It was cuftomary, as we fhall fee, to represent the doctrine of the trinity as fomething fublime, and of difficult apprehenfion; and therefore fit for perfons of ripe understanding, and deep reflection; of which on that account, even the chriftians of the first ages were allowed to be ignorant, and the common people in general, till a much later period. It was natural, therefore, to alledge this, alfo, as another reason why the Jews, living in the infant age of the world, fhould not have this fublime and difficult lesson taught them. "The Jews," fays Eufebius, "were not taught the doc"trine of the trinity, on account of their "infant ftate *." Bafil gives the fame account. Cyril of Alexandria, fays, "The επαγει δε τεοίς, ως πανσόφως ο σωτήρ τοις μεν ρημασιν εταπεινολογείτο, και την της θεοτητος συνέτελλεν αυγήν, τοις ερ γοις δε ταύτης παρεσκευαζεν αςραπίζειν, και δι αυτων εδοκει κηρυττεσθαι της παντοκρατορικής δυναμεως το αξίωμα Photii. Bib. fect. 222. p. 619. * Και τα νηπιαζοντι των Ιεδαίων λαω. Ec. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 18, p. 130. + Ην γαρ τι, ως εοικεν, και προ το κόσμο τόξο, ο τη μεν διανοια ημών εσι θεωρητον, ανισοριζον δε κατελείφθη, δια το τοις εισαγομενοις έτι κ νηπίοις κατά την γνώσιν ανεπιτης Setov. Bafil, vol. 1. p. 6. "doctrine "" reafon ? "doctrine of the trinity was taught in types only, and not clearly. For what Because the light of divine ❝vifion is not eafily acceffible to those who "are but lately called to the knowledge "of the truth, and have not their minds exercised to thofe fpeculations*." Our Saviour faid that divorces had been allowed to the Jews on account of the hardness of their hearts. This alfo is given as a reafon by Eufebius, why the Jews were not taught the doctrine of the trinity. * Ος εν τύποις έξι μονον, εχι δε και αισθήλως, εδιδασκεία διὰ ποιαν αλιαν; οτι τοις άρτι κεκλημένοις εις επιγνωσιν αληθειας και εκ εν ρίβη τοις επ αυλη θεωρήμασι την διάνοιαν έχεσιν, απροσίζον πως είναι δοκει κι εσιν αληθώς, το φως της Deolas. Contra Jul. lib. 1. Juliani, Opera, vol. 2. p. 19.. † Οτι προς την σκληροκαρδίαν τε Ιεδαίων λαο. Ec. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 20. p. 134. SEC SECTION III. The Sentiments of the Jews, as expresed by themselves, on the Subject. HAVING seen what the christian Fa thers say in general of the ignorance of the Jews concerning the doctrine of the trinity, let us see what the Jews themselves have said on the subject, as far as we are able to collect it, either from the writings of the christian Fathers, or their own. As the christian Fathers found the doctrine of the trinity obscurely hinted at in the Old Testament, and particularly in the account of the creation, in which God is represented as saying, Let us make man, we may wish to know what the Jews replied, when they were urged with this argument; and it is remarkable, that their answer was in general the same with that of the unitarian in the Clementines, in reply to Simon, who had urged that very circumstance, as a proof that there were more gods than one. However, there is a variety in the answers given by the Jews to this question, but all of them suf ficiently ficiently natural, and not improper. Theodoret fays, "the Jews fay that when God "faid let us make man, he used the kingly ftyle*;" and this feems to be the most natural interpretation. But according to Tertullian, the Jews faid that God addreffed himself to the angels. angels, when he said, "Did he fpeak to let us make man, as "the Jews fay, who do not acknowledge "the Son; or, as if he himself was Father, "Son, and Spirit, did he, fay they, make ́" himself more than one, and speak in the plural number +." This alfo is the anfwer which Bafil reports. "The Jews fay "God fpake to the angels, when he faid, “ let us make man," addreffing himself to an unitarian, who he faid was "a Jew pretending to be a chriftiant." Cyril of In Gen. xix. Opera, vol. 1. p. 15. + Aut numquid angelis loquebatur, ut Judæi interpretantur, quia nec ipfi filium agnofcunt; an quia ipfe erat pater, filius et fpiritus, ideo pluralem fe præftans, pluraliter fibi loquebatur. Ad Praxeam, fect. 12. p. 506. Η Ακκε κ συ ο εκ της νέας καλάλομης, ο τον Ισδαισμου πρεσ βεύων εν χρισιανισμό προσποιήσει. τινι λέγει κατ' εικονα legar. Hom. 8. Opera, vol. 1. p. 105. Jerufalem Jerufalem fays, that the Jews acknowledged only one God the Father *. We may form form a very good judgment of the fentiments of the Jews on this fubject, from the account of a folemn conference between Gregentius, a chriftian bishop, and Herbanus, a learned Jew, in the prefence of an Arabian prince, in the fifth century. As it is the only work of the kind. that remains of fo early an age, I fhall quote feveral extracts from it, to fhew how the Jews of that age felt and reafoned. The Jew expreffes his dread of idolatry in very strong terms. "The prophet Mofes," he fays, "if you read the penta"teuch, pronounces a dreadful curfe upon "the children of Ifrael, from God, the an gels, and faints, calling in all the ele"ments under heaven, if we should ever "receive any other god befide the God of "our Fathers. Why then fhould you make << any words on the subject; for God him"felf by the prophets ftrictly orders us, Οι το μεν είναι ενα θεον πατέρα καταδέχεται τους δογματί. Cat. 7. P. 102. "faying, |