Begetting and proceeding how they differ 302 C Church offices concerning the Scriptures 43 D Dominion of God what 239 Dominion why given to God 240 Creatures have their power of God 251 Why God workes by creatures 250 E Essence of God proved to be one 66. which distinguishes the true from false Gods 65. Confutes Hereticks and directs faith 68. 69. Comforts in praier 69 Election and grace immutable 137 Election may be knowne 175 Election how made sure 177 Election is of a few 174. 182 Evill things how and why willed of God 124. 128 F Father what 269 Father taken Essentially and Personally 269 The First person how 270 Fore knowledge no cause of sin 239 Faith shall not faile 99. Strengthned 144 Feare God 119. 220 Faith directed 265 G There is a God proved by reason 50. 51. c. God is but one 56. 57. 88 God what he is 61 Vses to be made of the Deiety 55. 58. c. Goodnesse of God what 148 Goodnesse of God proved 150 Goodnesse in God absolute 151 Goodnesse communicated to the creaturs 152 Vses to be made of Gods goodnesse 153 Grace of God what 171 The object of Grace 172 Grace why ascribed to God 173 Grace the cause of salvation 178 Grace may be made sure 175 Grace ground of thankfulnesse 187 Grace is not universall 229 Godly comforted 89. 100. 210 Godly cannot fall from Grace 254 Generation of the Son to be adored in silence 287 Against falling from Grace 305 H Hatred of God what 224 Hatred what it signifies 225 Hatred against some is absolute yet just 226 Vses to be made of Gods Hatred 229 Gods people Hated in the world and why 245 Heresies confuted 68. of Marcion 155 Humility the ground of it 136 Humbled sinners finde mercy 198 Holy Ghost what 291. Is God 292. 295. proceeds from the Father and the Sonne 293. 297. dwels in the elect 298. Incorporates into Christ ibid. I Immensity of God what and how proved 102. 103. c. Immensity of God should restraine from sin 107 Immutability of God what how many fold 96 Immutability of Gods number proved 97 Immutability proves God the true God 98 What uses to be made of it 98. c. Immutability not opposed to freedome 128 Objections against Gods Immutability answered 132 Ignorance of God the greatest folly 4. kinds of it ibid. Iustice of God what 200 Iustice why given to God 202 Object of Iustice 203 It is Iustice to reward the godly 204 It is Iustice to free some from sin and leaue others 207 It is Iustice to lay the punishment of the elect on Christ 208 There is a day of Iudgement proved 209 Acknowledge God to be Iust 205 Iudgements remooved in anger 223 Impossible things of two sorts 249. 252 K Knowledge of God chiefest wisedome 1. 2. 3 Knowledge of God is naturall 7. 8. c. Knowledge of God by revelation 12. 13. 14 Knowledge of God in the word 15. 16. by the spirit 17 Knowledge of the Trinity necessary to salvation 266 L Life of God what and how proved 109 Life proves God the true God 112 Long life how attained 113 Love of God what 158 Love why ascribed to God 160 Object of the Love of God 161 God Loves his creatures freely not equally 161. 162. 166 He that Loves not is not of God 162 Love God againe signes of Love 167 Love in God naturall or voluntary God an absoltue and free Lord 241. therefore is not unjust disposing of his creatures 243 He that hath God hath all things ibid. He must be served of all 245 Love of Christ demonstrated 288 M Merit condemned 135. 204. 205 Mercy of God what 189. generall and speciall 190. 196 Mercy is naturall eternall free 191 Mercy is more to some then others 192 Mercy shewen to the elect in three things 193 Vses to be made of Gods Mercy 194. c. Macedonians confuted 300 N Nature cannot finde God 61 P Pictures of God unlawfull 74 Perfection of God what 77 Perfection of God proved 78. c. Perfection of God different from that of creatures 79 Perfection of God wherein it consistes 84 Please God 82 Vses of Gods Perfection 80. c. Promises whether alwaies to be performed 147 Papists and Pelagians confuted 180. 181 Punishment of the wicked why deferred 209 Punishment two fold 214. Impartially inflicted 218 Power of God what 247. Active or absolute 248 Power why given to God 250 It is infinite 252 Provoke not God 255 A Person what 258. There are three Persons 260 The Son a Person 263. and the holy Ghost 265 The Persons how distinguished 258 Persons are distinguished not divided 259 Persons one before another not in dignity not in time but in order 260 Persons distinguished by their properties 261 Persons distinguished by their workes 263 Purity not to be scorned 303 Purity begun shall be perfected 304 R Redemption not Vniversall 183 S Spirit what it signifies 291 Spirit how distinguished from other Persons 292. 294 Services of men reach not to God 80 S mplicity of God what 85 S mplicity of God proved 86. c. Vses to be made of it 88. c. God a Spirit proved 71 c. God must be worshipped in Spirit 75 Swearing condemned 113 Syncerity commanded 119 Security awakened 143. 210 Scriptures reveale God 12. 13. to be searched 15. 21. 26 Scriptures a perfect sure infallible rule 19 Written for all men 23. to be translated 25 and applied 27. 39 The word of God 29. and 36. plaine reveald by the Spirit 37 Canonicall 40. and 45. Sufficient 45. and 49 Sat han why he tels truth 14 Sabellians confuted 256 Son eternall with the Father 269. 270. 287 T Truth of God what 138 Truth but one 139 Object of Truth 141. Vses of it 143 Be True as God is 146 Traditions to be abhorred 21. 47 Threatnings how to be understood 132 Thankefulnesse 156. 187 Trinity knowne by the word 257. by faith 256 V Vbiquitaries confuted 106 Vnworthinesse comforted 165 W Wicked terrified 90 Will of God what 121. is but one 125 Will of God free and immutable 122. 123. 126. 129 Object of Gods Will. 123. 