Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God The Son of God not by Creation as Adam and the Angels Luke 3.38 Job 1.6 Not by Adoption as all true beleevers Rom. 8.14 Not by grace of personal union as the man Christ Luke 1.35 But by Generation 1 John 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him For the opening of this mysterie we propound the questions following 1. The thing generated 2. How or the manner of this generation 3. When 1. The thing it self generated to wit Christ who is to be considered two waies 1. According to his essence 2. According to his personal existence that is as he is God and as he is a Son as he is a Son and person he is not of himself but the Son of the Father by generation as he is a God and in respect of his absolute essence he is of himself neither begotten nor proceeding One essence doth not beget another but one person another the person of the Father the person of the Son and so the Son is God of God and no otherwise hath from his Father the beginning of his person but not the beginning of his essence The second question The manner of this generation Answ we must know it is ineffable Some Divines say it is begotten of the Father as the light of the Sun in the firmament by a simple emanation passing or flowing out light of light saith one of the Creed But take we notice of the holy Ghosts metaphor John 1.1 In the beginning was the Word so the second person in Trinity is called As the speech is in the mind and the mind in the speech so is God the Son of God the Father Qu. 3 The time of this generation Ans Before all worlds The second person in Trinity is the Son of God the Father eternal by generation according to the Chatechism and to this purpose see Prov. 8.22 and 23. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting Which place we are to understand of the second person in Trinity In this generation there is priority of order but not of time the Father and the Son being coeternall Now we come to the Uses Vse 1. To terrifie such prophane persons as despise Christs word and ordinances and such likewise as by their blasphemous oathes tear and rent him in pieces as much as lies in them Wel let all such know that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of man but likewise the Son of God and so able to crush them to be revenged upon them therfore let such remember the Prophets counsell Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son that is every way submit unto him lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Vse 2. For the great comfort of all true beleevers Hence it is that they poor miserable creatures are become the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption according unto that John 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that beleeve on his Name This is no little priviledg The world little esteems of such persons but Saint John gives the reason 1 John 3.1 Because the world knows them not But notwithstanding let the true beleever rejoyce in this that he being sometimes the vassal and slave of Satan is now become the Son of God by Adoption in and through this his naturall Son Thus farre touching the first Member of the third Principle Now we come to the second member of the third Principle MEMBER II. Being made Man Which Member we commend unto you in this Doctrine Doct. There was a time when the eternal Son of God was made man John 1.14 The Word that is to say the Son of God the second person in Trinity was made flesh and dwelt among us And Rom. 1.3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh And Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman And so 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mysterie of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh And lastly Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham But that we may the better see into so deep a mystery we intend to answer the questions following 1. How the Son of God the second Person in Trinity could take upon him our nature and not the Father and the Holy Ghost they all being one Essence 2. How far forth the Son of God was made man 3. How the two natures Divine and Humane were united 4. How they remaine distinguished 5. Why it was necessary the Redeemer of mankind should be man why it was necessary he should be God and why it was necessary he should be both God and man Quest 1. How the Son of God the second person in Trinity could take upon him mans nature and not the Father and the Holy Ghost they all being one Essence Ans The God-head is to be considered of in a twofold respect 1. In regard of Essence 2. In regard of Person The Essence is but one the Persons three A Person is a distinct subsistance of the whole Godhead now although the Essence the whole Essence be in every Person why yet the Persons do distinctly and real differ each from other in their peculiar manner of subsisting and so might the Son and the Son only takes upon him mans nature and not the Father nor the Holy Ghost Quest 2. How far forth the Son of God took upon him mans nature Ans 1. He took upon him the Essence of man a reasonable soul and an humane body 2. He took unto him the Properties of mans nature in his body length breadth thickness c. In his soul the faculties of Understanding Will Affection 3. He took