Enforcing the decision of  Nicea,  and the writings of  “Athanasius’ Creed,”  pp. 381, 382. 
   [More references at bottom of  this page.]
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions
CHAPTER XXXV.       (Page)  379
THE TRINITY.

     The result of  our investigations  then,  is that,  for ages  before the time of  Christ Jesus  or Christianity,  God  was worshiped  in the form of  a TRIAD,  and  that  this doctrine was extensively diffused  through all nations.  That  it was established  in  regions  as far  distant  as  China  and Mexico,  and immemorially  acknowledged  through  the whole extent of  Egypt  and India.  That  it flourished  with  equal vigor  among the snowy mountains of  Thibet,  and  the vast deserts of  Siberia.  That  the barbarians  of  central Europe,  the Scandinavians,  and the  Druids  of  Britain  and Ireland,  bent  their knees  to  an idol  of  a  Triune God.  What  then  becomes of  “ the  Ever-Blessed  Trinity”  of  Christianity?  It must  fall,  together with  all the rest of  its dogmas,  and  be buried with the Pagan débris.
     The learned  Thomas Maurice  imagined that  this mysterious doctrine  must have been  revealed by God  to Adam,  or  to Noah,  or  to Abraham,  or  to somebody else.  Notice  with what caution  he wrote  (A. D. 1794)  on this subject.  He says:
     “ In the course of  the wide range  which  I have been compelled  to take  in the field of  Asiatic mythology,  certain topics  have arisen  for discussion.,  equally  delicate  and perplexing.  Among them,  in particular,  a species of  Trinity  forms  a constant  and prominent feature  in  nearly all  the systems of  Oriental theology.”
     After saying,  “I venture  with a  trembling step,”  and  that,  “ It was  not from  choice,  but  from  necessity,  that  I entered  thus  upon this subject,”  he concludes:
     “ This  extensive  and interesting subject  engrosses  a considerable portion of  this work,  and my anxiety  to prepare  the public mind  to receive it,  my efforts  to elucidate  so  mysterious  a point of  theology,  induces me  to remind  the candid reader,  that  visible traces of  this doctrine  are discovered,  not only  in the  three principals  of  the  Chaldaic theology;  in the Triplasios  Mithra  of  Persia;  in the Triad,  Brahmä,  Vishnu,  and Siva,  of  India—  where  it was  evidently  promulgated  in the Geeta,   fifteen hundred years  before the birth of  Plato; a   but  in the  Numen Triplex  of  Japan;  in the inscription  upon the famous medal  found  in the deserts of  Siberia,  “ To the  Triune God,”  to be seen  at this day  in the valuable cabinet  of  the Empress  at  St. Petersburg;  in the  Tanga-Tanga,  or  Three in one,  of  the  South Americans;  and,  finally,  without mentioning the vestiges of  it  in Greece,  in the Symbol  of  the Wing,  the Globe,  and the Serpent,  conspicuous  on  most of  the ancient temples of  Upper Egypt.” b
a The ideas  entertained  concerning the antiquity of  the Geeta,  at the time  Mr. Maurice  wrote his  Indian Antiquities,  were erroneous.  This work,  as  we have elsewhere seen,  is not  as old  as he supposed.  The doctrine of  the  Trimurti  in India,  however,  is  to be found  in the Veda,  and  epic poems,  which are  of  an  antiquity  long  anterior  to the rise of  Christianity,  preceding it  by  many centuries.   (See  Monier Williams’  Indian Wisdom,  p. 324,  and Hinduism,  pp. 109, 110-115.)
     “ The grand cavern  pagoda of  Elephanta,  the oldest  and most magnificent temple  in the world,  is  neither more  nor less  than  a  superb temple  of  a  Triune God.   (Maurice:  Indian Antiquities,  vol. iii. p. ix.)
b Indian Antiquities,  vol. i. pp. 125-127.

(Page)  380       BIBLE MYTHS.

