5 26. There is a subsisting life given to the Son by an eternal generation and the Father hath life in himself and self-subsistence also And yet on the other side it is no dishonour to the Son to be begotten of the Father and to receive subsisting life from the Father for the Son hath life in himself also and being God of himself quickens whom he will by his divine power even as the Father doth for he hath the very same power and will which the Father hath because they have both one and the same divine nature and therefore the Jewes did conclude aâ—ight when they said that our Lord Iesus made himself equall with God by saying he was the Son of God Ioh 5. 18. It is no dishonour to Jesus Christ to receive subsisting life in such a glorious way from the â—ather as that he is equall with the Father nay one with the Father and therefore is to be worshipped with one and the same worship with the Father with divine and spiritual worship inward and outward worship the worship of our bodies and soules of our whole man For all men are bound to honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 23. And let all Socinians take speciall notice of what followes He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Joh. 5. 23. â—et them not then pretend that they dishonour the Son by denying his Godhead to the glory of God the Father for the Father will maintain and vindicate the honour of his first-begotten and only begotten Sonne And let them diligently consider that Text in the 2. Epist. of Iohn Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he who abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son It is for the honour of our great Ruler Iesus Christ that he was begotten from the dayes of Eternity Mic. 5. 2. Finally it doth much redound to the glory of the Father and the Son that both do concur to give Subsisting life to the Coequal Spirit by Eternal Spiration The Father and Son do both breathe forth this glorious Spirit The Spirit of Elohim of both Persons Gen. 1 2. The Spirit that proceeds from the Father Ioh. 15. 26. is sent by Christ from the Father and the Spirit is given by Christ. Christ breathed upon the Apostles when he gave the Holy Ghost to them to shew that the Spirit was breathed forth by himself as well as from the Father Ioh. 20. 22. And he is often called the Spirit of the Son The Holy Ghost doth receive of that which is Christs as well as the Fathers Ioh. 16. 14 15. and Christ is glorified by the Spirit Ioh. 16. 14. as the Father is glorified by Christ. For Christ receives from the Father the Spirit from Christ what they both reveale to the Church of Christ. Nor is it any dishonour to the Spirit to proceed from the Father and the Son in such a glorious way as to be equall with them nay one with them 1 Ioh. 5. 7. For all the Churches of Christ are obliged by the first Sacrament of Christianity to honour the Holy Ghost with their bodies and souls which are his holy temple as they honour the Father and the Son The Spirit of â—ehovah is the God of Israel 2 Sam 23. 2 3. The Holy Ghost as he is one God with the Father and the Son hath an infinite essence which doth exist of it self though as he is the third Person he hath not subsistence from himself but by Emanation Procession Spiration from the Father and the Son and yet both concurre to build a Temple to the Holy Spirit that he may be worshipped as God These three Father Son and Holy Ghost do take mutual delight content and satisfaction in one another The distinction between them is not Absolute but Relative only they do mutually subsist in one another and all of them subsist in the same glorious Godhead which Godhead dwells equally in its fulnesse in all three and is as truly the nature of the Holy Ghost as it is the nature of the Father and the Son And this Divine nature is infinite not included in or excluded from any place The Divine works whereby the glory of the Godhead is so much manifested unto 〈◊〉 are performed by the Godhead subsisting in the Holy Ghost as well as in the Father and the Son For all the works of God upon or about the Creature for their creation sustentation or regulation are inseparably united as â—ugustine often argues and the schoolmen from him All things are of the Father by the Son and through the Spirit 1 Cor. 8. 6. Iohn 5. 19. Iohn 1. 3. Gen. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 12. 11 13. Ephes. 2. 18. so that by the majesty of all three shining in the Word and the joynt concurrence of all three in every work that is properly Divine the Godhead is made thrice illustrious thorowout the world and yet the Godhead remains singly and singularly one in all three Subsistences Finally the Naturall and Infinite perfection of the Godhead requires this wonderfull Communication of Subsistence by the Father as the First Personall principle to the Son and by the â—ather and the Son to the Holy Ghost For it is most certain that God is not capable of any other being or any other maner of being or subsisting then what he hath for he hath the best being that is nay the best that Can be because the being of God and the manner of being or subsisting of the Godhead in these three Father Son and Holy Ghost is infinitely perfect and there can be no better being or manner of being or subsisting then that which is perfect infinite and infinitly perfect The Father did not Arbitrarily beget his Sonne nor did the Father and the Sonne Arbitrarily concur in breathing forth the Holy Ghost but the Naturall and infinite perfection of the Godhead did require this wonderfull communication of it self because such is the Naturall perfection of the Divine Nature or Godhead that it could not be fully communicated unlesse subsistence were communicated by the Father to the Son and by both to the Spirit for their mutuall Eternall Infinite satisfaction and delight and therefore the Father did not beget his Son nor did the Father and Son breath forth the Spirit Arbitrarily but Naturally and Necessarily though Voluntarily for the Eternall satisfaâ—â—ion of all three Susistences that the whole Godhead might be in every one of these three according to its infinite perfection and all three subsist in the unity of the Godhead and dwell in one another mutually possess love glorifie one another from everlasting to everlasting because all three are Coessential Coequal Coeternal every one of the Persons the third as well as the first being God by Nature Gal
do subsist And when we describe a Divine Person it is absurd to abstract the Personality from the Divine Nature for how can you describe a Divine person if you do abstract his Personality from his Divinity Every single Person is God nay every single Person is the Godhead the Nature the Essence of God considered with that subsistence relation and propriety which is peculiar to that Person Every single Person is God of himself Deus non est per alind Deus Finally â—ake all the three Persons together and â—hey are nothing else but one God and â—hey are one God not Absolutely considerâ—d in his abstract nature but Relatively considered with those peculiar relations â—nd incommunicable properties whereby â—he three Persons are distinguished from one another When the name of God is â—aken Essentially or Commonly in Scripâ—ure we say it doth belong to all three Persons because it is spoken without any determination or restriction to any one particular person as Iohn 4. 24. God is a Spirit Mat. 4. 10. Mat. 19. 17. There is none good but God These places must needs be interpreted of all three Persons for it is certain that Christ did not by these speeches exclude himself or the Holy Spirit from being good or being worshipped And when the Name of God is taken personally or singularly in Scripture we say it is understood of one Person by a Synechdoche because though the other Persons may be excluded from what is proper and peculiar to any one Person because it is personal and therefore incommunicable yet they cannot be excluded from any thing that is essential because the same Divine essence is common to all Now the Title of God is essentiall and what hath been said of that is true of all Essential Titles and Attributes but Personal relations properties and actions are all peculiar as we shall shew at large in the next Chapter All that I need inferre from hence for the present is That when we describe the Divine nature we should not abstract it from the three Persons and when we describe a Divine Person we should not abstract him from the Divine Nature When the Scripture speaks of Created persons it doth not abstract the personality from the singular substance or nature When the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1. 11. that thanks shall be given by many persons he doth not mean many personalities but many humane singular substances thanks should be given by a multitude of men particular men Actiones sunt suppositorum non suppositalitatum In like manner when we read that Christ is the Character of his Fathers person Heb. 1. 3. the word is Subsistence the meaning is not that the Son is the character or expresse image of the Fatherhood of the first Person for Christ doth not beget a Son as the Father doth but Christ is the image of the Subsistent that is of God the Father and not of the mere Subsistence or Personality as it is abstracted from the Divine Nature Jesus Christ hath two natures in one single person now that person is a Divine person the second person of the Godhead and if I describe the person of Jesus Christ I may abstract his person from his humane nature and not mention that nature which doth infinitely differ from his Divine person but I must not abstract the person of Christ from his divine nature because he hath no other then a divine person which cannot be separated from and should not be described without consideration and mention of the divine nature For this Second Person is not barely considered as a person or as a second person but as a divine person as the second person of the Godhead as the naturall coessential coequal coeternal Son of God as his own Son his first begottâ—â— Son his only begotten Son Rom. 8. 32. Ioh. 1. 14. And therefore he must be considered as God the true God God blessed for ever Ioh. 1. 1. 14. 18. Rom. 9. 5. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. and therefore he must be described as God 〈◊〉 himself for the Son is Iehovah as hath been proved and we are obliged to believe in the Son as well as in the Father Ioh. 4. â— Iesus Christ is one and the same God with the Father Now Papists and Socinians wiâ—â— both confesse that the Father is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himself and therefore it will follow that the Son is God of himself If the Godhead of the Son were begotten and the Godhead of the Father unbegotten there would be two distinct Godheads in the Father and the Son the one begotten and the other unbegotten Take it thus theâ— in brief The second Person of the Godhead is the only begotten Son of God subsisting iâ— the unbegotten nature of God because he is the naturall and coessentiall Son of God the Father and therefore hath one and the same unbegotten nature with the Father the subsistence of the Son is begotten but the divine nature of the Son is unbegotten The Holy Ghost is an infinite Spirit coessential with the Father and the Son and not a mere Subsistence proceeding from both and yet he is distinguished from both by his personal relation and incommunicable property These grounds being laid for a foundation it is easie to build on and inferre 1. That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not mere Personalities but Divine Persons 2. A Divine Person is not a Quality or any other Accident but an infinite Substance subsisting after the most perfect and glorious manner that is or can be 3. The Divine nature being infinite doth contain all manner of perfection within it self both Absolute and Relative and therefore the relations which are between the Divine Persons are naturall perfect divine 4. The Divine Nature cannot be separated from all or any one of the Divine Persons 5. These three Divine Persons are one and the same God one Infinite Spirit and therefore they are Coessential Coequal Coeternal 6. These three Divine Persons are distinguished as shall be shewen in the next Chapter but cannot be divided or separated either from the Divine Nature or from one another because they do alâ— three subsist in the Divine nature and in one another for they have one and the same single and infinite nature and are one infinite Spirit the same omnipresent God 7. The word Subsistence is a consecrated word which as we find upon record in the holy Scripture is fit to be made use of when we speak of that Divine manner of being which the Father Son and Holy Ghost have in the Godhead and in one another The heathen Oratour could say Verbis consecratis utendum He meant words that were consecrated by the use and approbation of Classical Authors but I mean words consecrated by the Holy Ghost The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Subsistence and by way of Analogie PERSON hath many other significations but
as referred to the divine Essence which is common to all three Persons we say it is the same power But when we look upon power in a singular notion as it is communicated after a singular manner to this or that person we say this person is equall to that in power the Father equall to the Son the Spirit equall to both to note the distinction of the Persons and not the distinction of the Power because the self-same Almighty Power is communicated to the severall persons in a severall way Power is in the Father of and from himself that is not from any other Person the same power is communicated to the Son but it is communicated to him by eternal generation and to the Spirit by eternal procession the â—ame power then is communicated to different coequall persons in a different way as we shall more fully declare before we conclude this seventh chapter 3. The Uncreated Persons are sufficiently distinguished by their number The nature of God is the first Entity the first Unity and therefore it is uncapable of number because it is most singularly single and actually infinite It is not proper if we speak strictly to say that God is one in Number we should rather say that God is one and an only one Deus non est unus Numero sed unicus But the Persons of the Godhead are three in number the Scripture speaks expressely of three These three 1 Iohn 5. 7. If any man in Athanasius his time asked how many persons subsist in the Godhead they were wont to send him to Iordan Go say they to Iordan and there you may hear and see the blessed Trinity or if you will beleeve the holy Scriptures read the third chapter of Matthew the 16 and 17. verses for there 1. The Father speaks in a voice from Heaven and owns his only begotten Son saying This is my beloved Son c. 2. The Son went down into the water and was baptized 3. The Holy Ghost did visibly descend upon Jesus Christ. In the fourteenth of Iohn we have a plain Demonstration of this truth I saith the Son will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Iohn 14. 16 17. May we not safely conclude from hence that the Spirit is a distinct Person Another Person from the Father and the Son for the Text is cleare the Son will pray and the Father will give Another Comforter we know the Holy Ghost is not Another God he is the same God with the Father and the Son and therefore we must confesse that it is meant of Another Person he shall give you Another Comforter even the Spirit of truth verse 16 17. And againe in the 26. verse of the same Chapter But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth What can there be more expresse or cleare The Scripture teaches us to reckon right and we see the divine Persons are reckoned three in Number One Person is not another there are diverse Persons there are three Persons the number numbred the Persons numbred are named by their distinct and proper names the number numbring is expressely set down in sacred Records We are not more exact in any accounts then we are in reckoning of witnesses whose testimony is produced in a businesse of great consequence and high concernment Now in the great question about the Messiah witnesses are produced to assure us that Iesus Christ the Son of the Virgin and the only begotten Son of God is the true Messiah the only all-sufficient Saviour of his people from their sins And there are three Witnesses named and produced for the proof of this weighty point Now one Person that hath three names or two Persons and an Attribute of one or both Persons cannot passe for three Witnesses in any fair and reasonable account we are sure God reckons right and he reckons Father Son and Holy Ghost for three Witnesses and he doth not reckon these three and the Godhead for foure as they do who dream of a Quaternity because these three are one and the same God blessed for ever Let us then be exact in observing since the Holy Ghost is so exact in making of the account In the eighth of Iohn the Pharisees object that our Saviour did bear record of himself and did conclude from thence that therefore his record was not true Iohn 8. 13. Our Saviour answers in the next verse Though I beare record of my self yet my record is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And it is written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that beare witnesse of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me It is most clear and evident by this discourse that our blessed Lord did make a fair legall just account for he cites the Law concerning the validity of a testimony given in by two witnesses and then he reckons his Father for one witnesse and himself for another I am one saith he and my Father is Another I and my Father make two sufficient Witnesses in a just and legall account There is Another saith he that beareth witnesse of me and I know that the witnesse which he witnesseth of me is true Iohn 5 32. There is Another saith he he doth not meane another God for when he speaks of his power and Godhead he saith I and my Father are one Iohn 10. 30. Christ and his Father are one God but Christ and his Father are two distinct Persons for they are reckoned as two distinct witnesses and one Person must not be reckoned for two witnesses There is Another that bears witnesse Iohn 5. 32. and the Father himself v. 37. bears witnesse of me Well then Christ is one witness the Father is another and the Holy Ghost is a third witness 1 Iohn 5. 7. we see the Holy Ghost speaks as plainly in this point as we do when we teach a child to tell one two and three For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one If we peruse the Scriptures diligently as we ought we shall finde that these Witnesses are three Persons who are one and the same blessed God They are one in nature though three in subsistence to shew that these three Persons are not to be reckoned as three men are who have three distinct singular natures really divided and separated for these three glorious Persons subsist in one another and have one and the same single undivided and indivisible nature and they are three Witnesses three Persons truly distinct Iohn 1. 14 18. cap 5 3â— cap. 14 16. IV. The divine Persons are distinguished by their inward and personall actions The Father did from all Eternity communicate the living Essence of God to the Son in a
Christ the Father and the Son breath forth the subsistence of the Spirit with one and the same spirati on When Christ breathed upon his Disciples he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost to shew that he had power to dispose of the Spirit who did from all eternity breath forth the Spirit The Holy Ghost was breathed forth necessarily by both I say necessarily because eternally there was a double and eternall necessity of it both in respect of the persons breathing and the person breathed The spirit was not breathed forth as a creature but as a divine person a person of the Godhead he was breathed forth by Procession and subsists in the unity of the Godhead he proceeds from both and yet in both for one divine person cannot subsist out of another but all three subsist in the same undivided and infinite nature But the Socinians tell us that the Holy Ghost is nothing else but the power and vertue of God the Father To which we answer That the Spirit is the natural vertue of the Father no more then he is the naturall vertue of the Son or of himself for the vertue of God is the essence of God the Holy Ghost is his own essence and all three persons have one and the same essence The Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father is called the Power of the Father Luke 1. 35. because the spirit works as he proceeds in order the Father works in the Son and by the Spirit But the Spirit who proceeds from the Father is distinguished from the Father the Spirit did not breath forth himself or proceed from himself The H. Ghost doth not speak of himself John 16. 13. but the Father speaks of himself because he is of himself he is begotten of none proceeds from none of the divine persons is sent by none of them The holy Ghost doth receive of Christ is sent by Christ therefore the Holy Ghost is not the Father but clearly distinguished from him Iohn 16. 14 15. Iohn 15. 26. Iohn 14. 16 17 Matth. 3. 16 17. Matth. 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 14. and in diverse other places The Father and the Spirit are personally distinguished but they are essentially one 1 Iohn 5. 7. they are one in Power Nature Will and yet are three Persons three Witnesses who deliver one and the same divine testimony The testimony of the Holy Ghost is as divine as the testimony of God the Father The Witnesse of God is greater verse 9. must refer to the Witnesse of the Father Word and Spirit verse 7. though the testimony of the Father be specially insisted on in the following words for all the three Witnesses in heaven give one and the same testimony and that testimony is divine The H. Ghost is the Spirit of God and the Spirit which is of God the Spirit of Elohim Gen. 1. 2. the Spirit of Jehovah Isa. 11. 2. the Spirit which is Jehovah and the God of Israel as hath been proved at large in the fourth chapter from the 31. page to the fortieth The distinction between the Father and the Spirit will be more evident when we come to treat of the personall properties The Socinians are so confounded in this point that they are forced to acknowledge that the Holy Ghost is no Accidentall vertue no finite substance no creature but the uncreated and substantiall vertue or power of God because whatsoever is in God is the substance of God as Eniedinus confesses And Smalcius acknowledges that it may be granted that the Holy Ghost is God because whatsoever is naturally in God may be called God But I shall prove that the Holy Ghost is not only God but a person of the Godhead distinct from the Father and the Son Jesus Christ is called the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and the Holy Ghost the Power of God Luke 1. 35 Luke 24 49. The Son is a distinct Person from the Father and the Holy Ghost is as the Ancients used to call him the Personall vertue or Power of the Father proceeding from the Father by whom he doth declare and put forth his power and therefore the Spirit is said to work and distrioute all gifts and graces as he will Father Son and Holy Ghost have one and the same Will and Power still we must bottome upon that truth These three are one 1 John 5. 7. That this Procession of the Holy Ghost is mysterious and for the manner of it unsearchable we do readily grant and therefore I shall not presume to define after what manner the Holy Ghost is breathed forth from the Father and the Son but we are sure that it cannot be any corporeall procession The Ancients did constantly distinguish between Procession and Generation but the eternall generation of Christ being spirituall the procession of the Spirit must needs be spirituall for the Spirit is not only Essentially a Spirit as the Father and God the Son are but he is Personally a Spirit The more perfect and spirituall this procession is the more evident it is that the Spirit was breathed forth in the unity of the Godhead They who say the Son doth proceed from the Father use that terme Proceed in a generall and very large signification but then they say that the Son did proceed by Generation the Spirit by Spiration thereby endeavouring to distinguish the manner of proceeding 2. They say the Son did proceed from the Father alone and therefore is aid to be sent by the Father only but the Holy Ghost did proceed from the Father and the Son both and therefore is said to be sent by the Son as well as the Father Luke 24. 49. Iohn 15. 26. Iohn 14. 26. Iohn 16. 14. but Christ is sent by the Father only because he is of the Father only and was not begotten of the Spirit and the Father is not sent by any because he is of himself hereby they endeavour to distinguish the Principle of these Divine processions 3. The Son did proceed as the second person the holy Ghost as the third person of the Godhead and hereby they endeavour to distinguish the order of these divine processions We know this divine procession is 1. Spirituall 2. Eternall because divine 3. Immutable this procession is not a change of the Spirit from not being to being or from an imperfect being to a more perfect being We know that procession cannot be a motion from one place to another for the Spirit is omnipresent fills all places and therefore cannot change its place 4. Necessary The Father and Son did from all eternity breath forth the Spirit in the unity of the Godhead not by any alienation of the Godhead from themselves but by an unspeakable communication of the same divine Nature to a third person of the Godhead And this communication is naturall and therefore necessary it is but not Involuntary the Father and Son did not breath forth the Spirit by any Coaction
or Compulsion and yet we cannot say that the Father and the Son did Arbitrarily or freely breath forth the Spirit as all three persons did create the world for they did create the world with such liberty and freedome as that they might not have created it but they did Naturally and necessarily breath forth the Spirit and could not but breath him forth this inward and personall Act is Naturall such is the perfection of the Godhead that it must needs be communicated to all three persons and such is the coessentiall unity of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as that all three do necessarily and naturally subsist in the self-same entire and infinite Godhead True it is that the will of God is the Nature of God but nature is a more comprehensive Word and therefore according to our manner of apprehension and in strictnesse of speech it is more proper to say that the Father and the Son did breath forth the Spirit by the perfection of their Nature then to say they breathed him forth of their own will or by some Arbitrary Decree for then it will follow that there might have been but two persons of and in the Godhead that the holy Spirit doth exist and subsist Contingently and by consequent that the Spirit is no person of the Godhead The acute Samosatenian whom learned Iunius confutes desired to know whether the Holy Ghost was produced by an action of the Will Iunius answers If you oppose the will of God to the nature of God we cannot say that the Spirit doth proceed from the Father and the Son by their will but by their nature because the Father Son and Spirit are Coessentiall for as the Father did beget his Naturall Son by his Nature so do the Father and the Son breath forth the coessentiall Spirit by their nature nor is it safe to say saith Iunius that the nature of the Father doth breath forth the Spirit by an action of his will but rather according to that manner the infinite distance being observed between what is humane and divine after which the will doth proceed in man and this saith he is but a weak resemblance of the Schools which we are not bound to defend For the Nature of God is pure single infinite and therefore we must not follow those resemblances too farre which are grounded upon the distinction of the understanding and the will in creatures because even that point is very disputable and the most single and perfect nature of God doth infinitely transcend the perfection of Angels I beleeve you are as I am willing to get out of the dark But enough of that for we read that the Saints are begotten by the will of God Iames 1. 18. But we must not conceive that Christ is begotten or the Spirit breathed forth after the same manner as we are regenerated the Spirit is breathed forth in a Connaturall and Coessentiall way in the unity of the single and entire Godhead but we are regenerated by the graces of God The spirit doth proceed equally from the Father and the Son for the unity of the divine nature and equality of divine persons cannot be maintained if that principle be denyed Peter Lombard and his adherents did mince the point with a very dangerous distinction that the Spirit doth proceed principally from the Father and lesse principally from the Son But it is clear evident that the Holy Ghost being a Coessential person hath the self-same divine nature and essence entirely communicated unto him which is in the Father and the Son without any Alienation of it from them or Multiplication of it in him and therefore the Spirit doth not proceed from the Father and Son as they stand in Relative opposition but as they are essentially and naturally one and therefore the Spirit did proceed from both equally aequè primò ac per se as we use to say The Spirit doth receive from Christ Iohn 16. 14 15. but the Spirit being God could not receive any thing but subsistence from the Father or the Son The Spirit doth glorifie the Son Iohn 16. 14. no otherwise then the Son as God doth glorifie the Father because the Son did receive his subsistence from the Father as the Spirit receives his subsistence from the Father and the Son We must carefully distinguish 1. Between the generation of the Son and procession of the holy Spirit though as we have shewen above the Son doth proceed if you take that word in a general notion The most exact Criticks wil not take upon them to distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet because we want words to expresse our selves the reverend Doctors of the Church thought fit to appropriate Procession to the Holy Ghost for distinction sake and the Scripture saith that Christ is the only begotten Son of God God the Father is never called the Father of the H. Ghost nor is the H. Ghost called the Son of God Moreover the Schoolmen have given advantage to the enemies of the Trinity by discoursing of Divine Processions at large in a generall notion and for these reasons I did endeavorto distinguish the Procession of the Son from the Spirit in this Chapter in respect of the Manner Principle and order of Procession 2. We must carefully distinguish between the Eternall Procession of the Spirit and the Temporal Mission of the Spirit but the Natural and Eternal Procession of the Spirit may be evinced by the Temporal Mission of the Spirit The Greek Church doth acknowledge 1. that the Holy Ghost is God and 2. that he is one and the same God with the Father and the Son and from hence we infer 1. That the Son did not send the Spirit by way of Command as if he were greater then the Spirit 2. That the Son did not send the Spirit by way of Counsel and Advice as if he were wiser then the Spirit and therefore the only reason why he did Temporally send him is because the Spirit did Naturally and Eternally proceed from him and receive his glorious subsistence of him I might discourse more largely upon this subject but I consider what Athanasius Damascen and divers other reverend Divines who did long study these mysterious points have after many perplexed debates acknowledged The Son say they was begotten and the Spirit proceeded this we are sure of because it is written if you enquire after the manner how the one was begotten and how the other did proceed we answer that the Son was begotten and the Spirit did proceed eternally unchangeably unspeakably Those places of Scripture which are spoken of God in the Old Testament are said to be spoken of the Son and the Spirit in the New Testament and therefore do by consent of both Testaments declare that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are one and the same God for instance The sixth of Isaiah is spoken of Jehovah the God of Israel whom the Mahumetans
Sabellians and Arrians do acknowledge to be the true God but this is spoken of Christ saith Saint Iohn chap. 12. 41. These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him But the Holy Ghost hath his share in this prophesie Acts â—8 25. therefore they who beleeve both â—estaments must concluâ—e that the Father Son and the Holy Ghost are one and the same God Finally the Personall actions and properties of these three declare them to be distinct persons therefore it is easie to conclude that Father Son and H. Ghost are three distinct persons and yet one and the same God That the Spirit is a person of the Godhead hath been proved in the fourth chapter of this Book That he is a distinct person from the Father and the Son is most clear by that which hath been said both in that chapter and in this and all those places might be heaped up which prove the personal appearance of the Spirit when he did assume the shape of a Dove and appeared as in Tongues of fire his teaching leading acting ruling comforting distributing of gifts and the like together with the several phrases of him in Scripture and frequent joyning him with the Father and Son as their equall in power and authority in bestowing all spiritual and eternall blessings do evince the same The notes of distinction Another even the Spirit These three c. The change of the gender in relative Articles which must necessarily be referred to the Spiâ—it is very considerable But I have said more then enough upon this point and therefore proceed to make the distinction of these three uncreated persons yet more evident V. These uncreated persons are sufficiently distinguished by their Order The Scripture doth most commonly place the Father first in order the Son second the Holy Ghost third when all three are named and by the inward and personall actions which have been mentioned it doth appear that this is the Naturall Order of these uncreated Persons for the Son cannot be placed in Order before the Father because he is naturally begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost cannot be placed in order before the Son because he doth naturally proceed from the Son this is the proper and natural order Basil the great in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complains that some in his time did place the Son in order before the Father and the Holy Ghost before the Son that they might gain some advantage by that device Basil tels them that he had received order from the Lord to Baptize in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therefore was resolved to preserve that order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inviolable notwithstanding any devices or attempts for to prevent it When the Witnesses in Heaven are reckoned up in a businesse of the highest consequence they are reckoned in this very order 1 Iohn 5. 7. The Father the Word and the Spirit But it is confessed that sometimes it is most agreeable to the scope and purpose of the Holy Ghost to place the Son before the Father as appears 2 Cor. 13. 13. Gal. 1. 1. and hence it is likewise that the Holy Spirit is sometimes placed before the Son as Revel 1. 4 5. and sometimes before the Father and the Son 1 Cor. 12 4 5 6. But the natural order doth not overthrow either the equality or coeternity of the Persons nor doth that order of Enumeration which is pro instituto overthrow the natural order and both do sufficiently prove the distinction of the three uncreated Persons VI. The Divine Persons are sufficiently distinguished by their Personal Properties The property of the Father is to subsist of himself that is to receive subsistence or subsisting life from none but himself I shall not enter into that sad dispute whether this Personal Property be Absolute or Relative whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not import something as Positive and absolute as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is pleaded that the selfe subsistence of the Father is not his Fatherhood and that that rule is beyond dispute Habere subsistentiam à se non dicit respectum ad Aliud vel Alâ—um And therefore I humbly offer it to the consideration of the learned whether that self subsistence whereby the first person is dâ—stinguished from the Son and the Spirit be Absolute or Relative I will not take upon me to determine any thing in so deep a point or suffer my reason to wax wild and wanton in discoursing of so great a mystery and therfore though there be something hinted which may amount to a videtur quod sic in the behalf of the lesse common opinion in the 142 age of this book and it is clear that all three Persons are nothing else but the Godhead considered with all absolute and Relative perfection yet I conceive it safest to wave that point and conclude with that learned divine Nos fidelem ignorantiae professionem temerariae assertioni praeferendam judicamus Whether then this self-subsistence be Absolute or Relative it is enough for our present purpose to prove that the first Person of the Godhead is distinguished by his self-subsistence from the blessed Son and holy Spirit The self-subsistence of the Father is Incommunicable It is proper and peculiar to the first Person to have subsistence from none but himselfe and to be the first Personal Principle which gives subsistence to the other two coessentiall and coequall persons The Son receives subsistence from the Father the Spirit receives subsistence from the Father and the Son as hath been proved above and therefore this self-subsistence doth make a very remarkable and undeniable difference between the Father and the two other uncreated Persons Some learned men have from hence inferred that because the Father alone hath subsistence from himselfe therefore the Father alone is God of himself But the consequence is absurd for they do not distinguish between the Essence of God the peculiar subsistences in the Godhead The Essence of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is one and the same in all and every one of the uncreated Persons it is if I may so speak a self-essence and essence it selfe a self-Deity because every one of the Persons is truly properly essentially God God himselfe and therefore if the Essence of the Father be a self-Deity so is the Essence of the Son and Spirit The Divine Essence of the Son is not begotten caused produced any more then the Essence of the Father the subsistence of the Son is begotten but not caused the Divine Essence is communicated to the Son but it is not begotton by the Father for the Father doth communicate that selfe same Divine and entire Essence which is in himselfe by begetting the personal subsistence of the Son in the Unity of the Godhead from the dayes of eternity Christ is not God by grace but by nature and the Will of the Father did not precede and
