RETHREN: The revelation of himself, with which God has been graciously pleased to favor any portion of his rational creatures, must necessarily constitute the leading and all-important subject of their attention, a true knowledge of God being the only foundation of all true religion and morality, and, of course, of all rational perfection and blessedness. Now, the means by which this fundamental and all-important knowledge is communicated are his works and word. "The heavens declare the glory of the Lord;" the earth also with its various productions and inhabitants: but especially that inestimable treasury, his word, in which not only the most glorious and important of all his works is recorded, but that which of all others is the most interesting to us; in this respect, "he has magnified his word above all his name," or above every other revelation which he has made of himself to us. It not only furnishes us with an instructive comment upon the visible creation, in calling our attention to the various and manifold glories of God therein displayed; but also acquaints us with the superior and invisible glories of the sublimer parts of the creation, of which otherwise we should have had no information at all. Moreover, it acquaints us with his moral character as the great King, Lawgiver and Judge of his rational creatures, by exhibiting the statutes of his kingdom, the principles of his government, and of his judicial proceedings both toward angels and men: and which, in the whole compass of what it presents to our thoughts, upon those very interesting, and important subjects, suggests nothing but what is perfectly consistent with the impressions which the august and glorious works of the visible creation are calculated to produce; and leads us still farther into the [539] deep things of the unsearchable God, by declaring unto us his great name, Jehovah Alehim, which no work, attribute or perfection, known or knowable to us, by any other external means could have possibly revealed. This revelation, therefore, of the unsearchable nature of God, is peculiar to that express declaration, which God has been graciously pleased to make of himself to us in the Holy Scriptures, when the occasion required: that is, when it became necessary to our relief, and to the display of the divine glory in our salvation, so to do. For when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son into the world, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem the guilty from the curse of the law. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son for the life of the world. But what is his name; or what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell?--Who by searching can find out God? Who can find out the Almighty unto perfection, is a divine challenge addressed to the vain pride, the presumptuous inquisitiveness of self-ignorant, self-conceited, haughty, aspiring man. Vain man would be wise, "above what is written:" but the sublime and absolute declaration which God makes of himself to his most distinguished servant Moses, when authorizing him to become the deliverer of his chosen people, saying, "I am that I am," prostrates for ever all presumptuous inquiry, removes to an infinite distance all created comprehension, as utterly incompetent to the subject, and intensely prohibits the vain presumption of comprehending the Almighty. What his word and works declare of his being and perfections, it is our province and our privilege to know and acknowledge, to his glory and our own edification and comfort.

      By his word, then, we learn that the divine name comprehends in it a plurality. "Alehim said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Again, "Jehovah Alehim said, behold the man is become like one of us." Yet he speaks of himself as one: "In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Also, where he assumes a plural name, he at the same time uses a singular verb and pronoun; suggesting in the very same phrase the idea of plurality in unity: "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah Alehim is one Jehovah." And, indeed, were not this the very thing intended in the forms of speech alluded to, which are very numerous, they would be quite unmeaning; and the forecited declaration, Deut. vi. 4, would be absolutely unintelligible. But the clear, blissful and satisfactory revelation of this great mystery is reserved for the New Testament dispensation: For "no man hath seen God at any time (so as to have an immediate or intuitive knowledge of him): the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom (or into the secrets) of the Father, he hath revealed him;" so that "No man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." It is only in those last [540] days that God hath spoken unto us by his Son, in a clear, distinct and certain manifestation of him to the world; "declared to be the Son of God, with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead;" who is the image of the invisible God, the Father, the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, or character of his subsistence; by whom also he made the worlds, or all the various orders of rational intelligences that anywhere exist; "for without him was not anything made that was made; all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist, or stand forth together; who upholdeth all things by the word of his power." Now, most surely, he that made, erected, or built and upholdeth all things, is God--is a distinct intelligent agent or subsistence in Jehovah Alehim, which is one Jehovah.

