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August 05, 2005

CH.X. Q.60. The Dogma

THE dogma of the Trinity, as stated in our articles, is, that, There is but one living and true God. .... And in the unity of this Godhead there be Three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost .1

2. The Athanasian Creed says, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost; but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father . . . the Son . . . the Holy Ghost uncreate . . . incomprehensible . . . eternal ... almighty . . . God . . . Lord, and yet not three Lords but one Lord. For, like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after other, none is great¬er or less than another; but the whole Three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

3. Four truths are involved in the doctrine of the Trinity: (a) The Unity of essence;2 (b) the threefold personal subsistence;3 (c) the Circumcession;4 (d) the Divine Monarchy.5

4. The doctrine of the Trinity has a real bearing on human conduct and destiny. It is defined metaphysically to guard it from metaphysical perversions. But the terms employed do not carry with them the philosophical systems from which they are derived. They simply protect the scriptural doctrine of the Divine Persons. This doctrine is practically necessary because of the relations and duties which we have to each of these Persons—relations which cannot be understood, and duties which cannot rightly be fulfilled, without such knowledge as the doctrine in question affords.6 It is true that metaphysical terms can be understood only by theologians; but, in view of the inevitable influence of theological error upon the mind of the multitude, terms which are necessary for an accurate theology are also necessary for the protection of the faithful at large. Popular preaching becomes erroneous when not grounded in sound theology. It should be added that Theism is relieved of difficulties connected with infinite personality by the doctrine of the Trinity.


1 Forbes, XXXIX. Articles, i.; Creed, pp. 70-87; Wilhelm and Scannell, Manual, Part II.; Browne, XXXIX. Articles, i.; Schouppe, Elementa, Tr. VI.; Petavius, De Dogmatibus, T. II. et seq.; Liddon, Divinity of Christ, Lec. I., § i.; St. Thos., Summa, I., xxvii.-xliii.; Newman, Arians; Mason, Faith of the Gospel, ch. ii.; Waterland, Works, Vol. i.-iii.; Hooker, Eccles. Polity, I., ii. 2; V., li. 1; Richey, Truth and Counter-Truth, ch. i.; St. Augustine, De Trinitate; Mortimer, Cath. Faith and Practice, Vol. I., pp. 12-18;Stone, Outlines, ch. iii.

2 Cf. Q. xlvi.

3 Cf. Qq. Ixiv.-lxvi.

4 Cf. Q. Ixvii.

5 Cf. Q. Ixviii. See Newman, Tracts Theol. and Eccles., pp. 160-161.

6 Wilhelm and Scannell, pp. 351-354. Cf. John xvii. 3.

Posted by Debra Bullock at August 5, 2005 11:20 PM

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