BibleWare/BibWare.bin/bibref/wesley/serm_055.txt

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«FF3»

John Wesley


SERMON 55

(text from the 1872 edition)^

ON THE TRINITY


ADVERTISEMENT


Some days since I was desired to preach on this text. I did so yesterday
morning. In the afternoon I was pressed to write down and print my
sermon, if possible, before I left Cork. I have wrote it this morning;
but I must beg the reader to make allowance for the disadvantages
I am under; as I have not here any books to consult, nor indeed any
time to consult them.

Cork, May 8, 1775. "There are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one." 1
John 5:7.

1. Whatsoever the generality of people may think, it is certain that
opinion is not religion: No, not right opinion; assent to one, or
to ten thousand truths. There is a wide difference between them:
Even right opinion is as distant from religion as the east is from
the west. Persons may be quite right in their opinions, and yet have
no religion at all; and, on the other hand, persons may be truly
religious, who hold many wrong opinions. Can any one possibly doubt
of this, while there are Romanists in the world? For who can deny,
not only that many of them formerly have been truly religious, as
Thomas a Kempis, Gregory Lopez, and the Marquis de Renty; but that
many of them, even at this day, are real inward Christians? And yet
what a heap of erroneous opinions do they hold, delivered by tradition
from their fathers! Nay, who can doubt of it while there are Calvinists
in the world,--assertors of absolute predestination? For who will
dare to affirm that none of these are truly religious men? Not only
many of them in the last century were burning and shining lights,
but many of them are now real Christians, loving God and all mankind.
And yet what are all the absurd opinions of all the Romanists in
the world, compared to that one, that the God of love, the wise,
just, merciful Father of the spirits of all flesh, has, from all
eternity, fixed an absolute, unchangeable, irresistible, decree,
that part of all mankind shall be saved, do what they will; and the
rest damned, do what they can!

2. Hence, we cannot but infer, that there are ten thousand mistakes
which may consist with real religion; with regard to which every
candid, considerate man will think and let think. But there are some
truths more important than others. It seems there are some which
are of deep importance. I do not term them fundamental truths; because
that is an ambiguous word: And hence there have been so many warm
disputes about the number of fundamentals. But surely there are some
which it nearly concerns us to know, as having a close connexion
with vital religion. And doubtless we may rank among these that

contained in the words above cited: ~There are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: And these three
are one.

3. I do not mean that it is of importance to believe this or that
explication of these words. I know not that any well judging man
would attempt to explain them at all. One of the best tracts which
that great man, Dean Swift, ever wrote, was his Sermon upon the Trinity.
Herein he shows, that all who endeavored to explain it at all, have
utterly lost their way; have, above all other persons hurt the cause
which they intended to promote; having only, as Job speaks, "darkened
counsel by words without knowledge." It was in an evil hour that
these explainers began their fruitless work I insist upon no explication
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." For the sake of that and another clause, I, for some
time, scrupled subscribing to that creed; till I considered~ (1.)
That these sentences only relate to wilful, not involuntary, unbelievers;
to those who, having all the means of knowing the truth, nevertheless
obstinately reject it: (2.) that they relate only to the substance
of the doctrine there delivered; not the philosophical illustrations
of it.


4. 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 Servitus in a letter to himself. I would insist
only on the direct words, unexplained, just as they lie in the text:
"There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one."

5. "As they lie in the text :"--but here arises a question: Is
that text genuine? Was it originally written by the Apostle, or inserted
in later ages? Many have doubted of this; and, in particular, the
great light of the Christian church, lately removed to the Church
above, Bengelius,--the most pious, the most judicious, and the
most laborious, of all the modern Commentators on the New Testament.
For some time he stood in doubt of its authenticity, because it is
wanting in many of the ancient copies. But his doubts were removed
by three considerations: (1.) That though it is wanting in many copies,
yet it is found in more; and those copies of the greatest authority:
-- ( 2.) That it is cited by a whole gain of ancient writers, from
the time of St. John to that of Constantine. This argument is conclusive:
For they could not have cited it, had it not been in the sacred canon:
-- (3.) That we can easily account for its being, after that time,
wanting in many copies, when we remember that Constantine's successor
was a zealous Arian, who used every means to promote his bad cause,
to spread Arianism throughout the empire; in particular the erasing
this text out of as many copies as fell into his hands. And he so
far prevailed, that the age in which he lived is commonly styled,
_Seculum Aranium_,--"the Arian age;" there being then only one
eminent man who opposed him at the peril of his life. So that it
was a proverb, _Athanasius contra mundum_: "Athanasius against the
world."

6. But it is objected: ~"Whatever becomes of the text, we cannot
believe what we cannot comprehend. When, therefore, you require us
to believe mysteries, we pray you to have us excused."

Here is a two-fold mistake: (1.) We do not require you to believe
any mystery in this; whereas; you suppose the contrary. But, (2.)
You do already believe many things which you cannot comprehend.

7. To begin with the latter: You do already believe many things which
you cannot comprehend. For you believe there is a sun over your head.
But whether he stands still in the midst of his system, or not only
revolves on his own axis, but ~rejoiceth as a giant to run his course;
you cannot comprehend either one or the other: How he moves, or how
he rests. By what power, what natural, mechanical power, is he upheld
in the fluid either? You cannot deny the fact: Yet you cannot account
for it, so as you satisfy any rational inquirer. You may indeed give
us the hypothesis of Ptolemy, Tycho Brahe, Copernicus, and twenty
more. I have read them over and over: I am sick of them; I care not
three straws for them all.
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                Each new solution but once more affords
                New change of terms, and scaffolding of words:
                In other garb my question I receive,
                And take my doubt the very same I gave.

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Still I insist, the fact you believe, you cannot deny;