      But moreover, from the same authentic source of divine information, we also learn that there exists another distinct intelligent agent or subsistence in the One Jehovah, who is distinguished to us by the name Spirit of God; Spirit of Jehovah, or the Spirit Jehovah; the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Holiness; the Eternal Spirit; which was also in the beginning, or when time and things began to exist; who was also an agent in the creation; who with a preparatory energetic influence, as the author of life and motion, acted upon the original chaos brooded or hovered upon the face of the waters; who also garnished the heavens; who formed the human nature of Christ in the womb of the Virgin; who perfectly comprehends all the deep things of God. The author of all holy inspiration, who spake by the prophets, and who in the Old Testament is called Jehovah, a name peculiar to the Alehim, whose name alone is Jehovah; and who is therefore properly called God, as comprehended in the Alehim, to whose immediate agency is peculiarly ascribed all miraculous powers and effects, even to the resurrection of the dead; as also all spiritual and intellectual endowments; hence he is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, the Spirit of counsel and of might, of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The one Spirit who distributeth to every one severally as he will. In fine, all divine works, whether of creation, sustentation, gubernation, resurrection or judgment, are ascribed to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; neither is there any other divine agent revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures, as comprehended in the One Jehovah; or to whom any part of the works or worship peculiar to God is ascribed, but only to the sacred three above mentioned; even our Alehim, whose name alone is Jehovah; and into whose name alone we are baptized. Therefore we believe, and are sure, that these three are the one only living and true God. [541]

      To us, then, who hold the Christian faith, there is but one God; the Father, of whom are all things and we to him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we by him; and one Spirit who worketh all things, who inspires, animates and replenishes the whole body of Christ; dividing to every man severally as he will. And these three are one; even the one Jehovah Alehim, who claims all religious worship and obedience as his proper due, to the exclusion of all other claimants or pretenders whatsoever; who will not give his glory to another, nor his praise to graven images--the infinitely holy, just and jealous God.

      It appears to be a query with some who profess to hold this doctrine, whether it be correct to use the term person when speaking of the above distinct characters in the divine essence. As to this, let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. In the mean time, all that we pretend to say in favor of this application of the term is, that although the term person (which, in relation to men, signifies a distinct intelligent agency or rational being, coexisting with others in the same common nature), is not manifestly applied in the Holy Scriptures to any of the Sacred Three: nor indeed can be so applied in strict propriety, according to its literal and obvious acceptation; for when applied to God, instead of meaning a distinct intelligent being coexisting with others in the same common nature, we must mean by it, if we think and speak correctly, one and the self-same individual being so existing as to constitute in and to itself so many distinct or different, real and relative characters, or subsistences, each of which is but another name for the self-same individual essence or being considered as existing in the specified relation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yet seeing the Scriptures manifestly declare that the one Jehovah exists in three distinct intelligent agents, each of which is the one Jehovah so existing, for there is but one such being; and seeing that the personal pronouns, I, thou, he, we, us, are assumed and used in the Holy Scriptures, by, or in relation to, each or all of the divine characters; therefore, keeping in view the essential and indivisible unity of the divine nature, we think that we speak intelligibly and consistently with sacred truth, when we thus use the term person; and we presume, when taken in this sense, it will apply to the divine characters with as strict propriety as almost any other term in human language that is applied to God; for it must be granted, that in but few instances, if any, human language will strictly and property apply to the divine nature; therefore, when so applied, it must, for the most part, be used in a figurative and analogous sense.

      Again, it is a query with others, who profess to hold this doctrine, whether the relative terms Father, Son and Spirit, be real or economical. To this we would reply, that if we allow the Holy Scriptures to [542] speak at all intelligibly upon this most profound and sacred subject, we must understand the above appellation as declarative of real internal essential relations, independent of any external work or economy whatever. For if the terms Father, Son and Spirit, be not declarative of real or essential relations, that is, of relations that have their foundation in the divine nature, and essentially or necessarily belong to it as such, the Scriptures do not reveal to us three distinct characters so related; but three distinct independent divinities or Gods, necessarily self-existent, and absolutely independent of each other; each and every one of them possessing the self-same properties, and of course, each of them so exactly the same in all respects, as to be absolutely undistinguishable one from another, by any means, property or attribute whatsoever; and, of course, three eternal self-existent independent coexistent Gods; each of them infinitely complete or perfect in and of himself, as possessing every possible perfection of being. A supposition this, not less repugnant to our reason than to the most express and unequivocal declarations of Holy Scripture, for the divine characters are constantly represented as coexisting in the most intimate and inseparable unity of essential relationship one with another, and as having the most entire, inexclusive and all-comprehensive interest in each other, as their correlative names most evidently and incontestably declare. Accordingly the Father saith, "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Son saith, "I am in the Father and the Father in me;" "I and my Father are one;" "My Father worketh hitherto and I work;" "Whatsoever things the Father doth, the same also doth the Son likewise;" "All that the Father hath are mine." And of the Spirit he saith, "Who proceedeth from the Father;" "Whom I will send unto you;" "He shall take of the things that are mine, and shall show them unto you;" "He shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come;" "For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. For as no man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of a man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;" "He hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit;" "They that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit." Again, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."