produce the Godhead in Christ but accompany and approve the naturall communication of the Godhead to Christ even as his Will doth approve his own natural and eternal goodnesse and therefore Christ is both his natural Son as hath been proved and the Son of his love Coloss. 1. 13. Genebrardus was too blame to fall foule upon Calvin and Beza and other reformed Writers whom he condemns as guilty of a new Heresie called Autotheanisme because they said that Christ was God of himself but he was not the Son of himself Calvin and Beza did not deny that the Godhead was from all eternity communicated to the Son by the Father onely they say 1. That the Godhead which is communicated is in it self of it self truly properly essentially Divine because the selfe-same Godhead is in the Father and Son whole and entire in both 2. Because the Godhead which is communicated is not begotten the unbegotten Godhead is communicated to the only begotten Son by an eternall generation 3 Because the Godhead which is communicated is not caused produced created by the Father as Valentinus Gentilis dreamt And therefore Genebrardus Canisius Gifford Stapleton Faber Fevardentius and the rest are extremely mistaken when they say that Calvin and Beza deny that the Father did beget his Son in the unity of his own divine essence For the meaning of Calvin was plainly this The Son hath the selfe-same divine nature with the Father they are Coessential one and the same God who is the only true God God of himselfe not God by participation or creation but God by nature and essence for Calvin speaks in opposition to Valentinus Gentilis who denyes the Son and Spirit to be coessentiall with the Father but saith the Father did essentiate the Son with another manner of essence then his owne divine essence namely with a created and produced essence Gentilis saith the Father onely is truly God because he only hath an increated Godhead and the Son hath not the self-same Godhead with the Father I had not said so much on this Argument but that I find Papists Arminians Socinians and some bitter Lutherans do all joyn their forces to abuse Calvin Beza Viret Farrell Simler Volanus Gualter Bullinger Lavater the Orthodox Helvetians and many other reformed Writers upon this Argument Some say these reverend Divines are guilty of Heresie Blasphemy Atheisme because they say Christ is God of himselfe though they clearly mean that he is one God with his Father and that the Godhead which is communicated to the Son by generation is an unbegotten Godhead a self-Deity If any one desire to read more upon this Argument he may consult Valentinus Gentilis and all that write against him especially Calvin and the rest of the Reformed Writers named but now he may read the Ancients with whom Arminius was not well acquainted for if he had read them he would not have said that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be found in the writings of the Fathers They who are taken with Platonical raptures may read Dionysius Plato's corrivall Maximus Pachymerius and the rest will give them some light therein Athanasius Basil Epiphanius Nazianzen Damascen speak the same thing either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom I might adde Iustin Martyr Anastasius and Cyrill as for Origen I know his writings have been extremely corrupted by the iniquity of his Antagonists and yet there are many things that are excellent in him which I am in charity obliged to conceive to be his genuine and proper judgement and to impute many of his errors to the fraud ignorance or malice of such as made too bold with his Works or else to a kind of liberty of speaking which good wits are not free from when they have no adversary in sight who is like to call them to an account for their irregular phrases Bellarmine is as modest as we could expect such a sophister to be only he did not take notice of the controversie between Calvin and Gentilis but we will pardon that error for we know the Cardinal was not at leasure and therefore did many times passe sentence upon the Protestants for expedition sake before he had heard their cause Gregory de Valentia is very ingenuous in this point and makes a fair Apology for the Autotheans If any desire to take a shorter cut I shall refer them to three most eminent Divines who have studyed this point exactly and are very criticall both in state of the question and their phrases Chamier Gomarus and Voetius and now I crave leave to proceed without beging pardon for this necessary digression because I hope it may be very useful to learned men It is now easie upon the due consideration of the premisses to state the point right It is proper to the Father to have 1. The Godhead without any communication of it to him from any other uncreated Person 2. To have subsistence from and of himselfe as he is the first Person and the first personall Principle of giving subsisting life unto the other two Coessentiall Persons For the first uncreated Person cannot receive subsistence from any person because he is the first person in order though all three be equall in respect of dignity and duration there can be no person in order before the first Person to communicate his Godhead or give personall subsistence to him either by generation or spiration and this must needs be a Characteristicall and distinctive property which declares the subsistence of the Father to be incommunicable For though all three uncreated persons do subsist in the Godhead yet self-subsistence is proper to the Father the Father alone is the first personall principle of subsisting life the Father is distinguished from the Son because the Father is unbegotten and because he did beget the Son the Father is distinguished from the Spirit because he did breath forth the Spirit But I have said enough of that when I treated above of the inward and personall actions I need not take notice of their nice exception who say the Father is not his owne Father and therefore cannot be said to be begotten of himself or to have subsistence from himselfe yet because some take advantage thereby to censure the reverend Doctours of the Church I shall stop the Criticks mouths with one Criticisme out of Hesychius and Suidas To be begotten of ones self saith Hesychius is to be begotten of none God is said to be begotten of himself because he is unbegotten Suidas concurs and doth either transcribe or subscribe No man ever dreamt that the Father did beget either his Godhead or his own personall subsistence for the Godhead were no Godhead if it were begotten we know the Father is not his own Father though Synesius and some such Poeticall wits who meant well have adventured upon such dangerous expressions It doth imply a contradiction that any thing should
be the cause of it self or its own effect for the cause is before the effect and nothing can be before and after it self and there is a friendly opposition between correlates the Father cannot be his own Son But notwithstanding all that hath been alleaged by these Criticall disputants still it holds good that the Godhead was not communicated to God the Father by any person created or uncreated and the first person did not receive his personall subsistence from any other person by generation spiration or any other way But I must not dwell upon this Argument VII The uncreated persons are sufficiently distinguished by their personall and inward relations but we must not conceive that there are as many Persons in the Godhead as there are Relations for the Father is related to the Son and to the Spirit and the Son is related to the Father and to the Spirit and the Spirit is related to the Father and the Son But there is a friendly opposition evidenced by some Relations which do help together with the Actions Order and Properties above mentioned to demonstrate some kind of distinction between the Persons The Son as he is a Son is Relatively opposed to the Father who begat him and so the Spirit as proceeding by spiration is Relatively opposed to the Father and the Son who did both joyne in breathing forth the holy Spirit Relations distinguish as proper and opposite I might discourse concerning the Order of these persons in working as well as of their order in subsisting something might be spoken of the peculiar manner of their working ad extra and much might be said of the Incarnation of the Son to declare him to be distinct from the Father and the Spirit and something of the effusion of the Spirit but I have said enough to evidence that these uncreated Persons are distinguished what kind of distinction there is between them I am now to show and that I may be brief and plain in the opening of this weighty point I shall lay down the truth clearly in some few Propositions 1. The Father Son and Holy Ghost are not Essentially distinguished for Christ and his Father are one John 10. 30. and all three are Essentially one 1 John 5. 7. The Synod of Calcedon determined that Christ was Coessentiall with his Father according to his Divinity and Coessential with us according to his Humanity but the naturall Union between us and Christ doth only prove a specifical unity but Christ and his Father have one and the self-same Divine and undivided Essence He must acknowledge more gods who holds that the Son and Spirit have another or different kind of Godhead from the Father The Arrians did divide the Nature of the Trinity and the Sabellians did confound their Persons but Christians acknowledge and maintain that there are three Persons and but one single divine nature in the blessed Trinity only the second person did assume the nature of man that he might heale our nature and save our persons 2. These three Divine Persons are not distinguished realiter separabiliter That is they are not so distinguished as that they can be divided or separated one from another as created Persons and Things may These three Coessentiall persons are omnipresent they do all three subsist in the self-same omnipresent nature nay they do all three subsist in one another without any contraction commixtion or confusion as hath been proved at large in the 161 162. and the following pages of this Book These Coessentiall subsisteâ—ts cannot be separated or divided any more then their indivisible and infinite Essence can be divided or multiplyed 3 These three uncreated Persons are truly distinguished this proposition is fully proved already in this very chapter I know it will be expected by some that I should say that these three Persons are distinguished Really but I shall humbly desire them to consider that some have by that expression taken occasion to exercise their wanton wits in cavelling against this deep and glorious mystery to the great prejudice of this weighty truth If they be really distinguished say some then they differ essentially or tanquam res res then they may be separated say others then there are three Gods say a third It is too well known what sport Atheists have made upon this advantage and truly it is much at one whether men do professe themselves Atheists or Tritheites for he who doth beleeve that there are three Gods may when he pleases beleeve that there is no God at all Vorstius presses those that call the distinction between the Persons Reall after this manner If the three persons be really distinguished then they are tres Res three reall things for the multiplication of persons is reall and therefore the Son being really distinct from the Father and the Spirit from both they must needs have three essences really distinct And if they are tres Res then either three substances or three Accidents but the Reformed Divines cannot saith Vorstius grant that they are three accidents because they deny that there is any accident in God and if they be three substances then there are saith he three Gods Valentinus Gentilis and some Ministers of Transylvania reason much after the same manner I know not whether Master Fry did ever read any of their writings but sure I am he hath conversed with some of that perswasion or else his carnall reason is of neer kin to theirs For upon this very ground Mr. Fry doth adventure to explode three distinct persons or subsistencies out of his Creed but he will never be able to explode them out of the Godhead he may sooner explode himself out of the number of Christians for if he take away the Divine Person of Christ he takes away the foundation of christianity But having shewed him his danger I desire to satisfie his reason awaken his Faith settle his Conscience in this weighty point if he will deny his carnall reason and not require any example to illustrate a mystery above reason and beyond example Master Fry will tell us news indeed if he can make it good That any Ministers or Members of the Church of God in England do make Iesus Christ a distinct God from God the Father 2. He may do well to publish those reasons which move him and the others he speaks of to be of that opinion 3. He doth acknowledge that these three the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are equally God pag. 21. Let him consider his own confession these three what are these three are they three Gods No that he doth abominate are they three Accidents no that is absurd are they three substances if so then created or uncreated not created for that he saith none will affirme are they three uncreated substances No saith he for then they would consequently be three Gods p. 23. I hope by
maintaining of saving communion with God 1. That God is For he who commeth unto God must beleeve that God is Heb. 11. 6. 2. That there is but one God Deut. 6. 4. 3. That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are this one God because they are all three Coessentiall subsistents in this most single Godhead 1 Cor. 8. 5. 6. Phi. 2. 6. 1 Io 5. 7 Ioh. 10. 30. Mat. 3. 16 17. Mat. 28. 19. Act. 5. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Ioh. 15. â—6 Rev. 1. 4. 5. Reverend Calvin was not so morose and austere in this point as to contend about unnecessary words or curious phrases so there were such words used as did fitly and fully expresse the whole mistery of Faith in this weighty point and sufficiently refute the damnable errours of Arrius and Sabellius If men will but acknowledge 1. That the Father Son and Spirit are one God and the selfe same God 2. That the Son is not the Father nor the Spirit the Son but that these three are distinguished by speciall Relations Incommunicable and unchangeable properties so that there is a Trinity of Coessentiall Subsistents in the selfe-same Divine Essence we are all agreed Arrius would acknowledge that Christ is God buâ— not Consubstantiall or Coessentiall with his Father for he did deny Christ to be the same God with his Father And in like manner the Socinians will say that they acknowledge and maintaine the true Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost but they do deny that the Son and Spirit are one and the same God with the Father and affirme that the Reformed Churches who beleeve that all three persons have the selfe same God-head do ascribe a false and imaginary God-head to the Son and Spirit which the Holy Scriptures do no where acknowledge or declare And this is the true reason why the Orthodox Doctors of the Church have been so unanimous especially of late yeares in maintaining this Proposition Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father Son Holy Spirit are one and the self-same God On the other side Sabellius acknowledged that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are one God but if you say that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three different subsistents then he cryed out as M. Fry doth that you acknowledge three Gods the best way to avoid these saith judicious Calvin is to say That there is a Trinity of Persons in one and the same essence of God For we must needs acknowledge the unity of the Divine nature because we read that the Father Son and Spirit are one and we must acknowledge the Trinity of these Coessentiall Subsistents or persons because we read that they are three Now the Trinity and unity make a Coessential Trinunity if the unity of the God-head and Trinity of the Subsistents or persons be acknowledged we shall not wrangle about curious phrases or unnecessary words The most judicious and moderate men amongst the Orthodox Doctors of the Church agree in this The learned and Reverend Doctor Davenant in his judicious exhortation to Brotherly Communion betweene the Protestant Churches teaches us how to distinguish between points that are fundamentall and Problems or Propositions that are not Fundamentall and when he comes to reckon up Fundamentals he instances in the Trinity and expresses himself after this manner That God is one in Essence three in Persons distinguished betwixt themselves That the Son is begotten of the Father That the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son That these three persons are coeternall and coequall All these saith he are deservedly determined and ranked amongst the Fundamentall Articles Now if any should contend that all those things which are disputed of the School-men of the manner of proceeding and begetting are also fundamentall and necessary to be determined on one side verily he by this his rash judgement would gaine no favour with Christ. But it is objected by some who do acknowledge Christ to be God that they have no reason to close with us when we say That Iesus Christ is Coessentiall with God his eternall Father because we do impose a new word upon them and so make a new Fundamentall of our own Inventition to which I answer 1. That if we make an old truth plaine by a new word they ought to forgive us that injury 2. We explaine our new Terme 3. We save them the trouble of an artificiall and tedious deduction for as soon as they do but understand the word they must necessarily imbrace the sense and acknowledge that though the word seem new to them yet the Doctrine is old for if the persons be of a different Divine Essence then there would be more Gods then one 4. We doe hereby secure them against the subtilty of pernicious Hereticks who endeavour to seduce them into damnable Heresies For if the Father Son and Spirit have not the same Divine Essence then either there will be more Gods then one or else the Son and Spirit are no Gods at all but such petty inferiour Gods as the Socinians make them 5. No man that hath a sound braine and a single eye can conceive that there are divers Gods in the same Essence and therefore the expression is necessary and safe The Father Son and Spirit are three Coesential subsistents in the same single God-head they are all three one and the selfe-same God who is God by nature the only true God blessed for ever in this Faith we will live and in this we will dye as it becomes Orthodox Christians who were bâ—ptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost CHAP. IX This Grand Mystery of Faith hath an Effectuall influence into the Practical Mystery of Godlinesse and Power of Religion IT is the great designe and faithfull endeavour of sincere Christians to attaine unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Colos. 2. 2. They who have but a Forme of Godlines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of painted powerlesse shaddow of piety may look upon the Doctrine of the Trinity as a School-point a meer speculative Doctrine which men receive by Tradition from their fore-fathers but they who live in the spirit and walke in the spirit Gal. 5. 25. have a life that is hid with Christ in God Colos 3. 3. hid from formall men as colours are hid from blind men and these spirituall Christians do account the love of the Father the grace of Christ and the communion of the Spirit to be their Heaven upon earth They receive Iesus Christ so as to live by him walke in him and live to him Colos. 2. 6. Phil. 1. 21 1 Ioh. 5. 12 2 Cor. 5. 15. What is a Godly life but a life of faith and love of joy and thankfulnesse of self-denyall and devotion of patience and obedience hope
and perseverance victory and triumph This is the life of God or that godly life to which the Ephesians were all strangers till they had learned the truth as it is in Iesus Ephes. 4. 20 21. And how come we to be quickned to this Godly life but by being begotten of the Father Iam. 1. 17 18. borne of the Spirit Ioh. 3. 6. and hearing the voice of the Son of God Ioh. 5. 25 26 When we have learnt of the Father and are drawne by the Spirit we come unto the Son who is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 6. 44 45. Ioh. 14. 6. And how is this Spirituall life maintained but by the Supply of the Spirit of Iesus Christ Philip. 1 19. Let us take the whole frame of a godly life to pieces and view every part and Spring and wheel and pin and then put it together againe and then we shall be able to judge what effectuall influence these three Coessentiall persons considered as one and the same God or as three distinct persons subsisting in the single God-head have into the Practicall Mystery of Godlinesse and Power of Religion The Doctrine of Godlinesse containes 1. Our Faith in God 2. Worship of God 3. Obedience to God 1. Our Faith in God I have spoken of this grand Mystery of Faith and shewn that it is necessary to be known and beleeved in the eight Chapter at large But I shall now treat of it in a more practicall way Adam in his Innocency was bound for to beleeve in the Father Son and Holy Ghost who are one Almighty God Creator Upholder and Governour of Heaven and Earth Self-sufficient and All-sufficient blessed in and of himselfe the only cause and adaequate object of the blessednesse of his creatures Adam was created by all three after the Image of all three for God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse Gen. 1. 26. and therefore we cannot conceive but that all three were revealed to Adam that he might know and beleeve in all three surely Adam was better Catechized then Jews Turkes and Pagans are in this great point and therefore did know beleeve and Worship all three There is no question but he entred into Covenant with all three and therefore beleeved in all three I cannot beleeve that two of the Divine Persons had no worship or service from Adam their creature before his fall And doubtlesse Adam knew whom he beleeved and whom he worshipped as his Almighty Creator and All-sufficient God Adam under the first Covenant was bound to beleeve in the second Person as God but not as God-man the Mediatour betwixt God and sin full man Adam did owe the right of subjection to all three from whom he received the Honour of Dominion The world was made for man man for the honour and glory of Father Son and Holy Ghost Adams originall righteousnesse did incline and enable him to beleeve in all three and surely Adam understood that severe rebuke which was given him presently after his fall Gen. 3. 22. And the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us But because I will forbeare disputes I will not proceed further upon this Argument The Faith of Christians delights to exercise it selfe upon God the Father Son and holy Spirit God the Father is pleased to be our Tutor to condescend so far as to teach us and oportet discentem credere Schollers must beleeve their teachers It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learnt of the Father cometh unto me Ioh. 6. 45. We must beleeve the Record that God the Father gives of his Son 1 Ioh. 5. 10. When we look upon God as the father of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ look upon him as our God and Father in Christ these neer and deare relations do encourage us to beleeve him and beleeve in him to beleeve his truth to beleeve his love his fatherly tender bowels do perswade and even constraine us to fix our beleife and place our confidence in God the Father The heires of Promise have good encouragement to beleeve their Father who gives them all they have and hope for when he declares the immutability of his Counsell in a faithfull promise and confirmes it by an unchangeable Oath Heb. 6. 17 18. Surely the Father will not deceive his owne children of their Inheritance which he hath made over to them by promise and Oath this is the ground of all our hope and comfort we may safely cast Anchor here Heb. 6. 18. 19. In the Old Testament the Covenant runs in the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but in the New Testament it runs in the name of Christ there we read the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but here we read God our Father the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is our God and Father in Christ and for Christ our Father because Christs Father Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Ephes. 1. 2 3. We cannot but look up with Faith and confidence to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and our Father as the fountaine of all blessing the fountain of grace and peace and glory This deare Fatherly relation of God to Christ and in Christ to us is sometimes darkly intimated and but hinted and sometimes cleerly fully expressed to encourage our Faith The Disciples were very sad because they heard our Saviour speak of going to his Father go saith Christ to my brethren and say unto them Ioh. 20. 17. What should Mary say for their consolation was it enough to tell them my Lord is alive and calls you his brethren no that were too darke an intimation and therefore our Saviour gives her her message in words at length Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Joh. 20 17. here 's an Evangelical ground of faith hope and comfort in the time of the saddest distresse The great Argument used to encourage poor trembling beleevers to come to Christ when they have interrupted their fellowship with God the Father Christ and the Holy Comforter by any grievous wounding sinne is this If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous God is a Father both to us and our Advocate therefore renew the sense of your justification by faith at a Ihrone of Grace you see our faith is encouraged in the saddest tryals by this Argument The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is the Father of mercyes and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. the fountaine of grace and peace Rom 1. 7. Gal. 1. 3. Iesus Christ make it his oâ—â—inesse to perswade poor tempted soulâ—s to beleeve that
the bloud of the Lamb. The Virgin Church is begotten Wooed perswaded governed upheld comforted by the Spirit The Prophesie blessing and Communion of the Spirit 2 Cor. 13 14. Rev. 1. 4. 5. compared with Rev. 22. 21. The Holy Spirit is to be worshipped with divine worship Rev. 1. 4. opened at large Angel worship prohibited by christ Tertia interpretatio veterum receÌ„tioruÌ„â— Doctorum solae Scripturae fidei Christianae analoga est D Pareus Com. in Apoc. c. 1. Isa. 42. 8. Why the holy Ghost is called seven spirits Gratiam precatur septem ecclesiis quibus singulis unum eunde nqque spiritum sanctum quasi septem in solidum tribuit The worship of the Coessentiall Trinunity Votum Gratiae pacis univocè concipit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Parei Com. in Apoc. c. 1. Deus Trinunus gratiae Pacisqque causa adaequata integra Naturall worship is due to the Holy Ghost the Creator of the New Creature * 1 Cor. 6. 11. Tit. 3. 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Rev. 1 4. Rom. 15. 13 16. John 3. 5. Rom. 5 5 Instituted worship is due to the holy Spirit In the Sacraments In hearing of the word of God Rev. 2. 11 18. 29. Rev. 3. 1 6 13. In Prayer * By the Communion of the spirit we have Communion with the Father and the Son in Gospell-worship All three co-essentiall Persons dwell in the Temple of the holy Spirit He who is not the Temple of the Spirit is no Son of God or member of Christ. The third part of Evangelicall godlinesse Obedience is due to all three Persons Obedience is due to God the Father Filiall and Foederall Obedience 2 Cor. 7. 1. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Joh. 4. 16 19. Psa. 130. 4. Psa 103. 13 Jer. 32. 40. Mal. 2. 10 16. Mat. 12. 50 Mat. 23. 9. Hos. 3. 5. Ezek. 16. 63. 1 Joh. 4. 10. God the Son is to be obeyed Mat. 17. 5. Gal. 1. 10. Heb. 5. 9. Tit. 2 14. 1 Joh. 3. 16 The subjection of Presbyters to Iesus Christ. The life of a Christian. All manner of obedience inward and outward due to Christ. Mat. 28. 19 20. Col. 3. 23 24. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 22. Rev. 12. 11. Spirituall obedience due to the holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. Act. 5. 3 4 32. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 17. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4. We are debters to the spirit The spirit is our Creator The spirit fits us for all services The spirit of Regeneneration and Adoption The Spirit fitted the man Christ to be our Mediatour christus est Messias Messiarum Christus Christorum Joh. 20. 31. Dona ista absoluteÌ„ in se finita fuere sicut ipsa Christi natura finita est nostri tamen respectu sunt absque mensurâ Vide D. Alting exp Catech. part 2. pag. 170 171. Willfull disobedience to the spirit is a soule step towards the unpardonable sin Sincere obediense to the effectuall call of the spirit is a good evidence of our Election Comfort for such as find the spirit of Sanctification in them though they do not feele or beare the spirit of Adoption We should rejoyce in and be thankefull for our obedience to the Spirit Rom. 14. 17. The right manner of Obedience to God Psal. 101. 2 8. Zach. 12. 12 13. 14. Act. 26. 18 Heb. 9. 14. 2 Pet. 1 3 4. Eph. 3. 19. Joh. 6. 29. Eph. 6. 16. Act. 15. 9. 1 Joh. 4. 16 19. Magnes amoris amor 1 Tim. 1. 5. James 2 5. 1 Joh. 5. 3 4. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 6 11. 1 Chro. 28. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 5. The whole mystery of the co-essentiall Trinunity reduced to Practice The Evangelicall Ministry The grand mystery of our Election by Father Son and Holy Ghost reduced to Practice Sicut ergo caetera praedicanda sunt ut qui ea praedicat obedienter audiatur ita praedestinationem suo tempore loco praedicandam esse ut qui obedienter haec audit non in homine ac per hoc nec in seipso sed in Domino glorietur Aug de â—ono persev l. 2. c. 24. Frustra ignorantium auribus ingeris nos Liberum Arbitrium condemnare imò verò damnetur ille qui damnat Hieron ad Cresiphontem Eph. 1. 3 4 5 13. ver Col. 3. 12. Joh. 15. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 9. * Quoties Deinomen Indefinite ponitur non minus Filium Spiritum quà m Patrem designat retineatur uâ—itas essentiae habeatur ratio ordinis calvin instit lib. 1. cap. 13. sect 20. Joh. 14. 10. Joh. 15. 26. Joh. 10. 30. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Colos. 3. Pia sanctorum vigilantia non est ex ipsorum arbitrio sed ex dono gratiae in ipsis per gratiae media exuscitato Colos. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 4. 12. Confitemur neminem immeritò perdi neminem meritò liberari Prosp. The Epistle to the Ephesians Fides est medium ad salutem tamen ipsius electionis Effectus Impius sensus qui putat beatiorem esse hominem cui Deus nihil dedecit quam cui universaâ— in Christo per Spiritum Sanctum secunâ—um electionem â—ratuitam 〈◊〉 i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11 5 7 Mat. 20. 16 Matth. 24. 22 24. electi sumus non meriti prae rogativâ non fati necessiâ—are non teâ—â—ritate fâ—rtunae sed altiâ—dine divitiarum sapientiae scientiae Dei quam non aperit sed clausam miratur Apostolus Aug. Prosper Eulgentius The Epistle to the Romans Amori Patris aeterno gratiaeque Spiritus singulari nobiâ— in Christo destinatae totum Salutis adscriptum videmus in Epistols ad Romanos Contumeliam reddit justitia honorem donat indebitum gratia Aug. Epist. 105. Epist. 59. de bono Persev Ench. ad Laur. Pros. * Ephes. 5. 9. The fruits of the Spirit are marks of our election The first Epistle to the Thessalonians Quae sit liberae discretionis in concilio Dei causa supra facultatem humanae cognitionis inquiritur sine fidei diminutione nescitur modo con fiteamur neminem immeritò perdi nemineÌ„ meritò liberari The second Epistle of Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 9. Si omnes liberarentur lateret quid peccato per justitiaÌ„ deberetur si nemo quid gratia largiretur August Ep. 105. II. our Creation Gen. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Job 33. 4. Job 26. 13. Ps. 104. 30 John 1. 3. III. Providence Zec. 4. 6 7. Sam. 10. 6 2 Cor. 3. 6. Luk. 1. 35. IV. The Fall 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 3 1 Cor. 13. 14. Rom. 15 16. 1 Thess. cap. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 5. Titus 3. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 6 11 Ephes. 5. 25 26 27. verses Gal. 1. 3 4. Act. 26. 18 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 22 23. verses Rom. 5. 6. 8 10. Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 16 Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. 1. Hearing the Word Baptisme The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Prayer The Lords day The Businesse
THE DIVINE TRINUNITY OF THE Father Son and Holy Spirit OR The blessed Doctrine of the three Coessentiall Subsistents in the eternall Godhead without any confusion or division of the distinct Subsistences or multiplication of the most single and entire Godhead Acknowledged beleeved adored by Christians in opposition to Pagans Jewes Mahumetans blasphemous and Antichristian Hereticks who say they are Christians but are not Declared and Published for the edification and satisfaction of all such as worship the only true God Father Son and Holy Spirit all three as one and the self same God blessed for ever By FRANCIS CHEYNELL Minister of that Gospel which is revealed from heaven by Father Son and holy Spirit in the holy Scriptures of truth LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard 1650. Academiae OXONIENSI Electorum Senatui Reverendo D. D ri Reynoldes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procancellario exoptatissimo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitam cùm omni bonorum copiâ sospitem SOlem non vidit Reverendissimi qui luce solis solem non aspexit Quis Poetarum quis Sophistarum qui non omnino de Prophetarum fonte potaverit Nulla sine sapientiâ suscipienda est Religio nec ulla sine Religione sapientia probanda Varii sunt disciplinarum sapores ingeniorum gustus tota autem Christianorum salus in credendo colendo nec non obediendo consistit Doctrina nostra Christum auctorem laudat Christumque parat defensorem Noluit magnus olim Epiphanius ut Christiani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gestarent sed solo Christianorum nomine contenti satis gauderent Valete flosculi quicquid est facundiorum deliciarum nec medicamentis opus est nec lenociniis ut benevolentiam masculam virilem Academicam aucupemur Haud aliter de rebus Theologicis judico quà m de rebus Philosophicis judicabat Cicero Istiusmodi res dicerè ornate puerile est plane aurem perspicuè expedire posse docti intelligentis viri Deum testem laudo me illis nec conscribere nec vigilare qui in Theologicis conjecturas venari mallent quà m Scripturas amplecti Nostrûm enim est Theologiam antiquam penè antiquatam antiquitati Primitivae restituere Doctrinae capitibus vetustis gratam quandam novitatem obscuris lucem dubiis fidem vel quasi postliminio superaddere In quo quidem opere quantopere desudandum sit viri ut diffusissimae eruditionis ita sapientiae prope incomparabilis satis norunt Nec Argumentum majus esse potest nec Praelector minor quis enim ego qui tot clarissimis viris de Academiâ nostrâ imò de totâ literarum Republicâ optimè meritis succederem vel munus in hoc incomposito rerum statu infirmus obirem Eheu nec fictis lachrymis dolendum studiorum decus saeviente bello non mediocriter spretum jacuisse Nec inficias ivero in tam occupato vitae genere meditationes nostras satis acerbas nec dum ad gustum Academicum satis maturuisse certè tantarum dimensionum opus si non immensum non adeo tumultuariâ operâ deproperari debet ut officio simul deesse aliud quam hoc agens publico minus prodesse saltem prudentibus videar In cogitationem autem sensim deveni quantum mihi honoris Electorum Senatus immerenti habitum iverit quem dignati est is Râ—verendi ad functionem non tantum in Academiâ sed in Ecclesiâ Dei tam celebrem obeundam vocatione solenni honestare quibus antem rationibus hanc difficilem scribendi provinciam imò necessitatem deprecatus sim probè norunt quibus imbecillitas nostra satis not a est At at de pudore nostro bene subrustico unico tenuitatis meae praesidio amici hac ex parte nimiùm diligentes cogentibus amoris nec non prudentiae machinis tandem triumpharunt Omnibus itaque testatum volo quanti piorum doctorumque auctoritatem facio cùm adversùs judicium meum ultra posse meum cum bono Deo hac in re Reverendorum decretis amicorum monitis paruerim saltem si non satisfecerim Sed nihil uti spero Electores ornatissimi splendori nominis vestri bene magni detrahet benevolentia vestra vel tenuitas nostra non enim Sol eò minor est quòd loca lustret humilia res exiguas Ex laboribus enim nostris fructum non contemnendum ni fallor funiores percipient In capitibus quibusdam quae magna exercebant ingenia virisque gravissimis contumax facessebant negotium Textui certè lucem adferimus perquà m gratissimam In Translatoribus infidelibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exemplum dabo quaeso à vobis ut audiatis infaelicissimum De authoritate verborum quae 1 Iohan. 5. 7. extant non eadem sunt Doctorum judicia Hieronymus in Prologo in Epistolas Catholicas ad Graecorum Codicum fidem provocat Vterque Robertus Stephanus Pater filiusque manuscriptis quamplurimis optimae etiam fidei usi sunt tamen nullam lectionis varietatem in hoc versu 7 indicant Hieronymum graviter tonantem audiamus fulmen ausem Interpretes solos tangit Si Epistolae sicut ab iis digestae sunt ita quoque ab Interpretibus fideliter in Latinum verterentur eloquium neque ambiguitatem legentibus facerent nec sermonum sese varietas impugnaret illo praecipuè loco ubi de unitate Trinitatis in prima Johannis Epistolâ positum legimus in quà etiam ab infidelibus translatoribus multum erratum esse à fidei veritate comperimus trium tantummodo vocabula hoc est aquae sanguinis spiritus in ipsâ suâ editione ponentibus Patris Verbique ac Spiritus testimonium omittentibus in quo maximè fides Catholica roboratur Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti una divinitatis essentia comprobatur Britannus Codex hunc versum habet quanquam sine Articulis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pleraeque editiones Graecae ut Basiliensis Oecolampadii altera Brittiingeri Lipsensis Vogelii hu nc versum retinent Complutensis vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omittit pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptè legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deinde Patrum Orthodoxorum testimonia adducimus qui partim ita legerunt partim etiam ita legendum asseruerunt Athanasius lib. 1. ad Theophilum Cyprianus de unitate Ecclesiae de simplicitate Praelatorum Hieronymus Athanasius Fulgentius c. vide Gomari Analysâ—inâ— Johan Bellarminum de Trinitate Stegman Photin D. Sal. Glassium de Consubstantialitate Christi c. D. Alting Loc. Com. part 2. pag. 340 341. explicat Catechet part 2. pag. 148. Inter tres Personas Coessentiales est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentialis proinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Citavit etiam hunc locum Athanasius in disputatione cum Ario habitâ in concilio Nicaeno adversario nihil quicquaÌ„
