TRINITY, DOCTRINE OF inn, is the highest and most mysterious doctrine of the Christian religion. It declares that there are three persons in tbs, Godhead, or divine nature—the nailer, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that " these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory—although distinguished by their personal properties." The most elaborate statement of the doctrine is to be found in the Athana°ian creed, which asserts that "the Catholic faith is this: That we worship one God as 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, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one; the glory equal; the majesty co-eternal." It is admitted that the doctrine is not found in its fully-developed form in the Scrip tures; but it is supposed to be clearly revealed in its elements in the New Testament, and also to be indicated in many of the statements and revelations of the Old Testament. The form of expression in speaking of God in the Old Testament Scriptures—the plural Elatim, coupled with a singular verb; the apparent distinction recognized in the revela tions to the patriarchs and Moses between Jehovah and "the angel of Jehovah;" the mode in which " the Spirit " and " word " of God, and " wisdom" (Prov erbs viii.) are spoken of; and the gradual unfolding of the doctrine of a "Mes siah," are all supposed to be indications from the earliest times of the truth of a plurality of persons in the Godhead; and in the New Testament Scriptures the doctrine is represented as clearly taught in the Trinitarian formula of baptism— the general character of the claims and prerogatives of Jesus Christ, especially the ascription to Him of the designation "the Son of God," and in the functions attributed to the Holy Spirit. The evidence is held conclusive of the equal divine nature and yet distinct personality of the Son and the Spirit along with God the Father. It is generally conceded, however, that the Christians of the 2d, and. even of the 3d c., were far from having a clearly understood and recognized doctrine on this high subject. They were content for the most part to use Scriptural expressions in speaking of the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, without defining articulately their relation to one another. it was not till the progress of opposing heresies sought, on the one hand, to
the divine dignity of Christ (Ebionitism in its various forms, and Arianism); or, on the other hand, to confound the personality of Christ with God the Father—a heresy known in its special form as Patripassianism—that the church was led to define in tho Nicene creed the relation of the Son to the Father; and further, in the Nicxno-Con stantinopolitan creed, the relation of the Spirit to the Father. This creed was specially directed against the opinions of Arius. A further clause was afterward added, known as the filioque clause, which determined the procession of the Spirit from the Son as well as the Fattier; but this clause, and the doctrine which it embodies, was never accepted by the eastern church, to whose finer speculative genius is owing the determina tion of the controversies which began in the 3d c., regarding the divine nature. The western or Latin church had a far less refined genius for such speculations; and in so far as it meddled with them, has imparted to them a coarser and more contradictory aspect. What is known as the " At.hanasian creed." which is now well understood to be of Latin, and not of Greek origin, is a sufficient illustration of this.
It is not our part here to criticise the evidence for the doctrine Of the Trinity, or the validity of the doctrine itself; it is enough to say that Ihe evidence which we have briefly sketched in outline, has been accepted as satisfactory. not only by the Roman Catholic and oriental communions, but also by all the great Protestant communions. The only exception in modern times to the reception of the doctrine is in the case of the Soeinians or Unitarians, occupy in their teaching very much the position of the rncient Humanitarians (Ebionites). They reject the doctrine of the Trinity as incredible, and regard Christ merely as a higher prophet. There have, however, been various thinkers within the Christian church, such as Dr. Samuel Clarke in the heginning of last centuiT, Who, while accepting generally the doctrine of the Trinity, have rejected the in which it is in the creeds, and whose views have been known as semi Arianism.