      From these, and a multiplicity of declarations that might be educed from the Holy Scriptures, it evidently appears, that so far from being separate independent beings, the sacred three are intimately united amongst themselves in an order and manner of subsistence and [543] operation of which we can form no distinct, much less adequate idea; but so it is revealed to us by him, whose sole prerogative it is to know and reveal himself.

      Moreover, if the above doctrine were not really true, there could be no such thing, as the economy of salvation, wherein one divine character is sent by and from another to redeem, and another divine character sent by and from both, to apply that redemption; for where there is no mutual essential relation, there can be no relative subordination; such as naturally and necessarily subsists between Father and Son, and of course no mission of the one from and by the other, as is manifestly the case in the economy of salvation; "For the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for the life of the world."

      Again, if the person sent, however highly exalted in relative dignity, were not more than a creature, there would still remain an infinite distance between him and the Deity, so that he could neither bring himself, nor any one else, nearer to God than his or their nature and circumstances had already placed them; for he could properly or in strict justice merit nothing at the hand of his Creator, Preserver and Proprietor, either for himself or others; everything that he could possibly do in obedience to the divine will, being in strict justice due by him, on his own account, to the sovereign Lord of all, in whom it is an act of condescension to accept or acknowledge the service or worship of men or angels. Therefore, upon principles of reason and justice, as well as according to the most obvious declarations of Holy Scripture, the Redeemer of a lost world can be no other than the Creator and Proprietor of it; of whom it can be truly said, that all things were created by him and for him; that he is before all things, and that by him all things consist. "God is known by his works." "Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works," Ps. lxxxvi. 8. "He that built all things is God." The work of redemption, therefore, manifests the Author to be a divine character, as being manifestly a divine work. But if this same divine character did not really stand related to another divine character, who had not only an equal property with him in all things, but at the same time such an interest in him as that he also should be, in a certain sense, his property, though not his creature, he could neither be sent by him as the greatest possible instance of his love to a guilty world; nor yet would there be another, who by virtue of absolute independent dignity and supremacy possessed such an entire, original, independent right and property in all things, as to be justly qualified and entitled to support the dignity of the supreme claimant; to whom every act of obedience or worship might justly and properly revert, to the glory of the divine nature, and to [544] the entire satisfaction of all concerned, that is to say, of the Son and Spirit, and of the whole rational creation. So that while the Son actually submitted to a state infinitely beneath his essential dignity, that he might become like one of us, both as to our state and nature (the pollution of sin only excepted), and of course, resigned for a time, and in consequence of this relation, things equal to his essential dignity; there was another into whose hands and to whose glory he could make the surrender; who, as was said above, by virtue of his supreme dignity and dominion, as also of paternal superiority, was duly qualified with every essential qualification to claim and support all the honors of Deity, and ultimately to do justice to all concerned; namely, to himself and to his Son, to his redeemed, and to the obsequious angels, who worshiped their Lord Creator in the manger, in the wilderness, in the garden, and in the tomb. Thus we see that God is not only known by his works; but also in this last great work of redemption, the deep things of God are so clearly manifested, that every rational, intelligent mind that receives the discovery of it is necessarily gratified and delighted with the rationality and beautiful consistency of this work, with the revelation which God has been graciously pleased to make of himself in relation to it.

