Orat. to the Convent of Saints of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which however the learned think of it seems to be nothing else but the Translation of Mijmro in the Targum says that in the Mystery of the Trinity there is a Disjunction-Conjunction he means as the following words shew a Disjunction perform'd Intellectually only not Locally or a Disjunction of Two of the Persons abiding in Conjunction with the substance of the First I say abiding in it as Eusebius speaks in which he accords with Synesius without Abscission or without Disruption Many more Testimonies might I produce to like purpose but I forbear because I suppose these are enough Yet forasmuch as many with Erastus and Hobbs have more kindness for the Sacro-Sanctity of human Laws that they have for the Holy Cannons of the Church I shall add one Testimony more out of the Civil Law It is in an Edict of Theodosius the Great call'd Filia ejus Primogenita because set forth the next year after his Baptisme and it is Vt secundum Apostolorum Disciplinam Evangelicamque doctrinam Patris Filij et Spiritus Sancti Vnam Deitatem sub parili Majestate ◠sub pia Trinitate credamus Is not here Paritis an Equal Majesty Is no here Pia a Godly or divine Trinity and is not here Vnica Deitas be One Godhead all the while Let them Judge who cry out so much 't is Law 't is Law which is the worst of the Two in Earnest Outlawry from the Civil Sanction or Excommunication from the Eclesiastical And What now since these Testimonies make out the Mystery so plainly the way that I take can we see any reason why we should check at the Subordination of the Son to the Father and of the Holy Ghost to the Father and Son For my part I see none What tho' the Arian says impudently enough 't is a Derogation to one who is God to be an Underling adding how come the Son and Holy Ghost to be sent to be put in Office to Minister why is One said to be the Son of the Highest the Other to be the Power of the Highest if we anoint our Eyes with Eye-Salve we shan't be long without an Answer to this For that Two of the Persons are Subordinate quà Persons we may acknowledge freely having sufficient warrant for 't from the word of God For why The Son himself says I came into the world not to be Minister'd unto but to Minister and St. Paul speaking of the Gospel calls it the Ministration of the Spirit Besides we find that as the Son Ministers to the Father only because He is of the Father alone so the Holy Ghost is call'd sometimes the Spirit of the Father sometimes the Spirit of the Son because as he Proceeded from both so he Ministers to Both. I say therefore that they are capable of Mission and Commission consequently may be put in Office tho' as in Unity they are really and truely God The reason of this we may Conceive well enough For We are taught by our Saviour himself when we pray to say Our Father which art in Heaven May we say therefore that the Father's Godhead which is the place of the Son and the Holy Ghost is the Place of all Spirits too for my part I dare not do 't least I should seem to Deify the Devils With Aquinas rather Deitas est immobilis say I for where it is now it ever was will be and Is immovably of the Godhead there is no going forth it is Quiescence it is Everlasting Sabbath The Totsaoth or Goings forth are of the Son and Holy Ghost only and they as they may so they have as the Prophet speaks of the Son their Egressions or Out-goings indeed and Blessed be God's holy name we see the Effects of all of their Subordination I mean and comings forth in our Redemption and Sanctification wherein they Minister to the Father for our Salvation Accordingly I shall lay down Two Querae's to be consider'd of Whether the Second Person the Son be not the Illustrious Prototype of the Souls of Men who beget their Like Whether the Third Person the Holy Ghost be not also the Illustrious Prototype of Coelestial Wights or Angels proceeding in their Creation all at once So it seems to be First because there are but two sorts or kinds of Rational Beings to be call'd Persons besides the Trinity Secondly because any kind of Person if it be Con-Substantial or in Unity with the Godhead must needs be God of God To speak of the Son first If it Be not so I ask why is he said to be Begotten why as Adam is he call'd the Son and the Image of God Why as a nurse Child or Foster-Babe is he long before God's Madeworks said to rejoyce and to have his delight in the Sons of Men and when Incarnate why did he call men and women Brothers and Sisters yea since the Father and Holy Ghost could not so be by reason of the Ones Immensity the Other 's Ubiquity why is He only Prophesy'd of to be a man whom a woman or rather a Virgin should Compass and how could he say I came from the Father into the World and now I leave the World and go to the Father And what tho' he be as the Arian says but the Son of the Highest I can tell him that he notwithstanding is most High too yea as High as the Highest for so the Holy Church in her Hymn at the close of the Communion Service Sings Thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high ask we how She says In the Glory of God the Father What is' t I hear O Depth of Wisdom O Abisse of Love tho' faintly yet someway Comprehensible On it because he that is Gods fellow being made man is my fellow also my heart Exults and Rejoyceth in Hope that he 'l be as kind to me as to any Sinner else and keep my wretched Soul from Hell Whether this be true or no it seems to be a suitable sweet ravishing and lovely Contemplation for which if I had Solomon's Wisdom I would Compose another new Song of Songs and as an Higgajan which comes from Hagah mporting meditari and Eloqui both with heart and Voice sing it to my Beloved For what tho' he came forth from the Father into the World so left his Glory behind him for a while and appeared as a meer Man 't was in love to me and such as I. But was the Unity dissolved by it no nor did he thereby cease to be God For the Holy Ghost who is an Vbiquitary Spirit in Heaven and in Earth at once and was Vinculum Nexus Vnitatis as the Fathers tell us came along with him abiding with the Father at the same time It was by the Overshadowings of the Holy Ghost that the Son was conceived and from him afterwards he never departed Now Next to the Holy Ghost himself He also seems to me to be the
