The Holy Arbor, Chapter 1 · Section 1
§. 1. The Trinity.
ONe of the deepeſt Myſteries of our Religion, is, That God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt; and again, That the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt are one and the ſame God: So it is one of the moſt myſterious points of our Faith, To believe in one God, who is diſtinct in three Subſiſtances or Perſons, called, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, who are three in perſon; and again, they three are one, not in perſon, but in nature. By Nature is meant, a thing ſubſiſting by it ſelf, that is common to many: By Perſon is meant, a thing or eſſence ſubſiſting by it ſelf, not common to many, but incommunicable. In this Myſtery of the Trinity, the Divine Nature is the Godhead it ſelf, ſimply and abſolutely conſidered; and a Perſon is that which ſubſiſteth in this Godhead, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt. If any man would conceive in minde rightly the Divine Nature, he muſt conceive God or the Godhead abſolutely; if any of the Perſons, then he muſt conceive the ſame Godhead relatively, with Perſonal properties. Thus the Godhead conſidered, with the propriety of Fatherhood or Begetting, is the Father; and conceiving the ſame Godhead, with the propriety of Generation paſſively taken, we conceive the Son; and the ſame Godhead, with the propriety of Proceeding, we conceive the Holy Ghoſt. Neither may it ſeem ſtrange to any, that the names of Nature and Perſon are uſed to ſet forth this Myſtery by, for they have been taken up by common conſent in the Primitive Church, and are contained in the Scriptures, Heb. 1.3. Gal. 4.8.
This Myſtery may well be conceived by a Compariſon borrowed from Light: The light of the Sun, the light of the Moon, and the light of the Air, for nature and ſubſtance are all one and the ſame light; and yet they are three diſtinct lights: The light of the Sun being of it ſelf, and from none; the light of the Moon from the Sun; and the light of the Air from them both: So the Divine Nature is one, and the Perſons are three, ſubſiſting after a diverſe maner in one and the ſame Nature. The three Perſons are one, not ſimply, but one in Nature; that is, Coeſſential, or Conſubſtantial, having all one Godhead, becauſe there is one God and no more in Nature; conſidering that the thing which is Infinite, is but one, and is not ſubject to multiplication. And as theſe three Perſons are one in Nature, ſo whatſoever agrees to God, ſimply conſidered, agrees to them all three: They are all Coequal and Coeternal; All moſt Wiſe, Juſt, Merciful, Omnipotent, by one and the ſame Wiſdom, Juſtice, Mercy, Power. And becauſe they have all one Godhead, therefore they are not onelyonly one with another, but alſo each in other, the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt in them both: And we muſt not imagine that theſe three are one God in this ſenſe, as though the Father had one part of the Godhead, the Son another part, and the Holy Ghoſt a third; for that is moſt falſe, becauſe the Infinite and moſt ſimple Godhead, is not ſubject to Compoſition or Diviſion, but admits a Diſtinction without any Separation. And whereas it is ſaid, That the Son and the Holy Ghoſt have their beginning from the Father, we muſt know, that it is not a beginning of their Nature, or of their Godhead from the Father, but of their Perſon onelyonly: for the Godhead of all three Perſons is uncreate, and unbegotten, and proceeding from none. So alſo whereas it is ſaid, That the Son and the Holy Ghoſt have received all their Attributes, as Wiſdom, Knowledge, Power, &c. from the Father, we muſt know, That that which the Son receiveth of the Father, he receiveth it by Nature, and not by Grace; and he receiveth not a part, but all that the Father hath, ſaving the perſonal propriety: So the Holy Ghoſt receiveth from the Father and the Son by Nature, and not by Grace.
