The Rule of Faith, Exegesis of Apostles Creed · Article 1 · Tenet 2 · Objection and solution 1 – Objection and solution 10
Ob. Some may ſay, it ſeemes impoſſible, that three ſhould 1. Obiect.be one.
Sol. In one and the ſame reſpect: but not in diuers. Three Sol.Perſons cannot be one perſon, but three Perſons may bee one Eſſence. As the Nature of man may be common to many perſons, as to Peter, Iohn, Paul, &c.
Ob. He that ſeeth Chriſt, ſees the Father, for he is in the Father, and the Father in him: therefore the Father and the Son 2. Obiect.are but one Perſon.
Sol. He that ſees the Sonne ſees the Father, becauſe the Son Sol.hath the ſame Eſſence with the Father, and being manifeſted in the fleſh reueales the whole will of God: he is the ſame with the Father in Will and Eſſence not in perſon.
Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Sonne or holy Ghoſt: then it followes that there are three diuers beings 3. Obiect.and ſo three Eſſences.
Sol. The being of the Father notes the being of his Perſon not of his Eſſence, and ſo three Beings are but three Perſons Sol.ſubſiſting in one Eſſence: As the light of the Sun, and the light of the Moone, and the light of the Ayre, in ſubſtance are one and the ſame light, and yet three diſtinct lights; the light of the Sun being of it ſelfe, the light of the Moone from the Sun, and the light of the Ayre from them both.
Ob. If there bee more IEHOVAHS then one, then there 4. Obiect.are more Eſſences then one, but heere are more IEHOVAHS: for IEHOVAH raigned fire and brimſtone from IEHOVAH in heauen, Gen. 19. 24.
Sol. IEHOVAH is a Terme, giuen to the Perſons aſwell as to the Eſſence, and ſo diuers IEHOVAHS notes diuers Perſons, Sol.not Eſſences.
Ob. The Sonne and holy Ghoſt had their beginning from the Father, therefore it ſeemes the Father onelyonly is God.5. Obiect.
Sol. The Sonne and holy Ghoſt had the beginning of their Perſons from the Father, but their Eſſence they had of themſelues, Sol.as being common to all three Perſons, ſo as eueryevery Perſon is foreign, God of himſelfe.
Ob. Three and one makes foure: if in God there bee three and one, then three is a Quaternity not a Trinity.6. Obiect.
Sol. Three and one if they bee things eſſentially and really Sol.diuided make foure, but one and the ſame thing may hauehave diuers relations or manners of being which are diſtinct one from another.
Ob. He that is the whole God-head, beſides him, there can be no other in whom likewiſe ſhould be the whole God-head: 7 Obiect.but the Father is the whole God-head, therefore the Sonne and holy Ghoſt are not ſo.
Sol. The Maior Propoſition is falſe: for the whole God-head Sol.is in eueryevery Perſon, as the whole Nature of man is in diuers men.
Ob. The power of the Perſons is not one, and therefore 8. Obiect.how can their Eſſence be one: their power is not one, becauſe the Father can beget, and ſo cannot the Sonne.
Sol. The naturall power of the Perſons is all one, the perſonall Sol.power differs.
Ob. How can the Eſſence begetting, and the Eſſence begotten 9. Obiect.be all one? the Father begets, the Son is begotten, how can they be one then?
Sol. Diſtinguiſh betweene Generation and Communication, Sol.and betweene Eſſence and Perſon: the Perſon begets and is begotten, but the Eſſence neither begets, nor is begotten, but onelyonly is communicated.
Ob. If the Eſſence of the Father and the Sonne bee all one, 10. Obiect.then the Father was incarnate, for the Son was.
Sol. The Eſſence of God abſolutely conſidered was not incarnate, Sol.but the Perſon of the Sonne: who though he had the whole diuine Nature in him yet in reſpect of the manner of his ſubſiſting did differ from the Father and holy Ghoſt.