Illustrious Prototype of Heavenly Wights or Angels Is it ask'd why I answer because as the Son is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Only-begotten one to distinguish him from men who are created Sons so is the Holy Ghost call'd with three dictinctive Articles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit The Holy of The God to distinguish him as it seems to me from Created Angels who are call'd by St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only and in their nature are such If so it be not why are they call'd Ruchoth i. e. Spirits as the Holy Ghost is call'd a Spirit Why are they said to be Gibbore coaâ—h great in Power and Strength as He the power of the Highest And why Elohym mighty Powers for so are they call'd too and by this Stratagem I conceive Sc fallacia aequivocationis did Satan deceive Eve telling her that She should be like Elohijm meaning by 't like himself and his forlorn Partners the fall'n Elohijm whereas she thought of none else but Jehovah Elohijm counting that she should be more like her God than she was before so by that means was deceived In short Whatsoever sort or kind of Persons the Son and the Holy Ghost may be thought to be they are God for being in Unity with the Divine Substance by which they have all the Noble and Supereminent Attributes of the Father over and above the Communicable ones which meer men and Angels have and these being as the Taches of the Curtains of the Tabernacle of the most High they are One most High God together with the Father And here now I freely profess that if the Papists could argue for their Hypothesis of Transubstantiation so rationally as I have done for this Mystery of Mysterys I would not seperate for that at least from their Communion But tho' I can easily conceive that the Body of Christ can be present to Beleivers in the Sacrament Mediante Spiritu Sancto that is to say Spiritually just as he is present as Head to his Mistical Body the Church the Holy Ghost dwelling in him and the Members thereof for which I except not so much against the Lutherans who say indeed that the Body is Vbiquitary but say withall 't is Supernaturally or illocally as the Holy Ghost makes it be yet since I cannot conceive how Christ's natural Body should be every where or in all parts and places of the Church and be whole and intire in all such parts and places they of the Roman perswasion must pardon me if I except against Them notwithstanding the pretence of Tradition so much urg'd for it and I cannot sufficiently admire at Mounsier Malebranch for that having laid down his Excellent Rule not to grant a full Assent to any thing whilst Reason Checks yet himself reluctante ratione gives Assent to the Doctrine of Transubstantiation upon such Tradition as is not Ancient much less Apostolical Is he a Protestant in this point if not it must be Interest or Fear that sways him That Christ's Body is present in the Sacrament I sincerely beleive 't is what the Martyrs of our Church before they suffer'd acknowledged freely in their Disputes with Cox Oglethorp c. yea they said Ipsissimum corpus Christi est in Sacrimento Eucharistiae as appears in Dr. Willet's Century's but then they added still that the Modus is Spiritualis and is it not true this it is and we must take heed of saying otherwise tho' the Definitions of the Counsil of Trent for the Capernaitical way are in nowise to be allow'd For if the Church be the Body of Christ because the Holy Ghost is with it and in it why should not the bread together with the wine as the New-Testament Shechinah be the Body One the other the Blood of Christ for the Holy Ghosts being with Him and with the Signs and Symbols at once is the Church the Mystical Living Body of Christ for such reason as Consisting of living Wights living Members why then should not the Sacrament after the like manner be the Mystical Dead Body of Christ as by liveless Elements represented such an Vbiquity of Christ's Body if the Lutherans are for such change of the Elements if the Papist will agree to I am heartily with Them and as the Jews call'd the Paschal Lamb the Body so will I call the bread I eat at the Sacrament the Body too even of Christ for Mystically or Spiritually it is so and without making every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father 's a Dogma as they of Rome do we may do it well and truly enough And Here I shut up hoping that this Eye-Salve of mine which for truths sake and with perfect Charity I have presum'd to offer to the world will be accepted by it because 't is wholely Compounded of Scripture and Ancient Records going no further then Revelation lead's within which Bounds I 've taken care to keep as my Duty is For secret things belong to the Lord but things Reveal'd only to us and our Children and I humbly acknowledge Let Arians flout at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they please that the manner of the Son's Generation and of the Holy Ghost's proceeding a Patre Filioque as not reveal'd are above mine and as I beleive all others Comprehension It is as Usual as 't is pious to Conclude Discourses of this kind with Prayer Therefore with hearty good wishes to all whose hands this little somewhat shall fall into I shall do the like adding this short Prayer following and Recommending it to the Devotion of such as are disposed to use it O Almighty God and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ most humbly I beseech thee for thy Mercys sake and for that great lover of Souls sake thy Only Begotten Son in whom thou art well pleased to open the Eyes