     It was a  long time after the followers of  Christ Jesus  had made him  a  God,  before  they ventured  to declare that  he was  “God himself   in  human form,”  .  .  .  It was  Justin Martyr,  a  Christian convert  from the Platonic school, c  who,  about the middle of  the second century,  first promulgated the opinion,  .  .  .  This knowledge,  he does not ascribe to the scriptures,  but to the special favor of  God. d
c We have already seen that  Plato  and his followers  taught the doctrine of  the Trinity  centuries before the time of  Christ Jesus.
d Israel Worsley’s  Enquiry,  p. 54.  Quoted in Higgins’  Anacalypsis,  vol. i. p. 116. 
     The passage in  I, John, v. 7,  which reads thus:  “ For there are three  that bear record in heaven,  the Father,  the Word,  and the Holy Ghost,  and these three are one,”  is  one of  the numerous interpolations  which were inserted into the books of  the  New Testament,  many years after these books were written. e  These passages are retained and circulated as the  word of  God,  or as of  equal authority with the rest,  though known and admitted  by the learned  on  all hands,  to  be forgeries,  willful  and wicked interpolations.
e “ The memorable text  ( I. John  v. 7.)  which asserts the unity of  the three  which bear witness in heaven,  is condemned  by  the universal silence of  the orthodox Fathers,  ancient versions,  and authentic manuscripts.  It was first alleged by the Catholic Bishop  whom  Hunneric  summoned to the conference of  Carthage  (A. D. 254),  or,  more properly,  by the four bishops  who composed and published the profession of  faith  in the name of  their brethren.”  (Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. iii. p. 556,  and note 117.)  None of  the ancient manuscripts now extant,  above four score in number,  contains this passage.  (Ibid. note 116.)  In the eleventh and  twelfth centuries,  the Bible was corrected.  Yet,  notwithstanding these corrections,  the passage is still wanting  in twenty-five latin manuscripts.  (Ibid. note 116.)  See also Dr. Giles’  Hebrew and Christian Records,  vol. ii. p. 12.  Dr. Inman’s  Ancient Faiths,  vol. ii. 886.  Rev. Robert Taylor’s  Diegesis,  p. 421,  and Geo. Reber’s  Christ of  Paul.
     The subtle and profound questions  concerning the nature,  generation,  the distinction,  and the quality of  the three divine persons of  the mysterious triad,  or Trinity,  were agitated in the philosophical  and in the Christian schools of  Alexandria in Egypt, f  but it was not a part of  the established Christian faith  until as late as  A. D. 327,  when the question was settled at the Councils of  Nice  and Constantinople.  Up to this time  there was no understood  and recognized doctrine  on this high subject.  The Christians were  for the most part  accustomed to use scriptural expressions in speaking of  the Father,  and the Son,  and the Spirit,  without defining articulately  their relation to one another. g
f See Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. ii. p. 309,
g Chambers’s  Encyclo.,  art.  “Trinity.”
     In these trinitarian controversies,  which first broke out in Egypt— Egypt,  the land of  trinities— the chief point in the discussion  was to define the position of  “ the Son.”

THE TRINITY.            (Page)  381

     There lived in  Alexandria  a  presbyter of  the name of  Arius,  a disappointed candidate for the office of  bishop.  He  took the ground that  there was a time when,  from the very nature of  Son-ship,  the Son  did not exist,  and  a time  at which  he commenced  to be,  asserting that  it is  the  necessary condition of  the  filial relation  that  a father  must be  older  than  his son.  But  this assertion  evidently denied the  co-eternity  of  the three persons  of  the Trinity,  it suggested  a  subordination  or  inequality  among them,  and indeed  implied a time  when  the Trinity did not exist.  Hereupon  the bishop,  who had been the successful competitor against Arius,  displayed his rhetorical powers  in public debates on the question,  and,  the strife  spreading,  the Jews and Pagans,  who formed  a very large portion of  the population  of  Alexandria,  amused themselves with  theatrical representations of  the contest  on the stage— the point of  their burlesques  being  the equality  of  age  of  the father  and the son.  Such  was  the violence  the controversy  at length assumed,  that  the matter  had  to be referred to  the emperor  (Constantine).
     At first  he looked upon the dispute  as altogether frivolous,  and perhaps in truth  inclined to the assertion of  Arius,  that in the very nature of  the thing  a father must be older than  his son.  So great,  however,  was the pressure laid upon him,  that he was eventually compelled to summon the council of  Nicea,  which,  to dispose of  the conflict,  set forth  a  formulary  or creed,  and attached  to it  this  anathema:

     “ The holy Catholic and Apostolic Church  anathematizes those who say that there was a time when the Son of  God was not,  and that,  before he was begotten,  he was not,  and that  he was made out of  nothing,  or out of  another substance or essence,  and is created,  or changeable,  or alterable.”

