Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	anoint_v	spirit_n	teach_v	2,134	5	7.1881	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32801	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 ...	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1650 (1650)	Wing C3811; ESTC R34820	306,702	530

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 nam● 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 ● Cor. 2. 10. are called the things of the Spirit of God ver ●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

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 ●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 3● 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

And I have consulted the most judicious and experienced writers upon that place though I cite but few in the margine because I have not time to peruse them againe True it is that we are not to beleeve every spirit and therefore are permitted to try the spirits whether they be of God or no 1 Joh. 4. 1. But in this tryall the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures is the suprem Judge and the Holy Spirit doth condemn all erroneous and fantasticall spirits who forsake old truths and pretend to follow New Light The holy Spirit doth constantly teach the same truth in the holy Scriptures for he doth not change his mind or contradict himself We saith the Apostle having the same spirit of Faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also beleeve and therefore speake 2 Cor. 4. 13. The same spirit doth lead all the faithfull into all truth necessary to salvation not Absolutely and at once but by degrees For we see the Apostles themselves were for a time guilty of grosse errours Mark 10. 37 41. Act. 1. 6. But the faithfull cannot obstinately hold and continue in such odious and damnable errours as do directly overthrow the foundation of Faith And for the time in which they do erre they hearken to their own spirits so farre as they are carnall and do not as they ought search and pray and wait for the direction of the Holy Spirit It is not the Spirit of Faith which speaks in them when they dissent from such as receive the publique Testimony of the Holy Ghost speaking in the holy Scriptures And therefore the Spirit teacheth us to try the spirits and doctrines of men by the Scriptures if they speak not according to this Word it is not because they have new light from the spirit but because they have no light no morning light heavenly light conveyed unto them in that point wherein they dissent or they have not as yet received it the spirit hath not as yet sealed that portion of truth to their consciences or writ it in their hearts For the spirit doth not whisper one thing in privat to my conscience and declare the contrary in his publique Testimony delivered in the Word Behold saith the wisdome of God I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make knowen my words unto you Pro. 1. 23 For this is the Covenant of God that his Word and spirit should go together and the spirit should deliver his publique Testimony Authoritatively as it becomes his supremacy and soveraignty in the holy Scriptures This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my Word c. Isa. 59. 21. And by attendance on the ministry of the Gospel in the Church of Christ we receive the Spirit Gal. 3. 2. By hearing the doctrine of Faith preached in the Gospel they received the Spirit and therefore the ministry of the Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. And for these reasons we try the doctrines and Spirits of men by the word of God because the Spirit who is the Author of Scripture doth every where agree with himself and there is a friendly relation between the truth of the party witnessing the truth of the thing witnessed We do readily acknowledge that the world doth look upon this publique testimony of the Spirit in the word as a private testimony and are apt to scoffe at them who receive it as at men led by their own private spirit but the true reason is because this testimony of the Spirit is not manifest to them who have not the Spirit But it is so manifest to them that have had this publique testimony sealed up to their consciences that they will hold fast this testimony though it cost them their lives I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held Rev. 6. 9. The testimony which they held is no other then that publick testimony which the Spirit delivers in the Word and had privately sealed up to their Spirits They were slaine for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held according to that Word They were Martyred because they gave testimony of that truth which they had learnt in the Word of God I am willing to dwell longer upon this subject because it is Fundamentum Fundamentorum and therefore we will for our better satisfaction descend from handling the point in Generall unto some very weighty points in particular and shew how the Spirit doth perswade the hearts and consciences of men to receive his testimony in particular controversies which have been raised and disputed by men of great wit and Spirit In the great controversies between us and the Papists they do as divers Hereticks have done before them urge visions miracles traditions successions prudentiall motives and sometimes Councels Fathers and for a fairer pretence the holy Scriptures But when they are beaten off from their pretending to Councels and Fathers by our learned Whitaker Iewel Abbot Vsher Rainolds not to name Chamier and other Worthyes what lamentable shifts do they make when they are pressed to stand to the publicke testimony and judgement of the Holy Ghost delivered in the holy Scriptures We do therefore in compassion to their poor soules intreat them to hearken to the Spirit of Christ and not to the Spirit of Antichrist because the right sense of the Scripture expounded by the Scripture is the sword of Gods Spirit where with all heresies whatsoever are overcome by all those good souldiers who add the shield of Faith to the Sword of the Spirit But when men neglect the Scriptures and idolize humane inventions they spend their strength in vaine and are like the blind men of Sodome who wearied themselves to find the doore The great point of the Popes Infallible Supremacy can never be proved by the Originall Universall and Perpetuall Tradition of the Church of Christ in all Ages no nor by the unanimous consent of all learned men now living in communion with the present Church of Rome The Sorbon Doctors cannot beleeve that the Popes of Rome are not subject to the sins and passions of other men and if the succession of Popes which they brag of were to be tryed by Fame Celebrity Antiquity Consent it is most evident to all that are acquainted with pure antiquity and impartiall History that the Supremacy of the Popes and Papacy would be sufficiently condemned but if the Popes infallible Supremacy come to be tryed by the Holy Ghost speaking in the holy Scriptures the Popes and Papacy will be infallibly condemned by the Supream Judge The learned Papists do not agree concerning the Infallible Propounder of Fundamentall points for 1. Some say that the Popes proposall ex Cathedrâ is sufficient but Gal. 1. 8. 2. Others

