and the Wâ—man whom thou gavest me c. Next Abraham Gen. 15.2 And â—â—raham â—â—â—d Lord God what wilt thou give me Chap. 17.18 O that Ismael might live before Thee And when he would make his Servant swear by the True God Chap. 24.3 he did not distinguish him as one in three but says he I will make thee swear by the Lord the God of Heaven and the God of the Earth Also when the Servant several times in this Chapter directs his Prayer to this God he doth not distinguish him personally in three but says O Lord God of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed Then for Jacob when he tells his Father Laban how his Substance came to be increased Gen. 31.42 he doth not say the God subsisting in three Persons but says he the God of my Father the God of Abraham c. and Chap. 32.10 I am not worthy of the Mercies and all the Truth which Thou hast shewed me Ver. 11. Deliver me I pray thee And thou saidst I will surely do thee good In short in several places he distinguishes him verbatim as God discovered himself to Abraham viz. God Almighty but not one word of God in three Persons Next Moses Exodus 5.23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy Name he hath done evil to this People Neither hast Thou delivered thy People at all Chap. 15.1 Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord He hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath He thrown into the Sea And in this Song you have the Terms he thee thy thou thine him repeated no less than 35 times and yet neither you yours they or them once mentioned respecting the most High Thus have I briefly run over the sum of the most remarkable Instances of persons paying their Devotions to the most High in the Old Testament and I might have instanced David Solomon Daniel and many others yea down to Zechariah's days and it appears as if they were all agreed to conceive of and acknowledg an undivided single Essence and its Properties But no Footsteps do appear of their distinguishing the Essence in three persons in their Conceptions And if the Israelites ever had any such conception of God methinks it should not be lost and if not lost it is strange Josephus should not mention it since he gives an account of things as far back as Moses even from the beginning and often speaks of God and his essential Properties describing the true Object of the Jews Worship and yet always speaks of him as one in Vnity of Essence but hints not a word of divers Persons And as Josephus then so the Jews now acknowledg no such thing as Mr. Monk says page 70. he says the Doctrine of the Trinity is contrary to the Blindness of the Jews who do affirm an Essence altogether without distinction Now I say 't is strange if this were understood amongst them especially as so material a thing as is now supposed that then both the Jews now who yet profess the true God and are zealous of the Mosaical Law and Josephus so long ago should yet be ignorant of so remarkable a matter In the next place I come to the New Testament to see whether we may judg it the Will of God that we should worship and adore his Essence as subsisting in one Person or in three And first I will consider the Apostle Stephen what he says of the most High Acts 7.2 he calls him the God of Glory and ver 32. he cites and describes the antient Description without enlarging viz. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And ver 48. The most High dwells not in Temples made with Hands Herein is a discovery of God's Greatness but no distinguishing his Persons And remarkable it is that Paul about to instruct the ignorant Athenians in the knowledg of the true God as the Object of their Worship Acts 17.23 24 25. first lets them know that they ignorantly worshipped the unknown God and that him he would declare unto them And accordingly says God that made the World and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwells not in Temples made with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things Herein the Apostle very notably sets forth his most glorious Attributes and invisible Being by his creating and preserving of all things But says not one word of the distinction of Persons Now if tâ—e Knowledg of this were so necessary to be known in order to Salvation as is imagined Paul had no less need to instruct these ignorant Athenians therein as much as in the Knowledg of the Essential Properties and Power Next we will consider Eph. 4.6 There is One God and Father of all who is above all Here you see a plain discovery of the Vnity of the Godhead and his Supremacy but the Description of Persons is still wanting To this I will add 1 Cor. 8.6 But to us there is but One God the Father of all things Here again the Object of Worship is described as the first Cause and Foundation of all things of whom are all things 2. The Inseparableness and Oneness of his Being is asserted but One God 3. He is so far from directing us to fix our Conceptions on him as distinguished into three Persons that he solely centers him in One even as subsisting in the Father Now what rational Man can conclude from hence but that we are to conceive of the Object of Worship as intirely subsisting in and to be called by the Appellation of the Father and so to be worshipped That is in plainness that we are to conceive that all that we believe to be God most High whether Essence Attributes or Persons whatever we may think of its various subsisting in our selves yet it is to be adored and distinguished by the Person of the Father where we all say that 't is all and whole But further I shall add the Authority of him who cannot err John 4.22 23 24. Ye worship ye know not what We know what we worship for Salvation is of the Jews But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth From this pertinent place I note as follows First That it contains a Discourse of our Saviour directly concerning Worship 1. Blaming and describing the ignorant false Worshippers Ye the Samaritans worship ye know not what 2. Describing the true Worshippers 1. By the manner how in Spirit and in Truth 2. The Matter or Object what and that described two ways 1st His Essence a Spirit 2dly The Person who viz. the Father the true Worshippers shall worship the Father Further from this Text
