Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
diversity_n father_n son_n substance_n 392 5 9.2521 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A46721 The third letter from W.J. to the Reverend Doctor Wallis, professor of geometry in Oxford upon the subject of two former letters to him, concerning the Sacred Trinity. W. J. 1693 (1693) Wing J53; ESTC R39010 9,224 19

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

consented to by all Parties concerned in the Controversy If we say this one God is three then we are bound say the Antitrinitarians to prove it and to make it intelligible For he that affirms more than others will grant must first make his Proposition intelligible and then bring Reasons to prove the Truth of it The Orthodox say This one God is three Three what say the other Three Gods No. Three Creatures No. Three Substances No. Three Accidents neither Three Names only more than that Three Attributes or Powers more than that also What manner or what sort of Three are they then Three Persons say you but this gives no Satisfaction for the Question returns still Whether are these three Persons three Gods or three Creatures three Substances or Accidents c. For a Person is a compleat particular Being and must fall under some more simple and general Order of Beings or Notions such as we have mentioned To which of those Heads therefore do those three Persons belong 'T is not easy you see to make one Step forwards when we once recede from the Unity of the Godhead Yet I think we may without fully deciding this Point advance a little farther by common Consent All Parties will acknowledg that there is in the Godhead First Infinite Power and Being Secondly Infinite Wisdom and Knowledg Thirdly Infinite Love and Bounty And these three things are the Ground and Materials if I may so say of what in one Word we call the Trinity The Son we say is the Essential Wisdom of the Father and the Holy Ghost Essential Love But the Question is concerning the Name that is to be given to these three things and about the Mode of their Unity and Diversity As to the Name some will have them call'd three Substances others three Persons and others three Properties And herein consist the three great Differences concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity The Platonists say They are three Substances The Orthodox make them three Persons The Unitarians three Properties only But methinks however it should not be matter of Salvation and Damnation to hit right or be mistaken in the Name or precise Notion of these three things whatsoever it is For every ingenuous and unbiass'd Person must acknowledg that there are great Difficulties in every one of the three Ways mentioned That Hypothesis which hath been proposed to us of late for the Explication of the Trinity sutes best with the Platonical Triad for the Platonists suppose their three Divine Substances to be in such a relation to one another of Influence and Dependance of mutual Activity and Sympathy that they still retain a Character of Unity and may be call'd one God or one Godhead This I say seems to be very well illustrated by the late Hypothesis which first allows three Divine Substances three infinite Minds three holy Spirits and then unites them by mutual Consciousness which is the greatest Character of Union that we know Yet notwithstanding this Union it preserves a Distinction by a particular Self-Consciousness in every one of the three Spirits So that you see at once by this Representation the Ground of their being One and of their being Three Upon the whole Matter I am of Opinion but with all Submission to better Judgments that the Doctrine of the Trinity cannot be made out in a rational way according to the present Light of our Faculties I do not doubt but it is the highest Reason to those Beings that are capable of it but to us in this present State 't is Matter of Faith and we take it upon the Authority of a Revelation and must acquiesce in that without Additions of our own if we would be secure from Error and Mistake And when I say this Doctrine does not fall under our Comprehension in this present State I mean chiefly as to these three Degrees or Parts of it 1. To reconcile the Distinction of the Persons to the Unity of the Godhead according to all the Characters given of that Unity and Simplicity that is in God and of that Multiplicity and Distinction that is given to the Persons 2. To conceive the Equality of the three Persons notwithstanding their Derivation from one another 3. To give a Reason why there are three Persons and no more or why those Divine Emanations or Productions or whatsoever they are to be call'd are limited to three I have in a former Letter spoken something to the two first Particulars and as to the last I will only make one short Remark upon a Principle laid down by this learned Author He says p. 103. § 2 3 4 5. That the Thought of the Father or reflex Knowledg of himself begets the Son or is the Son Now the Holy Ghost is also a thinking Being and hath a reflex Knowledg of himself and if he be equal to the Father his Thought or his reflex Knowledg of himself is of equal Perfection and equally substantial with the Father's and consequently must make a fourth Divine subsisting Person and that fourth by the same Reason a fifth and so forwards so long as they continue in Equality But I must break off abruptly for I see this Letter is too long already I do sincerely and heartily believe the Doctrine of the Trinity as to the Matter of it and as to the Form and Modus of it I think it is not revealed to us in Scripture nor attainable by the Light of Nature So much as is revealed and no more is the Rule of Faith Pardon this Trouble Sir from a Stranger who will always remain SIR Your Obliged Humble Servant W. J. FINIS