author of his prologue to the canonical Epistles, by Eugenius of Carthage towards the end of the fifth century in the year 484, in the profession of faith, which was signed by at least four hundred African Bishops, and presented to Huneric, the Arian king of the Vandals; lastly, the same passage is found in a work, which Cassiodorus, a learned Senator, composed in the fifth and sixth century under the title-Cassiodori senatoris complexiones in Epistolas et acta Apostolorum, and which the learned marquis Scipio Maffei rescued from the dust of the Library belonging to the chapter of Verona, and published in the year 1721; where we must remark that Cassiodorus, as appears from the 8th chapter of the divine Institutions, spared neither labour nor expense to procure from every quarter sacred manuscripts, which he compared with incredible trouble, with each other, and corrected; and that, in that difficult undertaking, he made use of no other version, than that of the Vetus Itala, which before St. Jerom's time was in use; this 7th verse of the Epistle of St. John was, therefore, likewise read in the more ancient copies of the Italic version.

But what reason can you assign for so notable an omission in some old manuscripts?

There are several ways of accounting for that omission and among others, it may be said, 1st, that this omission happened by the neglect of some ignorant copyists, who, after having written the first words of the 7th verse "there are three, that give testimony," by a mistake of the eyes, skipped over the remaining part of the text, and passed on to the immediately following text, where the same words recur; for such mistakes often take place in transcribing, especially when the two verses and the two periods begin and end with the same words. Another reason of this omission is given by the author of the prologue to the seven Catholic epistles; for he thus writes of the first epistle of St. John, "We find by the truth of faith, that a great mistake was committed in this epistle by unfaithful translators, in putting down the words of three only in their edition, viz. of the water, the blood, and the spirit, and in omitting the testimony of the Father, and of

the Word and of the Holy Ghost, by which the Catholic faith is much strengthened, and the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are proved to be one and the same substance of the Deity." By these words he not obscurely alludes to the Marcionites or Arians, who designedly erased this verse from all the copies they could get into their hands; for they well understood that by that one testimony their cause was undone. With a like perfidy, St. Ambrose, (lib. iii de spiritu sancto cap. 10.] reproaches the Arians, who had expunged these words from the Scriptures: "Because God is a Spirit," "Which passage, says the holy doctor addressing the Arians, you so well know to be understood of the Holy Ghost, that you have erased it from the copies of your scriptures, and would to God! you had only expunged it from your's and not also from those of the church."

CXX. But Unitarians, forced as they are by the above authorities to admit the genuineness of this palmary text, still expect to come off victorious. Let it be so as you pretend, say they, let the said passage be authentic, still our cause remains untouched; for the unity of which there is question in that seventh verse, is a unity not of essence and nature, but only of will and consent, an unity like unto that which Christ asked for his disciples, in St. John xvii, saying, "that they all may be one as thou art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us;" but Christ assuredly did not ask here a unity of essence and nature with the Father, of which they were incapable, but only a unity of charity and concord, therefore Christ himself had no other unity with the Father than that of charity and concord.

To this we answer that Christ did not ask for his disciples the unity of nature, but the unity of charity and concord, of which only they were capable, and that the particle as does not always import a perfect equality, but any similitude or likeness whatsoever, as it is clear from this passage, Matth. v. 48. "Be ye therefore, perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect."

CXXI. The Unitarian not yet satisfied, urges further, and pretends that the unity, of which the 7th verse of St. John is speaking, is nothing more than a unity of testimony, like unto that, of which direct mention is made in the 8th verse, "And there are three that give testimony on earth; the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood; and these three are one :" that is to say, one, not in essence, but in testimony; because they equally give testimony of Christ that he is the truth. Therefore, the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Ghost are said to be one, because they conspire in one and the same testimony about Christ.

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The answer will be quite easy, if we contrast the two texts with each other. The 8th verse in the Greek text runs thus, “bey of Teeło els tò vio:" And these three are into one. On the contrary, of the Father, of the Word, and of the Holy Ghost, it is said in the 7th verse, “outor of Tgeis ev eiσi" and καὶ οὗτοι τρεῖς εν είσι” these three are one." The true and genuine meaning, therefore, of the 7th and 8th verses is pointed out by the very dif ferent wording of the texts, and can be no other than this: there are six that give testimony to Christ that he is the Son of God and the true Messiah: three in Heaven, and three upon earth. In heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three, as to understanding, essence, and testimony are one; three on earth, viz: the water of baptism which washes away sins; the Blood, which was shed in the passion of Christ, and by which the world was redeemed; and the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were so abundantly communicated to the faithful: and these three witnesses are one thing, as to the perfect concord of their testimony.

