Saint Austin hath a pretty similitude to expresse there are three the Spring and River and a portion taken out of these are three distinct c. but if any man should aske what is the Spring water what is the River water what is the portion taken out water come to a Well saith he fill three cups with water we can say they are three but we cannot say that they are three severall waters these mysteries being hard ought to be studied and praied for Saint Augustine saith give me that I love what is that when I set my self to know thee I beseech thee give me a heart that I may know thee even these great mysteries of salvation thus every man ought to pray c. CHAP. XXIV IOHN 5.7 There are three which beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit Quest HOw are these persons distinguished or how are these three distinguished Answ The answer is they are three not divided but distinguished truely and really not essentially but personally and that by their order properties and workes I say they are distinguished not divided there is a double distinction of persons one is called an essentiall distinction then the persons are so distinguished as they are divided and there is a personall but not essentiall distinction then one person is not severed from another because the Essence is not severed Three persons of men essentially distinguished are three men but the persons of the Trinity distinguished onely personally are not three Gods but one The former three persons are three men because their essences may be divided although not in the generall yet in the speciall the latter three persons are not three Gods because their essence cannot be divided Three men have all one nature all one humanity in the generall but they have not all one nature in the speciall for the nature of one is not the nature of another now in this the reason is manifest because that their essence is finite and divisible but here there are three persons and cannot be three Gods because their essence is infinite and indivisible so that in the Trinity there is as a Father speakes alius alius not aliud aliud that is there is but one substance yet many persons As the Father is another person but not another thing from the Sonne and the holy Ghost another from them both and this is manifestly proved after this manner Three must needs be a personall distinction they are three witnesses and a witnesse cannot change his habit as Hereticks say yet so as they are but one Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the last of these manifests that the Essence is not distinguished but the persons for the Word was God That there is such a distinction Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord there the person speaking and the person spoken unto are distinguished the Lord said to Sathan The Lord rebuke thee where in the first place is the Son the Lord rebuke thee he meanes the Father Iohn 5.32 there is another that beareth witnesse of me and in Iohn 8.18 I beare witnesse of my selfe Iohn 14.10 I am with the Father he doth not say I am the Father but I am with the Father whereupon it must needes be that there is distinction betweene the Father and Sonne and the holy Ghost is distinguished personally from them both Mat. 3.15 there is a voyce from heaven and the Spirit descended like a Dove the Father speaking and the Sonne is he of whom he speaks the holy Ghost he that descended Iohn 14.16.27 I will pray the Father and he shall send another comforter in my name whence it followes that therefore the Father who sends and the Sonne who prayes and the holy Ghost who is sent are three persons really distinguished This may suffise to shew unto us that there are three distinct person Quest But how are they distinguished in their orders Answ First because they are one before and after another by an unchangeable order first second and third they are not one before another in dignity but in order and that is unchangeable for the first cannot be the second nor the third the Father cannot be the second person nor the Sonne cannot be the first nor the third c. the reason of this is because the Father is of himselfe not of another having the foundation of personall existance or substance in himselfe and of himselfe therefore it must needs be that he must be the first that is that which some thinke Christ intended Iohn 5.26 The Father hath life in himselfe that is first and originally Secondly the Sonne is of another and therefore he cannot be the first person because he hath the foundation of a personall subsistance from the Father and so he cannot be the third person because he hath it onely from the Father this is that same in Iohn As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given to the Son to have life in himselfe c. he receiveth it from the Father The holy Ghost is neither of the Father alone nor of the Sonne alone but he is of them both therefore he is the third person receiving the foundation of personall subsistance from the Father and the Sonne then this immutable order doth distinguish them It is true that the Scripture places the Sonne before the Father and the holy Ghost before the Sonne 2 Cor. 1.13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God the Father c. 2 Thes 2.16 Iesus Christ our Lord Revel 1.4 5 Iohn wishes salvation to the Churches first from the Father secondly from the Spirit this is not to change their order but because the matter they speake of requires it and to shew that there is none greater or lesser then other Quest How are they distinguished by their properties Answ They have every one incommunicable properties by which they are distinguished the Father begetting the Sonne the Sonne being begotten and the holy Ghost proceeding these properties are such as cannot be communicated to others without them nor amongst themselves such as they had before there was any beginning of the world this is as some Divines say nothing but the proper manner of existing for they say the Father is the nature of the Divine Essence subsisting by the incommunicable property of begetting The Sonne is the nature of the divine Essence subsisting by the incommunicable property of being begotten The holy Ghost is the nature of the divine Essence subsisting by his incommunicable property of proceeding I say by these relations they were distinguished amongst themselves before there was any creation The Father is unbegotten begetting the Sonne The Sonne is begotten by an unsearchable generation the holy Ghost is of the Father and the Sonne after a wonderfull manner which is called procession That they are thus distinguished is gathered out of the Scriptures thus
the father be granted of all to be God and a person why is the Son set apart by some but is proved to be God and a distinct person by excellent reasons First because the Son did descend and take the nature of man Secondly because he is of the same Essence with the Father Thirdly because he ever was and shall be the mediator of his Church To explane these a meer name a property or quality as heretiques say he is cannot descend Iohn 3.13 Who is he that ascended but he also that descended the second person did descend the humanity did not What did he when he was descended he tooke the nature of man Iohn 1.14 The word was made flesh that is it took flesh to it for marke Heb. 2.14.16 Because that the children were partakers of flesh bloud therefore he did partake c. in the 16. verse He did not take the nature of Angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham therefore before he was made flesh he was a person even before he did descend the reason that he is a person distinct from the Father is because he is and ever was and shall be Mediator of the Church and the Angel of the Covenant even before he was made man we prove it as soone as man sinned God was offended and then man could not be saved without a Mediator therefore he was the mediator yet so still that before his incarnation he was a person 1 Cor. 10.9 Let us not tempt Christ as some of them tempted him where he calls us to remembrance that then Christ was in the wildernesse with them c. so that he was a mediator before his incarnation Iob 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever therefore mediator and then there is but one mediator and that is the man Christ he is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3. and therefore he must needs be a person and thus I have in particular confirmed this concerning the Sonne Now for the holy Ghost he is also proved to be a person first because that he did often appear in a visible shape Secondly because there are effects attributed to him which cannot be attributed to any thing but to a person The first of these thus Mat. 3. at the baptising of Christ he descended upon him in the shape of a Dove and in the second of Acts He appeared in cloven tongues upon the Apostles and therefore is not