"I cannot form a conception of a God who has neither body, parts nor passions. So far as the Bible is concerned, I fail to see from what part of that book you derive such a conclusion."
"Well, Mr. Brown, using your own language, 'so far as the Bible is concerned,' let us do as Isaiah commands, 'go to the law and to the testimony' (Isaiah viii: 20) and I will soon convince you that the Bible plainly sets forth the fact that the Father and the Son are one. In fact, Jesus himself declares that He and His Father are one (John x: 30). Is this not true?"
"Excuse me," said Durant, "but is it not more reasonable for us to believe that He meant that He and His Father are united in all things as one person?—not that they are actually one and the same identity?"
"Certainly not," said the reverend, "our Savior meant just what He said when He declared that He and His Father were one."
"I differ from you," said the stranger, "for He also asked His Father to make His disciples one, even as He and the Father were one, as you will see by reference to John xvii:20 and 21, and by your argument it must have been His wish for those disciples to lose their separate and distinct identities."
"Stranger," said Mr. Brown, "your view of the case, I must confess, appears reasonable."
"Let me ask," said the preacher, "did not Jesus say, 'He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.'" (John xiv: 9.)
"Yes," said the westerner, "for as Paul says, 'He was in the express image of His (Father's) person' (Heb. i: 3), and this being the case, Jesus might well give them to understand that when they had seen one they had seen the other. When Jesus went out to pray, He said, 'O, my Father, if it be possible let thus cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' (Matt. xxvi: 39.) Now then, to whom was our Savior praying? Was he asking a favor of himself?"
"Oh, no; He was then praying to the Holy Spirit."
"By such admission you have separated one of the three from Jesus, for in the beginning you declared that the three were one; and now that we have one of the three separated from the others, let us see if we can separate the other two. In order to do this, I refer you to the account of the martyrdom of Stephen. While being stoned to death he looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and that Jesus was standing on the right hand of God. (Acts vii: 55.) Would it not be impossible for a person to stand on the right hand of himself? In further proof that Jesus is a separate person from the Father we will examine the account of His baptism. On coming up out of the water, what was it that lighted on Him in the form of a dove?" (Matt. iii: 16.)