THE DIVINITY Of the TRINITY CLEARED By wiping off the false Glosses put upon several places of Scripture By Mr. John Biddle In his book intituled The Apostolical and true Opinion touching the holy Trinity c. Written by a very Learned man lately deceased Take heed how ye hear Luke 8.18 Take heed what ye hear Mark 4.24 Try all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 LONDON Printed by J.C. and are to be sold by Edw. Blackmore at the Angel in Paul's Church-yard 1654. To my noble and ever honored Friend Colonel William Sydenham a late member of Parliament Noble Sir COntentions have been great and high of old and still are so about the equality or inequality of the Son of God with the Father even to the Anathematizing one the other when both that is a truth that the Arrians and the Arminians hold viZ. That the Son is less then the Father and that which the Protestants hold is no less a truth viz. that the Sonne is equall with the Father which being understood and observed according to the mind of God is holy and good but men exceeding in diminishing the Sonne in his Essence and exalting him in his emanation the truth being hid is the cause of the controversie and men have thereby come to subvert the faith of many The greatest the grossest and yet the most subtil way thereto hath been laid of late by Mr. John Biddle in that book of his called The Apostolical and true Opinion concerning the holy Trinity revived which the sooner I have wrote against because from the year 1647. he gloryes no man of the many learned he hath contested with hath given an answer to one Argument satisfactorily yea and that he hath long waited on the learned for an answer and can receive none That he hopes some one will and that himself is in the case a doubting Spirit and so a man convinceable and not to be rejected from all which with the bond of the Gospel that tyeth me to contend for the faith I am induced to commend this insuing Treatise to the World and first to you to whom I acknowledge my self and mine to owe very much and to God for you who I believe will not fail to satisfie your laying out from the least Cup of water to the greatest good you do for his to whom I commend you to be kept for ever being as I am bound to be Yours in the service of the Gospel John Brayne September 20. 2653. I first viewed Mr. Biddles book about Sept. 3. 1653 SIR PRovidence directed to my hand that Novel piece of yours Intituled The Apostolical and True Opinion concerning the holy Trinity In which to the Reader you glory that you have contested with sundry learned men and that they all have not been able to produce a satisfactory answer to so much as one Argument And then in the preface to your faith you call the truth of God touching three Persons in one God by the term of Opinion and say that it is as the bottom corrupting all Religion which in a most blinde way of Nature you seek to demonstrate from the being of Creatures because Apostle an universal predicated of three makes three Apostles if a man will make use of reason in his Religion By which blinde rule being led you call it an ignorant refuge of distinguishing the Essence and Persons of God yea a wretched and an unheard-of distinction in Scripture But your comparing the way and being of God with that of man God a Spirit and infinite Man a Creature finite were good it had never been heard arguing thus in your second Article of Faith from Phil. 2.7 The Sonne cannot be equal to God then he must have the same essence in number or a different one not the same in number otherwise it 's not equality but identity as equality in stature must differ in number though the same in kinde You say in your fourth Article The Trinity cannot consist of three Persons in one God but God himself is one of the three Persons which is absurd and say it is not onely the source of almost all the errors among Christians c. But it will appear your declining the same doctrine is the source of multitudes of errors in your booke and the overthrow of the faith of many by your supposed Trinity of one God one Man one Angel But if men observed your reasoning about God how carnal it is they would avoid trusting you For the natural Man discerneth not the things of God nor can he Never man spake so of God from the Earth as you have done confining his being to ours proving and denying his by ours who have not seen him nor known him But in opposition to all your reasonings and Sophistry 1. Consider God Deut. 6.4 sayes Hear Israel preparing the People to attend to what he sayes of himself against whatever any deceiver of the World should say of him that men be not deceived by them 2. He sayes by Moses Johovah our Elohims is one Jehovah Whence note deny it if you can Jehovah and Elohims are the same as Jehovah Ehhad one and as Elohims more then one yea or two because in the plural not in the dual number 2. These many because three Elohims are one Jehovah a word derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be and implyes relation to his essence 3. To say Jehovah is one so one as to deny the Elohims is to deny Jehovah this place of all others discovering God most clear to the people of that State and proves the Father Son and Spirit one God to us even in our State 4. This very text wipes away all the gross and vile aspersions you have asperst the most pure truth of the blessed God with 2 Scrip. Gen. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning Dii creavit the Gods hath created which according to your reasoning is non-sence which may make you rise and say How can three be one or one be three so how can this be sence but 1. In the Elohim a noun plural joyned to a verb singular is excellently declared the unity of these Elohims in essence 2. For that estate as equal not in essence onely but in name and nature they have one common name of Elohims after in the State of the Gospel set forth by names of the Father Sonne and holy Spirit 3. They are indefinitely said to create that common name and not the Father more then the Sonne or Sonne then the holy Spirit 4. So that God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Acts 17.24 is the Elohims and not God the Father onely which to say is Heresie as appears by these Scriptures compared nor is it proper to say Jehovah did it but the Elohim John 13. 5. It is not said Jehovah as one created but the Elohims because that the outgoings of God manifested themselves in the creation as Elohims as Father Sonne and Spirit in redemption Prov. 8.22
