is God which W. P. also doth deny and this also I shall prove from Scripture I. But Peter said Act. 5. 4 3. Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost to keep back part of the price of the Land c. Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God Him whom the Apostle calleth Holy Ghost in the 3d. verse he calleth God in the 4. verse and him whom he calleth God in the 4th verse he calleth the Spirit of the Lord in the ninth verse How is it that ye have agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord II. 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all He that is called the same Spirit in the 4th verse is called the same Lord in the fifth verse and the same God which worketh all in all in the sixth verse and that what is spoken of Administrations and Operations in the fifth and sixth verses is attributed to the Spirit as appeareth by the seventh verse where they are called The manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to profit withal and more plainly verse 11. But all this worketh that one and the same Spirit dividing unto every man severally as he will And what can be more plain to prove that the Holy Ghost or Spirit is God when he worketh all in all and distributeth spiritual gifts unto men according to his own good pleasure III. Isa. 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne c. v. 2 3. Above stood the Seraphims and cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts The three Holies signifie the three Persons the Lord of Hosts the one God ver 8. I heard the voice of the Lord ver 9. And he said Go tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not c. This must needs be spoken of God and it is by the Apostle applyed to the Holy Ghost Act. 28. 25. Well spake the Holy Ghost go to this people and say hearing you shall hear c. IV. 1 Cor. 2. 10. For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God None is omniscient to know all things yea whatsoever is in the unsearchable minde of God but he that is God and therefore the Holy Ghost is God I might speak further of his divine Works as Regeneration Ioh. 3. 5. guiding Believers into all truth Ioh. 16. 13. Sanctification and the like of our being baptized by him Mat. 3. 11. and in his name Mat. 28. 19. and his being called One that is one God where he is numbred up amongst the three Persons that bare record in heaven 1 Ioh. 5. 7. All which undeniably prove that the Holy Ghost is God co-essential and co-equal with the Father and the Son 5. The fifth and last thing is to prove That Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct Subsistents or Persons Concerning the name Person I shall not speak of it because Mr. Danson intendeth to vindicate that word from the cavils of W. P. in answer to what concerneth him p. 10. That there are three such distinct Persons in one Divine Essence is evident from the Scripture See Math. 3. 16 17. And Iesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water and to the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him And lo a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Here is a distinction of all the three Persons the Son was clothed in flesh and came up out of the water the Spirit was in the shape of a Dove which came down from heaven the Fa was in the voice saying This is my beloved Son Another Scripture which holdeth forth this distinction is Ioh. 16. 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give them another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth The Son prayeth the Father giveth The Spirit of Truth is the Comforter that is given I shall adde a third Scripture 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There are three that bare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one They are the distinct Persons but one undivided Essence But further to confirm this truth denied by the Adversaries I shall prove from the Scripture that there are three distinct Persons in one Divine Essence 1 From the distinct Names given to them 2 From their distinct personal Acts. 3 From their distinct personal Properties 1. From their distinct Names they are called Father Son and Holy Ghost Math. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Father Word and Holy Ghost in Ioh. 5. 7. before cited These names do evidence a distinction not of nature and essence for they are one therefore of personality 2. From their distinct personal acts I mean such acts as can be ascribed unto none but such as are persons 1 Giving the Comforter is ascribed to the Father Ioh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter it is proper onely to a person to give this act requiring both understanding and will 2 Sending the Comforter is ascribed to the Son Ioh. 15. 6. When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father and it is proper onely to a person to send 3 Guiding into all truth speaking what he heareth is ascribed to the Holy Ghost Ioh. 16. 13. Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak And who can deny that these are personal acts The distinction of the persons in these acts is evident in all these places where the Son speaketh of himself in the first person I will pray I will send he speaketh of the Father and the Spirit in the third person which persons he evidently distinguisheth one from another by the preposition from speaking of the Spirit whom I will send from the Father Surely he must wink very hard that doth not perceive a distinction of the persons of Father Son and Spirit in these places 3. That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons is evident from these distinct personal and incommunicable Properties 1. The personal property of the Father is to beget the Son Heb. 1. 5. Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and the Son being eternal as hath been proved this generation must be eternal 2. The personal property of the Son is to be begotten of the Father Ioh. 1. 14. We beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father 3. The personal