     Constantine  at once  enforced  the decision of  the council  by the civil power. h
h Draper:  Religion and Science,  vol. i. p. 159.
     Even after this  “ Subtle and profound question”  had been settled at the Council of  Nice,  those who settled it  did not understand the question  they had settled.  Athanasius,  who was a member of  the first general council,  and who is said to have written the creed  which bears his name,  which asserts that the true Catholic faith  is this:

     “ That we worship  One God  as Trinity,  and Trinity in Unity— neither confounding the persons  nor dividing the substance— for there is one person of  the Father,  another  of  the Son,  and another  of  the Holy Ghost,  but the Godhead of  the Father,  and of  the Son,  and of  the Holy Ghost  is all one,  the glory equal,  the majesty  co-eternal,”

(Page)  382          THE TRINITY.

     — also confessed that  whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on the divinity of  the Logos,  his toilsome and unavailing efforts  recoiled on themselves;  that  the more he thought  the less he comprehended;  and the more he wrote  the less capable was he  of  expressing his thoughts. i
i Athanasius,  tom. i. p. 808.  Quoted in Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. ii. p. 310, 
     Gennadius,  patriarch of  Constantinople,  was so much amazed by  the extraordinary composition  called  “Athanasius’ Creed,”  that he frankly  pronounced it to be the work of  a drunken man.  (Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. iii. p. 555,  note 114.)
     We see,  then,  that  this great question was settled,  not  by  the consent of  all members of  the council,  but simply because  the majority  were in favor of  it.  Jesus of  Nazareth was  “ God himself  in human form;”   “one of  the persons of  the  Ever-Blessed Trinity,”   who  “had  no beginning,  and  will have no end,”   because  the majority  of  the members  of  this council  said so.  Hereafter— so  it was decreed— all  must believe it;  if  not,  they must not  oppose it,  but  forever  hold  their  peace.
     The Emperor  Theodosius  declared his resolution of  expelling from all the churches of  his dominions,  the bishops and their clergy  who should obstinately refuse to believe,  or at least to profess,  the doctrine of  the Council of  Nice.  His lieutenant,  Sapor,  was armed with the ample powers of  a general law,  a special commission,  and a military force;  and this ecclesiastical resolution was conducted  with so much discretion and vigor,  that the religion of  the Emperor was established. j
j Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. iii. p. 87.
     Here  we have the historical fact,  that bishops of  the Christian church,  and their clergy,  were forced  to profess their belief  in the doctrine of  the Trinity.
     We also find that:

     “ This orthodox Emperor  (Theodosius)  considered every heretic  (as he called those  who did not believe  as he and his ecclesiastics professed)  as a rebel against the supreme powers  of  heaven  and  of  earth  ( he  being  one of  the supreme powers  of  earth)  and  each of  the powers  might exercise their peculiar jurisdiction  over the  soul and body  of  the guilty.
     “ The decrees of  the council of  Constantinople  had ascertained the  true  standard of  the faith,  and the ecclesiastics,  who governed the conscience of  Theodosius,  suggested the most effectual methods of  persecution.  In the space of  fifteen years  he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against the heretics,  more especially against those who rejected the doctrine of  the Trinity.” k
k Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. iii. pp. 91, 92.
     Thus we see one of  the many reasons why  the  “ most holy  Christian religion”  spread  so rapidly.
     Arius— who declared that  in the nature of  things  a father must be older than his son— was excommunicated  for his  so-called  heretical notions  concerning the Trinity.  His  followers,  who were very numerous,  were called Arians.  Their writings,  if  they had been permitted to exist, l  would  undoubtedly  contain the lamentable story of  the persecution  which affected the church  under the reign of  the impious  Emperor Theodosius.
l All their writings were ordered to be destroyed,  and any one found to have them in his possession  was severely punished.

THE  Decline and Fall  of  the  Roman Empire,  by  Edward Gibbon,   (306—348 A. D.)  The progress and effects  of  the conversion  of  constantine—  Legal Establishment  and Constitution  of  the  Christian  or  Catholic Church:  Chapter  XX;
(312—362 A. D.)  Persecution  of  Heresy—  The Schism  of  the  Donatists—  The Arian controversy—  Athanasius—  Distracted State  of  the  Church  and Empire  under  Constantine  and his sons—  Toleration  of  Paganism: Chapter  XXI.

Socianism,  Laelius and Faustus Socinus,  founders of  Antitrinitarian  intellectual movement.   See:  Trinity.

Doane,  Bible Myths and their Parallels
in other Religions,  7th ed.,  pp. 386 et seq.

Doane,  Bible Myths  pp. 368 et seq.

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