Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/539

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TRINITY. 4(59 TRINITY COLLEGE. city of Galveston. It is over 550 miles long and navigable at high water for 300 miles. TRINITY, Doctrine of the. A doctrine of theology which declares that there are three per- sons in the Godhead, or divine nature — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost — and that "these three are one true eternal God, the same in substance, equal in jjower anil glory — although distinguished by their personal properties." The most elaborate statement of the doctrine is to be found in the Athanasian Creed, which asserts that "the Catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in 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." The doctrine is not found in its fully developed form in the Scriptures ; but it is supposed to be clearly revealed in its elements in the Xew Tes- tament, and also to be indicated in many of the statements and revelations of the Old Testament. The form of expression in speaking of God in the Old Testament Scriptures — the plural Elo- him. coupled with a singular verb; the apparent distinction recognized in the revelations to the patriarchs and Jloses between Jehovah and 'the angel of Jehovah;' the mode in which 'the Spirit' and 'word' of God, and 'wisdom' (Prov- erbs viii.) are spoken of: and the gradual unfold- ing of the doctrine of a 'Jlessiah,' have all been taken as indications from the earliest times of the truth of a plurality of persons in the God- head: and in the New Testament Scriptures the doctrine is represented as clearly taught in the Trinitai'ian formula of baptism — the general character of the claims and prerogatives of Jesus Christ by which His true deity is established, and in the functions attributed to the Holy Spirit. The evidence is held conclusive of the equal divine nature and yet distinct personality of the Son and the Spirit along with C4od the Father. It is generally conceded, however, that the Christians of the second and even of the third century did not treat the subject with the same definiteness and accuracy of expression as later writers. They were content for the most part to use Scriptural expressions in speaking of the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, without defining articulatel.y their relation to one an- other. It was not until the progress of opposing parties sought, on the one hand, to degrade the divine dignity of Christ (Ebionitism in its vari- ous forms, and Arianism) , or, on the other hand, to confound the personality of Christ with God the Father ( see Monakchtans ) , that the Church was led to define in the Nicene Creed the relation of the Son to the Father, and further, in the Nica>no-Constantinopolitan Creed, the relation of the Spirit to the Father. This creed (see Nicene Creed: Filioque) was specially directed against the opinions of Arius (q.v.). The evidence, here briefly sketched in outline, has been accepted as satisfactory, not only by the Eoman Catholic and Oriental communions, but also by all the great Protestant communions. The only exception in modern times to the reception of the doctrine is in the case of the Socinians or Unitarians (see LociNUS), who occupy in their teaching very mucli the position of the ancient Humanitarians (Kbionites). Consult the vari- ous treatises on systematic theology; Bauer, Die clirislliche Lehrc voti, der Dreieinigkeit (3 vols., Tiiljingen, 1841-43); Meier, Die Lehre von der TrinUat (Hamburg, 1844) ; Dorner, The Ilis- tory of the Development of the Doetrine of tlic Person of Chrixl (Eng. trans., Edinburgh, 1S61-G3); id., Ilislori/ of Protestant Theology (ib., 1871) jBurris, The Trinity (Chicago, 1874) ; Steenstra, The Being of God as i'nily and Trin- ity (Boston. 1891); on the antitrjnitarian side, Norton, A Statement of Reasons for Not Believ- ing the Doctrines of Trinitarians (2d ed., Boston, 1856) ; Clarke, Orthodoxy, Its Truths and Errors (ib., 1866). TRINITY COLLEGE. A college at Cam- bridge, England, the largest and most splendid collegiate foundation in the realm. It was found- ed by Henry VIII., in 1546, by the consolidation of several earlier foundations, with considerable additional endowments from other sources for a master and sixty fellows and scholars. Edward VI. issued the statutes, Mary added twenty scholars and increased the endowment, and Elizabeth interested herself in the college. It is governed by a council, consisting of the master and four other ex-ofli,cio members, and eight elective members. The buildings are large and imposing; the great court is the largest in either university, comprising more than two acres. The gateway is striking and characteristic, the Hall one of the finest in Eng- land. The chapel, though of great size, is not so fine as that of King's. The library is a large and important collection, comprising about 90,- 000 books and 1900 manuscripts. The list of Trinity worthies is almost endless. Of these may be mentioned Bacon, Newton, Barrow, Coke, Dryden, Cowley, Byron, Tennyson. Ed- ward FitzCierald, Tliackeray, Macaulay, Richard Porson, Peacock, Sedgwick, Pearson, Munro, Lightfoot, and Bentley. Among the more dis- tinguished masters of the college mav be named William Bill, .John Whitgift, Thomas Nevile, Barrow, Bentley, and William Whewell. The master of Trinity is appointed by the Crown, and the college has apartments for the oc- cupancy of royalty when on a visit to Cam- bridge, as well as for the judges on assize. Consult Jlullinger, History of Cambridge Uni- versity (Cambridge University Press, 1884). TRINITY COLLEGE, Dltjon. See Dub- lin, University of. TRINITY COLLEGE. A college at Oxford, England, fovmded in 1554 by Sir Thomas Pope, Privy Councilor to Henry VIII. and Queen Mary. The college oedupied the site and build- ings of a Benedictine 'mansion' called Durham College, which had been founded in 1290 by Richard de Hoton, Prior of Durham, for the education of the monks of that diocese. At the dissolution of the monasteries, this passed into the hands of the newly constituted chapter of ' Durham, and thence to Sir Thomas Pope. Trinity College was the first college founded by a layman since Balliol. and consisted at first of a presi- dent, twelve fellows, and twelve scholars. Pope was a Roman Catholic, and his charter was ob- tained from Philip and Mary. By the changes made in 17 and 18 Victoria, the college consists of a president, twelve fellowships, of which nine