Trinity of Persons that three should be one and one should be three that three should be distinguished but not divided that one should not be another the first should not be the second nor the second third nor the second or third the first and yet the first second and third the same that the first should be in the second and the second in the first and both first and second in the third and that without composition without confusion all related to one another and al distinguished one from another by incommunicable personal properties and yet all one and the same in regard of one individual Essence this is such a mystery as doth exceed the weak and narrow understanding of the most enlightned and clear sighted Christians fully to comprehend some by gazing too long upon the Sun become blind and some by prying too much into this mystery and attempting to bring it to the standard and module of their reason have lost the sight thereof and sunk into grosse apprehensions and denied either the unity of the Godhead affirming the three persons to be three distinct Gods or denied the Trinity affirming the Godhead to be without three distinct persons thus while they have professed and conceited themselves to be wise they have proved themselves to be fools void of true understanding by changing the glory of God into that which is unworthy of him But we having a sure word of Prophecy in the Scriptures which is like a light shining in a dark place ought to give heed thereunto and conform all our conceptions of God according to the discoveries which he hath made of himself in his word God knoweth himself better than any creature can know and what he hath spoken of himself must needs be so because he cannot represent himself otherwise than he is and if there be a mystery in him which we cannot reach we adde folly to our weakness if we do in the least question it reason it may be will leave us in our search after the Deity in the Trinity and the Trinity in the Deity but where reason faileth Faith must supply it's room the proper object of Divine Faith is such things as we purely do assent unto upon Divine authority such are not onely Histories and Prophesies but also Mysteries which reason cannot demonstrate unto us in this mystery of the Trinity we must exercise our Faith though we cannot clear it to our selves by demonstration not as if we were to lay reason quite aside in this thing or trample it under foot not as if we should put out the eye of reason that we might see more clearly with the eye of Faith for though this mystery be above reason yet it is not against reason yea there is the greatest reason in the world that we should assent unto that for truth which God hath revealed of himself in his word because he is a God of truth and nothing is more true than that which God hath spoken Wherefore if the Scriptures have revealed that there are three distinct persons in one Divine Essence it is a certain truth and it is reason and duty that every one should assent unto it though the mystery of it there being no such thing to be found in nature cannot be fully comprehended Here then I shall propound my assertion and prove it out of Scripture My assertion according to the generally believed Doctrine of the Church of God is this That there are three distinct subsistents or persons in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead The argument bottom'd upon the Scripture to prove my assertion is this If the Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one and the Father is God and the Son God and the Holy Ghost God and the Father Son and Holy Ghost be three distinct subsistents or persons then there are three distinct subsistents or persons Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead But the Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one and the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons Therefore there are three distinct subsistents or persons Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead The consequent of the major proposition is plain and firm that no man of reason can in the least question or deny The minor proposition is that which must be proved and there are five things in the proposition to be proved 1. That the Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one 2. That the Father is God 3. That the Son is God 4. That the Holy Ghost is God 5. That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons 1. The Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one Deut. 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord Isa. 44. 6. Thus saith the Lord I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God Isa. 45. 