Gomorrha from Jehovah that is Jehovah the Son from Jehovah the Father yet these are not two Jehovahs 7. He speaking to the Elohim the Father that he is the onely true Jehovah doth not deny the Spirit the Elohim Jehovah to be so also because he speaks not of him who knows one knows the other as Christ Joh. 14.9 8. It was the operation or ministery of the Elohim the Spirit to give the knowledge of the Father and whom he had sent Jesus Christ and so he is implied as well as Father and Son Jesus Christ But to take away offence from the world the Spirit the Elohim was sent and came and coming came to minister as appears by his title and description of Advocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. His coming forth from the Father his sending his title signifie an inferiority in him assumed by him in relation to him that sent him and in relation to us to whom he is sent being so far belowe him 2. As he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is our minister and his acts as such are acts of ministery called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ministery of the Spirit in which he emptied himself that he might fill the Saints 3. Whatever acts of ministery he doth in the Saints as his making intercession for the Saints with sighs c. they are acts of the Spirit as come forth from God as the ministery of the Spirit 4. He came and was sent of God therefore as the end of his coming Object This is said of the Son indeed how can ye prove it of the holy Spirit Resp The Son and Spirit Elohims in Jehovah are one Jehovah so that one is equal with the other therein as God so that what is humiliation in one must be humiliation in the other Yea the Spirit is the Spirit of the Son The Son if he be humbled and emptied coming from God so is the Spirit so also in being sent Again his taking of Christs and shewing it the believers is his ministery so that to deny the Spirit to be God and yet to minister is to destroy the glory of the ministery for the ministery of the Spirit is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in glory yea exceeding glory 2 Cor. 3.8 10. Now flesh reasons How can God be God and a minister Why he emptied himself O how can that be Yea he took on him the form of a servant and ministred to man in prayer sighs groans words tears sense faith assurance Now with Nicodemus the natural man cryeth How can these things be Joh. 3.4 The Word says it blessed art thou that believest if not the Word preached will not profit because not mix'd with faith in him that hears it Heb. 4.1 Object O but how can he be God then Resp 1. The form of a servant destroys not the being of the Son 2. He took it on him so that he was that after he took it as he was before Matth. 3.17 3. He was not made or formed or emptied by any but himself Now Reason in all carries men to preservation of themselves in their being 4. The Father still acknowledged the Son in form of a servant to be his son Matth. 3.17 and the holy Spirit still to be the spirit of God though come out from God and administring to the Saints 6. Such is the ministery of the Spirit that nothing of any is accepted in any but what the Spirit brings forth Gal. 5.22 or rather Rom. 14.17 1. If I pray the Spirit makes intercession Rom. 8 26 27. 2. If I profess Jesus it is not accepted without it be done by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.3 3. If I offer up any thing to God the Lord looks on the minde of the Spirit as being approved of by him onely Rom. 8.27 4. Hence If I sing I will sing with the Spirit if I pray I will pray with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 1. Lastly the Spirit sent out to minister stirs up the heart of man to God to which ministery God onely casts his eye and knows the minde of the Spirit approves of it as distinct from the creatures not his own 2. The minde of the Spirit as a minister is to glorifie God and the Father and the Son Jesus Christ to the creature he is sent and thus as emptied of it self and a servant to Father and Son he exalts them to the creature Which minde of the Spirit is heeded of Jehovah in prayer c. 3. He doth it as a minister not as Jehovah in this state of his emission as the Son did for he speaketh not of himself but what he heareth in which he is in form of a servant also As for the puzling Argument of Philo to Justin from Acts 10.38 viz. If Christ were Creator what need the Spirit be given to him to work miracles by Resp 1. Justin and so Mr. Biddle's other Authors held Jesus to be the Son of God the Creator though as man inferior to God yea as Lord. 2. The Son emptied himself therefore the Father and Spirit must fill him and fit him to do what he was to do in his ministery as a servant who otherwise could do all things of himself in heaven and earth according to his will In which he glorified the Father and Spirit who again after that ministery glorifie him to the world And so the Spirit also he emptied himself when being sent he spake nothing but what he heard and then that he took of Christs and shewed the disciples 3. Yet that the Spirit was not inferiour to the man Christ the Mediator appears in this in that he saith Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter when as God indeed he saith Joh. 16.7 I will send him to you 1. Now as the Elohim was a common word to the hypostasis in Jehovah not one distinguished from another so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God the Father is called God the Father Gal. 1.3 Grace and peace be with you from God the Father 2. The Son is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Heb. 1.8 To the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever The throne of God is the essence Jehovah in which the Elohims are in their majestie As for Rev. 4.3 the throne is set in the Church when he that sate is said to be like a Jasper and Sardine stone and a rain-bowe circling the throne in shew like a Smaragdin The Jasper is green signifying the state of the Father who abode in the excellent glory The Sardin is of fleshie colour signifying the Sons assuming humane nature The Smaragdin is also green and shews the Spirit never assumed any created nature came not into the world as the Son did Who as a rain-bowe runs round the throne Jehovah being a spirit Joh. 4.24 and the Spirit called The holy Spirit and The Spirit of the Father and The Spirit of the Son Matth. 10.20 Gal. 4.6 Mark 13.11 and