a property or quality as heretiques teach Secondly because that to the holy Ghost there are given such effects such appellations which cannot be given to any but such a substance for there is given unto him to know secret things that are to come Secondly to determine controversies to give gifts to men to pray to be praied unto all actions of a petson and of a divine person First that he knowes secrets 1 Cor. 2 11. The spirit knows the secret things of God therefore he must needs be a person he did know and foresee things that should be how appears that 1 Tim. 3.2 The spirit speaketh evidently c. that is the holy Ghost foretells what shall be in the latter times Secondly he decrees and determines Acts 15.28 It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us therefore it followes that he is a person Thirdly gifts are attributed to him Gal. 5.22.23 The fruits of the spirit are joy peace long suffering gentlenesse c. 1 Cor. 12.8 By the same spirit to one is given the word of knowledge and these are disposed of according to his will and therefore no property nor quality but a person c. Againe he helps men to pray and praies for men Rom. 8. We cannot pray as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmities he makes sighs and groanes 1 Cor. 13. The fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you he that makes praiers for us helps men to pray and is praied unto he cannot be a name and property c. as heretiques say but a person And so I have shewed you the holy Ghost is a person I remember one thing now which I should have given before a reason that I gave why the Sonne is a person is because that he was of the same nature with the Father because he is the Son a son begotten of his father not a created sonne but a begotten sonne Col. 1.15 The first begotten c. Pal. 2.7 Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee shewing an everlasting begetting as the Sonne is everlastingly begotten so the Father everlastingly begets so that the Sonne must be a person distinct from the Father in Divinity and also in Humanity he is the Sonne of God as God he is the Sonne of God begotten of his Father and so of the same nature with the Father and not a name but a person as man he is the sonne of God God the Sonne is joyned unto the humanity and therefore Christ saith I goe to my Father and your Father my Father by nature your Father by adoption therefore he must be a severall and distinct person Vse 1. This teacheth us to confute all Heretiques as the Sabellian who will have but one person in the Divinity and for divers respects called Father Son and holy Ghost having no severall being that the Sonne hath not the same Essence with the Father nor the holy Ghost the same Essence with them both but by this ground you are taught to abhor these and the like Heresie Vse 2. It teaches those that have heard this doctrine by faith to conceive three persons as they are delivered unto us this surpasses the reason of men and Angels therefore every man ought to labour to know this by faith and not to rely on sense and reason but on the word of God Saint Bernard saith I shall speake this boldly that which I doe not understand I beleeve that which I cannot conceive yet I beleeve never the lesse and so ought every one of us to labour to beleeve though we cannot tell how it should be there is great necessity of beleeving this truth no salvation can be except a man do hold this Trinity therefore every man ought to labour to beleeve he must walke by faith and not by sense it is unpossible that the shallow conceit of man should be able to finde these mysteries if God had not revealed them it were as possible to empty the Ocean with a spoon as to finde them out because they are matters of faith and not of sense hold fast that which God hath revealed no man may goe further then God hath revealed so far he must goe further is dangerous curuosity Deut. 22.29 Secret things belong to God but things revealed to us c. that which is manifest saith Saint Austin is ours because we cannot see that which is hid therefore labour to conceive so far as God hath revealed and yet notwithstanding if any man aske how it may appear that there are three in one
are needlesse to our purpose Thirdly by Generation and so the second person in the deitie is begotten of his Father Fourthly by Union and so onely the humanity of Christ by that union it hath with and subsistance in the second person is the Sonne of God though naturally the sonne of Mary As a woman is said to be such a mans childe when she hath married his sonne and as the soule is not naturally begotten but joyned to the body yet we say the soule and body are but one so the humane nature of Christ is the Sonne of God by way of personall union now that Sonne which we speake of is not by creating nor recreating nor uniting but by generation of whom we say he is a person and the second person in order not in time as we have shewed of the Father this we adde as a difference that he is a second person of the deity my reason is because I would by this prove that he is God for the Father none doe make question but for the Sonne they doe therefore we will manifestly prove that he is the second person in the deity cosubstantiall with the Father we manifest this Iohn 5.7 There are three that beare witnesse of what namely that Christ was the Sonne of God and the Sonne of Mary it shall suffise us therefore first his Father witnesseth at his Baptisme and transfiguration at his Baptisme Mat. 3.7 This is my beloved Sonne c. at his transfiguration Mat. 17.5 So then it is manifest by the testimony of the Father that he is the Sonne of God by generation Secondly the Word witnesseth it that he is the Sonne himselfe Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne not to stand upon this his onely begotten Sonne then he must be a Sonne by generation but it is added whosoever beleeveth in him shall be saved never was there any other Sonne of God that could deliver any no not from temporall destruction much lesse from eternall by beleeving onely in him but this Sonne of God doth so for what saith the Prophet though these three Noah Daniel and Iob were there they should save neither sonne nor daughter but their owne soules therefore it followes that this Sonne must needes be God adde to this Iohn 11.17 The Father workes hitherto and I worke it is as much to say I am God how gather you that it was a phrase so apparant among the Iewes that he would make himself God by calling himselfe the Son of God that they challenged him with blasphemy because he said he was the Sonne of God Ioh. 10.30 I and the Father am one there is the unitie of the Essence and distinction of persons one how one in will and power and Essence and therefore it was that they went about to kill him he asked them why will you kill me they answered him because thou being a man makest thy selfe God againe Iohn 11.4 concerning the death of Lazarus this was done to the glorifying of God and that the Sonne might be glorified marke what he saith that the sicknesse of Lazarus and his death was for the glory of God how for the glorifying of God for the glorifying of the Sonne of God intimating unto us that the Sonne of God and God are all one so that all these serve for the testimony of the Sonne Thirdly the testimony of the holy Ghost who gave no such testimonies as these but gave testimony by the Prophets and Apostles for he spake by them as Isaiah 9.6 he shall be called the mighty God wherein he shewed that he was God it is not said he shall be made the mighty God not by office so men are And though the name god is given to men yet the omnipotency of God Iehovah is given to none but God and in the same place he is called the Father of eternity therefore he must needs be God Gen. 22.1 God appeares to Abraham and that God was Christ that appeares in the second verse because he commands him to doe that which was contrary to the Law namely take thy Sonne c. who could command this but God and not sinne this was not the Father because that in the 11. verse he is called the Angell of the Lord but never was the Father called the angell of any therefore it must needs be the Sonne but was it not a created Angel no that appeares because in the 22. verse he saith because thou hast not spared thy sonne for my sake c. and therefore it must be the Sonne of God and also by reason of that same which is added it cannot be any other but the Sonne because he bids him stay his hand and finally in the 16. verse he sweares by himselfe that he shall be rewarded which no created angel could doe and therefore it must needs be the Sonne Phil. 2.6 he thought it no robbery to be equall with God that is in such estate that God was so Col. 2.9 the godhead dwelt bodily in him that is the whole deitie and not as some would distinguish his divinity for then it might have bin some qualities but he saith the deitie The