A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 24
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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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; becauſe the Scriptures never tell us of any originall, or beginning that the Father had, therefore is unbegotten. Againe, the Scriptures tell us that there was one begotten, and that was the Sonne, Pſal. 2.7. Thou art my Sonne, this day have I begotten thee, Iohn 1.14. the onelyonly begotten Sonne, Rom. 8.32. he is called his owne Sonne: then it is manifeſt, that there is a ſecond which is begotten. Laſtly, the Scriptures tell us of one that proceeded from them both; it is manifeſt, Iohn 15.26. The comforter that I ſhall ſend, is the holy Ghoſt; and thereupon he is called the Spirit of the Father, Mat. 10. and the Spirit of the Sonne, whom the Father will ſend in your hearts; why? becauſe he proceeds from them both: obſerve a little more, theſe are the particulars of the perſons, the Father begets, (I doe not ſay, the Eſſence begets) the Sonne is begotten, (I doe not ſay, the Eſſence is begotten,) this is underſtood of the perſon, not of the Eſſence; why? becauſe they muſt have the Eſſence of themſelves, or elſe they cannot be God. Theſe perſonall actions, which they exerciſe one to another, are called internall works; and hereupon that ground is, that the Schooles hold, that their internall works are divided, that they cannot be communicated; the Father in begetting, the Sonne in being begotten, and the holy Ghoſt proceeding.
Queſt. How are they diſtinguiſhed by their works?
Anſw. Their workes are creation, redemption, ſanctification, and the like, which in the ſubſtance are common to them all three, but in manner of working are proper to ſome one.
To explane this, There is a rule, that the works of the Trinity without them, are undivided; theſe three perſons are together, and worke together: for there is but one worke, they worke all together. The Scripture ſpeakes plainly, Gen. 1.26. Let us make man: where we ſee, there is a common worke; the Father faith not to the Sonne, I will make man, or make you the man, &c. but, let us make, &c. This is that which Chriſt ſpeakes, Iohn 5.25. The Father workes hitherto, and I worke: and ſo Iohn 16.15. All that the Father hath is mine; whatſoever it is that is the Fathers, is mine; the difference is in the order, and manner of working: this is manifeſt, 1 Cor. 15. Thankes be unto God that hath given us victory, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: where God gives the victory, but by Chriſt. The Fathers uſe much one teſtimony of Paul, to this purpoſe, Rom. 11.36. Of him, and through him, and for him, are all things, to him be glory for ever, Amen. The Apoſtle ſpeakes there of works, which we call works a dextra; he nameth three manners of working, and yet he ſaith, there is but one God, and therefore to him be glory. Now on the other ſide, as the Eſſence may not be divided, ſo the perſons are not to be confounded; for he ſaith, of him, and through him and for him, are all things: the Father workes all things of himſelfe, by the Sonne; and the Sonne workes from the Father, by the holy Ghoſt: this is the manner of working. And before I come to the Reaſon, let me adde one thing more; a diſtinction which Martin Luther had: the workes of the Trinity are to be conſidered abſolutely as they are God, ſo they are common to them all; and relatively, that is to ſay, that every one workes according to his perſonall property, and ſo one creates, and another redeemes, and another ſanctifies. The reaſon is this, for the Father, he is of himſelfe, and therefore workes of himſelfe; the Son is not of himſelfe, as a perſon, but from the Father; and therefore he workes from the Father, and the holy Ghoſt from them both, and is not of himſelfe as a perſon, and therefore workes not of himſelfe, but from them both: thus the ground of their working, is the manner of their ſubſiſting; therefore we give the Father the beginning of the worke, and the Son the forwarding and framing, and the holy Ghoſt, the effecting, &c. So that we ſee, by this that I have opened; firſt, what is communicated to them all, wherein they differ, and how they differ (viz.) by order, properties, and manner of working.
Vſe 1. This takes away an imputation, that Heretiques have laid upon the Church, that it hath brought in vaine appellations, in expreſſing this miſſtry; and they tell us that it is forbiden that a woman ſhould ſpeake in the Church; the meaning of which place they ſay is, that Phyloſophy which is but a handmaid, ſhould not ſpeake in the Church: Arius, Sabelliens, the great grand hereticks denied the diety of the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt; they had this cavell for themſeves, we ſpeake no other way, then God ſpeakes, we are caſt out of the Church, and excommunicated, becauſe we will not admit theſe prophane voices, of Trinity and Unity; but the Church is not worthy of blame, neither is there any excuſe for them; for the Church doth not take up theſe names out of any affectation of novelty, but as Saint Auſtin ſpeakes, meerly out of a neceſſity of ſpeech; namely, becauſe, that otherwiſe, they could not meet with, nor diſtinguiſh hereticks, that they might be better knowne when Hereticks began to oppoſe this doctrine; they would ſay there was one God, and when they ſaw there was three perſons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt; they would ſay theſe three were one God, but how? as it is ſaid, Acts 2. the Saints had all one heart, therefore the Church takes theſe termes, one in Eſſence, to diſcover theſe Hereticks; ſo they will ſay, that there was a Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, but that the Father was ſometimes the Sonne, and ſometimes the holy Ghoſt: ſo that he was the Father in one reſpect, and the Sonne in another: hereupon the Church, upon warrant of the Scriptures, found out theſe words, that whereas Hereticks would ſpeake with the Church, and would not conceive and meane with the Church, they might be ſevered and known to be Hereticks.
Vſe 2. Secondly, here is direction, for every man that will truely and ſavingly beleeve, in one, and three; in one Eſſence, and three diſtinct perſons; not dividing the Eſſence, nor confounding the perſons: he that beleeves in a God, and not in three perſons, hath a fiction of his owne braine, which he beleeves in; he that beleeves, that there are not three perſons diſtinguiſhed, and one Eſſence, cannot be ſaved; for a man cannot be ſaved, but by true faith: but he that beleeves not in the trinity, as he hath revealed himſelfe, hath not true faith; every man therefore muſt labour after this manner to beleeve: whereupon brethren, we inferre the neceſſity of the knowledge of this myſtery; for a man cannot beleeve, unleſſe he know it, therefore every one ought to bend his eares, and his head to know it: if God had revealed himſelfe in generall, it had bin enough to know him ſo; but God hath revealed himſelfe in particular, how he is one, and how he is three: therefore the Church knowing that this 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 onelyonly 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 vponupon 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.