      Upon the whole, by means of this revelation, we clearly and evidently perceive, 1st. That there are three distinct intelligent agents, subsistencies, or personal characters, in one Jehovah our Alehim--the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit, mutually, reciprocally, essentially and inseparably related; so that the one naturally and necessarily infers and supposes the other, as Father and Son; and as the Spirit of the Father and the Son, or as the Spirit of Alehim, which latter word being the plural in the Hebrew (a language that has a dual number) must necessarily imply three at least; and we know certainly by subsequent revelation, that it implies no more; wherefore the Spirit Alehim or of Alehim, must necessarily be the Spirit of the Father and the Son. The same thing also is necessarily implied when he is called the Spirit of Jehovah.

      2. That in the exercise of one and the same divine energy or efficient will, they are inseparable operators in every work; for the Father created all things by his Son, but not without the influence and operation of the Spirit; for God said, that is Alehim said, "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness;" "the Spirit of Jehovah hath made me," said Job, "and the breath or spiration of the Almighty hath given me life"--"by his Spirit he garnished the heavens." Again, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." "My Father worketh hitherto and I work." "If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils," etc. Thus the Father worketh in and by the Son, and the Son by the Spirit; so that there is one operation [545] of Father, Son and Spirit, in every work; not indeed a co-operation as of conjoint and coequal workers; but rather a succession, or process of successive and subordinate operation, not in respect of time but of order; for the Son can do nothing of himself but from the Father; also the Spirit can do nothing of himself but from the Son; for whatsoever things the Spirit doth, the Father and the Son do by him. Wherefore the Spirit works from the Father by the Son; for every purpose, act or volition is, primarily and originally, in the Father; derivatively and by essential participation, the same in the Son; next and mediately by or through the Son, the same in the Spirit, and at the very same instant, being one and the self-same act or volition in each of the divine characters; but, as to the external effect, brought forth or accomplished by the immediate efficiency of the Spirit; who is therefore called the Power of the Highest, and the Finger of God. "If I with the Finger of God cast out devils," etc.

      3. That the divine characters, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit coexist under such relations as not only necessarily suppose and declare their essential unity, but also, with equal evidence and perspicuity, demonstrate a relative subordination according to the manner and order of their subsistence and operation. For the Son saith, "My Father is greater than I"--greater than all. "Neither is he that is sent greater than he that sent him." Which necessarily implies that in some respect he is inferior to him. And of the Father only it is said, that he is "the only true God," as possessing absolutely and independently, in and of himself, all the perfections of Deity, of which also the Son and Spirit necessarily partake in and with him, because they are his Son and Spirit, and therefore necessarily partake with him in the self-same individual nature or essence; though inferior to him in the manner and order of their subsistence and operation; as deriving their subsistence from him, and subordinate in their operations to him; for the Son can do nothing of himself; neither doth the Spirit speak of himself, as the prime original and originating principle of the counsels and work which he reveals and exhibits. But the Father, by his only-begotten Son, the brightness of his glory and the character of his subsistence, or express image of his person, made the worlds; and by his Spirit he garnished the heavens, or replenished the visible creation with glory and beauty; also by his Spirit, the Son reveals to us from the Father the purposes and counsels of his unsearchable wisdom and will, even the deep things of God. "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants the things that must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John," and immediately, saith he, "I was in the Spirit." Thus we conceive, the Father to be the first and leading distinction, [546] subsistence or character in the divine nature, the very origin of all will, purpose and operation, which are in and by the Son determined to an actual execution; and in due order and succession, according to the divine purpose, actually accomplished by the Holy Spirit; so that the same will, power and purpose of the Father is in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost, who divideth to every one severally as he will; or who communicates and dispenses to all created beings, whatever degree, excellency or perfection of being they possess. So that, while according to the manner and order of subsistence and operation, the Son is of the Father, and the Holy Ghost of both, by an essential physical influence peculiar to the divine nature, which we pretend not to comprehend, much less to explain, they remain simply and essentially one in nature, will and operation; so that there is but one simple, indivisible and undivided nature, will and operation of God throughout the vast immensity of his works. "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Alehim is one Jehovah."

