The Reviler Rebuked, Treatise · Part 1 · Head 2
(2.) Head of Scripture-contradiction.) Concerning the Trinity.
Section 7.
I Had diſcovered their contradictious language, that, There is no Scripture for the Trinity, when the Scripture is plain before them, 1 John 5. 7. There are three 1 Iohn 5. 7. vindicated.that bear witneſs in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Spirit: and theſe three are one. Here is a Trinity, I ſaid, or a Three-neſs in one Eſſence, and One-neſs of Eſſence in a Three-neſs of Subſiſtence. R. F. *Page 7, 8.challengeth me for perverting the Scripture, ſaying, here is Trinity, when it expreſſeth no ſuch word in that nor any other Scripture as Trinity. But the Reader will eaſily perceive how he perverts my writing and fights againſt this Text and five more which I referred to: for I ſaid not, here is Trinity, or, the word Trinity, but here is a Trinity aſſerted. He grants the Father, Son, and Spirit are one, and then beating about the buſh from John 14. 20. which mentions but two of the three, he denies it to ſpeak of diſtinct perſons three.
Rep. What if John 14. 20. ſpeak not of three, 1 Joh. 5. 7. expreſly ſaith, there are three &c. But R. F. falls pointblank in oppoſition to the third in order of the three, and addeth, The holy Ghoſt is no perſon. My work therefore here is firſt, to clear out from this place in Johns Epiſtle (and the five other that I onelyonly hinted at) that there are three diſtinct perſons, in the God-head. Secondly, that the holy Ghoſt is, and how he is, one of the three, I cannot open any of the ſix Texts which I quoted, but the latter will be proved by the former; onelyonly in clearing the latter by it ſelf, R. F. his Hereſie and Blaſphemy will be yet more evident and notorius. To the firſt then, I argue thus in the general.
If the Scripture ſpeaks of three [the Father, Son, and Spirit] that are one, and yet three, then they are as diſtinctly three in their Perſons, as they are undividedly one in their Eſſence.
But the Scripture ſpeaks of theſe three that are one, andThere is a Trinity, or three perſons in one Godhead, proved from and by the Scriptures. yet three.
Therefore they are as diſtinctly three in their perſons, as they are undividedly one in their Eſſence. The conſequence of the propoſition is thus proved;
When the Scripture ſpeaks of theſe three, either it is to be underſtood of three diſtinct ways of Being, or of three diſtinct Beings; But it cannot be underſtood of three diſtinct Beings, for the Lord our God is One; I am, or Being of himſelf; Therefore it is to be underſtood of three diſtinct maners, or ways of Being, each of which maners of Being is no other but that which the Scripture expreſſeth by the word Hypoſtaſis, or Perſon, when it ſometime ſpeaks of one of the three, ſometime of another. The Aſſumption is clear from the Scriptures that either expreſly ſay, there are three, and theſe are one, or reckon up three neither more, nor fewer; coequal, and of the ſame dignity, as co-eſſential, and of the ſame Deity. More particularly,
1. Let that 1 John 5. 7. be viewed, and weighed; let1 John 5. 7. opened. not men ſhut their eyes againſt the light of it, and think lightly of its Teſtimony, where Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity is ſet forth by words equivalent, and of as great force, as if the very terms of [Unity] and [Trinity] were put down. The equivalent words are [there are three] and [theſe three are one] and the meaning this, that three diſtinct perſons are united in the ſame Eſſence, and one and the ſame Eſſence is diſtinguiſhed into three perſons.
2. Let Matth. 28. 19. be heard ſpeak for a Trinity. HereMat. 28. 19: opened. is expreſs command for baptizing into the name of three [of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt] The phraſe [into the Name] compared with 1 Cor. 1. 13. 15.foreign is as much as, into the divine ſervice, honor and worſhip of ſome perſon, or perſons: Paul ſpeaks of being baptized into his own name, as too great an honor for him, or any creature. But if the diſciples were, and are baptized into the name of Chriſt, as they were dedicated to a dependence upon Chriſt; Chriſt ſhould have his due honor given him: and if according to Chriſts command, they are baptized, and by Baptiſm (as by an outward rite, and ſign) given up to the name, both of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt, then are they in one Eſſence, three perſons, equally and infinitely honorable.
3. In 2 Cor. 13. 14. we have mention made of the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, there is one perſon; of the Love of God, or the Father, there is another; and of the Communion of the holy Ghoſt, there is a third.