21 22. There is no God else besides me a just God and Saviour there is none besides me look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else And it cannot be otherwise for if there were more than one God then the Godhead might be divided it might be limited and by consequence would be finite and so not God because God is infinite I need not insist upon this because the unity of the Godhead is not denied by the adversaries I have to deal withal 2. The Father is God 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him I need not multiply places of Scripture nor adde arguments to prove that the Father is God since it is generally acknowledged by all that acknowledge a Deity and the Scriptures 3. The Son is God this William Penn plainly denieth he denieth that the Lord Jesus Christ is God wretched blasphemy that would thrust the Lord Jesus Christ off from the Throne of his Godhead His denial of the Divinity of Christ as well as the Divinity of the Holy Ghost is plain enough I shall repeat his words as they lye in his first argument against the three distinct persons in the Godhead page 13. And since the Father is God the Son is God and the Spirit is God which their opinion necessitates them to confesse then unlesse the Father Son and Spirit are three distinct nothings they must be three distinct substances and consequently three distinct Gods I shall answer the argument in its proper place only observe here that he denieth the Son and Spirit to be God by a plain consequence for first he telleth us that our opinion necessitates us to acknowledge that the Father is God and the Son God and the Spirit God which showeth that his opinion is otherwise that the Son and Spirit are not
God especially it followeth from the scope of the argument which is to prove that if the Father be God and the Son God and the Holy Ghost God than there are three distinct Gods but W. P. having plainly asserted his belief that there is but one God he must of necessity deny by his argument that the Son and Holy Ghost are God for neither he nor any Socinian of them all will deny that the Father is God Behold here the Christian that hath offered such an affront and indignity unto the Son and Spirit as to divest them what in him lieth of their Divinity is not this a treading of the Son of God underfoot and doing despight to the spirit of grace and should not this cause the hearts of all sincere Christians who have any zeal for their masters honour to arise with indignation against such Black-mouth'd blasphemers and to abhor their opinions and ways but more of this in the exhortation at the latter end the Heathenism abominablenesse and foulness of this opinion being such a blasphemy and reproach of the eternal Son of God may excuse a little disgression to expresse my abhorrency thereof The thing to be proved is that the Son is God I do not mean nominal so as those are that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth but really so that he is God co-essential co-equal co-eternal with the Father The onely proof of this is to be drawn from the Scripture I. Joh. 1. 1. 3. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made By the Word we are to understand the Essential not the written Word namely the Son the only begotten of the Father which is Christ it being the same whom Iohn came to bear witness of ver 7. the same which was made flesh and dwelt amongst them ver 14. Now that this Word or Son of God is God is evident from this place where 1. He is called God The Word was God 2. It is said All things were made by him So Col. 1 16. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him Whence it followeth 1. That he himself was not made for then he must be made by himself which is absurd and impossible and if he were not made then he is no creature and if no creature then God all things that have a being being divided into God and his creatures 2. It followeth hence that all things being made by him that he is the Creator that he is Infinite in Power and Wisdom and Goodness as his works of Creation do demonstrate 3. It followeth that all things being made by him that he was before all things as it is said expresly Col. 1. 17. And he is before all things that he was before the beginning of time when creatures received their beings it being necessary that he which made creatures should be before the creatures he made and therefore he must be eternal and by consequence that he must needs be God none being eternal a parte ante in respect of heretofore but God II. Joh. 8. 58. Iesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am That the Jews did apprehend him to assert himself to be God is evident by their taking up stones to cast at him for the Blasphemy which they through their unbelief of his Deity did think he had spoken And that he did really hereby assert himself to be God is evident from the words themselves I Am is the Name whereby God made himself known to Moses and the children of Israel Exod. 3. 14. And God said unto Moses thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I Am hath sent me unto you I am doth signifie infinite eternal necessary independent Being this Christ doth apply to himself therefore he is God Moreover in our Saviours saying Before Abraham was I am it must needs have a reference to his Divine Nature for in regard of his humane nature the Jews spake truth v. 57. Thou are not yet fifty years old as man he was a son of Abraham and born many generations after him therefore his Being before Abraham yea before the world by the former Scriptures proved hath a reference to his Divine Nature and Godhead III. Joh. 3. 13. And no man hath ascended unto heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man which is in heaven That Christ was not in heaven at that time as man is evident because he was upon the earth speaking to Nicodemus yet he telleth him He is in heaven that is as God he filleth both heaven and earth IV. Rom. 9. 5. Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came that setteth forth his humane nature Who is over all God blessed for ever that evidently doth prove his Divine Nature The Title of God with universal Soveraignty and eternal Blessedness cannot without blasphemy and absurdity be ascribed unto any creature as it is here unto Christ. V. Philip. 2.6 Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God In this Scripture there are two Proof that Christ is God 1 He is said to be in the form of God by the form of God we can rationally understand nothing but the Essence of God and to be in the form of God is to subsist in the Essence of God Christ subsisting eternally in the Essence of God must needs be God 2. It is said He thought it no robbery to be equal with God that is he was equal with God without robbing God of his honor without any detraction from the Deity And none can be equal with God but he that is God and such is Christ. I might here add for the proof of Christs Divinity all those Scriptures which ascribe the same divine Attributes to Christ as Eternity Heb. 1. 8. Vnto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and euer Omniscience Ioh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Omnipresence Math. 28. 20. Lo I am with you always Omnipotence In making all things as before and upholding all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 3 As also those Scriptures which ascribe the same honor and worship to Christ which is due onely to God In him we must believe Joh. 14. 1. In his name we must be baptized Math. 28. 19. Vpon his name we must call 1 Cor. 1. 2. At his name we must bow Phil. 2. 10. None can reasonably question Christs Deity who give credit to the Scriptures Authority 4. The fourth thing is to prove that the holy Ghost
property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son Ioh. 15. 26. And when the comforter is come whom I will send from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testify of me I shall conclude the proof of the distinction of the persons of the Father the Son and Holy Ghost in the unity of the Divine Essence with the two arguments made mention of before in the disputation which because no answer was given unto they remain in force The first argument is this against W. P's plain assertion that there were not three distinct persons in the Godhead with three distinct incommunicable properties If the Father be another from the Son and the Son another from the Father and the Holy Ghost another from each and all three be God and the incommunicable property of the Father is to beget the Son the incommunicable property of the Son to be begotten of the Father and the incommunicable property of the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son then there are three distinct persons in the Godhead with three distinct incommunicable properties But the Father is another c. Therefore there are three distinct persons in the Godhead with three distinct incommunicable properties The consequence of the Major none can with any reason deny because another and another and another do signify plainly a distinction of those persons and begetting being begotten and proceeding are real not imaginary properties The Minor also is firm in all the parts of it 1. The Father is another from the Son Ioh. 5. 32. There is another that beareth witness of me Ioh. 8. 18. I am one that bear witnesse of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me 2. The Son is another from the Father because the Father is another from the Son 3. The Holy Ghost is another from each Ioh. 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter even the spirit of truth 4. That Father Son and Holy Ghost are God hath been proved 5. The incommunicable properties of each person also hath been proved Therefore it undeniably followeth that there are three distinct persons in the Godhead with three distinct incommunicable properties The second argument out of 1 Ioh. 5. 7. to prove that Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons was this The Father Son and Holy Ghost are either three substances or three manifestations or three operations or three persons or something else But 1. They are not three substances because in the same verse the three are called one that is in regard of substance or Essence 2. They are not three manifestations for all the attributes of God are manifestations and so there would be more than three hence also it would follow that one manifestation should beget and send another which is absurd 3. They are not three operations for the same reason namely that there are more than three operations and it would be very improper to asribe personal properties either to manifestations or operations 4. They are not any thing else Therefore the proposition remaineth firm and sound That Father Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons in one Divine Essence or Godhead The Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are nor three Gods but one God the persons of the Father Son and Holy Ghost are distinct but the Godhead is the same not specifically the same as the same humane nature is in all individual men but numerically the same so as no similitude or comparison is to be found in the creatures to set it forth The fooles gathering his skirt into three folds and pulling them abroad into one the affections of One Good True in Being The