Part 105 (1/2)

”The Catholic[368:2] faith is this: That we wors.h.i.+p _One_ G.o.d 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 G.o.dhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost _is all one_; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.”

As M. Reville remarks:

”The dogma of the Trinity displayed its contradictions with true bravery. The Deity divided into _three_ divine persons, _and yet_ these _three_ persons forming only _One_ G.o.d; of these three _the first only_ being self-existent, the two others _deriving their existence_ from the first, _and yet_ these three persons being considered as _perfectly equal_; each having his special, distinct character, his individual qualities, wanting in the other two, _and yet_ each one of the three being supposed to possess the fullness of perfection--here, it must be confessed, we have the deification of the contradictory.”[368:3]

We shall now see that this very peculiar doctrine of three in one, and one in three, is of _heathen_ origin, and that it must fall with all the other dogmas of the Christian religion.

The number _three_ is sacred in all theories derived from oriental sources. Deity is always a trinity of some kind, or the successive emanations proceeded in threes.[369:1]

If we turn to _India_ we shall find that one of the most prominent features in the Indian theology is the doctrine of a divine triad, governing all things. This triad is called _Tri-murti_--from the Sanscrit word _tri_ (three) and _murti_ (form)--and consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. It is an _inseparable_ unity, though three in form.[369:2]

”When the universal and infinite being Brahma--the only really existing ent.i.ty, wholly without form, and unbound and unaffected by the three Gunas or by qualities of any kind--wished to create for his own entertainment the phenomena of the universe, he a.s.sumed the quality of activity and became a male person, as _Brahma_ the creator. Next, in the progress of still further self-evolution, he willed to invest himself with the second quality of goodness, as _Vishnu_ the preserver, and with the third quality of darkness, as _Siva_ the destroyer. This development of the doctrine of triple manifestation (_tri-murti_), which appears first in the Brahmanized version of the Indian Epics, had already been adumbrated in the Veda in the triple form of fire, and in the triad of G.o.ds, Agni, Surya, and Indra; and in other ways.”[369:3]

This divine _Tri-murti_--says the Brahmans and the sacred books--is indivisible in essence, and indivisible in action; mystery profound!

which is explained in the following manner:

_Brahma_ represents the _creative_ principle, the unreflected or unevolved protogoneus state of divinity--the _Father_.

_Vishnu_ represents the _protecting_ and _preserving_ principle, the evolved or reflected state of divinity--the _Son_.[369:4]

_Siva_ is the principle that presides at destruction and re-construction--the Holy Spirit.[369:5]

The third person was the Destroyer, or, in his good capacity, the Regenerator. The dove was the emblem of the Regenerator. As the _spiritus_ was the pa.s.sive cause (brooding on the face of the waters) by which all things sprang into life, the dove became the emblem of the Spirit, or Holy Ghost, the third person.

These three G.o.ds are the first and the highest manifestations of the Eternal Essence, and are typified by the three letters composing the mystic syllable OM or AUM. They const.i.tute the well known Trimurti or Triad of divine forms which characterizes Hindooism. It is usual to describe these three G.o.ds as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, but this gives a very inadequate idea of their complex characters. Nor does the conception of their relations.h.i.+p to each other become clearer when it is ascertained that their functions are constantly interchangeable, and that each may take the place of the other, according to the sentiment expressed by the greatest of Indian poets, Kalidasa (k.u.mara-sambhava, Griffith, vii. 44):

”In those three persons the One G.o.d was shown-- Each first in place, each last--not one alone; Of Siva, Vishnu, Brahma, each may be First, second, third, among the blessed three.”

A devout person called Attencin, becoming convinced that he should wors.h.i.+p but _one_ deity, thus addressed Brahma, Vishnu and Siva:

”O you _three_ Lords; know that I recognize only _One_ G.o.d; inform me therefore, _which of you is the true divinity_, that I may address to him alone my vows and adorations.”

The three G.o.ds became manifest to him, and replied:

”Learn, O devotee, that there is no real distinction between us; what to you _appears_ such is only by semblance; _the Single Being appears under three forms, but he is One_.”[370:1]

Sir William Jones says:

”Very respectable natives have a.s.sured me, that one or two missionaries have been absurd enough in their zeal for the conversion of the Gentiles, to urge that the Hindoos were even now almost Christians; because their Brahma, Vishnou, and Mahesa (Siva), were no other than the Christian Trinity.”[370:2]

Thomas Maurice, in his ”Indian Antiquities,” describes a magnificent piece of Indian sculpture, of exquisite workmans.h.i.+p, and of stupendous antiquity, namely:

”A bust composed of _three heads_, united to _one body_, adorned with the _oldest_ symbols of the Indian theology, and thus expressly fabricated according to the unanimous confession of the sacred sacerdotal tribe of India, to indicate _the Creator_, the _Preserver_, and the _Regenerator_, of mankind; which _establishes the solemn fact, that from the remotest eras, the Indian nations had adored a triune deity_.”[371:1]

Fig. No. 34 is a representation of an Indian sculpture, intended to represent the Triune G.o.d,[371:2] evidently similar to the one described above by Mr. Maurice. It is taken from ”a very ancient granite” in the museum at the ”Indian House,” and was dug from the ruins of a temple in the island of Bombay.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 34]

The Buddhists, as well as the Brahmans, have had their Trinity from a very early period.