my self my Being is absolutely necessary every way perfect altogether pure single and infinite I do therefore conclude as Hierome That the very nature of God is being it selfe and therefore he ever was and cannot cease to be he cannot borrow his Being from any thing who gives Being and wel-being to all things The absolute and independent necessity of the Divine-Being doth demonstrate its eternity and therefore all the differences of time are untied by the Talmudists to connote the Eternity of God in that text Exod. 3. 14. according to that excellent Commentary made by the Apostle Rev. 1. 8. God is the Almighty which is and which was and which is to come Hence it is that some have thought fit to translate that text Exod. 3. 14. according to the full scope of the Future amongst the Hebrews I am that I am that I was and that I will be For the Future amongst the Hebrews points at all differences of time past present and to come but others observing the strict and proper signification of the Future translate it thus I will be that I will be The Angel of the waters doth unite all differences of time in that gratefull acknowledgement Rev. 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus And Iesus Christ who is one and the same God with his father is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 3. 8. The Rabbines upon Exod. 3. 14. expresse themselves after this manner The blessed God said unto Moses say unto them I that have been and I the same now and I the same for time to come c. or as others more agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrase I he that is and was and hereafter will be hath sent me unto you But enough of that it is now time to conclude that this first and independent Being cannot be measured in it self because it is infinite nor in its causes for it hath no causes but is from it self of it self by it self and for it self for as the Apostle saith All things are of him and through him and to him to him be glory for ever Amen CHAP. III. God hath sufficiently and graciously revealed himself in his holy word for our edification and salvation THis incomprensible God who is of himself and for himself cannot be made known to his creatures but by himselfe Men and Angels cannot know him any further then he is pleased to reveale himself unto them The word of God is pure and perfect it doth fully discover Gods mind and our duty The Scriptures direct us in all points of faith in all parts of worship and in all passages of our life and conversation there is the whole body of Religion and the only right way to salvation sufficiently and graciously revealed unto us by God himself for God is the Author Object End of true Religion and is the only happinesse and salvation of his chosen People and therefore God alone can direct us how to serve and enjoy his own blessed self in an acceptable and comfortable way for his glory and our own everlasting satisfaction The Jesuites tell us that the Scriptures are but a partiall Rule and that we must be beholding to some unwritten word or tradition for the proofe of some points which are necessary to be known and beleeved for our everlasting salvation Some instance in the Doctrine of the Trinity others in the Worship of the Holy Ghost The Papists do generally acknowledge that it is necessary for the attainment oâ— salvation to beleeve the number of the Persons of the Trinity and their consubstantiality because no man can be saved who doth not believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost in all three as in the only true God one and the self same God blessed for ever but some of them deny that this mystery is sufficiently revealed in the written word and therefore I shall make it my businesse to confute them and all that adhere unto them in the following Treatise The saving knowledge of God in Christ is revealed by the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures of truth nay Father Son and Holy Ghost do all joyne in revealing to us the saving mystery of faith and godlinesse that by the grace of Christ the love of God and Communion of the Holy Ghost we may have a glorious fellowship with all three as one God the only true God whom to know is life eternall John 17. 3. we are taught by the father to come to Christ for salvation John 6. 45. we are taught by the son Iohn 1. 18. Heb. 1. 2. we are taught by the Spirit Heb. 3. 7. Rev. 2. 29. and 1 Iohn 5. 6. the Spirit doth beare witnesse after an especiall manner to this saving truth it is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth yet all three and therefore the whole Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit do joyn in bearing record and their record is written for it stands upon Record in the Gospel and their Record is a saving Record and there can be no other Record produced to prove that Christ is our Saviour 1 Iohn 5. 7 11 12 13 20. Iohn 20 31. if we study the Scriptures beleeve apply them worship and act according to them we shall be saved by our faith in the written Trinity in Father Son and Holy Ghost without the help of any unwritten tradition whatsoever for the holy Scriptures are able to furnish the Man of God unto Perfection and make the simple wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. Cyrill in his Book of the Trinity and Person of Christ put forth not long since by Wegeline saith that he would not speak or think any thing of God but what is written in his Word Clemens Alexandrinus saith that we ought to make good every point in question by the Word of God because that is the surest nay that 's the only Demonstration he speaks of Theologicall Demonstration nothing can be embraced with a divine faith but that which is delivered to us upon Divine Testimony and we are to seek for the Testimony of God nowhere but in the written Word of God and therefore Basil disputes after this manner Whatsoever is not in the written Word of God is not of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin and therefore it is a sin to obtrude any Doctrine upon the conscience as an Article of faith which is not written in the Word of God Putean is bold to say that if Basil his meaning was according to his words he was a Hugonot that is as we use to say a Puritane When I read what the Papists write on this Argument I stand amazed at their blasphemies and am unwilling to stain my paper with the repetition of them they who have read Canus Hosius Costerus Eckius Gautierus Charronaeus Stapleton and the rest of that
rabble will not wonder that the Socinians call the Doctrine of 3. Persons and one God into question when the Papists who were baptized in the name of the Trinity professe that they beleeve the equality of three distinct Subsistences in the same divine Essence do yet notwithstanding in their writings grant as much as the Socinians need prove namely that the Doctrine of the distinction and equality of Persons in the same Divine Essence cannot be proved but by unwritten Traditions by the testimony of the Church of Rome c. and yet diverse Papists undertake to defend the doctrine of the Trinity against the Socinians though they know that the Socinians do not at all value traditions or the testimony of the Church of Rome and therefore though divers Papists write against the Socinians yet they do promote Socinianisme by their vaine doctrine of unwritten traditions Stapleton is not ashamed to deny that it can be proved out of Scripture that the Holy Ghost is God or that he is to be worshipped But Salmeron deserves commendation in this point The Scriptures saith he are therefore said to be written by divine inspiration because they instruct us in divine mysteries concerning the Vnity of God and Trinity of Persons Photius in his Bibliotheca shews that Ephraeni did not dispute of the consubstantiall Trinity out of the Testimonies of Fathers but out of the Holy Scriptures Iustin Martyr Athanasius Basil Irenaeus Cyrill Cyprian Tertullian Epiphanius Theodoret and many other of the Fathers did assert the doctrine of the Trinity and some of them did confute the Valentinians Eunomians Sabellians Photinians Arrians Macedonians Samosatenians c. out of the Holy Scriptures The Nicene Synod did urge Scripture for the maintenance of the truth which they declared in the Confession of their Faith and the Synod which met at Constantinople did the like as is most evident to such as have perused those learned and ancient Records Athanasius confounded the Arians by cleare Testimonies of Scripture and in his Book of the Decrees of the Nicene Synod he saith that the true disciples of Christ do clearly understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity preached by divine Scripture I shall not trouble or amuse the Reader by quotations out of Cyrill Ambrose Hilary Augustine Nyssen Nazianzen or any of those Worthies but now mentioned whose labours have been ever famous in the Church of God yet I must not omit one pregnant proofe out of Augustine who appealed from the Nicene and Ariminensian Synods and challenged Maximinus to dispute with him about the great point of consubstantiality out of the Scriptures Bellarmine himself is forced to confesse that Augustine had good reason to do so because that point is cleare by Scripture but then we must likewise consider what Augustine saith upon this Argument that the thing or sense of any word may be in Scripture though the word it self be not to be found there though the words Trinity Trin-unity Consubstantial are not found in Scripture yet that which is signified by those words may be clearly proved by the holy Scriptures These three are one I and my Father are one Behold a Trinity Trin-unity Consubstantiality and all quickly proved That Rule is of great concernment and very pertinent to the point in hand which Augustine delivers in his third Book and third Chapter against Maximinus the Arian Out of those things which we read in Scripture we may collect some things which we do not read and so both understand and beleeve the thing which is delivered in other words in Scripture then those which we are now forced to use that we may confirme the Orthodox Christians and refute the gain-sayers But I am weary of this task and therefore call upon my Reader to joyne with me in searching the Scriptures that we may find out the truth for reason cannot demonstrate or comprehend these mysteries of faith and the Rule is Rationum fulcro dissoluto humana concidit authoritas CHAP. IV. This single and Eternall Godhead doth subsist in Father Son and holy Ghost without any multiplication of the Godhead WHen Gregory Nyssen undertook to confute the artificiall blasphemy of Eunomius he desired that the true God the Son of the true God and the Holy Spirit would direct him into all truth I have likewise implored the Divine assistance of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that I may open this Mystery of the single Godhead in three distinct Subsistences with faith and prudence perspicuity and reverence I consider that the Godhead is Spiritual and therefore I desire to avoid all carnal expressions in a Treatise of this nature There is a twofold knowledge of God Absolute and Relative the Absolute knowledge of the Eternal Power and Godhead is in part discovered by the works of God as hath been shewen in the first chapter but the Relative knowledge of God I speak of inward relations between the three Subsistences is not nay cannot be attained unto by the light of nature no example can illustrate no reason Angelical or humane comprehend the hidden excellency of this glorious Mystery but it is discovered to us by a Divine Revelation in the written word and therefore our faith must receive and our piety admire what our reason cannot comprehend It is fit therefore that this Grand Mystery of the Divine Trinunity should be soberly explained that it may be stedfastly beleeved and reverently applyed in all Evangelical administrations We read of the Godhead the Nature and Subsistence of God in the holy Scriptures 1. The Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss. 2. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17. 29 I am not at leasure to play the Critique upon the words it is enough for my purpose simply to declare the truth in the most plaine and simple manner 2. The Nature of God is held forth to us in the holy Scriptures which forbid us to give Divine honour to any of those things which are not Gods by Nature Gal. 4. 8 For the Apostle in that place reproves their Idolatry and tels them that when they knew not God that is the only true God who is God by Nature because truly God they did service to them which by Nature are no Gods from whence it is easie to conclude that the only true God whom we ought to serve is God by nature and we read of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. of which all that are regenerate are said to be partakers because they bear his Image for else it is evident that there is an infinite distance between God grace which is not only finite but imperfect also and if it were perfected is but an accident Nay there is an infinite distance between the Nature of God and nature of man in respect of Excellency even then when the two natures are most intimately united as they are by an Hypostatical union in the person of the Lord Jesus 3.
are required to give to God the Father Ioh. 5. 23. 4. Examples every way warrantable because agreeable to these precepts are frequent in the Word Act. 7. 59. 60. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Rev. 22. 20. 5. Baptisme is administred in the name and to the honour of Christ Mat. 28. 17. 18 19 20. 6. At the day of Judgement every knee must bow to him and acknowledge him to be equall to his Father Isa. 45 21 22 23 24. 25. compared with Rom. 14. 10 11 12. Phil. 2. 6 9 10 11. 7. All that are justified do believe in him and they who do believe in him shall not be ashamed Rom. 3. 25 26. 1 Pet. 2 6 7. 8. The Apostolicall benediction so often repeated in the Epistles From whence I argue since God will not give his glory to another because he is true Isa. 48. 11. and cannot because he is just it followes that though Christ be a distinct person yet he is not a distinct God from his Father but one and the same God with him God blessed for ever Much more might be produced upon this argument That which hath been said is abundantly sufficient if God set it home upon our spirits by his own Spirit but if men will not be perswaded by these Scriptures neither would they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead In the next place I am to demonstrate the Divine Nature Person Titles Attributes Works Worship of the Holy Ghost 3. The same eternall Godhead doth subsist in the Holy Ghost who is God blessed for ever The Holy Ghost is a spirituall and infinite substance subsisting with peculiar properties and acting according to the counsel of his divine will The Apostle having distinguished betweene the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit shews that the Spirit it selfe That one Spiris l That one and self-same Spirit doth work and distribute all those excellent gifts according as he pleases 1 Cor. 12. 4. Now 1. these particularising and indigitating terms That one that same Spirit 2. The wiâ—â— of the Spirit 3. The discriminating energâ— or efficacy of the Spirit do all demonstratâ— the subsistence of the Spirit peculiarity 〈◊〉 his Subsistence When the Spirit of truth 〈◊〉 come He will guide Iohn 16. 13. he saith noâ— It but He and therefore doth not speak 〈◊〉 an Attribute but a Person He c. which is the more to be observed because thâ— word in the originall which signifies Spiritâ— is of the Neuter gender and yet our Savior speaking of the Spirit saith He to point out the peculiar subsistence or person of the Spirit When He the Spirit of Truth c. Iohn 16. 13. and therefore we ought to take speciall notice of that expression and all those notes of particularity 1 Cor. 12. applyed to the Spirit do shew that he is a particular and undivided substance one Spirit the same Spirit the self same Spirit one and the self same Spirit 1 Cor. 12. form the 4. v. to the 12. And that this spirituall particular undivided substance is a divine substance is evident because it is said that the same Spirit who doth work all in all is the same Lord and the same God 1 Cor. 12. 5 6. and Lord in the new Testament doth answer to Iehovah in the old as hath been proved above in this very Chapter when Peter drew up a charge against Ananias he puts this question to him Why hath Sathan filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God Act. 5. 3 4. The black and unpardonable sin is after a more speciall manner committed against the Godhead subsisting in the Holy Ghost and the peculiar office and dispensation of the Holy Ghost then against the Father or the Son and that sin is in some respects pronounced the most grievous sin Mat. 12. 32. If the Holy Ghost were only the Power of God as Socinians love to dream that sin would not be so highly aggravated for it is not the highest and foulest aggravation of sin to say it is committed against the Power of God The Father Son and Spirit have but one Power as they have one and the same nature and therefore the Father is said to work in the Son and by the Spirit and hence it is that Christ is called the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and the Holy Ghost is called the Power of the most High Luk. 1. 35. because the Power of the Father who is called the most High in opposition to the highest of creatures doth reside in is exercised and made manifest by the Holy Ghost and especially manifested in that Omnipotent Work of the Conception of our Lord and Saviour the very shadow of the Holy Ghost makes a Virgin to conceive this miracle speaks him God The Holy Ghost is Jehovah the great God and King above all Gods as is evident by comparing Psal. 95. 3 6 7 8 9. with Heb. 3. 7 9. The Spirit of Iehovah is the God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. The People rebelled against Jehovah and tempted him in the Wildernesse Deut. 6. 16. Numb 14. 26 27. Deut. 9. 7 24. now that is meant of tempting and rebelling against the Holy Ghost as well as against God the Father and Jesus Christ as is cleare if you compare Isa. 63. 10. Heb. 3. 7 9. with the places alledged The Holy Ghost is that Jehovah who made the New Covenant with his chosen People Ierem. 31. 31. compared with Heb. 10. 15 16. The Holy Ghost is that Jehovah who spake by Isaiah the Prophet compare Isa. 6. 8 9. with Acts 28. 25 26. we might argue in like manner from Levit. 19. 2. c. compared with Heb. 9. 7 8. and severall other places Num 12. 6. Heb. 1. 1 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 5 6. The Omnipotence of the Spirit is clearly proved because he worketh all in all according to the counsell of his Will and worketh miracles which transcend not only the common course and order but the whole power of nature 1 Cor. 12. 6 9 10 11. such are the raising of the dead Rom. 8. 11. the regeneration and sanctification of our souls Tit. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 11. and therefore he is called the Holy Ghost because the Father and the Son do according to Divine dispensation sanctify us by the operation of the Holy Ghost Moreover the Holy Ghost did teach the Prophets and Apostles and lead them into all truth he overshadowed the Virgin c. Iohn 16. 13. Acts 2. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 11. and 2 Pet 1. 21. The holy Ghost is the great God and Creatour of all things Psal. 93. 3. 5. Heb. 3. The Holy Ghost is Omniscient for he knowes the deep things of God and the secrets of men he inspired the Prophets and Apostles and moved them to reveale the mysteries of faith and godlines 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. and 1 Pet. 1. 11. 2
Pet. 1. 21. Rom. 9. 1. Rev. 2. 23. The Holy Ghost is Omnipresent he dwels in all Saints as in a Temple he repaires adornes beautifies his Temple and acts in every single Saint as the spirit of disobedience acts in Children of wrath we cannot flie from the presence of the spirit because he is Omnipresent Psal. 139. 7. By what hath been already written it is evident that the Holy Ghost hath the titles and attributes of God he doth performe works proper to God and that devine Honour is due unto him I shall clearly prove because it is denyed by the blasphemous wits of this discoursing age The Holy Ghost who spake by Isaiah the Prophet is worshipped by the Angels of God as is most evident by comparing Isa. 6. 3. 9. with Acts 28. 25. 26 The whole Church of God is exhorted to worship the Holy Ghost as the Great God as Jehovah as our Make to how down and kneel before him that is to give him divine worship both inward and outward because he is our God as appears by comparing Psa. 95. 3. 6. 7. with Heb. 3. 7 8. 9. The Apostle gives divine Honour to the Holy Ghost when he appeals to him as to the searcher of hearts Rom. 9. 1. and the Holy Ghost who speaks to the Churches joynes with the son of God who speaks to them also in searching of the heart and reines Revel 2. 17. 18. 23. and all the Churches are commanded to hearken to both as unto God blessed for ever Our soules and bodies are said to be the Temples of God because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and therefore we are commanded to worship and glorify the holy Ghost with our souls and bodies for the spirit doth dwell in his Temple that he may be worshiped in his Temple The Temple is a profane place if there be no worship there and it is must be pure holy and spirituall worship and sacrifice such as the holy spirit delights in else the Temple will be defiled destroyed Compare 1 Cor. 3. 15. 16 17. 1 Cor. 6 19 20. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 18. and 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Church is blessed in the name of the Holy Ghost as in the name of God and the communion of the holy spirit is spirituall and saving as well as the speciall grace of Christ and love of the Father as appeares by that solemn Apostolicall benediction 2 Cor. 13. 14. and the beloved Disciple proclames the spirit to be the fountaine of grace and peace as well as the Father of Jesus Christ and therfore doth beg grace and peace of the Spirit of grace who doth purify and pacify our hearts for all the Churches Revel 1. 4. The holy Ghost doth regulate all Churches and Church-affaires Acts 13. 2. 4 Acts 15. 28. Acts 20 28. Baptisme is administred in the name and for the Honour of the holy Ghost Matth. 8 19 The holy Ghost doth bestow upon us and work in us those spirituall and glorious blessings which are sealed in or conveyed by Baptisme and therefore we are more especially Baptized by the holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. Iohn 3. â— 6 for we are born of the spirit regenerated washed renewed by the spirit who purifies the soule as water doth the body Titus 3. 5 6. The violation of the Honour and worship of the Holy Ghost is most severely punished Mark 3. 29. Hebr. 6. 4 Hebr. 1â— 28. 29. and therefore there is speciall care taken in the holy Scriptures both for the preservation and vindication of the honour of the Holy Ghost we must not grieve vex resist quench the Holy Ghost that is we must not displease him we must not disobey him we must obey his dictates his motions we must be quickened taught led ruled governed by him we must attribute all the glorious Titles to the Holy Ghost given him in Scripture of which we have so largely discoursed we must acknowledge him to be the Spirit of Truth and therefore must beleeve in him the spirit of supplication the spirit of grace and holinesse and therefore love him and pray to him we must either renounce our Baptisme in his Name or else we must confesse that we are obliged to beleeve in him reverence love obey glorifie him with all inward and outward worship for we are debtours to the Spirit to live to the Spirit and glorifie the Spirit of regeneration who works in us the instrument of Justification that there may be an effectuall application of Christ to our souls though Christ make the purchase the Spirit of adoption makes the assurance he seals us up to the day of redemption and therefore good reason have we to offer up our souls and bodies in a spirituall sacrifice to him for these temples were made for sacrifice Rom. 12. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 5 Now if God who will not give his glory to another because he is true and just gives all this glory to the Holy Ghost it concerns us to glorifie him If there were not all this and a great deal more to be said for the honour of the Holy Ghost yet it were an invincible argument to me if I could only say that the Holy Ghost is God and therefore to be worshipped as God with Divine worship The Holy Ghost is one with the Father and the Son one God and therefore all three are to be worshipped with the same Divine worship It were enough for such men as have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost or no Acts 19. 2. to talk as the filthy dreamers and blasphemous Hereticks of this rotten age usually doe who belch out the language of Hell against the Spirit of Grace and I cannot but wonder that subtile Iesuites Arminians and Socinians who pretend to study and search the Scriptures should say that there is nothing to be found in Scripture concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost That the Spirit acts according to the Counsell of his Divine will hath been sufficiently proved only it must be considered that as Father Son and Spirit have but one Nature so they have but one Will. Concerning the Peculiar and Personall properties of the Holy Ghost I shall treat when I come to speak of the distinction of these subsistences For conclusion of this chapter I am to prove that the Godhead doth subsist in Father Son and Spirit all three without any multiplication of the Godhead The Father and the Son are but one God Iohn 10. 30. I and my Father are one The Father Son and Spirit all three are but one God 1 John 5. 7. There is but one God Ephes. 4. 6. Deut. 6. 4. Isa. 44. 6. 8. Isa. 45. 21. 22. Nay there can be but one God there can be but one most Perfect being one infinite Perfection the most perfect being is the most single being and therefore Father Son and Holy Ghost are all three
but one onely God they are Consubstantiall Coequall Coeternall they have one Nature Minde Will Power Godhead Some b of the Ancients who meant well said there were three Substances but they meant three Subsistences or Persons as Hilary expounds them for saith he They did not intend to assert three different essences Hence it is that such as were more wary in their expressions did use the word Subsistence and said that there were three subsistences but one substance or essence in this divine Trinunity This is the first of all the Commandements to acknowledge one only God Mark 12. 29. As there is but one Mediatour to intercede so there is but one God to justifie and intercede unto for justification 1 Tim. 2. 5. Rom 3. 30. Gal. 3. 20. It is one and the same God who commands heaven and earth Deut. 4. 35 39. Isa. 37. 16. The gods of the heathens were false gods dunghill-gods or devill-gods Magistrates are but mortall gods they must die and rise to judgment and hold up their hand at the tribunal of Jehovah Psal. 86. 8 9. 10. Psal. 82 6 7. 1 Cor. 8. 6. I prove this point at large because I perceive by Mr. Fry his sad account we are much misconstrued in this weighty point as if by acknowledging three distinct subsistences we did create two new Gods and affirmed Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be two distinct Gods both from the Father and from one another But we are no Tritheites We acknowledge a Trinunity as well as a Trinity in opposition to the errour of the Tritheites we believe the Unity of the Godhead and I never read of the Trinity of the Godhead in English untill I read it in the Title of Mr. Fry his Opinion which he delivered to the House and hath since printed and published to the world We do believe that God is one most singly and singularly one and an only one The unity of the Godhead is not a generical or a specifical unity but a most singular unity which I need not call a numerical unity as some do I had rather call it the most single singular and perfect unity as some profound Divines do who have told me what I have read in others that I had need be very curious in the delivery of this weighty point All the three Persons have one and the same single and infinite Godhead and therefore must needs mutually subsist in one another because they are all three one and the same infinite God Three consubstantial coessential coeternal coequal Persons are distinguished but not divided are united but not confounded united in their one nature not confounded in their distinct subsistences nay though their subsistence is in one another yet their subsistences are distinct but their nature most singularly the same nay the divine naturâ— is as singular as any one of the single subsistences and yet whatever is proper to the Divine nature is common to all three of these Divine subsistences and the Divine nature doth not subsist out of these three Divine subsistences But the more we deliver concerning the unity of the Godhead the more advantage do the Socinians hope to gain for the justifying of their blasphemous dreams for â—f this unity of the Godhead be not only â—otionall but reall and God is most singly and singularly one and an onely one as hath been proved why then say they We will be bold to urge an invincible argument to prove that God the Father alone is God and therefore neither Jesus Christ nor the Holy Ghost is truly and properly God by nature God the Father alone is the onely true God but neither the Son nor the Holy Ghost is God the Father Ergo neither the Son nor the Holy Ghost is the only true God For the proof of this Proposition That the Father alone is the only true God they cite some of those places which I have alleadged to prove the unity of the Godhead but they lay most weight upon Iohn 17. 3. Behold say they a plain acknowledgment from the mouth of Jesus Christ Christ doth acknowledge his Father to be the onely true God and therefore doth exclude both himselfe and the Holy Ghost for there is but one only God and God the Father alone is that only true God These subtile Hereticks are guilty of a pitifull piece of Sophistry in the drawing up of this argument which is more full of blasphemy then wit for observe 1. Our Saviour doth not say That we may know Thee only to be the true God but That we may know Thee the only true God For as Athanasius said well We must know Iesus Christ to be the onely true God also because Christ and so the Holy Ghost also is one and the same God with the Father all three Persons are the only true God for though they differ in subsistence they do not differ in nature they have all of them one and the same singular Godhead the self-same divine nature the Father Son and Holy Ghost are but one and the same infinite Spirit one Jehovah one God who is the only true God God blessed for ever Now it doth not follow that the Father Son and Spirit do differ Essentially because they differ personally for these three are â—ne 1 John 5. 7. One God who is the onely â—rue God The Father is the onely true God behold the praedicate in that proposition is not personall but essentiall and â—very Essentiall Predicate belongs to all and â—very one of the three persons because they have one and the same Divine Essence and therefore the Apoâ—â—le saith these three are â—ne 2. Observe how the 17. of Iohn and â— verse is expounded by Iohn himself â— Iohn 5. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true in his Son Iesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternall life Now adde Iohn 17. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God c. and then put all together thus This is life Eternall that they might know thee the onley true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast â—sent The onely true God for as Iohn himself expounds This Iesus Christ is the true God and Eternall life 1 Iohn 5. 20. 3 Observe that Iohn himself expoundâ— this also of the Holy Ghost for Father Son and Holy Ghost are one onely God 1 Ioh. 5. 7. These three are one and therefore iâ— doth not at all follow that the Son and Spirit are not the true God because the Father is the onely God for they are all three one and the same God who is the onely God the only true God 4. Observe that I do not as some learned men do onely affirm that the word onely is put there to
exclude false gods but I say it doth also deny Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be different Gods other gods from God the Father because they are one and the same God with the Father as is evident in those two places 1 Iohn 5. 7. 20. cited before Those learned men doe well to exclude false gods the Socinians do ill to exclude the Son and Spirit who are the same God with the Father onely doth exclude every false god but the Son and Spirit are as the Father is the onely true God blessed for ever The term onely doth not exclude any Divine person but it doth exclude all and every one of the creatures because every Divine person hath the same Divine nature but no creature is capable of the Divine nature unlesse we do understand it as 2 Pet. 1. 4. is to be understood of the image of God or having such an interest in the Divine Attributes that God will exercise and put forth his wisdome power and all for their everlasting good and be himself their all sufficient reward portion and objective happinesse And it is to be observed that the termes Only and True are both applied to the same part of the Proposition namely to the Praedicate alone 5. This is life eternall to know thee But the Text saith This is life eternall to know Iesus Christ also that is this is the way and meanes for the obtaining of eternall life and this is the beginning of eternal life to know believe love and obey Jesus Christ. But eternall life is perfected by knowing of God in heaven not by faith but by sight Now eternall life doth not consist in the knowledge belief or love of any meer creature and therefore the Godhead of Jesus Christ is proved out of this very Text which they urge who deny his Godhead to justifie their blasphemy in the denial of it 6. Eternall life doth consist in knowing of Jesus Christ whom God hath sent to be our Mediatour and this eternall life will be perfected in heaven when the mediation of Christ will have an end and therefore it is the knowing of and believing in this Mediatour as God satisfying for us which makes us happy for he doth perfect the work of Mediatour as God by his eternall Spirit that is his divine nature Heb. 9. 14. and by the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. By the sufferings of the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. for he obtained eternall redemption for us by vertue of his eternall spirit Heb. 9. 12. 14. 7. To know Jesus that is to know him as a Saviour as one that saves us from our sins is to know him as a God as one God with his Father as the true God the only God according to that which we read Isa. 43. 10 11 12 25. that ye may know and believe and understand that I am he I even I am Iehovah and beside me there is no Saviour And Isa. 45. 21 22 23 24 25. There is no God else beside me A just God a Saviour there is none beside me Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else to me every knee shall bow in Jehovah have I righteousnesse In Iehovah shall the seed of Israel be justified Compare this with Rom. 14. 10 11 and the Socinians may as safely conclude that theâ—e is no other God but Jesus Christ as they maâ— conclude that there is no God but God the Father from the 17. of Iohn But they and we ought to conclude from these and the other Scriptures mentioned before that Iesus Christ is not a different God from his Father but is one and the same God with him These exclusive and restrictive Terms One and Alone c. doe not then exclude any of those three who are one in nature and essence though they differ in their manner of subsistence for I cannot conclude from that â—ext 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God the Father c. that the Father only is God no more then I can conclude from the words following in the very samâ— verse and one Lord Jesus Christ that Christ only is Lord and so exclude the Father from Lordship as the Socimans would exclude the Son from the Godhead 1 Tim 6. 14 15 16. is urged by some to prove that Jesus Christ only hath immortality but they dare not conclude from thence that God the Father is not immortall I read Mat 23. 10. One is your Master even Christ but I must not conclude that the Father is not our Master for the Father teaches Ioh. 6. 45. and the Holy Ghost was Doctor Master Teacher even to the Apostles themselves Ioh. 14. 26. Ioh 16. 13. If that Text 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. be meant as some conceive it is of God the Father yet I find the same Titles given to Jesus Christ Rev. 19. 16. and therefore I conclude That both are one and the same immortall God and King 1 â—im 1. 12 16 17. 1 Joh. 5. 20. I read 1 Cor. 12. 4. That the same God worketh all in all v. 11. that one and the self same Spirit worketh all but I dare not conclude from thence that the Spirit only is God and that the Father and the Sonne work nothing at all From these and many other such like expressions we may safely conclude 1. That these terms one and only are not alwayes universally exclusive in the Scripture sense if all circumstances be duly considered and the Scriptures rightly compared 1 Cor. 9. 6. I only and Barnabas The word only doth not exclude Barnabas but include him Barnabas was joyned with Paul but Jesus Christ is more nearly joyned with the Father Ioh 8. 9. Jesus was left alone but the woman was with him all that were for her condemnation are excluded 1 King 12. 20. There are two exclusive termes There was none followed the house of David but the Tribe of Iudah only and yet the Tribe of Benjamin adhered to David as you may read in the next verse But surely the Father Son and Holy Ghost are more closely united then the Tribe of Iudah was with the Tribe of Benjamin Deut. 1. 36. None should see the good Land save Caleb but Iosuah is joyned with him v. 38. and therefore he was not excluded You see here is some union or conjunction still between the persons that are included but there is the highest union nay unity between the Father Sonne and Spirit because these three are one in nature and that nature most simply single and singularly one 2. When the term Only or any the like term is applied to the Divine nature or to any Divine Title Attribute or Work the Father Son and Holy Ghost being one in nature cannot be divided or separated by that exclusive terme though there is a personal difference between them and a speciall order