of all those among us who have imbib'd false Notions of thy most Holy Faith that all Scandals being removed and cast out of the Church and perfect Charity planted in it Heresy and Schism may be put an end to amidst thy People and also that Millions of Thousands according to the Blessing on Rebecca of Jews Turks Heathens Infidels may come into thy Holy Church and being made One Flock together with us Under the One great Shephard of the Sheep may obtain the End of the Hope of all the Faithful even the Salvation of their Souls and at the last Day rise out of the dust to Sing with Angels and Saints everlasting Halleluijahs to Thee O Holy Father with thy Son and the Holy Ghost One God blessed for evermore Amen These Three are One. Father Jehovah Son Jehovah H. Ghost Jehovah Je is the sign of a Proper Name Proper Names are of Persons Hovah is that Necessary Being which is the Father 's Originally the Son and Holy Ghost are God for being Consubstantial or in Unity with the Substance of the Father which substance being but one they are all Three One God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Postcript Containing a few Items not unworthy Observation THE Word Trinitarian is a Nickname given to the Orthodox by the wretch Servetus vid. Sixt. Seneus Lib. 8. p. 789. It seems to come from Trinitare and supposes Three Persons to be One Person Quaere whither Vnitarian be not a word of the same stamp supposing more Persons Indefinitely one Person videtur quod sic Let the Arians consider this The word Existence not suitable or fit to express God by because the Godhead is Necessary Being and causes has None whereas Existentia in Actualitas Essentiae as Essence yet Naked is Potentialitas Essendi Neither in Divinis seems fit to be us'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with St. John is but the Translation of Mijmrô with the Targumists who wrote thus Mijmrô daihovah as much as the Word which is Jehovah for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Syriack and Chaldee both is Qui est but Daihovah in reading they skipt over whither for Reverence or some other reason we can guess only In compliance St. John does the same writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only the word Jehovah in Greek Letters being not capable of Pronunciation Hammakom with the Jewish Doctors is the Name of the Godhead consider'd abstractly by which is meant THE Place It is Vbi Repletiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Trismegist Centrum Vbique sc in se to be Out of which is to be Nullibi In respect of its Excelling or Transcendent Greatness the whole world is but as the drop of a Bucket it Exceeds the powers of Imagination Hashechijnah with the Jewish Doctrine is the Name of the Son of God whose Shechijnah is not single out Twofold 1. The Everlasting substance of the Father in which he is Begotten Then the Temporal or Bodily Substance in which Conceiv'd by the Holy Ghosts Overshadowings Seen this Esai 57. 25. where himself says for 't is he speaks there calling himself the High and lofty One c. I inhabit Marôm vekadosh i. e. Height and Holiness viz. of the Father also êthdachche ushepal Ruahh as made Man The bow'd-down One humble of Spirit Therefore a suitable Mediatour betwixt God and Man to take Care for the Authority of Gods Law 's and to take Care also and to have a Respect to Mans Infirmity Follows an Item to the learn'd so run that ye may be Adepts 1. Cor. 9. 24. And who is He that may be call'd an Adept One that knows Him who to the Confusion of Grammar is a Past and Future as well as a present Is who to the Confusion of Logick is an Ineffable Syllogism without Major and Minor yet has a Medium agreeing to Each who to the Confusion of Metaphysicks is True Personally Good Personally yet remains but One Substantially who to the Confusion of Arithmetick is truly Multiply'd yet is not to be number'd by Any who to the Confusion of Mathematicks is a Triangle the Corners of which like the Ends of the Colures are to be found no-where who to the Glory of Divinity is Intellectually Three Three yet still Himself One and not Many the Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom each is God and all three the same God Agen An Adept is One who Beleives in Him who tho' Begotten is without Beginning is without Beginning yet Begotten and has a Father who tho' he made All things which are Made yet was Made himself of that which he Made first who tho' the very Fountain of life to Men yet for them dy'd once and was Buryed who tho' Always Within and at Home was found without and gon abroad who tho' in his Fathers Bosom as Great as Heaven was in the womb of a woman small as an Embryo who tho' in highest Glory was wrapt up in most profound Humility whose Name is God-Man a Thing heard of but Once will be agen never the Newest thing of All things call'd New since the Birth of light on the first Day of the Creation Agen An Adept is One whose Eye tho' he be on Earth is where the Eyes of Angels are whose Feet have Wings and are washt with Milk and Clean who Begets with his mouth Creates by his Example and his Birth 's are Virgin-Souls being turn'd into the way of life by him and Righteous his life is All Prayse his Death is sweet sleep being to rise agen in the Morn his Dust as the Odours of the precious Oyntment of old with which Kings and Priests were Anointed Here in the Psalmist Hayh who is Crown'd with Ashre's the Man whom this Honourable Name is to be Given to for he is an Adept truly and his Name is written in Liber Tsoar among the Fulgeburt's of the Man dearly Belov'd and shine as the Stars of the Morning shall he in the Future standing stillness ever making Haste for Ever to Be the Adepts only End it's self without Conclusion To The Father of an Infinite Majesty His Honourable true and only Son Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter Three Persons Buy the Truth and sell it not And One Eternal God Be All Honor Glory Le-olam Olmijn Amen