next thing is his propertie he is the begotten Sonne it must needs be the Sonnes property and this is considered Psal 2.17 Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee This place applyed by the Apostle to the resurrection of Christ is not weakned because by the resurrection his eternall generation was declared Rom. 1.4 declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead so you heard Iohn 1.14.33.16 Col. 3.15 he is called the begotten Sonne of his Father The Sonne is unbegotten in respect of his Essence yet begotten in respect of his person because he had his personall existence from his Father begotten here is to be understood with purging from all impurity before all time not in time not out of the Father but in the Essence of the Father he is not begotten by any motion and corruption he hath not part of the Essence but the whole Essence therefore all imperfection being taken away he may be said to be begotten Thirdly by the worke of Redemption redeeming the elect from their bondage wherein they were from sinne and sathan Rom. 4.9 we are said to be justified by the blood of Christ Rom. 8 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is Christ that justifies c. Ephes 1.7 We have redemption through his blood from sathan Luke 11.21 22. the strong man is cast out 1 Iohn 3.8 he came to dissolve the works of the divell and from death he was made a curse for us and therefore the Apostle so triumphs 1 Cor. 15.5 6. Oh death where is thy sting thankes be unto God who hath given us the victory through Christ Jesus and so this description is made plaine to you Quest Why doe you say that he is the second person in the Deity and so
God Answ Because he is equall to God Secondly because the name Jehovah is given unto him Thirdly because Essentiall Attributes are attributed to him Fourthly proper workes and so divine workes are given to him to explane these First we say he is equall to God Iohn 16.15 All that the Father hath is mine It is manifest that there is equality an adopted sonne cannot say that all that my father hath is mine he cannot chalenge it but Christ chalengeth this to himselfe therefore necessarily it must be that he is God Philip. 2.6 He that was in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God by forme is meant Essentiall forme whereby he was equall to God not an accidentually forme as men are said to be partakers of the divine nature but if he have a forme that was equall to God it must be an Essentiall forme it appears the Apostle saith that he tooke upon him the forme of a servant what was that not the shape of man but the Essentiall forme of a servant so also he was in the Essentiall forme of God and therefore equall to God Col. 2.9 The Godhead dwelt in him bodily If the son of man be man because he hath all the parts of man because he hath the same kind by generation Christ then having the same spirituall nature must necessarily be equall with God The second thing the name Jehovah is given unto him a title as we heard before which is given to none but the true God so the Psalmist Psal 83.18 Thou whose name alone is Iehovah That this is given to Christ appears Ier. 22.5.6 speaking of raising up a branch of David he saith in the 6. verse They shall call him Iehovah our righteousnesse and in 33. Chap. 15.16 verses He shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse A multitude of other places might be noted in the old Testament he is called Jehovah in the new Testament it is said that they tempted Christ in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.1.6 there it is said that they tempted the Lord whence it followes that the name Jehovah was given to Christ Thirdly Essentiall Attributes are given to him as in that place before all that the Father hath is mine eternity omnipotency c. Iohn 1.1.2 In the beginning was the word c. omnipresency being in every place Matth. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them Matth. 28.20 I will be with you till the end of the world Iohn 3.13 Who is he that ascended but he that descended Intimating that while he was upon the earth he was in heaven c. omnisciency knowing all things Matth. 12.15 He knows the thoughts of mens hearts Iohn 21.17 Lord thou knowest that I love thee for thou knowest all things omnipotency so it appears Iohn 5 19. All that the Father doth the same doth the Sonne and all that the Sonne doth the same doth the Father Philip. 3.21 Being strengthened by his mighty power by which he is able to do all things so that these things being given to him he must be God Lastly proper workes of God are given to him as creation that is given to him Iohn 1.3 He created all things that were made Heb. 1.10 The holy Ghost said that he created and so the working of miracles as to raise up the dead these were the workes of God Lastly divine worship is given to him Iohn 5.23 That all men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father That which is given to the Father may be given to the Sonne which could not be except he were God c. Iohn 4.14 You beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me Acts 7.50 Lord Iesus receive my soule So the Apostle The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you Philip 2. At the name of Iesus every knee shall bow that is all should worship him therefore it necessarily followes that he is God c. and so you have this explaned Quest Why is he said to be begotten of the Father Answ Because he received the whole Essence by communication not by alienation in which there is no motion Saint Ambrose saith the Sonne is begotten without passion without action so that he communicates the whole Essence to him Col. 2.9 In him dwells all the Godhead bodily Essentially as a candle receives light without corruption as the sunne that communicates his beames and hath no dimunition Quest But why say you that he redeemes the elect Answ Because he only tooke the nature of man gave himselfe as a price to set them free from death and hell and reconciled them to God from the worke of redemption we exclude not the Father yet notwithstanding there is a difference the Father sends his Sonne the Sonne gave himselfe the holy Ghost applies it but the manner of redemption is far different what is that he tooke the nature of man and so the word was made flesh and satisfied the justice of God and thus he onely paid the price Mat. 20.28 He gave himselfe a ransome Acts 20.28 He purchased them with his bloud Titus 2.14 He gave himselfe for them that they might be a peculiar people unto himselfe and therefore he must be a person distinguished and thus we have runne thorough this description Vse 1. The use is First for the matter of confutation this must informe us how we ought to beleeve to salvation concerning the Sonne that we may avoid their heresies which say that he is not God by nature but by office neither may we thinke that because it is said he is begotten there was a time wherein he was not for he was from eternity Saint Basil speaking to them of his time take heed of this saith he when we say that he was begotten we doe not say that he was after the Father but shew whence he had his person nor make him inferior in time but shew that he had his person from the Father take heed therefore of this though we cannot see this yet we are to beleeve it by faith This generation of Christ is to be adored by silence and faith and not to be enquired into he was begotten when there was neither time nor spectator neither was there any interpreter to tell us Why then should the minde of man imagine and speake of this any more the Apostle Paul speaking of his generation as man 1 Tim. 3.16 saith Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh this was a mystery if this was so great a mystery what is the divine generation some shadow it after this manner it is no unreasonable thing that the begetter and the begotten should be both at one and the same time the minde begets a reason the minde is the begetter and the reason begotten are both at one and the same time Saint Austin saith it is no absurd thing to say that the begetter and the begotten may be together as there are in a candle