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 be●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 hea●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 ●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 ●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. ●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

which are two of the Affections of Ens are distinguished by their severall and peculiar relations Truth hath relation to the understanding and Goodnesse to the will The Father Son and Holy Ghost are known to be distinguished by their severall and peculiar relations and if it be not unreasonable to say that there is in Entity three affections and two relations in ente simplicissimo without any Composition in or Multiplication of the Entity why should it seem unreasonable or at least why should it seem incredible that there are three subsistences and severall relations in the Godhead without any composition in or multiplication of the Godhead 9. One affection nay all the affections in abstracto do but inadaequately represent Ens unlesse you take notice of the Entity it self as well as the three Affections One single Subsistence nay all three Subsistences in abstracto do but inadaequately represent God unlesse you take notice of the Godhead in which they subsist and therefore this praecisive abstraction of the Subsistences from the Divine nature is but an inadaequate conceit of God as hath been demonstrated above in this very Chapter for we must not dream of a Trinity of Modes but assert and believe the glorious and Coessential Trinunity The Father is truly God that God who is the only true God but the Father alone doth not adaequately represent God to us as he is described in the Holy Scriptures It is true that the Divine Essence is by the Subsistence of the Father adaequately the Father but as God is represented by that Divine subsistence only he is not Deus Trinunus he is not Father Son and Holy Ghost the Father alone is not all those three Witnesses who are one God And therefore the acute Socinians with their precise abstractions do but suggest an inadaequate conceit of God that only true God whom we worship doth not subsist only in the Person of the Father We worship God subsisting with all Absolute and Relative Perfection in Father Son and Holy Ghost for these three are that one God who is the only true God blessed for ever This is the adaequate representation of God in the Scriptures of truth And we are resolved to regulate all our Metaphysical notions by the holy Scriptures that we may make the highest of Sciences to acknowledge the supremacie of that Divine science which is nowhere to be learnt but in the Word of God for the purest reason must be elevated by the Word and Spirit of God for the discovery of this mysterie 10. These affections of Ens represent the manner of that Being which Ens hath as it is transcendently confidered and the three Divine Subsistences do represent that manner of Being which God hath as he is most transcendently considered namely as subsisting after the most glorious manner with all Absolute and Relative Perfection It is the manner of a transcendent Entity to be one and true and good and it is the manner of Gods being to be one God in three Subsistences These three are one single God there is no Composition or Multiplication imaginable in this single and infinite being I was bold to adventure upon this enquiry because so many reverend learned Orthodox and pious Doctours of the Church have declared that the Divine Essence differs from the Divine subsistences as the manner of the thing doth from the thing it self and the Persons differ from one another tanquam modi a modis I conceived that there was something more in the expression then was commonly known Moreover I considered that if there might be so great simplicity or singlenesse in a Created and finite Entity notwithstanding there are three affections and two relations which do affect that Entity it seemed to me somewhat easie to beleeve that there are three subsistences in one infinite Godhead without any composition in or multiplication of the single Godhead Finally I perceive that some youthfull towring wits are drawn away from the simplicity of the Gospel by some froathy speculations presented to them as most sublime curiosities and Metaphysicall notions and therefore I humbly submit what hath been said to the judgement of the learned and conclude this discourse with the same prayer wherewith Augustine shuts up his books of the Trinity Domine Deus unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in hoc libro de tuo agnoscant et tui si quid de meo et tu ignosce tui O Lord who art one God O God who art a whole Trinity of Persons in the Godhead what ever I have said in this discourse of thine let all that are thine acknowledge what ever I have said of mine own Lord let it be pardoned by thee and thine II. Concerning the Attributes of God we may observe that they are al perfect glorious infinite because they do signifie and declare the infinite Perfection Happinesse Majesty and glory of God and to speak higher yet these glorious Attributes though they be very many are nothing else but the single undivided indivisible Essence of God we may be instructed but are even confounded with the glory of this mystery There are three reasons why we do not readily apprehend this truth 1. The defect of words to expresse it especially in English but indeed the most rich and copious languages are onely happy in the confession of their penury when we come to treat of this argument because the mystery of the Godhead doth transcend all our eloquence and teaches us to admire and adore with silence what we cannot expresse without a manifest demonstration of our ignorance 2. The imperfect manner of signifying is easie to be observed in our most significant words and therefore we must confesse that the Excellency of God doth transcend the significancy of the most significant words in the most rich and copious tongues 3 The imperfection of our own understanding and of our manner of apprehending and judging of things whiles we are in the body If any man desire to know a reason why he cannot readily apprehend these divine Mysteries let him consider the perfection of the mystery and the imperfection of his own reason he hath a sufficient reason a reason from whence he may draw a most invincible argument against idolizing of his own reason so far as to make his reason judge of the mysteries of faith Let us then prudently consider that we are not able to apprehend the infinite and impartible Essence of God but as it were by parts by many incomplete and inadaequate conceits and apprehensions The most profound and serious schoolmen have fairely expressed this truth there are not say they many Attribut all Perfections nay there is but one Perfection in God for all the Essentiall Attributes of God are nothing else but that single and undivided Essence which is singularly and altogether the same Essence in all three subsistences Nay to speak properly the Div●ne

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