1

in their 2? volume.

We genuineness of 4 text of st John,
Martin's dissertation on
2 letters & Pr. Bentley

Josophus's Jestimony of Chris
his intended Edition of y Gr. J. Panswer

on

GENUINENESS

OF THE

TEXT of the First Epistle
of Saint JOHN.

Chap. v. V. 7.
V.7.

There are Three in Heaven, &c.

Demonftrated by Proofs which are beyond
all Exception, taken from the Testimonies
of the Greek and Latin Churches, and par-
ticularly from a Greek MS. of the New
Teftament, found in Ireland.

By DAVID MARTIN, Rector of
the French Church at Utrecht. Author of
the Differtation upon this Text, &c.

Tranflated from the French.

LONDON:

Printed for W. and J. INNYS at the Prince's Arms
at the West End of St. Paul's Church-yard.
MDCCXXII,

HO' I engage a third time upon the fubject of this famous Text in St. John's Epiftle, There are three in Heaven which bear record, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe three are one; it is not to continue the defence of it against Mr. Emlyn. There would be no end in removing the miftakes he commits in this matter, and I am naturally an enemy to ftrife and debates. I have always been of opinion, that when a truth is fufficiently clear'd up, all that is added thereto by reiterated difputes, rather carries it off from its true point of fight, than is capable of fixing the mind upon it. Questions are multiply'd, new difficulties are ftarted that are foreign to the principal fubject, perfonal interefts are infenfibly mix'd with it, and in this confufion the Reader's mind, divided betwixt fo many different matters, A 2 gives

gives but an imperfect attention to the fubject upon which it fhould be wholly employ'd.

Mr. Emlyn has lately publish'd a Piece, under the name of a Reply to the Examination I had made of his Anfwer, by which he had pretended to confute my Differtation upon the paffage of St. John; but as he has but flightly run over fome paffages, and not touch'd upon divers others which carry demonftration and conviction along with 'em, I fhall have no need to return frequently to him; and if this was all I had to do, I might have difpens'd with writing again upon the fame fubject. The only thing which could have engag'd me in it, would have been to defend my innocence in the quotation I had made of a Manufcript of Berlin, upon occafion of which Mr. Emlyn has thought fit to triumph; but one or two Sheets inferted in fome one of the Critical Journals would have fuffic'd for this, and all the reft of his Piece.

Mr. Emlyn therefore and his Reply will be here but incidentally fpoke of, and according as the matters I fhall have to treat of will require: the principal defign of this Work does not turn upon that; and the purpose of it is of more concern to Chriftians, who owning no other foundation of their Faith than the facred Scripture, cannot but with fingular edification fee a Text, in which the mystery of the Trinity is evidently taught, defended against thofe, who thro' the malignant force of prejudice, or an exprefs hatred to this facred myftery, endeavour to take from it this Apoftolick paffage, and deny it to be St. John's.

I had prov'd the genuineness of it by the most folid arguments, that can be urg'd for a fact of this nature; and thefe proofs are fo numerous, and of fo many different kinds, that 'tis impoffible not to be convinc'd by 'em, unless an obftinate

refolution