DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9552#0236
206
SECOND APPEAL
dead." Ch. xiii. ver. 38 : u Be it known unto you tnerfiH
fore, men and brethren, that through this man ispreacb^1'
unto you the forgiveness of sins." Ch. xvii. ver.
" Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs ha
suffered, and risen again from the dead : and that t
Jesus, whom I preach unto you is Christ."
Thus we find the Apostles never hesitated to haz
their lives by declaring before the Jews, that their m
was a Prophet, the expected Messiah, the Son of the l*v
ing God : which was equally offensive to their country m^'
as if they had called him God himself ; yet in none of t*1
sermons do we ever find them representing him as t*1
true God. In the same manner, Jesus himself neV"
assumed that character to himself, although he repeated
avowed that he was Mesaiah, the Son of God, whereW
he knew that, according to their law, he would draw t*1
penalty of death upon himself. As to the nature 0
those doctrines of Christianity deemed essential in t*1
earliest times, I shall content myself with making a l&
extracts from the Ecclesiastical History of Mosheirtfi
celebrated author among Trinitarians, which will proN I
that the doctrine of the Trinity, so zealously maintain^
as fundamental by the generality of modern Christian
made not its appearance as an essential, or even a seco'1
dary article of Christian faith, until the commenceme'1
of the fourth century ;and then it was introduced aft^
long and violent discussions by the majority of an assei11'
bly, who were supported by the authority of a monarch
Mosheim, Vol. I. P. 100 : M Nor in this first century ^
the distinction made between Christians of a more or
perfect order which took place afterwards: whoe^
acknowledged Christ as the Saviour of mankind, a'1
SECOND APPEAL
dead." Ch. xiii. ver. 38 : u Be it known unto you tnerfiH
fore, men and brethren, that through this man ispreacb^1'
unto you the forgiveness of sins." Ch. xvii. ver.
" Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs ha
suffered, and risen again from the dead : and that t
Jesus, whom I preach unto you is Christ."
Thus we find the Apostles never hesitated to haz
their lives by declaring before the Jews, that their m
was a Prophet, the expected Messiah, the Son of the l*v
ing God : which was equally offensive to their country m^'
as if they had called him God himself ; yet in none of t*1
sermons do we ever find them representing him as t*1
true God. In the same manner, Jesus himself neV"
assumed that character to himself, although he repeated
avowed that he was Mesaiah, the Son of God, whereW
he knew that, according to their law, he would draw t*1
penalty of death upon himself. As to the nature 0
those doctrines of Christianity deemed essential in t*1
earliest times, I shall content myself with making a l&
extracts from the Ecclesiastical History of Mosheirtfi
celebrated author among Trinitarians, which will proN I
that the doctrine of the Trinity, so zealously maintain^
as fundamental by the generality of modern Christian
made not its appearance as an essential, or even a seco'1
dary article of Christian faith, until the commenceme'1
of the fourth century ;and then it was introduced aft^
long and violent discussions by the majority of an assei11'
bly, who were supported by the authority of a monarch
Mosheim, Vol. I. P. 100 : M Nor in this first century ^
the distinction made between Christians of a more or
perfect order which took place afterwards: whoe^
acknowledged Christ as the Saviour of mankind, a'1