kept by God if he would he might leave them and then they are mutable This Immutability not to be subject to corruption is properly attributed to the divine Essence that it is so is manifest in this place I have read Hee onely hath immortality 1 Tim 1.17 he cals him the King immortall the same is in Psal 102.26 27. They shall change speaking of the heavens and the earth but thou shalt endure thy yeeres never faile so the Apostle saith Heb. 2.12 And this shall suffise for this question Quest For what cause is the divine Essence free from corruption and alteration Answ The answer is Because the power of it is so great that it cannot be corrupted by any power whatsoever Secondly because it is without quantity and cannot be lesse or greater Thirdly because it is without quality and cannot be better or worse nor in any other condition we will manifest these severally First concerning Gods power Christ saith Iohn 10.26 My Father that gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pull them out of his hand why because there is no power greater then himselfe And this is the nature of every thing to preserve it selfe If any thing had power enough it would not be corrupted we apply this to God that hath all power none can corrupt him our Saviour Christ alledgeth that place Ioh. 10. to shew that his sheepe can never perrish why because my father that gave them me is greater then all Saint Augustine useth these words If any of these sheepe perish speaking of the children of God God is overcome by the faculty of man or some power that comes from him Secondly againe God is without quantity and therefore can be neither lesser nor greater as Saint Augustine saith he is great without quantity and wher there is no quantity there can be no diminution for God cannot be lesser or greater he cannot be greater for then he should not be infinite and he cannot be lesser for then he should cease to be infinite and therfore he cannot be lesser or greater so is voyd of all alteration Thirdly againe he cannot be better or worse why he cannot be beter for then he should not be perfect he cannot be worse for then he should cease to be perfect neither can he be in a lesse good estate for if he be then he loseth the good he had and takes the ill he had not if he lose the good he had then hee wants and so still should be imperfect and therefore hee is thus without quality c. so immutable Vse 1. This confirmes us that we serve the true God and not the false Gods of these nations because we serve the Immortall and the Immutable God they serve false Gods because their Gods are mutable how appeares this thus because their Poets which were their prophets tell us they were Adulterers c. and the Apostle saith they were subject to sinne because for sinne death went over all flesh therefore they are false Gods and they serve false Gods Saint Bernard speaking of celestiall creatures sayth they are subject to sinne for the Angels some of them sinned and became divels and some of them did not sinne not because they were not able to sinne but for that God assisted them that they sinned not they also were subject to sinne and so to death after their kind for there is none free no not the Angels by their nature but as they are established by Christ So that we see the Gods of the nations are false Gods and as they say they are Gods of the mountaines and not of the valleis Vse 2. The second vse is to establish the certainty of our faith because God is immutable we trust not to mutable man wee make not flesh our Arme whose breath is in his nostrils but we trust upon him that is immutable Heere is the certainty of our faith our strength rests not in us but in him on whom it is built and it is with us as it is with children who have but a weake hand and arme notwithstanding if they be helped by their father who is a strong man they can performe something wherein is the childs strength it is plaine it is not in the childe but in the father so saith Saint Bernard man holds not God but God him And this is the comfort that we have when we feele our faith weake we are kept by the power of God unto salvation Therefore this Attribute sheweth that our faith being so kept can never faile I doe not doubt for the Disciples began to doubt we hoped that this man should have redeemed Israel but it cannot faile for it must needes be certaine because grounded and built upon God Vse 3. The third use is matter of comfort to all those that are Gods children and so in the love of God what is their comfort their King that loveth them is immortall they have not the favour of a mortall King but of an immortall King how great is that worldly honour that earthly joy and that temporall rest that many men have in the favour of Princes and yet notwithstanding what are these Princes even mortall such as must most certainely die and none can tell how soone this therfore is a vaine thing to trust to for we see in what a trice Nebuchadonozer was taken away and Belshazzer his sonne even in a moment all their honour was taken away and layd in the dust yea and more then this they that have the favour of earthly Princes abuse it and grow proud and insolent of their inferiors who as soon or before as the Kings bones be cold labor to pluck them down from their excellency as Bathsheba said to David 1 King 1.21 When thou my Lord shalt be gathered to thy fathers I and Solomon shall be reputed offenders So they may say when the king shall be gathered to his fathers they shall be counted vile so that this is a comfortlesse comfort to depend upon a mortall man but here is the comfort and happinesse of those that have the favour and countenance of God they depend upon the favour of an immortall King that never dies but ever lives and will preserve all those that are his they need not feare any earthly power if they have confidence in Christ they need not feare if their owne corruptions doe not provoke God so then we see here is matter of comfort to Gods people they have the love of an immortall king that lives for ever and loves for ever and will be their God and the God of their seeed Therefore parents if they labour to make their children great let them not have that excessive care to get riches for them but labour to make them religious that God may care for them that same that Barzillat said to David 2. Sam. 19.37 When David would have had him to go over with him no saith he take my Sonne and we see David gave Solomon charge
cannot nor will not cease to favour his Sonne so neither will he cease to favour those that he loves in his Sonne but as the favour of God did never leave Christ till he had brought him to glory so undoubtedly he wil never leave those that he loves in Christ for if he dealt thus with his naturall body he will deale thus with his mysticall body certainely hee will bring the mysticall body where he hath brought the naturall body for Christ hath prayed Father I will that they should be where I am certainely if he hath brought Christ to that glory he will bring his mysticall body to it why because he hath taken possession of it in our nature and therefore out of that love that God beares to them that are in Christ he wil doe it and as Tertullian saith that our nature hath taken possession of heaven already therfore he that denies thee that art a member of Christ that thou shalt be in heaven he denies Christ to be in heaven But every man that would be prataker of the glory must labour to make his election sure because there are but some that shall be partakers of this comfort let every man labour to see whether he be elected and called that so he may know whether he be in the state of salvation And these be the degrees as the Apostle layes them downe in Rom. 8. Calling sanctification and so proceeding in that order that the Apostle layes downe there every man must labour to have the feeling of his calling his sanctification his justification c. that the guilt of sinne is taken away c. Thus every man should labour to make his calling and election sure so he may be certaine of his salvation even then when God takes away his feeling of it whosoever he is that doth labour to have these tokens he hath this comfort in this life that he is the Lords and in the life to come he shall have glory and happinesse for ever CHAP. XV. EPHES. 28. By Grace ye are saved through faith THe last part of the description of Grace is bringing men to salvation To explane this we propound two Questions the answering and opening of which will explane the point The first question is this Quest Why is it further added in the description of grace bringing men to salvation Answ Because Grace is the chiefest motive and the first beginning of salvation and all the meanes that tend thereunto Quest 2. What are the meanes that bring men to salvation Answ They are either externall as the preaching of the Gospell and sending Christ to suffer or internall as vocation justification sanctification c. So that grace which is the chiefest motive and first beginning of salvation and the meanes tending to it do shew that our salvation is of faith because the beginning of salvation is without our selves in God shewing mercy wherein we are meere patients howsoever we come to assent And that this is the first and chiefest principle and first beginning of salvation we confirme Why because it is the foundation of election 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God is sure the Lord knowes who are his there is election and the foundation is the grace of God Election is of grace you heard it proved before and the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11. that it is the free grace of God