Damage done to Christianity by the Trinity doctrine
Damage done to Christianity by the Trinity doctrine
From the satirical tract, The Trial of William Whiston, (1740):
Mr. Whiston: I desire, Mr. Mustapha, that you would give the Court an account of the reasons that hindered you and many thousands more from embracing the Christian religion, when you were solicited to it by certain missionaries in the East.
Mr. Mustapha: My Lord, upon my happening to be acquainted with some Christian missionaries at Pequin in China, they not only expressed the tenderest affection for my person, but seemed to be under the utmost concern for the good of my soul; giving me the strongest assurances of immortal joys, upon my receiving the true and orthodox faith but declared, that whilst I continued ignorant of certain important doctrines, it would be impossible for me to be saved; and, that out of the particular regard they had for me, they would let me into the Mystery of Mysteries at once, which, as near as I can remember, was as follows, namely, That the great God of Heaven had a Son, who was the same God as himself, and yet distinct from himself; and that there was a God, the Holy Ghost, who proceeded from the Father and the Son, who was distinct from the Father and the Son, and yet was the same God as the Father and the Son; so that this Holy Ghost was both Father and Son, and yet was neither Father nor Son: And that the Father was both Son and Holy Ghost, and yet was neither Son nor Holy Ghost: And that the Son was both Father and Holy Ghost, any yet was neither Father nor Holy Ghost. This they pronounce to be the most amazing and stupendous object for the right and meritorious exercise of our faith; in short, that the most Mysterious of Mysteries, was, that every one of them by Hypostatic Union should be Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet by ecclesiastic determination there should be but one Father, and one Son, and one Holy Ghost.
They told me also, that about seventeen hundred and forty years ago, that God was extremely angry; and that he had made himself a man; and that he had sent himself into this world; and that he died to appease himself; and that about three days after he had been dead, that he rose again, and went back to Heaven, and sat upon his own right hand, where he still continues, incessantly soliciting himself. This they assured me, was the faith of a Christian; and that whosoever did not believe thus of the Trinity, (as they call it) must perish everlastingly. This, my Lord, was the Mystery of Mysteries, which was proposed to me, by those worthy missionaries, as necessary to my salvation; which is so nonsensical, blasphemous, and absurd, that I am not able to repeat it, without the utmost horror and detestation: And I do most solemnly aver, that the monstrous notions, which these execrable hypocrites have endeavoured to propagate of the great God of Heaven, have given all other sects so just and so strong a prejudice against Christianity, that whilst this doctrine is maintained, it will be impossible for it to make any considerable progress: For I will take upon me to affirm, that of all the sacred impostors who have ever taken advantage of the weakness of mankind, none have ever yet had the impudence to promulgate such absurd and monstrous notions of the Deity.
Re: Damage done to Christianity by the Trinity doctrine
It's yet a further grief to think what a fatal stop is hereby put to the progress of the Gospel; whose rejection by Jews, Mahometans and Pagans, is undeniably occasioned by the common doctrine of the Incarnation of God. One may read in Le Compte's History of China, how the Heathens derided the Christian's doctrine of a mortal God; and upon that account looked upon Christianity as fabulous as their own religion. And Doctor Causabon, in his book of Credulity and Incredulity, p. 118, says, He could prove by many instances out of history, that this doctrine has kept more people from embracing the Christian Faith, than any other thing he knew of. Now though I grant, that if it be the certain truth of God, this must be no argument against receiving it; yet surely it should make men very cautious and impartial in their inquiry about it, lest they bring on themselves the woe denounced against them by whom offences (that is, stumbling-blocks in the way of the Gospel) do come.
An Humble Inquiry into the Scripture-Account of Jesus Christ, by Thomas Emlyn (1702).