The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 2 · Subpart 8 · Section 8
8 How the three perſons of the godhead are diſtinguiſhed.
THeſe perſons are diſtinguiſhed two waies:The three perſons diſtinguiſhed by their inwarde workes mutuallie directed towardes one another. by their inward woorkes: and by their outward woorkes. Their inwarde works are thoſe which the perſons hauehave and exerciſe one towardes another. By theſe then they are diſtinguiſhed, in that the father is and exiſteth of himſelfe, not from another. Hee begot the Sonne, & inſpired the holy Ghoſt, by communicating his eſſence vntounto them after an vnſpeakable manner. The ſonne hath his beeing from the father, beggotten of him from euerlaſting, that is, he hath the ſame eſſence with the father, but communicated vntounto him from the father. The holie ghoſt proceedeth from euerlaſting from the father and the Sonne, that is, hath the ſame eſſence, but communicated vntounto him from the father and the Sonne. Obiection. That which is not vnderſtoode cannot be diſcerned or diſtinguiſhed: the manner of the begetting and generating of the Sonne, and of the proceeding of the holie ghoſt is not vnderſtoode. Therefore they cannot bee diſcerned or diſtinguiſhed. Aunſwere. Thoſe things cannot be diſcerned, which are not at all vnderſtoode, neither in reſpect of the proper cauſes thereof, nor in reſpect of the effects. But that the ſon is begotten of the father, and the holy ghoſt proceedeth from the father and the ſonne, we know out of the holy Scriptures. We vnderſtand alſo in ſome ſort, what this is, namely, the ſonne to be begotten of the father: For to bee borne or to be begotten, is to be produced out of his eſſence who begetteth to hauehave his eſſence communicated vntounto him of him who begetteth. Albeit the maner, whereby the eternal father communicated his eſſence, the ſame whole and entire vntounto his ſon, we conceiue not. The like alſo is to be vnderſtood concerning the proceeding of the holy ghoſt.
Here is to be obſerued alſo, that it is truly ſaid, The ſon is begotten: The holie ghoſt proceedeth. Likewiſe, The diuine perſon is produced, begotten, proceedeth of the eſſence of the father, or of the father and the ſon. But not truly: The diuine eſſence is produred, or begotten, or proceedeth. Yet truly it is ſaid, The diuine eſſence is giuen, communicated to another, receiued of another. The reaſon hereof is, for that to bee giuen, communicated, receiued, The perſon, not the eſſence, of the Sonne is begotten.ſtretcheth further than to bee produced, begotten, or to proceede. For not whatſoeuer is giuen, communicated, receiued, is alſo begotten. Further, that is ſaid to bee begotten, not which is communicated to the thing begotten, but that, vntounto which the ſubſtaunce of him that begetteth is communicated: So the eſſence of GOD the father, is not begotten, or produced from another, and yet the ſelfe ſame eſſence of it ſelfe ſubſiſting, is giuen and communicated to the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, and receiued of the Sonne and the holy GHOST. Iohn 5.26. The father likewiſe hath giuen to the Sonne to hauehave life in himſelfe. Neither dooth it followe: The perſon is begotten: therefore the Eſſence is begotten. For that which is affirmed truely of a thing reſpectiue, is not neceſſarily to bee affirmed of a thing abſolute in his owne nature. For although euerie father hath a Sonne: yet not euerie thing, of which it maie bee truely affirmed, that it is a father, maie bee ſaid to hauehave a Sonne. Albeit then the perſon of the Sonne is begotten: yet whatſoeuer is the Sonne is not begotten.
The perſons diſtinguiſhed by their outward works extended vntounto the creatures.Another difference of the perſons is, in the order of their outwarde actions, which they exerciſe towardes the creatures, in them, and by them. The Father woorcketh, createth, ſanctifieth of himſelfe, by the Sonne and the holie Ghost. Hee ſendeth them, and is not ſent. The Sonne woorketh from the Father by the holie Ghost: hee is ſent of the Father: hee ſendeth the holy Ghoſt: The holie Ghoſt woorketh and is ſent from both. His working is ſaid to bee from another, who woorketh anothers will and pleaſure going before, his owne accompanieng and following it, not in time, but in the order of woorking. The perſons therefore differ not in the woorkes themſelues, but in the manner onelie and order of working. The work is not diſtinct: the manner of working is diſtinct. The father is called the firſt perſon, becauſe the Deity is communicated vntounto him from none. The Sonne, the ſecond perſon: becauſe the Deity is communicated vntounto him from the Father. The holie Ghoſt, the third: becauſe the eſſence of the father and the ſon is communicated vntounto him from the father and the ſon. Now the firſt and laſt are here ſaid, not as in degree, or dignity, or time, but onelyonly in order of exiſting and working.
This eight queſtion together with the former ſhall be more at large explicated in the Articles of the ſonne and the holy Ghoſt.