Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A48160
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A letter to a friend concerning a postscript to the Defense of Dr. Sherlock's notion of the Trinity in unity, relating to the Calm and sober enquiry upon the same subject
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Howe, John, 1630-1705.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing L1639; ESTC R3143
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19,814
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66
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other Eyes than his own For then tho' in so gross praevarication he had not preserved his Innocency he might have sav'd in some degree his Reputation Yet also he should have taken some heed that Anger might not so have discoloured his Eye as to make so injudicious a Choice what to confess and what to conceal For had he not himself blab'd that it was said we are not under the precise notions of Power Wisdom and Goodness to conceive of the Father Son and Holy Ghost He might more plausibly have formed his odd Births and father'd them where he doth But wrath indulg'd will show its governing power And all this fury and vengeance upon the Enquirer and the Dean too he reckon'd was due only because it was so presumptuously thought that somewhat in his Hypothesis or which he defends might have been better and that he probably sees it might so much a greater thing in some ill fits is the gratifying a humour than the Christian Cause 2. But let us now see how all this turns upon himself And how directly his ill-polisht not to say envenom'd darts missing their designed Mark strike into that very Breast which he undertakes to defend Whereas there are two things principally to be designed in a Discourse of this subject viz. 1. The explaining the Unity of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so as that tho' they are some way three they may yet be concluded to be in Godhead but one 2. The evincing notwithstanding that unity the possibility of their sufficient distinction to admit the distinct predicates that are severally spoken of them in the Holy Scriptures The Enquirer's discourse chiefly insists upon these two things 1. That necessity of Existence is the most fundamental Attribute of Deity And that therefore the Father as the Fountain being necessarily of himself The Son necessarily of the Father The Holy Ghost necessarily from them both each cannot but be God and the same one God In reference to the former purpose 2. That absolute omnimodous simplicity being never asserted in Scripture of the divine Being nor capable of being otherwise demonstrated of it and it being impossible either from Scripture or rational evidence accurately to assign the limits thereof and determine what simplicity belongs to that ever-blessed Being and what not If it be necessary to our apprehending how such distinct predicates and attributions may severally belong to the Father Son and Holy Ghost that we conceive three distinct essences necessarily coexisting in an eternal vital inseperable union in the Divine Being The thing may be in it self possible for ought we know And this is propounded to serve the latter purpose The Defender of the Dean seems to think otherwise of these two things viz. Of necessity of Existence common to the sacred three which will prove each of them to be God and belonging to them in the mentioned order as Father Son and Spirit will prove them necessarily to be one God And of what is said of simplicity which might admit their sufficient distinction of both these I say he seems to think otherwise by neglecting both lest that Discourse should be thought any way pertinent or useful to its end And disputes vehemently against the latter How strongly and successfully he does it in respect of the Truth of the Thing we have seen But whether weakly or strongly that his disputation tends to wound the Dean's cause all that it can shall now be made appear It is notorious the Dean hath asserted so positively three infinite Minds or Spirits that the benign interpretation wherewith this Defender would salve the matter A new Vocabulary being to be made for him on purpose and the Reason of things quite alter'd will to any man of sense seem rather ludicrous than sufficient without express retractation For which the Enquirer thinks he is upon somewhat better Terms than he if there were occasion for it both by the Tenour of his whole Discourse and by what he hath particularly said in the 28 Sect. But after the Interpretation offer'd See whether such things are not said over and over in the Defence as make the Defender and the Dean if he speak his sense most obnoxious to the whole argumentation in the Postscript So as if a part was acted it was carried so untowardly that it seem'd to be quite forgotten what part it was and all the Blows for it was come now