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(Communicated by J.
R. Paynado, Esq., of Hackney, England.)
I. “How is it proved, that in God there cannot
be three persons in one essence?”
Certainly
if this gentleman proceeded logically, he would have employed himself in
proving the subject which he asked me to disprove, for all new doctrines
require proofs and demonstrations. Nevertheless, as the proofs of truth
are so ample, we need not fear being too liberal in bringing them
forward; therefore I say, that among the many reasonable proofs of the
unity of God I will bring a few from the Holy Scriptures, and from our
own understanding. The first is, that neither the chosen people, nor the
prophets, nor the priests, had any knowledge of such a doctrine; but, on
the contrary, say in express words that they were taught to avoid
it;—Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God, the Lord is
One:” and in another place, 32.39, “See now that I, even I, am He,
and there is no other god with me.” The prophet Isaiah also says,
“Ye are also my witnesses with the Lord; and my servants whore I have
chosen that ye might know and believe me and consider that I am He;
before me there was no god formed, and after me there shall be none.”
The prophet Zechariah, foretelling the universal confession of the pure
unity of God, says, 14:9: “And the Lord shall be king over all the
earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one,” as it
were, saying one in essence and one in name, and there shall be no
longer any distinction of persons. Besides these, there are many
passages in the Scriptures to the same purport. The pure unity of God is
also shown by demonstrative arguments. Of the many we will only advance
three:
1st.
If in the divine essence there were a distinction of persons, it were
necessary drat there should be some object to distinguish them, and that
the object should be found in one and wanting in the others. This object
must necessarily be either a perfection, or an imperfection; if it is a
perfection, the others in whom it is wanting, are imperfect. In God
there cannot be imperfection. Ergo, there cannot be any distinction.
2d.
One of two things is true: either each of these persons being endowed
with divine wisdom is powerful by itself without the aid of the others,
or it is not all-powerful without the aid of the others. If they allow
the former, that each of itself is all-powerful, the others are
superfluous, and in consequence, the essence of all superfluous. If they
say that each requires the aid of the others, none of them are infinite
and omnipotent; therefore, there cannot be a distinction of persons.
3d.
For that which is infinite in act, there is no measure by which it can
be measured. God, is infinite in act, therefore, cannot be measured by
any measure. If there were three persons in the measured essence, one
could be measured by or compared with the others; therefore, none could
be infinite.
II.
“If the belief of a Saviour Messiah was always necessary to the Jews,
in order to obtain grace and pardon for their sins?”
It is necessary
to define the term belief, which is here used. If it is to be understood
as the belief which all the
faithful are obliged to place in God, such the Jews never had and, never
will have, in the Messiah, who will be a man. If it is to be understood
as to the belief and faith that he will come and redeem the people of
Israel, the Jews are obliged to entertain such belief as one of the
articles of their law, since those who do not believe that God will send
the Messiah, to redeem the Jews from the captivity and gather them to
their land; are separated from the people of Israel, and have no hope of
salvation.
III.
“If the Messiah is to be one?”
In
answer to this, it is necessary to investigate the etymology of the word
Messiah, which is derived from the verb mashach, which signifies to
anoint; as the high priests and kings were anointed with the
anointing-oil, the great men and the chosen of God, are denominated in
the Scriptures, Messiah: for example, Isaiah, 45:1, “Thus saith the
Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus.” David says, “Touch not my
anointed;” and the leader we expect is thus called Messiah: and in
answer to the question, we will say, there are many called Messiah, but
he who will restore the Jews, is one.
IV.
“By what authority do you prove, that the Messiah is to be simply man,
and not man and God jointly?”
I
have already said, that they who invent new things must bring the
proofs, and not ask for them; the more so, when they promulgate a
doctrine which is not taught in the Holy Scriptures, and is repugnant to
reason; for, to ask authority to disprove that the Messiah will be man and God,
is similar to requiring us to disprove that the Messiah will be a centaur or a
hermaphrodite; but we can easier bring proofs of what we advance, than
they can of the chimera which they propose. In the first place, the
prophet Ezekiel says: “They shall be my people, and I will be their
God; and my servant David shall be king over them.” here we see the
difference between God, and the Messiah; one was to be their God and the
other their king. The prophet Hosea says: “Afterwards the children of
Israel shall return to seek the Lord their God, and David their king.”