Now the diſtinction of the Perſons is notably ſet forth unto us in the Baptiſm of our Saviour Chriſt, Matth. 3.16, 17. where it is ſaid, that when Jeſus was baptized, he came out of the water; there is the ſecond Perſon: And the holy Ghoſt deſcended upon him in the form of a Dove; there is the third Perſon: and the Father, the firſt Perſon, pronounced from Heaven, that he was his onelyonly beloved Son, in whom he was well pleaſed. Again, the Trinity is proved 1 John 5.7. This is the Myſtery of all Myſteries to be received of us all, namely, The Trinity of the Perſons in the Unity of the Godhead. The Perſons are they, which ſubſiſting in one Godhead, are diſtinguiſhed by incommunicable properties, 1 John 5.7. Gen. 19.24. John 1.1. They are Coequal, and diſtinguiſhed not by degree, but by order: Divided they cannot be, by reaſon of the infinite greatneſs of that moſt ſimple Eſſence, which one and the ſame is wholly in the Father, wholly in the Son, and wholly in the Holy Ghoſt; ſo that in theſe there is diverſity of Perſons, but Unity of Eſſence: The Communion of the Perſons, or rather Union, is that by which each one is in the reſt, and with the reſt, by reaſon of the Unity of the Godhead; and therefore every each one doth poſſeſs, love and glorifie another, and work the ſame thing, John 14.10. Prov. 8.22, 30. John 1.1. and 5.19. Again, a Perſon is a diſtinct ſubſiſting of the whole Godhead, and an individual Underſtanding, and an incommunicable Subſiſtence, living of it ſelf, and not ſuſtained by another: So that the three Perſons in the Trinity, are not three ſeveral Subſtances, but three diſtinct Subſiſtences, or three divers maner of being of one and the ſame Subſtance and Divine Eſſence. The Divine Eſſence is one and the ſelf-ſame thing, truly ſubſiſting in the three Perſons: Now the Eſſence doth not beget an Eſſence, but the Perſon of the Father begetteth the Perſon of the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt proceedeth from the Father and the Son, by an eternal and incomprehenſible ſpiration. And thus the three Perſons make all one Divine Eſſence and one God, being in Nature Coeſſential, in Dignity Coequal, in Time Coeternal, in Greatneſs Incomprehenſible, in Power Irreſiſtible, in Will Unchangeable, in Place not Circumſcript, every where preſent without ſight, the Firſt and the Laſt, without Time, making all things mutable, without any paſſive mutability in himſelf. In this Myſtery of the Trinity, how in that moſt ſimple and ſingle Eſſence of God, there ſhould be three in one, and one in three, Differing, but not divided, Several, but not ſundred, All one for their Nature, All diſtinct for their Perſons, is a ſecret of ſecrets, rather ſtedfaſtly to be believed, and reverently to be adored, then over-curiouſly to be ſearched into.
Again, in the Divine Eſſence there be three diſtinct Perſons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt; God the Father is indeed the beginning of the Godhead, but yet in reſpect onelyonly of the order of the Perſons: For in the Godhead we may not ſeek for any firſt or laſt in degree, or dignity, or time, but onelyonly in order of exiſting or working: The Son is the Wiſdom of the Father, begotten of the Father before the world; The Holy Ghoſt is the infinite Power proceeding from the Father and the Son. The Scripture aſcribeth to the Father the Beginning of working; To the Son, Wiſdom and Counſel; To the Holy Ghoſt, Vertue and Power: Notwithſtanding, they be alike in all things in reſpect of Eternity, Dignity and Power, becauſe there is one moſt undivided Divine Eſſence common to them, and ſo they be one God. There be three which bear witneſs in Heaven, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt, and theſe three be one, 1 John 5.7. And although the word Creator is given to the Father, Redeemer to the Son, and Sanctifier to the Holy Ghoſt, yet in truth they are common to all three Perſons in one Eſſence: And though the Father is ſaid to be the Firſt, the Son the Second, the Holy Ghoſt to be the Third; yet one is not more ancient then the other, as the Father more ancient then the Son, or the Son then the Holy Ghoſt, but all of a like Coeternity; for the Perſons are one after another in order of Nature, but not of Time, John 1.1, 2. Gen. 1.2, 26. The things they have in common, in regard of their work, are to Create, Gen. 1.26. John 1.3. to Redeem and to Sanctifie, Iſa. 43.1. & 49.7. The Creation is given to the Father, Redemption to the Son, Sanctification to the Holy Ghoſt, not as they are ſimply an operation or work (for ſo ſhould other perſons be excluded from it) but in reſpect, for the order and maner of working, which is peculiar and proper to every one of them, in producing and bringing forth the ſame external work: So that our Creation, Redemption, Sanctification, are each appropriated to ſome one Perſon of the Trinity, and yet all three Perſons have their joynt working in them: For the works of our Creation, Redemption and Sanctification, are the operations of the Godhead outwardly, that is, external operations, which God worketh on his Creatures; and they are undivided, that is, common to the three Perſons, which they by common Will and Power work in the Creatures, by reaſon of that one and the ſame Eſſence and Nature of the Godhead, which they have; All the Perſons therefore Create, Redeem and Sanctifie. Again, Eſſence is a thing ſubſiſting by its ſelf, the very Being of God, Abſolute and Communicable; Perſon is a thing ſubſiſting, Individual, Living, Underſtanding, not ſuſtained in another, neither part of another: Eſſence is the Being of God; Perſon is the maner of this Being, which is threefold, and ſo maketh three Perſons: The Eſſence is Abſolute and Communicable; the Perſon Reſpective and Incommunicable.