understanding will and executive power in the Soul and the like similitudes may a little help the understanding in the conception of this mystery but all comparisons fall short and cannot square in every respect hereunto Yet the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so hath been proved from Scripture and it is one great fundamental point of our Christian Faith which all Christians are bound to believe because of the authority of God CHAP. VI. Ananswer to part of the 10 the 12 13 14 and 15 pages of W. P's Pamphlet which he intituleth the Trinity of distinct separate persons in the Vnity of essence refuted from Scripture right reason with information and caution in the close THe word separate person I disown any further than we may conceive it to signify no more than distinct and so W. P. was told again and again in the meeting I need speak no more of that since his endeavours are to refute the distinction not the separation of persons in the glorious and ever blessed Trinity And his first attempt is to refute this Doctrine by Scripture The Scriptures which he alledgeth to overthrow the Doctrine of the Trinity of persons are such as prove the unity of the essence that there is but one God which we do not in the least deny but have and do assert with as firme belief as he or any in the world can do but though the Godhead or Divine essence be but one this is not inconsistent with the plurality and distinction of the three persons in the same Godhead And here it is very remarkable how W. P. doth discover weakness and want of learning in the proof of the unity of the Godhead by Scripture for however he doth attempt to show something of a Scholar in quoting one Hebrew text in the margin as if he were well acquainted with the original Hebrew tongue so as to be able to read and understand it without punets yet most ignorantly and rediculously he cites three texts namely Isa. 40. 25. chap. 48. 17. Psal. 71. 22. to prove Gods unity in all which the Hebrew maketh no mention of it the translation indeed is Holy one and Holy one of Israel and he very sillily writes ONE in great letters as if one did bear the emphasis of the place when there is no such word as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one in the Hebrew only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou Holy of Israel in the new Testament he alleageth some Scriptures which the Socinians do make use of to prove that Christ is not God one is Math. 19. 17. Iesus said unto him why callest thou me good there is none good but one that is God Whence no Socinian can rationaly infer that Christ is not God any more than that he is not good for his question doth not infer a denial of his Divinity or goodnesse but is propounded according to the young man's apprehension of him and by way of probation For in other places as hath been shown Christ's Divinity is clearly enough declared Another Text is Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternal that they might know thee
Ghost most rightly they do partake of the same Essence and are dignified with one and the same Godhead What can be more plain And he goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. How can any say that he which begetteth doth not differ from him which is begotten that he which proceedeth doth not differ from him from whom he proceedeth Here is Unity of Essence and Trinity of distinct Persons asserted plainly I shall add but one place more of many in Resp. 17. ad Ortho. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore there is but one God in one indistinct Essence and three Persons with distinction of their Persons or Subsistences Tertullian Lib. de Trinitate adversus Proaxnean doth express his faith in this doctrine throughout the whole Book and argueth it strongly from the Scriptures Cap. 12. Si te adhuc numerus scandalizat Trinitatis quasi non connexae in unitate simplici interrogo quomodo unicus singularis pluraliter loquitur Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram Adam factus est tanquam unus ex nobis quia adhunc adhaerebat illi Filius secundae persona tertia Spiritus ideo pluraliter pronunciavit Faciamus nostram nobis If the number of the Trinity doth offend thee as if it could not be joyned in the simple unity I ask thee how thee one and single God doth speak pluraly Let us make Man after our Image Adam is become like one of us because the Son the second person and the Spirit the third did adhere to him therefore he spake pluraly Let us make our us Chap. 13. Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus Sanctus Deus the Father is God and the Son God and the Holy Ghost God Chap. 31. Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus tres crediti unum Deum sistunt The Father Son and Holy Ghost the three we are to believe in bold forth but one God Theophilus Lib. 1. Com in Evang doth acknowledge the Trinity Margarita pretiosa est Sancta Trinitas quae dividi non potest nam in unitate consistit The Holy Trinity is a precious Iewel which cannot be divided because it consisteth in unity Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in preaemio and Cap. 2. I am informed by a learned Author doth expresse his Faith in this Doctrine but I have not that Peice of Origen by me as I have the rest to consult I could adde the testimony of other Fathers who lived before the time W. P. maketh mention of but it is enough to cite these for the detection of the falshood of W. P. who telleth us that these Fathers were strangers to the