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' MinJ. Tlie Egyptians called their Trinity, Hemptha, and re- 



• prefented it by a globe, a ferpcnt, and a wing, difpofed 



into one hieroglyphic fymbol. Kircher, Gale, &c. fuppofe 



the Egyptians learned their doftrine of the Trinity from 



Jofeph and the Hebrews. 



The philofophers, fays St. Cyril, owned three hypoftafes, 

 or perfons ; they have extended their divinity to three per- 

 fons, and even fometimes ufed the word Trias, Trinity: 

 they wanted nothing but to admit the confubftantiality of 

 t4ie three hypoftafes, to fignify the unity of the divine 

 nature, in exclufion of all triplicity with regard to difference 

 of nature ; and not to hold it neceflary to conceive any inferi- 

 ority of hypoftafes. 



We learn from Dr. Cudworth, that, befides the inferior 

 gods, generally received by all the Pagans, [viz. animated 

 liars, daemons, and heroes,) the more refined of them, who 

 accounted not the world the fupreme deity, acknowledged 

 a Trinity of divme hypoftafes fuperior to them all. This 

 doftrine, according to Plotinus, is very ancient, and ob- 

 fcurely afferted even by Parmenides. Some have referred 

 its origin to the Pythagoreans, and others to Orpheus, who 

 adopted three principles, called Phanes, Uranus, and Cro- 

 nus. Dr. Cudworth apprehends, that Pythagoras and Or- 

 pheus derived this doftrine from the theology of the Egyp- 

 tian Hermes ; and, as it is not probable that it fliould have 

 been firft difcovered by human reafon, he concurs with Pro- 

 clus in affirming, that it was at firft a theology of divine 

 tradition, or revelation, imparted firft to the Hebrews, and 

 from them communicated to the Egyptians and other na- 

 tions ; among whom it was depraved and adulterated. 

 Cudw. Intell. Syftem, book i. c. 4. 



Plato, and fome of his followers, fpeak of a Trinity in 

 fuch terms, that the primitive fathers have been accufed of 

 borrowing the very doftrine from the Platonic fchool ; but 

 M. Mourgues, who has examined the point, afferts, that 

 nothing can be more abfui-d, than to luppofe the Platonic 

 Trinity brought into the church ; and to have recourfe to 

 the Platonifm of the fathers to difcredit their authority with 

 regard to this dogma. 



Trinity, Frlery or Fraternity of the Holy, is a fociety 

 inftituted at Rome, by St. Philip Neri, in 1548, to take 

 care of pilgrims coming from all parts of the world to 

 that capital, to vifit the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. 



In 1558, pope Paul IV. gave the fraternity the church 

 of St. Benedift, to which they gave the title of the Holy 

 Trinity. Since that time, they have built clofe by it 

 a very ample hofpital for pilgrims, and perfons on the 

 recovery. 



The fraternity has fince become very confiderable, and 

 moft of the nobleffe of Rome, of either fex, have done it 

 the honour to be members of it. 



Trinity, Congregation of the Holy, is a congregation of 

 twelve priefts eftabliflied in the hofpital of the fraternity jnft 

 mentioned, to take care of pilgrims, and others entertained 

 therein. 



Trinity, Order of the Holy. See Trinitarians. 



Trivhty -Sunday, is the next Sunday after Whitiunday, 

 thus called, becaufe on that day was anciently held a fefti- 

 val (as it ftill continues to be in the Romiih church) in 

 honour of the Holy Trinity. The obfervance of this fefti- 

 val was firft enjoined by the fixth canon of the council of 

 Aries, in 1260; and John XXIT. who diftinguilhed him- 

 felf fo much by his opinion concerning the beatific vifion, is 

 faid to have fixed the office for this feftival in 1334. 



Tv.miT\-Herb, in Botany. See Violet. 



