the Doctrine of the Trinity," in which he argues, from the essentially vital energy of the Divine nature, the necessary emanation of a second Person; and, from their necessary conjoint united act, the procession of the third Person in the Godhead. We had not seen this work before our own argument was elaborated and written out. Several of the principles and propositions maintained by Professor Kidd are in harmony with our own, though the mode of the argument is different. Indeed, from what is stated above, it will be seen that Mr. Kidd applies his argument further than we have felt justified in carrying it as a rational demonstration. He endeavours to prove not only that a plurality of persons in the Godhead is sustained by the verdict of reason, but that the peculiar relations of the persons must necessarily result from the essentially vital energy of the Deity. We honour the author's motives, but, before we can either admit or reject his reasoning, in toto, we must give his volume a more careful and searching investigation than we have yet had the opportunity of doing. Our present view is this-that the existence of a plurality of persons in the Godhead, aided by Holy Scripture, is demonstrable; but, that the peculiar relations of the Son, as a filial emanation from the Father, and of the Holy Ghost, as a procession from both, though not incongruous to reason, yet is not capable of demonstration by rational argument. The objections which have been alleged against this doctrine, on the ground of its being incompatible with the eternity of the Son and Spirit, are puerile objections. They are totally without foundation, and the dogmatical and positive manner in which they have been put forth by some is to be deeply deplored. Such objectors often confute their own principles. The eternity of the Divine attributes is maintained by them, although these attributes have the Divine essence as their source. The eternity of the exercise of at least some of the Divine attributes is held by them, although that exercise is voluntary. Even the eternity of the Divine purposes is admitted by them, although those purposes are voluntary. Now, the filial relation of the Son, and the procession of the Holy Ghost, are never represented as the result of any voluntary act, but absolutely necessary, as the essential mode of the Divine nature. There is, therefore, great feebleness, gross inconsistency, and palpable contradiction, in the reasoning of the objectors to this doctrine. To admit a voluntary act to be eternal, and to deny that a necessary condition of the Divine nature can be eternal, is absurd. The relation of the Son and Spirit to the Father is perfectly compatible with their eternity and absolute perfection. If essential, they must necessarily be eternal. Dr. Harris, in his profound work on the Pre-Adamite Earth, sufficiently intimates his views on this interesting subject in the following passage:— "If the operation of infinite activity, either of love, or power, or of any other excellence, be essential to infinite perfection, and if such activity could not be agent and object at the same time and in the same act, and yet no object, ad extra, existed from eternity, then it must have existed in the Divine nature itself; in other words, the Divine nature must include it as one of its necessary conditions, or essential perfections; that, if no exercise of the Divine efficiency, ad extra, can ever be adequate to its infinite perfection, then must it be one of the excellencies of the Divine nature, not only that it should include a plurality of distinctions, but that the adequate sphere of its infinite activity should be its own infinite perfections-that, if a God in unity, without internal distinctions, or diversity of modes, be incapable of moral affection because having had nothing, ad extra, from eternity to love, then such internal distinctions must ever have existed as elements of reciprocal, social, self-sufficient perfection; and if such plurality be an excellence, and if unity be an excellence also, and if there be any respect in which this plurality of one kind can consist as an excellence with this unity of another, then it will certainly be included in absolute perfection. And, further, this perfection implies not only that all the excellence which it includes is simple, uncompounded, one, but that God and it are identical, that it is not an adjunct of his being, but his being itself."