Sixth proof, from the authority of the Fathers of the Church.

CXXII. There is no tenet in the Christian doctrine, on which the fathers of the church are more explicit and unanimous than the trinity of persons and the unity of nature in God. In the first age of the church this mystery is clearly taught by St. Clement of Rome in his epistle to the Corinthians.

In the second age by St. Justin in his second apology for the Christians, by St. Polycarp, disciple of St. John the Evangelist, in the prayer which he addressed to God before his martyrdom, by Athenagoras in his legation for the Christians..

In the third age by St. Irenæus every where in his books against heresies; by Tertullian in his book against Praxeas; by St. Gregory Thaumaturgus in his profession of faith; by St. Dionysius of Alexandria in his epistle against Paul of Samosata; by St. Dionysius, Pontiff of Rome, in his epistle against the Sabellians, which St. Athanasius relates in his book on the decrees of the Council of Nice. And these fathers, without controversy, flourished before the Council of Nice.

After the time of the Council of Nice, in the very great number of fathers, we scarce are able to meet with one, that has not professed his faith on the present mystery in an am ple and unequivocal manner. St. Athanasius in his books on the synods and on the decrees of the Council of Nice, in his oration against the Arians, &c. St. Hilary in his books on the Trinity, on the Psalms, on St. Matthew, &c. St. Basil in his book on the Holy Ghost, in his work against Eunomius, in his book against the Sabellians, the Arians, the Anomæans. St. Gregory Nazanzien in his oration against the Eunomians.St. Gregory Nyssen in the books on the Mystery of the Trinity. St. Ambrose, in his book on the Holy Ghost, and in another on faith. St. Augustin in his books on the Trinity, and against Maximinus, &c. St. Cyril of Alexandria in his works against Julian the apostate, &c.

We have omitted, to avoid too great prolixitiy, quoting the very words of the Holy Fathers, but if the least doubt were entertained about the correctness of our quotations, their passages shall be given at full length.

Seventh proof, from the authority of the Councils and Synods of the Church,

CXXIII. St. Dionysius of Alexandria, in a Synod held at Alexandria, about the middle of the third century, the first

council of Antioch, held in the year 264 under the Holy Pon. tiff Dionysius, and the second celebrated in the year 279, proscribed the impious doctrine of Paul of Samosata, and the Ecumenic council of Nice in the year 325, condemned the blasphemy of Arius by these words of the symbol, "We be lieve in one God the Father Almighty, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, born of the Father before all ages, begotten, not made, consubstantial to the Father, and in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and lifegiver."*

This doctrine of the general council of Nice was approved of and confirmed in the famous council of Sardis in the year 347, in the first general council of Constantinople in the year 381, and by other general councils; in fine, in the symbol which goes under the name of St. Athanasius, although it is generally agreed among the learned, that this father was not the author of it, but which still is of the greatest authority because of its high antiquity, the faith of the church is thus announced, "The catholic faith is this, 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 and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal."

Respecting the above symbols of the general councils of Nice, of Constantinople, and that which bears the name of St. Athanasius, I have only to observe, that from the time

* σε Πιτένομεν εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὄρατων τε και ἀοράτων ποιητήν, και εις ενα Κύριον Ιησεν Χριστὸν, τον υιον τὸ θεῖ γενη θέντα, ἐκ του πατρος μονογενῆ, τετέστιν εκ της ἐσίας του πατρὸς θεὸν ἐκ τὸ θεῖ, φῶς εκ φωτός, θεὸν ἀληθινον εκ θεῖ ἀληθινό, γενηθέντα ὁ ποιηθέντα, όμουσιον τῷ πατρὶ, δι ξ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε εν τω έρανω και τὰ ἐν τα yñ ... naιeis tò πveŭμa tò άyiov.” Symbol. Nicæn. Socrates lib. 1. Hist, Ecclesiast. cap. 8. Vide Collect. Council. Labbe et Harduin.

+ Fides Catholica hæc est, ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in uni❤ tate veneremur, neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes; alia est enim Persona Patris, alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti; sed Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti una est. Divinitas, æqualis gloria, coæterna Majestas,