By the name of Trinity, are underſtood the three maners of Being in God; that is, three, not Eſſences, but Perſons of the ſame Divine Eſſence. Now Trinity and Triplicity, as alſo Trinal and Triple, differ; for that is ſaid to be Triple, which is compounded of three Eſſences, or is diſtinct by three Eſſences; but Trinal is in Eſſence but one and moſt ſimple, though it hath three maners of Being. God therefore is not Triple, becauſe there are not moe Eſſences; but Trinal, becauſe he being one according to his Eſſence, is three according to his Perſons, yet ſtill but one God: So that there is one Exiſtence or Eſſence of the three, which is from none, but of it ſelf, becauſe it is but one; but the maners of the Exiſtence are three. Wherefore as concerning Exiſtence, Being or Eſſence it ſelf, the three Perſons are of themſelves; as concerning the maner of Exiſting or Being, the Father is from none, but of himſelf, the Son of the Father, the Holy Ghoſt from both; the Son begotten, the Holy Ghoſt proceeding. As it is one thing to be a Man, another thing to be a Father or a Son, yet one and the ſame is both Man and Father; but he is Man abſolutely, or in himſelf, or according to his own Nature, and Father in reſpect of another, viz. his Son. So it is one thing to be God, another thing to be the Father's Son, or the Holy Ghoſt, and yet one and the ſame is both God and Father; God, in reſpect of himſelf, or his own Nature; Father, in reſpect of the Son.
Now though this be alike in God and Man, that both do communicate to another, not his Perſon, but his Eſſence; yet is there an exceeding diſſimilitude in the maner whereby the Divine Eſſence being infinite, and the Humane being created and finite, is communicated to another: For in Men, in the Father and the Son the Eſſence is as diſtinct as the Perſons themſelves, the Father and the Son being not onelyonly two perſons, but alſo two men diſtinct in Eſſences, ſo that the Father is not that man which is the Son; but in God the Perſons are ſo diſtinct, that yet the Eſſence remaineth common, one and the ſame; and therefore there are not three Gods, but the Son is the ſame God in number, which is the Father and the Holy Ghoſt. Again, in Perſons Created, he that begetteth, doth not communicate his whole Eſſence to him that is begotten, for then he ſhould ceaſe to be a man, but onelyonly a part; but in uncreated Perſons, he that begetteth or inſpireth, communicateth his whole Eſſence to him that is begotten or proceedeth; yet ſo, that he who communicateth doth retain the ſame Eſſence, and that whole: And the Reaſon of both Differences, is, Becauſe the Eſſence of Man is finite and diviſible, but the Eſſence of God infinite and indiviſible; and therefore the Deity may, being the ſame, and whole or intire, be together both communicated and retained, whereby the Perſons are not any thing ſeparated from the Eſſence, but each of them are the very ſelf-ſame whole Eſſence of the Divinity; wherefore God or the Divine Eſſence, is the Father, is the Son, is the Holy Ghoſt. Thus the three Perſons in the Trinity are all one; one in Nature and Eſſence; one in Will and Conſent; one in Vertue and Power: what the one doth, the other doth alſo, the difference is onelyonly in the maner of working. This Myſtery of the Trinity and Unity, was taught from the beginning of the world; howbeit, the fuller revelation of it was reſerved to the times of the Goſpel, when the light of this Truth outſhined the Sun at noon, Matth. 28.19. 1 John 5.7.
The Doctrine of the Trinity of Perſons in the Unity of the Godhead, muſt be held & retained for theſe Reaſons; viz.
1. Becauſe by it we may diſtinguiſh the True God from all falſe gods and idols.
2. Becauſe among all other points of Religion, this is one of the chiefeſt, being the very foundation thereof: For it is not ſufficient for us to know God as we can conceive of him in our own imaginations, but we muſt know him as he hath revealed himſelf in his Word; and it is not ſufficient to Salvation to believe in God confuſedly, but we muſt believe in one God diſtinct in three Perſons.
3. This Doctrine directs us in the worſhipping of God aright: For Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, is to be worſhipped; one God muſt be worſhipped in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Ghoſt: And if we worſhip God the Father, without the Son and the Holy Ghoſt, or the Son without the Father & the Holy Ghoſt, or the Holy Ghoſt without the Father and the Son, we worſhip nothing but an Idol. Again, if we worſhip the three Perſons not as one God, but as three Gods, then likewiſe we make three Idols.
