СНАР. III. Shewing that there is a Trinity of Perfons in the Unity of Effence. HAVING, in the former chapter, proved that there is but one God, yet that there is a plurality in the Godhead; I now proceed, III. To prove that this plurality is neither more nor fewer than three; which three are the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft: or, in other words, that there is a Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the divine Effence. The doctrine of a real diftinction of three Perfons in one God, is denied by the Sabellians, called fo from Sabellius, who lived in the middle of the third century; and held that there was but one fubjectum, fuppofitum, hypoftafis or perfon in the Godhead. This was not first broached by him; for before him Noetus ftrenuously afferted', that there was no plurality in the Godhead; that the Father and Son were but one Perfon. From him his followers were called Noetians, and fometimes Patripaffians; because they held, in confequence of their former notion, that the Father was incarnate, fuffered and died. Yea, before Noetus, Praxeas, who was ftrengthened by Victorinus, was much of the fame opinion; against whom Tertullian wrote, and by whom his followers are called Monarchians. The fame Chriftian writer tells us, That one fort of the Cataphrygians held, that Jefus Chrift was both Son and Father. Indeed one of the tenets afcribed to Simon Magus is", that he held but one person in the Godhead; and that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, were only different names of one and the fame Perfon, according to his different way of operation. Simon said of himself, that he was the Father in Samaria, and Son in Judea, and the Holy Ghost in the rest of the nations. He feems to have received his notion of unity, in opposition to a Trinity of Persons in the Deity, from the Jews, who were now turned Unitarians; having exploded their anciently received doctrine of the Trinity, in oppofition to the Deity and Meffiahfhip of Jefus Chrift. I do not mention these things to make any odious comparisons, or to fix any invidious names on perfons, but to fhew the rife and progress of this error; and left any should think that they have got new light, when they VOL. III. i Vide Auguft. de Hæret. c. 36. E Tertullian. de præfcript. Hæret. c. 53. & adv. Praxeam, c. 1, 2. 1 Tertullian. adv. Praxeam, c. 10 nVide Danæum in Auguft. de Hæret. 1. have De præfcript. Hæret. c. 52. Vide Irenæum, adv. Hæref. l. 1. c. 20. have only embraced an old ftale error, that has had its confutation over and over. The oppofers of the doctrine of the Trinity, and of the diftinction of Perfons in it, are not reconciled to the ufe of the words, Trinity, Unity, Effence, and Perfon; because they are not literally, and fyllabically expreffed in fcripture. But fince we have the things themselves fignified by them, why we should fcruple the ufe of the words, I fee not. As for the word Trinity, though it is not formally expreffed, yet the fense of it is clearly fignified in fcripture: for if there are three which are fome way or other really distinct from each other, and yet but one God, we need not fcruple to fay, there is a Trinity in the Godhead. Nor have we the word unity in fcripture; yet we are told, that the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit are one; and that Christ and his Father are one: now if they are one, then there is an unity, and that is a fufficient reason why we fhould make use of the word. The word Effence is not used in fcripture; but we are told, that God is that he is, av, which is, and was, and is to come; and if God is, then he has an effence. An effence is, that by which a person or thing is what it is; and feeing God is, effence may be truly predicated of him. As for the word Perfon, it is used in Heb. i. 3. of God the Father; where Chrift is faid to be "the brightnefs "of his glory, and the express image of his Perfon." It is not indeed agreed, whether the word izrais, should be rendered fubftance or Perfon; I would only observe, That the Greek Fathers, when speaking of the Trinity, use the word in the fame fenfe, in which our tranflators have rendered it. There is another word, which they also make use of, when they speak of the Perfons in the Trinity, and that is gówno; which is used by the apostle when he is speaking of Chrift, in 2 Cor. iv. 6. which our tranflators render "the face "of Jefus Chrift:" The words might be tranflated, the Perfon of Chrift; and without fuch a verfion, the sense of the words is not very easy. Befides, they have rendered the fame word fo in 2 Cor. i. 11. where the sense requires it. Justin Martyr uses the word in abundance of places in his writings, if the Expofitio Fidei, and Quæft. & Refponf. ad Orthodoxos are allowed to be his; and defines it to be rpóros váρews P, a mode of fubfifting in the divine effence; and fays, That there were rpia apócwma, three Perfons in God. Tertullian, a little after him, who was one of the firft Latin writers, frequently uses the word perfona'; and tells us what he means by it: "Whatsoever, says he, 66 was • Ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἀγέννητον καὶ γεννητὸν καὶ ἐκπορευθὸν, ἐκ ἐσίας ὀνόματα, ἀλλὰ τρόποι ὑπάρξεως, ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ὑπάρξεως, τοῖς ὀνόμασι χαρακτηρίζεται τέλοις. Jufin. Expof. Fid. p. 373. 