Doctrine of the Trinity wherefore the weakness absurdity falshood and folly of this man being made manifest I suppose people will be more cautious than to follow him and the guidance of the light which W. P. saith is communicated unto all and forsake the true Light of the Word and Spirit which alone can guide men into all truth CHAP. VII The Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ the second person of the real and glorious Trinity asserted and proved IF the doctrine of the ever glorious Trinity or three persons Father Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead had been overthrown by W. P. or could be indeed shaken by the Sociniant which with all the argument they can device in vain they do endeavour if he or they could prove which they never can that there is but one person in the God-head then it would follow that Christ could not be the eternal Son of God the second person of this glorious Trinity as W. P. most blasphemously stileth him the second person of the imagin'd Trinity and by consequence the Doctrine of satisfaction depending upon this person would fall to the ground and might by invincible argument be refuted it being impossible for any meer finite creature to make plenary satisfaction to the infinite Justice of God But the Doctrine of the Trinity being established by Scripture Testimony and the Lord Jesus Christ proved to be God equal with the Father the Doctrine also of satisfaction dependent upon this second person of the real and ever glorious Trinity will remain firm against all Quaker and Socinian attempts to overthrow it and before I give answer unto the objections and cavils against this Doctrine I shall breifly assert and prove the doctrine by the Word of Truth in the Holy Scripture W. P. in his title The impossibility of Gods pardoning offin without a plenary satisfaction refuted seemeth to infinuate that he denyeth onely the impossibility of Gods pardoning sin without satisfaction but whoever readeth his arguments shall finde them to be the very same which the Socinians use against Satisfaction it self and that he plainly denyeth the thing therefore I shall not concern my self to enquire what God could or might do if he pleased but what he hath decreed and determined to do and declared in the Scripture to be his will and here I affirm 1. That God never doth nor will nor can pardon any sinner without satisfaction made to his offended Iustice for their sins And that because his holiness righteousness and truth obligeth him to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law the Lord is so Holy that he hateth all the workers of iniquity Psal. 5. 5. and what is Gods hatred but Percatum pro merito suo velle punire as Bradsh de Iust. his will to punish sin and sinners according to their desert His Justice doth engage him by no means to clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. and his truth would be enfringed if he should not curse every one that centinueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. II. That no sinners themselves by any thing they can do or suffer in this life can give satisfaction unto Gods Iustice for their sins And the reason is because whatever good they do is no more than duty wherein also they must have Divine help to enable them and when they have done their duty their works are but imperfect and they unprofitable servants and this can make no compensation for their faults before Luk. 17. 10. When have done all the things commanded say we are unprofitable servants c. Our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Isa. 64. 6. And what ever sinners suffer in this life it is infinitely short of what their sins have deserved Gods Justice is infinite and requierth an infinite satisfaction sinners are finite and therefore there is no porportion between any thing they can bring and what Gods Justice doth require for satisfaction III. That Iesus Christ being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Man in one person was onely fit to make and hath actually made satisfaction unto Gods infinite and offended Iustice for the sins of Men. It was necessary that the person that should make satisfaction should be man because none but a creature could suffer and none but a man could be a fit
not distinct but one and the same and therefore as three Essences so three Gods cannot be concluded from hence and though every person in the Trinity be inseparable from it's substance yet it doth not follow that the substance must be distinct in every person though the persons be distinct neither doth it follow that the persons are either three distinct nothings as W. P. blasphemously reproacheth the ever glorious Trinity or three distinct Gods because the distinction is in regard of the personality and not in regard of the Essence and whereas Pag. 10. he seemeth to adde another reason why the infinite Godhead cannot subsist in three manners or forms he means the three persons because then one of them could not be a compleat subsistence without the other two and so parts and something finite would be in God or if infinite then there would be three distinct infinite subsistences and by consequence there would be three distinct Gods Answer Each person is a compleat person or subsistent without the personality or subsistence of the other two that is distinct from the other two but not without the substance of the other two which is the same in all three from whence it doth no ways follow that parts or something finite is in God nor that there are three infinite subsistences for though in the concrete every subsistent is infinite yet in the abstract infinitenesse is not applicable to the subsistance of which more in answer to the second argument which is to the same purpose with the close of this page 13. 