of the sentence plainly is, "Great unquestionably is the divine secret, of which our religion brings the discovery: God was manifest in the flesh," &c. Abridged from DR. GEORGE CAMPBELL: The Four Gospels, Diss. ix. part i. §§ 1, 2, 3, 13.

In support of his explanation of the term "mystery," this able writer refers, among other passages, to 1 Cor. iv. 1, Matt. xiii. 11, and to those in which occur the phrases, "mystery of the gospel," "mystery of the faith," "mystery of God," and "mystery of Christ."

As the expression has, unfortunately, I think, been admitted into our communion service, I am bounden to show you the origin of it. The word "mystery," then, is sometimes used for particular doctrines of the gospel, as was the case also with sacramentum: sometimes it is used for the whole collective religion of Christ. In both of these uses, it contains, not any proposition concerning the essence of the Deity, but those moral dispensations which are facts, and which, as such, can be fully comprehended by reason; but which are called mysteries, because they were unknown before the coming of Christ. That Christ was sent by the Father is a fact; that he taught the most holy doctrine is a fact; that he worked miracles is a fact; that he died upon the cross is a fact; that he rose from the grave is a fact; that his religion would be preached to the Gentiles is a fact; and all these facts are so far mysterious as that they could not be known to us without a revelation from God. DR. SAMUEL PARR: Sermons on the Sacrament; in Works, vol. vi. pp. 147–8.

The Greek μvornptov is commonly rendered "mystery." It answers to the Hebrew and signifies in general any thing concealed, hidden, unknown. In the New Testament, it generally signifies doctrines which are concealed from men, either because they were never before published (in which sense every unknown doctrine is mysterious), or because they surpass human comprehension. Some doctrines are said to be mysterious for both of these reasons; but more frequently doctrines which are simply unknown are called by this name. Mvornρlov signifies, therefore, in its biblical use, (1) Christianity in its whole extent, because it was unknown before its publication; e. g. 1 Tim. iii. 9. (2) Particular truths of the Christian revelation; e.g. 1 Cor. iv. 1; xv. 51, and especially in the writings of Paul. (3) The doctrine that the divine grace in Christ extends, without distinction, to Gentiles as well as Jews, because this doctrine was so new to the Jews, and so foreign to their feelings; e. g. Eph.

i. 9; iii. 3. Col. v. 6, seq., &c. The word "mystery" is now commonly used in theology in a more limited sense. Here it signifies a doctrine revealed in the Holy Scriptures, the mode of which is inscrutable to the human understanding.... Of this nature are the doctrines respecting Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the union of two natures in Christ; the atonement, &c. - G. C. KNAPP: Christian Theology, sect. vi. 1, 2.

But this excellent writer does not point out any passage of the Bible in which the word "mystery" is applied to the doctrine of three persons in one God, the incarnation of God the Son, or any other incomprehensible tenet in Trinitarian theology.

The apostle [Paul] naturally makes allusion to these [heathen rites], by the use of the word "mystery," to denote those designs of God's providence, and those doctrinal truths, which had been kept concealed from mankind "till the fulness of time" was come, "but were now made manifest" to believers. . . . Our ordinary use of the word "mystery" conveys the notion of something that we cannot understand at all, and which it is fruitless to inquire into. . . . Such an expression as, "This is a mystery to us," conveys to us the idea that it is something we do not and cannot understand: to Paul it would convey the idea, that it is something which "now is made manifest," and which we are therefore called upon to contemplate and study; even as his office was "to make known the mystery of the gospel." Not that he meant to imply that we are able fully to understand the divine dispensations; but it is not in reference to this their inscrutable character that he calls them mysteries, but the reverse: they are reckoned by him mysteries, not so far forth as they are hidden and unintelligible, but so far forth as they are revealed and explained. ARCHBISHOP WHATELY: Essays on Difficulties in Paul's Writings, pp. 288–9.

The word "mystery" (μvornpiov) means literally something into which one must be initiated before it is fully known (from μvéw, to `initiate, to instruct); and then any thing which is concealed or hidden. We commonly use the word to denote that which is above our comprehension, or unintelligible; but this is never the meaning of the word in the New Testament. It means there some doctrine or fact which has been concealed, or which has not before been fully revealed, or which has been set forth only by figures and symbols. When the doctrine is made known, it may be as clear and plain as any other. - DR. ALBERT BARNES, in his note on Eph. i. 9.

SECT. V. -BELIEF IN UNINTELLIGIBLE MYSTERIES AND METAPHYSICAL CREEDS NOT ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

Thank God! man is not to be judged by man. - P. J. Bailey.

If it were considered concerning Athanasius's Creed, how many people understand it not, how contrary to natural reason it seems, how little the Scripture says of those curiosities of explication, and how tradition was not clear on his side for the article itself, . . . it had not been amiss if the final judgment had been left to Jesus Christ.... Indeed, to me it seems very hard to put uncharitableness into the creed, and so to make it become as an article of faith. JEREMY TAYLOR: Liberty of Prophesying, sect. ii. 36; in Works, vol. vii. pp. 491-3.

The belief of the Trinity is a practical belief. Far be it from us to think that every plain Christian shall be damned who knoweth not what a person in the Trinity is, as eternally inexistent, when all the divines and school wits as good as confess, after tedious disputes with unintelligible words, that they know not. RICHARD BAXTER : Catechizing of Families; in Practical Works, vol. xix. pp. 63-4.