127. Vses of it 135. c. Wisdome of God what 115. How proved 116 Vses of Gods wisdome 118 Women bound to know God 5 Wicked men punished 229 Workes of the Trinity undivided 263 Worship God aright and how 267 ERRATA PAg. 75. lin 23. condemn us for them p. 100. l. 3. it may doubt ibid. l. 24. Insolent against their inferiours p. 106. l. last but two from externall sinning p 115. l. 17. and 19. prescience p. 134. l. 11. one saith p. 140. l. 19. formally p. 145. l. 4. promise sure p. 148. l. 25 Good is an accident p. 158. l. 14. blot out in p 171. l. 9. in his Son though p. 176. l. 8. is in his sonne p. 185. l. 15. he chose the twelft p. 196. l. 8. 1 Cor. 10. p. 208. l. 10. 11. blot out And also punish them p. 210. l. 6. reports 212 from the end blot out the parenthesis p. 213. l. 12. simply p. 217. l. 4. d. fine blot out it p. 220. l. 14. injurious p. 224. in the text Psal 5. 5. p. 225. l. 9. one thing p. 226. l. 23. may not he make them to c. p. 230. l. 5. deny to some that grace ibid. l. 16. if he as the potter p. 239. l. dominion p. 244. l. 11. horses are thy horses p. 246. l. 5. â— fine blot out which ibid Iob 9. 19. ibid. l. 4. a fine that is authority p. 249. l. 1. blot out that yet p. 254. l. 4. a finite subject ibid. 11. effectings ibid. l. 20. actually it is p 253. l. 17. false true p. 254. l. penult fall p. 255. l. 19. Jer. 10. p. 302. l. 15. two mysteries in this
not an attribute nor part of another thing An accident subsisteth by another thing for it is not a substance in it selfe but in another every accident is in some substance as white and blacke Againe it is not part of another for that which is part of another doth not subsist in it selfe but in the whole of which it is part for instance the matter whereof a man is made in the wombe of a woman so long as it is part of the woman is no person till it have in it a soule and then ceaseth to be a part and so the humanity of Christ hath subsistance in the second person of the Trinity and is no person of it selfe because it hath no subsistence of it selfe Thirdly Individuall that is a particular it is one in number Fourthly Incommunicable it is not Communicable as the Essence is as the nature of things is communicable to all that are of that kind the nature of man is communicable to all men the nature of Angells is communicable to all Angells so the Essence and nature of the divinity is communicable to all the persons but the persons are not so amongst themselves therefore we say it is incommunicable Fiftly we say it is living for that which is without life cannot be a person a Book or a Board cannot be a person neither is every thing that hath life a person and therefore I adde understanding and willing that is so living that it understands and wills thus a Beast and Trees have life but they want understanding and reason therefore they cannot be a person so now you have the description of a person Quest How many such persons bee there in the Diety Answ Three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost we must prove that these three be substances c. It is manifest first in generall the Father is a substance subsisting by himself individuable incommunicable so is the Sonne and so is the holy Ghost therefore there are three persons in the Trinity Gen. 11.7 Let us goe down and confound their language let us goe is more then one and God doth not speake to the Angels by way of consultation let us but of command go you and in the eight verse it is said the Lord confounds their Language Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy Lord c. three holies is spoken of three persons applied to one that is called the Lord that is one Essence that this is meant of three persons is aparent it is granted by all that the Father is one and then the Sonne is another Iohn 12.34.40 The Testimony of the Prophet is alledged and there used as applied to Christ thus saith the Evangelist Esai spake of him when he saw his glory therefore the Sonne is a person the same is also for the holy Ghost Act. 28.25.26 Well saith the holy Ghost c. that which is spoken of the Father in the old Testament the holy Ghost applies to the Sonne and to himselfe in the new therefore there are three substances c. my text is a manifest proofe of this there are three which c. they are not three names nor three properties nor three severall words they are three that is three substances or persons three that are severall that we may manifest this a little more and that particularly There was never any Heretique that denied the Father to be God concerning the sonne these testimonies Gen. 32.24 Iacob wrestled with a man this same man that Iacob wrestled withall was God so saith Hosea 12.3 that Iacob wrestled with God the text in Gen. saith it was man the other text saith it was God but how appeares this that it was the Sonne because that the Father never appeared in any shape Againe 1 Iohn 1. In the beginning was the word here he is called the word to this may be aded Iohn 8.28 Before Abraham was I am a person severed from the Father Iohn 17.5 Now Ftaher Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was A person speaking to the Father severed from the Father Thirdly the holy Ghost is a person Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another comforter here is plainely seene the Father Sonne and holy Ghost he speakes not of comfort but a comforter 2 Cor. 13.13 the Apostle praies The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. therfore not onely to God the Father but also to God the Son of whom grace is desired and to the holy Ghost is prayer made so that by these Scriptures appeares there are three persons living understanding c. Quest What reason is there that there are such three persons in the Trinity Answ First they