I observe 1. They cannot be true Worshippers that worship they know not what 2. They that worship the Father as the proper Object of Divine Worship are not such as worship they know not what but such as know what they worship 3. They that worship the Father conceiving of him as containing the glorious inseparable Essence or Spirit being worthy above all things to be worshipped these I say are not the false but the true Worshippers of God and provided they perform their Worship spiritually shall be accepted by him because he seeks such to worship him 4. That it is the Will of God and Direction of Christ that of all the Persons believed to be in the Deity God the Father is to be conceived as the most proper Person for us to direct our highest Adoration to 5. That he that conceives that the Godhead and all its essential Properties subsist in the Father as the proper Object of Divine Worship conceives not amiss because according to Christ's Rule he is a true Worshipper 6. That we may lawfully have Communion with any such Persons if that be all their fault because they are true Worshippers and with better we cannot well join 7. I observe that when Christ describes the Object of our Worship he is so far from distinguishing or teaching us to distinguish the Persons in that Object that he contains all under the denomination of one only Person even the Father Next I shall cite the Instruction of our Lord expresly injoining us to pay Adoration to God the Father and acknowledg all to be his Mat. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done in Earth as 't is in Heaven c. for thine is the Power and the Glory for ever Amen From this I observe 1. That it is the Will of God as declared by Christ that the order we should observe in our Conceptions of God Almighty and in pouring out our Desires to him is positively and directly to pray to God the Father as the proper Appellation and Object of our Prayers 2. That he that prays to God the Father prays in that respect aright and to the true God 3. That it appears not that in our Prayers we are injoined to distinguish the Persons if we regard and eye by Faith the Being or Essence we worship 1. Because if such a thing as distinguishing the Persons in Prayer were a Duty or material our Saviour would have inserted it in his Directory since he here gives an account of all the material Points of Prayer 2. Because on the contrary he expresly injoins us to direct our Desires not to three but to one Person even the Father withal teaching us to use such Expressions as are most proper to a single Person viz. three times thy and once thine 4. I observe that our Lord directs us to render and ascribe such Excellency full Power Soveraignty Protection Sacredness Bounty Clemency Glory to the Father as are only proper to be given to the whole and only Godhead which still shews that the proper glorious Object of Divine Worship is the whole Godhead as truly subsisting all and whole in the Person of the Father and under that Appellation to be worship'd And as I have hitherto treated of positive Directions in this case I shall briefly cite some Examples of Christ and his Apostles as our Pattern to follow whereby it may further appear most agreeable to Scripture to worship one Person First Christ's Example Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth Here he pays the duty of Thankfulness to the Father and owns him as supreme Soveraign Mark 14.36 And he said Abba Father all things are possible to thee take away this Cup from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Next I shall cite the Apostles Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father Rom. 15.6 That ye may with one Mind glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father The next Instance shall be the Adoration of Paul to this single Person Eph. 3.14 For this cause I bow my Knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Jam. 3.9 Therewith bless we God even the Father 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father c. And indeed it were tedious to cite all those Texts that give Testimony to this thing These Gleanings are set down that ye might believe that the proper Object of Divine Worship is the one most High God as truly subsisting all and whole in the Person of the Father And believing it that ye might direct your Adoration to him accordingly and also have Charity towards all those who have no other material fault but worshipping the Father as the proper Object Nay methinks there is no Point of Divinity in the Holy Scriptures more clear than this thing as any indifferent Eye may see 't is not a thing drawn from doubtful Consequences but plainly revealed often repeated and never contradicted but confirmed by the universal Practice of the Prophets and Primitive Saints and also by Christ and the Apostles namely That the most High is to be worshipped as a single impartible Essence in one single Person without the Worshippers being obliged at the same time to distinguish three distinct Subsistings and Denominations And on the other side there is not one Instance to be given where any Man is recorded in the word of God our only Rule and Guide to adore the most High God under the apprehension of one Essence in three Persons that is I mean did direct his Prayers or Thanks to three Persons And here I must take occasion moderately to check some of my worthy and beloved Brethren useful in the Ministry who a little heated with an inordinate Zeal for the Doctrine of three Persons in the Godhead fearing they may prejudice the Doctrine it self by yielding too much to its opposite do on the other side as much overshoot the Mark and form their Petitions quite beyond all Scripture-Injunction and Example And tho no Examples nor any thing like them can be given yet they must conclude their Prayers To thee O Lord Father Son and holy Spirit three Persons one eternal God be Honour Glory Praise c. What shall one think of this but that those Men think if they should not direct and form their Prayers to the Almighty better than Abraham Jacob Moses the Prophets of old and Christ and his Apostles did their Prayers would be very defective and not accomplished as they ought Truly to be zealous in a good thing is commendable and that 's a good thing for which we have Precept or Pattern but for this there is neither Now when we take the liberty to add to Divine Worship however agreeable to our Opinions and however well-meaning