We believe it to be taught in Scripture, that Jesus is the Son of God, in respect to his divine nature and eternal filiation; but we dare not pronounce belief in this doctrine necessary to eternal salvation. The doctrine is, indeed, involved in so much obscurity and subtlety, that, after having harassed themselves in attempting to understand it, the most learned and talented men have been forced to acknowledge their own ignorance. Now, it is incredible that the Almighty should have caused our everlasting happiness to depend on the reception of a dogma so obscure and perplexed, that in all probability no man can form a distinct conception of it. Many other dogmas are involved in the same obscurity, such as that of the most Holy Trinity, namely, that there is in one numerical essence three distinct persons; one begetting, another begotten, and a third proceeding; - and that of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, though only one, consists of two complete natures, the divine and the human. It cannot, therefore, be urged that the belief of such doctrines is essential to salvation. Abridged from PHILIP LIMBORCH: Theologia Christiana, lib. v. cap. 9, §§ 9, 10.

The vulgar sort think that they know Christ enough out of their creeds and catechisms, and confessions of faith; and if they have but a little acquainted themselves with these, and like parrots conned the words of them, they doubt not but they are sufficiently instructed in all the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Many of the more learned, if they can but wrangle and dispute about Christ [about his Divinity, humanity, union of both together, and what not], imagine themselves to be grown great proficients in the school of Christ. . . . Our Saviour prescribes his disciples another method to come to the right knowledge of divine truths, by doing of God's will. "He that will do my Father's will," saith he, "shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” — DR. RALPH CUDWORTH: Sermon 1, appended to Intellectual System of the Universe, vol. ii. pp. 549–50.

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Everlasting salvation, it is hoped, depends not on a belief in the doctrine of a third person in the Godhead. . . . I do not think that God will condemn him who errs in this matter, particularly if he is an honest and conscientious inquirer. — J. D. MICHAELIS: Anmerkungen on John xvi. 13–15.

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I insist upon no explication [of the doctrine of the Trinity] at all; no, not even on the best I ever saw; I mean that which is given us in the creed commonly ascribed to Athanasius. I am far from saying, He who does not assent to this "shall without doubt perish everlastingly." I dare not insist upon any one's using the word "Trinity" or "Person." I use them myself without any scruple, because I know of none better; but, if any man has any scruple concerning them, who shall constrain him to use them? I cannot; much less would I burn a man alive, and that with moist, green wood, for saying, "Though I believe the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, yet I scruple using the words Trinity and Persons, because I do not find those terms in the Bible." These are the words which merciful John Calvin cites as wrote by Servetus in a letter to himself. JOHN WESLEY: Sermon 60; in Works, vol. ii. p. 21.

Bishop Burnet has said all that can well be said upon them [the damnatory sentences in the Athanasian Creed], but, in my opinion, to very little purpose. Honestly, therefore, did Archbishop TILLOTSON declare to him, "The account given of Athanasius's Creed seems to me in nowise satisfactory. I wish we were well rid of it.” - And so do I too, for the credit of our common Christianity. It has been a millstone about the neck of many thousands of worthy men. To be

sure, declarations like these ascended out of the bottomless pit, to disgrace the subscribing clergy, to render ridiculous the doctrines of the gospel, to impel the world into infidelity, and to damn the souls of those who, for the sake of filthy lucre, set their hands to what they do not honestly believe. The truth is, though I do believe the doctrine of the Trinity as revealed in the Scriptures, yet I am not prepared, openly and explicitly, to send to the Devil, under my solemn subscription, every one who cannot embrace the Athanasian illustration of it. In this thing the Lord pardon his servant for subscribing in time past. Assuredly I will do so no more. DAVID SIMPSON: Plea for Religion, p. 404, Appendix ii.

This noble-minded man was prevented by death from putting into effect his resolution of quitting the Established Church of England.

[1] What are the catechisms of the Romish church, of the English church, of the Scotch church, and of all other churches, but a set of propositions which men of different natural capacities, educations, prejudices, have fabricated (sometimes on the anvil of sincerity, oftener on that of ignorance, interest, or hypocrisy) from the divine materials furnished by the Bible? And can any man of an enlarged charity believe, that his salvation will ultimately depend on a concurrence in opinion with any of these niceties, which the several sects of Christians have assumed as essentially necessary for a Christian man's belief? Oh, no! Christianity is not a speculative business. One good act performed from a principle of obedience to the declared will of God will be of more service to every individual than all the speculative theology of St. Augustine. . . . . . . [2] That man is not to be esteemed an Atheist who acknowledges the existence of a God, the Creator of the universe, though he cannot assent to all the truths of natural religion, which other men may undertake to deduce from that principle; nor is he to be esteemed a Deist who acknowledges that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world, though he cannot assent to all the truths of revealed religion, which other men may think themselves warranted as deducing from thence. Still, you will probably rejoin, there must be many truths in the Christian religion concerning which no one ought to hesitate, inasmuch as without a belief in them he cannot be reputed a Christian. Reputed! By whom? By Jesus Christ, his Lord and his God; or by you? Rash expositors of points of doubtful disputation; intolerant fabricators of metaphysical creeds, and incongruous systems of