are all God Secondly they all created the world Thirdly because that men in baptisme are dedicated unto them all and make a covenant with them all as well as with one we manifest it thus first that they are all God to say nothing of the Father for that is confessed of all it appeares that the Sonne is God Rom. 9.5 speaking of the Son He is God over all blessed for ever so also Heb. 1. O God thy throne indures for ever of the holy Ghost that one shall suffice Acts 5.3.4.5 The Apostle Peter chalenges Annanias and Saphira that they had not liedunto men but unto God and then he tells them that they had lied against the holy Ghost so then the holy Ghost also is God Secondly because they all created the world it appears Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the world that the father did create the world will be confessed of all that the Sonne created the world Col. 1.16 the Apostle speaking of the same saith By him were all things created whether things visible so Iohn 1.3 By him was created whatsoever was made and without him was nothing made that was made so Heb. 1.10 Thou Lord hast laid the foundations of the world That the holy Ghost did create appeares Psal 33.6 By thy word were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth so Gen. 1.2 The spirit moved upon the waters What is that as the Hen doth upon her egs to hatch them so the holy Ghost preserves them c. in the 26. verse he saith Let us make man in our Image not in the image of Angels but in the Image of God now then if these did create the world and give it a substantiall being they must needs have a substantiall being in themselves Thirdly because in baptisme men are dedicated unto them all and make a covenant with them all they cannot be dedicated to them that have no being Matth. 28.21 Go c. baptising them in the name of the father of the son and boly Ghost and therefore these three must needs subsist by themselves and therefore they must have all understanding and actions and are all persons c. more particularly we manifest it of these that be in question the son and spirit if
Saint Austin hath a pretty similitude to expresse there are three the Spring and River and a portion taken out of these are three distinct c. but if any man should aske what is the Spring water what is the River water what is the portion taken out water come to a Well saith he fill three cups with water we can say they are three but we cannot say that they are three severall waters these mysteries being hard ought to be studied and praied for Saint Augustine saith give me that I love what is that when I set my self to know thee I beseech thee give me a heart that I may know thee even these great mysteries of salvation thus every man ought to pray c. CHAP. XXIV IOHN 5.7 There are three which beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit Quest HOw are these persons distinguished or how are these three distinguished Answ The answer is they are three not divided but distinguished truely and really not essentially but personally and that by their order properties and workes I say they are distinguished not divided there is a double distinction of persons one is called an essentiall distinction then the persons are so distinguished as they are divided and there is a personall but not essentiall distinction then one person is not severed from another because the Essence is not severed Three persons of men essentially distinguished are three men but the persons of the Trinity distinguished onely personally are not three Gods but one The former three persons are three men because their essences may be divided although not in the generall yet in the speciall the latter three persons are not three Gods because their essence cannot be divided Three men have all one nature all one humanity in the generall but they have not all one nature in the speciall for the nature of one is not the nature of another now in this the reason is manifest because that their essence is finite and divisible but here there are three persons and cannot be three Gods because their essence is infinite and indivisible so that in the Trinity there is as a Father speakes alius alius not aliud aliud that is there is but one substance yet many persons As the Father is another person but not another thing from the Sonne and the holy Ghost another from them both and this is manifestly proved after this manner Three must needs be a personall distinction they are three witnesses and a witnesse cannot change his habit as Hereticks say yet so as they are but one Iohn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the last of these manifests that the Essence is not distinguished but the persons for the Word was God That there is such a distinction Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord there the person speaking and the person spoken unto are distinguished the Lord said to Sathan The Lord rebuke thee where in the first place is the Son the Lord rebuke thee he meanes the Father Iohn 5.32 there is another that beareth witnesse of me and in Iohn 8.18 I beare witnesse of my selfe Iohn 14.10 I am with the Father he doth not say I am the Father but I am with the Father whereupon it must needes be that there is distinction betweene the Father and Sonne and the holy Ghost is distinguished personally from them both Mat. 3.15 there is a voyce from heaven and the Spirit descended like a Dove the Father speaking and the Sonne is he of whom he speaks the holy Ghost he that descended Iohn 14.16.27 I will pray the Father and he shall send another comforter in my name whence it followes that therefore the Father who sends and the Sonne who prayes and the holy Ghost who is sent are three persons really distinguished