Saint Augustine :: Saint Augustine Religion Doctrines Essays

The doctrine of the Divine Unity is a truth of inwrought religion the doctrine of the Trinity is a truth of revealed religion. The various systems of natural theism present arguments for the Divine existence, unity, and attributes, but proceed no further. They do not assert and endeavor to demonstrate that the Supreme Being is three persons in one essence. It is because this doctrine is not discoverable by kind discernment, that the Christian church has been somewhat shy of sweats to construct it analytically or up to now to defend it upon grounds of reason. The keen Dr. South expresses the common sentiment, when he remarks that as he that denies this fundamental article of the Christian religion may fall away his soul, so he that much strives to understand it may lose his wits. until now all the truths of revelation, like those of natural religion, have in them the element of reason, and ar capable of a rational defense. At the very least their self-consistence privy be sh own, and objections to them can be answered. And this is a rational process. For one of the surest characteristics of reason is, freedom from self contradiction, and consonance with acknowledged truths in other provinces of human inquiry and belief.It is a remarkable fact, that the earlier forms of Trinitarianism are among the most metaphysical and speculative of some(prenominal) in dogmatic recital. The controversy with the Arian and the Semi-Arian, brought out a statement and defense of the truth, not only upon scriptural but ontological grounds. Such a powerful dialectician as Athanasius, while thoroughly and intensely scripturalwhile starting from the text of scripture, and subjecting it to a rigorous exegesisdid not hesitate to pursue the Arian and Semi-Arian dialectics to its most recondite fallacy in its subtlest recesses. If any one doubts this, let him read the four Orations of Athanasius, and his defence of the Nicene Decrees. In some sections of Christendom, it has been contended that the doctrine of the Trinity should be received without any attempt at all to establish its rationality and intrinsic necessity. In this case, the tenets of thoroughgoing(a) generation and procession have been regarded as going beyond the rule book data, and if not positively rejected, have been thought to hinder rather than sanction faith in three divine persons and one God. But the history of opinions shows that such sections of the church have not proved to be the strongest defenders of the record statement, nor the most successful in keeping clear of the Sabellian, Arian, or sluice Socinian departure from it.