with such Sublime Realities or Erroneous Foundations support the Truth of Faith in the Opinion of Doubâ—…ers by giving Consonant and Genuine Explications of it 17. The Third Person Divine Love is call'd 〈…〉 Comforter or Strengthener because nothing more gives our Souls such Strength to resist the Assaults of our Spiritual Enemies break thorow â—ll Difficulties and press forwards vigorously to atâ—ain our True End Eternal Happiness which is â—he Sight of GOD than does an Ardent Love of â—im which Every thing acting as it is is the â—â—culiar Gift of the Holy Ghost who is not only by His Common Essence as are also the rest but also by the Particularity of his Person DIVINE LOVE For the same reason He is call'd a Spiâ—itual Unction because it was customary to Anoint â—hose with Oil who were to exert their Strength 〈…〉 any Encounter or Exercise to give their Limbs greater Force and Agility For the same reason He is call'd Fire which in an Ordinary Metaphor is apply'd to an Ardent Love and thence he came down in Tongues of Fire because Fire is the most Active and Purest Body we have and in regard Love does enflame the Spirits to pursue the Good we affectionately long for For this reason also He is call'd our Spiritual Life because Life consists in Self-moving and nothing moves us so efficaciously as Love which is the proper Act of the Will that Faculty that sets all our Inferiour Powers on work And for the same reason He is called particularly the Spirit because as the Animal Spirits in the Body give us all our Natural Motion so Divine Love his peculiar Name and Nature gives us all our Supernatural Tendency to Heaven so that no External or Interiour Actions we perform do avail us or bring us the least Step nearer our True End Eternal Happiness unless either out of an Immediate or Remote Intention it be done out of that Regard or Intuitus Another reason why He is call'd Spirit which properly signifies Breath is Because Breath and Life are in common speech Equivalent While I breath and while I live having the same signification as have also to Expire and to Die Lastly since Heavenly Love which Divines call Sanctifying Grace is our Supernatural Life which as was said the Peculiar Influence of the Third Person does as it were inspire or breath into our Souls hence He is from this Effect by a Specifical Appellation call'd the HOLY GHOST or Holy Spirit For none can think He is call'd Spirit meerly because He is of a Spiritual Nature since this is an Attribute of the GODHEAD and therefore Common to all the Three Persons nor because He proceeds from the Father and the Son by a kind of Imaginary Action call'd Spiration of which I must for my part confess I can make no Conception nor how it comes to be Transferr'd to GOD. 18. I may perhaps incurr some Censure for denying the Procession of the Holy Ghost is to be explicated by Spiration of which Word many Great Men have made use The best way to clear my self from affecting Singularity is to give my Reasons why I dislike it and submit them to the Judgment of our Peers First Faith as was shewn Preliminary V. must have been deliver'd in such Language as is apt to signify our Natural Notions Secondly Hence tho' it may be allowed to Learned Men in Explicating this Mystery to make use upon occasion of some Term of Art which is current in Schools yet is it utterly Disallowable to use any which has not for its Sense some Natural Notion of Mankind otherwise it will Blunder the Explication instead of Clearing it Thirdly It is agreed and most Consonant to Reason that no Notion taken from Material Beings ought to be Transferr'd to GOD but by the Intervention of Spiritual ones to which they are Metaphosically apply'd in regard He is of a Spiritual and not of a Corporeal Nature Fourthly There can be no Spiritual Notion that respects the Internal Nature of a Spirit but Being Knowledge Will and the Objects of these too last which determin their Internal Operations Fifthly There is none of all these that seems Proper to signify the Procession of Divine Love by Spiration Not Being for That if Compleat Stayes in its self as being the most Absolute Notion nor can it respect any other Notion conceivable in GOD otherwise than as an Object Not Knowledge for that is an Immanent Act and is compleated in this that the Object be such in the Knower as it is in its self whereas Spiration has a Notion of something Transitive to Another Sixthly It has too much of Action in it's Formal Notion which may hazard to breed a