4 Ibid. p. 3, 6. Quæft. & Respons. ad Orthodox. p. 401. Adv. Prax. c. 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18. "by ❝ was the substance of the Word, that I call a Person; and to it I give the "name of a Son: and whilft I own a Son, I maintain a fecond from the "Father." A perfon has been fince defined by Boetius, " An individual "substance or subsistence of rational nature." And by others ", " An indi"vidual, that fubfifts, is living, intelligent, incommunicable, is not fustained by another; nor is a part of another." It is an individual, and therefore fomething fingular: it differs from univerfal natures. It fubfifts of itself, and therefore is not an accident; which does not fubfift of itself, but inheres in another. It is living; hence a stone, or any other inanimate being, is not a Perfon. It is intelligent, or understands; wherefore an horfe, or any other brute, is not a perfon. It is incommunicable, and fo it is diftinguished from effence, which is communicable to more. It is not sustained by another; hence the human nature of Christ is no Person, because it is fuftained by the perfon of the Word. It is not a part of another; hence a human foul is no Perfon, because it is a part of man. In one word, I fay, with Dr Water land", "That "each divine Perfon is an individual intelligent agent: But as subsisting in "one undivided fubftance; they are altogether, in that refpect, but one un"divided intelligent agent.' Or, as he elsewhere expreffes it: “A single "person is an intelligent agent, having the distinctive characters of I, Thou, He, and not divided or diftinguifhed into more intelligent agents, capable "of the fame characters." Now, according to either of thefe definitions, we may argue thus: a perfon is an individual, that fubfifts, lives, understands, &c. but fuch is the Father, therefore a Perfon; fuch is the Son, therefore a Perfon; fuch is the Holy Ghoft, and therefore a Perfon. From the whole, there seems no reason to lay aside the use of this word. I am not however fo attached to it, but that I could part with it, provided a more apt and suitable word was substituted in its room; whereby a real diftinction in the Deity, might be maintained: but it would be apparent weakness to part with this without the substitution of another, and that a better word; though it is a difficult thing to change words, in fuch an important article as this, without altering the sense of it. It is a rule, that in many instances holds good, Qui fingit nova verba, nova gignit dogmata; he that coins new words, coins new doctrines. E 2 • Quæcunque ergo fubftantia Sermonis fuit, illam dico perfonam, & illi nomen filii vindico, & dum filium agnofco, fecundum a patre defendo, ibid. c. 7. * Perfona eft naturæ rationalis individua substantia. Et, paulo poft: Longe { naturæ rationalis individuam subsistentiam, words sws nomine vocaverunt. & natura, c. 3. vero illi fignatius Boetius de perfona " Vide Wendelin. Christian. Theolog. l. 1. c. 2. Thes. 2. p. 93, 94. & Essenii System. Theol. par. 1. difp. 16. p. 140. Firft defence of queries, p. 350. * Second defence of queries, p. 766. doctrines. If thofe, who diflike the ufe of this word, think it is a leffening. or diminishing of the glory of the eternal Three, to call them Perfons, it must be ten thousand times more fo, to bring them down to mere names and cha racters, and therefore we fhall never care to exchange Perfons for respective names and characters. If we cannot fpeak of God as he fhould be spoken. of, let us fpeak of him as we can; if we cannot fpeak with the tongue of angels, let us fpeak as men, in the best and most becoming way we are able. To reject the ufe of human phrafes, because they are not formally expreffed in fcripture, is, as Dr Owen obferves", "to deny all interpretation of the "fcripture, all endeavours to exprefs the fenfe of the words of it, unto the "understanding of one another; which is, in a word, to render the scripture "itself altogether ufelefs: for if it be unlawful for me, to speak, or write, "what I conceive to be the fenfe of the words of fcripture, and the nature of "the thing fignified, and expreffed by them; it is unlawful for me alfo to "think or conceive in my mind, what is the sense of the words, or nature "of the things; which to say, is to make brutes of ourselves, and to frustrate "the whole defign of God in giving unto us the great privilege of his word." Having premised these things, I fhall endeavour to prove the doctrine of a Trinity of Perfons, in the one God. Now this being a doctrine of revelation, it cannot be expected that it fhould be demonftrated by arguments taken from the reafon of things nor fhall I go about to illuftrate it by natural fimilies, which have been obferved, by fome, to advantage; as that of the foul of man, which confifts of the mind, and understanding, and will; which are so diftinct from each other, so that the one is not the other, and yet are all but one foul: and also, that of the fun; its beams and light, which are but one fun: and that of the spring, fountain, and streams, which are but one water. But leaving thefe, I fhall endeavour to prove the point from teftimonies of fcripture, out of the Old and New Testament. And shall begin, pure ft, With the creation of all things in general. I before endeavoured to prove a plurality in the Godhead, from thence; and fhall now attempt to establish a Trinity of Perfons. I need not long insist on the proof of the Father's concern in the creation of all things; fince he is faid to have "created "all things by Jefus Chrift;" and by him, his Son, to have "made the "worlds." The apoftles addreffed him as the Lord God, who "made heaven " and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is ";" against whose Christ, and holy child, Jefus, "both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the any hefitation "people of Ifrael, were gathered together." Nor need there be concerning On the Trinity, p. 21 b z Vide Mornæum de Verit. Relig. c 5. b AЯs iv. 24, 26, 27. concerning the Word, or the fecond Perfon's having an hand in this great work; seeing the Evangelift John fays of the Word, "who was in the begin"ning with God, and was God," that "all things were made by him, and "without him was not any thing made that was made." It was he, the Word, that so often said, Let it be fo, and it was fo. And as for the holy Spirit, it was he that "moved upon the face of the waters," and brought the rude and confused chaos into a beautiful order. The Lord, "by his Spirit, hath gar"nished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked ferpent." When he fent forth his Spirit, all his creatures were brought into being; and by him, the face of the earth is renewed every returning fpring; which is little less than a new creation. And you will find a'l these three mentioned together, as concerned in the great work of creation: "By the Word of the Lord were "the heavens made, and all the hoft of them by the breath of his mouth." Where by the Lord, is meant God the Father; and by his word, the Aóyos, or Word that was with him from everlasting; and by the breath or fpirit of his mouth, the Holy Ghoft. Now here are three who were inanifeftly concerned in the production of all creatures, into being; nor can any one of them be dropped, nor can a fourth be added to them. It remains then, that there is a Trinity in the Godhead. 2dly, This will further appear from the creation of man in particular; in which, as it is easy to obferve a plurality, so it is to behold a Trinity. If God the Father, made the heaven, and the earth, and the fea, and all that in them is; then he must have made man the principal inhabitant of the lower world: and if without the Word was not any thing made that was made; then without him man was not made, who was made. Besides, Chrift, the Word, is called the Lord, our Maker: "O come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel "before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the fheep of his hand; to-day if ye will hear his voice "." Which words are exprefsly applied to Christ, by the author of the epistle to the Hebrews". In his hand are all God's elect, who may be truly called the people of his pasture, and the fheep of his hand; being his care and charge, and constantly fed and preferved by him. To none fo properly as to Chrift do those words belong in the prophecy of Ifaiah: "Thy Maker is thine Husband, and thy Redeemer the holy one of Ifrael;" he being in a peculiar fenfe, the Husband and Redeemer of his people. And as for the Holy Ghoft, d Job xxvi. 13. Pfalm civ. 30. • Pfalm xxxiii. 6. it © John i. 3. f Dicendo enim, Verbo, filium declarari; adjungendo Domini patrem, & fpiritu oris ejus, utique fpiritum fanctum intelligi, qui ante tempora de patre proceffit, & ut in tribus perfonis manifefta intelligeretur trinitas, ejus dictum effe non Eorum. Caffiodor. in loc. Pfalm xcv. 6, 7, 8. n Heb. iii. 6, 7. i Chap. liv. 5. |