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah Luke 4.18 Isai 61.1 That these three are intended vers 8. is set down in Holy holy holy as alluding to Father Son and Spirit as appears plainly in saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Jehovah Elohim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth specifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be alluded to Elohim because Gen. 1.1 In the beginning the Elohims create the heaven and the earth Again it is clearly exprest that glory honour and praise is given to him that is the Elohims the Father Son and Spirit equally 1. And the Son sits with the Father in his throne Rev. 3.21 which he doth not if not set out in the Sardine appearance the Lamb is dead 2. Several appearances are not properly applied to the blessed being of God who is without shadow of change but as they serve to set out the Elohims in God 3. As for the Lamb Rev. 5.6 he is as slain in the throne that is he is as dead to and not capable of the glory proper to the Divine being of Jehovah Elohim And as for the Holy Spirit it is called God Acts 5.3 4. as I have cleared in my exposition on that place Phil. 3.3 For we are the circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that worship the Spirit God It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Rom. 1.9 And those taught of the Spirit are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God And because the variety of Gods speech by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God may more clearly appear I conceive it necessary to instance the same more largely 1. 1 Pet. 1.1 2. is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God the Father which is that which is called the first person in the Trinity 2 Cor. 1.2 2. Jam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and distinguisheth between Jehovah God in which Son and Spirit gone forth and the Father abiding in Jehovah Col. 3.17 proves the distinction more clearly Whatever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Father by him If by God be one thing meant and the same with that of the Father or by Father the same with God 1. Why are they both exprest Frustra fit plura quod fieri potest per pauciora 2. Or why are they not always both exprest Col. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet c. 3. Or why are they thus dis-joyned by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and not elsewhere in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Why is there an article to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when Father and God are distinguisht and not an article when God the Father as of the same thing is spoken of as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so to Jehovah ha El Haggibbor to the Son distinct El Gibbor 5. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for emphasis as signifying Jehovah but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is for diminution the Father being but one of the Elohims and having but his portion with the Son and Spirit in the essence of God And so speaking of God the Father he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between as a diminutive 6. Indeed he sets the article before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father because vers 15. all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named from him Matth. 23.9 One is your Father which is in heaven As Father he is most excellent 7. Clearly in this speech of God the mystery of God is revealed Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the God and Father and the Christ So that as the Father and Christ are distinguished by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so God and the Father 1. And saith that the mystery is in God and the Father as well as in God and in Christ 2. In the word God is comprehended the Spirit and Son and the Father exprest as one in God because without an article added to the distinction as Christ hath 3. To understand by God the Father onely and by the Father God onely is to deny the Son and to unthrone the Spirit and to take their being God from them which thus understanding the Scriptures alone preserves to them And as for the Trinity that Mr. Biddle grounds from Ephes 4.4 5 6. One Spirit one Lord one God and Father of all c. 1. That Spirit is not said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but spirit onely and indeed alludes to Christs humane spirit of which it is said If any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his So 2 Cor. 13.5 2. For as that one body is Christs or Christ mystical so the Spirit of that body mystical is Christs by which they are of one faith one minde c. and the spirit by which men received Baptism which was not the holy Spirit as appears 1 Cor. 12.13 compared with Acts 8.12 15 16. 3. As the spirit and body respect the Church and are one made one by that one spirit as the Father and Son are one in that one essence of God 4. As there is one body and spirit in the Church so there is one Lord over it which Lord is not the Son of God but that made Lord that died and suffered death Acts 2.36 in whom men are to believe as that he is the Messiah of God and into whose name Jesus men are to be baptized and to have sins remitted therein There is one God that is Jehovah vers 6. in which the Trinity is comprehended of Father Son and Spirit as God is the Father of all and not as the Father of the Son Jesus Christ for here he is so the Father as he is the Father of all and not in a peculiar manner as Father of Jesus Christ by generation but by creation and generation In creation Father Son and Spirit are Father of all indefinitely Gen. 1.1 6. The Trinity must be three of one nature essence and being or they are not fit to be joyned together A God a Man an Angel nay a man meer man above an Angel is a very strange Trinity and no less then robbery to make equality in them 7. Indeed Matth. 3.16 hath the Father speaking as a Father to the Son as his Son not Jesus Christ as man and the Spirit of God which indeed is the Trinity or Elohims in Jehovah This one thing I desire may be considered that the holy Spirit is said to be Spirit of God as Jehovah and the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son Now as it is the Spirit