The Foundation of God Standeth Sure, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Doctrine of the Trinity of distinct persons in the unity of the Divine Essence, asserted and proved.
THe Trinity of Persons in the unity of the Divine Essence, and the unity of the Divine Essence in the Trinity of Persons, that three should be one, and one should be three; that three should be distinguished, but not divided; that one should not be another, the first should not be the second, nor the second third, nor the second or third the first, and yet the first, second, and third the same; that the first should be in the second, and the second in the first, and both first and second in the third, and that without composition, without confusion, all related to one another, and al distinguished one from another by incommunicable personal properties, and yet all one and the same in regard of one individual Essence, this is such a mystery as doth exceed the weak and narrow understanding of the most enlightned and clear sighted Christians fully to comprehend: some by gazing too long upon the Sun become blind; and some by prying too much into this mystery, and attempting to bring it to the standard and module of their reason have lost the sight thereof and sunk into grosse apprehensions, and denied either the unity of the Godhead, affirming the three persons to be three distinct Gods, or denied the Trinity, affirming the Godhead to be without three distinct persons; thus while they have professed and conceited themselves to be wise, they have proved themselves to be fools, & void of true understanding, by changing the glory of God into that which is unworthy of him. But we, having a sure word of Prophecy in the Scriptures, which is like a light shining in a dark place, ought to give heed thereunto, and conform all our conceptions of God according to the discoveries which he hath made of himself in his word; God knoweth himself better than any creature can know, and what he hath spoken of himself, must needs be so because he cannot represent himself otherwise than he is, and if there be a mystery in him which we cannot reach, we adde folly to our weakness if we do in the least question it: reason, it may be, will leave us in our search after the Deity in the Trinity, and the Trinity in the Deity; but where reason faileth, Faith must supply it's room; the proper object of Divine Faith is such things as we purely do assent unto upon Divine authority; such are not onelyonly Histories and Prophesies, but also Mysteries, which reason cannot demonstrate unto us: in this mystery of the Trinity we must exercise our Faith though we cannot clear it to our selves by demonstration: not as if we were to lay reason quite aside in this thing, or trample it under foot; not as if we should put out the eye of reason that we might see more clearly with the eye of Faith; for though this mystery be above reason, yet it is not against reason; yea there is the greatest reason in the world that we should assent unto that for truth which God hath revealed of himself in his word, because he is a God of truth, and nothing is more true than that which God hath spoken. Wherefore if the Scriptures have revealed that there are three distinct persons in one Divine Essence, it is a certain truth, and it is reason and duty that every one should assent unto it though the mystery of it, there being no such thing to be found in nature, cannot be fully comprehended. Here then I shall propound my assertion, and prove it out of Scripture.
My assertion according to the generally believed Doctrine of the Church of God, is this, That there are three distinct subsistents or persons in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead.
The argument bottom'd upon the Scripture to prove my assertion is this:
If the Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one, and the Father is God, and the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, and the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be three distinct subsistents or persons; then there are three distinct subsistents or persons, Father; Son, and Holy Ghost in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead.
But the Divine Essence or Godhead is, and can be but one, and the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons.
Therefore there are three distinct subsistents or persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost in the same single Divine Essence or Godhead.
The consequent of the major proposition is plain and firm, that no man of reason can in the least question or deny.
The minor proposition is that which must be proved, and there are five things in the proposition to be proved: 1. That the Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one. 2. That the Father is God. 3. That the Son is God. 4. That the Holy Ghost is God. 5. That the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons.
1. The Divine Essence or Godhead is and can be but one, Deut. 6. 4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, Isa. 44. 6. Thus saith the Lord, I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no God, Isa. 45. 21, 22. There is no God else besides me, a just God and Saviour, there is none besides me; look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth, for I am God and there is none else. And it cannot be otherwise for if there were more than one God, then the Godhead might be divided, it might be limited, and by consequence would be finite and so not God, because God is infinite. I need not insist upon this because the unity of the Godhead is not denied by the adversaries I have to deal withal.
2. The Father is God, 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him. I need not multiply places of Scripture, nor adde arguments to prove that the Father is God, since it is generally acknowledged by all that acknowledge a Deity and the Scriptures.