and dispensation to be observed amongst them as we shall hereafter prove But the intent of the Holy Ghost is to exclude all that are not Gods by nature as the Apostle speaks Gal. 4. 8. from the Godhead and from laying any claim to the naturall Attributes of God or pretending to do any work that is proper and peculiar to God The true and living God is opposed to Idols 1 Thes. 1 9. But Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are to be acknowledged and served as oneâ— rue and living God with the Father The living God the God of truth and King of eternity is opposed to those counterfeit Gods Jer 10 11 12. And therefore when the Apostle saith There is no other God but one 1 Cor. 8 4. He tells you whom he doth exclude such as are but conceited gods so called and so reputed equivocal gods v. 5 6. The Lord Jesus and the Holy Ghost are God by nature the same God with the Father and therefore they are not excluded In like manner when it is said that Iehovah alone did lead the people in the wildernesse and condâ—ct them unto Canaan that exclusive particle is put to exclude strange gods such as were then idolized but were indeed no Gods as is most evident Deut. 32. 12. So Iehovah alone did lead him and there was no strange god with him but these strange gods who are here excluded were no gods as is cleare by comparing the 16. and 21. verses of the same Chapter I have already proved that the title of Iehovah is given both to Christ and the Holy Spirit and therefore when it is said Iehovah alone did lead them in the wildernesse the Son and Spirit are not excluded for the Spirit did instruct and guide them in the wildernese Nehem. 9. 20. and the Spirit did instruct their teachers also but they rebelled against the Spirit Isa. 63. 10. And Iesus Christ the Angel of Gods presence was present with them to guide them Exod 23. 21. The Name of God and the Nature of God is in him for he is to pardon sin or punish as â—e pleases Our Saviour is called The onely Lord and The onely wise God Iude Epistle in the 4 and 25. verses but the Father is not thereby excluded from being God for he is the onely wise God also 1 â—im 1. 17 and therefore by the same reason the Father is the onley true God and the Son and Spirit are the very same onely true God also When our Saviour presses that Text Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve he doth not exclude himself or the Holy Ghost for both are to be worshipped with divine worship as hath been already proved at large in this very Chapter Many other proofs might be produced from other Scriptures and divers other arguments colleâ—ed from the 17. of Iohn to prove that Jesus Christ is not excluded from being the same only God with his Father To know Christ who is God and annointed of God Heb. 1 8 9 Psal. 45. To know Christ whom thou hast sent Eâ—go he was a divine Person before he was sent to take the humane nature and he had eternal glory with his Father before the world was Iohn 17. 5. Naâ— his calling of God Father makes him equall with God nay he is not only equall to but one with his Father Ioh. 5. 18. Ioh 10. 30. Moreover if the Father have not a divine and eternal Son how is he a divine and eternal Father Finally if the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not all three the same true God there is no God for these three are one and therefore all three are one God or else there is no God at all from whence it will follow that if we will be Socinians we must be Atheists The Son and Spirit have the same nature with the Father and therefore if his nature be divine so is theirs CHAP. V. The Manner of GOD'S Being or Subsisting in the Father Sonne and H. Ghost is the best manner of Being that is or can be and the single Godhead is thereby thrice illustrious throughout the woâ—ld HItherto we have contended for the truth of this Divine Being or Subsisting Now â—e shall demonstrate the excellency thereof God is made known to us as the everlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and is to be adored worshipped as the Father of our Lord Iesus Rom. 15. 6. Ephes. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 1. 3 If God had been the Father of men and Father of Angels only and not the Father of our Lord Jesus he would not have been so exceeding glorious as now he is for Angles have but a sinite excellency but when he begets a Son equall to himself without any change in himself and the begetting of this glorious Person is as eternal as the divine nature it self This mysterie is exceeding glorious and admirable and like the Godhead incomprehensible Moreover the Lord Iesus Christ his own Son Rom. 8. 32. and his only Son begotten by eternal generation Ioh. 1. 14. being the illustrious brightnesse of the Fathers glory and the expresse character of his subsistence is so exceeding glorious that the most glorious Angels above are commanded to adore and worship him Heb. 1. 3 4 5 6. For to which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And therefore when he brings his first-begotten and his only begotten Son into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Behold how the Godhead shines gloriously not only in one single Person but in Father and Son both by this manner of subsistence that every tongue may confesse Iesus Christ to be God and Lord to the glory of God the Father And therefore the Father is not lessened or robbed of his glory by the glory of his coequal Son Phil. 2. 6. 11. but there is a pious acknowledgment made of this glorious mysterie which doth very much redound to the glory of God the Father For by this meanes God the Father is acknowledged to be the First personall Principle subsisting of himself and by himself for he received not his subsistence from any other and he gives subsistence unto two glorious Persons equall with himâ—elf The Socinians seem to be very zealous for the glory of God the Father and therefore they deny the Godhead of Christ and the Holâ— Spirit to the glory of God the Father as they pretend but the Scripture teaches us the contrary namely to confesse the Godhead of Christ and the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father For it doth exceedingly redound to the glory of the Father that he gives subsistence unto two glorious Persons who are equall to himself and yet receives no subsistence from them or any other For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Joh
4. 8. and not by the meere favour of any one or more of the Coessentiall persons And therefore both the generation of the Son and breathing forth of the Spirit must needs be Eternall because both are Naturall for whatsoever is Naturall unto God must needs be Eternall but because the Father is the first Personall Principle of subsisting life all is from him by the Son 1 Cor. 8. 6. and all is referred back again to him as the first Personall Principle even by the Son Iohn 5. 19. in regard of the Fathers Self subsistence his order of subsisting and his communicating f subsistence to the Son and Holy Ghost though all things in the world are wrought by the Spirit also as hath been shewen And hence it is that the Name of God is most familiarly given to the faâ—ther both in the Old and the New Testament â—hough Father Son and Holy Ghost are all equally God nay are one and the same God who is the only true God blessed for ever We may then look upon the Son admire and blesse the Father look upon the Father and blesse the Son look upon Father and Son and blesse the Spirit look upon all three admire and blesse adore and love know beleeve and obey all three coequal persons subsisting in the same most single Godhead and have accesse to the Father through the Son and by the Spirit with reverence and confidence zeal and love CHAP. VI. The Divine Subsistence being the most excellent Subsistence that is or can be the word Subsistence or Person cannot be attributed after the same manner to God Angels and Men. IT is not my businesse at this time to make any Metaphysicall distinction between the Persons of Men and Angels bâ—â— I desire to distinguish between created anâ— uncreated Persons because uncreated Persons subsist in one single and infinite essâ—nce It may seem strange to some Metaphysical wits that one Person and much more thâ—â— three distinct Persons should subsist in oâ—â— single and undivided essence but these discoursing wits do not distinguish betweeâ— created and uncreated Persons 2. 〈◊〉 ground their faith on scholastical subtiltieâ— 3. Do not study the Holy Scriptures wiâ—â— humility and faith and beg a blessing oâ— their studies by fervent Prayer For they might read in the Scriptures of a divinâ— Person subsisting in the divine nature Phil 2. 6. Being in the forme of God c. That is subsisting in the Nature of God because it presently follows that therefore he thought it no robbery to be equall with God for Persons that are coessentiall 〈◊〉 needs be coequall Christ and his Father do both subsist in the same divine essence for Christ is the expresse image of his Fathers subsistence and he and his father are one one in essence Iohn 10. 30. Heb. 1. 3. We find this interpretation was received in the time of Iustinian the Emperour and therefore it is not an interpretation lately coined Because it is said who being in the forme of God the Holy Ghost doth demonstrate the Hypostasis or Subsistence of the Word in the Essence of God And because it is said that he took upon him the forme of a servant it signifies that God the Word that is God the Son is united with the Nature not the Subsistence or Person of man He did subsist in the nature of God but he did assume the nature of man and therefore Christ hath a divine subsistence no humane Person no humane Person subsists in the nature of man nor doth the Person of an Angel subsist in the nature of an Angel but the divine Person of Christ doth subsist in his Divine Nature nay all the three Persons do subsist in the single and infinite nature of God From whence I conclude that there is not onely a manifest but an infinite difference between created and uncreated Subsistences or Persons And I speak of Persons rather then Personalities because those abstract notions are not very well understood by the most discoursing men for even they acknowledge that Abstracts are not well or not happily understood unlesse you descend to the consideration of their subjects My purpose therefore upon most mature deliberation is 1. To distinguish between created and uncreated Persons 2. To treat of uncreated Persons rather then Personalities that is to treat of the three Persons not abstracted from but subsisting in the divine nature I will not speak simply of the Son as a Son in that abstract relation or of the Son as a Person or as the second Person by abstracting his Personality from the Divine Nature in which he subsists but I desire to speak of Iesus Christ as subsisting in the nature of God according to that expression of the Apostle Phil. 2. 6. who subsisting in the nature of God For I am resolved to follow the Scripture and I do not think it safe to abstract the incommunicable Subsistence of Christ from the Divine nature in which he subsists least I fall into vain speculations as many learned men have done Now if you take in the Divine Nature of Christ and there is the same reason of all three Persons because all have the same Divine Nature there will be I say not only a manifest but an infinite difference between the Person of Christ and the Person of the most glorious Angel in Heaven They who have long studied the most refined and curious part of Metaphysicks when they come to discourse of the distinction between a singular Nature and a Person are forced to confesse that they do confine their speech to created Natures and Persons because there is even almost nothing evident to them by the light of reason concerning the Divine nature and uncreated Persons And therefore on the other side it well becomes me to confine my discourse to uncreated Persons because there is so vast a difference between them and the most excellent of all created Persons only something I must say of created Persons that by comparing them with uncreated Persons I may demonstrate wherein they agree and wherein they differ Boetius relates that when there was an Epistle of the Councell of Chalcedon read in which there was this Orthodox Position That Iesus Christ is a single Person and yet there are two distinct natures in his single Person Boethius desired the learned men then present to assigne the difference between a singular Nature and a Person and no man saith he was able to tell me the difference or to declare what a Person was But though Boethius smiled at the ignorance of others yet he was not wise enough to conceal his own for he defines a Person thus A Person is the undivided substance of a rationall nature I am not at leasure to reckon up the defects of this imperfect definitioÌ„ Vasquez is bold to say that Aristotle knew not how to distinguish a Person from a singular nature And
when it is used on this occasion upon this subject we may after so many disputes about this Argument easily understand the proper and consecrated importance of the word We may take warning by the mistakes of others and avoid those rocks on which others have suffered shipwrack Some who understand that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signifie essence were offended with such as said there were three Hypostases in God because according to that signification of the word to say that there are three Hypostases in God is to say that there are three Essences in God and consequently that there are three Gods It is readily acknowledged that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie the nature or essence of a thing not the generical or specifical nature in their latitude and abstract universality but the nature truly existing and subsisting in the world This acception of the word may all things duly considered and soberly expounded be admitted with some grains of allowance for the infinite difference which is between created and uncreated Subsistents For if Hypostasis be described in concreto for which we have with invincible reason contended all along this Chapter then Hypostasis doth connote the Divine Nature and signifies not an Abstract Subsistence but a Complete Subsistent When I say that Jesus Christ is the Character of his Fathers Subsistence I do not as I have formerly shewn understand it thus that Jesus Christ is the Character of his Fathers Abstract Personality but he is the Character of God the Father I take in the Divine Nature But you must then consider that the glory of the Trinunity must be preserved in this acception for there is not a new nature in every one of the Three but the Divine nature which is connoted in these three Hypostasâ—s is the very same there is the glory of the Mysterie which dazles the eye of carnal reason And therefore whatever we say on this argument must be taken cum granosalis and expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the infinite difference between a finite and infinite nature and between created and uncreated persons as I shall God willing shew at large before I conclude this Chapter Three Persons may and do subsist in one and the same Infinite Nature and therefore though eâ—ery Hypostasis doth connote the Divine nature yet all â— here connote one and the same infinite nature in which all three Persons do subsist To subsist is as Aristotle the great Interpreter expounds it to have the most perfect manner of Being by it self that a Substance the best of Beings can attain to and it is very proper to say that the Father Son and Holy Ghost have the most perfect manner of Subsistence in the Divine nature that is or can be The Divine Nature considered with all Absolute Relative Perfection in Father Son and Holy Ghost doth most truly properly and perfectly subsist for there are three illustrious Subsistences in that one undivided infinite Nature and therefore the Godhead thus considered doth subsist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Singular substances have the most perfect subsistence A Spirit is the most perfect Substance God is the most single and singular Substance and he is the only Infinite â—pirit the best of Spirits and therefore he must needs have the most perfect Subsistence Every single Person is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore I will be bold to inferre that these three Persons only do perfectly subsist by themselves though in one another for they have one Independent Spiâ—itual Infinite Nature which is of it self and is complete in it self because Infinite in Perfection and therefore contains all absolute and Relative perfection in it self but when we speak of the Relative perfection we speak of three in one because the Relative properties are distinctive and when we treat of the Absolute perfection we speak of One in Three one Essence in three Persons who do all three subsist with their Relative and Incommunicable properties in that most perfect and single Essence This is that Divine Trinunity which contains all Absolute and Relative Perfection And therefore hath the most perfect and excellent Subsistence that is or can be Finally though these three Persons do mutually subsist in one another yet they are said to subsist by themselves 1. Because these Persons do not subsist in one another as Accidents do exist in a Subject for Accidents exist in another because of their imperfection but these subsist in one another because of their perfection because they have the same single infinite nature and are one infinite and omnipresent Spirit 2. They subsist mutually in one another the Father subsists in the Son Ioh. 14. 10 11. as well as the Son in the Father and therefore this subsisting in one another doth not argue any imperfection but doth demonstrate the infinite perfection of all Three Subsistents but there is no mutuall inexistence of an accident in a subject and a subject in that accident or any other 3. These three Subsistents have one and the same spirituall independent infinite nature which is complete of it self and in it self and the whole Creation doth not afford one Example to illustrate much lesse to parallel these three illustrious Subsistences in one undivided Nature And it is impossible it should for this one undivided Nature in which these three glorious Persons do subsist is an infinite nature and there can be but one Infinite and therefore the Socinians seem to have lost what they do so much idolize their Reason when they desire us to illustrate this Mysterie by an Example 4. These three Subsistents are Coequal because Coessential The Fathers upon some of these considerations did agree to use the phrase of three Hypostases and one Essence though the word Hypostasis was not so plain and familiar at first especially to Latine eares and therefore Hierome complains that some were too rigorous in imposing that word without expounding of it to such whose judgment was Orthodox though their skill but small in the Greek To conclude my discourse upon this word Subsistence be pleased to consider that we read of the Nature of God we read of the Subsistence of the Father and we read that these three Father Son and Holy Ghost are one having these two words Nature Subsistence in Scripture we are prompted by the Spirit speaking in the word to explain this Mystery thus The Father Son and Holy Ghost are three in Subsistence but one in Nature No Mystery can be explained with lesse Violence and more Sobriety for we are precise in keeping to the very words of Scripture in explaining this grand Mystery to the plainest of men and therefore they were sentenced of old that did not beleeve this plain truth IX We have no reason to be offended with the Vse of the word Person when we treat of this Argument if
am not alone but I and the Father that sent me I am one that beare witnesse of my selfe and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me v. 18. And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone v. 29. This point is difficult to beleeve that Christ who is man is very God the same God with the Father a different Person from the Father yet subsisting in the Father who is the only true God but as Rollock saith well though this point be most difficult yet it is most necessary and therefore we must beg the spirit of God that we may get above nature and see the Father in Christ and Christ in the Father for the naturall man doth not relish receive or perceive the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14 Our Saviour told his Disciples that when the Spirit was poured out more plentifully upon them then they should know him to be in his Father The Father will give you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth and at that day yee shall know that I am in my Father John 14. 16 17 20. and in the sixteenth of Iohn the Spirit had convinced the Disciples of this weighty truth for they say By this we beleeve that thou camest forth from God Iesus answered them Do you now beleeve Behold the houre cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his owne and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me John 16. 30 31 32. In these and divers other places our Saviour doth declare this truth unto us that he is in his Father and if it were not a weighty truth of very great consequence and high concernment he would not insist so much upon it it is the mutuall in-subsistence and Coessential Omnipresence of the Father and the Son And the Spirit being Coessentiall with the Father and the Son must needs be in them both from whom he proceeds in the unity of the Divine Nature for it is cleare that an infinite Nature cannot be poured forth beyond it selfe because it is boundlesse and therefore when we read 1 Cor. 2. 11. What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knowes no man but the Spirit of God we may safely adde which is in God because he did proceed in the unity of the divine indivisible and boundlesse nature The Holy Ghost hath the same Nature with the Father and the Son and a Nature of infinite and boundlesse perfection cannot be communicated to any thing that is not infinite to any thing that is not it selfe because there can be no other infinite thing but it selfe there can be but one infinite and every one of the three glorious persons is one and the same infinite God upon these grouds we may answer many questions If you ask Where God was before the World was made I answer that he was then just where he is now in himselfe Dic ubi tunc esset cum praeter â—um nihil esset Tunc ubi nunc in se quoniam sibi sufficit ipse If you ask where the Father was I answer in the Son if you ask where the Son was I answer in the Father If you ask where the Spirit was I answer he was both in the Father and in the Son and they both in him God was in all three persons and all three persons in the Godhead and in one another and so they do and will remaine to all eternity because they are Coessentiall because they are one omnipresent and eternall God The Godhead is not shut up in the narrow circle of the universe the whole Godhead is in the world and the whole Godhead is out the world for the world cannot containe the true God who did create and doth uphold the world and the single Godhead cannot be divided and therefore we must not conceive that part of the Godhead is in the world and part of it out of the world but the whole Godhead is every where it is not included in any place or excluded from any place the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot containe him 1 King 8. 27. his perfection is higher then heaven and deeper then hell Job 11. 8. From what hath beene said it is most cleare that since the Essence of God is omnipresent and the selfe same indivisible Essence is in Father Son and Holy Ghost all three must needs mutually subsist in one another though the persons be distinguished they cannot be separated divided or contracted and therefore this sixth difference between created and uncreated persons is so remarkable that I need not go about to prove that humane persons are separated as well as distinguished tot sunt humanitates quot homines and it is most certaine that Angelicall persons have a limited presence because they have a finite essince But it is otherwise in divine persons for the Father works in the Son and by the Spirit the Father subsists in the Son and in the Spirit and cannot be separated from these Coessentiall and Omnipresent persons who do subsist with him as they are both from him in the unity of the Godhead I need say no more concerning Angels then what is commonly said Angeli sunt Alicuòi Definitive sunt enim in suo Vbi non per operationem vel circumscriptionem sed per Designationem Definitivam Angels are naturally somewhere though they are not in any place by extension of parts yet their finite nature is contained within certaine bounds and limits Hence it is that some learned men affirme that it is improper to say that God is somewhere because he is every-where Somewhere is a definitive word VII Created Persons have many other different Accidents besides Place of which we have spoken and â—ime or Duration of which we are to speak It will not be necessary or usefull to discourse of every particular but that which I intend to insist upon under this head is That Created Persons are distinguished from one another by an heap of Accidents and therefore it will be sufficient for the making good of this seventh Difference to show that divine Persons are not distinguished by a Congeries or heap of Accidents because there is no Accident at all in God For the being of God is infinitely perfect and singularly single as hath been proved and therefore it is infinitely below the single perfection of God to be compounded of a substance and accidents for the adorning or perfecting of his glorious being Relations are not Accidents in God The reltion of one Coessentiall person to another is agreeable to the Essence of God it is a necessary relation which did never begin to be and cannot cease to be The relation of God to the creature cannot be reall because it is such a relation as might not
which keepeth truth for ever read and consider the six first verses of the 146. Psalme there is a great Emphasis in the sixth verse which keepeth truth for ever O let us declare it to the following generation that â—his God is our God for ever and ever and he will be our guide even unto death Psal. 48. 13 14. Happy it is for us that we are redeemed by the pretious bloud of Christ who offered up himself by by his eternall spirit his divine and eternal Nature Heb 9. 14. that he might bring in everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 24. obtaine eternall redemption and purchase an eternall inheritance for us Heb. 9. 12. 15. Happy thrice happy it is for us that we are born of incorruptible seed which will abide in us for ever for we are born of the eternall spirit who will perfect his work in us and be our everlasting Comforter Finally all three uncreated Persons will be our all-sufficient and satisfactory portion and reward for ever-more IX Three Created persons have different actions and operations because they have different singular natures different powers c. as hath been shewen in this very chapter All actions of Father Son and Holy Ghost upon the creatures are undivided nay indivisible how Personall Actions ad infra differ I am to declare at large in the next chapter where I am to shew how these three glorious persons who cannot be divided are truly distinguished from one another onely before I conclude this chapter it will be requisite to note that though the Son cannot be said to beget himself yet he is not Passive in that eternall generation as hath been proved above the divine nature which is communicated to the Son by generation is the nature of the Son as well as of the Father the Father doth necessarily beget the Son in the power of that Nature and in the unity of that self-same single and indivisible Nature and that divine Nature which is communicated to the Son is not begotten by the Father but is of it self and therefore we say that Christ is God of himself though he be not a Son of himself but of the Father by eternall generation because the Father is the first principle of subsisting life I might proceed to treat of other differences that common Rule Actiones sunt suppositorum is true of divine actions and uncreated Persons but it is manifest that there are many actions of the soule of man both when it is in a state of union with and when it is in a state of separation from the body which cannot be properly and truly called actions of a person but I shall not descend so low as to take notice of such differences The nine differences which have been insisted on are all considerable And from them all we may safely conclude that the word Subsistence or Person cannot be attributed after the same maner to God Angels and men A divine Person is a Spirituall and Infinite Subsistent which must not be considered as abstracted from but as Subsisting in the Divine Nature and as related to those other Coessentiall persons from which he is sufficiently distinguished by some Personall and Incommunicable property And therefore Subsistence is attributed to God after the most excellent and glorious manner A Person signifies the most excellent kind of Subsistent an understanding subsistent as hath been shewen but then an uncreated person a divine person doth infinitely excell and transcend the person of the most glorious Angel in Heaven and therefore we must remove all those imperfections from our thoughts which are in created persons when we meditate or discouse of these divine and uncreated persons that we may think and speak according to the Analogy of faith CHAP. VII The three Vncreated Divine and Coessentiall Subsistents are sufficiently distinguished though they cannot be divided WE are now come to treat of that profound Mystery at which men and Angels stand amazed How can three be one saith the Disputer of this world or one be three Can one be distinguished again and again from himself O bold fools saith Athanasius Why do you not lay aside your curiosity and enquire no farther after a Trinity then to beleeve that there is a Trinity The Scripture saith there is but one God and the Scripture saith that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are this one God and yet the Scripture saith that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three three and yet one three Persons and yet one God We have shewen above that the Godhead cannot be multiplyed now we are to shew that the Persons are distinguished and what kind of distinction there is between these three divine and uncreated Persons 1. These divine and uncreated Persons are sufficiently distinguished to our apprehension who ought to judge beleeve speak worship according to the Word of God 2. These uncreated Persons were truly distinguished from one another before there was any Scripture any world for the Coexistencie and distinction of these glorious Persons is eternall and therefore this distinction cannot be grounded upon the mere phrase of Scripture it is the true intent of God in severall plain expressions of Scripture to declare unto us the distinction of these divine and uncreated Persons I shall prove this point fully and clearly by certain steps and degrees 1. These uncreated Persons have distinct and proper names in the Word of God The Father the Son or the Word and the Holy-Ghost or Spirit Now that we may not be Tritheites or Sabellians let us consider that these three names do not signifie three different Natures and yet they do signifie three different Persons for it is evident that one Person cannot be praedicated of another the Father is not the Son nor is the Son the Father the Holy Ghost is not either of them nor is either of them the Holy Ghost and therefore they are three distinct Persons of the Godhead 2. These Uncreated Persons are Coequall and therefore they are distinct It is most absurd to say that the same Person is equall to himself But the Son is said to be equall to the Father Philip. 2. therefore the Son is not the Father We do usually say that the Father Son and Holy Ghost are equall in power to note a distinction of Persons but then when we speak strictly we do not say the power of the Persons is equall but we say the power of the Persons is the same to note the unity of their Essence We say the Persons are equall in power goodnesse wisdome c. to note that one person doth not exceed another in degrees of wisdom power c. because it is impossible that there should be any degrees in that which is infinite and the power wisdome c. of all the three Persons is the same infinite perfection because all three have the same infinite Essence And therefore when we look upon Power in a common notion
his Resurrection according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. v. 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse that is his divine nature by the resurrection from the dead Christ was not made but declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection His divine sonship lay hid under the forme of a servant before only they who had spirituall eyes did discern it Iohn 1. 14. we have seen and beheld the glory of the only begotten Son of God Moreover it is observable that the Apostle endeavours to make the mystery of Christs divine sonship manifest in the thirteenth of the Acts not simply by his Resurrection but by the manner of his Resurrection and the state whereunto he was raised 1. For the manner he was raised by his own Almighty and most glorious power in an irresistible way he did offer violence to all the forces of death and powers of the grave because it was not possible that he should be holden of them Acts ◠24. when he came to declare himself to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1. 4. 2 For the state whereunto he was raised he did not rise to return to the grave again as Lazarus did but he raised himself to an immortall life And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to return to corruption Acts 13. 34. Rom. 6. 9. Now God by raising Christ after such a manner to such a state did declare him to be his only begotten Son of whom David speaks in the second Psalm and therefore it was evident by the Resurrection of Christ that God had fulfilled his promise by sending his only begotten Son to be a Saviour unto Israel that we might have forgivenesse of sins and all sure mercies by him who died for our sins and rose again for our justification this is the scope of the Apostles discourse in the thirteenth of the Acts from the 23 verse to the 39· The second Psalm is cited here by Accommodation to make good a remote and Implicite consequence as those words I am the God of Abraham Isaac c. are cited to prove a resurrection by an Implicit consequence Matth. 22. 31 32. Thou art my Son mine owne proper Son whom I own for my only begotten Son by raising thee to a never dying life The fifth Cause which they assigne is the Exaltation of our Lord and Saviour to glory and the conferring of a Name and Power upon him above all creatures for the Apostle as they conceive speaks of this sonship Hebr. 5. 5. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee I cannot but admire that the acute Socinians should cite every place where the second Psalm is named to prove that there are so many severall causes of the divine sonship of Christ but I do more admire that they should cite this Text of all the rest for if their fifth argument have any force in it doth overthrow and disprove their four first arguments If Christ was not begotten before his exaltation to glory then he was not the Son of God before his exaltation for surely these men of reason will easily grant that the effect cannot be before its proper and complete cause was in its causall actuality or actuall causality The words of God in the second Psalm are so often repeated to teach us to keep our eye constantly fixed upon the divine sonship of Christ when ever we discourse of his conception birth resurrection transfiguration exaltation to glory and conclude that the self-same person who was begotten of God from the dayes of eternity took our flesh dyed for our sins and rose for our justification for this is that great and fundamentall truth which runs quite thorow the Gospel That the Son of Mary who did and suffered all for us is the proper the naturall Son of God the only and All-sufficient Saviour of his people from their sins We must not part with this truth for this is all our salvation It was very proper for the Apostle to speak of his divine sonship when ever he spake of him as a Mediatour as a Priest c. because he could not have undertaken or gone thorow with any such office unlesse he had been the Naturall and Proper Son of God equall to God and therefore we do readily grant that the divine offices of Christ do declare and make manifest the divine sonship and nature of Iesus Christ and this truth is most evident from the connexion of the seven and eight verses of the second Psalm I have with the more patience and content waded thorow this large and deep sea that I might come to the haven where we desire to be That we might come to take harbour and sanctuary in the merit and satisfaction of Jesus Christ who is the naturall and proper Son of God In the next place I am to prove the eternall procession of the Holy Ghost whereby I shall make the distinction of the Persons more cleare and evident and therfore I hasten to the discussing of that mysterious but usefull point The Holy Spirit is not called a spirit because of his spirituall nature only for the same spirituall nature is common to all the three blessed Persons but he is called a Spirit upon a special and peculiar reason because he is breathed forth by the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit who proceedeth from the Father is sent by the Son from the father Iohn 15. 26. The Greek Church acknowledges that the Spirit doth proceed from the Father by the Son All things that the Father hath are mine saith our Saviour Iohn 16. 15. But the Spirit did receive all from the Father and Christ and his Father are essentially one Iohn 10. 30. the Spirit is said to receive of the Son and to glorifie the Son John 16. 14. Whatsoever things the Father doth the Son doth and as the Son can do nothing without the Father so the Father can do nothing without the Son not that there is a defect of power in either but an unity of power and nature in both The divine nature of both the Father and the Son was communicated to the Spirit by this eternall spiration and therefore he is sent by both and he receives of both and he glorifies both and he is the Spirit of both the Father and the Son He is called the Spirit of the Father Matth. 10. 20 because he proceedeth from the Father Iohn 15. 26. and he is called the Spirit of the Son of God Gal. 4. 6. the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 19. the Spirit of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 11. because he receives of Christ is sent from Christ is breathed forth by
