Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- We now proceed to the doctrine of the Trinity, which was written by Athanasius, and confirmed by the Council of Nice. This doctrine is so formulated that it leaves, when read, a clear idea that there are three persons, and therefore that there are three co-ordinate Gods, but an obscure idea that God is one, when yet, as stated above, heaven is primarily opened to man by the idea of his thought concerning God, while, on the other hand, the idea of three Gods closes heaven.

This Athanasian doctrine leaves, when read, a clear idea that there are three persons, and therefore that there are three coordinate Gods; and that it is this co-ordinate Trine that gives rise to the thought that there is one God. Let each one meditate upon the matter and consider whether he thinks otherwise about it. For it is said, in the Athanasian Creed, in unmistakeable words, that "There is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. The Father is uncreate, infinite, eternal, omnipotent, God, and Lord, so likewise is the Son, and so likewise is the Holy Spirit." Also, "The Father was made and created of none, the Son was born of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both. Thus there is one Father, one Son, and one Holy Spirit. And in this Trinity all the three persons are together eternal, and are altogether equal." No one from these words can think otherwise than that there are three Gods. Neither Athanasius himself nor the Nicene Council could think differently, as is evident from the following words inserted in the doctrine: "As we are obliged by the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord, so we are forbidden by the Christian faith to say that there are three Gods and three Lords." This cannot be understood in any other sense, than that it is allowable to acknowledge but not to name three Gods and Lords; or to think of but not to say that there are three Gods and Lords.