Againe the grace of God is the first and chiefest principall cause of the meanes by which we are brought to salvation the meanes you heard were of two sorts externall and internall externall were the preaching of the Word and the sending Christ to suffer the former of these is meerely of grace Rom. 1.5 We have received grace and Apostleship c. that is as if he should say that all the meanes of salvation are of grace and so the Apostle saith I am the least of all the Saints yet have found grace Secondly sending his Sonne to suffer is meerely of grace 1 Iohn 3.15 16. God so loved the world c. and the Apostle affirmes manifestly Ephes 1.17 So that the externall meanes are meerely of grace The internall meanes also are of grace and the first of these is vocation and this is of grace 2 Tim. 1.9 We are called with a holy calling according to his purpose and grace So that we see that this is of grace and indeede whom did ever the Lord call that was not at the same time worthy of condemnation This we see the Apostle Paul makes cleare that before his calling he walked so that no man could say black was his eye yet for all his civill honest life he confesseth of himselfe that he was worthy of condemnation and Saint Austin hath a Meditation upon this he cast him down a persecuting Saul and raised him up a Paul I adde to this that this calling of God is to little purpose unlesse that man assent but to have power to assent is not of man but of God Ephes 2.13 God works in a moment upon our will which is unwilling at the first and therefore of grace The second meanes to bring us to salvation is Justification and that is meerely of grace so you have heard that justification is of grace Rom. 3.2 4. We are justified freely by grace not of our selves not of workes but of grace Why because there were no works before justification for then men begin to do good workes when they are justified If justification be by workes then they must goe before justification but they follow after it as Saint Augustin saith workes come after we are justified for saith he an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit c. The third meanes is sanctification and that is of the free grace of God and this is manifest Tit. 3.4 We are saved by grace not of our works but through the renewing of the holy Ghost we are saved by sanctification How comes that by the work of the spirit Ephes 5.25 God loves his Church and out of that love comes their sanctification that he might sanctifie he washes it so that it appeares this also is of grace Graces in man are but the gifts of grace and the fruits of the spirit this appeares Ephe. 2.9 10. We are Gods work manship created unto good workes So also Eze. 36.37 he promises that he will send his spirit upon c. The fourth meanes is perseverance and this is a speciall meanes to keepe us to enter into salvation and this also is of grace Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall never depart from me So there we see that all the meanes tending to salvation are of grace the whole masse of our corruptions deserves to be condemned and whosoever is called out of it is called freely of grace so that salvation and all the meanes tending thereunto are of grace And thus we have explaned and proved the Question and so now you have the whol explication of this description of grace Vse 1.
for he being the chiefest good and goodnesse it selfe can have nothing in him but that which is good and most perfect in man mercy is with imperfection and error and so we may not Attribute it to God but first we must free it from imperfection for the proofe of this that God is mercifull we need not stand long Exo. 20.2 He will shew mercy to thousands Psal 103.8 The Lord is mercifull and gracious Lamen 3.2 It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed In the next place mercy of the divine Essence is a communicable attribute because men have a kinde of mercy in proportion answerable to it The next followes I say it is that by which he doth freely succour his creatures freely It is manifest I will haue mercy c. Rom. 9.18 he doth it willingly and freely Psal 100.5 The Lord is gord and his mercy endures for ever c. Againe his mercy as it is in the latine word is Misericordia which is compounded of two words miseria and cordis and then Saint Augustine will have it thus the misery of a man conceived by others moves mercy in the heart of others Againe he is mercifull to some more then others there is a double mercy a generall and a speciall A generall mercy is that by which God is willing and doth helpe all his creatures besides experience the Word manifests the same Psal 104.27 All things wait upon thee and 147. Psalme Thou feedest them and thou givest them food yea the Ravens that cry c. Luke 6.15 Be you mercifull as your heavenly Father how is that it hangs upon the 35. verse for he is kinde unto the unkinde and to the evill The speciall mercy is that which is shewed more specially to some it is not onely a temporall mercy but also a spirituall for he shewes mercy more specially to some to those that are his owne not onely in temporall but also in spirituall things as it is manifest Exod. 20.6 shew mercy to thousands as a father pittyeth his sonne so doth the Lord them that feare him Psal 103.13 Heb. 12.7 God offers himselfe as a father So 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer c. but I found mercy Rom. 9.18 I will have mercy c. And so I have briefly explaned the meaning of this description Quest Why is mercy thus attributed to God Answ Because mercy in him is naturall and eternall First it is naturall 2 Cor. 1.3 he is called the father of mercy and Saint Bernard saith Why the father of mercy because it is himselfe it is his nature to shew mercy and this mercy is eternall for as God is eternall and hath no beginning and no ending so is his mercy Psal 107. Praise the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures c. It was not first in man and then in God but first in God and then in man and so communicated to man as other graces he is the father of mercy therefore it is first in himselfe and men are perswaded to imitate him as you heard in Luke 6. be ye mercifull as your heavenly father is mercifull here is the difference mercy in God is the will of God mercy in man is in the will of man but joyned with passion and griefe in which particular it differs from the mercy of God Quest Why is it added that he willingly and freely assisteth all his creatures in their miseries Answ The answer is this because his mercy proceedes from his goodnesse his goodnesse causeth love and love causeth mercy To open this Mercy is not goodnesse in him that obtaineth mercy but in him that sheweth mercy man hath need of mercy but he deserves none Psal 107. Prayse the Lord for he is good and his mercy c. God is rich in mercy Ephes 2.4 5. Why because he hath freely loved us wheresoever there is love in any either men or beast there is alwayes pitty for such as their love is such is their pitty then undoubtedly as there is love in God to all his creatures so his mercy is to all his creatures but his speciall love to man Tit. 3.4 5. When the bountifulnesse and goodnesse of Gods love to man appeared c. So that goodnesse breeds love love mercy and this goes back againe for mercy argues love and love goodnesse The love that is in God is double one is naturall the other is voluntary The naturall love is betweene the Trinity the Father loving the Sonne the Sonne the Father and the Spirit loving them both so that these cannot but love after this sort God cannot but love himselfe and there is a voluntary love which God may change if he will but for that he hath bound himselfe by promise he will not change it and this is that with which he loves his creatures Quest Why conclude you that he doth specially shew mercy to some rather then to other Answ Because mercy is from his free love he loves some more then others therefore he shewes mercy to some more then others it is very naturall to God to shew mercy and where we love most there we labour to shew most mercy therefore we are delighted to helpe our children and friends in their misery God loves all his creatures yea he loves the wicked but yet specially his owne he is mercifull to the wicked but he is much more mercifull to his owne To expresse this He is mercifull to the wicked but in one thing but he is mercifull to the godly in many things he shewes mercy to the wicked in their punishments but he shewes mercy to the godly both in their punishments and sinnes we doe confesse indeede he doth shew mercy to the wicked in their sinnes in being patient towards them Rom. 9.32 He is mercifull to them in suffering them to enjoy many outward blessings that they are unworthy of nay he is mercifull to them when he layeth any evill upon them he never layes so much as they deserve as good Divines thinke no not in hell so that he is mercifull to them To his owne he shewes mercy both in their punishments and sinnes in their punishments Hab. 3.2 the Lord in wrath remembreth mercy Lam. 3.21 Though he afflict for a while yet he will not forsake for ever so that same Heb. 12.7 If we endure chastising he offers himselfe as a father he deales mercifully with his owne as a father to his children Psal 103.13 There is a speciall mercy that the Lord shewes to his owne in respect of their sinnes in respect of the guilt of sinne the infirmity of sinne and the punishment of sinne First in respect of the guilt of sinne he is mercifull in pardoning of it In respect of the corruption of sinne in the purging of it in respect of the punishment of sinne in proportioning of it That God is mercifull in all these is proved Psal 103. He pardons iniquity heales infirmity deales not with us after our sinnes as farre as
