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Jews were accustomed to designate the ineffable name Jehovah, in manuscripts of the most venerable anti. quity, for their serious reflection. This symbol is a characteristical represen- T tation of a Trinity in unity. The former represented by three Jods, denoting the three hypostases or persons in the Divine essence; the Jod being the known character of that Jehovah, of whose name, in Hebrew, it con stitutes the first sacred letter. The latter is shadowed out by the circle that surrounds them, as well as by the point Kametz, T, subjoined to the three Jods, which denotes the essential unity, common to the three hypostases. This symbol is to be found in the writings of the younger Buxtorf, one of the pro foundest critics in Hebrew literature, that ever flourished out of the Jewish church, and it is likewise preserved in that curious repository of Oriental antiquities, the Oedipus Egyptianus of Athanasius Kir cher. The first asserts, that in the ancient Chaldee paraphrases, kept sacred from the vulgar by the Jew. ish doctors, the name Jehovah is thus designated. And the second declares, that he himself has seen that name thus invariably characterized in all the ancient Hebrew manuscripts of the Old-Testament in the Vatican,"

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But the Jewish writers themselves confirm this idea, when they are considering this very subject. Philo, one of their most learned men, (as Dr. Allix asserts) acknowledges a generation in God from eternity. He says, in many different places, "That God begets the Word in himself-that this Word is Wisdom, and that this Wisdom is the eternal Son of God

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That God is called the God of Gods, not with relation to created intelligences, whether human, angelical, or seraphical, but in relation to his two consubstantial powers, which are not simple attributes, but eternal, uncreated, infinite principles of action, represented by the two wings of the cherubim that covered the Tabernacle.' He further says, in his Treatise de Somniis, "That the Supreme Ens (į, “ v) whom he terms Logos or the Word, sometimes put on the appearance of an angel to mankind, but that his divine nature remained ever unchangeable. Philo expressly calls the Logos os God, and in one place uses the remarkable expression devrios os, the second God."*

The Targum of Jonathan affirms it was the Logos who spake to Moses, the same who spake and the world was made. This Targum was written 30 years before the Christian æra.

The Chaldee Paraphrasts and Targumists, speak in the same manner-they ascribe to the Word, the creation of the world, the pardon of sin, and the mediating between God the Father and the creatures. The Cabalistical Jews, of a still later date, and who have recorded all the traditions of the patriarchs, &c. hold the same doctrine. "They fix the number of three persons in the Divine essence-they speak of the emanation of the two last from the first; and say that the third proceeds from the first, by the second. They call the first Eusoph and Kather; the second, Memra or Chocbbma; the third Binah.

The learned Kircher gives many reasons to show, that the ancient Jews, and the later Cabalists, derived

Philo. Judæi apud Euseb. 190.

their knowledge of the Trinity, by a continued tradition from the first patriarchs, and he cites the Jetzirah, (a book which the Jews ascribe to Abraham himself, but which is said to have been written by a rabbi of the name of Abraham, a very ancient Cabalist) where the first person is described as Kather the crown, or profound intelligence-the second person, as Cbocbbma or Wisdom, or the intelligence illuminating---and the third person, as Binah, or the sanctifying intelligence; the builder of faith, and the author of it. The ancient Jewish prayer, called Hosanna Rabba, or the Great Hosanna, publicly sung on the last day of the feast of Tabernacles, proves this" For thy sake, O our Creator, Hosanna-for thy sake, O our Redeemer, Hosanna-for thy sake, O our Seeker, Hosanna." So the great benediction which was pronounced under the law, by Aaron and his sons-"Jehovah bless thee and keep thee-Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee-Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Similar to the Christian baptism-(The Father is here, the author of blessing and preservation-grace and illumination are from the Son, by whom we have the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ -peace is the gift of the Spirit, whose name is the Comforter.)*

The learned Mornæus says, "That it was once the received doctrine, and the true cabala of the Jewish schools, that the famous words of the 42 letters, used as an expository name of the great triliteral

Jones's Cath. Doct. of the Trinity, page 61, 3d edition.

name, or Jehovah, which was not allowed the Jews to pronounce, was explained to have been, the Father is God the Son is God-the Holy Spirit is God-three in one, and one in three.”

"That

The Rabbi Ibba, who is said to have lived long before Christ, and who is quoted in the book Zoder, written by Simeon Ben Jochai before the Talmud, as the Jews confess, if not before the Christian æra, in descanting upon Deutronomy, vi. 4. " Hear, O Is. rael, the Lord our God is one Lord," urges, the first Jehovah is God the Father-the second is God the Son, for so he is called by the prophet, Immanuel; or God with us-the third word Jehovah, is God the Holy Ghost-and the fourth word one, is to show the unity of essence in this plurality of per sons."* Many of the Cabalists used the same names of Father, Son, and Spirit, for the three hypostases, declaring at the same time, that the doctrine of the persons in the Trinity, by no means opposed that of the essence in unity.†

Gallatinus cites a comment of Rabbi Isaac Arama, upon the 110th Psalm, which is peculiarly explicit "From the womb of the morning is the dew of thy birth." "We do not find," says he, "any man, although a prophet, whose birth is predicted before the birth of his father and mother, excepting the Messiah, our JUST ONE; and therefore," he says, * from the womb of the morning is the dew of thy birth;" that is, thy birth is foretold long before the womb of her that bear thee was created. To this agrees what is said in Psalms lxxii. 17—" His name,

* Grot. de ver Rel. Christ. lib. v. chap. xxi.

Hor. Sol. 360.

the begotten, or Son, is before the Sun," which implies, that before the Sun was created, the name (or person) of our Messiah, subsisted and was established, and that he sat at the right hand of God.*

The Jews, before the advent of Christ, often explained themselves on this subject, though the modern Jews since have concealed as much as possible, the writings of their ancestors, or mutilated them lest they should be brought in evidence against them. On this ground the learned Pocock defends Galatinus, who quoted many testimonies from the ancient Jews, which cannot now be obtained. And the fa mous Picus, earl of Mirandola, whose honour and integrity are not candidly to be doubted, professed to have read (about 300 years ago) some very ancient Jewish manuscripts, which he purchased of a Jew at a very high rate, and in which he found the mystery of the Trinity-the incarnation of the word-the di vinity of the Messiah, and many articles of our faith.† There are many other proofs of this point, but the following shall suffice. Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai, treating of the name Aloheim, says, "Come and see the mystery of this word. There are three degrees or affinities, and each degree is to be distinguished by itself; but the three are one, and united to each other in one, nor is one to be divided from another."? The same Rabbi, and Jonathan, the Chaldee para phrast, who both wrote many years before Christ, commenting on the 6th chap. Isaiah, 1st ver. where the Lord (Adonai) is represented as sitting upon a

Gal. de Are. Cath. Verit. lib. iii. ch. 17.

+ Leusd. Phil. Heb. Disc, 26, Maimon. More Nov. ch. 62.

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