Such imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary: And if Men would be thus bold with Apostles and Fathers, what might they not do in Heathens? Besides, some think there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the Heathens, than in Moses's Books, and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of it than Israel; which is contrary to the Scriptures, which tell us, In Judah is God known, Ps. 76.1. and He hath not dealt so with ⟨p. 354⟩any Nation, Ps. 147.20. It is therefore likely that such passages in Heathens were inserted into their Books, by Christians, in a way of Pious Fraud, such as was anciently used. This Sacred Mystery was intimated in the Old-Testament; Elohim in the plural, Created, Gen. 1.1. Let us make Man, saith God, Gen. 1.26. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth, Ps. 33.6. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, I say 6.3. The ancient Jewish Rabbins (as Petrus Galatinus hath showed) embraced this Doctrine. Rabbi Simeon on that in the Prophet, saith, Sanctus, hic est Pater, Sanctus, hic est Filius, Sanctus, hic est Spiritus Sanctus: the three Middoth, or Properties in Rabbinical Writers, are the three Persons in the Godhead. And the Cabbalists have these words, Pater Deus, Filius Deus, Spiritus Sanctus Deus, Tres in Uno, Unus in Tribus. In the New-Testament we have this Truth clearly laid down; in the Baptism of Christ we have all the three Persons appearing, The Father in a Voice, the Son in the Flesh, the Holy Ghost in the Dove, Mat. 3.16, 17. The Primitive Christians used to say to any that doubted of the Trinity, Abi ad Jordanem & videbis, Go to Jordan and you will see it. Christ Commands. That Baptism should be In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Math. 28.19. Or, as the Greek Article imports, In the Name of that Father, that Son, and that Holy Ghost, which discovered themselves at Christs Baptism. ⟨p. 355⟩There are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these Three are One, 1 Joh. 5.7. This Truth hath had many Opposites, as the Arians, Samosatenians, Sabellians, Photinians, and of late the Socinians, who have strained their subtle Wits to undermine it if possible: tell them, That Baptism is in the Name of the Trinity; They will reply, That The Israelites were Baptized into Moses, 1 Cor. 10.2.
Such imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary: And if Men would be thus bold with Apostles and Fathers, what might they not do in Heathens? Besides, some think there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the Heathens, than in Moses's Books, and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of it than Israel; which is contrary to the Scriptures, which tell us, In Judah is God known, Ps. 76.1. and He hath not dealt so with ⟨p. 354⟩any Nation, Ps. 147.20. It is therfore likely that such passages in Heathens were inserted into their Books, by Christians, in a way of Pious Fraud, such as was anciently used. This Sacred Mystery was intimated in the Old-Testament; Elohim in the plural, Created, Gen. 1.1. Let us make Man, saith God, Gen. 1.26. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth, Ps. 33.6. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, I say 6.3. The ancient Jewish Rabbins (as Petrus Galatinus hath shewed) embraced this Doctrine. Rabbi Simeon on that in the Prophet, saith, Sanctus, hic est Pater, Sanctus, hic est Filius, Sanctus, hic est Spiritus Sanctus: the three Middoth, or Properties in Rabbinical Writers, are the three Persons in the Godhead. And the Cabbalists have these words, Pater Deus, Filius Deus, Spiritus Sanctus Deus, Tres in Ʋno, Ʋnus in Tribus. In the New-Testament we have this Truth clearly laid down; in the Baptisin of Christ we have all the three Persons appearing, The Father in a Voice, the Son in the Flesh, the Holy Ghost in the Dove, Mat. 3.16, 17. The Primitive Christians used to say to any that doubted of the Trinity, Abi ad Jordanem & videbis, Go to Jordan and you will see it. Christ Commands. That Baptism should be In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Math. 28.19. Or, as the Greek Article imports, In the Name of that Father, that Son, and that Holy Ghost, which discovered themselvs at Christs Baptism. ⟨p. 355⟩There are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these Three are One,