what power soever it hath therefore doe we justly attribute power to God to explane these first he makes and destroies with his word which the greatest power in the world cannot doe for that must use the power of others but God if he speak the word it shall be done it is out of his wisdome and goodnesse to man and not out of any necessity to himself that he useth the helpe of the creature in working for whatsoever he doth will he can doe it with his beck therefore it must necessarily follow that power must be attributed to him The next reason is power is attributed to him because he can bring light out of darknesse good out of evill he hath taught men indeed that art that they can make good out of naturall evill but out of morall evill they cannot none have this power to bring good out of sinne but He Saint Angustine saith that what is done besides his will is not done against his will in that he suffered it to be done and he never suffers against his will and that he would never suffer evill to be done but that out of his omnipotency he would make good come out of that evill so it commeth to passe that though a thing be done contrary to the will of God yet the will of God is done in it as Iudas in the betraying of his master the act as he did it was contrary to Gods will yet it is said that he did nothing but it was afore determined by the will and counsell of God therefore power is to be attributed to God The last reason there is no power that any creature hath but they have it from him great is the power that is given to creatures to Angels to men Iob 40. When Iob spake to God c. The Lord saith unto him hath man the strength of these creatures the Behemoth and Leviatham that scorn the Armies where had they it I have given them it saith God the power that Angels have we read that one Angel slew an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the enemies of God in one night then what power is he of that gives such power to one of one kinde of creatures therefore power is justly attributed to God Quest Why doe you say that God is absolute to doe whatsover he will Answ The answer is because his power is infinite for seeing God is infinite his power must be infinite for indeed the power of God is nothing else but the Essence of God and the Essence of God is infinite Gods power is infinite in three respects infinite in nature in effect and intention infinite in nature because it is Gods Essence for as an infinite power cannot possibly be in an infinite subject so an infinite subject cannot possibly be without infinite power infinite in effects the power of every thing is measured by the effects for instance the Sunne is more powerfull then all the other stars because it doth produce more effects in the things below then all the stars and if the sunne could produce infinite effects it should be infinite now God is infinite in his Essence because he can doe infinite things c. as in creating he could have created more worlds indeed his power is in the operation limited by his will but he hath a greater power in himself infinite in effects Thirdly infinite in intention the School-men tell us that Gods favour is infinite extensively and intensivesy extensively because it can extend it self to infinite effects intensively because it could be more powerfull in every worke then actuall it is and thus God is able to doe above all we are able to think Quest Why is it said that God is able to doe whatsoever is absolutely possible Answ Because some things are absolutely impossible to be done as things that are repugnant to the perfect wisdome and purity and goodnesse of Gods nature and yet it is not want of power not to be able to do these for instance as we said before he cannot doe the workes of a naturall body he cannot eat nor drinke sleep c. why because these things are repugnant to the perfection of his nature for these are workes of weaknesse and of a naturall body and not workes of an infinite Essence he cannot change because he is infinite and eternall he cannot die because he is life it selfe it is the greatest power not to be able to doe these things Saint Augustine saith the power of God is not diminished when we say he cannot die nor deny himselfe the reason is because if he could do these things he should be of lesse power for these come from weaknesse not from power and the power of God appeares in doing whatsoever he will not in doing that he will not or that cannot be done for the infirmity thereof God therefore is able to doe whatsoever is absolutely possible we may explane this further God cannot doe this or that why because it is contrary to his truth to make a man an Asse at the same time is contrary to truth to make a body circumscribed and not circumscribed is to make that which is faulty true these things are impossible for him if any man shall say if God be omnipotent let him make these things that he hath made not to be made this is to say saith Saint Augustine let God not be true and this is that the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2.13 God is faithfull the father there tells us that whatsoever is contrary to the nature either of God or the creature that is absolutely impossible to be done by divine power for it were weaknesse to do such things he cannot lie c. because it is contrary to his nature Saint Austin saith God cannot doe unjust things because he is the chiefest justice so also the sunne cannot make darknesse because it is light it selfe Saint Ambrose saith what is impossible for him to doe that can doe all things but that which he is not willing to doe all things then that can stand with the nature of God he can doe whatsoever is repugnant to his nature that he cannot doe not onely because it is no power to doe them but the greatest power that can be is never to be able to doe them This Doctrine thus conceived will make a man able to defend the power of God against all the idle objections that flesh and blood can make against it there is nothing that can be brought but it is easily answered by some one part of this description that I havedelivered if you looke to be grounded in these things ye shall be able to informe both your selves and others Vse 1. Here is great matter of comfort to the godly what a comfort is this that they being once in the estate of grace such as God hath especially favoured actually calling them and assuring them of his mercy they cannot fall away from that estate say the old Pelagians and new Arminians what they wil
is necessary hath appointed us a time to consider of the premises dare any man say that this knowledg of God is not necessary if this knowledge of God had not bin necessary he would never have taught it therefore ignorance of this is sinne especially when a man is negligent upon this supposition that it is enough to know that there is a God and no more therefore every man ought to know this it is necessary that every man that would be saved must beleeve and no beleeving without a distinct understanding of the Trinity he shall be in danger of hell fire that doth not labour to know and understand it when he hath the meanes and yet there are that will not know this distinction but are content to have an implicit faith it is the Doctrine of the Church that a man that beleeves not this distinction cannot be saved 1 Iohn 1.23 he that denies the Sonne hath not the Father Vse 3. This instructs every man to worship God aright how is that undoubtedly as he hath revealed himselfe in unity and trinity not denying the Essence nor confounding the persons he that worships God and not three persons worships an idoll and he that worships three persons and not one God worships three idols therefore to avoid all idolatry a man must be able to distinguish them how as a childe onely by three names no it is not enough to know no heresie but men must know to worship him him aright therefore every man must labour to conceive of him aright as he hath revealed himselfe and here is the image that every man isalowed unto him unity and