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Trine-God Controversy

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In the churches over which Hincmar (q.v.), archbishop of Rheims, presided, he forbade the singing of the last words of a very ancient hymn- Te trina Deitas, unaque poscimus ("Of thee, trine Deity, yet one, we ask") on the ground that this phraseology subverted the simplicity of the Divine Nature, and implied the existence of three Gods. The Benedictine monks would not obey this mandate-of Hincmar; and one of their number, Ratramnus, wrote in defense of a trine Deity. Godeschalcus, hearing of this dissension while in prison, sent forth a paper, in which he defended the cause of his fellow-monks. For this he was accused by Hincmar of Tritheism, and was confuted in a book written expressly for that purpose. But this controversy soon subsided; and, in spite of Hincmar's efforts, the words retained their place in the hymn. See Mosheim, Ch. Hist. bk. 5, ch. 2, p. 94.