3. The Son is God, this William Penn plainly denieth, he denieth that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, wretched blasphemy! that would thrust the Lord Jesus Christ off from the Throne of his Godhead? His denial of the Divinity of Christ, as well as the Divinity of the Holy Ghost is plain enough. I shall repeat his words as they lye in his first argument against the three distinct persons in the Godhead, page 13. And since the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God (which their opinion necessitates them to confesse) then unlesse the Father, Son, and Spirit are three distinct nothings, they must be three distinct substances, and consequently three distinct Gods. I shall answer the argument in its proper place, only observe here that he denieth the Son and Spirit to be God, by a plain consequence, for first he telleth us that our opinion necessitates us to acknowledge that the Father is God, and the Son God, and the Spirit God, which showeth that his opinion is otherwise that the Son and Spirit are not God; especially it followeth from the scope of the argument, which is to prove that if the Father be God and the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, than there are three distinct Gods; but W. P. having plainly asserted his belief that there is but one God, he must of necessity deny by his argument, that the Son and Holy Ghost are God, for neither he nor any Socinian of them all, will deny that the Father is God. Behold here the Christian! that hath offered such an affront and indignity unto the Son and Spirit, as to divest them (what in him lieth) of their Divinity; is not this a treading of the Son of God underfoot, and doing despight to the spirit of grace? and should not this cause the hearts of all sincere Christians who have any zeal for their masters honour, to arise with indignation against such Black-mouth'd blasphemers, and to abhor their opinions and ways? but more of this in the exhortation at the latter end; the Heathenism, abominablenesse and foulness of this opinion, being such a blasphemy and reproach of the eternal Son of God, may excuse a little disgression to expresse my abhorrency thereof.
The thing to be proved is, that the Son is God, I do not mean nominal, so as those are that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth; but really so, that he is God co-essential, co-equal, co-eternal with the Father: The onelyonly proof of this is to be drawn from the Scripture.
I. Joh. 1. 1. 3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. By the Word we are to understand the Essential, not the written Word, namely, the Son, the only begotten of the Father, which is Christ, it being the same whom Iohn came to bear witness of, ver. 7. the same which was made flesh, and dwelt amongst them, ver. 14. Now that this Word, or Son of God, is God, is evident from this place, where 1. He is called God, The Word was God. 2. It is said, All things were made by him. So Col. 1▪ 16. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him, and for him. Whence it followeth, 1. That he himself was not made, for then he must be made by himself, which is absurd and impossible; and if he were not made, then he is no creature, and if no creature, then God; all things that have a being, being divided into God and his creatures.
2. It followeth hence that all things being made by him, that he is the Creator, that he is Infinite in Power and Wisdom, and Goodness, as his works of Creation do demonstrate.
3. It followeth that all things being made by him, that he was before all things, as it is said expresly, Col. 1. 17. And he is before all things; that he was before the beginning of time, when creatures received their beings, it being necessary that he which made creatures, should be before the creatures he made, and therefore he must be eternal, and by consequence that he must needs be God, none being eternal a parte ante in respect of heretofore, but God.
II. Joh. 8. 58. Iesus said unto them; Verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was I am. That the Jews did apprehend him to assert himself to be God, is evident by their taking up stones to cast at him for the Blasphemy, which they through their unbelief of his Deity, did think he had spoken. And that he did really hereby assert himself to be God, is evident from the words themselves: I Am is the Name whereby God made himself known to Moses, and the children of Israel, Exod. 3. 14. And God said unto Moses, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel; I Am hath sent me unto you. I am doth signifie infinite, eternal, necessary, independent Being, & this Christ doth apply to himself, therefore he is God. Moreover, in our Saviours saying, Before Abraham was I am, it must needs have a reference to his Divine Nature; for in regard of his humane nature the Jews spake truth, v. 57. Thou are not yet fifty years old; as man, he was a son of Abraham, and born many generations after him; therefore his Being before Abraham (yea before the world, by the former Scriptures proved) hath a reference to his Divine Nature and Godhead.
III. Joh. 3. 13. And no man hath ascended unto heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. That Christ was not in heaven at that time, as man, is evident because he was upon the earth speaking to Nicodemus, yet he telleth him, He is in heaven, that is, as God he filleth both heaven and earth.
IV. Rom. 9. 5. Whose are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever, Amen, Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, that setteth forth his humane nature. Who is over all God blessed for ever, that evidently doth prove his Divine Nature. The Title of God with universal Soveraignty, and eternal Blessedness, cannot without blasphemy and absurdity be ascribed unto any creature, as it is here unto Christ.