trinity c. it is not enough for a man not to conceive erroneously but he must conceive truely The worship of God is necessary for whom for God nothing lesse it is nothing to God that thou worship him it is necessary for man and it is necessary to worship aright then necessary as he hath revealed and this they cannot doe unlesse they know him Turks they cannot be saved because God hath not revealed himselfe one in three persons to them the Iewes they cannot be saved because God hath not revealed one in three persons to them though God did in the old Testament shadow this out yet he did it so darkly that they understood it not Then every one that is in the Church may be saved no they that live in the Church and doe not endevour to understand as God hath delivered to the Church cannot be saved Rom. 10.13 Then every one that cals vpon the name of the Lord shall be saved no there is nothing more used in the Scriptures then to put downe invocation for all the worship of God and so it is taken there Then every one that worships God aright shall be saved yea but how can a man invocate God if he know not the advocate and mediator Iesus Christ so how shall a man performe any worship to God but a fiction of his owne braine except he know this mystery therefore fearefull must needs be the condition of such as are ignorant of this sacred mystery This should be a provocation to every man to labour to know these mysteries you must goe and meditate about these things and beat your heads about them so that walking in the worshippe of God here hee will honour you c. OF GOD THE FATHER CHAP. XXV HEB. 1.6 Thou art my Sonne this day c. IN the next place it followes that we speake of every one of the persons in their order and the first is the Father this text that I have read gives ground to speake of him concerning whom the first Question principally to be handled is this namely Quest What is the Father Answ He is the first person in order not in time begetting the Sonne creating the world the thing that is described is the Father This word Father is applied to God in Scriptures two waies First Essentially Secondly Personally Essentially in the first place that is when divine things are opposed to humane eternall to earthly God to the creature and Father in this sense is not applied to the first person in Trinity but to the whole Essence and this is that which Christ taught us Matth. 6. Our Father which art in heaven Father there belongs to all Mal. 2.10 We have all one Father and in this respect the Sonne is called Father Isai 9.6 Father of eternity Heb. 2.13 Here I am and the children that thou hast given me speaking of Christ and those that were begotten by his word and in this respect the holy Ghost may have the name of Father given to him because it is he that begets us againe in which respect it is that God is called Father by creation and Adoption Secondly the Father is to be taken personally and that is with reference to the Sonne and not to the creature and so in this description Father is to be applied to the fitst person as appears by that which I have read The next thing I say he is a person the Essence is common to them all but the distinction is three fold by his order and by his properties and by his workes First order I say the Father is first in order not in time because the Son is coeternall with him he not before him Iohn 1.1 In the beginning ginning when other things began there was the word with God Prov. 8.22 He possessed me in the beginning of his waies a place so manifest of the Sonne of God as Arrius the grand enemy could not deny it where he saith I was with him before the world was and thus the Prophet Micha 5.2 hath it speaking of Christ His goings forth have been of old from everlasting there is mention of two goings forth one in time and that is as he was man his incarnation Secondly another from everlasting and this was his begetting of God from everlasting and so the Father was not before him in time Heb. 9.14 He is called the eternall spirit a place commonly understood of the divine nature of Christ so that by all this it appeares he was before him in order not in time The next thing is his property begetting his Sonne included in the name Father the Father is unbegotten and begets the Sonne the Son is begotten because he hath a beginning of his person from the Father as Saint Basil observes the Father hath his foundation within himselfe we may beleeve the reason because that never any Heretique denied it now he begat his Son I shewed you it before Psal 2.2 Thou art may Son this day c. and so heer unto which of the Angels did he say thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and therefore he is called the onely begotten Son Iohn 1.14 We saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God therefore he is called the first begotten Col. 1.15 If any aske me Quest How begat he him Ans I answer I know
not no tongue can expresse no heart can imagine God hath not revealed it that he did beget his Son that is revealed but the manner how he hath not revealed yet this we are sure of in the negative we may understand how he was not begotten every thing that is applied to God being purged and freed from corruption and made perfect is applied to him therefore in generall with men there is imperfection that the Father should be before the son in time this is imperfect that the Father should beget a son out of himself is imperfect this is imperfect for a father to beget a son by motion and corruption this is imperfect but it is perfection to beget him without motion this is imperfection for a father to beget a son with part of his Essence but this is perfection to beget him without difference in Essence here the Father and the Son are both at one time the Father begets him in himself not of himself thus much for the second distinction of the roperty The third distinction from the worke or manner of working creating the world of this we need no further proofe it is enough that we beleeve in God the Father almighty c. where Father is distinguished by his power that as his Sonne hath the worke of redemption the holy Ghost of sanctification so the Father of creation then I say it is manifest that the Father created the world begetting his Son in himselfe of the same substance with himselfe creating the world out of himselfe of an unlike substance to himselfe being every way divers c. This shall suffice for the opening of this distinction Quest Why is he first in order and not in time Answ Because he is the eternall Father therefore he must have an eternall sonne and spirit an eternall wisdome and power First he is an eternall Father therefore he must have an eternall Sonne for Father and Sonne are relatives one gives the being to the other Husband and wife are relatives Kings and Subjects are relatives Kings give a being to the subjects so in this Father and Sonne are relatives no Father without a Sonne and no Son without a Father and no sooner a father then a sonne if a man be a father he he must be elder then his sonne but God cannot be a Father elder then his Sonne therefore as Father and Son they are of the same age as it were the same day the same houre as I may so speake they are coeternall and therefore both of the same time Saint Basil saith how shall not he be from the beginning that had nothing before him but himselfe from whom he had his beginning In the next place because he is an eternall God and hath an eternall wisdome no God without his wisdome deny wisdome and deny the Sonne so Prov. 8. He is called the wisdome of his Father 23. verse he saith I was before his workes before all creatures whatsoever he and his wisdome were never separated therefore it followes that he must needs be an eternall Sonne hereupon is it that which Solomon calls the wisdome of God Saint Iohn calls the word of God in the beginning was the word therefore he must be an eternall person Thirdly the eternall God must have eternall power for God without power is nothing so Luke 1.35 The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee where God is not without his power then we conclude that seeing he is an eternall Father he must have an eternall Son and spirit and the eternall God must have eternall wisdome power therefore he is put first in order Quest How is he distinguished by begetting Answ By communicating his whole Essence from all eternity the Sonne is begotten how by receiving his whole Essence from his Father The Father begetting the Sonne by communicating his Essence but how gives he to him his whole Essence not by alienation but by communication we thus open it he gave him his whole Essence because the whole Essence of God is so simple that it cannot be divided if it were divided it were the overthrowing of the whole Essence therefore when he communicates he communicates not a part but the whole and when he communicates he doth it not by