Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-01

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Him. Corinthians viii! 6.
Pastor Russell declared that for CEN
turips Christians have been overlook
| ing the ren, doctrine Of the Trinity, set
forth In the Bible, and have been per
picking their minds In an endeavor to
believe and understand the mysteri-
ous theory of the creedS on the subject.
| which so persistently ignores the laws
of mathematics, by declaring that
three ones are one; or at times varying
the declaration and asserting that one
Is three
ANY one questioning this fabulous
statement. even to the extent OF asking
an exclamation, was branded a hereto
and assured that the matter Is mys-
tery which cannot be understood, but
that If denied the penalty would be
eternal torture; and in numerous in
stances jealous persons had anticipat-
ed the torture by burning the inquirer
at the stake, as for instance, was done
by our good brother John Calvin to
Seryetus.
Doctrine Of Trinity Traced.
There Is no unreasonable mystery
connected with the doctrine Of the
Trinity us presented IN the Bible. said
Pastor Russell. On the contrary, IT 1s
very simple. very reasonable. and very
honoring to God the Father, Jesus the
Son. and to the Holy Spirit.
The Pastor traced the doctrine of tho
Trinity. as presented in the creeds' 10
It's source. 1t was not the teachings OF
Jesus and the inspired Apostles, ana
surely not the belief Of the lsraelites,
md those who for more than four
thousand years had been Gods people
before Jesus day. After the death or
the Apostles. the Bishops enormously
claimed to be their successors vested
with Apostolic authority, and these
formulated the crceds with their va
rious Inconsistencies and Bible CONTRA
dictIons.
The Trinity Of the creeds was intro
duccl to offset the agnostic influences
of the Greeks, who became interested
in Christianity as q philosophy. but
who denied It's teachings respecting the
prchuman existence of Jesus, the ne
cessity for His death as a sin-atone-
mcnt. and the doctrine of the resurrec-
ton.
In proportion rs the Grccians denied
MANY Christians would combat their
theory. and they advanced claim after
claim until they reached the climax
represented In our crccds Of declaring
that Jesus was His own Father anu
His own Son at the same time. that
one God, equal in power and glory
prayed TO the other part Of Himself
with strong cryings and tcnrs to be
delivered from the power of the tomb.
was heard and was raised from the
dead by the power Of the other part OF
Himself.
Indeed, said the Pastor, some have
carried the matter so far as to claim
that when Jesus died the world was
for three days without q God. that lie
then raised Himself from the dead.
Others. considering this an unrcason-
able view. claimed that Jesus never
really died. but merely pretended to
dic-that all of the experiences Of the
cross were n mere farce. pantomime.
performed for the effect upon the pco-
ple-that merely the body of Jesus died
after crying. My God. Ny God, why
hast Thou forsaken Me?" and that the
real Jesus. the real God. stepped out
and watched the proceedings and con-
nived at the deception. including the
further deception respecting the resur-
rection from the dead.
All of this must be abominable to
tbe Father All Christians are per-
picked with this man-madc mystery.
Now. as Bible students are waking
and are studying the Bible, they find
that its teachings are very different
from that Of the creeds, that it Is very
real. very logical. very beautiful, very
harmonious.
Trinity Supported by Forgery.
Before we come to the examination
Of the Bibles testimony respecting the
Trinity. remind you that the word
trinity" does not occur in the Eng
rsh Bible from Genesis to Revelation,
ard that no passage approXimatlns
such teaching is found there, except
one, and that one is an Interpolation.
as all scholars. including Trinitarians'
admit. The Revised Version expunses
the additions evidently added about
the seventh century,. because they are
not ftSnd in any manuscripts Of ear
lier dah.
The spurious passage is found in St
Johns first Epistle. 81. Those SUM-
GENTLY interested will read the pas
sage in its proper form in the Revised
Version. and we ask them TO note that
tic additional words Of the forgery
really make nonsense. in that they
tell US that the Father ard the Son