The Three Heavenly Witnesses, article in The Liberal Christian, May 23 1823 (Brooklyn)
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one." 1 John v. 7
This passage is admitted by learned Trinitarians lo be an interpolation, and they decline making use of it in support of their hypothesis. I shall first state the proof of its being an interpolation, which I quote from the note on the place in the Improved Version, and then show that if genuine, it would not prove the existence of three co-equal persons in one God.
"This text concerning the heavenly witnesses, is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the fifteenth century.
2. Nor in any Latin manuscript, earlier than the ninth century.
3. It is not found in any of the ancient versions.
4. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers, though to prove the doctrine of the Trinity, they, have cited the words both before and after this text.
5. It is not cited by any of the early Latin fathers, even when the subject on which they treat would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority.
6. It is first cited by Virgilius Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the fifth century, and by him it is suspected to have been forged.
7. It has been omitted as spurious in many editions of the New Testament, since the reformation: in the two first of Erasmus, in those of Aldus, Colinaeus, Zwinglius, and lately of Griesbach.
8. It was omitted by Luther in his German version. In the old English bibles of Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Elizabeth, it was printed in small types, or included in brackets; but between the years 1566 and 1580, it began to be printed as it now stands; by whose authority it is not known. The evidence of its spuriousness is complete, and is admitted by the most learned Trinitarians of all denominations.
If genuine, this text would not prove the doctrine of the Trinity, for,
1. The word persons occurs not in it.
2. It says not these three are one in nature, or one in essence, or are one God, nor, these three are co-equal and co-eternal.
3. It only asserts the three are one in testimony, one in the record they bear.
4. A oneness in testimony by no means requires that the witnesses should be all persons of the same rank, and on a perfect equality with each other.
5. None but distinct beings can be distinct witnesses; if the three were all one being, and God is one being only, they could be but one witness.
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one." 1 John v. 7
This passage is admitted by learned Trinitarians lo be an interpolation, and they decline making use of it in support of their hypothesis. I shall first state the proof of its being an interpolation, which I quote from the note on the place in the Improved Version, and then show that if genuine, it would not prove the existence of three co-equal persons in one God.
"This text concerning the heavenly witnesses, is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the fifteenth century.
2. Nor in any Latin manuscript, earlier than the ninth century.
3. It is not found in any of the ancient versions.
4. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers, though to prove the doctrine of the Trinity, they, have cited the words both before and after this text.
5. It is not cited by any of the early Latin fathers, even when the subject on which they treat would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority.
6. It is first cited by Virgilius Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the fifth century, and by him it is suspected to have been forged.
7. It has been omitted as spurious in many editions of the New Testament, since the reformation: in the two first of Erasmus, in those of Aldus, Colinaeus, Zwinglius, and lately of Griesbach.
8. It was omitted by Luther in his German version. In the old English bibles of Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Elizabeth, it was printed in small types, or included in brackets; but between the years 1566 and 1580, it began to be printed as it now stands; by whose authority it is not known. The evidence of its spuriousness is complete, and is admitted by the most learned Trinitarians of all denominations.
If genuine, this text would not prove the doctrine of the Trinity, for,
1. The word persons occurs not in it.
2. It says not these three are one in nature, or one in essence, or are one God, nor, these three are co-equal and co-eternal.
3. It only asserts the three are one in testimony, one in the record they bear.
4. A oneness in testimony by no means requires that the witnesses should be all persons of the same rank, and on a perfect equality with each other.
5. None but distinct beings can be distinct witnesses; if the three were all one being, and God is one being only, they could be but one witness.
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