-Pre-Adamite Earth, p. 4. THE END. GLOSSARY. Algae, a name given to sea-weeds. Animalculum, a very small microscopic animal. Animalcula is the plural. Argumentum ad verecundiam, deference to authority instead of evidence. Axiom, a proposition evident at first sight. Batrachian, having the nature and properties of the frog. Cephalopoda, a class of molluscous animals having their organs of motion arranged round their head. Cheirotherium, the hand-shaped beast, resembling an enormous toad. Chelonian, a reptile of the tortoise kind. Confervæ, a very simple order of plants. Crinoid, lily-shaped fossil. Cystidean, partaking of the properties of a cyst or bag. Distoma, double-mouthed. Echinoderm, a marine animal. Eozoon Canadense, The Canadian Dawn animal. Entozoa, a name for animals living inside others. Fauna and Flora: the various kinds of animals peculiar to a country constitute its Fauna, as the various kinds of vegetables constitute its Flora. Fissiparous, reproducing by natural fissure. Fucoid, a low order of fossil weed. Fungus, soft, spongy vegetables, like the mushroom. Fungi is the plural. Genera, the plural of genus, a term which comprehends species. Helianthoid, a fossil covered with spines resembling a sun-flower. Hornblende, a mineral of a dark green or black colour. Hybrid, a mongrel animal, whose sire is of one kind and dam of another. Igneous, fiery. Iguanodon, an animal like a colossal lizard. Infusoria, animalcules generated in impure water. Labyrinthodon, same creature as the cheirotherium. Mammalia, animals which suckle their young. Mastodon, an extinct animal resembling the elephant. Megalosaur, a colossal lizard. Megatherium, a great beast, like a colossal sloth. Mica, the shining silvery surface seen in granite and gneiss. Molecule, a very minute particle of matter. Monad, the smallest microscopic animal. Oviparous, reproducing by eggs. Ovum, an egg, a seed, or a germ. Ova is plural. Plesiosaur, an amphibious animal, having the double form of lizard and crocodile. Polygastric, having many stomachs. Pterodactyle, a reptile, with wings terminating with fingers. Rotifer Vulgaris, a microscopic animal, with a wheel-like organization. Saurian, an animal of the lizard kind. Schist, same as slate. Scholium, an explanatory observation. Silurian Rocks, a name given to very ancient rocks which abound in Wales. Stratum, a bed, or layer, commonly applied to geological formations. Strata, the plural of stratum. Trilobite, a small aquatic fossil animal, having three parallel lobes. The race is extinct. Viviparous, producing the young alive. Vomerine, relating to the lower part of the nose. Zoophyte, a creature partaking of the properties of both animal and plant, such as corals, sponges, &c. INDEX. Absolute perfection of Deity, 252, 478 All-sufficiency of Deity, 254 Animalcula their mode of propagation, 116–124 their tenacity of life, 121, 122 Argument à priori and à posteriori defined, 30-32 Argument on the existence of God-mode of conducting it stated, 30—34 Assent, General, to God's existence, 216 Astronomy proves the non-eternity of the earth and of all celestial systems, Atheism founded on hypotheses, 37-51 Atmosphere, The-its properties, 323–326, 364 Attributes of God as asserted in Holy Scripture, 232-237 Baptismal formula, expressive of a Trinity of Persons, 539 a declaration of the Triune God-of our Creator-of the proper Benevolence proved by creation, 356 by his implanting love in the nature of sentient beings, 358 by his care over his creatures, 361 by the anatomical structure of the creatures, 373-380 by the abundant provision for their welfare, 378 by his provision for their happiness, 388 by the principles of his moral government, 381-396 Cause and effect are not mere succession, 24-28 Cells of bees, their mathematical construction, 178 Cellular development theory refuted, 124 Chemistry, its laws prove the non-eternity of the world, 65-68 Chance, The doctrine of, 142-158 Chance, The hypothesis of, refuted by six arguments, 142 by proofs of order, 143-by constancy and fixed laws, 143-by direct Clarke, Dr. Adam, his views of the Divine prescience erroneous, 299 Creation, its proper meaning, 39 Darwin, "Vestiges of Creation," &c., examined and refuted, 84-114 Darwin's theory unsupported by fact, 97 Darwin's theory contradicted by nature, 86-88 Darwin's theory contradicted by geology, 100 Death generally considered, 417--death of man, penal, 419 Death of animals by prey-a benevolent economy, 421 Development hypotheses of Buffon, Lamarck, Mirabaud, Monboddo, 65, 82 Effect, Every, must have a cause, 24-28 Eozoon Canadense, 62 Equilibrium, its law, tending to the universal cessation of active forces, Eternal, something must necessarily have been eternal, 35-37 Eternal exercise of the Divine attributes, held by ancient philosophers, necessary to the absolute perfection and happiness of God, 477 how they are mutually and reciprocally exercised by the Persons of Eternal series, The notion of, refuted, 57-60 Eternity, our idea of it, 245 Eternity of God, 242-252 Faithfulness of God, 234, 259, 436 Fecundity of Nature wonderful, 370 Foetal development, its various stages afford no sanction to the spontaneous theory, 126 Future punishment consistent with benevolence, 428-430 Geological strata, their general order briefly stated, 56 Geology affords proof that existing species are not eternal, 57-64 |