unto him the Infirmities of mans nature not sinful or personal but meer infirmities as to be hungry thirsty weary sad angry Obj. But how could the Son of God take upon him our nature and be free from sin our nature being so sinful An. 1. Because he was not begotten by the mixture of man and woman 2. Because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost Now we come to the third Question Quest 3. How the two Natures Divine and Humane were united Ans We must not think that the Godhead is changed into the manhood or the manhood into the Godhead but the second Person of the Godhead did assume or take into the Unity of his Person the Manhood that is to say the whole nature of man soul and body The manhood of Christ not subsisting of it self as another man it being a Nature only and not a Person There is one thing and another thing in Christ but not
following 1. Why this Jesus is said to be annointed 2. With what 3. His Office of Mediatorship what it is in the three parts of it 4. The benefits the Elect have by it Lastly The Duties intimated The first Question is Why this Jesus is said to be anointed Answ In ancient time two things were intimated by this Anointing 1. That God did appoint such a person to such an Office 2. That he would fit and qualifie him for the same In both these respects Jesus is said to be anointed 1. He was set apart of God the Father to the Office of Mediatorship for although this be a common action of the whole Trinity yet because the Father is the first Person in order and hath the beginning of the action it is especially ascribed unto him according to that Joh. 6.27 Him hath God the Father sealed 2. He was fitted and qualified with gifts accordingly John 3.34 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him that is to say God giveth the Spirit unto him that is unto this Jesus in an abundant measure For this we must know that although both natures were set apart to the Office of Mediatorship why yet the Humane nature only was qualified with gifts because nothing could be added to the Divine I say this qualification must be understood of the humane nature and not of the Divine for the reason aforesaid and although the humane nature was iqualified with pifts in an abundant measure why yet not in an infinite measure for that were to confound the two Natures Quest 2 With what was this Jesus annointed Ans Not with Ceremonious oyl typically as the Prophets Priests and Kings in the old Testament but with the gifts of the holy Ghost as Acts 10.38 God annointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Ghost and with power Quest 3 His office of mediatorship what it is in the three parts of it Prophetical Priestly and Kingly Answ First of the first his Prophetical office is that whereby he instructeth and teacheth his Church as in his own person when in our nature he lived in the world why so by his instruments before his assuming our nature and since his ascension unto the end of the world That he is the Prophet of the Church do but see Act. 3.22 23. where the Apostle Peter speaking of Christ saith For Moses truly said unto the fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to pass that every soul that wil not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people And hence is he called the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1.24 Nay saith the Apostle Paul Colos 2.5 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg 2. His Pâ—iestly office That he is a Priest the Psalmist declareth speaking of him Psal 110.4 Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedâ—k His Priesthood contains two things First His satisfaction made to his Father for the elect by his obedience even to the death of the Cross Secondly his intercession at his Fathers right hand he ever living to present the ment of his obedience to his Father and to will an application of it to his elect Touching the former part of his Priestly office to wit his satisfaction do but see Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrificing of himself and verse twenty eight Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many to wit of the Elect all the Elect Touching the other part of his Priestly office his intercession see Heb. 7.25 He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Rom. 8.34 Heb. 9.24 3. We come to the Kingly office of Christ That he is a King see Psal 2.6 David there speaking of him saith yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion His Kingly office is either Universall or speciall Universal and so all creatures are under his dominion Ephes 1.21 22. Special and so he effectually cals the Elect confirms the graces in them protects them from their enemies in this world as he sees the best for them glorifies them at the length and in the end confounds and destroys all his and their enemies Quest 4 What are the benefits the Elect have by this annointing Answ Hence it is the Elect become Christians and Christians indeed that they are spirituall Prophets Priests and Kings Men and women no sooner truely beleeve are no sooner effectually called but they receive of this annointing and so become Christians Spirituall Prophets Priests and Kings to this purpose see 1 John 2.27 The annointing which ye received of him abideth in you and teacheth you all things So then the regenerate are spirituall Prophets and they are likewise spiritual Priests and Kings see Rev. 1.6 who hath made us kings and priests unto God his Father The last question What are the duties intimated An. 1 Seeing this Jesus is the Christ is the annointed he should be sweet and savory unto us Cant. 13. Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee Nothing should be so desired of us so affected by us as Christ 2. We should labour more and more for holy knowledg and so demonstrate our selves to partake of Christ propheticall office Many exhortations this way Provt 19.2 without knowledg the mind is nogood John 5.39 Search the Scriptures Colos 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwel in you richly in all wisedome And how the Apostle reproves the Hebrews for their bad proficiency this way Heb. 5.12 c. 3. We should demonstrate our selves to be spirituall Priests and so to partake of Christs Priestly office by spirituall Sacrifices as first by being frequent in prayer and praise as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually 2. By resigning up our selves wholly unto God in the way of new obedience as the same Apostle exhorts Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God 4. We should demonstrate our selves to be spirituall Kings and so to partake of Christs Kingly office and this by continual warring with our spiritual enemies especially labouring to subdue our own sinfull passions and affections see what Solomon saith this way Prov. 25.28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a City that is broken down and without wals And Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City Thus much touching the second title Christ we come to the third The Son of God illustrate by this epethite eternall
of his flesh As he is one with our nature by Personal Vnion so to be one with him by Mystical Vnion To this purpose let us endeavor to acquaint our selves with his Birth his Life and Death with his Natures his Offices his Benefits what he was what he did what he suffered for Mankind so manifesting that we are acquainted with him united unto him by a holy life and conconversation one special end why he assumed our nature and came into the world as we may see Luke 1.75 and Titus 2.11 and so to the fifteenth verse Thus farre touching the second Member of the third Principle Now we come to the third Member of the third Principle MEMBER III. By his death upon the Cross JEsus Christ the Eternal Son of God being made man by his death upon the Cross Take it in the form of a Doctrine after this manner Doct. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God being made man was Crucified to death The Scripture is abundant in proof this way as Mat. 27.35 44 50. Mark 15.24 25 27 37. Luke 23.33 46. John 19.15 16 17 18 and 30 verses This is that which the Apostle Peter doth charge upon the consciences of the Jewes Acts 2.22 23 and 36 verses Chap. 3.13 14 15 verses And so Chap. 4.10 Chap. 5.30 And so Stephen Acts 7.51 52. That we may the better conceive of this weighty point to wit Christs Passive obedience it shall be necessary to answer the questions following 1. Whether Christ suffered in both his Natures yea or no 2. What he suffered or the Passion it self 3. When his sufferings began and when they ended 4. The Causes of his passion 5. To what end he suffered Quest 1. Whether Christ suffered in both his Natures or no Answ There is no question but he suffered in the Humane nature both soul and body but the Divine nature is impassible cannot suffer and yet in a manner may be said to suffer not onely because the Person that was both God and man did suffer but also because the whole time of Christs humiliation the Majesty and glory of his Divine nature was somewhat laid down and hidden and so we understand the Apostle Phil. 2.7 Who made himself of no reputation speaking of Christ or as it is in the Original Who emptyed himself it being spoken in regard of his Divine nature the Majesty and glory of it being much hidden and obscured all the time he had upon him the form of a servant Quest 2. What Christ suffered or the Passion it self Answ The sufferings of Christ can never be expressed to the full so deeply did he drink off his Fathers wrath for our sins This the Evangelical Prophet denotes before hand Isaiah 52.14 and 53.3 Now his sufferings may be divided into the sufferings of his life and the sufferings of his death or near his death 1. Touching the sufferings of his life which were manifold As 1. He no sooner being conceived as man but suspected to be illegitimate or unlawfully begotten Mat. 1.19 and 20 verses 2. Being born in a Stable and laid in a Manger Luke 2.7 3. The pain of his Circumcision Luke 2.21 4. His flight into Aegypt Mat. 2.13 5. His being tempted of the Divel forty dayes and forty nights together in the Wilderness a place of great terror and in that time the Divel carrying up and down his body at his pleasure sometimes to a Pinacle of the Temple and sometimes to the top of an high Mountain Mat. 4.1 6. His Poverty he having not where to lay his head Luke 9.58 7. His going about from place to place with hunger thirst and weariness to Preach and work Miracles 8. The manifold contumelies and reproaches that were