      4. Furthermore, from the same source it is evident that each of the divine characters has a power and a glory peculiar to himself, by which they are distinguishable both amongst themselves and to the creatures. It is the glory of the Father to be the first or leading character in the divine nature, the very source and origin of the subordinate distinctions in that nature, and of every external work; it is the glory of the Son to be the second character or distinction in the divine nature, even the express character of the Father's subsistence, in whom every purpose and work comes to be determined to an actual execution, ready to be exhibited or brought forth into actual accomplishment: thus it is written, "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one head all things in Christ." It is the glory of the Holy Spirit to be essentially conscious of all those designs, counsels and purposes, perfectly to comprehend them all, and to exhibit them in their proper times by an actual accomplishment. Again, it is the peculiar glory of the Father to have such a Son: it is the glory of the Son to be the very essential and only-begotten Son of such a Father; to be the brightness of his glory, the very or express image of his subsistence: it is the glory of the Holy Spirit to be the Spirit of Jehovah; the animating principle of creation. "The Spirit or Spiration of the Almighty hath given me life." "It is the Spirit that quickeneth;" yea, it is his peculiar glory to be the immediate efficient of all divine counsels and purposes, so as to give actual birth and being to all the mighty and wonderful works of God. Lastly, it is the glory of the Father to be the ultimate object of all rational worship and adoration; it is the glory of the Son to reveal the Father, and to be the instructive and glorious [547] medium of all rational worship and adoration addressed to the only true God; it is the glory of the Holy Spirit to prepare, capacitate and qualify rational subjects for these exalted blissful exercises, by filling them with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, thus exciting and leading them to all holy adoration. So we see, that there is one glory of the Father, another glory of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost: also that to worship acceptably, we must worship the Father through the Son by the Spirit, to whose immediate agency we are directed to look for all holy dispositions and intellectual abilities, to know, to love and adore both the Father and the Son, according to their proper character; also, to love, reverence and adore himself as the immediate author of life and light in us. Wherefore we cheerfully and heartily, gratefully and gladly say, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." To the one Jehovah our Alehim, our Creator, who in the beginning said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;" and who also said, let us redeem and restore guilty, apostate, rebellious man, to the enjoyment of our justly lost and forfeited image, favor and fellowship; in consequence of which grace, when all things shall be restored to their original state of due subordination and dutiful subjection to their Almighty Author, the three-one God in Christ, who will thenceforth be the fixed centre and adequate medium of the exhibition and fruition of the divine glory, will be the ultimate object of the undivided praises of the whole rational creation of holy intelligences, world without end; "For the Lord God and the Lamb will be the temple and light thereof."

      Thus, in the direct and refulgent light of that special revelation which God has been graciously pleased to make of himself to us, we clearly and evidently perceive, not only what God is in and to his creatures; but also what he is in and to himself, as the self-existent, self-sufficient, independent God, infinitely, eternally and unchangeably sufficient to himself; as being the centre, the foundation and fruition of all blessedness and glory in and of himself; perfectly known, comprehended and enjoyed by himself, in the mutual and reciprocal loves, delights and complacencies of a triune Jehovah. The Father delighting in the Son, and the Son in the Father, and the Holy Spirit equally delighting in, and delighted in, by both. "The Lord or Jehovah possessed me," says the Logos (or Wisdom)" in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. Then was I by him, as one brought up with him. I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men." "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine ownself, with the glory that I had with thee [548] before the world was." "Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world."

      By this light of the knowledge of the being, blessedness and glory of God, with which he has favored us, we are enabled to detect and avoid the many dangerous errors which are afloat in the world. In opposition to which, we state and infer as follows:

      1st. That it is demonstrably evident from what the Holy Scriptures declare concerning Jehovah our Alehim, that those who maintain, that as there is but one divine being or essence, so there is but one divine agent or active intelligence existing in that essence, not only reject the testimony which God has given of himself; but that they do also at the same time reject the very foundation of the Christian religion which depends upon the truth of that testimony. And the same holding the foresaid opinion, seem willing to be thought Christians by accommodating their notion of the Supreme Being to the Christian phraseology, supposing the names Father, Son and Spirit only to mean so many distinct official attributes in relation to the different capacities in which God is pleased to act toward his creatures in the economy of salvation; yet nothing can be more inconsistent with the most express testimony of the Holy Scriptures; for it is most expressly declared that the Father sent the Son; that he came forth from the Father; that he returned to the Father, and that when he should depart, he would send, and actually did send his disciples another Comforter from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, to instruct and lead them into all truth; and to "convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment" by their ministry.

