A Cure for the Cankering Error of the New Eutychians, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Holy Trinity.
Firſt, the proof of it from the Scriptures. Secondly, the uſe of it.
AMongſt the multitude of Scriptures holding forth the Doctrine of the Trinity of Perſons in the Divine Eſſence, let it at preſent ſuffice to tranſcribe theſe Texts, becauſe I ſhall ſpeak more about the Trinity hereafter in the Queſtions and Anſwers. And God ſaid, Let us make man in our own Image, after our likeneſs, Gen. 1.26. And the Lord God ſaid, Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, Gen. 3.22. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not underſtand one anothers ſpeech, Gen. 11.7. But none ſaith, Where is God my Maker? (ſo they ſay it is in the Hebrew) who giveth ſongs in the night? Job 35.10. And one cryed unto another, and ſaid, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hoſts, the whole Earth it full of his Glory, Iſa. 6.3. And the Heavens were opened unto him, and he ſaw the Spirit of God deſcending like a Dove, and lighting upon him; and lo a voice from heaven, ſaying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed. Mat. 3.16, 17. Go therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt, Matth. 28.19. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will ſend unto you from the Father, he ſhall teſtifie of me, Joh. 15.26. The Grace of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all Amen. 2 Cor. 13.13. For there are three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Spirit; and theſe three are one, 1 Joh. 5.7.
Hence appeareth firſt the in being of one Perſon in another, Joh. 14.10, 11. 1 Joh. 1. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. Becauſe a Perſon ſignifying both the eſſence and its relative property, all the perſons having one and the ſame Eſſence: it followeth, that in reſpect of the Eſſence, one Perſon is in another. Thus John ſaith, there are three; that is, three diſtinct Perſons, in reſpect of their relative oppoſition: adding withal, that theſe three are one; namely, in reſpect of the ſameneſs of the Eſſence. And here we may ſee the reaſon of thoſe words of Chriſt, Joh. 8.19. If you had known me, ye ſhould have known my Father alſo: He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Father.
Secondly, That all the Perſons are equal: Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, Phil. 2.6. Joh. 5.18. Either the Perſons are equal, or elſe becauſe every Perſon is God, there would follow an inequality, and conſequently an inferiority in God, which is inconſiſtent with his Perfection, as I ſaid before.
Thirdly, That all the Attributes, in that they flow from the Eſſence, are true of every Perſon, becauſe every Perſon hath the whole Eſſence.
Fourthly, That all the Attributes, whether Relative, Negative, or Poſitive, or if any other, in that they proceed from the Eſſence, are true of every Perſon; becauſe the whole Eſſence is in every Perſon. The Father is Eternal, the Son is Eternal, the Holy Ghoſt is Eternal, becauſe the whole Eſſence is in every one of them: yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal; becauſe the Eſſence which is in them all, is but one. In like manner, the Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, the Holy Ghoſt is infinite; yet, &c. And ſo of all the reſt.
Fifthly, That all the works of God which concern the Creature, i. e. whatſoever is beſides God, are wrought by all the Perſons joyntly: becauſe the efficacy whereby they are what they are, proceeds likewiſe from the Eſſence it ſelf, not from the manner of the Eſſence. Moreover, the knowledge of the Trinity is neceſſary to Salvation; becauſe ſaving Faith hath for its object, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, and Jeſus Chriſt God-Man.Note this. No man is ſaved without the knowledge of the Father: No man hath ſeen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the boſom of the Father, he hath declared him, Joh. 1.18. No man is ſaved without the knowledge of the Son: Whoſoever denyeth the Son the ſame hath not the Father, 1 Joh. 2.23. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath ſent him, Joh. 5.23. No man is ſaved without the knowledge of the Holy Ghoſt: Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his, Rom. 8.9. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, becauſe it ſeeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you, Joh. 14.17. God heareth none but ſuch as call upon him in the Name of Chriſt. None can call upon God in Chriſt, but ſuch as are taught and aſſiſted by his Spirit. We cannot Worſhip God aright, without the knowledge of the Trinity. As God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, is of the object of Faith; ſo is he of the object of Divine Worſhip, Baptiſm is an act of Worſhip, and ſign of the Covenant; but we are baptized into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt, Matth. 28.19. God hath committed all Judgment to the Son; that all men ſhould honour the Son, as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath ſent him, Joh. 5.23.
