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was deemed the peculiar secret of the Ecclesiastical Mysteries, together with the various subordinate doctrines dependant upon it, was not revealed to the Catechumens, until they attended the initiatory Lectures which were delivered by the Catechist during the forty days which immediately preceded their baptism. p. 206.

I. The actual existence of the Ecclesiastical Mysteries, which some of the early writers would carry up as high as Christ and his Apostles, may certainly be traced considerably higher than the middle of the second century. p. 210.

1. Evidence of the apostolical author of the Epistle to Diognetus. p. 211.

2. Evidence of Justin Martyr, converted about A.D. 130. p. 212.

3. Evidence of Ignatius. A.D. 107. p. 213.

4. Chronological inference from the evidence. p. 214. II. The grand secret of the Ecclesiastical Mysteries, communicated to all the Competentes, however, immediately before their baptism, was the doctrine of the Trinity involving the connected doctrine of Christ's godhead and incarnation. p. 214.

1. Testimony of the pagan author of the Philopatris, about A.D. 363. p. 215.

2. Testimony of Cyril of Jerusalem, while catechist of
that Church, about A.D. 325. p. 218.

3. Testimony of Augustine about A.D. 396. p. 219.
4. Testimony of Jerome, about A.D. 378. p. 221.

5. Testimony of Ambrose, about A.D. 370. p. 221.

6. Testimony of the Antiochian Fathers. A.D. 269. p. 223.

7. Testimony of Dionysius of Alexandria. A.D. 260. p. 224.

8. Testimony of Clement of Alexandria. A.D. 194. p. 224.

(1.) His general testimony. p. 225.

(2.) His particular testimony. p. 226.

9. Testimony of Ireneus. A.D. 175. p. 229.

10. Testimony of the apostolical author of the Epistle to Diognetus, about A.D. 130. p. 229.

CHAPTER IX.

RESPECTING THE TESTIMONY AFFORDED TO THE FACT OF THE POSITIVE ANTIQUITY OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY, BY THE UNANIMOUS PRIMITIVE INTERPRETATION OF THOSE TEXTS, THE TRUE IMPORT OF WHICH IS NOW LITIGATED BETWEEN MODERN TRINITARIANS AND MODERN ANTITRINITARIANS. p. 231.

Evidence from the unanimous primitive interpretation of now litigated texts. p. 231.

I. From various texts of Scripture, the Catholic deduces the doctrines of the Trinity and Christ's godhead. p. 231.

II. Through the medium of a different interpretation, the validity of the deduction is denied by the Antitrinitarian. p. 231.

III. As was the doctrine of the primitive Church, such must have been her interpretation of Scripture. p. 232.

IV. The ground of such a position. p. 232.

V. The unanimous interpretation of the early ecclesiastical writers is a proof of the unanimously received doctrine of the early Church. p. 233.

VI. The early ecclesiastical writers unanimously expound the litigated texts, precisely as the modern Trinitarian still expounds them. p. 233.

1. To this general rule there is no exception. p. 234. 2. Ominous silence of Dr. Priestley. p. 234.

3. His silence accounted for. p. 236.

VII. A supposed possible solution by a modern Antitrinitarian. p. 236.

1. The opinions of the early humanitarian Ebionites

were not built upon any exposition of the now litigated texts. p. 237.

(1.) The system of the Ebionites was that of rejection. p. 237.

(2.) Their recorded corruption and mutilation of the
Gospel of St. Matthew, which alone they
professed to receive. p. 238.

2. The texts now litigated came not within the con-
templation of the early Humanitarians. p. 240.
(1.) Their system was not founded upon interpreta-
tion. p. 241.

(2.) But it was founded upon arbitrary rejection.

p. 242.

3. Hence they are reluctant witnesses for the trinitarian exposition of the now litigated texts. p. 242.

VIII. Summary of combined evidence. p. 243.

CHAPTER X.

RESPECTING THE ARGUMENT FROM PRESCRIPTION AND UNIVERSALITY. p. 245.

Principle of the argument from Prescription and Universality. p. 245.

I. Statement of the argument. p. 246.

II. Historical establishment of the FACT, upon which the argument is founded. p. 248.

1. Evidence of Irenèus. A.D. 120–175. p. 249.

2. Evidence of Tertullian. A.D. 175-210. p. 249.

3. Evidence of Hegesippus. A. D. 153-162. p. 250.

4. General collective evidence. p. 255.

5. Negative evidence. p. 256.

III. Argument, as deduced from the FACT, by Ireneus and

Tertullian. p. 256.

IV. Objections to the argument stated and answered. p. 257.

1. First objection. p. 257.

2. Second objection. p. 262.

V. Force of the argument from a FACT, as it must have been felt in the days of Irenèus and Tertullian. p. 266.

CHAPTER XI.

RESPECTING THE DIRECT CONNECTION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE

TRINITY WITH THE AGE OF THE APOSTLES. p. 272.

In brief, the doctrine of the Trinity may be immediately connected with the apostolic age, through the aid even of two witnesses exclusively, Irenèus and Justin Martyr. p. 272.

I. Testimony of Irenèus. A.D. 120-175. p. 273.
1. Statement, as made by Irenèus, of the doctrines,
openly alleged by him to have been held by the en-
tire Catholic Church of his own day, on the specific
ground, that, in all the various ecclesiastical suc-
cessions, those doctrines were uniformly handed
down from the Apostles. p. 274.

(1.) First doctrinal summary, with attestation of
universality and apostolical derivation. p. 274.

(2.) Second doctrinal summary. p. 276.

(3.) Third doctrinal summary. p. 276.

2. Distinct statement, by Irenèus, of the mode, in
which the doctrines were transmitted. p. 276.
3. Argument founded on the statements of Irenèus.
p. 278.

4. The appeal of Irenèus to all the Churches of Asia
and to the successors of Polycarp in the Church of
Smyrna. p. 279.

II. Testimony of Justin Martyr. A.D. 130—163. p. 281.
1. His testimony respects the universal doctrine and

practice of the Church, as they subsisted only about
thirty years after the death of St. John. p. 283.

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