This may suffise to shew unto us that there are three distinct person Quest But how are they distinguished in their orders Answ First because they are one before and after another by an unchangeable order first second and third they are not one before another in dignity but in order and that is unchangeable for the first cannot be the second nor the third the Father cannot be the second person nor the Sonne cannot be the first nor the third c. the reason of this is because the Father is of himselfe not of another having the foundation of personall existance or substance in himselfe and of himselfe therefore it must needs be that he must be the first that is that which some thinke Christ intended Iohn 5.26 The Father hath life in himselfe that is first and originally Secondly the Sonne is of another and therefore he cannot be the first person because he hath the foundation of a personall subsistance from the Father and so he cannot be the third person because he hath it onely from the Father this is that same in Iohn As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given to the Son to have life in himselfe c. he receiveth it from the Father The holy Ghost is neither of the Father alone nor of the Sonne alone but he is of them both therefore he is the third person receiving the foundation of personall subsistance from the Father and the Sonne then this immutable order doth distinguish them It is true that the Scripture places the Sonne before the Father and the holy Ghost before the Sonne 2 Cor. 1.13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God the Father c. 2 Thes 2.16 Iesus Christ our Lord Revel 1.4 5 Iohn wishes salvation to the Churches first from the Father secondly from the Spirit this is not to change their order but because the matter they speake of requires it and to shew that there is none greater or lesser then other Quest How are they distinguished by their properties Answ They have every one incommunicable properties by which they are distinguished the Father begetting the Sonne the Sonne being begotten and the holy Ghost proceeding these properties are such as cannot be communicated to others without them nor amongst themselves such as they had before there was any beginning of the world this is as some Divines say nothing but the proper manner of existing for they say the Father is the nature of the Divine Essence subsisting by the incommunicable property of begetting The Sonne is the nature of the divine Essence subsisting by the incommunicable property of being begotten The holy Ghost is the nature of the divine Essence subsisting by his incommunicable property of proceeding I say by these relations they were distinguished amongst themselves before there was any creation The Father is unbegotten begetting the Sonne The Sonne is begotten by an unsearchable generation the holy Ghost is of the Father and the Sonne after a wonderfull manner which is called procession That they are thus distinguished is gathered out of the Scriptures thus
is necessary hath appointed us a time to consider of the premises dare any man say that this knowledg of God is not necessary if this knowledge of God had not bin necessary he would never have taught it therefore ignorance of this is sinne especially when a man is negligent upon this supposition that it is enough to know that there is a God and no more therefore every man ought to know this it is necessary that every man that would be saved must beleeve and no beleeving without a distinct understanding of the Trinity he shall be in danger of hell fire that doth not labour to know and understand it when he hath the meanes and yet there are that will not know this distinction but are content to have an implicit faith it is the Doctrine of the Church that a man that beleeves not this distinction cannot be saved 1 Iohn 1.23 he that denies the Sonne hath not the Father Vse 3. This instructs every man to worship God aright how is that undoubtedly as he hath revealed himselfe in unity and trinity not denying the Essence nor confounding the persons he that worships God and not three persons worships an idoll and he that worships three persons and not one God worships three idols therefore to avoid all idolatry a man must be able to distinguish them how as a childe onely by three names no it is not enough to know no heresie but men must know to worship him him aright therefore every man must labour to conceive of him aright as he hath revealed himselfe and here is the image that every man isalowed unto him unity and trinity c. it is not enough for a man not to conceive erroneously but he must conceive truely The worship of God is necessary for whom for God nothing lesse it is nothing to God that thou worship him it is necessary for man and it is necessary to worship aright then necessary as he hath revealed and this they cannot doe unlesse they know him Turks they cannot be saved because God hath not revealed himselfe one in three persons to them the Iewes they cannot be saved because God hath not revealed one in three persons to them though God did in the old Testament shadow this out yet he did it so darkly that they understood it not Then every one that is in the Church may be saved no they that live in the Church and doe not endevour to understand as God hath delivered to the Church cannot be saved Rom. 10.13 Then every one that cals vpon the name of the Lord shall be saved no there is nothing more used in the Scriptures then to put downe invocation for all the worship of God and so it is taken there Then every one that worships God aright shall be saved yea but how can a man invocate God if he know not the advocate and mediator Iesus Christ so how shall a man performe any worship