Believers are the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 3.16. & 6.19. The Lord of the Temple is worſhipped in the Temple. We worſhip the Trinity in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity.
All Obedience is to be performed unto God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt. To him that elected us, that gave Chriſt to redeem us, that created us, that brought Iſrael out of Egypt, that, in a word, doth all for us, is all obedience to be performed. But God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, and that as God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, elected us, gave Chriſt to redeem us, created us, &c. Therefore unto God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, is all obedience to be performed.
The plurality of Perſons in the Trinity, is of great uſe for the confirmation of the truth unto us. John aſſerts that great Truth of Jeſus Chriſt being the Son of God, and Saviour of all them that believe; not only from the teſtimony of one God, but from the teſtimony of that one God, who is three Witneſſes; for there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoſt, and theſe three are one, 1 Joh. 5.7. To the ſame purpoſe is the Argument Chriſt uſeth, diſputing againſt the Scribes and Phariſees; proving the truth of what he had ſpoken concerning himſelf, being the Light of the World, becauſe it was averred by the Father, and him, as two Witneſſes: It is alſo written in your Law, that the teſtimony of two men is true: I am one that bear witneſs of my ſelf, and the Father that ſent …e, beareth witneſs of me, Joh. 8.17, 18.
The knowledge of the Trinity, tends unto the Conſolation of Believers. Paul affectionately deſirous that the hearts of the Coloſſians might be comforted, ſheweth two ſpecial means thereof, viz. The acknowledgment of the Myſtery of God, and of the Father,See Mr. Norton's Orthodox Evangeliſt. p. 33, 34. and of Chriſt, with the full aſſurance of underſtanding, and Brotherly-love. Of God; i. e. of God, and of his Attributes: of the Father, i. e. of the Perſons, the firſt of which is the Father: of Chriſt, i. e. of his Perſon, and Office: ſo ſome, without repugnancy to the Analogie of Faith, or the words of the Text.
Laſtly, The knowledge of the Doctrine of the Trinity, is requiſite to our Communion, which (as our Union) is with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt: And truly our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Joh. 1.3. The Grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoſt, be with you all, Amen, 2 Cor. 13.13. Matth. 28.19.
Though the perfect manner how one Perſon is of another, is incomprehenſible, and unutterable in this life, (the perfect knowledge thereof being reſerved unto glory) yet ſo far hath God revealed himſelf unto us in his Word in this life, as that we may and ought to attain unto ſome diſtinctneſs; yea, unto ſuch diſtinctneſs, as is held forth in the Scriptures of Truth; which is the meaſure of Faith; and not to reſt in an implicite Faith concerning this Myſtery of Myſteries. Secret things belong to the Lord our God: but theſe things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our Children for ever, Deut. 29.29. Upon which laſt words, viz. To us, and to our Children; they ſay the Hebrew hath extraordinary Pricks to ſtir up our attention to the matter here ſpoken of. To be wiſe above what is written, is not wiſdom: but perilous ſin and folly. To be wiſe according to what is written, is ſobriety. To be wiſe up to what is written, (though alas we have all great cauſe to cry, God be merciful to us all herein) is our Duty.
No where (ſaith Auguſtine) throughout the revealed. Will of God, is the truth ſought out with greater labour: no where is our finding out of the truth fruitfuller; no where do we err with greater danger: 1 Cor. 15.34. Some have not the knowkedge of God, I ſpeak this to your ſhame, ſaith St. Paul.
