The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · covenant · Question 25 · Commentary · Subsection 6
6. How many perſons there be of the Divinity or God-head.
Three perſons are one God, and one God is three perſons.IN one divine Eſſence are ſubſiſting three Perſons, and thoſe truly diſtinct one from another by their properties; namely, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt; each of which three perſons notwithstanding are one and the ſame God, eternall, infinite, and most perfect in himſelfe. And theſe perſons are conſubſtantiall, co-eternall, without any confounding of their properties and reſpects, as alſo without any diſparagement or inequality between them. And, That there are three perſons, each of which are that one true God, Creatour of all things, is proved, 1. By teſtimonies of Scripture, which are taken partly out of the old Teſtament, and partly out of the new. The old Teſtament yeeldeth us many teſtimonies:Gen. 1.2, 3. Exod. 3.2. The Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters. Then God ſaid, Let there be light. The Lord is ſaid to have appeared unto Moſes in a flame of fire out of the midſt of a buſh. Acts 7.30.Steven calleth him, The Angel of the Lord, which is Chriſt the Son of God, even that Angel of the great counſell. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Iſa. 61.1.therefore hath he anointed me, he hath ſent mee to preach good tidings unto the poor, to binde up the broken hearted. Here the Spirit is diſcerned both from him that anointeth, and from him that is anointed. Hee is diſcerned alſo by his gifts, becauſe hee ſaith, Upon mee, that is, dwelling in me, ſanctifying mee: Therefore theſe be three diverſe perſons ſubſiſting. But yet there are both moe, and more cleer teſtimonies in the new Teſtament:Mat. 28.19. Teach all nations, baptiſing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost. The Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, John 14.26. John 15.27.whom the Father will ſend in my name. When the Comforter ſhall come, whom I will ſend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth of the Father. The grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 13.13.and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghoſt be with you all. In this ſaying of the Apoſtle, invocation is joyned with an application and diſtinction of the three perſons: By grace, he meaneth the benefits of Chriſt; by love, the acceptation whereby God, for his Sons ſake, doth receive us into favour; by the communion of the holy Ghoſt, his gifts which are common unto the godly. There are three in heaven which beare record. God ſaved us by the waſhing of the new birth, 1 John 5.7. T…t. 3.5, 6.and by the renewing of the holy Ghoſt, which he ſhed on us abundantly through Jeſus Christ our Saviour: Here he maketh three authours of our ſalvation.Epheſ. 2.18. Gal. 4.6. Through him wee have an entrance unto the Father by one Spirit. God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: Therefore it is one Spirit which the Father and the Son ſendeth. 2. The ſame is proved by thoſe places of Scripture which give unto theſe three, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt, the name of Jehovah, and the true God. In like manner thoſe places wherein thoſe things which are ſpoken of Jehovah in the old Teſtament, are in the new referred expreſly and moſt plainly to the Son and the holy Ghoſt. 3. Thoſe places which attribute the ſame whole divine eſſence to the three; and ſhew, that the Son is the proper Son of the Father, moſt truly begotten of him; and the holy Ghoſt is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, and that ſo proper and peculiar, as that he is, and proceedeth of God, which is the Father and the Son: The Son therefore and 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 born of him; and the holy Ghoſt of the Father and the Son, by proceeding from them. 4. Thoſe places which give unto the three the ſame attributes or properties and perfections of the divine nature; namely, eternity, immenſity, omnipotency, &c. 5. Thoſe places which attribute to the three the ſame effects or works proper unto the Deity; namely, creation, preſervation, and government of the world, as alſo miracles and the ſalvation of the Church. , 6. Thoſe places which yeeld to the three equall honour and worſhip, and ſuch as agreeth to the true God alone. By this conſent therefore of the old and new Teſtament, it is confirmed, that one God is three perſons truly diſtinct, and thoſe three perſons are one God. By this alſo we underſtand, that it is truely ſaid, that the Father is other from the Son and the holy Ghoſt; and the holy Ghoſt other from both: but not truly, that the Father is another thing from the Son; and the Son another thing, and the holy Ghoſt another thing: for, to be another thing, betokeneth a diverſity of eſſence: to be other, a diverſe manner of exiſting, or a diſtinction of perſons: Now the three diſtinct perſons have not a diverſe Deity, but one and the ſame in number.
It followeth, that we ſhould demonſtrate of each ſeverall perſon of the Deity, that they are true Subſiſtents, againſt Samoſatenus and Servetus: that they are diſtinct, againſt Arrius, Eunomius, and Macedonius: laſtly, that they are of the ſame, and not of only like eſſence, againſt the ſame hereticks. But of the perſon of the Father there is no controverſie; and theſe ſcruples and doubts touching the perſons of the Son and holy Ghoſt ſhall more conveniently hereafter in their proper place be cleared.