4. Again, Matth 3. 16, 17. Jeſus is baptized, there is one perſon; The Spirit of God deſcendeth upon him, there is another; And a voice from the Father (This is my beloved Son) there is a third.
5. In that Scripture John 15. 26. There you have the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, one; ſent by Chriſt, another; from the Father, a third; (though he is the firſt, the Son the ſecond, the holy Ghoſt the third, in order and maner of ſubſiſting within the God-head, and of working outwardly upon the creature, yet there as elſewhere they are ſpoken of promiſcuouſly, to note their equality of Eſſence, with the Trinity of perſons.)
Laſtly, to multiply no more places, John 16. 13, 14, 15. There you have the Spirit pointed out as a perſon diſtinct from the Father, and the Son; [foreign] ille, He, ſix times in ver. 13. and ver. 14. [foreign again] He, there is one perſon, ſhall glorifie me, there is another, and ver. 15. All things that the Father hath &c. there is another. Let R. F. or any other conſult with his Arithmetick, and reckon the number; then conſult with natural Logick, or true reaſon, and conclude; If there be neither more nor fewer, but three in one God-head; and that the holy Ghoſt is one of the three: Then there is a foreign, a Trinity: And if the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt be co-equal, and that the Father hath the place and dignity of one Perſon, and the Son hath the place and dignity of another Perſon, Then hath the holy Ghoſt the place and dignity of a third, and indeed is the Third in order of perſonality. Secondly, and more directly in reply to R. F. who ſaith, he is no perſon; I muſt tell him, and his diſciples in the general, what a Perſon is, viz. A living intelligent ſubſtance, ſubſiſting by it ſelf, andWhat a perſon is. truly and really diſtinct from others by his incommunicable property; more particularly, "A Perſon in the God-headWhat a perſon in the God-head is. is the divine, living, underſtanding, uncreated, infinite Eſſence, ſubſiſting by it ſelf, and really diſtinct from the other by his incommunicable uncreated property, yet each of them having one and the ſame Eſſence or Godhead in him from Eternity. By this latter clauſe [each of them having one and the ſame Eſſence, &c.] A divine uncreated perſon is diſtinguiſhed from created perſons: for created perſons, ſuppoſe an earthly father, and a ſon, are not the whole Eſſence one in the other, but the uncreated are. One perſon in the divine Eſſence is in and with the other. In humane perſons the Eſſence of the one ſtands out of the other; In the divine perſons, the whole Eſſence of the one is the Eſſence and ſubſtance of the other, and as the whole Eſſence of the Father is in the Son of God, and the whole Eſſence of this Son is in His Father, ſo the whole Eſſence of both the Father, and the Son, is in the holy Ghoſt. By the former clauſe [a living underſtanding Eſſence uncreated ſubſiſting by it ſelf, and is really diſtinguiſhed from the other by his incommunicable uncreated property] we have to conſider.
1. Something common to all perſons, viz. they are each of them a living, underſtanding ſubſtance, ſubſiſting by it ſelf, and diſtinguiſhed by its incommunicable property.
2. Something to diſtinguiſh,Diſtinct from created perſons.
1. God, and each perſon in the God-head from the creature, viz. That God is a divine un-created infinite Eſſence, the creature that is a perſon, is either humane, or Angelical, and both created Eſſences, and each of the divine un-created perſons, hath a diſtinct incommunicable un-created property; but the created Eſſences, men or Angels, have (though diſtinct, incommunicable, yet) created finite properties, and perſonalities.
2. Each of the perſons in the God-head from one another,How diſtinguiſhed in the Deity. though relating to each other. The incommunicable relative property of the firſt perſon, the Father, is to be of himſelf, unbegotten, and to beget his natural onelyonly Son: the relative incommunicable property of the ſecond perſon, the Son, is to be (though he is God of himſelf, yet as the Son) begotten of the Father: the relative incommunicable property of the third perſon, the holy Ghoſt, is (though he is God of himſelf, yet as the Spirit) to proceed from the Father, and from the Son. And hence I argue for the holy Ghoſt his being a perſon.
If the holy Spirit be diſtinguiſhed from the Father, and from the Son, by his ineffable maner of being, or by his relative incommunicable property of ſubſiſting in the Godhead, then he is one of the divine perſons.
But the holy Spirit is diſtinguiſhed from the Father, and from the Son, by his ineffable maner of being, or by his relative incommunicable property of ſubſiſting in the Godhead: Therefore he is one of the divine perſons.