to offending instead of Defending fall directly upon him whom the Actor had undertaken to defend It hath been noted already that the Defender says expresly the Divide Nature is one individual nature and so says the Enquirer but not one single nature then it must be double and triple not absolutely simple as also the Enquirer says to which he viz. the Defender adds one single nature can be but one person whether in God or Man Now let any man judge whether all his Reasonings are not most directly applicable against him if they signify any thing which are contained in his Postscript p. 106 107 108. c. How furiously doth he exagitate that saying When you praedicate Godhead or the Name of God of any one of them viz. Father Son or Holy Ghost you herein express a true but inadequate conception of God c. insisting that the whole undivided Divine Nature no doubt it is everlastingly undivided wherever it is subsists entirely in three distinct Persons This the Enquirer never deny'd tho' he charges it upon him that he makes no one of the Persons to be true and perfect God But how well doth that agree with what he had himself said Defence p. 26. Tho' God be the most absolute compleat independent Being yet neither the Son nor the Holy Ghost can be said to be an absolute compleat independent God He falsly charges it upon the Enquirer that he makes the Persons severally not perfect God and he denies two of them to be compleat God To say not perfect is criminal as indeed it is to say not compleat is innocent But his saying the Son and Holy Ghost are not compleat God How doth it consist with what is said Postscr p. 109. The same whole entire Divinity distinctly and inseparably subsists in the Person of the Son and of the Holy Ghost What is wanting to make him compleat God in whom the whole entire Divinity subsists No wonder if he quarrel with all the World who so little agrees with him whose Defence he undertakes or with himself In the mean time the Enquirer hath the less reason to complain when he manifestly treats himself as ill as him I only add that for his Discourse concerning the one Divinity or one Divine Nature subsisting wholly and entirely three times whereas I had thought the three Persons had subsisted at all times and all at once Defence p. 26 c. And the Persons of the Son and Holy Spirit not being emanations p. 28. Not the Son because he is the Father's Image And an
Image is not an emanation but a reflection But how should there be a reflected Image without an emanation Nor the Holy Ghost being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in the sense of emanation but of the mysterious Procession I shall make no guesses about it for it concerns not the Enquirer only I think it very secure against the formidable Objection which he mentions p. 35. of it's being too intelligible Upon the whole matter I see not what service it can do him to put intelligent person instead of mind For I thought every Person had been intelligent Boethius his definition which he alledges plainly implies so much and one would think he must know that it is the usual notion of Person to understand by it suppositum rationale or intelligents Therefore methinks he should not reckon it necessary to distinguish Persons as he doth by this addition of intelligent into such as are Persons and such as are no Persons But since he expresly saies and I think for the most part truly that the three Persons or subsistences in the ever blessed Trinity are three real substantial subsistances each of which hath entirely all the Perfections of the Divine Nature Divine Wisdom Power and Goodness and therefore each of them is eternal Infinite mind as distinct from each other as any other three Persons and this he believes the Dean will no more recant than he will renounce a Trinity for all the wit of man can not find a medium between a substantial Trinity and a Trinity of names or a Trinity of meer modes Respects and Relations in the same single essence which is no Trinity at all As also he had said much to the same purpose before that to talk of three subsistences in the abstract without three that subsist or of one single nature which hath three subsistences when it 's impossible that in singularity there can be more than one subsistence c. I believe he will find no small difficulty to name what it is that with the peculiar distinct manner of subsistence makes a person not the very same common nature for the Persons can not be distinguished from each other by that which is common to them all Therefore the Divine Nature which is common to the three must according to him comprehend three single natures and not be absolutely simple Hither must be his resort at last after all his earnest disputation against it And these he will have to be parts which because they are undivided impartible inseparable everlastingly and necessarily united I do reckon the Enquirer did with very