cast upon him by those that did oppose his Doctrine and Miracles as that he was a Deceiver was Mad had a Divel c. Thus we have given you a taste of the first sort of Christs sufferings to wit the sufferings of his life Now 2. We come to lay forth briefly the sufferings of his death or near his death and how grievous and dolorous his sufferings were in and about his death may appear 1. By his testifying and complaining how heavy he was even unto death Mat. 26.38 2. By the great drops or clods of water and blood which fell from his face Luke 22.44 3. By his sundry cryes to his Father that if it were possible the cup of death might pass from him 4. By those unworthy things he suffered at the hands of sinners as being betrayed by one of his own Disciples then taken as a Theef with swords and staves bound and carryed away and brought as a Malefactor before the Magistrate before whom although he was cleared yet must he be scourged stript of his own apparel clothed with scornful Kingly Robes a Crown of thorns put upon his head and a Reed put into his hand instead of a Scepter and so was he led away as a sheep to the slaughter and between two Theeves as the chief of all sinners crucified his joynts stretched and racked his hands and feet digged with nails his side pierced with a Spear and instead of drink he had Vineger tempered with Gall reached unto him the High Priests scoffed the Passengers wagged their heads the Soldiers mocked him nay one of the Theevs upon the Cross could with his last breath blaspheme him so many reproaches and contempts were done unto him as no Chronicle can remember the like ever done to any Malefactor 5. He was as one oppressed and forsaken of God which made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he not onely suffering the first death but the pangs of the second death Thus we see a little what Christ suffered in his life and in his death Quest 3. Is When the sufferings of Christ began and when they ended Answ They began at his Birth or before as we have heard he no sooner being conceived but suspected to be illegitimate and continued until the giving up of the ghost then and not until then were his dolours and torments ended as himself witnesseth John 19.30 When Jesus had received the Vineger he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost which must he understood of his dolours and torments but not of his Humiliation which continued so long as he was captivated of death even unto his Resurrection Quest 4. What were the causes of his Passion Answ The principal causes of his Passion were 1. Gods Decree for the manifestation of his Justice and Mercy Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God speaking unto the Jewes of Christ ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain 2. The great love of God the Father unto his Elect John 3. â—6 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And Romans 5.8 God commendeth his love
glass darkly but in the world to come we shal see him face to face this the Apostle John interprets 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall see God as he is that is know him perfectly as befits such Creatures and as such Creatures can comprehend Yet we are to know the Lord hath so far revealed himself in the Scriptures to the Elect as may suffice to their salvation and hath acquainted them Deut. 29.29 that what is revealed belongs to them nay hath commanded them John 5.39 To search the Scriptures and as for other ends so especially for this that they may know in some saving way what God is Now because the Catechism in the Exposition of it affords us a brief Description of God and because in the examination of it we find it to be borrowed and grounded upon the Scriptures we think it not amiss to open that Description unto you that so you may the better conceive of God as his Word reveals him And this is the Description God is a Spirit or spiritual Substance most Wise most Holy Eternal Infinite The Catechism describes God afterwards in a more large way setting him forth in his works of Creation and Preservation and so in the several subsistances or manners of being in the one Divine Essence But first for this Description God is a Spirit or Spiritual Substance First God is a Substance or Essence that is to say such a Substance or Essence as first hath his being from none but from himself 2. As is preserved and sustained of none but subsisteth by himself 3. As is the cause of all other Substances and Essences and upon this ground he is called Jehovah which is the proper and essential name of God As if one would say Being of himself and causing all other things to be that have being 2. A Spirit or a Spiritual Substance That God is a Spirit see Joh. 4 24. And why said to be a Spirit or a spiritual substance First Negatively because he is not Corporeal 2. By way of Similitude because there are divers perfections in Spiritual Substances which shadow forth the Divine nature Our souls and the Angels are Spirits too but observe the difference betwixt such Spirits and God our souls and the Angels are Spirits created and finite but God is a Spirit uncreated and incomprehensible 3. Most Wise Now well may the Catechism describe God to be most wise First Because he is essentially wise and Wisdome it self in comparison of him the wisest creature hath no wisdom at all and so we must understand that place and the like To the only wise God Jude 25. 