Selected quad for the lemma: father_n
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A46721
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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.
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W. J.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing J53; ESTC R39010
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9,224
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19
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being permitted only to the High Priest and but once a Year when he entred into the Sanctum Sanctorum This Name which to them was so sacred was thought to express the absolute simple Nature of God as he is in himself without Respect or antecedently to the whole Creation This they justly accounted very holy and sacred and plac'd it as it were in an inaccessible Light Now the Notion of the Trinity does not only contain this but exhibits also to us the great Arcanum of the Godhead if I may so say A most mysterious Triunity in the Divine Nature which was never before revealed to Mankind nor ever was or will be comprehended by any Mortal Ought we not then to place this in the Sanctum Sanctorum in the Adytum of the Temple and cover it with the Wings of Cherubims as a Glory too great for our Eyes to bear At least we ought to be reserv'd modest and tender in this Point more than in any other Part of Theology of adding or innovating any thing beyond the plain Words and plain Sense of Scripture SIR THese Instances and Considerations I have proposed to perswade us as I said at first to Moderation and Scripture-proof in all things that we assert and impose in the Doctrine of the Trinity But now it will be ask'd me what is good Scripture-proof seeing we do not allow in this case of Deductions and Consequences Or to be short what Creed may we with Safety propose concerning the ever-blessed Trinity according to the plain Words and plain Sense of Scripture 'T is not for private Persons to prescribe or pretend to Authority against establish'd Orders But if you will give me leave to put the Case in a new-found World or in a Nation newly converted and to be farther instructed in the Christian Faith to such a People I would not propose the Athanasian Creed but something more plain and simple as also more scriptural that should be manifestly grounded upon Divine Authority in all the Parts of it As suppose you should take so much of the Apostles Creed as relates to the Trinity and Incarnation and add to it some Articles more explicite and distinct to express our Belief in some such plain Form as this I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary was crucified by the Jews rose from the Dead ascended into Heaven from whence he will come in Glory to judg the World I believe the Holy Trinity as it is revealed to us in Scripture Accordingly I believe the Father Son and Holy Ghost as my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier Three after a mysterious and incomprehensible manner but one Eternal ever blessed Lord God by whose Mercy Power and Faithfulness I hope for a Resurrection from the Dead and eternal Life Thus much I think is unquestionably scriptural and I have left out the Word Person not that I should scruple it my self in that large Sense wherein we understand it but because I thought it would raise Scruples and Difficulties in the Minds of others or of these new Converts whereof we are speaking They would be apt to reason with themselves Can three Persons be one thing Or can our God who is one only God be three distinct Persons Are not three distinct Persons each being infinitely perfect plainly three Gods These and such like Doubts would naturally rise in their Minds and from these as from Seeds would grow up many more which by degrees would corrupt the Simplicity of their Religion and turn it into Opinions and Disputes But this plain Scripture-form as it would prevent Disputes and Controversies so it would render all Dissenters from it if there could be any inexcusable I mean all Christian Dissenters for as to Jews and Mahometans I do not suppose that it would satisfy them yet I think it would very much lessen that Offence which they take at the Christian Trinity as it is represented by Schoolmen and Polemical Divines and as it is dress'd up in one of our Creeds with all the Pomp and Affectation of Contrarieties and seeming Contradictions Neither I think is this Form defective though short and plain For distinguishing Father Son and Holy Ghost as our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier it thereby displays and casts a Light upon the whole Christian Oeconomy and is a Support to our Faith and Prayer Whereas those Metaphysical Subtilties that are superadded to this Scripture-Creed have no Influence that I know either upon a good Life or any Christian Duty In Religion all Superfluities are noxious and what does not good does hurt there amuses the Mind to no purpose and turns off our Thoughts from their principal Objects and Concerns whether in matter of Belief or in matter of Practice But why do I continue so long in this Digression I did not intend at first to propose or mention any thing but such Arguments as might incline us to Moderation in the Doctrine of the Trinity and proportionably in all other mystical Doctrines and in general not to lay much Stress upon Opinions in comparison of a good Life and the truly Christian Dispositions of Mind Those who least use their Understandings can the easiest comply with any Opinions their Superiours impose upon them but those who use Reflection and Meditation find it impossible to believe what they list or what is dictated to them by humane Authority without Reasons to convince them Now this Use of our Understanding which is the Candle of the Lord cannot be Matter of Demerit and Condemnation to us provided it be sincere and accompanied with Piety and Probity and therefore this ought not to be made a Snare or of penal Consequence to those that in all other Respects are good Christians Who can look upon the State of Christendom without Grief and Trouble when he observes which is too obvious that a certain Zeal for Opinions and Ceremonies hath eat out the Heart of our Religion I mean the vital and practical Part of it a good Life and a good temper of Mind whereas it is this only that will stick to us after Death and conduct us to Heaven and Bliss when all our Opinions and external Righteousness will fall off like rotten Rags To conclude let us be content to prove well from Scripture the Divinity of our Saviour and of the Holy Ghost and to leave the Modalities of those Doctrines to another State and Dispensation Neither can this Advice seem unreasonable if we consider what Differences there are about the Explication of the Trinity and how difficult it is to make any one Explication unexceptionable All Parties agree in this solemn Maxim That there is but one God And not only Christians of all sorts but also Jews and Mahometans join with us in this as the common Barriere betwixt us and Paganism or Polytheism Now this being a Conclusion agreed on and
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