The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-07-05

by Him. Howbeit there is not in ev-
cry man that knowledge."-l Corinthi-
ans viii. 6. Z.
been confessing Divine trinity. taught
by the creeds. which was incompre-
hensible: and meantime they have
been neglecting the trinity taught by
the Bible. which Is more reasonable.
If the trinity of the creeds was ques-
toned. holy hands were lifted in hor-
ror. and the questioner was told that
the subject was a mystery. which he
could not possibly understand. but to
doubt it would mean his damnatiOn!
Therefore he must profess to believe
what he did not understand. and there
fore could not believe.
The mysterious proposition was
sometimes put in one form and some
times in another. Some stated it to
be 3 is one. But others stated 1t
differently. ! Z 3 is one. No wonder
if some of the more Intelligent speci-
mems of our race declared themselves
incapable of understa nding such mathe-
MATES. and too honest to confess and
profess what they could not believe.
Many of these honest souls have been
forced by their candor to remain out
side the various denominations of
Christendom s..
Under such pressure it should not
surprise us that there has sprung up
an equally unscriptural theory. styled
Universalism. desiring to worship God.
yet too honest and conscientious to
make false pretensions of faith. These
have been driven to an antagonism of
the popular theory of the trinity to
the extent of ignoring the Divinity of
our Lord Jesus Christ. and the teach
ings Of the Bible to this effect. In
word, the great Adversary, during the
Dark Ages. succeeded in swinging the
pendulum first to one extreme and
then to the opposite extreme. while
the very Truth. which the Bible pre-
sents. lies midway between them. As
Bible students. let us seek to know
the mind of the Lord on this subject.
as well as on other subjects. assured
that the Wisdom which comes from
above is alone capable of giving us
proper instruction and guidance. and
of solving our man-made mysteries.
Consider Now Our Text.
Note the simplicity of the Bible
statements-our text being an exam
Pile Not once from Genesis to Reeve
lation does the word trinity occur. Not
once is there any hint of such trinity
as the creeds describe-except in the
one text John Y. (which all schol-
ars. including trinitarians. agree is
spurious-not found in Greek manu-
scripts of an earlier date than the
seventh century-evidentiy .doctored'
by some trinitarian Doctor of Divinity
to meet his long-felt want. Our Re-
vised English Version omits the in
terpolated parts of this text-intro-
duced abont the seventh century to
support the trinitarian theory-al-
though the revisers all profess to be
trinitarians. When ones attention is
called to this spurious passage. the
bungling character of the addition to
the Apostles words Is quickly discern
ed. st. John Is thereby made to say
that the Father. the Son and the Holy
Spirit are going about heaven testify
ing to the angels that Jesus is the Son
of God. Even a child's mind can dis
Germ the absurdity of this statement.
for surely the angels knew that Jesus
was the Son of God before He came
into the world and during His earthly
ministry and since. without any neces-
sty for testimony to this effect from
the Father. the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Testimony Of the Bible.
The Bible sets forth that Jehovah is
the Almighty God, and that our Lord
Jesus is His Son. His offspring. glori-
ously exalted to the Fathers right
hand Of power, dominion and glory
as His Chief Representative and
Agent in all matters. The Father and
the Son, although different persons. are
one In the sense In which our Lord
Jesus stated-one In mind. in purpose.
IN plan. in action. in everything except
In person. How clearly the Master
stated this to us. and how strangely
we overlooked the force of His words
when He prayed for the Church that
we might all be lone. even as Thou.
Father. and are one!' The oneness
of the Church is certainly not a one
ness of person. but a oneness of faith.
hope. harmony. fellowship. even as is
the oneness of the Father and the Son.
Read over the Masters words at yOur
convenience at home. They are found
in the 18th chapter of st. Johns Cos
pei
AS for the Holy Spirit. the spirit OF
Truth, the spirit Of God. the spirit OF
Christ, the spirit of holiness. the spirit
of a sound mind-it is the antithesis,
or opposite of spirit of error. spirit
of vacillation, the spirit of Satan. OF
opposition to God. a spirit of un
righteousness, or unholiness These
are not different spirit beings. but
carnations from spirit beings AS the
spirit OF Satan Is a spirit of evil. or an
evil influence. mind or disposition, a pow
er emanating from Satan. SO contrariwise.
the spirit Of God is a spirit of holiness.
righteousness, truth. the emanation and
display Of the Divine will, purpose ener-
gy and power. And this Holy Spirit pro-
rceeds from God the Father
And our Lord Jesus Christ. being in the
fullest harmony with the Father, His
Spirit Is the same spirit of holiness and
truth. And all of Gods consecrated peo-
pie to the extent that they have the mind
of Christ. the Spirit of Christ. have the
Holy Spirit, and shed forth this holy in.