this time he sees how easie it is to retort his owne Argument and if this retortion may helpe him to answer it I shall be glad that I have retorted it His onely answer ought to be I doe beleeve that these three are three Subsistents in the same single and infinite Godhead Phil. 2. 6. Joh. 10. 30. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Heb 1. 3. Vorstius Valentinus Gentilis the Transylvanians require some more curious answer but I shall be as plaine and as briefe as the weight and depth of this Mystery will permit me to be I remember that Aristotle saith He doth make a truth sufficiently plaine who brings such proofes as the point in question will beare Now it is most evident that supernaturall Mysteries cannot be expounded according to the rules of Art Some returne this answer That if by Tres Res three reall things you meane three persons there are three Real persons in the Godhead they are not made three by a fiction of reason they are declared three by the plaine words of Scripture but they were three before any Scripture was written even from the dayes of eternity But if by Tres Res three reall things you meane three Divine Essences we do deny that three persons are three Divine Essences or three Gods for these three persons are but one God blessed for ever If you aske others they will say that these three are one Being but they are three proper and peculiar manners of being subsisting in the same God-head They have one essentiall subsistence say others but they have three Incommunicable manners of subsisting Some expresse it thus these three are Really distinct but not Essentially Modally but not separably Truly but Relatively Formally and yet but Personally Others that meane the same thing say they are distinguished Secundum esse Personale non secundum esse Quidditativum They then that say the persons are Really distinct should explain themselves warily according to some of these or the like safe expressions namely that by really 1 they doe not meane essentially 2. They do not mean separably 3. That by really they doe meane that the Relations and personall properties whereby the three persons are known to be distinguished are reall relations and reall properties and not fictions of reason The Relations are opposite the properties incommunicable and much might be said of the personall actions to the selfe-same purpose but I must hasten Some do adventure to call this distinction naturall but that is a very dangerous expression it must not passe without some favourable graines of allowance nor can it then passe unlesse it be seasoned with some graines of Salt and be mollified with some faire and Orthodox Interpretation By naturall distinction they meane Relative because say they the relations which are between these uncreated persons are not onely real but naturall also The Relation between God the Father and his owne naturall Son is a naturall relation grounded upon a naturall and personall actâ—on namely the eternall generation of the Son The Greek Fathers speake much of the Familiar and proper Emphasis of this naturall Relation between the Father and the Son By naturall distinction then they do not meane an essentiall distinction as if the three uncreated persons did differ in nature but naturall in that sound and Orthodox sense recited above I had rather leave my Margin to relate the curiosities of others then to perplex a meer English Reader with any Scholastical difficulties I have said enough for the explication of those termes which are most usuall and yet likely to give offence to such as do not understand the importance of them I shall therefore conclude this point with Fulgentius his Commentary which is an excellent Contexture of some pertinent Scriptures for the proofe of the point When you read saith he of Father Son and Spirit understand that there are three persons of one essence omnipotence eternity c. For our Saviour saith I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me Ioh. 8 16. And concerning the spirit he saith And I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter even the spirit of Truth Joh. 14. 16 17. Moreover he commanded his Apostles to baptize all Nations in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And the equality of the Persons proves the unity of the Nature Phil. 2. 6. Iohn 5. 18. and from hence he concludes that there are three Persons and not three Natures in the blessed Trinity From what hath been said it is evident that these three uncreated Persons are truly distinguished but they cannot be divided and it is not so safe to expresse the distinction of uncreated Persons by Termes of Art They who say the distinction is Naturall Reall Absolute or Relative do deny that the distinction is Essentiall or that the Persons are separable They who speak most tenderly say it is Modall Formall Personall They who say it is Naturall in respect of Personall Relations and Naturall Actions confesse that it is Supernaturall and Mysterious because the Unity of the Godhead is unquestionable the Trinity of Persons subsisting in that Godhead admirable both put together undeniable and inexplicable and yet most necessarily and highly credible They who say the Persons are Formally distinct do mean that they are truly distinct they do not conceive that the distinction of the uncreated Persons is grounded upon a meer fiction of reason or upon the weaknesse of our apprehension as if we did conceive one Person to be three Persons because he is called by three names as Praxeas Sabellius and some others dreamt Nor do they beleeve that this distinction of these three uncreated Persons is only grounded upon the phrase of Scripture but they do acknowledge that there is a true and proper not an improper and figurative distinction between these uncreated Persons nay they all confesse that this true and proper distinction is an Eternall distinction it was from and it will last to all eternity and therefore is not grounded only upon some offices and externall dispensations which have respect unto the creature CHAP. VIII The Grand Mystery of three Divine and Coessential Subsistents in the single Godhead is not Problematicall but Fundamentall ALL points of Doctrine revealed in Scripture are profitable and precious truths and every man is obliged to receive beleeve and embrace every truth made known to him in and by the holy Scriptures Because all truths contained in Scripture are of equall credit in respect of the Authority of the Revealer but all truths are not of equall necessity weight and importance in respect of the Nature and Matter of the points revealed There is a vast difference between the nature matter weight and importance of these two Propositions 1. Paul left his Cloak Books and Parchments at Troas 2 Tim. 4. 13. 2. Jesus Christ is God and man the only Mediatour between God and man the only and All-sufficient Saviour of
his people from their sins The first of these Propositions cannot be refused because it is grounded upon clear Scripture and he who rejects a point of the least concernment which he knowes to be revealed in Scripture doth not indeed and truth beleeve and embrace any truth at all no not truths which are of the highest concernment upon the right ground and true reason namely because God hath revealed them to us in the holy Scriptures of truth A Fundamentall point is of such high concernment that whosoever is ignorant of it is condemned for his meere Negative Infidelity and whosoever doth refuse to beleeve it is condemned for his Positive Infidelity because he rejects a truth delivered upon the Authority of God and a truth so highly credible that it is necessary to be known and beleeved for his own salvation Our Faith Piety Hope Charity Salvation are all grounded upon these necessary and Fundamentall truths Those truths or points of Doctrine are Fundamentall without the plaine and expresse knowledge whereof we can neither savingly beleeve in Christ nor rightly worship God in Christ to the obtaining of eternall life The Grand Mystery of three Divine and Coessential Subsistents in the single Godhead is a Fundamentall point I desire to make this point very plain 1. For the satisfaction of the weak 2. Information of the ignorant 3. Conviction of the obstinate 4. Edification of the meek and humble It is most cleare and evident that it doth highly concerne Christians to acknowledge 1. A Deity against the Atheists 2. The Unity of this Deity against the Pagans 3. A Trinity in this Unity against Turks Jewes Heretiques both Ancient and Modern We must 1. Know 2. Beleeve 3. Acknowledge 4. Worship 5. Obey 6. Trust to and depend upon three Persons and one God Our blessed Lord in that excellent prayer of his which is most largely recorded Iohn 17. saith That this is life eternall to know the Father the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent ver 3. This Text hath been opened and vindicated at large in this Book already from the 44. page to the 54. and therefore I shall make quick work now and desire you but to compare this Text with 1 Iohn 5. 20. We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternall life both texts tell us that it is eternall life for to beleeve that the Father and the Son are the only true God and therefore this is a fundamentall point And the Scripture speakes expresly that these three the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are one one God for the witnesse or testimony delivered by these three is the witnesse of God 1 Joh. 5. 7. 9. But it is objected by some that the words These three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. are not to be found in some ancient Copies and therefore it will not be safe to build a point of such weight and consequence upon such a weake foundation To which we answer It is true that these words are not to be found in the Syriack Edition but they who speake most modestly do acknowledge that the Syriack Edition is not Authentick Learned Heinsius is much offended with that Edition as appeares by his Annotations upon 1 Ioh. 5. 7. And if we consult the Scriptures and compare this Text with the following Verses and with some other places of Scripture which are more plaine and then adde the testimony and Interpretations of the ancient and Reverend Doctors of the Church concerning the words in question we shall be able to passe a right judgement upon the point in hand 1. The equality of the Number of witnesses suites very right three witnesses on earth and three in heaven 2 The opposition between the quality of the witnesses witnesses on earth and witnesses in heaven and yet their sweet harmony and agreement in one testimony all six beare witnesse to one and the same truth 3. The diversity of the very nature of those three who beare witnesse on earth and the unity of their divine nature who bear witnesse in heaven is very considerable and it is excellently expressed in the variation of the Phrase These three are one ver 7. and these three agree in one namely in one testimony ver 8. Though their Nature be different yet their Testimony is the same But it is objected that the Complutensian Bible saith of the heavenly witnesses that these three agree in one ver 7. I humbly offer this satisfaction to pious and learned men That we have good reason to beleeve that there is an imprudent addition in the Complutensian Bible rather then an omission of so many ancient and approved Bibles and therefore it is fit that that addition should be expunged out of that one Copy by the concurrent testimony of so many Copies Moreover it is cleer by the joynt testimony of other Copies that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are omitted in the 7 ver and the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belong to the eight verse and therefore there is an inexcusable omission and an imprudent transposition in that corrupt edition But then it is farther objected that these words These three are one are wanting in some other Greek copies for answer I proceed in my observations 4. If we look upon the Scripture account in other places we shall find it exactly agreeable to the account in this place 1 Ioh. 5. 7. In the eighth of Iohn our Saviour pleads that two witnesses in Law were sufficient for the proof of any point Joh. 8. 17. and in the tenth verse saith he I am one and my Father that sent me is another they are two witnesses and yet but one God I and my Father are one Joh. 10. 30. One in power and therefore one in nature He speaks not of the spirit because Christ was not yet glorified nor was the Spirit yet manifested by that eminent and glorious mission and effusion which was to follow after the Ascension of our blessed Lord. But he did foretell that the third witnesse was to be sent from the Father by the Son Joh. 15. 26. But when the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me I might adde to these testimonies all other places of Scripture wherin all the three witnesses are named together and then produce all the places which have been formerly cited in this booke to prove the coessential Trin-unity of those heavenly witnesses 5. The copulative And in the beginning of the verse 1 Ioh. 5. 8. doth very fitly connect the whole seventh verse with the eighth as they are printed in our ordinary translation 6. Hierome doth assure us that the words in question were expunged by the Arrians because these few words do hold forth an undeniable proofe of the divine and
Coessentiall Trin-unity of these heavenly witnesses And divers other learned and judicious men conceive that these words were blotted out in the time of Constantius and Valens the Emperours who were sworn enemies of the blessed Trinity and professed Patrons of Arrianisme 7. The Hereticks did blot out those words Ioh. 4 24. God is a spirit as Ambrose assures us and therefore this practise of expunging such words in the Scripture as did refute their errours was too common amongst the Hereticks of old as we might prove by witnesses enough if that were our businesse 8. These words 1 Ioh. 5. 7. are to be found in copies of great antiquity and best credit 9. This Text is cited by the Ancient Fathers by Athanasius in his dispute with Arrius at the counsell of Nice and Arrius never denyed it for to be Scripture which certainly he would have done if there had been any doubt made of it in the Primitive times It is cited by Cyprian also in his book de Vnitate Ecclesiae Paxillus in his booke de Monomachia proves by an induction of the learned Doctors of the Church both before and since Athanasius that the Doctrine of the Coessential Trin-Unity of these heavenly witnesses was generally received by all that were esteemed Orthodox and pious in the Church of Christ. Calovius also in his Fides Patrum ante Concilium Nicenum gives in a Catalogue for the satisfaction of all that desire resolution in this weighty point 10. These three heavenly witnesses are one in Power nature and Will all three bear witnesse to the same truth and their testimony is divine 1 Joh. 5. 9. And the truth which they bear witnesse to is a fundamentall truth a saving truth that we may beleeve on the Sonne of God and have eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12 13. And if the authority of any one of these three heavenly witnesses be called into question all may be questioned upon the same grounds because their testimony is of equall authority their testimony is personall and divine and if the testimony and authority of these witnesses were not divine our faith which is built upon their testimony and authority would not be a divine Faith Quale est testimonium talis est fides All three heavenly witnesses joyne with one consent and Will in propounding this fundamentall truth and therefore if we do not beleeve and embrace it we give the lye to all the three witnesses in heaven 1 Joh. 5. 10. And if we do beleeve that Jesus is the naturall Son of God in and by whom all beleevers have eternall life then we must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is one God with his Father the true God and eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 20. Christ is God Attributivè Joh. 1. 1. Subjectivè Act 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 16. This one proposition That Iesus Christ is the naturall and proper Son of God is that Fundamental Confession of Faith upon which the Christian Church is built Mat. 16. 16 17 18. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God This is the Rock upon which Christ hath so firmly built his Church that the gates of Hell shal never prevail against it or this fundamentall truth We are all built upon Christ through the Spirit for an habitation of God Eph. 2. 20 21 22. Father Son Holy Ghost all three joyn in laying this foundation and all three are one and the self-same great God who is the only true God blessed for ever as hath been fully proved already in this book and therfore I may be the briefer in the discussion of this weighty point The Form of Baptism doth contain in it a short Creed or Rule of Faith Mat. 28. 19. And when the ancient Fathers speak such high things of the Creed they understand it of this short Creed which is part of Canonicall Scripture and not of that form which is commonly callled the Apostles Creed In like manner when they expound Eph. 4. 5. One Lord one Faith one Baptism they say there is one Faith and one Baptism because the sum of our Faith is contained in the forme of Baptism When Epiphanius hath reckoned up all the Heresies in his Anaceph he opposes this one Scripture Mat. 28. 19. to them all to shew that he looked upon the Doctrine of the Trinity as a Breviary or at least prime fundamentall of the Christian Faith and Eusebius Pamphilus doth the like I might produce many pertinent places out of Irenaeus Tertullian Athanasius Basil Nazianzene Augustin others to make good this useful observation That the prime Fundamentall of the Christian Faith is contained in the Form of Baptism and founded on Mat. 28. 19. It were easie to shew upon what occasion other Articles were added to the publique confessions of Faith in the most renowned Churches in severall ages And it is as easie to prove that the Doctrine of the Coessential Trin-unity was for the matter and substance if not in expresse terms in terminis terminantibus as we say constantly maintained 1. In publique Confessions of Faith composed explained confirmed by the first Generall Councels published by the decrees and edicts of pious Emperours and ratifyed by their civil sanctions from time to time I need not instance in the Nicene Creed or that Creed which was composed by Athanasius who studied this point defended suffered for it above forty yeers The Confession published by the Synod of Constantinople doth not differ in substance from the other Creeds concerning this grand mystery of the blessed Trinity I am not willing to expatiate upon this Argument because I should then be engaged to cite very many testimonies of the Ancients which would swell up my book beyond its due proportion But if any man desire to read more upon this Argument for his own satisfaction and hath not so much time as to peruse the ancient Records he may read Master Parkers book de Desc. ad inferos more especially his fourth book The learned Sermon of Reverend Doctor Vsher concerning the unity of Faith who gives a brief aud satisfactory account of the ancient Confessions of Faith with a special reference to Baptism Doctor Voetius Gomarus and the rest who have written de Symbolo Apostolico or of the mystery of the Trinity The jugling of the Arrians is so plainly set forth in the most faithfull writers of Ecclesiasticall story that I need not relate how they made use of their interest at Court and all their carnal policy in every considerable place to pack Councels forge or corrupt Creeds seduce all sorts of men who were led more by interest then Scripture and then to evade or comply with subtile distinctions mentall reservations equivocations and such unworthy shifts for to save themselves from censure in a time of Reformation 2. The Catechismes of the Ancients hold forth this doctrine the Catechumeni were trained up in the knowledge of it Lucian who lived in Trajans time
brings in a Christian Catechising the heathens in the Doctrine of the Trinity 3. The forme of Baptism strictly observed in the Churches notwithstanding the great ignorance and contention in the East and the grand Apostacy in the West doth sufficiently prove that this Doctrine of the Trinity had taken deep root in the minds of men and that they were by the providence and speciall grace of God very diligent and faithfull in communicating of it to their posterity from time to time 4. The Doxology or as some call it the Hymn of glory doth evince the same and therefore the Arrians endeavoured to make an alteration in the Doxology and instead of saying Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost they said Glory be to the Father By the Son and In the Spirit from whence we may observe by the way that if we suffer the Fundamentall Doctrine of our Faith to be corrupted we shall not be able to preserve the Fundamentals of our worship pure and uncorrupt 5. The Form of Apostolicall Benediction which stands upon record 2 Cor. 13. 14. doth cleerly hold forth the Doctrine of the Trinity to be a Fundamentall both of Faith and Worship And all who desire the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the communion of the Holy-Ghost for their everlasting comfort salvation must beleeve and adore all three as onâ— God blessed for ever 6. All who beleeve in God are commanded to beleeve in Christ as God as one and the same God with the Father Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me Joh. 14. 1. They are commanded to honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5 23. And therfore the Doctrine of the divine person of Christ as Coessential with his Father is a Fundamentall both of Faith and worship 7. The Doctrine of the incarnation of the Word the naturall and proper Son of God the Doctrines of Christs satisfaction of our Redemption and justification by Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour are Fundamentall Doctrines necessary to be known beleeved and embraced for our eternall Salvation for we know the blood of a meere man cannot give satisfaction to the justice of God for those grosse affronts injuries and abuses which have been offered by man to the infinite Majesty of God The Church of God is purchased with the blood of God Act. 20. 28. And if Christ hath not redeemed the Church with the blood of God then the Church is not redeemed your Faith and our preaching are both vain because you and we are yet in our sins for then God hath not received satisfaction for our sins nor a sufficient ransome for our souls If the Son of God did not take flesh then was not God manifested in the flesh then the whole mystery of godlinesse which should be without controversie great and precious in the eyes of Christians will be cheap and vile and of no account for the whole mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. depends upon the manifestation of God in the flesh Now the divine person of the Son took flesh the person of the Father was not incarnate 8. It is not enough to beleeve that the Son of Mary is risen from the dead we must beleeve that the Son of God is risen Rom. 1. 3 4. It is Iesus our Lord that rose for our justification Rom. 4. 24 25. Rom. 10. 9. 9. It is not sufficient to beleeve that there is a man sitting at the right hand of God we must beleeve that Iehovah sits there Psal. 110. 1. Mat. 22. 43 44 45. And the like must be said of our Advocate he must be such a one as can plead the worthinesse of his person the merit of his obedience and sufferings one who is able to save us to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. 1 Ioh. 2. 1. 2 One who can plead with some Authority Majesty Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am Ioh. 17. 24. He speaks with Authority I will he speaks like a Coessentiall and Coequall person and it is for the glory of the Father to beleeve that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father that the Son is Lord equal to the Father Ioh. 14. 10 11. Phil. 2. 6 11. Many arguments more might be collected from divers places of Scripture cited above in the fourth chapter of this book and I shall enlarge upon this argument in the ninth Chapter 10. The Holy Ghost is the same God with the Father and Son the same object of divine Faith and Evangelical worship the same Author of the Scriptures and all-saving Grace Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Through the Son and by the spirit we have accesse to the Father Eph. 2. 18. All Church administrations are to be performed in the power of the Holy Ghost and are made acceptable by the merit of the Lord Iesus Christ. If we will heare the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures to the Churches if we feel the Spirit Sanctifying of our hearts if we do not desire to undermine the foundation of the Christian Church and so overthrow the Church of Christ if we do not renounce our Christian Faith and our Baptisme the Sacrament thereof if we do not reject the fundamentall blessing the best portion of our selves and little ones the grace of Christ the love of God and communion of the Spirit why then I beseech you as the Apostle doth for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit Rom. 15. 30. and for the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 11. that you will beleeve adore embrace love and obey the Father Son and Holy Ghost as three Divine and Coessentiall Subsistents in the single God-head as one God blessed for ever the adaequate object and Authour of your Faith hope love and happinesse I do not desire to obtrude any thing upon the acutest disputant as Fundamentall that is curious or unnecessary Nay there are many things necessary for the maintenance of â—his truth and refutation of contrary errors when we are to deal with subtile Hereticks which I do not set before the common people as food fit to nourish them and for that reason I do desire them that they will look upon much of my sixth chapter and of some other chapters in this booke as â—t for the direction of young Scholers in this weighty point for I find young wits apt to be seduced by Logicall subtilities or rather fallacies Metaphysical notions Poetical raptures nice distinctions and vaine curiosities from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ and therefore I have taken some pains in divers chapters but specially in the margine for the direction of hopefull youths who have been too often entangled and ensnared by Socinian fallacies and at last tempted into loud and hideous blasphemies We do therefore lay down these plain truths as necessary to be known and beleeved for the
5. 23. The great mystery of uniting the soule to Christ by Faith Eph. 5. 32. and making of it one Spirit with the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6. 17. is a main Fundamentall of the mystery of Godlinesse as shall be proved cleerly before I conclude this chapter III. God the Holy Ghost is the object of a Christians divine Faith The Holy-Ghost speaking in the Holy Scriptures doth teach us to beleeve not only in the Father and in the Son but in himself also It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. There are three that bear witnesse in Heaven but here is speciall testimony given of the Spirit that we might be moved to beleeve the spirit who is to testifie the whole truth concerning the Father the Son and himself It is the Spirit saith he whose speciall office it is to bear witnesse and therefore there is this speciall testimony given of him that the Spirit is truth and then it follows that the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son one in nature one and the same God with them both These three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. and the witnesse of God must without controversie be received unlesse we will make God a Lyer as the Apostle reasons the point from the 9th verse to the 12th The Spirit is Truth the Spirit is God therefore the Spirit is the object of Divine faith he that tells a lye to the Holy Ghost tells a lye to God Acts 5. 3 4. He that then gives the lye to the Holy Ghost gives the lye to God The testimony of the Spirit is a Divine testimony 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. the demonstration of the Spirit a divine demonstration the power of the Holy Ghost a divine power Paul saith his Preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that our faith might not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The wisdome power testimony of the Spirit are all of them divine the wisdome of the Spirit is infallible the power of the Spirit is irresistible and therefore our most divine faith is built and doth stand fast grounded and established upon the wisdome of the Spirit because the wisdome of the Spirit is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. We read in the Prophets that all the children of God shall be taught of God Esay 54. 13. of all three persons for the Father teacheth Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 5. 45. and the Son who came out of the bosome of his Father and yet remained in the bosome of his Father teacheth Heb. 1. 2. But the Father and the Son especially since the Ascension of Christ and the effusion of the Spirit do teach the children of God all his Elect by the holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle shewing how God doth teach his Elect after a more peculiar manner so that even babes in Christ those whom he calleth little children are preserved even in seducing times and led into all necessary truths notwithstanding all the diligence and subtilty of those many Antichrists who are industrious to deceive he saith they have an unction from the Holy one and know all things all things necessary to be knowne and beleeved for the obtaining the remission of sins c. ver 12. But more especially he shewes that the Spirit doth teach them to continue in the Son and in the Father ver 24. and therefore in the Doctrine concerning the Father and the Son as it is more expresly set downe in the 9th verse of the second Epistle of Iohn And then he shewes that the Spirit should abide constantly in them to give them cleer and certaine direction in all necessary points 1 Iohn 2. 27. But the annointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him or it Ye shall abide in Christ and abide in the truth which hath been taught you by the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Spirit is cleare and certaine for saith he the spirit is truth and is no lye Here is the peculiar teaching of God the Spirit teacheth us to beleeve in himselfe aswell as in the Father and the Son And the Spirit was sent by the Father in the namâ— of the Son for this very purpose Moreover it is evident that the Spirit doth not only teach Babes in Christ but he taught even the Apostles of Christ. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Nay the Holy Spirit did endite all the Holy Scriptures and inspire the Prophets Apostles and all the holy men of God in the writing of them The Scriptures were not written by the will of men but by the motion of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. where the motion of the Holy Ghost is opposed to the will of men to shew that the motion and will of the Holy Ghost is the motion and will of God Many other places and arguments might be superadded but for the better instruction of ordinary Readers I shall draw out my Arguments into ranke and file 1. The Spirit is God The testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. The wisedome of the Spirit the wisedome of God and the power of the Spirit the power of God 1 Cor. 2 4 5. 13. The teaching of the Spirit is the teaching of God Ihe will of the Spirit is the will of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2. The Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. Revel 2. 29. 3. The Spirit is the Interpreter of the Scriptures and his interpretation is cleer certaine and infallible The Spirit discovers the hidden wisedome of God the wisedome of God in a mystery the deep things of God which could not have entred into the heart of man if the Spirit had not revealed them and therefore the deep things of God â— Cor. 2. 10. are called the things of the Spirit of God ver â—4 and things which are spiritually discerned and therefore they are such things as the Spirituall man by the help of the Spirit is able to perceive discerne receive and to say with truth and comfort Now I have the mind of Christ now I know the things that are freely given me of God because the Spirit hath revealed them to me Consider the discourse of the Apostle quite throughout the Second chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians and this point will be very cleer 4. The Spirit
Arminians the constant enemies of the Grace of God should consider that the Pelagians the advocates of Free-wil and corrupt nature were confounded with those plain Scriptures which were urged by the Councels of Carthage Milevis Orenge and Holy Augustine in his fragrant works The Socinians the enemies of the onely true God Father Son and Holy Ghost should consider that the Arrians were overthrown by the Scriptures in the Nicene councel and by the godly Pastours of the Church who instead of broken Scriptures which the Arians urged with as much fraud as the devil did Mat. 4. produced plain Scriptures and the whole Series of both Testaments and so did invincibly refute their blasphemous errours The Libertines who claym a liberty of publishing damnable Heresies and blasphemies under pretence of Prophesying might learn that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty true liberty but no where else for he who protends to speak by the Holy Ghost and yet denies Iesus to be the Lord doth at once blaspheme Christ and the Holy Spirit and is an Anti-spiritual Lyar an Antichristian Blasphemer and hath neither Father Son nor Spirit dwelling in him For he who speaks by the Spirit doth acknowledge Jesus to be the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 3. And he who denies the Son hath not the Father Who is a lyer but he who denies that Iesus is the Christ He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son whosoever denies the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Jo. 2. 22 23. In like manner every Spirit which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4. 2 3. This is that Vorstian liberty which hath undone so many Nations already and is now Idolized in England under the name of Liberty of Conscience by such as have neither Conscience nor liberty Reverend Dr. Sibbs did exceedingly cry out against this kind of Liberty in his time He would not have way given to Vorstian lawlesse licencious liberty of prophesie that every one so soone as he is big of some new conceit should bring forth his abortive Monster for then the Pillars of Christian Faith will soon be shaken and the Church of God which is an house of Order will beâ—ome a Babel an house of Confusion The dolefull issues of which pretended Liberty we see in Polonia Transylvania and in Countries neerer hand I might proceed but this is sufficient for a taste and if I should but name all the errours of this age and not confute them I should abuse my Reader and therefore I desire to stop in time and beseech all that are spiritually minded to heaâ—ken to the Spirit speaking in the word Beloved beleeve not every spirit but beleeve the Holy Spirit who is the Author of the Scriptures the Author of Faith the Iudge of Controversies the interpreter of the Scriptures the Doctor and comforter of the Elect and he will lead you into all necessary truth for your present edification and everlasting Salvation The Holy Spirit will assure you that the Scriptures of truth were all written by his own Authority and you may safely set to your seale when you have received the infallible testimony of the Holy Ghost We are witnesses of these things saith the â—postle and so is the Holy-Ghost also Act. 5. 32. We shall never receive the word as the Word of God with joy reverence submission and assurance of Faith specially in times of â—ffliction and temptation unlesse we receive the witnesse of the Spirit and ground our Faith upon the wisdome and evident demonstration of the Spirit When we look upon the word of God and consider 1 The wonderfull consent of all those Holy and selfe-denying men that penned it 2. The marvellous fulfilling of all the strange Prophecies in the fullnesse of time appointed by God 3. The Admirable Providence of God in preserving the Scriptures notwithstanding all the rage and malice of Hereticks and persecutors 4. The supernaturall Miracles wrought for to confirm it 5. The Harmonious testimony that the Church Martyrs Saints have in all ages given to it 6. The Antiquity Majesty Efficacy of it 7. The divine and heavenly matter contained in it 1. Mysteries above reason 1 Cor. 2. 9. 2. Commands contrary to our corrupt nature sent to all Nations and even to the greatest and proudest of men 3. Threats beyond the strength of man to inflict or the capacity of man to comprehend an hard heart a seared Conscience and yet a trembling Spirit a reprobate mind and sense a spirit of madnesse giddinesse horrour or slumber an everlasting worm eternall fire torments with the devil and his Angels 4. Promises and rewards beyond the power of man to bestow or wisdome of Angels to comprehend 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 10. 5. The fall corruption Redemption Salvation of man wonderfully declared in the Holy Scriptures the inward frame and disposition of mans heart his secret thoughts and most intimate projects his reserved wishes desires ends and purposes undenyably discovered for his conviction even to admiration and amazement 1 Cor. 14. â—5 then the reason of man is even confounded the obstinacy of mans heart subdued all the pride of humane glory stained and the Scriptures appeare to be the word of God But now all these Arguments and many more which I could name will not be effectuall for our regeneration and conversion untill the Spirit be pleased to set all home upon the heart by his own irresistible efficacy and seale this truth to the Conscience by his own infallible testimony But when the Spirit speaks to and works upon our spirits then we do assent and consent to all the proposals of God our very thoughts are captivated and subdued unto the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Our Conscience is convinced swayed and undeniably obliged to beleeve what is promised allow what is commanded our will made willing to chose both the affections to embrace both our whole man to follow after both according to the directions of God for performing what is commanded and obtaining of what is promised Rom. 7. 12. 22. Psa. 119. 106 112 113 127 128 167 173 174. I must acknowledge my absolute total and universal dependance upon the infallible wisdome infinite truth power majesty greatnesse and goodnesse of the Holy Spirit and confesse that he hath soveraigne Right and divine authority to reveale and prescribe whatsoever he pleases upon the rewards and penalties of everlasting life and death And I am obliged to beleeve and embrace al that the Spirit teacheth without any contradiction though it seeme never so improbable to my carnall reason and be really contrary to my corrupt affections ends and esianes The spirit teaches me how to apprehend and judge of spirituall things after a spirituall manner for the spirit teaches me what to approve and