to God but a fiction of his owne braine except he know this mystery therefore fearefull must needs be the condition of such as are ignorant of this sacred mystery This should be a provocation to every man to labour to know these mysteries you must goe and meditate about these things and beat your heads about them so that walking in the worshippe of God here hee will honour you c. OF GOD THE FATHER CHAP. XXV HEB. 1.6 Thou art my Sonne this day c. IN the next place it followes that we speake of every one of the persons in their order and the first is the Father this text that I have read gives ground to speake of him concerning whom the first Question principally to be handled is this namely Quest What is the Father Answ He is the first person in order not in time begetting the Sonne creating the world the thing that is described is the Father This word Father is applied to God in Scriptures two waies First Essentially Secondly Personally Essentially in the first place that is when divine things are opposed to humane eternall to earthly God to the creature and Father in this sense is not applied to the first person in Trinity but to the whole Essence and this is that which Christ taught us Matth. 6. Our Father which art in heaven Father there belongs to all Mal. 2.10 We have all one Father and in this respect the Sonne is called Father Isai 9.6 Father of eternity Heb. 2.13 Here I am and the children that thou hast given me speaking of Christ and those that were begotten by his word and in this respect the holy Ghost may have the name of Father given to him because it is he that begets us againe in which respect it is that God is called Father by creation and Adoption Secondly the Father is to be taken personally and that is with reference to the Sonne and not to the creature and so in this description Father is to be applied to the fitst person as appears by that which I have read The next thing I say he is a person the Essence is common to them all but the distinction is three fold by his order and by his properties and by his workes First order I say the Father is first in order not in time because the Son is coeternall with him he not before him Iohn 1.1 In the beginning ginning when other things began there was the word with God Prov. 8.22 He possessed me in the beginning of his waies a place so manifest of the Sonne of God as Arrius the grand enemy could not deny it where he saith I was with him before the world was and thus the Prophet Micha 5.2 hath it speaking of Christ His goings forth have been of old from everlasting there is mention of two goings forth one in time and that is as he was man his incarnation Secondly another from everlasting and this was his begetting of God from everlasting and so the Father was not before him in time Heb. 9.14 He is called the eternall spirit a place commonly understood of the divine nature of Christ so that by all this it appeares he was before him in order not in time The next thing is his property begetting his Sonne included in the name Father the Father is unbegotten and begets the Sonne the Son is begotten because he hath a beginning of his person from the Father as Saint Basil observes the Father hath his foundation within himselfe we may beleeve the reason because that never any Heretique denied it now he begat his Son I shewed you it before Psal 2.2 Thou art may Son this day c. and so heer unto which of the Angels did he say thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and therefore he is called the onely begotten Son Iohn 1.14 We saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God therefore he is called the first begotten Col. 1.15 If any aske me Quest How begat he him Ans I answer I know
not no tongue can expresse no heart can imagine God hath not revealed it that he did beget his Son that is revealed but the manner how he hath not revealed yet this we are sure of in the negative we may understand how he was not begotten every thing that is applied to God being purged and freed from corruption and made perfect is applied to him therefore in generall with men there is imperfection that the Father should be before the son in time this is imperfect that the Father should beget a son out of himself is imperfect this is imperfect for a father to beget a son by motion and corruption this is imperfect but it is perfection to beget him without motion this is imperfection for a father to beget a son with part of his Essence but this is perfection to beget him without difference in Essence here the Father and the Son are both at one time the Father begets him in himself not of himself thus much for the second distinction of the roperty The third distinction from the worke or manner of working creating the world of this we need no further proofe it is enough that we beleeve in God the Father almighty c. where Father is distinguished by his power that as his Sonne hath the worke of redemption the holy Ghost of sanctification so the Father of creation then I say it is manifest that the Father created the world begetting his Son in himselfe of the same substance with himselfe creating the world out of himselfe of an unlike substance to himselfe being every way divers c. This shall suffice for the opening of this distinction Quest Why is he first in order and not in time Answ Because he is the eternall Father therefore he must have an eternall sonne and spirit an eternall wisdome and power First he is an eternall Father therefore he must have an eternall Sonne for Father and Sonne are relatives one gives the being to the other Husband and wife are relatives Kings and Subjects are relatives Kings give a being to the subjects so in this Father and Sonne are relatives no Father without