2. Arg. The Divine persons are either finite or infinite if finite then something finite is in God if infinite then there would be three distinct infinites and consequently three Gods Answer The Divine persons or subsistents are infinite in the concrete The Father is infinite the Son is infinite the Holy Ghost is infinite the Father is omnipotent the Son omnipotent and the Holy Ghost omnipotent and yet three are not three infinites or three omnipotents but one infinite one omnipotent and the reason is because these and all other essential attributes agree to the persons onely in regard of the Essence from whence they flow and therefore though person or subsistent in the concrete be infinite omnipotent and the like in regard of the Essence included therein yet this can not be properly ascribed to the subsistence or personality therefore though there be three distinct personalities unto which infinitenesse is not ascribed yet there being but one and the same single Essence in all the three persons unto which infinitenesse is attributed it doth not follow that there are three infinites or the consequence that there are three Gods But W. P. in his arguings confoundeth the person with the personality the subsistent with the subsistence the concrete with the abstract taking the former for the latter but if he should understand the person in the abstract for the personality or subsistence then it is denied that either finitenesse for infinitenesse doth properly belong unto it it being altogether improper to ascribe the property of the nature to the subsistence of that nature in the abstract as immortality and mortality do not agree to any particular subsistence as such but to the nature in which it doth subject or to instance in the subsistence of a man it would be improper to ascribe the properties that belong to him unto his subsistence to say that his subsistence in the abstract is either a learned or unlearned subsistence a great one or a small one a white one or a black one and so it is improper to say that either of the persons in regard of their personality or subsistence are finite or infinite but in regard of their Essence in the concrete they are infinite which Essence being but one in each there is but one infinite and by consequence but one God W. P's third Argument is this If each person be God and that God subsists in three persons then in each person there are three persons or Gods and so from three they would increase to nine and so in infinitum Answer W. P. confoundeth again the concrete and the abstract together it is granted that each person is God in the concrete and that God not in the concrete but in the abstract God essentially or the Essence of God doth subsist in three persons from whence it doth not at all follow that there be three persons in each person but that there are three persons in one Godhead and so his consequence of the persons encreasing to nine and ad infinitum is both ridiculous and absurd W. P's fourth argument being built upon the supposition that we deny the persons to be infinite which we have affirmed it proveth nothing and therefore requireth no answer and I have not leasure to trace him with remarks upon his absurd arguings upon a false supposition which he conceived we might have W. P's last argument is this If these three distinct persons are one then they are not incommunicable amongst themselves but so much the contrary to be in the place of one another for if the onely God is the Father and Christ be that onely God then is Christ the Father and so round Answer Though the three persons be one that is one Essence yet it doth not follow that they are not incommunicable amongst themselves and that they are in the place of one another Here W. P. confounds again the persons and the personalities the concrete and the abstract the persons are in the one Essence or Godhead and agree among themselves yet these persons in regard of their personal properties are incommunicable to each other the subsistents are the same in regard of the Essence the subsistences are not the same and therefore though the only God be the Father and Christ that only God yet it followeth not that Christ is the Father because Christ is the onely God Essentially that is hath the Nature and Essence of God and so hath the Holy Ghost and yet both are personally distinguished from the Father The next thing that followeth under that head I need not repeat it being nothing against us we acknowledge the Divine nature to be inseparable from the three persons and communicated to each and each person to have the whole Divine nature and likewise the Father to be in the Son and Son in the Father Ioh. 14. 10. and the Spirit in the Son and we know no absurdity that followeth from hence these persons being in each other by reason of the Essence which is the same in every of them and therefore the consequences he draweth from the denial hereof we have nothing to do with so that W. P. more justly may take shame and ridiclousnesse unto himself W. P's reasonings against the ever Blessed and Glorious Trinity falling to the ground let us look into his Information and caution which he subjoyns whether any thing of truth and congency be there to be found