what I should disallow Phil. 1 9 10 19. I must choose what the Spirit approves and then prosecute what I have chosen with care hope desire and embrace what I attaine to with love and delight and in a word rest satisfyed with the love of the Father the grace of the Son and the communion of the Spirit as my al-sufficient and satisfactory portion for evermore Psal. 17. 15. Psal. 63. 5. Faith is that Grace which enables and enclines us upon the divine testimony of the Spirit to depend on Christ for righteousnesse and life according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace The divine Testimony of the Spirit is the true ground of justifying Faith but Historicall Faith which may be in Devils Jam 2. and Temporary Faith which may be in Reprobates Luke 8. are not truly grounded on the Testimony wisdome Authority Revelation or demonstration of the Spirit We read of a Revelation of flesh and blood Mat. 16. 17. And the demonstration and Revelation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 10. 14 15. Ephes. 1. 17. A man who hath nothing but sense and Reason in him may have an Historicall or a Temporary Faith but he who doth upon the divine Testimony of the Spirit beleeve that Iesus is the Christ he is born of God of the Spirit of God and hath the witnesse in himself 1 Joh. 5. 1. 6 10. For the regenerate and they only have a spirituall understanding in them to know him that is true when he is revealed unto them by the Spirit of truth 1 Joh. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 2 14 15. Deut. 29. 4. For the Demonstration of the Spirit is not understood by us untill we are renewed in the spirit of our mind so that we can look upon the Divine truths testifyed by the Spirit with a spirituall eye and discern them after a spirituall manner 1 Cor. 2. 14. And therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is not received but by our renewed Spirits Rom. 8. 16. Before we are Regenerate we receive divine truths only because we judge them reasonable or because we find them in the Scriptures and we beleeve the Scriptures upon an Humane Testimony and therefore only with an Humane not a Divine Faith But the Spirituall man beleeves all upon the testimony of the Spirit and doth constantly beg the direction of the good Spirit O thy Spirit is good saith David teach me lead me quicken me by thy Spirit Ps. 143. 10 11. Finally this good spirit discovers to a man before he beleeves 1. His want of Christ 2. The worth of Christ. His want of Christ by reason of 1. His hainous sins which are inexcusable damnable 2. His Spirituall wants which are innumerable 3. His present misery and slavery which are unspeakable unsupportable The worth of Christ because he is an All-sufficient Saviour and only Saviour the Spirit discovers the treasures of Free grace the mysteries of Divine Faith which even Angels admire the unsearchable riches of Christ the fulnesse of God able to satiate the soule with heavenly glorious everlasting happinesse and even infinite content Then the soule is convinced by the Spirit of God not onely of the truth but goodnesse of the Covenant made by God with man in Christ and that there are better things laid up for beleevers in Christ then any are or can be bestowed by Sathan upon his greatest Agents and dearest favourites the darlings of the flesh and world and upon this account the soule is perswaded by this demonstration of the spirit to close with Christ and deny itself to have no ability wisdome righteousnesse will of its own but to seek wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption in Christ. 1 Cor. 1. 30. In a word to deny its own will and take the will of Christ for its rule and compasse to do or suffer any thing for Christ to lose or sell all for him The good spirit perswades us 1. To prize Christ highly even above all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them 2. To beleeve in Christ stedfastly 3. To love Christ deerly better then our selves or dearest friends better then worldly treasures sensuall joy or any carnall contentments whatsoever 4. To follow Christ fully that we may enjoy him eternally as our Crown our happinesse our heaven And to this end and purpose to set up the word of God in our Consciences as our only rule for to direct us 1. In all points of Faith 2. In all parts of worship 3. In all passages of our life and conversation that we may cast out the world the Devil nay flesh and self and all to make roome for Christ. Now when the Spirit hath by its own evidence testimony authority wisdome and efficacy wrought Faith in the soule to carry it into the armes of Iesus Christ Christ doth bid it welcom embraces kisses it and takes this young beleever by the hand and puts him into his Fathers bosome And when we are thus brought to beleeve in Father Son and Holy Ghost then we are fitted and prepared to worship and obey all three glorious persons as one God blessed forever And therefore I may now proceed to speak of the worship of all three and then of our obedience to all three 2. This grand Mystery of Faith hath an effectuall influence into our Gospel-worship He takes the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost in vain and doth not make that Holy use which he should of the Titles Properties workes and Ordinances of all three who doth not with Knowledge Faith Reverence sincerity and spirituall joy worship all three for this is true Gospel-worship And therefore I would intreat my Reader diligently to consider what I have delivered in the fourth and fifth chapters of this Treatise concerning the divine Nature Titles Properties works of all three in order to worship for the glory of the thrice illustrious and yet single God head and then if he will study the scope of the first Table of the Holy Law of God and the substance of Gospel-worship he will acknowledge that every one who beleeveth in all three persons will find his Faith obliging and inclining him to worship al three glorious persons as one God blessed for ever 1. God the Father is to be worshipped under the Gospel as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him I have touched this point already and because it is not much controverted by our grand enemies I shall not insist long upon it All the knowledge of God which we gain by the Scriptures of truth is revealed to us on purpose for our direction in the worship of God we must not worship God according to our own devices but according to that discovery which God hath made of himselfe to us in his Holy word not onely in respect of his divine nature as when our
Worship it selfe The Father and Son are one Iohn 10. 30. one in Power Excellency Nature one God and therefore are to be honoured with the same Worship Iohn 5. 23. All men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ who is man is God also and therefore equall to his Father And it can be no robbery no derogation to the Fathers honour for us to give equall honour to him and his coequall Son who subsists in the forme of God in the nature of God Phil. 2. 6 11. You see the Divine Nature the infinite Excellency of Iesus Christ is an undeniable ground of this coequall honour and therefore the Worship due to Christ as God the same God with his Father is the very same Worship both for kind and degree which is due to the Father 3. This Divine Honour was due to Iesus Christ before there was any creature to give him his due Christ was Adorable Worshipable that is worthy of Divine Worship before there was any man or Angel to adore to performe actuall Worship that Divine Worship which was due to him for his infinite excellency from all eternity 4. When Jesus Christ was declared to the world God did command even the most glorious Angels to worship him as his naturall and coessentiall Son who was begotten from the days of eternity in the unity of the Godhead For when he brought in his first-begotten and only begotten Son into the world he said And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. 5. If man had never fallen never stood in any need of Christs blood yet all men would have worshipped the naturall and coessentiall Son of God as one and the same God with his Father and therefore with the same Divine Worship as soon as his Godhead had been sufficiently revealed to them from heaven or else that very neglect would have been their fall and ruine 6. The office of Christ his discharge of his office by his active and passive obedience and glorious benefits which we receive thereby are excellent motives to excite us to give that Divine Worship to Jesus Christ which is due unto him for his owne infinite excellency but his infinite excellency is the Formall Proper and Adaequate Ground Reason and Cause of all the Divine Worship which we performe to Iesus Christ and that for these reasons 1. Because if man had never fallen and Christ had never died for mans Redemption this Divine Worship had been due unto him for his infinite and eternall excellency as hath been proved 2. Because the Father and the Spirit are not Mediatours as Christ is and that Office which is not common to all three Persons cannot be the Prime Immediate Proper Formall cause Ground or Reason of that Divine Honour and worship which is due to all three as one God blessed for ever nay no Office whatsoever can be the proper cause of Divine Honour 3. Because this Divine Honour was due to Jesus Christ from all eternity before his Incarnation Passion c. and therefore this Divine Honour is not bestowed upon him as a reward of his Active or Passive obedience for no worship or thing can be before its Formall Cause 4. Because Jesus Christ is a Mediatour according to both Natures and therefore according to his humane nature as well as his Divine Nature but all the honour due to Christ according to his Divine Nature was due from all eternity and there is no Divine Honour due to him for and by reason of his humane nature or any perfection which doth truly and properly belong to Christ as man He who was borne of Mary is to be adored with Divine worship but not for that reason because he was borne of Mary but because he is God the Coessentiall and Eternall Son of God We must distinguish between the Materiall and Formall Object of worship 1. The Materiall Object of worship is Christ who is both God and man the Son of David the Son of Mary the Son of God the Mediatour and Saviour of his people from their sins 2. The Formall Object discovers to us the Prime Formall Adequate ground and reason of his Divine worship the Coessentiall and Eternall Son of God who is one and the same God with the Father and the holy Spirit he is worshipped for his infinite and Divine excellency Christ is worshipped as God with this Divine worship his Mediatory Office servile suffering cannot be the Prime and Immediate Foundation the ultimate and terminating object of divine worship due to the Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore we must conclude that the Formal Proper reason of the Divine worship due given to Jesus Christ our Mediatour is the divine nature infinite excellency of our Mediatour which alone is of it self for it self capable of Divine worship I should make a tedious digression if I should declare what great Cyrill of Alexandria Noble Athanasius the Ephesine Councell of old and very learned and accurate Writers of late have delivered upon this Argument with great dexterity and circumspection They would not be mistaken as if they did divide the two natures of Christ or remove any glorious adjuncts from the Eternall Word the second Person of the Godhead and yet desire you to put a difference between that which Christ assumed by the most free Decree of God and grace of Hypostaticall union And that which belongs to him as he is one God with the Father and the Holy Ghost Finally they intreat you to put a difference between the Gratious Motives to worship Christ and the Prime Formall Adequate Proper ground and reason of that worship as I have done and professe that they worship their whole Mediatour with one entire worship which is not mixed but purely Divine and therefore is not founded upon any Temporary Office Service Benefit nor any externall denomination or relation but upon his infinite Excellency his Eternall Godhead And if these considerations will not give men satisfaction I hope to satisfy them farther yet before I conclude this Chapter For the point is to me very clear and plain If Jesus Christ were worshipped as mediator so that his mediatory office or actuall mediation should be laid as the first foundation or assigned as the formall reason of our worship then this fourth argument which I am still improving and enforcing for the proofe of the point will plainly discover that the Mediation of Christ having respect to the humane nature will make the humane nature at least in part the ground reason and cause of this divine worship which I leave to all sober Divines to consider before they admit And it is farther to be considered that Jesus Christ as Mediatour doth condesend to an office and imployment which doth subject him to God as an Head The Head of Christ is God 1 Cor. 11. 3. And hence it is that
and Ordinances as he himself should from time to time appoint The due acknowledgement of Gods immensity and infinite Majesty in our attendance on the Instituted means of worship is clearly opposed to the Image-worship in the 40th Chapt of Isaiah and first Chapter to the Romans and therefore the inside and compass of this second Commandement is spirituall though the words of it are so comprehensive as to take in ceremoniall as well as Evangelicall worship For Reverend Divines have made it cleare that though the second Commandement be morall in regard of its substance and generall nature which containes the immutable Law above mentioned yet in regard of its particular application to those significant Ceremonies Sacrifices and Sacraments which God did appoint we say all Ceremoniall Institutions are referred unto and comprehended under the second morall Commandement of God See Mr. Shepheard in his excellent Treatise of the morality of the Sabbath pag. 24. 40 41. 3. The third Commandement prescribes a reverend use of all the Titles Properties Works and Ordinances of God with Spirituall understanding and affection with faith reverence love joy sincerity and thankfulnesse in thought word and life 4. In the fourth Commandement we are not only required to rest but to sanctifie a rest to Jehovah If then we find the Titles Properties Works of Jehovah given to Christ and his holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament we must conclude that Christ and his holy Spirit are to be worshipped in the same Ordinances with the same spirituall and divine worship which is due to God the Father The scope of Law and Gospell is to bring us unto God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of the Spirit that we may rest upon Christ for justification walk and grow up in Christ in the progress of our sanctification for our everlasting satisfaction Our business therefore is to avoid those two dangerous Rocks upon which so many split and suffer shipwrack in this tempestuous age namely the Rock of neglecting duties in the course of our sanctification and the Rock of resting in Duties which overthrows our justification We must labour by all means appointed by God to gaine a spirituall Practicall experimentall knowledge of the love of Iesus Christ a knowledge which surpasses all intellectuall knowledge an affectionate knowledge which is felt in the heart but cannot be comprehended in the braine This is the right Evangelicall knowledge which prepares a man for spirituall and Evangelicall worship for heavenly Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost in all Gospell dispensations and Gospell-Conversation that he may come to be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God For this Cause saith the Apostle and well he might I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ mark the strain it is purely Evangelicall that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit That Christ may dwell in your hearts Here are all the three co-essentiall Persons but how may this be obtained And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge to know it in my heart to beleeve it with my heart to feele it in my heart because the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the holy Spirit But what shall I gaine by this Why the Apostle goes on That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3. 14 16 17 19. The great design of the Apostle was to be found in Christ having the righteousness which is of God through the faith of Christ without pleading his own righteousnesse which is of the Law for his justification And to have a Spirituall and Practicall knowledge of Christ grounded upon a deep and affectionate experience of the vertue of Christs Death and Resurrection in his own soule Phil. 3. 9 10. that he might be thereby encouraged and provoked to press forward in the course of Sanctification toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus v. 14. that his faith might act in all holy services Iustifying faith is the Principle of Evangelicall Worship and Gospell-conversation Grace be to you and peace from him which is which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 4 5 6. The hearts of true beleevers are golden vials full of odours and incense faith and love sincerity and zeale selfe-denyall and thankfulnesse humility and godly reverence and the beliefe of their redemption by the blood of Christ moves them to acknowledge the divine power of their Redeemer and to give him divine worship The Angles Elders People all joyne even ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands in this acknowledgement Worthy is the Lamb that was slaine to receive â—â—wer and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing glory honour and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever And the foure beasts said Amen And the foure and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liâ—eth for ever and ever Rev. 5. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. We must be brought to the knowledge and faith of the Son of God before ever we can be wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 3. 14 15. Gal. 2. 20. When once we come to beleeve the love of Christ then we love adore obey Father Son and holy Spirit after an Evangelical manner All the Fundamentall Articles of our faith have reference unto Christ as the Foundation because they are all such as concern his Father his Spirit his Incarnation Mediation or his Church and the benefits which the Church receives from him And in like manner all our worship is directed unto Father Son and Spirit as one God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of thâ— Spirit Eph. 2. 18. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5 1 Ioh. 1. 3 4. Ephes. 4. 15. It is our happiness our heaven upon earth to beleeve adore anâ— live to Father Son and holy Spirit by maintaining an holy Communion with all three aâ— one God and our God in the use of all Ordinances and Duties required of us This is the mystery of Godliness the Art of living unto God this is the Lesson which all Members of the Church universall must learne the foure beasts who joyne with Angels and Presbyters in adoring the Lamb are as
the Beasts mark they renounce the Dragon and his Angels all his pomps vanities worship and all the furniture of his worship all the errours and Idols of the false Prophets though they lose their trading the comforts of their life yea and life it selfe This is the Lambs mark 9. These Redeemed Virgins make a publike profession of their faith in and love to the Lamb and his Father they have the marke of both in their forehead and they cry aloud their voice is like the voice of Thunder Rev. 14 1 2. Rev. 5. 12. They are not ashamed or afraid to acknowledge Father Son and the holy Spirit the only and adequate object of divine Faith and Worship and the sole cause of Justification Sanctification Redemption Peace and Glory for all this is held forth to us clearly in this Book of the Revelation and there is a speciall blessing promised to such as read and heare the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein â—Rev 1. 3. And amongst other blessings they have the blessing of victory and triumph vouchsafed them they get victory over the Beast over his Image his Marke and the number of his Name Rev. 15. 2. They defie the Romane errours and Idols and are armed with faith and patience against this cruelty and Tyranny of Antichrist They cannot be enticed by any rewards seduced by any subtilties terrified by any threats to embrace any doctrine or forme of worship derogotary to the honour of the Father the Lamb or the holy Spirit for the Spirit doth in this Book teach the Churches to come in to Christ and defie the Beast and the Churches hearken to the Spirit as the Fountain of truth grace peace and glory This is the mystery of Gospel-worship we must beleeve love adore obey the Father the Lamb and the Spirit of Grace and Peace the Doctour and Comforter of all Christian Churches throughout all the foure quarters of the world East West North South that so the promise Isaiah 43. may be exactly fulfilled Rev. 7. 9 10. A great multitude an innumerable multitude of all Nations cry Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. The Kingdoms of the World must become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. Rev 11. 15. And when the Divell and his Angels who deceive the World accuse the Brethren and blaspheme Christ are cast forth then there is a loud voice in Heaven Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down c. Rev. 12. 9 10. In a word when the Redeemed Virgins and noble Conquerours come to sing their triumphant Song that Song doth contain the Scope of the Law and the substance of the Gospell for they are to sing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. Rev. 15. 3. And they who sing are such as do keep the Commandements of God and the testimony of Iesus Rev. 12. 17. And the testimony of Jesus is the Testimony of the Spirit delivered in the Word to the Churches of Christ Rev. 2. 7 11. all three persons do deliver the same testimony 1 Ioh. 5. 7. but the Son and the Spirit do most eminently joyne in delivering their testimony Rev. 2. 11 18 29. Rev. 3. 1 6 7 13 14 21 22. Rev. 19. 10. The Spirit doth encourage them to beleeve his Testimony and follow the Lambe and the Martyrs are slaine for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held Rev. 6. 9. and they overcome by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony Rev. 12. 11. The testimony of the Spirit and the testimony of Iesus Rev. 12. 17. And when the Spirit hath encouraged them to love Christ better then their lives Rev. 12. 11. and they have overcome by the testimony of the Spirit and the bloud of the Lamb then the Spirit doth pronounce them blessed Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit Rev. 14. 13. The Church is begotten instructed perswaded governed upheld comforted by the holy Spirit as Babylon is the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foule spirit Rev 18. 2. It is the Spirit which wooes the Church and perswades her to be the wife of the Lambe and to make her selfe ready for the marriage And the Spirit and the Bride say come Rev 22. 17. And that we may look upon this whole Prophesie as comming from the Spirit as well as the Lamb the Angel assures us that the Testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of Prophesie Rev 19. 10. The love of the Father and the grace of the Lord Jesus is communicated to us by the holy Spirit and therefore although the grace of the Lord Iesus is alone expressed in the close of this Booke of the Revelation yet the love of the Father and Communion of the holy Spirit must needs be understood according to the Prayer in the beginning of the Book Rev. 1. 4 5. Grace c. 3. The Spirit is worshipped in this Book of the Revelation Grace be to you and peace from the seven Spirits Rev. 1. 4. It is not agreeable to the Christian faith to pray unto Angels and beg grace and peace of them They do not hold the Head who worship Angels Col. 2. 18 19. Angels are our fellow servants and do forbid us to give that worship to them which is due to God only and they refuse to be worshipped because it is contrary to the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 19. 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him and he said unto me see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Iesus worship God This is the testimony of Jesus Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4. 10. The Book of the Revelation doth containe divers cleare testimonies against worshipping of Angels I am of them saith the Angel that keep the saying of this Book worship God Rev. 22. 9. And therefore that place Rev. 1. 4. must needs be understood of the holy Spirit For God will not give his glory to another and good Angels will not take it from him but protest against this Will worship as Idolatry The Holy Ghost is called seven Spirits by an usuall Metalepsis of the effect for the cause he doth pour forth various gifts seven is a note of Perfection and the holy Spirit one and the same Spirit is given to all the seven Churches every Church hath so much of the holy Ghost as is necessary and it runs as if every one of the seven Churches had seven Spirits because every one hath enough of the Spirit for their Sanctification and Salvation The Apostle therefore begging
grace and peace from this Co-essentiall Trinunity the Father the seven Spirits and Iesus Christ doth sufficiently instruct us in this mystery of Evangelicall Worship Some object that then the Spirit will be set before the Son but the answer is easie that there is a Metathesis in the words and it is observable that the Son is sometimes named before the Father 2 Cor. 13. 14. and sometimes the Spirit is named before the Son as Rev. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1 2. and sometimes the naturall order is observed the Father is named first the Son second and the Holy Ghost third The naturall order is not overthrown when the Father is named after the Son or the Spirit before the Son Nor is the equality of Persons overthrown when the naturall order is observed And therefore that objection is not considerable Naturall worship is due to the Holy Ghost because he hath the same divine nature with the Father and the Son That divine Faith is due to the Spirit hath been proved at large That divine love is due to him is cleare Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit The Spirit is the Author and object of all those graces which are called divine ex parte objecti faith hope and love Rom. 15. 13 16 30. In a word Instituted Worship is due to the Holy Ghost by vertue of both Sacraments Mat. 28. 19. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Mat. 3. 11. Ioh. 5. 5. In hearing of the Word we must hearken to the Spirit with the self-same attention devotion as we do to the Father and the Son Heb. 3. 7 8. compared with Ps. 95. The holy Ghost forbids us to harden our hearts against himself speaking in the Word Acts 7. 51. We grieve the Spirit when we resist the Spirit and will not put our seale to the Word by a Spirituall assent and fiduciall consent and hinder the Spirit from sealing up our Election and Redemption to us For though Christ makes the Purchase yet the Spirit makes the assurance 1 Iohn 3. 24. Iohn 14. 16 17. Iohn 15. 26. In Prayer we are to call upon the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4. because the Holy Ghost is God 1 Cor. 12 6 11. Act. 5. 3 4. I cannot but wonder at them who say that holy and spirituall worship is not due to the holy Spirit when the truth is we can give no worship at all to the Father or the Son untill we are enabled by the holy Spirit Rom. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 13. 14. And when by the Communion of the Spirit we have Communion with the Father and Son in Gospell-worship we are the Temples not only of the Holy Ghost but of the Co-essentiall Trinunity of Father Son and Holy Ghost all three do dwell in us walk in us and abide in us For when we receive the Spirit of truth he abides with us dwels in us perswades and enables us to love God the Father and the Lord Jesus and then all three Co-essentiall Persons make their abode with us as is clearely held forth to us Ioh. 14. 16 17 23. 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 1 Cor. 3. 16. Ephes. 3. 16 17. But if a man have not the Spirit of Christ he hath no saving interest as yet in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8. 9. because he is not as yet the Son of God by Regeneration or Adoption he is not a member of Jesus Christ he is not the Temple of the Holy Ghost He doth not worship this Co-essentiall Trinunity as he ought to do in Spirit and in truth He who hath the Spirit in him doth worship the Spirit in spirit and truth because the Spirit is the Power of the Highest even as Christ is the Son of the Highest a Personall Power Luk. 1. 32 35. compared The Spirit is the spirit of Elohim Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of Iehova Isa. 11. 2. The God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. The spirit of God and the spirit which is God 1 Cor. 2. 11. 12. Acts 5. 3 4. This point hath been sufficiently proved in the fourth Chapter and therefore I need say no more considering that the Socinians have no Arguments which are considerable when compared with these plaine places of the Holy Scriptures and those many places and proofes which have been formerly produced in this Treatise If any desire to have their Arguments such as they be answered at large he may read Mr. Estwicks learned Treatise concerning the Godhead of the Holy Ghost lately published I proceed to the third part of Godliness which is Obedience 3. Obedience is due to the Father Son and Holy Ghost all three Co-essentiall Persons because they are Co-essentiall because they are one God blessed for ever 1. Obedience is due to God the Father This truth is generally acknowledged by all that are not Atheists the Iews and Socinians subscribe to it If we do acknowledge God the Father to be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him the inference will be immediate cleare and strong that we ought to honour and obey our heavenly Father For how shall God put us among his Children unless every one of us say unto him my Father my Father I do obey thee and will not depart from thee But I said how shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant Land a goodly Heritage of the hosts of Nations And I said Thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turne away from me Jer. 3. 19. And when God speaks to them as to Children they presently submit Return ye backsliding children And I will heale your backslidings they presently reply Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Ier. 3. 22. A Son honoureth his Father if then I be a Father where is mine honour Mal. 1. 6. Mal. 2. 16. Mat. 12. 50. Mat. 23. 9. When God is considered under this endearing relation of a Father we yeeld a filiall obedience unto God we performe a foederall obedience a sincere and Evangelicall obedience I saith Jehovah will be your God I will be your Father Having these Promises saith the Apostle let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the feare of God 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 2 Cor. 71. 1 Pet. 1 14 17 18. As we are to worship God in this Fatherly relation Mat. 6. 9. Gal. 4. â— so are we to obey him also Whosoever shall do the will of my Father c. Mat. 12. 50. That all three Co-essentiall Persons are our Father hath been proved already in this very Chapter pag. 326 327. and that
God be thanked that ye who were the servants of sin have obeyed from the heart that for me of Doctrine which was delivered unto you by the holy spirit Rom. 6. 17. Be much in supplication and thanksgiving and the spirit of Supplication will be a spirit of Adoption an oile of gladnesse Heb. 1. 9. The spirit will teach you to cry Abba Father with comfort Gal 4. Rom 8. The spirit will fill your soules with all joy and peace in beleeving and in obeying the joy of the spirit shall be your strength the comforts of the Almighty even all the comforts of the Kingdom of God which consists in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost shall be all-sufficient to revive and support your dejected spirit All your fears and discomforts shall be dispelled your wants supplyed your wound soares infirmities healed and you at last filled with all the fulnesse of God Mal. 4. 2. Eph. 3. 19. Beleeve in the spirit obey the spirit and ye shall be sealed with the spirit Eph. 1 13. I beseech you by the tender mercies of God by the meekness and gentleness of Christ by the joy and for the love of the Spirit that you consider what hath been said that ye receive this wholesome Word as it is in truth the word of God the word of the Father Son and holy Ghost but testified after a more especiall and immediate manner by the Holy Ghost that it may worke effectually in all you who beleeve it 1 Thes. 2. 13. Even unto spirituall and sincere obedience to Father Son and Holy Ghost and that it may be so we must have a care to obey after the right manner for Amazia was too blame though he did that which was right in it self because he did it not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. Let us imitate our Saviour who did all as he was commanded Ioh. 14. 31. Let us have 1. High thoughts of the Majesty and greatnesse of God 2. Sweet thoughts of the rich grace and infinite goodnesse of God 3. An intire and an universall respect to all the commands and every work of God Ioh. 6. 28 29. Every work which God hath given us to do Ioh. 17. 4. and ordained for us to walk in Eph. 2. 10 For every command of God must have a divine authority over our consciences and hearts Psal. 119. 6. and then Christ will account us his friends Iohn 15 14. 4. A more especiall respect to the weightiest and greatest duties of Religion such as God hath more especially enjoyned for instance 1 The duties of inward worship and obedience Mat 22. 37 38. the most reserved and intimate duties of Religion 2. Duties of judgment mercy and fidelity towards all men Mat. 23. 23. Love to our enemies Mat. 5. 44. 45. 3. Duties of our particular callings and speciall relations publique duties and family duties especially such as are most private Mat. 6. 6. Zach 12. 12. 4. The great work of Faith which is the summe of both Testaments because all judicious and zealous love all sincere and uniforme obedience springs from faith Iohn 6. 29. This is the worke of God and unbeliefe is the work of the Devill faith purifies our heart by applying the bloud of Christ to our soules Heb. 9. 14. The weighty matters of Law and Gospel may be referred to those foure Heads above mentioned observe that excellent Scripture God hath chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of that kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him Iam. 2. 5. Faith and love will make us constant in the performance of all the other weighty matters required of us both in Law and Gospell and we have proved at large that faith and love is due to all three Persons We must performe all our duties 1. As to a Father a divine Father as hath been proved 2. In the name of Christ. 3. In the strength of the spirit 4. At the command and for the glory of all three co-essentiall Persons for all things are of the Father by the Son and through the spirit 5. With a willing mind a perfect heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 6. With all self-denyall diligence constancy 7. With an humble desire that we and our obedience may be accepted in and for Christ according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace Let us now put all together again and observe what a sweet harmony exact Symmetry and glorious uniformity there is in this whole mystery of Faith this mystery of the Co-essentiall Trinunity as reduced to practice by its effectuall influence into the mystery and power of godlinesse Beloved Christians I look upon my self as the least of Saints and greatest of Sinners unworthy to be accounted a Member but far more unworthy to be a Minister of Jesus Christ because I know more evill by my self then I know by any member of Christ but I thank God our Father Christ Iesus our lord and the co-essentiall Spirit the same God who worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12. 6. that I have obtained mercy and ability of all three for to be faithfull and to be counted faithfull by them all for they have all three in some measure enabled me for that they counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministry for I am a Minister of that Gospell which is revealed from heaven by Father Son and Holy Spirit and I am a Minister accordidg to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectuall working of his power unto me I say who am lesse then the least of all Saints in this grace given that I should preach the love of the Father the grace and unsearchable riches of Christ the sweet Communion peace and joy of the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and full of glory Be pleased then to take a view of the whole mystery of faith and godlinesse and observe how this Co-essentiall Trinunity of Father Son and holy Ghost who are one God blessed for ever is the adequate Object Author End of all Religion 1. Look upon the Grand Mystery of our Election unto Grace Peace and Glory and observe what practicall inferences may be drawn from thence to raise our hearts to admire beleeve love worship obey Father Son and holy Ghost Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ grace unto you and peace be multiplied Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. 1 Pet. 1 2 3 4. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ Now our Lord Iesus Christ himself and God even our Father c. 2 Thes. 2.
