A Nineteenth-Century Witness to the Oneness of God
Author Unknown

The following quotations are excerpted from a book published in 1834 and written by Joshua Leonard, a Presbyterian minister who was a member of the Presbytery in Cortland, New York. While the book was in production, charges of heresy were filed against him because of it, whereupon he resigned and resumed his previous status as an independent congregational pastor. The full title of the book on its title page is Solemn Reasons for Believing That God Is One: and for Withholding Assent to the Proposition That God Is Three, and the short title on its spine is Unity of God. It was published by the Press of J. F. Fairchild and Son in Cazenobia, New York. The book was made available to the Forward by George Luke II, United Pentecostal pastor in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada.

“The Supreme GOD is not the Man Jesus. And the Man Jesus is not the Supreme GOD. United, they are one complex being, and object of worship…. I call God and Man united, my Savior, or my Lord, or by the proper name (by usage become a proper name) Jesus Christ” (page 98).

“The Divinity of Christ was, therefore, the `Jehovah,’ and the `Holy Ghost,’ of whom Isaiah spoke: the selfsame person: so clearly the same, as absolutely to exclude first, second, and third from the whole account” (page 185).

“It is maintained by Dr. Watts, and by those who believe with him; and is the doctrine I advocate: that the Godhead of Christ, is the very same as the Godhead of the Father. The Divinity of Christ is the Jehovah of the old testament; or, `I am that I am”‘ in sundry passages denominated the Holy Ghost” (page 187).

Paul informed them [the Ephesian disciples of John in Acts 191; and baptized them `in the name of the Lord Jesus:’ that is in the name of The Son. This was sufficient. `He then laid his hands on them; and
The Holy Ghost’ (of which they had not before heard) came upon them; and they spake with TONGUES, and PROPHESIED.”-Acts, xix. They, too, shared in the miraculous influence and its miraculous effects…. These miraculous gifts and wonders shed forth, are called the Holy Ghost shed forth: which Holy Ghost, Peter says, they `saw and heard”‘ (pages 181- 82).

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY THE FORWARD, FALL 2001, PAGE 16. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.