236 Jesus, Prophet ofIslam
We hear our Saviour continually distinguished from
Jesus by this title: 'God sent His Son,' ... 'God anointed
Jesus.' Now, how singular and inexplicable is this phra
seology, which fills the New Testament, if this title be
long equally to Jesus, and if a principal object of this
book is to reveal him as God, as partaking equally with
the Father insupreme divinityl We challenge our oppo
nents to adduce onepassagein the NewTestament, where
the word God means three persons, where it is not lim
ited to one person, and where, unless tumed from its
usual sense by the connection, it does not mean the Fa
ther, Can stronger proof be given, that the doctrine of
three persons intheGodhead is not a fundamental doc
trine of Christianity?
This doctrine, were it true, must, from its difficulty,
singularity, and importance, have been laid down with
great clearness, guarded with great care, and stated with
all possible precision. But where does this statement
appear? From the many passages which treat of God,
we ask for one, one only, in which we are told, that He
is a three-fold being, Of, that He is three persons, or that
He is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. On the contrary, in
the New Testament, where, at least, we might expectmany
express assertions of this nature, God is declared to be
One, without the least attemptto prevent the acceptation
of the words in their common sense; and He is always
spoken of and addressed in the singular number, that
is, in language which was universally understood to
intend a Single person, and to whichno other idea couId
have been attached, without an express admonition. So
entirely do the Scriptures abstain from stating the Trin
ity, that when our opponents would insert it into their
creeds and doxologies, they are compelled to leave the
Bible, and to invent forms of words altogether unsanct
ioned by Scriptural phraseology. That a doctrine so
strange, so liable to misapprehension, so fundamental
as this is said to be, and requiring such careful exposi
tion, should be left so undefined and unprotected, to be
made out by inference, and to be hunted through dis
tant and detached parts of Scripture, this is a difficulty,
which, we think, no ingenuity can exp Iain.http://www.islamicbulletin.com