2. Because his Wisdom or Understanding is an absolute simple and perfect understanding without composition By one act of understanding he distinctly and perfectly knoweth all things All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Hebr. 4.13 3 Because his Wisdom it Immutable He knoweth not one thing otherwise then another neither one thing more then another neither that heretofore which he knows not now nor that now which he knew not heretofore Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15.18 4 Because the Wisdom of God is eternal had no beginning neither hath any ending 5. Because the Wisdom of God is infinite He truly knowes every thing and the reason of every thing Zophar the Naamathite one of the friends of Job speaking of Gods wisdom saith It is as high as the height of heavex deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea Job 11.8 9. And so the Apostle Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the wisdom and knowledg of God! 4 Most Holy See how the Angels cry on eto another Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts and the same Prophet stiles God by way of excellency The Holy One in chap. 40. ver 25. He is holy in all his wayes to wit of Mercy Justice Truth c. And not holy as the Creature the Creature it self is one thing and the holiness of the Creature is another thing But God is holy by nature Holiness is of the very nature of God himself 5. Eternal That is neither had beginning nor shall have ending Psal 9.2 Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal c. God is not eternal as the Angels and souls of men and women for although they shall have no ending why yet they had a beginning and therefore they may more properly be termed everlasting or sempiternal then eternal Eternity looks both backward and forward Everlastingness or Sempiternity looks only forward unto that which is to come 6. And lastly Infinite That is such a one as whose Essence fills heaven and earth he being every where present totally and wholly Isaiah 66.1 Thus saith the Lord the heaven is my Throne the earth is my foot stool And Jer. 23.24 Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. Nay hear what Solomon saith 1 King 8.27 Behold the Heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee He is in all places at once and not only by his vertue and power but by his whole infinite Essence Not that he is mixed with the Creatures for that is contrary to his most perfect single nature nor that he is polluted with the filth and contagion of any Creature for that is contrary to his most perfect holy nature but in such a sort he is present as is Heavenly Spiritual and Incomprehensible Thus he is in all places yet circumscribed to none Object But if the Lord be essentially and wholly in every place why is he said to remove from one place to another as Gen. 11.7 Go too let us go down and there confound their language Answ These and such like phrases are spoken after the manner of men to our capacities Not that there is truly and properly any change of place in God And thus far touching this brief description of God The Catechism goes on further describing God by his works and several subsistences MEMBER III. This one God is Creator of all things Doct. THis one God or the one true God is Creator of all things For the better understanding of this Doctrine we are to resolve divers Questions As first more plainly Who created 2. What was created 3. Whereof 4. How 5. When 6. To what end Lastly the Uses Quest 1. The first Question Who Created An. God Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth to wit God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost for so Solomon speaking of the Creator doth speak in the plural number Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth The Father by the Son and by the Holy Ghost the Son from the Father and by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son All the three Persons jointly Created only they are distinguished in their manner of Creating as before And that
expresly in that form of Baptism which our Saviour enjoynes Matth. 28.19 Go ye and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And so 1 John 5.7 There are three that hear Record in Heaven the Father the Word that is to say the Son and the Holy Ghost And 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God to wit God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Now that you may the better conceive of so great a Mysterie these questions following are to be answered 1. How the Divine Essence and the Persons in the Divine Essence do differ 2. What the Person of the Father is what the Person of the Son is and what the Person of the Holy Ghost is 3. How these three Persons are united 4. How they are distinguished 5. Why it is necessary the Church should be acquainted with this Doctrine And Lastly the Uses Quest 1. How the Divine Essence and the Persons in the Divine Essence do differ Answ The difference is not real but formal we must not conceive the Divine Essence to be one thing and the Persons to be another thing for that were not to make a Trinity but a Quaternity not to make three but four There