Conceit of Efficiency and Effect And lastly Because as apply'd here to signifie a Procession from Father and Son it can have no one Notion in it and therefore it has None For since the Holy Ghost does proceed from them according to their Personalities that is from the Divine Essence as Known and as the Knower of it and there can be no one Notion Common to Thing Known and Knower which are so widely Different being toto genere Disparate and Contradistinct but Being my Dulness cannot comprehend what one Notion the word Spiration can signifie since it cannot be Univocally Apply'd to both nor how it sutes with our Natural Notions we have of Spiritual Natures nor in what manner or for what reason it is Transferr'd to GOD which makes me doubt that meerly the word Spiritus apply'd particularly to the Holy Ghost was the best Ground of this recourse to Spiration and not the Notion of any Virtue or Operation which Nature has given us of a Spiritual Being Notwithstanding I doubt not but these Great Divines had some good meaning in it tho' it colours not with my Thoughts Nay that they meant the same in substance which I do tho' perhaps I do more nicely â—ift the Propriety of Words in handling such a Delicate Point than they did And the same I doubt not may be said of all those Learned Writers who have of late Explicated this Mystery variously of which the Anti-Trinitarians do very frivolously make great Brags and hope to get some Advantage by it I say very frivolously For the Article of Faith it self Abstracts from all Explications and stands Firm on it's own Grounds Divine Revelation tho' both They I and Others should all of us fall short in Explicating it right in every particular Thus much concerning the Names and peculiar Attributes of the Three Persons and the Congruous Reasons why we apply such Attributes to each 19. Notwithstanding all that is said above concerning these Appropriations in the performing Different Effects belonging to the Particular Notion and as it were Genius of each Person as such whenever GOD does any thing ad extra or produces any Effect in His Creatures the Whole Trinity concurs to that Action For since nothing can work but it must have the Being or Essence
Writers accommodate themselves to our Rude Fancies Tho' GOD's Wisdom has laid Means for our Natural Knowledges in the works of the Creation yet 't is below the Dignity of those Heaven-inspir'd Oracles to teach us literally such Truths as belong to Philosophy or to give Reasons for every particular they mention 'T is Unworthy the Majesty and Authority of the Divine Spirit that Endited them to instruct us Scientifically as if no Credit or Belief were to be given to his Word signify'd How Faith has antecedently enlightned our Reason and that 't is our Duty to Explicate and Defend it against the Empty Flourishes of the Drollish Renouncers of Faith and Reason both to us by such Authentick Instruments writ by his Immediate Commission 'T is Favour enough that he has been pleas'd to give us some Conclusions or acquaint us with some Theses of a higher Nature and to ascertain their Truth by engaging his Infallible Veracity and that by means of our Industrious Study he bestows upon us the Inferiour and more Familiar Light of Scientifical Knowledge to explicate those Truths by showing their Agreeableness to Evident Principles of Nature which the same GOD of Truth has also taught us tho' not so immediately that so we may comfort Faith and make it more Lively and Operative in our selves and others as also defend it against Opposers and confute by Solid Discourses the Fantastick Raillery of Ignorant Unbelievers who chuse rather to mistrust their own Natural Notions than assent to any thing that sutes not with their Imagination and are ready to renounce the best Productions of their Reason reflecting upon Principles than to allow any thing to Faith tho' the same Reason informs them by a thousand Instances that nothing is more Unreasonable than such a restiff humoursomeness So certain it is That No Man can be an Adversary to Faith but he must withal be an Enemy to True Science If any Man complains he is injur'd by this censure I 'll candidly tell him how he may clear himself Let him leave off his Witty Talk and Loose Drollery and laying first his Principles draw thence by Connected Discourses his Conclusions This Method will have force upon Humane Nature whereas when Truth is enquir'd after Raillery satisfies no Man of Sense nor pleases any but Gigglers But alas Their weak Cause forbids them any such Manly Procedure The very Attempting it will convince themselves if Candid that 't is impossible and impracticable and make them confess at least by their carriage and ill performance that they never follow'd the wise Conduct of True Reason but were deluded by the Folly of their Imagination But what Gratitude what Acknowledgments do we owe to those Blessed Spirits for their ever-watchful care over us for What Gratitude Love and Veneration we owe to those Blessed Ministring Spirits preventing our Heedlesness and want of Foresight from falling into a thousand Mischances for keeping us in all our ways Psal. 90. 