13 14 16 Here is the freewill of the Elect but Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love c. Ephes. 1. 3 4 5. Our thankfulnesse should be shewen for this free Grace to all three Persons in our thanksgiving believing obeving as is cleare from these places and so our prayers should be answerable to our faith love and thankfulness and therefore it is observable that in the very same Chapter the Apostle makes his addresse after this modell That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the acknowledgement of Christ Ephes. 1. 17. and so 2 Thes. 2 16. Rev. 1. 4 5. 2 Cor. 13. 14. many other places may be urged which containe the mystery of faith worship and obedience and if Christ and his Spirit be not alwaies named in them yet the benefits of Christ the gifts graces fruits comforts of the spirit which are named do direct us to both Moreover when the name of God is used indefinitely all three Persons must be understood to be comprehended in that essentiall Title because they are one and the same God Finally one Person doth subsist in another and the same honour is due to all three because all three have the same divine Nature which is single because infinite and therefore there is enough discovered to prevent all scruples in the upright-hearted and Cavils in the contrary-minded Read the third and fourth Chapters of the Epistle to the Colossians and there you will see a very pregnant proofe of this point Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humbleness of mind above all these things put on charity let the peace of God rule in your hearts do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him What ever you do do it heartily as to the Lord. And then the summe of all their requests is That they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God This takes in the full scope of Law and Gospell whatever belongs to faith worship or obedience whatever is just and equall or well-pleasing unto God Col. 3. 20. Col. 4. 1. And the Epistle to the Ephesians runs parallel with this to the Colossians Ye are elected and therefore ye must be holy before all three Coessentiall Persons by whom ye were elected ye must beleeve the Word of truth as the truth is in Iesus that ye may be sealed with the Spirit and filled with all the fulnesse of God ye must bow your knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ you must study the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God ye must keep the unity of the Spirit ye must grow up into Christ in all things ye must not grieve the holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption but maintaine a fruitfull fellowship with God in Christ by the communion of the holy Ghost for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousnesse and truth ye must be filled with the Spirit giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ ye must do whatsoever is right or equall Ephes. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is right just and equall Put on the whole armor of God take the sword of the Spirit the shield of Faith pray alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Peace be to the Brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity I need make no inferences the words are so plaine that they prove the point in terminis terminantibus as we use to say Consider the discourse of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans where the Apostle hath even lost his reader in the depth of this Mystery of the eternal counsel of Father Son and holy spirit he puts this question to all the busie disputants who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour and concludes that of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen We have mercy from him faith and repentance from him by an effectual vocation according to his purpose of election Rom. 8 28 29. Rom. 9. 11. 15. 16. 18 23 24 29 30. Rom. 10. 20. Rom. 11. 2 5 6 7 29 30 32. 36. We have mercy grace and glory from all three and therefore all honour and glory be to all three for ever Amen And the Apostle doth beseech the God of patience and consolation the God of hope and the God of peace to fill them with all joy and peace in beleeving that they may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost who is the God of hope comfort and peace for the Kingdom of God doth consist in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and if wee serve Christ who is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. in these things we shall be acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14. 18. The fruits of the spirit in us are markes because fruits of our election by God The Apostle writing to the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ begs grace and peace for them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ remembers their work of faith labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father and then concludes their election of God because the Gospel came to them in power and in the Holy Ghost for they received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost The Apostle exhorts them in every thing to give thanks because it is the will of God in Christ Jesus and bids them beware of quenching the Spirit and beseeches the Spirit who is undeniably the God of Peace and by special office our Sanctifyer and Comforâ—er to sanctfy us wholly The very God of peace sanctify you wholly c. And the Apostle discourses in like manner in the second Epistle to Timothy God saith he hath given us the spirit of power of love and of a sound mind saved us and called us with an holy calling according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began And tells us that every one who doth pretend to be elected or presumes to call upon Christ and claim an interest in him must depart from iniquity be sanctifyed
that he may be meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work I instance in some dark expressions on purpose to shew that even in them there is by interpretation an acknowledgment That we are elected by Father Son and Holy Ghost to Grace Peace and Glory and therefore ought to admire beleeve worship love obey all three Persons as one and the same God blessed for ever we must be holy before them in faith and love 2. If we consider our Creation we are created by Father Son and Holy Ghost as hath been proved and therefore we were created for the worship and service of all three The spirit of Elohim sate upon the waters hatched the world and all the beauty and glory of it 3. If we consider the vigorous providence of God all things are preserved upheld maintained ordered governed by Father Son and Holy Ghost the Holy-Ghost governs the Church and over-rules the world also 4. If we consider our fall and therein our abominable sin and the intolerable curse due unto it 1. Our sin which we committed in Adam the first sin it was a sin of cursed atheisme divellish pride unbelief rebellion apostacy a sinning sin because it did disable pollute infect poyson both our souls and bodies with originall and damnable corruption all sins against Father Son and Holy-Ghost proceed from this root of bitternesse 2. The curse due to this sin is intolerable unavoidable it is the curse of an Omniscient and Omnipotent God a temporal spiritual eternall Curse the Curse of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Men and Angels cannot help us we cannot be pardoned Redeemed Sanctified Adopted Comforted Saved but by the Father Son and Holy Ghost still this doctrine of the Coessentiall Trinunity must be preached and applyed for our spirituall and eternal good as will appeare by our following discourse 5. If we consider our effectuall vocation The father cals us in Christ by his Spirit speaking in Law and Gospel and working powerfully upon our consciences and hearts all three Persons do joyntly performe this saving work Shew which Person can be spared 6. Our Iustification is by the free-grace of the Father manifested in the Covenant of grace by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed by the Father and applyed by the Spirit our faith is grounded on the Testimony of the Spirit and wrought by the efficacy of the Spirit 7. Our Redemption is by the Father who gave us his Son by Christ who gave us himself by the Spirit who doth draw us unto Christ and puts us into the armes and bosome of our Redeemer We are redeemed from the guilt and punishment of sin more eminently by Christ but we are redeemed from the power and dominion of sin from our vaine conversation from this present evill world and tyranny of Sathan not only by the death resurrection and intercession of Christ but by the efficacy and power of the holy Ghost And it is to be observed that though Christ makes the Purchase yet the Spirit makes and gives the Assurance 8. Our Adoption is by all three The Father doth adopt us in Christ by the Spirit of Adoption 9. The Covenant of Grace is made and confirmed by all three 10. The Church is gathered instructed preserved saved by all three the Church enjoyes and maintaines spirituall and heavenly communion with all three in all Ordinances and duties 3 Cor. 13. 4 1. In hearing the word Father Son and holy Spirit do all teach us as hath beene proved at large John 6. 45. 1 Cor. 2. 13. Heb. 1. 1 2. Heb. 3. 7. 2. We are baptized in the name of all three devoted dedicated consecrated to the service of all three 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Mat. 28. Tit. 3. 5 6. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Matth. 3. 11. Iohn 3. 5. Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. we are adopted into the family of God that we may be married to the Son of God and made coâ—heirs with Christ in glory 3. In the Lords Supper the Father invites and entertains us gives us his Son for our Head Husband Saviour Feast and all Christ gives us his Body and Blood to nourish us and the Spirit enables us to receive this spirituall nourishment after a spirituall manner that we may thrive and grow thereby the Spirit mortifies our lusts strengthens our faith renews our repentance inflames our zeale pacifies our conscience purifies our heart assures us of the favour and love of God seals our pardon to us and seals us up to the day of redemption The love of the Father The Grace of the Son The Communion and Peace of the Spirit is so plentifully vouchsafed to experimentall Christians in this Sacrament that I may well subscribe Probatum est 4. In Prayer and thanksgiving we do manifestly hold Communion with all three First We pray to the Father in the name of Christ by the power of the spirit of supplication Ephes. 2. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 1 Thes. 3. 11. Rom. 8. Gal. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 16. Rev. 1. 4. Secondly Our thankfull praises Eph. 3. 21. Ephes. 5. 18 19 20. are presented to all three 5. We keep a Sabbath to Father Son and holy Spirit all our Fiduciall breathings after God all our Penitentiall meltings before God our Obedientiall closing with God our pangs of love raptures of zeale extasies of joy do arise and spring from the beliefe and consideration of the rich grace tender mercies and sweetest love of our deare Father our beloved Saviour and our sanctifying Comforter Gal. 2. 20. Col. 1. 12. Ephes. 1. 3 5 6 11 13 17. Eph. 2. 4 5 6 8. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Every Lords day much more every Sacrament-day should be a sealing day a sanctifying day an edifying saving Sabbath God doth upon such daies take as wholy off from our own business that we might make it our only business to serve and enjoy God by maintaining an holy Communion with God in Christ by the effectuall working of the holy Ghost for a whole day together that we may in the close of the day attaine the end of our Sabbath-service which is a rest of complacency sweet content and full satisfaction in the armes and bosome of a Father a Saviour and a Comforter this this is to enjoy a Christian Sabbath The heathens knew something of a Sabbath The Jewish Holy days were Appendices to the fourth Commandement and therefore might be well taken off again the morall Commandement remaining entire For it is granted that they are taken off from the second Commandement and yet that remaines entirely morall and I beleeve it will be cleare to any man that studies the point that the Jewish holy daies did belong most properly and directly to the second Commandement Indirectly and but Reductively to the fourth because they were at most
but Appendices to the fourth Commandement But even Jewish Holy daies and the most solemne services upon them did in their Primary and Principall Institution as Wallaeus himself doth acknowledge point at Christ and his benefits and the point is cleare by the Epistle to the Hebrewes and more especially by the ninth and tenth Chapters of that Epistle Heb. 9. 10 11 14. Heb. 10. 1 4 9 10. Luk. 4. 18 19. 1 Cor. 5. 7. The Sabbath was instituted before the Law was given on Mount Sinai but the fall of man defaced the whole work of the first Creation and therefore it is no wonder if Christ the Lord of the Sabbath require us to keep a Sabbath in remembrance of the new Creation by the work of Redemption which was actually finished by the Resurrection of our blessed Lord upon the first day of the week For Christ entred into his Estate of Rest in the day of his Resurrection though he did not enter into his place of rest in the third Heavens till the day of his Ascension and the place is but accidentall in respect of the State of rest and rest it self The Will of our Lord was the instituting cause the Rest of our Lord the moving cause When God rested from the work of Creation he was refreshed Exod. 31. 17. and when Christ rested from the work of Redemption he was refreshed and his Father took delight in the work of the new Creation which he could not take in the old Creation which was so defaced that he did repent of it Gen. 6. but God will never repent that he sent his Son to redeem or his Spirit to sanctifie his Elect but Father Son and Spirit will be refreshed and satisfied with all the sweet fruits of this new Creation and Renovation by the death resurrection and Spirit of the Lord Iesus Mat. 17. 5. Ioh. 19. 30 Isa 53 10 11. Rom. 4. 25. Rom. 8. 33 34. Rom. 11. 29. Heb 7. 21 22. The approved practice of the Primitive Christians declares the Doctrine of the Apostles and the Doctrine of the Apostles shews what was the Command of Christ the Lord of the Sabbath concerning the sanctification of the first day of the week which is therefore called the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath The Jewish Sabbath was the Holy day or Sabbath of Jehovah as Creatour and all three Co-essentiall persons did create us The Christian Sabbath is called the Lords-day since the Lord Christ hath been declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection Rom. 1. 4. and the Lord of all Rom. 14. 9. Mat. 28. 17 18. The Ministry and Sacraments under the new Testament are appointed by Christ and therefore used by vertue of the second Commandement though the outward worship be changed in like manner the Sabbath appointed by Christ must be observed by vertue of the fourth Commandement though the day be changed because this is the generall scope both of the second and fourth Commandements that we ought to observe all the Institutions of God from time to time We are then obliged both by Law Gospel to observe the Lords day we may with confidence expect a blessing upon our observation of it for he who sanctified the day did blesse it also that is annexe a blessing to the sanctification of it Read Peter Martyr upon the second of Genesis and the fourth Commandement when God rested from the works of Creation he appointed a Sabbath although he did not rest from works of Providence and in like manner Christ hath appointed a Sabbath upon his resting from the work of Redemption by price although he doth not rest from the work of Redemption by Power till all his Enemies be vanquished and his Elect saved These grounds being laid it is most evident that we are to keep a spirituall rest to Father Son and holy Ghost upon the Lords day We are not only to draw neare to the Ordinances but to God and Christ in them by the power of the holy Spirit because all spirituall Communion with God in Christ is maintained by the power of holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13 14. And our Communion with God upon the Lords day ought to be more immediate and eminent more spirituall and heavenly than at other times Christians do enjoy God not only in his Creatures providences and works of their callings according to the variety of their occasions but also in acts of Immediate worship and service even upon the week daies but we are to do God some more eminent service on the Lords day we should not content our selves with week-dayes-prayers and praises our holiness and communion should be extraordinary upon this solemne day and therefore 1. Eminent for the degree of it there should be a Sequestration of our minds and hearts from the world and a consecration of them to the blessed Trinity in the highest degree and after the most immediate manner in all exercises of Religion with admiration confidence love reverence delight and thankfulness that we may come as neare to God who comes down on purpose to meet us in his Ordinances with a full blessing as it is possible for Creatures that are cloathed with flesh We must abstaine not only from servile works but servile thoughts cares affections The Sacrifice was doubled on the Sabbath to shew that our holiness should be redoubled on that day Num. 28. 9. The Sabbath was called holiness Exod. 31. 15. and the Holy of Jehovah Isa. 58. 13. to shew that we should be exceeding Holy upon this Holy day We should be transported beyond flesh and the world and have our conversation in heaven that day for the day requires some transcendent holiness 2. Our Holiness and Communion should be Restorative for we contract much soile abate the vigour of our graces by converse with the world upon the week days and now there should be Restauratio deperditi We should sadly review our experiences and failings all the week and make up all our defects upon this acceptable day this season of Grace when God sits in state and scatters treasures of grace amongst hungry and thirsty Saints that are poor in Spirit and wait for spiritual Alms at a Throne of Grace 3. Constant Communion we should maintaine a continued and un-interrupted Communion with God in private as well as publike all the whole day together It is lawful for us on the week days to go about our worldly occasions after we have been at prayer but we find that when we have been well warmed by Family duties we are apt to catch cold againe presently when Company or worldly businesses break in upon us but we must keep our hearts in a Sabbaths days frame all the Lords day yea and at night also when our bodies are wearied in service we must not be weary of Service but our hearts must be panting and working after more of God and Christ and the holy Spirit 4.
Soule-satiating Communion we must take delight in our converse with God enjoyment of Christ and walking in the Spirit all the day We must enter into the rest of our beloved and take a sweet complacency in the fruition of God in the glimpse of his glory in the taste of his love in the kisses of his mouth in all the testimonies of his favor in all the love-tokens sent us from heaven The joy of the Lord must be our strength and in this strength we must go forth and mortifie our corruptious resist temptations and go about our worldly business all the next week with heavenly minds I cannot stand to speak directly and fully to the particular duties of the Sabbath or extraordinary duties of Evangelical fasting and Christian Feasting for all which there should be a serious preparation in all which there must be a prudent sequestration of our minds and hearts from the world that theremay be an intire consecration of them unto God and a sincere sanctification of all these times to Father Son and holy Ghost as it becomes the Sons of God the Members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost We should get oyle into our vessels dress and trim our Lamps that we may meet the Bridegroome of our soules in his appointed walkes in his own Ordinances and exercises I should say something likewise of our Penitentiall meltings before God Thus in briefe then when our conscience hath been wounded by the Spirit of bondage and is renewed by the Spirit of Regeneration it will in due time be pacified by the spirit of Adoption but even then the soule will melt into teares nay then it melts most kindly and laments most affectionately O I have sinned against the tender mercies of the bowels of God I have kicked my Father upon the Bowels I have made a sport and pastime of those sins which let out the heart bloud of my dear Saviour I have grieved vexed and even quenched the holy Spirit my sweetest Comforter I have sinned against all three and so trebled all my sins I feare I have saith the Soule in its agony even done despight to the Spirit of grace and trampled on the bloud of the Son of God but I have learnt to submit and beleeve to rejoyce and tremble to weep and waite for I waite upon a Father upon him whom my soule loves the spirit of faith and love hath taught me to come with a broken heart and a bleeding conscience to a Father to a Saviour to a Comforter I desire to keep the wound open by renewed Confessions and sprinkle the clensing bloud of Christ upon it by a lively faith Oh it is soveraign bloud and must be fiducially sprinkled by a speciall application and it is the spirit which makes this speciall application and administers reviving Cordials to broken hearts and fainting soules in their swowning fits When the most Ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men come to see that notwithstanding all their Civility and Formality they are in the gall of bitterness by reason of their impenitence and unbeliefe their opposition to the power of godliness their undervaluing of the mercies of God the love of Christ graces and comforts of the holy Spirit and feele these sins set home upon their hearts and consciences with stinging aggravations they are even fired out of their naturall estate and by the preventing grace of the Spirit made sensible of sin and hungry after grace and mercy The dreadfull impressions of Gods infinite Majesty and damning wrath make all the sensuall impressions of sin to be remembred with proportionable and self-condemning horrour But when the most glorious treasures of Gods sweetest mercies and richest grace folded up in his fatherly bowels are opened to these ingenuous men and the Spirit hath touched their hearts to lament after Christ then this ingenuous soule will cry out Oh what restless agonies what stinging wormes what unquenchable flouds of flaming brimstone how many Hells are there treasured up in one Hell for such a wretch as I am who have undervalued the riches of Gods mercy the love and merits of Christ the graces and comforts of the Spirit heaven and earth may be astonished men and Angels amazed at my prodigious madness in undervaluing Christ and Heaven In the midst of this agony and conflict prudent astonishment and spirituall horrour the holy Spirit urges invincible Arguments which are sweetly compulsive to perswade and constraine the soule to long for Christ. For when the Spirit hath made the threats both of Law and Gospel effectual to humble us he fils the soule with despaire of mercy if it continue in its former estate in the gall of impenitence and bond of unbeliefe but withall it doth assure the soule that there is plenteous redemption and eternall salvation treasured up in Christ for penitent beleevers Then the spirit opens the mystery of free Grace contained in a Covenant sealed with the Oath of God and bloud of Christ he reveales the eternity excellency sweetness freeness fulness infiniteness of Gods mercy and grace Christs love and merits as so many motives and encouragemets unto faith and repentance The Spirit sets a Pardon and a Crown before us acquaints us with the all-sufficient righteousnes and unsearchable riches of Christ and his own free and effectuall grace unspeakable comforts and glorious joyes and then convinces us that we want this grace to sanctifie us this Pardon and righteousnesse to justifie us this Crown and these joyes to enrich and satisfie us And upon this discovery the soule is encouraged to give credit to the holy Ghost to beleeve the love of the Father to depend upon Christs satisfaction and apply his righteousnes to prize the love of the Father the merit of Christ the grace and comforts of the Spirit above a World in a word to sell all for Christ and give up all to Christ resolving to be ruled by himself and his spirit for evermore Now the soule hath a new life put into it it hungers and thirsts for a more intimate Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost and this hungry soule sucks whilest the breast is open till it hath filled it self with substantiall nourishment reviving Cordials This devout soule becomes as Chrysostome styled Saint Paul an insatiable worshipper of Father Son and holy Ghost it desires to grow in grace to presse on towards perfection to have Father Son and holy Ghost to come sup with it dwell in it rule in it that it may be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God This converted soule doth after these Penitentiall meltings Fiduciall breathings after Christ and obedientall closing with Father Son and holy Ghost differ as much from it self when it was most ingenuous before its conversion as an Angell doth from a Divell For the most ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men have nothing in them which is more excellent then
common grace and common grace leaves them in the state of Nature under the power of sin and in the very suburbs of Hell wholly at the command of Sathan and if any man think otherwise let him take heed that very thought doth not naile him fast to that unregenerate and cursed estate for evermore Beleeve it Brethren that Historicall faith and Naturall wisdome do but excite some pang of self-love which makes us very solicitous how we may stop the mouth of our convinced conscience with some kind of ingenuous Civilities and outward formalities without any penitent acknowledgment of our sinfull and cursed estate any prudent esteeme of Christ whose bloud merit righteousness and grace ought to be prized above a world We never seeke Christ in earnest till he hath first sought us found us out and brought us home by his preventing quickening saving grace And when Christ dwels conquering and reigning in the soule the soule is not content with civilities and formalities with common grace or some low degree of speciall grace but it aimes at grace in perfection the heart is kindly broken by Faith and Love the soule is humble thankfull zealous mercifull diligent constant in serving Christ and Christians upon all occasions Civill and Formall men may by legall terrours be brought to some kind of Devotion they may by an Historicall saith be brought to some kind of admiration of the Gospel to many good wishes and velleities nay to a Reformation in many particulars but because they undervalue the love of the Father the grace of Christ the Communion of the Holy Ghost and consequently the power of godlinesse notwithstanding all their terrours wishes admiration reformation and hankerings after Christ and Heaven they perish in their unbelief because they never had any hungry and thirsty desires restlesse desires after Christ such as would not be satisfied without him wrought in their souls by the light of the Gospel power of the Spirit serious and seasonable offers of Christ. They never come to a deliberate choyce and thankfull acceptance of Christ to be their Saviour Husband Priest Prophet and King but did indeed choose rather to be Satans bondslaves then Christs spouse they would not make a prudent exchange of Satans fetters for Christs yoake and therefore are but dancing to hell with their fetters in the fairest path that they can possibly find to the chambers of death they could never be perswaded to be content with Christ alone as their al-sufficient portion and therefore refused to sell all for him and give up all to him but did upon mature deliberation and in coole blood reject Christ resist his Spirit refuse a pardon of sinne and Deed of Heaven purchased and sealed with the Heart-blood of God and this very consideration will sting the conscience and torment the soule of these everlasting Bedlams when they lie in chains of darknes cursing themselves to all eternity and blaspheming God for torturing of them in the angry flames of hellish brimstone But that this mystery may be yet more freely discovered take any man that is not guilty of the black and unpardonable sin of trampling on the blood of Christ and doing despight to the Spirit of grace and let him be one of the most desperate villains that ever served the devil and I dare encourage this wretch whom hell and Satan do even gape and groane for to go to Christ for preventing grace that the Holy Spirit may set home the curses of the Law and the more severe threatnings of the Gospel upon his obdurate heart in a saving way and beseech him to knock early at Heaven-gate the sooner the better because God gives Christ and his Spirit a Pardon and a Crown as Fathers give lands to their children only because they will give them he gives all Freely and Royally Christ hath gifts for the rebellious also God shews mercy and gives grace to them that do deserve neither grace nor mercy And if the spirit do open the eyes and heart of this man that the sense of his own devillish bruitishnesse may move him to enquire after God and Christ Prov. 30. 1 2 3. and gives him present support from falling under the weight of his own sin and Gods curse into despair after illumination conviction terrors before he come to hunger after Christ submit to him and close with him as an al-sufficient Saviour and an only Saviour This trembling soul may in the midst of cares and hopes and terrors be encouraged and enabled by a Spirit of Regeneration with all humility joy and thankfulnesse to accept of Christ and rest upon him for righteousnesse and life by a faith of Dependance Adherence Recumbence and to submit and melt with Evangelical repentance at a Throne of grace and when his heart is thus broken by faith and love which do cast out unbelief self-love and slavish fear which tends to despair this even now very black soule but now purified by the Spirit of Regeneration and revived by the Spirit of Adoption sprinkling the blood of Christ upon his conscience and shedding the love of God abroad in his heart will be encouraged to call God Father and Christ Saviour the Father will meet embrace adorn him wipe off his tears and filth and kisse that prodigal mouth which came from feeding with swine and kissing of harlots Christ will bid this soule welcome it shall be thrice welcome to this Co-essentiall Trinunity For God who brought his pardoning mercy preventing and effectuall grace to us when we looked not after him will surely bid us welcome when we come unto him with a prudent care a lively faith a Son-like reverence a penitent indignation against our sin and lusts melting affections and yearning bowels towards him and flaming zeale in his service and for his cause He who ran and called after us when we looked not after him will not reject us when we come unto him out of tender respect and hearty love to him and his service He that hath the Spirit shall have Son and Father also Let all churlish Nabals proud Pharises politick Gallios scoffing Ishmaels impenitent Formalists and unbeleeving Atheists consider what hath been said and look upon themselves as guilty of eternal death let them heare with wonder and amazement let them beleeve and tremble and let all the enemies of the grace of God Pelagians Papists c. know that all preparatives are wrought by the Word Spirit and that it is one great preparative to abhor the thought of all meritoriousness in all or any of those preparatives which make way for the infusion of faith for faith is the free gift of God and though there be many necessary preparatives to drive us to Christ yet there are no meritorious Qualifications in us to bribe God allure Christ or deserve grace The Spirit works when where and as he pleases and he who doth not prize the love of the Father the grace of Christ and Communion of the
Holy Ghost above a world is not as yet acquainted with the mystery of Faith or the Power of Godliness he hath neither Father Son nor Spirit in him CHAP. X. Christians who have a lively sense and sweet experience of this grand mystery of Faith and practicall mystery of Godliness are afraid to hold Communion with such as pretend to be Spirituall Christians and yet deny the divine Nature and distinct subsistences of Christ and his holy Spirit IT is observed by a great States man That he who follows Truth too neere at heeles may have his Teeth heat out but I had rather lose my teeth than not teach and profess the truth He who presses this point in this Licentious Age wherein Scepticks in the highest points are called Seekers and Hereticks good Christians had need beg the promise of the Father that he may be endued with vertue from on high that is a magnanimous and more then an Heroicall spirit to preach the truth We must not feare the face of man in the cause of God if the Devill might set up his Church in England wherein Heresie is instead of a Preacher profaneness and ungodliness instead of Ruling Elders yet I must be bold to say that these Seekers whom the Reformers called Libertines are as the Fathers called them but Nullifidians and Atheists professed Atheists for They are Atheists who will not beleeve and adore the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost and such are the Seekers whom I am to deale with who deny the Lord Christ to be God and I shall easily discover that this is Atheisme whether reigning Atheisme or no let the Socinian Seekers and Deifyed Atheists judge Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he who abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son The second Epistle of Iohn the ninth verse Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Iesus is the Christ He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Ioh. 2. 22 23 24. He who hath not the true God Father Son and holy Ghost for his God is an Atheist for if he do acknowledge a false God a false God being no God it must still bee granted that no man can bee excused from Atheisme by his acknowledgment or worship of any thing that is not God I speak of such speculative Atheisme as doth commonly run into practical Atheism and may consequently end in direct and down-right Atheisme or at least such affected Atheisme as will permit that Radicall and Seminall Atheisme which was borne with them to sit quietly in their hearts as on a Throne so that they have no actuall belief of the true God which doth amount to an historicall beliefe much lesse any that can effectually over-power or dethrone their natural Atheisme And yet I beleeve these Atheistical Libertines can never fully blot out all the natural notions of a Godhead written in their hearts by the finger of God though many of them have made a very unhappy progress in this devillish study for the devils themselves have not attained to any Atheistical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devils beleeve and tremble but enough of that the Socinians are Atheists Interpretativè at the least It is not enough for Christian Communicants to attaine to the first principle of natural Theology and confess that there is a God but they must acknowledge the first principle of Christianity which is indeed Supernatural Divinity and acknowledge that Father Son and holy Ghost are the only true God for else we go no farther then Pharaoh that grand Seeker did when he asked who is Iehovah that I should obey his voice Exo. 5. 2. or then the Samaritans and Athenians did who worshipped they knew not what Ioh. 4. 22. Act. 17. 23. The Turks the Pagans the Jews do acknowledge that there is a God unless then we do intend to hold Church-Communion with Pagans Jews Mahumetans we must require somewhat more of those whom we admit unto Christian Communion than a bare acknowledgment that there is a God or that the Father is God For he who doth deny the Godhead of the Son doth deny the Father also and consequently hath no God at all for his God as hath been proved already from the ninth verse of the second Epistle of Iohn and 1 Iohn 2. 22 23 24. He that honoureth not the Son as highly as he honoureth the Father he doth not honour the Father who sent his co-equall Son to give us life Ioh. 5. 21 23. We must acknowledge the Son to be equall to the Father for this redounds to the glory of God the Father Phi. 2. 6. 11. We can have no Christian and spiritual Communion with God the Father but in his natural Son and by their Coessential Spirit as is manifest by comparing these Texts together 1 Ioh. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4 5. Mat. 28. 19 20. Ephes. 2. 18 22. 1 Cor. 12. 3 6 8 11 13. and by the full scope of all my practical Discourse in the ninth Chapter of this Treatise This is life eternal c. Iohn 1 7 3. 1 Iohn 5. 6 7 11 12 13 20. When Saint Paul doth enlarge the bounds of Christian Communion as far as he can he writes thus Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours 1 Cor. 1. 2. We cannot maintaine any Christian Communion with such as deny the Godhead of Christ for they must as Francis David and David George c. did deny that Christ is to be worshipped with divine faith and love because as they blaspemously said he hath not the same divine nature with God the Father or else they must say as Socinus who wrote against Francis David said that Christ is to be worshipped with divine worship and then they will if you put their principles together as you may see them together in that Racovian Alcoran the Racovian Catechisme be found to be even the very best o◠them but a pack of Blasphemous Idolaters With whom We ought not to hold Communion For whilst they do blasphemously affirme that Christ is a meere man in glory and the Son of God only in a metaphoricall not any proper sense We must draw these conclusions The best of the Socinians maintaine 1. That Jesus Christ our Lord is but a meere man in glory a very Creature and no more and therefore they are blasphemers and so are all they who say that they are as much God as Iesus Christ for these are high swelling blasphemies such as the Deified Atheists of the Family of love with whom I feare Mr. Fry hath had too