To this agrees the ſaying of Dr. Hall in his Collections, pag. 407, 408. How to conceive of the Deity in our Prayers, in our Meditations, is both the deepeſt Point of all Chriſtianity, and the moſt neceſſary: ſo deep, that if we wade into it, we may eaſily drown, never find the bottom: ſo neceſſary, that without it, our ſelves, our ſervices are prophane, irreligious: We are all born Idolaters, naturally prone to faſhion God to ſome form of our own, whether of an humane body, or of admirable light; or if our mind have any other more likely, and pleaſing Image. Firſt then, away with all theſe wicked Thoughts, theſe groſs Devotions; and with Jacob burn all your ſtrange Godds under the Oak of Shechem, ere you offer to ſet up God's Altar at Bethel: and without all mental repreſentations, conceive of your God purely, ſimply, ſpiritually; as of an abſolute being, without form, without matter, without compoſition; yea, an infinite, without all limit of thoughts. Let your heart adore a ſpiritual Majeſty, which it cannot comprehend, yet knows to be; and as it were, loſe it ſelf in his infiniteneſs. Think of him, as not to be thought of; as one, whoſe Wiſdom is his Juſtice, whoſe Juſtice is his Power, whoſe Power is his Mercy; and whoſe Wiſdom, Juſtice, Power, Mercy, is himſelf; as without quality good, great without quantity, everlaſting without time, preſent everywhere without place, containing all things without extent: And when your thoughts are come to the higheſt, ſtay there, and be content to wonder in ſilence: and if you cannot reach to conceive of him as he is, yet take heed you conceive not of him as he is not. Neither will it ſuffice your Chriſtian mind, to have this awful and confuſed apprehenſion of the Deity, without a more ſpecial and inward conceit of three in this one: Three Perſons in this one Eſſence, not divided, but diſtinguiſhed; and not more mingled, than divided. There is nothing, wherein the want of words can wrong and grieve us, but in this: Here alone, as we can adore, and not conceive, ſo we can conceive, and not utter; yea, utter your ſelves, and not be conceived; yet as we may, think here of one ſubſtance in three ſubſiſtences; one Eſſence in three Relations; one Jehovah begetting, begotten, proceeding; Father, Son, Spirit: yet ſo, as the Son, is no other thing from the Father, but another Perſon; or the Spirit, from the Son. Let your thoughts here walk warily, the path is narrow: the conceit either of three ſubſtances, or but one ſubſiſtence, is damnable. Let me lead you yet higher, and further, in this intricate way, towards the Throne of Grace: All this will not avail you, if you take not your Mediator with you; if you apprehend not a true Manhood, gloriouſly united to the Godhead, without change of either Nature, without mixture of both; whoſe Preſence, whoſe Merits muſt give paſſage, acceptance, vigour to your Prayers. Here muſt be therefore (as you ſee) thoughts holily mixed: of a Godhead and Humanity: one Perſon in two Natures: of the ſame Deity, in divers Perſons, and one Nature: wherein (if ever) Heavenly Wiſdom muſt beſtir it ſelf, in directing us, ſo to ſever theſe apprehenſions, that none be neglected; ſo to conjoyn them, that they be not confounded. O the depth of Divine Myſteries, more than can be wondered at! O the neceſſity of this high Knowledge, which who attains not, may babble, but prayeth not! Still you doubt, and ask if you may not direct your Prayers to one Perſon of three? Why not? ſafely, and with comfort. What need we fear, while we have our Saviour for our pattern? O my Father (if poſſible) let this Cup paſs: and Paul everywhere, both in thanks and requeſts; but with due care in Worſhipping all in one. Exclude the other, while you fix your heart upon one, your Prayer is ſin; retain all, and mention one, you offend not: None of them doth ought for us, without all. It is a true rule of Divines: All their external works are common: To ſollicite one therefore, and not all, were injurious. And if you ſtay your thoughts upon the ſacred Humanity of Chriſt, with inſeparable adoration of the Godhead united, and thence climbe up to the holy conceit of that bleſſed and dreadful Trinity, I dare not cenſure, I dare not but commend your divine method. Thus ſhould Chriſtians aſcend from Earth to Heaven, from one Heaven to another. If I have given your Devotions any light, it is well: the leaſt glimpſe of this knowledge, is worth all the full gleames of Humane and Earthly skill. But I miſtake, if your own heart, wrought upon with ſerious Meditations, (under that Spirit of Illumination) will not prove your beſt maſter. After this weak direction, ſtudy to conceive aright, that you may pray aright; and pray that you may conceive; and meditate, that you may do both: and the God of Heaven direct you, inable you, that you may do all.