11. For inspiring us with good Thoughts and pitching their Tents about us to defend us from the Assaults and Fiery Darts of our Ghostly Enemy What Respect ought we to show towards them for the Excellency rf their Nature and their High Station in the Created Universe What Veneration for their Purest Sanctity and for the Glory they enjoy by being Attendants in GOD's Empyreal Court and their seeing daily the Unvail'd and Blissful Face of our Father who is Heaven Mat. 18. 10. Let us then present them with our humble thanks for their Sollicitons care of us and their offering up the Incense of our Prayers in their Golden Censor at the Throne of Grace Rev. 8. 3 4 5. Our Good GOD who has commanded us to honour our Father and Mother and our Magistrates and to be Grateful to our Benefactors whom as Second Causes he has order'd to be Instrumental to our Good will not be offended that we honour his Holy Angels whom he has appointed to assist us in a more Soveraign manner both Temporally and Spiritually and who have a greater power over the World and all material Nature than Alexanders or Caesars Who can reflect upon those words told us by the mouth of our Saviour himself that the Angels do rejoice at the Repentance of a Sinner and not admire at such a disinteressed Goodness and Charity towards us poor Mortals and love honour and thank them for it Common Morality and Nature enjoyn us these Duties and what 's Agreeable to the Laws of Right Nature or Reason can never be opposite to Christianity which establishes and not dissolves those Laws Tho' they need not nor require those Duties at our hands yet we do nevertheless owe them Tho' they do neither more or less assist us whether we apply to them or neglect them yet our Obligation is not the less but rather more for their Love What Benefit we shall reap by keeping up a Spiritual Communication with them to us and such a Love as is not at all Selfish There is not such a Distance between the Church Militant and Triumphant as to render a Mutual and Spiritual Commerce between them Impracticable We are all of us Fellow Servants of the same Common Lord and have the same Head Christ Jesus Nor can Distance at all hinder the Communication of Spiritual Natures which are above the Limited Nature of Quantity They are truly and in a better manner Present with us while we are in their Thoughts which is all the Presence of which Spiritual Natures are Capable and we are really United Spiritually with them when we have the same Pious Affections with them They frequently conversed with Mankind under Visible Apparitions in the time of Moses his Law And tho' Better Ordinary Means be now allow'd and therefore such Extraordinary Favours need not be so Frequent yet this is no reason to neglect an Invisible or Spiritual Communication with them Especially since it is our Interest and Benefit to caltivate it by considering their Happy State their Obedience to the Divine Will and their Diligent and Charitable Concern for us They are as Pure in their Morals from Sin as they are in their Naturals from Matter and they purifie and spiritualize our Souls while our Understandings and Wills are employ'd in thinking on such Holy and Pure Objects Our Soul takes a Tincture and a kind of Nature as it is Moral from the Objects it affectionately converses with That Soul which is oft thus thinking of Earthly Things is Earthly Of Corporeal Pleasures is Brutish Of Empty Honour is Aiery and Vain Of GOD is Divine and for the same reason the Soul which thus affectionately applies it's Thoughts and Yet to honour them so as still to remember they are only our Fellow-Servants tho' highly dignify'd by our Common Master Affections to Angels or converses with them spiritually cum Sancto Sanctus eris is ANGELICAL Only let us be sure we honour them for their Masters sake and that we do not venerate