a Sonne and no Son without a Father and no sooner a father then a sonne if a man be a father he he must be elder then his sonne but God cannot be a Father elder then his Sonne therefore as Father and Son they are of the same age as it were the same day the same houre as I may so speake they are coeternall and therefore both of the same time Saint Basil saith how shall not he be from the beginning that had nothing before him but himselfe from whom he had his beginning In the next place because he is an eternall God and hath an eternall wisdome no God without his wisdome deny wisdome and deny the Sonne so Prov. 8. He is called the wisdome of his Father 23. verse he saith I was before his workes before all creatures whatsoever he and his wisdome were never separated therefore it followes that he must needs be an eternall Sonne hereupon is it that which Solomon calls the wisdome of God Saint Iohn calls the word of God in the beginning was the word therefore he must be an eternall person Thirdly the eternall God must have eternall power for God without power is nothing so Luke 1.35 The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee where God is not without his power then we conclude that seeing he is an eternall Father he must have an eternall Son and spirit and the eternall God must have eternall wisdome power therefore he is put first in order Quest How is he distinguished by begetting Answ By communicating his whole Essence from all eternity the Sonne is begotten how by receiving his whole Essence from his Father The Father begetting the Sonne by communicating his Essence but how gives he to him his whole Essence not by alienation but by communication we thus open it he gave him his whole Essence because the whole Essence of God is so simple that it cannot be divided if it were divided it were the overthrowing of the whole Essence therefore when he communicates he communicates not a part but the whole and when he communicates he doth it not by alienation for then it should cease in him that gave it but it doth not cease so but by communication it is so given that abides his still though he communicates it to the Sonne one testimony for many Collo 2.9 In him dwelleth the Godhead bodily For in this Generation there is no division nor transmutation and yet there is a true multiplication of persons but not of the Essence that never divides Qu. The third thing how is he distinguished by the work of creation Answ Not by working but by the manner of working because the Father creates by the Son and by the holy Ghost the work is common to all for all create but the maner is different you heard the reason before these cannot be divided but the Father begins the worke and executes it by them and the reason is because the Father hath his beginning of his person himselfe and the Sonne and the holy Ghost receive it from the Father therefore it is the Father creates by them and is distinguished from them not in the matter wrought but in the manner of working and thus I have opened this Doctrine Vse 1. This teaches us how we ought to beleeve concerning the Father namely that he is thus distinguished in order not in time if any man should have a thought nourish it that the Father should be before the Son or spirit in time he doth not only overthrow the Trinity as much as in him is but the Deity S. Ambrose saith if the Father had beginning before the Son then he was God first and Father afterwards that cannot be God turne this thought from our hearts saith he tell me then how dost thou beleeve that he is the immutable God if he be so how can this stand there is a mutation by this accession of Father there is a change how is he without change if a God first then a Father God turne such conceits from us it may well be with men he is a man now and father some yeares after for he is subject to change but bring the nature of God to a change and thou overthrowest the nature of God therefore we must beware of this thus we are to beleeve that the eternall Father is with the Sonne and the eternall Son with the Father he that will worship God aright let him joine these two together that the Diety hath joined together beware you separate none of these It is true we are to hold it after a divine manner not to judge of it by a humane generation as that the Father must be elder then the Sonne we are not to judge after this manner for this is the ground of errors againe if the
Father beget his Sonne then he is divided we hold no such thing he did not beget him in time and if they will follow humane generations then the Father must have another sexe to beget him upon and if you will have it as in humane generations then the mother must have a wombe to carry the Son nine or ten monthes if these be absurdities why would you tie us to this contrary to the word this we are to hold and to looke to that which is revealed and to goe no further we conclude this use with a speech of Saint Ambrose it is impossible saith the father for me to know the secrets of this generation he saith well for we may not search into these secret and high mysteries it is such a thing that when I thinke of it my minde failes me I know not how to utter it Phil. 4. the Apostle saith The peace of God which passeth all understanding How much more this the Father begetting the Son clap thine hand upon thy mouth and admire at these things thou knowest he did it but thou must not search how it was he did it let us rest with that which God hath revealed that we may not fall into error Vse 2. Secondly this commends the great love of God to man that when he had a Sonne a naturall Sonne begotten in and of himselfe yet he would adopt other sonnes to be heires of the same glory with this Sonne this is