the true God the blessed God the great God the mighty God We are redeemed with the bloud of Christ the bloud of God the bloud of Christ who is God The Covenant is to quicken and cure us 1. To quicken us for we were dead before the Medicine came and Christ and his Spirit raise us from death and give us a spirituall life 2. To cure us for when our Physitian hath restored us to life he can more easily restore us to health In the Covenant God promises to give us himself his Son and his Spirit The bond of the Faederal and mystical union on Gods part is the Spirit and on our part Faith which is wrought in us by the same Co-essentiall Spirit And Christ is the only Mediatour of this Covenant 1. We have but one Mediatour and surely of this Covenant 1 Tim. 25. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 2. This one Mediatour is God and man in one Person the Son of man Mat. 16. 13. the Son of God ver 17. Rom. 1. 3 4. Rom. 9. 5. Heb. 7. 3. Ioh. 8. 58. Acts 20. 28. 1 Ioh. 1. 1. Ephes. 4. 10. Joh. 3. 13. Ioh. 6. 62. Ioh. 1. 14. Phil. 2. 6. He for whom are all things and by whom are all things even he himself and not another person he also himself took part of the same flesh and bloud whereof we are partakers Heb. 2. 10 14. I hope by this time it is evident that the Covenant is made in Christ the natural and co-essentiall Son of God who is God and man in one Person and therefore we cannot close with them who will not close with this saving Truth for this is an Article of everlasting life Mat. 16. 16 17 18. Ioh. 17. 3. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. Ephes. 4. 13. I humbly intreat Mr. Fry to consider what hath been said that he may repent and retract his unhappy opinion namely That the word subsistence holds forth no more of Christ his being in the Godhead then may be affirmed of every Creature That whatsoever the head did partake of that did the members also And that according to his understanding of the word subsistence Mâ— Fry himself might be said to be God too as well as Iesus Christ p. 15 16. This is the unsavory breath of Mr Fry his blasphemous Bellows printed at Addle-hill in February 1648. If his confutation be as publike as he thought fit to make his blasphemous errour which he accounts but a molehill pag. 17. he may thank himself I might adde many other reasons but I must be briefe 4 I might argue from the very nature of Christian Communion which is a Christian and spiritual Communion with the Father in the Son by the Spirit but I have said enough of that already in this very Chapter and handled it practically and at large in the ninth Chapter of this Treatise 5. I might argue from the Sacraments of Communion and seales of that Covenant of grace which they who do deny the Trinity overthrow as hath been proved 1. In Baptisme we Christians are devoted and consecrated to the beliefe worship and service of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost who are all three one and the same God the only true God blessed for ever and therefore they who do not beleeve and worship God the Son and God the holy Ghost as the same God with the Father do indeed renounce the Faith and Baptisme of Christians they take away the Adequate Object of Christian Faith and Evangelical Worship God promises to be a Father Saviour and a Comforter to us he seales his promise to us by Baptisme and fullfils his Promise by giving us his Son for our Saviour and his Spirit for our Sanctifier and Comforter for he shews himself to be a Father to us in Christ by sending the spirit of Regeneration and Adoption into our hearts We are regenerated by the spirit of God adopted into the Family of God married to the Son of God that we may be heires and coheires with Christ the King of Heaven and Lord of Glory and all this is to oblige and encourage us in the beliefe worship and service of Father Son and holy Ghost 2. In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we Christians sanctifie the Name of Christ the natural Son of God and the name of the Co-essential Spirit the everlasting counsels of Gods Fatherly love the riches of his free grace all the treasures of the Covenant and Spirit of grace all the sufferings of our crucified Redeemer the Lord of glory are in this great Ordinance evidently set before the eye of our faith that by the grace of Christ assistance and fellowship of the holy Ghost we may have a more intimate Communion with God for this sweet Communion with the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is by the Communion of the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. compared with 1 Cor. 10. 16. and of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 13. 14 This is the grand Ordinance for the highest sweetest strongest Communion with the Father in the Son and by the spirit that can be attained to whilest we are cloathed with flesh The Gospel is appointed both for the begetting and encrease of grace this Ordinance is annexed to the Gospel that the Gospel and this Ordinance both together may by the power of Christ and his holy Spirit be effectual according to the Counsel of Gods will for bringing of lost Sinners into a saving communion nay a growing thriving communion with Father Son and holy Ghost that we may come to be enriched at last with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God 1. When we see the Bread and Wine consecrated and set apart for this holy use we should consider the unspeakable love of God the Father setting his co-essential Son Jesus Christ apart in his secret and eternall Counsell for to be the Surety and Saviour of his chosen people This is the great mystery which the very Angels desire to look into and which will be the subject of all the praises and Hallelujahs both of Saints and Angels to all eternity in the highest heavens 2. When we see the bread broken and wine poured out we must remember the love of Christ whose body was broken and bloud shed for our sins 3. When the Bread and Wine is distributed and divided we should meditate upon the Application of Christ crucified to every one of our own soules in particular Now this speciall Application is made by the assistance and communion of the holy Ghost And therefore this mystery of the Co-essentiall Trinunity must be acknowledged by all who are admitted to this sacrament because this is the greatest confirmation of the great Bond of the highest Communion which we can have with Father Son and holy Ghost and with the most pretious Christians who are sound in faith and
holy in life We can never understand the Presence Institution and mind of Christ in this Ordinance unless we beleeve the cursed condition of men in their naturall estate the divine nature and person of Christ the greatness of the price that was paid for the satisfaction of Gods justice and appeasing of Gods wrath who did not spare his own Co-essential Son but manifested his hatred against sin and love to his Elect in not sparing his Son but breaking his body and shedding of his bloud that we might be redeemed by the bloud of God this is the mystery which is made sensible in the Sacrament and is really evident to the eye of faith Gal. 3. 1. And whosoever looks upon these great mysteries of the Gospel as fancies and doth not beleeve them to be reall things truly exhibited really presented to beleevers in a Sacramental mystical spiritual way in this Ordinance hath not yet learnt the truth as it is in Jesus and is not prepared for such high Communion We Christians do not come with hungry and thirsty soules longing after farther Communion with Christ for mortifying of our lusts and encrease of all our graces by his spirit untill we beleeve this grand mystery of Faith and we are then experimentally acquainted with the mystery of Godliness when we have been made drink into one Spirit with Christ and his Members when we look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and acknowledge him to be the natural and Co-essential Son of God there can be none of those fiduciall breathings after Christ Penitential meltings before him or obediential closings with him as is evident by our ninth Chapter untill we do in some measure beleeve this mystery of Faith and understand the substance of the Covenant of grace which is sealed in this Sacrament by God and must be actually renewed by every good Communicant our Meditations Faith Love Repentance Joy Thankfulness will not be rightly placed or exercised if this grand mystery of Faith and Godliness be rejected by us 6. I might argue from all the Offices of Christ they who do not beleeve the divine nature of Christ do utterly disable Jesus Christ from being a Mediatour a Priest a Prophet a King for the saving of his people to the uttermost They who deny the divine Essence and Person of Christ do deny his satisfaction to be all-sufficient in our behalf They depose Christ from that spirituall and heavenly kingdom which he hath by Nature and render him uncapable of that Mediatory Kingdom which is delegated to Christ God man by the Decree of the Co-essentiall Trinunity But I have said enough of that in the former part of this Book I pass on to enquire what civill respect is due to such as do deny the divine Nature of Christ and his holy Spirit That one Text to my apprehension 2 Ioh. 9. 10 11. containes a very full and satisfactory answer Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds But that this point may be more clearly stated and all mistakes prevented be pleased to consider 1. That such Points of Religion and Worship as are necessary to be known and beleeved for the maintenance of Christian spirituall saving Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost are clearely delivered in the holy Scriptures of truth 2. That if men who were formerly unblameable in their life and conversation be seduced into any errour which doth contradict or subvert such Fundamentall Points they ought to be instructed with the spirit of meekness in a Christian and brotherly way 3. They are to be admonished with all faithfulness and meekness of Wisdom twice or thrice that they may understand the importance of the truth which is denyed the danger of the errour maintained the sad consequences of both that if their conscience be not feared they may return from their beloved and damned errours 4. If after all this meekness patience and forbearance all Christian instructions and brotherly admonitions they do as men that are judicially blinded for sinning against conscience 1. Persist in their errour 2 Reject and revile the truth of God in these high and necessary Points 3. Fall from the grace of God frustrate the grace and Covenant of God evacuate the death of Christ depose Christ and his Spirit from their Throne and Godhead 4. Seduce and poyson others Mat. 21. 38. 5. Deny and overthrow the foundation of divine Faith Hope Love and Justification by Faith and the Adequate object also of all Christian Faith Evangelicall Worship and sincere Obedience These bold Atheists for they deny the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost may without any scruple be rejected from Christian Communion For there is certainly some lust or other which hinders them from seeing the truth or professing that they do see it and therefore it may be taken for granted that these men are obstinate self-condemned men men that combine with their Wills and Lusts against their own conscience and cleare shining Scriptures And therefore these men cannot complaine that they are punished for their conscience when they are indeed punished for sinning against their conscience because they are condemned by their own conscience But it will be said that there are scarce any such men to be found as I have described To which I answer Be pleased but to consider what hath been delivered in this very Chapter already and compare it with the foregoing Chapters and with the many blasphemous Pamphlets which do pass up and down without controule in this licentious Age in which men adventure upon the very language of hell under pretence of exercising their Christian Liberty and speaking according to their New Light and this Point will be too cleare For we do already grant that no man ought to be troubled for following the dictates of his conscience rightly enformed but for following of pernicious errours which are contrary to his own conscience unless he be judicially blinded by God for his customary sinning against light of conscience in former times 2. Nothing is more common then for men to speak out of the abundance of that naturall Atheisme which lurkes in their hearts contrary to the dictates of their naturall conscience 3. Though conscience may be quiet whilst men are exercising their wits to maintaine some errour which is contrary to those mysteries of faith which transcend naturall reason and are repugnant to the corruption of reason especially if they are engaged in multitudâ— of business connived at by such as sit at sterne and do thrive and prosper in the world Yet conscience will find a time to speak when it may
Civill states Princes and People for this Spiritual Pollution The Turke was let loose from the River Euphrates to punish the worshippers of Imamages Rev. 9. 14. 20. The flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the Civill state and the decay of Religion the decay and ruine of the Civil state according to the ordinary dispensations of God When Christ had rode through the Roman state on the white horse of his Gospel of grace and was rejected then followed the Red horse of Warre the black horse of Famine and the pale horse of Pestilence and other deadly plagues Rev. 6. from the 2. to the 8 vers Can any Christian state hope upon Scripture grounds that it shall enjoy honour health riches peace safety settlement if Faith and Piety be overthrowen by the indulgence of that state if Seducers bee permitted to poyson soules to teach damnable Doctrines and perswade men to deny the Lord that bought them to deny his divine nature and subsistence his Offices and the efficacy of them nay his very Redemption by way of purchase by way of proper and alsufficient satisfaction as the Socimans do The patience and bounty of God acting as it were by Praerogative is gloriously manifested in our dayes but surely no Christian state can be secured by a councell or an army which permits men to live without Christ without God in the world without any spirituall communion with God in his Coeternall Son by his Coessentiall Spirit Woe be to us if we neglect so great Salvation as is yet offered to us in this day of Grace XV. The Church as a Church hath no sword it doth therefore belong to the Magistrate to smite with the sword but the Church may exhort the Magistrate to doe his duty 1 Kings 18. 40. XVI We must distinguish between Christian Forbearance vouchsafed to weak Brethren that they may live quietly in all godlinesse and honesty and Antichristian indulgence extended to blasphemous Heretikes and seducing Apostates that they may live quietly in all ungodlinesse and dishonesty to the infection and seduction of others The Kings shall bee rewarded for burning and God praised for judging the seducing whore But judicious Mr. Cotton is afraid that the Antichristian Whore will steale in at the Back-doore of a Toleration XVII Gospel-dispensations are as spirituall for the conversion of Sorcerers Adulterers Murtherers as for recovery of blasphemous Heretiks and seducing Apostates and therefore they who plead for the Toleration of these obstinate persons in hope of their conversion doe indeed proclaime a generall pardon for all malefactours save such only as sin against the Holy Ghost XVIII They who permit men to deny supernaturall Principles do permit them to overthrow the Gospel which is not writen in our hearts by nature as the Law is And yet it should be considered that they who deny the Gospel do consequently sin against the light of nature because they make God a liar by rejecting the testimony of Gâ—d concerning his Son 1. Ioh. 5. 10. They who did seduce men from the beliefe and worship of God as revealed in the Old Testament were to die the death and yet the Old Testament is as divine and supernaturall a Revelation as the New Testament it self And it is cleare that God did reveale himselfe in Christ even in the Old Testament for there is much Gospell in the Law and the Prophets because all the Law and the Prophets bare witnesse of Christ and Moses saith our Saviour wrote of me If then there be an indulgence granted to such as deny supernaturall truths men may overthrow both the Old and New Testament and be Antiscripturists without controule nay it wil if this absurdity be granted clearly follow that the Magistrate may punish such severely who deny the truths which are wrote in Aristotle but must not touch them who deny all the supernaturall mysteries of Faith Written in the Book of God Blush ye Heavens and be ashamed O Earth at the Atheisticall libertinisme of this licentious age Seducers who did thrust men out of the way which the Lord commanded them by his written word to walk in were put to death Deut. 13. 5 10. though they were directed by a supernaturall Revelation to walk in that way Reverend Mr. Burroughs doeth often acknowledge in his Irenicum that such as professe Christianity are justly punished for sinning against the common light of Christianity For it is not conscience but the Devil in the conscience which moves Christians to maintaine errours against the light of Christianity errours that are destructive to the Christian Religion and if any man hath a minde to be an Advocate for the Devil I dare not be an Advocate for him only I desire him to beware how he hearkens to the Divell in Samuels mantle and beseech him to cry mightily to him who alone can cast out Devills to cast the Devil out of his conscience place himself there as on a Throne that he may rule the conscience and command the whole man by his Word Spirit XIX He that by seducing seeks to thrust men away from the beleife and worship of the only true God Father Son and Holy Ghost doth deserve to be punished for his very attempt and endeavour to subvert soules though he doth not prevaile with one soule to depart from God Because he hath sought to thrust thee away from Jehovah thy God Deut. 13. 10. The very murtherous attempt of killing a soule by abusing an Ordinance of God corrupting of Religion telling lyes in the name of the Lord fathering our own damnable lyes upon the holy â—pirit is a Capitall crime XX. Christians are in a worse condition then the Jewes were if men may seduce our wives and children into such opinions and practices as will certainly undoe their souls to all eternity and wee must onely intreat them not to seduce our friends to Hell and the Christian Magistrate hath no power to punish these Soule murthering seducers This argument is affectionately pressed by sweet Mr. Burroughs in his book of Heart divisions pag. 23. 24. I have much more to deliver upon this weighty point but I remember what Hugo said That it is best at some time to say nothing at every time to say enough but at no time to say all 6 MA 50 FINIS Tertul. Apolog cap. 46. Lactant. Epiphan Cicero l. 3. de finibus De Authoritate verborum 1 Jo. 5. 7. Rob. Stephanus Senior Iunior MS optimae sidei Hieron Prob. in Epist. Cathol Hieron Epist. ad Marcel ult Bedae translatio laborat Cyprian de unitate Ecclesiae Tertul. Praescript Antichrist Racoviens Vide Cat. Racoviens Scripta Socini Moscorovii Crelâ—ii Volklii Smalcii Goslavii AlcuinuÌ„ de Trinitate in Praefatione ad Carolum magnum Schlusselbergium de Haeresibus Stegmannum Junium Zanchium Gomarum Voetium de Trinitate a Act. Concil Nicen. Nicer The saur Orth. fid l. 4. haeres 32. Epiph. haeres 65. Aug. de haeres c.
creatures to communicate their nature by generation in their low and imperfect way but the great God who is not subject to imperfection doth after the most glorious and perfect manner beget a Son in the unity of his own living Essence who is therefore called the Son of the living God that is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of God who hath the same Divine Life Nature Essence with the Father and therefore Peter is so highly commended for confessing that Christ is the Son of the living God Blessed art thou saith our Saviour for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven upon this fundamentall truth Christ hath built the Christian Church as on a Rock Matth. 16. 16. 17 18. He who hath life in himself is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of the living God he hath the same Will Power Nature Essence Life with his Father Iohn 5. 18 26. Iohn 16. 15. Iohn 10. 30. 1 Iohn 5. 7. The same single and infinite Essence is in Father Son and Holy Ghost the whole undivided and indivisible Essence of God dwels in the Son in its fulnesse and infinite perfection Coloss. 2. 9. 4. The Father did beget his Son without change or motion after a most glorious and wonderfull manner there can be no change motion or succession in this eternall and most perfect generation The Essence of God is spirituall Iohn 4. 24. and therefore the Son is not begotten of the Fathers seed or any materiall substance because God is a single and pure Act who doth beget a Son within himself Essentially one with himself and therefore his Sonne doth not subsist out of himself John 14. 10. Iohn 10. 30. for an infinite nature cannot be poured forth beyond it self There can be no essentiall change in the Son by this generation because the generation is eternall and the nature which is communicated by generation is unchangable the Father did unchangably beget his Son and his Son is unchangably begotten there is no shadow of changing or turning either in the Father of lights or the Son of righteousnesse because they are one and the same unchangable Jehovah Iames 1. 17 Malach. 3. 6. They are too carnall and base who make an unworthy and odious comparison between the material generation of a weak man and this more then spirituall and supernaturall generation The eternall and unchangable Father doth beget an eternall and unchangable Son according to the perfection of his eternall unchangable infinite nature The Father doth beget his Son naturally and therefore in a way agreeable to his unchangable Nature if the Son were not necessarily begotten his being would not be necessary and then his Essence would not be divine V. Jesus Christ is truly and properly the onely-begotten Son of God and therefore the only Naturall Son of God Jesus Christ is called the Son of David according to his humane nature but the Lord of David and the Son of the living God according to his divine nature as appeares by our Saviours discourse with the Pharisees Matth. 22. from the 41. verse to the 46. And the Jewes sought to kill Christ because he called God his proper Father as appears by the originall text for our English translation doth omit that most observable Emphasis the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 5. 18. and Christ is called Gods proper Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 32. and the Apostle gives the reason why he is called the proper Son of God in a more excellent way then the most glorious Angel is the Son of God because Christ is begotten by the Father but the Angles were only created by him observe the words of the Apostle For unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee so that the proper reason why he is called the proper Son of God is because he is begotten of God there is the most excellent reason why Christ is said to obtain a more excellent name then Angels Christ was begotten in the unity of the Godhead and therfore he alone is properly the Son of God with a supereminent excellency The Angels are not such excellent sons as Christ is 1. Because Christ is begotten of God v. 5. 2. Worshipped by Angels with divine honour worshipped as God v. 6. 3. He hath the Throne Scepter Kingdom of God v. 8. 4. He hath the soveraign and proper Title of God v. 8. 5. The Attributes of God eternity v 8 10 â—1 12. 6. He sits at the right hand of God v. 13. All these excellencies are due to Christ as the proper Son of God Hebr. 1. wheras the Angels the most excellent sons by creation are but ministring spirits From theâ—e proper and excellent reasons we infer that Christ is the only proper or naturall Son of God because he is the only-begotten Son of God We saith Iohn beheld his glory As of the only begotten Son of God The word As is not assimilative but declarative and demonstrative in that place for it doth declare to us that the glory of Christ is agreeable to his divine nature he being the only naturall Son of God because he is the only begotten Son of God just as if when we see a King sitting in his Royall robes on his Throne with a Crowne on his head and a Scepter in his hand we should say now we see him as a King that is now he is like himselfe his state is agreeable to his Majesty even so was the glory of Christ which the Apostles beheld agreeable to the majesty of the only begotten Son of God Iohn 1. 14. and therfore the word As was not inserted tanquam terminus diminuens to diminish the glory of the only begoten Son of God for the word As is left out in the 18. verse of this very chapter The only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father Iohn 1 v. 18. The Scripture doth abound with several expressions to the same purpose But we are specially to observe that the only begotten Son of God is propounded to us as the object of saving Faith and therefore this point ought to be diligently studied and considered by us For so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. The Socinians observing how much it concernes us to stand stedfast and not yeeld one whit of ground in this point have tryed their wit to deceive and seduce us and therefore they object Isaac is called the only Son of Abraham Gen. 22. 2. 12. To this we answer without any great study That Isaac was the only Son which Abraham had by Sarah he was the onely begotten Son of the Promise though Ismael was the son of Abraham by Hagar the bond-woman in an unworthy and dishonourable way and therefore this example will
of Isaiah are Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Son and shall call his name Immanuel Isaiah 7. 14. they shall call his name Iesus Matth. 1. 21. he shall be called the Son of the highest the Son of God Luke 1. You see the words are different and therefore we must have speciall respect to the thing signified Observe then 1. That the Prophet did foretell two particulars First that a Virgin should bear a Son Secondly that the Son born of her should be called the Son of God The Virgin doubts of the first particular and enquires how that could be without the knowledge of a man The Angel informs her that she should conceive after a peculiar and admirable manner by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and from thence infers the second particular that she should bring forth a Son who was to be called the Son of God and he gives the very same reason which was given by Saint Matthew because it was so foretold by the Prophet Isaiah Matth 1. 20 21 22. for the particle Therefore Luke 1. 35. is not to be referred to the conception of Christ as the Cause of this divine sonship but to the Prophecy of Isaiah recorded Luke 1. 31. for all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Matth. 1. 22. 2. They shall call his name Immanuel God with us and therefore he the same person shall be called the Son of God this is an higher reason then that which the Socinians alleage 3. The Socinians put a Fallacy upon us by assigning that to be the Cause which is not the true Cause he shall be called that is declared and acknowledged to be the Son of God This Declaration or manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh was temporall 1 Tim. 3. 16. but his generation was eternall Micah 5. 2. The Son of God was sent manifested incarnate in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 4. but he was the Son of God before his Incarnation and therefore his Incarnation is not the cause of his divine sonship the effect cannot be before the cause but the divine sonship of Christ was before the world was The Holy Ghost is never called the Father of Christ and he could not be the principle of the subsistence or the Word and therefore not the Cause of this divine sonship The Apostle states the point and puts it past all dispute Rom. 1. 3 4. Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh but determined and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead from whence it followes directly that Christ is not properly the Son of God according to the flesh but is in that consideration rather to be called the Son of David as we observed above because Christ came of David as concerning the flesh but the eternall Son of God is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. When the Jewes said that our Saviour blasphemed because he made himself God John 10 33. Christ askes them whether they did accuse him of blasphemy because he said he was the son of God v. 36. whereby he declared that he was the Son of God according to his person which is truly divine beleeve saith he that the Father is in me and I in him v. 38. The force of his answer is evident I am in the Father and the Father in me and therefore I am a divine person I am the Son of God and therefore the divine nature is communicated to my person I am begotten in the unity of the God head I am in the Father and therefore if it be no blasphemy for me to say that I am the Son of God it is no blasphemy at all to say that I am God because the divine nature is communitated to the naturall and proper Son of God there 's the proper reason why Christ is called the Son of God because the divine nature was communicated to him by an eternal generation II. The second cause assigned by the Socinians why Christ is called the Son of God is the sanctification of Christ for which they cite Iohn 10. 35 36. Behold say they the second cause of this divine sonship plainly set forth unto us Christ hath obtained an excellent portion of the Spirit he is sanctified and sent with a divine power into the world to save mankind To which we answer that here is the same fallacy obtruded again because 1. Christ was the Son of God before he was sent into the world 2. God did not give the spirit by measure to him Iohn 3. 34. 3. Christ proves in that tenth chapter of Iohn that he is one with his Father in power and therefore in nature as appears 1. Because he doth the same works that his Father doth v. 37. 2. Because he is in his Father and his Father in him v. 38. 3. Because he is the Naturall Son of God and therefore might truly call himself God v. 33. 36. 4. Because they themselves called Magistrates Gods upon a cheaper account only in regard of their Commission and Office much more might he call himself God because he was sanctified without measure had an higher office and Commission being sent to do the work of God to satisfie the justice of God and save the elect of God which he could not have done if he had not had the Nature of God and been thereby fully enabled to perfect this work of God The Argument is grounded upon the infinite distance and imparity between the office of a Mediatour and the office of a Magistrate between the only begotten Son of God who is one with his Father who begot him and the Sons of men who are but the Deputies of God III. The third Cause which they assigne of this divine sonship is the speciall love of the Father to this excellent Son Matth. 3. 17. To this we answer that God did not make Christ his Son because he loved him but he loves him because he is his Son a Son equall to himself one with himself the expresse Image of his person the illustrious brightnesse of his glory That very place which they cite makes much against them God doth from heaven own Christ for his proper and naturall Son in that very place Matth. 3. 17. God said not so to the best of Angels Hebr. 1. 4. 5 To which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that one place is sufficient to discover the fraud of the Socinians in this point IV. The fourth Cause which they assign is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ because when Christ was raised from the dead he was as it were begotten again from the dead Acts 13. 32 33. To which we answer that Christ was the Naturall and Proper Son of God before his Resurrection only he was declared to be the Son of God by
God the Father is our Father in a peculiar consideration pag. 328. and therefore I need not insist longer upon this Point since the Scriptures are cleare so cleare that even very Cavillers confess this truth Christ himself as man obeyed the Father Iohn 4. 34. 2. God the Son is to be obeyed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare ye him Mat. 17. 5. Heare him beleeve him obey him the Godhead of Christ is the Formall reason of our Obedience but all his benefits are sweet encouragements to us to performe our duty Be obedient as children saith the Apostle and if ye call on the Father c. passe the time of your sojourning here in feare For as much as ye know ye were not redeemed but with the precious bloud of Christ. 1 Pet. 1. 14 17 18 19. Why do the Presbyters throw down their Crowns at the feet of Christ and fall down before the Lamb but to testifie their subjection and profess how ready they are to serve and obey Jesus Christ Rev. 4. 10 11. Rev. 5. 8. Christ is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. The life of a Christian is a living unto Christ a life of faith love and obedience Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Phil. 1. 20 21. We are made new Creatures in Christ that we may performe new obedience to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. He who serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14. 18. We are under the Law to Christ. 1. Cor. 9. 21. All manner of obedience inward and outward is due unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Cursed is he that doth not prize and love Christ above all the Kingdoms of the World and glory of them above all the comforts of life and life it self 1 Cor. 16. 22. Luk. 14. 26 33. Mat. 13. 44 46. Phil. 3. 7 8 10. Col. 3. 23 24. Eph. 6. 6. 7. Eph. 5. 26 27. and Tit. 2. 14. compared together 3. God the holy Ghost is to be obeyed We are devoted to his service in Baptisme our bodies and soules are temples consecrated to his honour and service the Spirit doth conquer our carnall reason mortifie our corruptions and subdue our hearts unto the obedience of himself as well as to the obedience of the Father and the Lord Jesus We are debtors to the Spirit We are his Creatures The spirit of Elohim did forme and fashion the rude Mass out of which all things were made Gen. 1. 2. The renovation of all things by continued propagation is ascribed to the Spirit Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Psal. 104. 30. Our soules are breathed into us by this Spirit of life Gen. 2. 7. Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life The soule is enabled and adorned with all abilities by the Spirit that it may be qualified for all manner of service In respect of Counsell and Government Numb 11. 25. In respect of resolution and action Iudg. 14. 6. But that which is most endearing is that the Spirit is the Spirit of Conviction Regeneration Conversion Sanctification Edification and Consolation 1. Pet. 1. 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. The Spirit is the God of all comfort it is his speciall office to comfort mourners The Spirit fitted the man Christ to be our Mediatour as is most evident because 1. The Spirit formed the nature of man of the substance of the Virgin after an extraordinary manner Luk. 1. 35. compared with Gal. 4. 4. for the service of the Lord Christ. 2. He sanctified the humane Nature which Christ assumed after such a perfect manner that it was free from all sin in the very moment of conception Luke 1. 35. 3. He united this pure humane nature with the divine in the same Person the Person of the Son of God Luk. 1. 35. compared with Heb. 10. 5. a body hast thou fitted unto me by the holy Ghost Our Saviour was annointed with the Spirit above measure that he might be a fit head and Mediatour for us that we and his whole Church might receive of his fulnesse graces answerable to his graces Ioh. 1. 16. Ioh. 3. 34. Ioh. 1. 14. Isa. 61. 1. Psal. 45. 7. compared together Act. 10. 38. Luk. 2. 40 52. Mat. 3. 16 17. Ioh. 7. 39. If we consider how the Spirit hath manifested his divine power in garnishing heaven and earth Iob. 26. 13. in annointing Christ and Christians 1 Ioh. 2. 27. in ordering and regulating Church-affaires and enabling Ministers for all Church-service that the Elect might be gathered converted perefected saved by the efficacy of the Spirit in all Ministeriall Dispensations we shall see reason enough to acknowledge the divine power of the Spirit by all spirituall and heavenly obedience 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6 8 9 11 13. Isa 6. 1. 9. Act 28 25. compared If we harden our hearts against the Precepts and Exhortations of the spirit speaking in the Word if we vexe grieve resist and quench the Spirit we are in a ready way to that black and unpardonable sin of doing despight to the Spirit of grace and therefore unlesse we meane to proceed to totall and finall disobedience it highly concerns us to obey the holy Spirit and answer the many cals and motions of the Spirit by sincere obedience that our effectuall Vocation may evidence our Election and the Spirit may seale us up unto the day of Redemption for the same spirit is the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption the spirit of Revelation Mortification Vivification Consolation The Spirit quickens moves enables enclines perswades us to beleeve in Christ and to love one another to keep all the Commandements of God Now this spirit of faith love and obedience is the Spirit of Sanctification and if you find the spirit of sanctification in you be of good comfort though the spirit of Adoption seeme to withdraw yet he is certainly present nay is not idle or silent he speaks by his reall works and sweet fruits for the spirit of Sanctification is the spirit of Adoption it is one and the self-same spirit This is his Commandement That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement And he that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Ioh. 3. 23 24. And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Ioh. 4. 13. And therefore if there be a spirit of faith love and obedience in you rejoyce in it lift up your heart to God in thankfulness for it
is the Author of Faith he gives us supernaturall light and spirituall eyes 1 Cor. 2. 8 9 10. Ephes. 1. 17 18. He that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witnes in himselfe The Spirit is called the witnesse 1 Ioh. 5. 6. 10. And the Apostle assures us that none can say with faith and full perswasion of heart that Iesus is the Lord till he hath been taught to say so by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor 12. 3. They who are sensuall and have not the Spirit Iude ver 19. do slight the testimony of the Spirit because the world cannot receive the Spirit or the things of the Spirit It is a naturall mans pride and folly to account those things below him which are above him for he doth account spirituall wisedome foolishnesse wheras indeed it is too excellent for him to understand because he is a meer naturall sensual man but these spirituall things are spiritually discerned he doth not receive them he cannot know them 1 Cor. 2. 14. This is the true reason why men do not beleeve in the Spirit and adore the Spirit because he is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Ioh. 14. ver 17. But saith Christ to his Disciples ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Ioh. 14. in the selfe-same ver and Act. 5. 32. 5. The Spirit is the Supream Judge of truth even of controverted truths in matters of Religion we need not speake of a Private judgement of Discretion such as spirituall men may passe by the help of the Spirit and word of truth nor of that Publick and ministeriall judgement which may be passed in greater or lesser Synods where Pastors and Elders are assembled by the Ordinance of Christ and therefore may pray in faith for the direction and assistance of the Holy Ghost in all their Ministeriall determinations But I speak of the supremacy and Soveraignty of Iudgement which belongs to the Holy Ghost True it is that Christ is King and head of the Church and therefore he is our master Doctor Lawgiver Mat. 23. 10. Iam. 4. 12. But the Father hath sent the Spirit in the name of Christ to teach us the meaning of the Word of Christ and to lead us into all truth and holinesse by the holy Scriptures of truth The Spirit did indite the whole Scripture and it is agreeable to the light of nature that he who made the Law should expound it This Holy Spirit is a publick Spirit he governes the whole body of Christ the whole Church and speaks in the whole body of the Scriptures every part thereof and if we do compare one place of Scripture with another we shall by comparing of Spirituall things with Spirituall come to understand the saving wisdome which the Holy Ghost teacheth which things we speak saith the Apostle not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with Spirituall 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Holy Ghost speaking to us in plain places doth discover to us all that is necessary to be knowne and beleeved for our eternall salvation and doth thereby give us so much light as that we may sufficiently understand hard places if we pray as we should compare and search the Scriptures as we ought in the Spirit of Faith and modesty Iam. 1. 5. Ioh. 5. 39. Mat. 7. 7. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Rom. 2. 2. 3. and practise what we know before Ioh. 7. 17. Phil. 3. 15 16. for we shall at least learne so much wisedom as not to expound hard places of Scripture in any sense that is contrary to the mind of the Spirit cleerly delivered in plaine places of Scripture If we expound hard places according to the Analogy of Faith cleerly delivered in other places though we should mistake in the application yet the Spirit doth so far interpose as to keep us from falling into heresie And if we meet with no plaine places to expound an hard place by there is then no danger of heresie because all things necessary to salvation are set downe cleerly in the plaine places of Scripture This conference of Scriptures is an excellent means to bring us acquainted with all Book-cases the determinations which the Spirit hath made in Scripture and left there upon Record in those sacred Rolls which are the treasury of the Church for the direction of the Saints And whether we make use of this ordinance in our private reading or in the publique ministry the spirit doth deliver his judgement authoritatively and infallibly in the holy Scriptures and we may come to be acquainted with the mind and judgment of the Spirit by both Ordinances Thine eyes shall see thy teachers And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way this and not that behold a cleere direction walk ye in it continue and go forward in it do not forsake it when we are wavering and even turning out of our way on one hand or the other when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left then even then doth the Spirit resolve us and put us out of doubt when we are disputing and even yielding up the truth in a controversie we have a cleer certain and infallible direction from the holy Spirit Isa 30 20 21. The Holy Ghost doth exhort the Jewes to compare the dimmer light of the Prophers with the cleerer light of the Apostles that so the Sun of righteousnesse may shine in its strength with its healing beams into their hearts and then tels them that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private interpretation because Prophets spake as the Apostles also did not as the will of man did move or the fancy of man direct but according to the mind and will of the Holy Ghost And therefore since all the Scriptures were endited all are to be expounded by the Holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures thus compared for the Holy Ghost did move all the Holy men Apostles as wel as Prophets to write and teach them what they should write And though we have no extraordinary revelations now by a voice from the excellent glory for our direction yet we have that which is better the writings of the Prophets and Apostles to compare together the Prophesies be darke yet they are sure more sure then those voices which may be more easily counterfeited though the Prophesies be dark yet the Spirit who did endite them will if you compare them with the writings of the Apostles give light to both and deliver his judgement as cleerly in all necessary points as if it were written with a Sun-beame this I take to be the scope of the Holy Ghost in that excellent discourse 2 Pet. 1. from the sixteenth verse to the end of the chapter