Trivhty- Houfc, is a kind of college at Deptford, be- 

 longing to a fociety of fcafaring perfons, founded for the 



T R I 



regulation of feamen, and fecurity and convenience of (hips 

 and mariners on our coafts. 



This fociety was incorporated by Henry VIII. in 15 15, 

 who confirmed to them not only all the ancient rights and 

 privileges of the mariners of England, but alfo their feveral 

 pofrefTions : which, together with various grants of queen 

 Elizabeth and king Charles II. were confirmed by letters 

 patent of the ift of James II. in 1685 ; under the name of 

 the mafter, wardens, and affiftants of the guild or fraternity 

 of the moft glorious and undivided Trinity, and of St. 

 Clement, in the parilh of Deptford Strand, in the county 

 of Kent. 



This corporation is governed by a mafter, four wardens, 

 eight affillants, and eighteen elder brethren : the inferior 

 members of the fraternity, denominated younger brethren, 

 and chofen among the mafters and mates expert in naviga- 

 tion, are of an unlimited number, and ferve for fupplying 

 vacancies among the thirty-one elder brethren. The mafter, 

 &c. of this corporation, are invefted by charter with a 

 power to examine the mathematical children of Chrift's 

 Hofpital ; to examine the mafters of his majefty's fliips ; to 

 appoint pilots for conducing (hips in and out of the river 

 Thames ; and to amerce fuch as (hall aft as mailers or pilots 

 without their approbation in a fine of 20/. ; to fettle the 

 feveral rates of pilotage, and ereft light-houfes, and other 

 fea-marks, on the feveral coafts of the kingdom, for the 

 fecurity of navigation ; to prevent aliens from ferving on 

 board Englifli ftiips, without their hcence, under penalty 

 of 5/. for each offence ; to punifli feamen for defertion or 

 mutiny in the merchant fervice ; to hear and determine 

 the complaints of officers and feamen in this fervice, under 

 an appeal to the court of admiralty ; and to grant licences 

 to poor feamen (non-freemen) to row on the river Thames. 



To this company belongs the ballaft-office, for cleaning 

 and deepening the river Thames, by taking from it a fuffi- 

 cient quantity of ballaft for the fupply of all (liips that fail 

 out of the river ; in which fervice fixty barges, of the 

 burden of thirty tons, and two men each, are conftantly 

 employed : all fliips takiiig in ballaft pay to them lid. a ton. 



This corporation is empowered by charter to purchafe 

 lands, &c. to the amount of 500/. per annum, and alfo to 

 receive charitable benefadlions to the like amount. They 

 have alfo light-lioufes, to which all fliips pay a halfpenny 

 per ton. 



Out of the income of this corporation, about three thou- 

 fand poor feamen, their wii'ows and orphans, are annually 

 reheved, at the expence of about 6000/. 



The houfe in which the brethren of this corporation 

 ufually meet for the difpatch of bufinefs, is on Tower-Hill. 

 (See London.) They have three hofpitals, two at Dept- 

 ford, and one at Mile-End, which laft is defigned for 

 decayed fea-officers, mailers of veifels, pilots, and their 

 widows. 



Thinity Tivw. See Term. 



Trinity, or La Trlnlle, in Geography, a fea-port town 

 of the ifland of Martinico : the harbour is formed on the 

 fouth-eaft fide by the point Caravelle, which is two leagues 

 in length ; and on the other fide by a very high hill, about 

 350 or 400 paces in length, wiiicli only joins to the main 

 land by an ifthmus not above 200 feet broad. The eaft 

 fide, oppofite to the bottom of this bay, is ftopped np by a 

 chain of rocks, which appear level witii the water when the 

 ebb tide is fpent. The town here is a very thriving place, 

 being the refidence of feveral merchants, as well as of the 

 lieutenant-governor of the Cabes-terre ; and much fre- 

 quented by ftiipping, efpecially from Nantes ; the cargoes 

 of which are fure here to meet with a quick fale, the people, 



who 