V. Philip. 2.6. Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God. In this Scripture there are two Proof that Christ is God: 1 He is said to be in the form of God: by the form of God we can rationally understand nothing but the Essence of God; and to be in the form of God, is to subsist in the Essence of God, Christ subsisting eternally in the Essence of God, must needs be God. 2. It is said, He thought it no robbery to be equal with God, that is, he was equal with God without robbing God of his honor, without any detraction from the Deity; And none can be equal with God, but he that is God, and such is Christ.
I might here add for the proof of Christs Divinity, all those Scriptures which ascribe the same divine Attributes to Christ, as Eternity, Heb. 1. 8. VntoUnto the Son he saith▪ Thy Throne O God, is for ever and euer. Omniscience, Ioh. 21. 17. Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Omnipresence, Math. 28. 20. Lo, I am with you always. Omnipotence. In making all things, as before, and upholding all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1. 3: As also those Scriptures which ascribe the same honor and worship to Christ, which is due onelyonly to God. In him we must believe, Joh. 14. 1. In his name we must be baptized, Math. 28. 19. VponUpon his name we must call, 1 Cor. 1. 2. At his name we must bow, Phil. 2. 10. None can reasonably question Christs Deity, who give credit to the Scriptures Authority.
4. The fourth thing is to prove that the holy Ghost is God, which W. P. also doth deny, and this also I shall prove from Scripture.
I. But Peter said, Act. 5. 4, 3. Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost, to keep back part of the price of the Land? &c. Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lyed unto men, but unto God. Him whom the Apostle calleth Holy Ghost in the 3d. verse, he calleth God in the 4. verse; and him whom he calleth God in the 4th verse, he calleth the Spirit of the Lord in the ninth verse. How is it that ye have agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?
II. 1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are differences of Administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. He that is called the same Spirit in the 4th. verse, is called the same Lord in the fifth verse; and the same God which worketh all in all in the sixth verse, and that what is spoken of Administrations and Operations in the fifth and sixth verses, is attributed to the Spirit, as appeareth by the seventh verse, where they are called, The manifestation of the Spirit given to every man to profit withal; and more plainly verse 11. But all this worketh that one and the same Spirit, dividing unto every man severally, as he will. And what can be more plain to prove that the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, is God, when he worketh all in all, and distributeth spiritual gifts unto men, according to his own good pleasure?
III. Isa. 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, &c. v. 2, 3. Above stood the Seraphims, and cryed Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. The three Holies signifie the three Persons; the Lord of Hosts, the one God, ver. 8. I heard the voice of the Lord, ver. 9. And he said, Go tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, &c. This must needs be spoken of God, and it is by the Apostle applyed to the Holy Ghost, Act. 28. 25. Well spake the Holy Ghost, go to this people, and say, hearing you shall hear, &c.
IV. 1 Cor. 2. 10. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. None is omniscient to know all things, yea whatsoever is in the unsearchable minde of God, but he that is God, and therefore the Holy Ghost is God. I might speak further of his divine Works, as Regeneration, Ioh. 3. 5. guiding Believers into all truth, Ioh. 16. 13. Sanctification, and the like; of our being baptized by him, Mat. 3. 11. and in his name, Mat. 28. 19. and his being called One, that is, one God, where he is numbred up amongst the three Persons that bare record in heaven, 1 Ioh. 5. 7. All which undeniably prove that the Holy Ghost is God, co-essential, and co-equal with the Father and the Son.
5. The fifth and last thing is to prove, That Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct Subsistents, or Persons. Concerning the name Person, I shall not speak of it, because Mr. Danson intendeth to vindicate that word from the cavils of W. P. in answer to what concerneth him p. 10. That there are three such distinct Persons in one Divine Essence, is evident from the Scripture, See Math. 3. 16, 17. And Iesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and to 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. Here is a distinction of all the three Persons, the Son was clothed in flesh, and came up out of the water; the Spirit was in the shape of a Dove, which came down from heaven; the Fa- was in the voice, saying, This is my beloved Son.
Another Scripture which holdeth forth this distinction, is Ioh. 16. 17. I will pray the Father, and he shall give them another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth. The Son prayeth, the Father giveth; The Spirit of Truth is the Comforter that is given. I shall adde a third Scripture, 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. They are the distinct Persons, but one undivided Essence.