      2d. That those who deny the essential sonship of the Word or Logos, as not being the essential and only-begotten Son of the Father; or the essential derivation of the Spirit from both, as to his subsistence and official character; though they profess to believe, and do acknowledge that there are three distinct intelligent agents, or subsistencies in the one Jehovah; yet they do, nevertheless, virtually and necessarily acknowledge three Gods.

      3d. So likewise do all those, who, though they profess to believe the doctrine of the essential relations of the sacred three, declared in the Holy Scriptures, yet deny the relative and necessary subordination of the Son and Spirit, as therein revealed; declaring that, distinctly and separately considered, they are equal to the Father in underived and independent power and glory. Whereas, according to the expressions of a very ancient creed, it appears from the Holy Scriptures, "that the Father is of none, neither made nor created, nor begotten; the Son is of the Father alone, neither made nor created but begotten; the Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding." So that, [549] distinctly considered, they are not equal in respect of underived subsistence, power and glory. Thus they are essentially one, even the one Jehovah, and essentially equal in that respect. Wherefore, it is evident that there is one glory of, or peculiar to the Father, another peculiar to the Son, and another to the Holy Ghost, as above declared. Indeed, were not this evidently the case, there would most certainly be, not three relative subsistencies in the one Jehovah characteristically distinct, but three Jehovahs; or three self-existent, independent and eternal Gods.

      4th. That he that receiveth not this doctrine, as it is now revealed, hath not the true God. For whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; and consequently he that denieth the Holy Spirit, rejecteth both the Father and the Son; for he is essentially the Spirit of them both; the one Spirit that is and works by and from them both, in all external operations; Jehovah working by his Spirit in the hearts of his people, both to will and to do of his good pleasure, according to his promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Now, as the sacred name Jehovah manifestly includes the Father, Son and Spirit, when Jehovah says, "I will put my Spirit within you;" it is manifestly declared, that the Father and the Son send the Spirit, and work by him in the hearts of this people intended in the promise.

      As for the objections and difficulties that have been suggested in opposition to the above doctrine, or the attempts that have been made to obviate them by illustrations and explanations of what is not revealed concerning it, Christians have nothing to do with such things. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law," Deut. xxix. 29. That we may "honor the Son even as we honor the Father." That we may believe, worship and obey a three-one God, into whose blessed and glorious Name we have been baptized. Wherefore, we conceive that we have nothing to do with the definitions and disputes which have originated about the eternal generation of the Son, and procession of the Holy Ghost; nor yet with that semi-Arian doctrine about the pre-existence of the human soul of the Redeemer, before the creation of the world; nor with any such vain speculations. We believe that, whatever God is, the same he always was and ever will be during all duration, world without end, as his peculiar and incommunicable name, Jehovah, manifestly declares. To all those, then, that object to the above doctrine, as unintelligible, irrational, and the like, our only reply is, has God so revealed himself to us in the Holy Scriptures? If so, let God be true; but, in our estimation, every man that opposes his word, a liar. In the mean time, as a solid reply to all such cavils, we assert with the evidence of demonstration, that the [550] divine essence is as incomprehensible as the manner of the divine existence, or that the natural and essential attributes of Jehovah are as much above, or, if you will admit the expression, as contrary to our reason, as anything contained in the above doctrine. Is it asked, how can one and the self-same indivisible and undivided essence exist in three distinct personal characters? We might as justly ask in reply, how can the divine essence exist at all? or how can there be any such thing as an eternal self-existent being? Again, is it asked how the Divine Being can exist in and to itself, under a threefold relation; or, how one and the self-same being can exist in three distinct intelligent subsistencies or personal characters, each of them still continuing to be the self-same individual Being, actually three, yet severally one? We might, with equal propriety, ask, how something can be produced from nothing? how dead matter can be animated? or how the Almighty could produce, out of mere nonentity, empty nothing, a universe of animate, sensitive and rational beings of the multitude and magnitude of which we can form no conception at all? Is it farther queried, how could the Father bring forth or exhibit his Son in human nature, or how could divinity and humanity be so united as to constitute but one individual person? We might as rationally query, how can soul and body, matter and mind be so united as to make but one individual being or person?