That the holy Spirit is diſtinguiſhed by his ineffable maner of being, and relative incommunicable property of ſubſiſting in the God-head, is clear from that one Scripture (among others above cited) John 15. 26. In theſe words [which proceedeth from the Father] and in many Scriptures he is called the Spirit of the Son, and the Spirit of Chriſt, and therefore he proceedeth from him alſo, and is known thereby to be a diſtinct perſon from him, and from the Father. If any ſay, this doctrine of the Trinity is very myſterious, make it out by ſome ſimilitude; The Prophet anſwereth him, or rather the holy Ghoſt by the Prophet, Iſa 40. 18. To whom will ye liken God? or what likeneſs will ye compare unto him? or, we may in alluſion thereunto ſay, Who ſhall compare the eſſence of the Creator, to the eſſence of the creature; and who ſhall liken the divine perſons, with the humane? or the humane unto the divine? I ſhall onelyonly, to clear out what hath been ſaid of the holy Ghoſts perſonality, adde this argument.
If thoſe actions are properly attributed to the holy Ghoſt which are proper to a perſon, then he is a perſon.
But thoſe actions are properly attributed to the holy Ghoſt which are proper to a perſon; therefore he is a perſon. I ſhall mention but ſome (of many) actions properly attributed to the holy Ghoſt; as 1 Cor. 12. 11. all theſe worketh that one and ſelf ſame Spirit, dividing to every man ſeverally as he will. Here the Spirit is deſcribed, not as a motion or operation, but as a perſon properly acting, willing, working. Act. 20. 28. he is ſaid to conſtitute elders or make overſeers over the Church, the flock of God; Luke 12. 12. to teach, John 16. 8. to convince, Acts 13. 2. to call, and ver. 4. to ſend forth Barnabas and Saul, Act. 2. 4. to give utterance: and that very action which R. F. granteth to the Spirit, of dwelling in the Saints, is ſo far from diſproving him to be a perſon (for which end he produceth it) as it clearly proves him to be one. For how doth he dwell in the Saints? not perſonally, yet properly (more then by way of operation) as a owner, or inhabitant in his houſe; as a God, and as a Lord in his Temple: this perſon dwels in the Saints, though not perſonally, yet myſtically and in a true ſpiritual way of inhabitation. 1 Cor. 3. 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? And do we-know that, and ſhall we not know, and acknowledge him a perſon, and a perſon of note and eminency? He is not a Perſon, ſaith R. F. but he dwelleth in perſons. If that be a reaſon why the holy Ghoſt is no perſon, the Father (with this corrupt reaſon) muſt be no perſon, nor the Son any (who yet have the very title given them, Heb. 1. 3. Chriſt the expreſs image of the Fathers perſon) for the Father dwelleth in the Saints, and the Son alſo, John 14. 21. what have we next to make out R. E. his ſenſe? [he dwelleth in perſons or bodies of Saints] It ſeems he accounts none to be perſons but thoſe that have bodies. Why beaſts have bodies, yet are no perſons, and Angels are perſons ſpiritual, immaterial creatures *foreign.ſubſiſting by themſelves, (though not of themſelves, as not any creature doth thus ſubſiſt) although they have no bodies of fleſh and bones, Luke 24. 39. as men have: nor is the body of a Saint the perſon of a Saint, as he is a man, but a part of it (his perſon or ſuppoſitum conſiſting of body and ſoul) and of ſuch a compoſition is every humane perſon; but a divine perſon in the God-head, and in particular the holy Ghoſt (of whom I have briefly ſpoken for R. F. his conviction, or for others conſolation, as information) is no compoſitum or third thing made up of other things different from the Eſſence, yet is he diſtinguiſhed, by his maner of ſubſiſting (as hath been ſhewed.) To little purpoſe, doth R. F. *Page 8.conclude this ſubject with that Scripture, 2 John, ver. 9. He that abideth in the doctrine of Chriſt, hath both the Father and the Son, but againſt himſelf, for as1 John 2. 23. whoſoever denyeth the Son, the ſame hath not the Father; ſo, he that denyeth the holy Ghoſt, in that maner as R. F. hath done, abideth not in the doctrine of Chriſt, and hath neither the Father nor the Son. Let him well conſider, that the holy Ghoſt dwelleth in the ſouls of Saints as well as in their bodies, let him beware of conceiving him (with Samoſatenus) onelyonly to be that *foreign.un-perſonal energy, or operation which is in believers, And let him be far from putting the Believer in the room of the Spirit, or from making no more of the Spirit of God, then the believing ſoul in the bodies of the Saints, for this were to turn the glory of the Creator unto the Creature.