But further to confirm this truth denied by the Adversaries, I shall prove from the Scripture that there are three distinct Persons in one Divine Essence, 1 From the distinct. Names given to them. 2 From their distinct personal Acts. 3 From their distinct personal Properties.
1. From their distinct Names, they are called Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Math. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, in Ioh. 5. 7. before cited. These names do evidence a distinction, not of nature and essence, for they are one; therefore of personality.
2. From their distinct personal acts, I mean such acts as can be ascribed unto none but such as are persons. 1 Giving the Comforter is ascribed to the Father, Ioh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter; it is proper onelyonly to a person to give, this act requiring both understanding and will: 2 Sending the Comforter is ascribed to the Son, Ioh. 15. 6. When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father: and it is proper onelyonly to a person to send. 3 Guiding into all truth, speaking what he heareth, is ascribed to the Holy Ghost, Ioh. 16. 13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And who can deny that these are personal acts? The distinction of the persons in these acts is evident in all these places, where the Son speaketh of himself in the first person, I will pray, I will send; he speaketh of the Father, and the Spirit in the third person, which persons he evidently distinguisheth one from another by the preposition from speaking of the Spirit, whom I will send from the Father. Surely he must wink very hard that doth not perceive a distinction of the persons of Father, Son, and Spirit, in these places.
3. That the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons, is evident from these distinct personal and incommunicable Properties.
1. The personal property of the Father is to beget the Son, Heb. 1. 5. VntoUnto which of the Angels said he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? and the Son being eternal, as hath been proved, this generation must be eternal.
2. The personal property of the Son is to be begotten of the Father, Ioh. 1. 14. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the onelyonly begotten of the Father.
3. The personal property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son, Ioh. 15. 26. And when the comforter is come, whom I will send from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
I shall conclude the proof of the distinction of the persons of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, in the unity of the Divine Essence, with the two arguments made mention of before in the disputation; which because no answer was given unto, they remain in force.
The first argument is this against W. P's plain assertion, that there were not three distinct persons in the Godhead, with three distinct incommunicable properties.
If the Father be another from the Son, and the Son another from the Father, and the Holy Ghost another from each, and all three be God; and the incommunicable property of the Father is to beget the Son, the incommunicable property of the Son to be begotten of the Father, and the incommunicable property of the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son; then there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, with three distinct incommunicable properties:
But the Father is another, &c.
Therefore there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, with three distinct incommunicable properties.
The consequence of the Major none can with any reason deny, because another and another, and another do signify plainly a distinction of those persons; and begetting, being begotten, and proceeding are real not imaginary properties.
The Minor also is firm in all the parts of it.
1. The Father is another from the Son, Ioh. 5. 32. There is another that beareth witness of me, Ioh. 8. 18. I am one that bear witnesse of my self, and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me.
2. The Son is another from the Father, because the Father is another from the Son.
3. The Holy Ghost is another from each, Ioh. 14. 16, 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, even the spirit of truth.
4. That Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are God, hath been proved.
5. The incommunicable properties of each person also hath been proved.
Therefore it undeniably followeth that there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, with three distinct incommunicable properties.
The second argument out of 1 Ioh. 5. 7. to prove that Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons was this.
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are either three substances, or three manifestations, or three operations, or three persons, or something else.
But
1. They are not three substances, because in the same verse the three are called one, that is in regard of substance or Essence.
2. They are not three manifestations, for all the attributes of God are manifestations, and so there would be more than three; hence also it would follow that one manifestation should beget and send another, which is absurd.
3. They are not three operations, for the same reason, namely, that there are more than three operations; and it would be very improper to asribe personal properties, either to manifestations or operations.
4. They are not any thing else.
Therefore the proposition remaineth firm and sound: That Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct subsistents or persons in one Divine Essence or Godhead.
The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet they are nor three Gods, but one God, the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are distinct, but the Godhead is the same, not specifically the same, as the same humane nature is in all individual men, but numerically the same, so as no similitude or comparison is to be found in the creatures to set it forth. The fooles gathering his skirt into three folds and pulling them abroad into one; the affections of One, Good, True in Being; The understanding will and executive power in the Soul, and the like similitudes may a little help the understanding in the conception of this mystery, but all comparisons fall short, and cannot square in every respect hereunto: Yet the foreign that it is so hath been proved from Scripture, and it is one great fundamental point of our Christian Faith, which all Christians are bound to believe, because of the authority of God.