      Again, if it be asked, how can the Father, Son and Spirit be distinct intelligent agents, and yet be so united in every work, that one and the self-same work should, in every instance, be equally the work of each? We might as reasonably ask, how can Jehovah fill heaven and earth; yea, the vast immensity of the universe, so as to be really and actually present in every place, or with every creature at all times; and yet have no relation either to time or place? or, how he could so perfectly know every thought, word and action; every state, condition and circumstance of the countless millions of his rational creatures, before they had a being, that he can receive no new information from or concerning them for ever? Yet, all those things we must certainly believe concerning the Divine Being, existence, operations, knowledge, etc., etc., upon the evidence which God has afforded us, without being able to account for any of them, or at all to show how they are or can be. Now, when these and a thousand other queries respecting God and his works, which might be suggested, are satisfactorily solved, we suppose there will then remain no difficulty in relation to the doctrine under consideration. In the mean time, let us reason, believe and act consistently. Let us not reject anything that is revealed because we cannot comprehend it or conceive how it is, while we profess to hold other things, which we must acknowledge to be equally incomprehensible. [551]

      Upon the whole, we conclude, that as Christians and rational creatures, we have to do with the divine testimony and works; that what these clearly exhibit to our understandings concerning God, it is our duty and privilege to know and acknowledge; and that for the most part, these resolve themselves into certain truths or facts; which, when perceived and admitted, become to us principles of rational, moral and religious action; and, as such, influence our conduct, in relation both to God, ourselves and our neighbors; and thus designate our characters. That, therefore, it is not so much, if at all, with the HOW that we have to do, as with the WHAT. Thus, what is God; or what has he declared concerning himself? and not how can he be such? Again--What has God done? What is he doing? What will he do? What would he have us to do? What is our actual condition before him? Must we be born of water and of the Spirit, in order to become the subjects of his kingdom. Will there indeed be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and hath God in very deed, appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained? These, and such like inquiries concerning all that we should know, believe and practice, are highly interesting to us. Not so the inquiry, How can these things, be? as was said by some, "How shall the dead be raised, and with what body shall they come?" "How can a man be born when he is old?" etc., etc.

      The curious would do well to read, for their reproof and instruction in righteousness, the answers originally given to those foolish and impertinent inquiries.

      We conclude with observing, in reference to the subject of this letter, that the discovery which God has made of himself to us in the economy of salvation is quite consistent with our natural notion of the divine blessedness. It is the common impression of mankind, that God is the happiest of all beings; yea, that he is superlatively so. Accordingly, he is revealed to us, not as a solitary, unknown and unknowable being, destitute of the enjoyment of equal and adequate society--a privilege this, which seems so essential to rational satisfaction and blessedness, that, comparatively, we can conceive of but little or no satisfaction or happiness where this is not the case; and that the more perfect the being, the greater the privation; as was evidently the case with Adam, in his paradisiacal state, before God provided a companion, an help meet for him. But according to the revelation which we have of God, he never existed in such a desolate solitary condition; and we are sure that if he had, creation could never have furnished him with a suitable companion. Is he not infinitely more exalted above the most exalted creature than that creature is above nothing? If so, he must find his society in himself: [552] accordingly, it is written, "In the beginning, God said, Let us make man in our image." "Then was I by him as one brought up with him," saith the Logos, "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory I had with thee before the world was." Again, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts." "No man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; neither knoweth any man who the Father is, but the Son;" also "the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." Thus the Divinity is revealed to us as possessing in itself such a plenitude of self-sufficiency--such a perfection of blessedness as to admit of no accession, no addition, as eternally existing in the reciprocation of infinite and ineffable delights. Now, does not this appear to be the peculiar glory, yea, the consummative perfection of the divine nature, to contain within itself such a fullness and blessedness--by virtue of which, God was essentially, independently and eternally glorified and enjoyed in and by himself before the world was; comprehending and comprehended, loving and beloved in a degree and manner suitable to himself, that is, to an infinite degree, adequate to his infinite perfection; which he can never be by any nature inferior to himself, how exalted soever it may be in its intellectual faculties; nor indeed by all the creatures collectively considered? "Glory be to the Father," etc., etc. "This is the true God and Eternal Life." "And these three are one." "Hear, O Israel Jehovah," etc. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Amen.

