful simplicity
and clearneSS, There are three that
bear records, the Spirit. the water and
the blood. and these three agree i'll
one testimony"
The absurdity of the passage Ms it
stands in the common version can be
seen at a glance. The Interpolation
would make the passage say that the
Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost
all three are one and that they are
bearing record in heaven that Jesus is
the Son Of God. How unreasonable to
suppose that such witnessing in
heaven should be necessary. Do not
the angels know that Jesus is the Son
of God? Why, then. the statement
that the Father. the Son and the Holy
Ghost are witnessing in heaven that
Jesus is the Son of God? Every inter-
polatiOn, and we are glad that they are
few, marks itself as an absurdity, and
cannot be harmonized with the in
Nf hn u, l..
further evidence to US that the Scrip
lures as given by God are Of divine in
spiration, and that nothing should be
added to them nor taken from them.
Evidently. however, it is the duty of
every child of Sod to erase from his
Bible any portion. such as this one,
that may be found to be an addition,
not the words Of the inspired apostles.
This passage would not suggest to
any rea sonable mind that the Father
and the Son are one in person were it
not that this false doctrine has be-
clOuded Judgment on the subject.
There are more ways of being one than
merely personally one. Our Lords
words elsewhere explain His meaning
here. Praying to the Father for His
followers He said, after praying for
His apostles. Neither pray for these
alone, but for them also who will be-
lieve OH Me through their word, that
they all may be one as Thou, Father.
art in Me and in Thee, that they may
he one in u.s." John xviii. 20-2D.
Here Is the sense of oneness between
the Father and the Son, oneness of
spirit, oneness of purpose-not oneness
of person.