The difference of Eſſence & Perſon is to be obſerved and held for theſe Reaſons:
1. Leſt the Unity of the true God be diſtracted.
2. Leſt the Diſtinction of Perſons be taken away.
3. Leſt another thing be underſtood by the name of Perſon, then the truth of Gods Word declareth.
That in one Divine Eſſence are ſubſiſting three Perſons, the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, each of which is one and the ſame true God; or that one true God is three Perſons truly diſtinct, and thoſe three Perſons are one onelyonly true God, is proved thus; viz.
1. By Teſtimonies of Scripture, partly out of the Old Teſtament, as Gen. 1.2. Iſa. 61.1. partly out of the New, Mat. 28.19. Joh. 14.26. & 15.26. 2 Cor. 13.13. 1 Joh. 5.3. Tit. 5.3. Eph. 2.18. Gal. 4.6.
2. By thoſe places of Scripture which give unto thoſe three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, the Name of Jehovah and true God; for thoſe places wherein thoſe things which are ſpoken of Jehovah in the old Teſtament, are in the new referred expreſly & moſt plainly to the Son & the Holy Ghoſt.
3. By thoſe places which attribute the ſame whole Divine Eſſence to the three Perſons, and ſhew that the Son is the proper Son of the Father, moſt truly begotten of him; and that the Holy Ghoſt is the Spirit of the Father and the Son; the Son therefore and the Holy Ghoſt have the ſame, and that whole Eſſence of the Deity which the Father hath; the Son hath it communicated of the Father, by being from everlaſting born of him, and the Holy Ghoſt of the Father and the Son, by proceeding from them.
4. By the places which give unto the three the ſame Attributes or Properties, and perfections of the Divine Nature, as Eternity, Immenſity, Omnipotency, &c.
5. By thoſe places which attribute to the three the ſame effects or works proper unto the Deity, as Creation, Preſervation, Government of the World, alſo Miracles, and the Salvation of the Church.
6. By thoſe places which yield to the three equal honor and worſhip, and ſuch as agreeth to the true God alone.
The three in the Trinity are called Perſons, Becauſe they have proper things to diſtinguiſh them, in regard either
1. Of themſelves, as
1. Father, to beget, and to be of himſelf, Joh. 5.26. & 1.14. 1 Joh. 5.1.
2. Son, to be begotten, and to be the ſecond Perſon, Joh. 1.14, 18.
3. Holy Ghoſt, to proceed both from the Father and the Son, Mat. 3.16.
2. Of the Creatures, as
1. The Father worketh through the Son by the Holy Ghoſt, Eph. 2.10. Rom. 11.36.
2. The Son worketh from the Father by the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 8.6. Joh. 1.3.
3. The Holy Ghoſt worketh from the Father and the Son, Gen. 1.2. Joh 33.4.
The things wherein they communicate with themſelvs are theſe; viz.
1. One is in another and poſſeſſeth another; as, the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt in them both, Joh. 10.30, 38. & 14.10, 11.
2. They have glory one of another, Joh. 17.4, 5, 22, 24, 26.
3. They delight one in another; as, the Son is a delight to the Father, and the Father to the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt to them both, Mat. 3.17. Joh. 5.20.
The order of working in the Three Perſons of the Trinity; viz.
1. The Father Createth, but immediately, by the Son and the Holy Ghoſt; the Son from the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt from the Father and the Son.
2. The Father and the Holy Ghoſt Redeem us, but mediately, by the Son; but the Son immediately, from the Father by the Holy Ghoſt.
3. The Father and the Son Sanctifie us, but mediately, by the Holy Ghoſt; but the Holy Ghoſt immediately, from the Father and the Son.
In this deep Myſtery of our Religion, we muſt be guided wholly by Faith, and endeavor to believe this Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, though we are not able to reaſon the truth thereof by Natural demonſtrations.
Behold, the ſacred Riddle of Divinity;
One Godhead in a holy Trinity
Of Perſons, or three Perſons all in one
Moſt undivided Deity alone:
Diſtinct in Perſons, not in Eſſence; no,
The Godhead's not divided, think not ſo:
For it's not ſubject to diviſion,
Nor admits of any Compoſition,
But diſtinction without ſeperation;
As is moſt evident by Mans Creation,Gen. 1.26.