sufficient reason and with just decency and doth still continue very peremptorily to deny And whereas he contends that the whole Divine nature is entirely in each subsistence as he does again and again I think the term whole improper where there are no proper parts And I doubt not when he gives place to cooler thoughts he will see cause to qualify that assertion For if he strictly mean that every thing that belongs to the Godhead is in each Person I see not how he will fetch himself from the Socinian consequence that then each Person must have a Trinity subsisting in it and be Father Son and H. Ghost For I doubt not he will acknowledge that the entire Divinity includes in it the Father Son and Holy Ghost And therefore he must be beholden to an inadequate notion in this very case when all is done how much soever he hath contended against it I do however think it safe and free from any other difficulty than we unavoidably have in conceiving Infinites To say that all perfection is in each subsistent which I like better than subsistence as more expressive of the concrete as far as their natural necessary eternal order towards one another as the first is the fountain or radix the second from that and the third from both can possibly admit All must be originally in the Father with whom the other two have that intimate vital eternal union that what is in him the other communicate therein in as full perfection as is inconceivable and more than it is possible for us or for any finite mind to conceive Therefore since that difference which only proceeds from that natural eternal order is conjecturable only but is really unknown unrevealed and inscrutable it is better herein to confess the imperfection of that knowledge which we have than to boast that which we have not or aspire to that which we cannot have FINIS These Books written by the Reverend Mr. John Howe are sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1. THE Blessedness of the Righteous The Vanity of this Mortal Life On Psal. 17. ver 15. and Psalm 89.47 2. Of Thoughtfulness for the Morrow With an Appendix concerning the immoderate Desire of fore-knowing things to come 3. The Redeemer's Tears wept over lost Souls in a Treatise on Luke 19.41 42. With an Appendix wherein somewhat is occasionally discoursed concerning the Sin against the Holy Ghost and how God is said to Will the Salvation of them that perish 4. Of Charity in reference to other Mens Sins 5. Self-dedication discoursed in the Anniversary Thansgiving of a Person of Honour for a great Deliverance 6. A Sermon directing what we are to do after a strict Enquiry whether or no we truly love God 7. A Funeral Sermon for that Faithful and Laborious Servant of Christ Mr. Richard Fairclough who deceased July 4. 1682. in the Sixty First year of his Age. 8. A Funeral Sermon for Mrs. Esther Sampson the late Wife of Henry Sampson Dr. of Physick who died Nov. 24. 1689. 9. The Carnality of Religious Contention In two Sermons Preach'd at the Merchant's Lecture in Broadstreet Books lately Printed for Thomas Parkhurst Spira's Despair revived Being a Narration of the Horror and Despair of some late Sinners under the Apprehensions of Death and Judgment Wherein are such Unquestionable Examples produc'd and such Matters laid down and proved as may stop the Mouths of the Atheistical Scoffers and Mockers By Thomas James Minister of the Gospel at Ashford in Kent The Confirming Work of Religion and its great things made plain by their primary Evidences and Demonstrations Whereby the meanest in the Church may soon be made able to render a rational account of their Faith The present Aspect of our Times and of the Extraordinary Conjunction of things therein in a rational View and Prospect of the same as it respects the publick hazard and safety of Brittain in this Day These two last by Rob. Fleming Author of the fulfilling of the Scriptures and Minister at Rotterdam England's Allarm Being an account of Gods most considerable dispensations of Judgment and Mercy towards these Kingdoms for fourteen years last past and also of the several sorts of Sins and Sinners therein Especially the Murmurers against this Present Government With an Earnest call to speedy Humiliation and Reformation and Supplication as the chief means of prospering their Majesties Councils and Preparations Dedicated to the King and Queen A Discourse concerning Old Age tending to the Instruction Caution and Comfort of Aged Persons By Richard Steel A. M. Letter p. 24 25. See his Letter p. 1. Calm Discourse p. 34. Calm Discourse p. 89 90. p. 139. Calm Disc. Calm Disc. p. 140. His Letter p. 105. See Calm Disc. p. 122.123 p. 108.109 110. His Letter p. 5. Calm Disc. 47. His Letter p. 110. Calm Disc. p. 48. Calm Disc. p. 140. Postscr to his Letter p. 111. Calm Disc. p. 48. Calm Disc. p. 73 74. Defence p. 16. p. 18. Calm Disc. p. 50.51 Postscrip p. 108 109. Postscrip p. 108. Defence p. 30.