other way nor any other Notion according to which it can be conceiv'd to be Particulariz'd or Distinguisht but that of Relation the formal Notion of which is Ad Aliquid or some way or other Ad Aliud by which too we have seen GOD's Knowing and Loving Himself obliges us to distinguish Him whence follows that the Divine Nature is Distinguisht Relatiuely Nor does this Notion multiply the Common Nature Essentially as did the former way which distinguisht the Common Notion by Essential Differences Both because the Relation by Prelim. X. and XI is not Distinguisht from the Divine Essence it self which is the Reason and Ground of Referring it diversely as also because it springs from a most High Perfection in GOD as He is a Spirit I add and terminates also in a High Perfection under the Notion of Being viz. in that of Personality or Person In a word 't is the Divine Essence which is Distinguisht or Particulariz'd there being nothing else in GOD to be Distinguisht Yet it is not Distinguisht Essentially or according to the precise Notion of Essence or Being but Relatively because it is Infinite in Being and so can be in that Absolute Reâ—â—ct but One. 8. For the same Reason I avoid using the word â—â—dividuum tho' I do not blame others that do â—erhaps I am too scrupulous in it yet I cannot â—â—t think 't is something liable to exception at â—ast comparatively My Reasons are First 'T is â—â—o Logical and Artificial and consequently tho' it has got I know not how out of the Schools into the Language of some well-bred Men to say 't is the same Individual Man yet for all that it is not the Vulgar Speech nor so Natural Secondly Because it is made Particularly such by it's Difference too viz. by the Complexion of it's Accidents and subsuming under the Specifick Notion 't is only a Negation of the Superiour Notions and signifies the same as Ungenerical or Unspecifical Whereas the Word Person has a Positive Signification nor has any reference to the Genus and Species as is seen in Angels And moreover it directly imports the highest Perfection in the Line of Substance and therefore it is fitly Transferrible to GOD. Again the word Individuum being a Logical Term is more subject to wrangle For Artists being the Imposers and as it were Creators of the Words which themselves use and such Men seldom Agreeing in their Thoughts and Meanings nor consenting universally that such a word shall stand for such a Meaning or Notion it happens that some of them do take the Word in one Sense others in another and very frequently ampliate or restrain the Signification of it at pleasure Hence perpetual and if this Inconvenience be not remedy'd by Clear Definitions of such Words Eternal Dissentions must needs ensue And indeed most of the Liâ—igâ—â—â— Disputes and Controversies among Learned Mâ—â— in case the Contesters be Sincere and Disintereâ—â—ed do arise from this Defect now mention'd Froâ— which mischief the Words us'd by the Generalâ—â— to express our Natural Notions are Free for we find by Experience that the Vulgar understand one another very well and easily nor are subject to perpetual Word-skirmishes in their Common Conversation as the Others are 9. Nor can it be inferr'd from this Explication that by the same reason there would be a Trinity of Persons in Angels and Souls Separated when they Know and Love themselves For Self-Knowledge formally consisting in this that the Thing known does Inexist in it's own Knowing Power as an Object or after an Intellectual manner and the Existence and consequently Inexistence of all Creatures being Extrinsecal oâ— Acoidental to them as being given them by Another and not Essential to them or their very Essence as it is in GOD it being one of his Peculiar Attributes Hence iâ— follows that the Relation of Knower and Known is in them Accidental to them as being Grounded on what 's Accidental to their Essences and consequently by Prelim. X. is Identify'd with the Object accidentally only Whence it can make only an Accidental Distinction in them and not a Distinction in their Substance or a Distinction of that most perfect Substantial Notion Person as for the contrary reason it must make in GOD. Add that GOD's Self-Knowledge is properly and perfectly Essential to Him as He is an Infinite Spirit and as it were his Primary Operation by which according to our manner of Conceiving he is Constituted such or rather 〈…〉 Eâ—â—ence as He is a Spirit does consist in it â—â—ereas in Angels and Souls the Knowing the â—…le Extent of Entity and even GOD