great love It is the love in men that if a man be childelesse and have not a son he adopts a stranger this is accounted great love that he will adopt anothers sonne and make him his own but when a man hath a sonne then to adopt and then to take an others it will be accounted exceeding love many men when they have a naturall sonne desire to have no more some men have many sonnes and desires to make the eldest great the eldest shall have all and the yonger nothing God made another law but we forget nature and law too this by the way but if parents love be such Gods is much more that when he had a naturall Sonne he adopted many to be heires with him Rom. 8.17 Iacob set forth this love to Ioseph that when he had twelve sonnes yet notwithstanding he loved Ephraim and Manasses the sonnes of Ioseph he would adopt them that they should be the heires of the land of promise and yet there was some reason but see here is greater love in God when he had but one Sonne he was content to adopt enemies to make them sonnes that they might be heires together with him of the same heavenly inheritance Object Some may say you talke so much of Gods love to others that you lesson his love to Christ surely the world will say he loves him not that he makes other heires with him Ans I answer the great Emperours of the world cannot make a division of their Empires but they must lessen them but such is the riches of God that this Sonne shall not have the lesse for divisions for as Saint Augustin speakes of the Sunne the Sun saith he God hath so created that it may enlighten many men and so every man hath abundance of the light of it and yet the Sunne hath nothing the lesse it selfe so God can communicate his celestiall glory and heavenly kingdome to all his sonnes he can make them all kings and sonnes and heires and fellow heires with Christ so that man shall have enough and he not the lesse for there is no dividing Vse 3. Againe this teaches us Hath he begotten the Sonne hath he an onely begotten Sonne we remember saith Saint Ambrose the first begotten because there was none before him and the onely begotten because there was none after him he was his owne and onely Sonne What Use make you of this This Consider of the Justice of God and the great strictnesse of justice that he had but one Sonne and he voluntarily tooke our nature upon him and also tooke our sinnes to stand in our roomes to answer for our sinnes yea that this naturall Sonne this onely Sonne intreated his Father that if it were possible this cup might passe from him yet notwithstanding he would have him drinke of it for the satisfying for our sinnes this would be counted great severity with an earthly King if his sonne should transgresse to cut him off but when he had not committed any thing to cut him off for others offences it would be counted great injustice If so be it was an evidence of strictnesse of justice which stories speake of heathen men that an Emperour when his sonne had offended the Law and both his eyes were to be put out put out one of his owne eyes and one of his sonnes to satisfie the law 1 Sam. 14.29 Or that of Saul he that hath done this shall dye though it be Ionathan my sonne how then doth this argue a great strictnesse and love of justice seeing there is one that for our sinnes though he was Gods naturall Sonne was given to death of his Father What of this Marke here the love and justice of God that he hath shewed toward men who that he might spare them would have his justice satisfied by his owne Sonne and though he intreated him yet he would not heare him know hence and see the severity of God to sinners and the mercy of God to us therefore let us make more conscience of sinne let us see the fearefull condition of those that reape no benefit of Christs satisfaction This serves to strike terrour and fear into the hearts of Gods owne children for if they sinne they are subject to the hand of God till they repent for if we be wanton and carelesse he will not spare his owne adopted sonnes that spared not his naturall Son therefore labour to know him and serve him and we shall have eternall life hereafter OF GOD THE SONNE CHAP. XXVI HEB. 1.5 Thou art my Sonne THE first person is the Father of whom we have spoken the second person is the Sonne of whom we are now to speake the ground of both this text of Scripture will manifest Quest What is the Sonne Ans He is the second person in the Deitie begotten of the Father redeeming the World To open this description the Scriptures speake of the sonnes of God foure wayes First by Creation and so are principally men and Angels whereupon in the first of Iob the Angels are said to be the sonnes of God and so Mal. 2.10 men are said to be the sonnes of God we have all one Father so Luke 2.3 Adam is said to be the son of God and successively all mankinde Secondly by Regeneration and so all the elect being begotten anew are sonnes Rom. 8.15 16. they that have the spirit of God are his sonnes Gal. 3.16 by faith we are all the sonnes of God Gal. 4.6 because we are sonnes c. many such testimonies there are but they