He did not say, David, their God. Besides, Isaiah, in speaking of the
Messiah, says: “The spirit of the fear of the Lord shall be upon
him.” Now by what we have
advanced in our answer to the first question, we have shown the pure
unity of God; if the Messiah was to be God and man he must necessarily
be the only God, and it cannot be said of him that he feared himself.
This is an ample answer. Besides
which, if such a prodigy was to appear in the world, the Holy Scriptures
would have predicted it, which I do not find in any passages; therefore such is not the case.
V.
“Whether the redemption of Israel is to be temporal only?”
The
redemption of Israel will be temporal, as was that of Moses from the
bondage of Egypt; for a spiritual redemption results only from an
observance of the law given on Mount Sinai, which will be more easily
kept when the people of Israel shall enjoy temporal benefits and be free
from all the impediments that are now as stumbling-blocks to their
faith; besides which, they will enjoy peculiarly the divine favour
promised by the Lord, as Ezekiel says: “I will take away the heart of stone from your bodies and
give you a heart of flesh; and I will put my spirit within you and cause
you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them;
and ye shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and ye
shall be my
people, and I will be your God.” These words are clear and will not
allow of any other interpretation; and they who wish to quote all the
passages of Scripture which declare this truth, must quote nearly the
whole.
VI.
“Whether the law of Moses, in what relates to the ceremonies will be
kept at the time of the Messiah, so that no other law or ceremonies will
be given?”
The
verses of Ezekiel, which we have quoted in the answer to the preceding
question, are so applicable to the present that we need not seek any
other answer. Nevertheless, from the multitude of texts that show that
the law of Moses will be kept in the time of the Messiah without any
alteration, I will select three only.
1st. What God says after having announced the
punishment of the disobedient and transgressors: “And when all these
things shall come upon you, the blessing and the curse;” &c.
“And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and obey his voice according
to all that I command thee this day. Then the Lord will turn thy
captivity, and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God
hath scattered thee; and the Lord thy God will put all these curses on
thine enemies which hate thee and which persecuted thee; and thou shalt
return and obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do all his
commandments which I command thee this day, when thou turn to the Lord
thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” Here, at the
conclusion of the law, the Lord says, that in order to return from
captivity, it was enjoined on us, and after our redemption it was
necessary for our salvation, to keep the law given to us that day; and
that there might not be any room for doubt, he does not only point out
the time, saying, “which I have commanded you this day;” but also
points out the place where it is to be found, saying, “to keep all the
statutes and ceremonies written in this book of the law.” What
expectation can we have of another law after such explicit words?
2dly. In all the prophets this truth is
promulgated in the same manner as it is laid down is the law. Malachi
says: “Remember the law of my servant Moses which I commanded him on
Horeb, on all Israel statutes and judgments:” it is called here the
law of Moses, that it may not be falsified.
3dly. The Holy scriptures say in Deuteronomy:
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God and keep his statutes, his
judgments, and his commandments all the days.” So that as long as
there are days, we are obliged to keep all the laws of Moses without
adding to them, or taking away therefrom, as the Lord commands in the
same book, 4:2: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,
neither shall you diminish ought from it.” These few reasons are
sufficient out of the many which might be given.
VII.
“By what means can the Jews, at the present time, obtain pardon of
their sins; without which they cannot be saved?”
The
means by which they can obtain pardon for their sins, are those which
are pointed out in the law and the prophets in so many places. I will
particularize what is said by Isaiah, 55:7: “Let the wicked man
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him turn
unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon.” Ezekiel says: “But if the wicked will turn from all
his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do what
is lawful and right, he shall surely live and shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be remembered unto
him; in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any
pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord, and not that
he should turn from his ways and live?” And such a return to virtue is
indeed easy by the institution of the Day of Atonement, as it is said in
Leviticus 16:24: “And this shall be a statute to you for ever.” And
30: “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to
cleanse you; that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”
And as there are no longer the sacrifices which were appointed to obtain
that pardon, it is to be obtained by penitence and forsaking our evil
ways, as the Psalmist says, 60:17: “The sacrifice of God is a broken
spirit; a broken and contrite Heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”
And this because we cannot at present sacrifice, not having the means
which, when we receive them, will be a more easy and efficacious method
of obtaining pardon; as it is said at the end of that Psalm, verse 20: “Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of
righteousness, with burnt-offerings, and whole burnt-offerings; then
shall they offer bullocks on thine altar.”
(To
be continued.) |