      NOTE.--Near the close of the fourth inference we have observed, that to worship God acceptably, that is, according to the spirit and tenor of the gospel dispensation, under which we live, we must worship the Father through the Son, by the Spirit. In relation to this we should further observe, that although this way of approaching God affords us the most complete view of the principle, the manner, and ultimate object of gospel worship, which is the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit: yet, it is abundantly evident. that we are by no means restricted to this precise form of address in every act of religious worship; for sometimes the Son himself is the only specified object of address, as in the case of Stephen, whose departing prayer was, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit:" so that as Christians we not only worship the Father through the Son by the Spirit. but also the Son himself through the Spirit; for without the Spirit, we can worship neither the Father nor the Son. Moreover, the Father and the Son, in his mediatory character, are sometimes presented to us as [553] conjoint objects of religious worship. "To him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb," etc. Whereas the Spirit in his distinct official capacity, is nowhere presented to us as the immediate and specified object of address, though we are everywhere taught to believe in him as a divine character, and to ascribe to him immediate agency--the entire glory of our immediate and actual salvation, as "God that dwelleth and worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure." The reason of this distinction in our worship, in relation to the divine Spirit, we humbly presume, is founded in the following considerations. 1st. That he himself being the prime efficient, the immediate exciting cause and principle of all acceptable worship and adoration in us, it would appear inconsistent with this state of the case, to call upon him to perform any part of his office in or toward us; as if we, by virtue of some inherent principle, of which he was not the immediate author, could desire his influence, or act toward him for the obtaining of that, without the possession of which we could not be supposed capable of acting at all in a spiritual manner. 2d. That supposing us excited by his influence to desire farther and higher degrees of his gracious communications, it would appear, nevertheless, inconsistent with his office and the relation in which he stands to the Father and to the Son, to suppose that he would excite and lead us to terminate our worship in himself, as if he sought his own distinct personal glory, and not the glory of those who sent him; even as the Son did not seek his own glory, but the glory of the Father which sent him--and who has also assured us, that the Spirit would act in like manner, and from the same principle from which he himself acted. "When he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that will he speak. He will glorify me, for he will receive of mine and will show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore, said I, he will take of mine, and will show it unto you." Hence it is evident, that the proper and immediate office and work of the Holy Spirit, in the economy of salvation, is to glorify the Father and the Son; even as it is of the Son to glorify the Father and the Spirit; and of the Father to glorify the Son and Spirit; that we, through his grace, might be duly instructed, and ultimately led, to glorify and enjoy distinctly and unitedly a three-one God in a participation of the mutual, reciprocal and ineffable delights of Father, Son and Spirit, which they had in relation to our salvation before the world was. Wherefore, we conclude (that whatever invocations or forms of address, whether hymns or prayers, wherewith men have thought proper to address the Holy Spirit, not expressly contained in the Holy Scriptures, are not of the Spirit, but are innovations in the [554] worship of God, and therefore ought not to be adopted) that we rightly worship the Holy Spirit, when we ascribe to him whatever the Scriptures declare concerning his character, office and work, and earnestly supplicate the Father, through the Son, or the Son himself, to send forth his Holy Spirit, to abide with us and dwell in us for ever; that we may thus be builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit; and finally, by ascribing to him, together with the Father and the Son, the entire and undivided glory of our salvation. And that, therefore, in the mean time, we ought to reject as unscriptural, all invocations or forms of address immediately directed to the Holy Spirit, as innovations in the worship of God, who alone has a right to prescribe both the matter and manner of his own worship, even of that worship which he will be graciously pleased to accept as right and pleasing in his sight. [555]

[Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, Vol. 1, pp. 539-555.]

      Thomas Campbell's "Circular Letter" was first published as a contribution to a book in Robert Richardson's Memoirs of Alexander Campbell (2 vols. Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott, 1868), Vol. 1, pp. 539-555. The electronic version has been produced from a copy of the book held by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 31 January 1998.
Updated 8 July 2003.