are needlesse to our purpose Thirdly by Generation and so the second person in the deitie is begotten of his Father Fourthly by Union and so onely the humanity of Christ by that union it hath with and subsistance in the second person is the Sonne of God though naturally the sonne of Mary As a woman is said to be such a mans childe when she hath married his sonne and as the soule is not naturally begotten but joyned to the body yet we say the soule and body are but one so the humane nature of Christ is the Sonne of God by way of personall union now that Sonne which we speake of is not by creating nor recreating nor uniting but by generation of whom we say he is a person and the second person in order not in time as we have shewed of the Father this we adde as a difference that he is a second person of the deity my reason is because I would by this prove that he is God for the Father none doe make question but for the Sonne they doe therefore we will manifestly prove that he is the second person in the deity cosubstantiall with the Father we manifest this Iohn 5.7 There are three that beare witnesse of what namely that Christ was the Sonne of God and the Sonne of Mary it shall suffise us therefore first his Father witnesseth at his Baptisme and transfiguration at his Baptisme Mat. 3.7 This is my beloved Sonne c. at his transfiguration Mat. 17.5 So then it is manifest by the testimony of the Father that he is the Sonne of God by generation Secondly the Word witnesseth it that he is the Sonne himselfe Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne not to stand upon this his onely begotten Sonne then he must be a Sonne by generation but it is added whosoever beleeveth in him shall be saved never was there any other Sonne of God that could deliver any no not from temporall destruction much lesse from eternall by beleeving onely in him but this Sonne of God doth so for what saith the Prophet though these three Noah Daniel and Iob were there they should save neither sonne nor daughter but their owne soules therefore it followes that this Sonne must needes be God adde to this Iohn 11.17 The Father workes hitherto and I worke it is as much to say I am God how gather you that it was a phrase so apparant among the Iewes that he would make himself God by calling himselfe the Son of God that they challenged him with blasphemy because he said he was the Sonne of God Ioh. 10.30 I and the Father am one there is the unitie of the Essence and distinction of persons one how one in will and power and Essence and therefore it was that they went about to kill him he asked them why will you kill me they answered him because thou being a man makest thy selfe God againe Iohn 11.4 concerning the death of Lazarus this was done to the glorifying of God and that the Sonne might be glorified marke what he saith that the sicknesse of Lazarus and his death was for the glory of God how for the glorifying of God for the glorifying of the Sonne of God intimating unto us that the Sonne of God and God are all one so that all these serve for the testimony of the Sonne Thirdly the testimony of the holy Ghost who gave no such testimonies as these but gave testimony by the Prophets and Apostles for he spake by them as Isaiah 9.6 he shall be called the mighty God wherein he shewed that he was God it is not said he shall be made the mighty God not by office so men are And though the name god is given to men yet the omnipotency of God Iehovah is given to none but God and in the same place he is called the Father of eternity therefore he must needs be God Gen. 22.1 God appeares to Abraham and that God was Christ that appeares in the second verse because he commands him to doe that which was contrary to the Law namely take thy Sonne c. who could command this but God and not sinne this was not the Father because that in the 11. verse he is called the Angell of the Lord but never was the Father called the angell of any therefore it must needs be the Sonne but was it not a created Angel no that appeares because in the 22. verse he saith because thou hast not spared thy sonne for my sake c. and therefore it must be the Sonne of God and also by reason of that same which is added it cannot be any other but the Sonne because he bids him stay his hand and finally in the 16. verse he sweares by himselfe that he shall be rewarded which no created angel could doe and therefore it must needs be the Sonne Phil. 2.6 he thought it no robbery to be equall with God that is in such estate that God was so Col. 2.9 the godhead dwelt bodily in him that is the whole deitie and not as some would distinguish his divinity for then it might have bin some qualities but he saith the deitie The next thing is his propertie he is the begotten Sonne it must needs be the Sonnes property and this is considered Psal 2.17 Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee This place applyed by the Apostle to the resurrection of Christ is not weakned because by the resurrection his eternall generation was declared Rom. 1.4 declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead so you heard Iohn 1.14.33.16 Col. 3.15 he is called the begotten Sonne of his Father The Sonne is unbegotten in respect of his Essence yet begotten in respect of his person because he had his personall existence from his Father begotten here is to be understood with purging from all impurity before all time not in time not out of the Father but in the Essence of the Father he is not begotten by any motion and corruption he hath not part of the Essence but the whole Essence therefore all imperfection being taken away he may be said to be begotten Thirdly by the worke of Redemption redeeming the elect from their bondage wherein they were from sinne and sathan Rom. 4.9 we are said to be justified by the blood of Christ Rom. 8 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is Christ that justifies c. Ephes 1.7 We have redemption through his blood from sathan Luke 11.21 22. the strong man is cast out 1 Iohn 3.8 he came to dissolve the works of the divell and from death he was made a curse for us and therefore the Apostle so triumphs 1 Cor. 15.5 6. Oh death where is thy sting thankes be unto God who hath given us the victory through Christ Jesus and so this description is made plaine to you Quest Why doe you say that he is the second person in the Deity and so