ignorant of many Points they hold and therefore I could not so directly include them in what I have said for Moderation nevertheless I suppose many things that I have wrote do tend to demonstrate that Christian Charity and Communion may and ought to be shewn to them all tho as aforesaid I could not through Ignorance so directly speak to every point of their case and I would advise all my Brethren to be wary how they separate from them only on the account of that Principle The dreadful consequences of Division at all times but especially at this time of day ought to make all Christians wary how they rashly adhere to or abet such a Practice Blessed are the Peace-makers but mark such as cause Divisions amongst you and avoid them And I would advise all Churches diligently to instil Arguments for Peace and Vnity in all their Members but in their young men more especially for of many Evils that I have seen this is none of the least namely when a young man comes to be useful in the Publick Work of the Church and in all appearance is like to prove a hopeful and very useful young man but by and by some fiery Spirit heated with Zeal in this Contrâ—versy comes Jehu like and lays before him the eminent Danger he is in if he abet or communicate with such and such persons for says be thâ—y deny the true Christ and then the usual Arguments in this case are urged The unwary and unexperienced young man swallows all down and it presently appears in him for 't is commonly seen to be so if there were something within encouraging in this case I know what I speak by experience As I said this soon appears in his Discourses and Sermons 't is well if he can preach one Sermon without it or forbear making it the Subject of whole Sermons And this being a new thing the People are many of them amused and their heads filled and more necessary Truths neglected and the young men especially have commonly their heads as full of it as an Egg is of Meat The consequence commonly is the breach of the Peace of the Church I would advise also all young men to walk in those Paths warily and softly and beg the assistance of Grace to guide them in the right way to behave themselves humbly and be exceeding tender of the Peace of the Church they belong to and well to consider that Peace is much sooner broke than repaired If my Labours may prove useful to shew any how far the contending Parties are agreed in the fundamental Points of Faith in God and Christ and may conduce to the Peace of Christians I shall have my end So rests Thine to serve thee in what I may Daniel Allen. INTRODUCTION The Proposition That Moderation may and ought to be shewn by and to Persons of different Apprehensions about some Circumstances relating to the Knowledg and Definition of the Holy Trinity BY Moderation I mean Christian Charity and Communion and what Persons I directly intend hath been mentioned in my Epistle to the Reader and what Circumstances I intend will more plainly appear in the Sequel of my Discourse A general Argument to prove the Proposition BEcause the Persons here intended do agree and differ not in their Opinion from their Brethren in any essential point absolutely necessary to Salvation whether about the Object of Worship or manner of paying our Christian Obedience to him I take it for granted that it will not be disputed that persons so qualified as here expressed are fit Subjects for Christian Charity and Communion But the great work will be to prove the Minor viz. That those Persons are such as agree and differ not in the things aforesaid And to demonstrate this supposed difficult Case I shall give a Definition of the Holy Trinity in the order and manner as followeth viz. first Of the most High God Secondly Of the Christ of God Thirdly Of the Spirit of God And I shall describe them according to Scripture-Revelation and the explanation of approved Authors both for Learning Parts and Adherence to the Athanasian Belief both antient and modern that so thereby I may shew both where the difference is not and where it is that a Judgment thereon may the easier be made And for the more clear and distinct understanding of the matter I shall handle my Discourse concerning each of these three apart And first concerning the most High God CHAP. I. Of the most High God THis Chapter I shall divide into three Sections First of the means whereby God is known to Men Secondly what God most High is Thirdly concerning the manner of paying Adoration and Worship to him SECT I. Of the Means by which God is known to Men. THE Means to know God are twofold first External Secondly Internal The External Means are the five Senses informing the Judgment and Understanding by and from the Works and Word of God for there is no rational Man but hears sees tastes smells and feels sufficiently to inform and convince him that there is a God yea a great and glorious one the first Cause of all things 1. From his Works Rom. 1.19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead But 2. The Imprint of God's Image on the Creature even the wonderful Power Wisdom and Skill which he hath shewed in forming it and providing for it whereby our Understanding is informed of him through the five Senses is but a rough Draught of his Shadow in comparison of the more ample Discoveâ—y we have of him in his Word by which further and clearer Discovery our Understanding are informed through the Senses of hearing it and seeing it to read it All this Knowledg attained by means of our Senses is eâ—tâ—rnal or outward and tho necessary yet is not of it self a saving Knowledg of God but hâ—th its Residence in the Heaâ— That it is necessary is evident for if we do not know there is a God or know the true God by some infallible Demonstrations we can never regularly no nor indeed at all serve God except blindly like the Athenians who worshipped they knew not what or the Vnknown God And tho we may all in some sense say so of our selves in as much as none can find out the Almighty to perfection yet of such a Knowledg of God as in and by his Word and Works he ordinarily discovers of himself we ought not to be ignorant which what it is and what it is not shall be my endeavours anon to shew And again that this Knowledg alone is not saving appears because thousands there be who have and can discourse very well of God against Atheistical Notions who yet nevertheless remain destitute of true saving Faith and Communion with him therefore altho the external Knowledg