alienation for then it should cease in him that gave it but it doth not cease so but by communication it is so given that abides his still though he communicates it to the Sonne one testimony for many Collo 2.9 In him dwelleth the Godhead bodily For in this Generation there is no division nor transmutation and yet there is a true multiplication of persons but not of the Essence that never divides Qu. The third thing how is he distinguished by the work of creation Answ Not by working but by the manner of working because the Father creates by the Son and by the holy Ghost the work is common to all for all create but the maner is different you heard the reason before these cannot be divided but the Father begins the worke and executes it by them and the reason is because the Father hath his beginning of his person himselfe and the Sonne and the holy Ghost receive it from the Father therefore it is the Father creates by them and is distinguished from them not in the matter wrought but in the manner of working and thus I have opened this Doctrine Vse 1. This teaches us how we ought to beleeve concerning the Father namely that he is thus distinguished in order not in time if any man should have a thought nourish it that the Father should be before the Son or spirit in time he doth not only overthrow the Trinity as much as in him is but the Deity S. Ambrose saith if the Father had beginning before the Son then he was God first and Father afterwards that cannot be God turne this thought from our hearts saith he tell me then how dost thou beleeve that he is the immutable God if he be so how can this stand there is a mutation by this accession of Father there is a change how is he without change if a God first then a Father God turne such conceits from us it may well be with men he is a man now and father some yeares after for he is subject to change but bring the nature of God to a change and thou overthrowest the nature of God therefore we must beware of this thus we are to beleeve that the eternall Father is with the Sonne and the eternall Son with the Father he that will worship God aright let him joine these two together that the Diety hath joined together beware you separate none of these It is true we are to hold it after a divine manner not to judge of it by a humane generation as that the Father must be elder then the Sonne we are not to judge after this manner for this is the ground of errors againe if the
not an attribute nor part of another thing An accident subsisteth by another thing for it is not a substance in it selfe but in another every accident is in some substance as white and blacke Againe it is not part of another for that which is part of another doth not subsist in it selfe but in the whole of which it is part for instance the matter whereof a man is made in the wombe of a woman so long as it is part of the woman is no person till it have in it a soule and then ceaseth to be a part and so the humanity of Christ hath subsistance in the second person of the Trinity and is no person of it selfe because it hath no subsistence of it selfe Thirdly Individuall that is a particular it is one in number Fourthly Incommunicable it is not Communicable as the Essence is as the nature of things is communicable to all that are of that kind the nature of man is communicable to all men the nature of Angells is communicable to all Angells so the Essence and nature of the divinity is communicable to all the persons but the persons are not so amongst themselves therefore we say it is incommunicable Fiftly we say it is living for that which is without life cannot be a person a Book or a Board cannot be a person neither is every thing that hath life a person and therefore I adde understanding and willing that is so living that it understands and wills thus a Beast and Trees have life but they want understanding and reason therefore they cannot be a person so now you have the description of a person Quest How many such persons bee there in the Diety Answ Three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost we must prove that these three be substances c. It is manifest first in generall the Father is a substance subsisting by himself individuable incommunicable so is the Sonne and so is the holy Ghost therefore there are three persons in the Trinity Gen. 11.7 Let us goe down and confound their language let us goe is more then one and God doth not speake to the Angels by way of consultation let us but of command go you and in the eight verse it is said the Lord confounds their Language Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy Lord c. three holies is spoken of three persons applied to one that is called the Lord that is one Essence that this is meant of three persons is aparent it is granted by all that the Father is one and then the Sonne is another Iohn 12.34.40 The Testimony of the Prophet is alledged and there used as applied to Christ thus saith the Evangelist Esai spake of him when he saw his glory therefore the Sonne is a person the same is also for the holy Ghost Act. 28.25.26 Well saith the holy Ghost c. that which is spoken of the Father in the old Testament the holy Ghost applies to the Sonne and to himselfe in the new therefore there are three substances c. my text is a manifest proofe of this there are three which c. they are not three names nor three properties nor three severall words they are three that is three substances or persons three that are severall that we may manifest this a little more and that particularly There was never any Heretique that denied the Father to be God concerning the sonne these testimonies Gen. 32.24 Iacob wrestled with a man this same man that Iacob wrestled withall was God so saith Hosea 12.3 that Iacob wrestled with God the text in Gen. saith it was man the other text saith it was God but how appeares this that it was the Sonne because that the Father never appeared in any shape Againe 1 Iohn 1. In the beginning was the word here he is called the word to this may be aded Iohn 8.28 Before Abraham was I am a person severed from the Father Iohn 17.5 Now Ftaher Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was A person speaking to the Father severed from the Father Thirdly the holy Ghost is a person Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another comforter here is plainely seene the Father Sonne and holy Ghost he speakes not of comfort but a comforter 2 Cor. 13.13 the Apostle praies The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. therfore not onely to God the Father but also to God the Son of whom grace is desired and to the holy Ghost is prayer made so that by these Scriptures appeares there are three persons living understanding c. Quest What reason is there that there are such three persons in the Trinity Answ First they are all God Secondly they all created the world Thirdly because that men in baptisme are dedicated unto them all and make a covenant with them all as well as with one we manifest it thus first that they are all God to say nothing of the Father for that is confessed of all it appeares that the Sonne is God Rom. 9.5 speaking of the Son He is God over all blessed for ever so also Heb. 1. O God thy throne indures for ever of the holy Ghost that one shall suffice Acts 5.3.4.5 The Apostle Peter chalenges Annanias and Saphira that they had not liedunto men but unto God and then he tells them that they had lied against the holy Ghost so then the holy Ghost also is God Secondly because they all created the world it appears Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the world that the father did create the world will be confessed of all that the Sonne created the world Col. 1.16 the Apostle speaking of the same saith By him were all things created whether things visible so Iohn 1.3 By him was created whatsoever was made and without him was nothing made that was made so Heb. 1.10 Thou Lord hast laid the foundations of the world That the holy Ghost did create appeares Psal 33.6 By thy word were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth so Gen. 1.2 The spirit moved upon the waters What is that as the Hen doth upon her egs to hatch them so the holy Ghost preserves them c. in the 26. verse he saith Let us make man in our Image not in the image of Angels but in the Image of God now then if these did create the world and give it a substantiall being they must needs have a substantiall being in themselves Thirdly because in baptisme men are dedicated unto them all and make a covenant with them all they cannot be dedicated to them that have no being Matth. 28.21 Go c. baptising them in the name of the father of the son and boly Ghost and therefore these three must needs subsist by themselves and therefore they must have all understanding and actions and are all persons c. more particularly we manifest it of these that be in question the son and spirit if