is another and another in the Godhead but not another thing and another thing That there is another and another in the Godhead John 5.32 There is another that beareth witness of me saith our Saviour to wit the Father And John 14.16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth but not another thing and another thing for this were to divide the Godhead and to make three Gods the Godhead being undivided and there being but one God as 1 Cor. 8.4 There is none other God but one the Divine Essence is one and common to all the three Persons the Persons are three several Subsistences or manners of being in that one Essence It is true the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and all Eternal Omnipotent c But yet there are not three Gods three Eternals three Omnipotents because the Essence the whole Essence the Godhead the whole Godhead is in every one of the three Persons Colos 2.9 In him to wit in the Son dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily that is Personally in the Person of the Son which is true of the other two Persons And this is the Mysterie of Mysteries that the Essence or Godhead should be in every Person and yet not divided that the whole Essence or Godhead should be in every Person and yet not three Gods but one God Now we come to the second question Quest 2. What the Person of the Father is what the Person of the Son is and what the Person of the Holy Ghost is Answ The Father is the first person the Son is the second and the Holy Ghost is the third The Father is not the first person in regard of time or Dignity but in regard of Order all the persons being as Co-Essential so Co-Eternal and Co-Equal The Order of the persons observed there is no Priority or Posteriority no Superiority or Inferiority among them the Father is the person not begotten nor proceeding but from everlasting begetting the Son and sending forth the Holy Ghost The Son is the person not Created but begotten from everlasting of the Father and with the Father sending forth the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is the person not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding from the Father and the Sonne by an Eternal spiration Now here we must observe that the Essence doth not beget another Essence for every one of the persons hath the Essence from himself but one person doth beget another the person of the Father the person of the Sonne 2. That there is this difference betwixt the Sonne and the Holy Ghost The Sonne is begotten of the Father onely the Holy Ghost proceeds both from the Father and the Sonne 3. These phrases begetting begotten proceeding must in no case be understood in any carnal way but altogether in a Spiritual manner Quest 3. How these three persons are united Answ The union of the persons is that by which each one is in the rest and with the rest by reason of the unity of the Essence or Godhead as John 14.10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me saith our Saviour to Philip They are all one in nature that is Co-Essential and Con-Substantial as 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one to wit in Nature and Essence That which we said before is true the Father is God the Sonne is God and the Holy Ghost is God yet there are not three Gods but one God onely because there is but one Divine Essence but one God and no more in Nature Quest 4. How the three persons are distinguished Answ Not Essentially for every one of them hath the whole Essence or Godhead and yet really And here observe The difference betwixt the Essence and the persons is but formal the difference betwixt the persons themselves is real as the Father is the Father and not the Son or the Holy Ghost The Son is the Son and not the Father nor the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost and not the Father nor the Son Now the persons of the Godhead are distinguished two wayes 1. By their External actions 2. By their Internal Their External actions are such as they work in and toward the creatures as in the work of Creation and Preservation c As touching any of these works or actions the Father worketh of himself by the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the Sonne from the Father by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son The Father is the Original or Fountain of actions effecting by the Son and the Holy Ghost the proper working of the Son is to execute actions from the Father by the Holy Ghost the proper working of the Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son to finish actions And here observe the reason why in Scripture so many things are attributed and refered to the Father Because he is as the Original and Fountain of the other persons so likewise of their operations 2. The persons of the Godhead are distinguished by their Internal actions and these are such as they exercise one towards another As the incommunicable property of the Father is to beget the incommunicable property of the Son is to be begotten and the incommunicable property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed And thus in some measure we see into this great Mysterie the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity Quest 5 Why it is necessary the Church should be acquainted with this Doctrine Answ