Himself 〈…〉 the Primary Operation for which Nature inâ—â—nded them and to Know themselves was only 〈◊〉 Means or First-Step to bring them to the â—nowledge of all other Things and thence of GOD And therefore Self-Knowledge is far from being their Primary Operation or that by respect â—o which their Essence was Constituted nor consequently can it distinguish their Substance as it does and must in GOD. 10. Nor lastly can it be thought that the Common Suppositum having all Perfections that can â—â— in the Line of Being and therefore amongst the rest Personality in it does constitute a Fourth Person for since GOD or the Common Suppositum as has been shown is Common to the three Relative Persons or in them all it carries along with it all the Perfections of the Divinity and among the rest the Personality too and communicates it to the Relative Persons as it does all the other Positive or Absolute Perfections in the Godhead Whence they have all of them to subsist or Absolutely to be Persons from the Godhead or the Common Suppositum and that they are Different Persons comes wholly and solely from their Distinct Relations as was prov'd above So that there is no show that the Common Suppositum can make a Fourth or Distinct Person since what 's Common to All or each cannot be Particular or Contradistinguisht to any Nor is there any Opposition of the Common Person to the Relative ones both because it has an Absolute and not a Relative Notion as also because it is so far from being Opposite that it is coincident with them all or with each of them SECT VII That this Distinction of Three Persons puts no Imperfection in the Divine Nature and that they are most-â—itly call'd the Father Son and Holy Spirit 1. GOD being the Author of Order and not of Confusion 't is most worthy His Divine Nature and most Consonant to True Reason that there should be some Order amongst those Threâ— Divine Persons and some Solid Ground for that Order And since all Order amongst More must begin from some One or some First it follows that there must be some One amongst them which is the First or Beginning of that Order and that therefore the Notion of the word Beginning must be Transferr'd to GOD or be Peculiar to some One of those Persons who is GOD provided it can be done
proper to it's self nor Act unless it have a Will the Notion of which is to be the Principle of Acting nor can an Infinitely perfect Being act without Knowing What and How to Act both the Eternal Father Son and Spirit must all concur to every such Action But 't is otherwise in that which passes ad intra or within the Deity it self because of their Relative Distinction and Opposition to one another For if I may be allow'd to repeat so oft what is of most Importance GOD precisely as the Divine Object or as Known begets Divine Knowledge and the Divine Essence in the Divine Knowledge which is Essential Truth and the most Proper and Best Perfection or Good of a Spiritual Nature is that Adequate Object from which Divine Love proceeds Hence it is that since God's Essence is Self-Existence which is Infinitely Actual and Infinitely Intelligible or rather Infinitely Known it is Proper to say that the GODHEAD Self-Exists by the Father Knows it Self by the Son who is Divine Knowledge and Loves it Self by the Holy Ghost who is Divine Love Nor can any thing be more Agreeable to Reason than that it should be so in case as we ought we will exalt GOD Infinitely above His Creatures For since Creatures do Exist by an Existence which is Accidental to them whence it comes that their Powers by which they operate are in the Line of Quality or are Accidents It is therefore most Fitting that GOD in whom there is nothing that is Accidental but the most refined or sublim'd Notion of Substance should exercise his own Essence upon Himself and therefore should have a Substantial Notion that is a Person by and in which that Particular to which is specially appropriated Divine Essence should Exist and instead of Powers which are Accidents should have particular Substances or Persons by which He Knows and Loves Himself And therefore as is said above GOD Self-exists or is by the Person of the Father Knows Himself by the Person of the Son and Loves Himself by the Person of the Holy Ghost SECT VIII That notwithstanding this Plurality of Persons the Divine Essence is not less perfectly Simple in it's self or rather 't is more or in more Respects ONE than it would have been had there not been this Plurality of Persons 1. WHat the Opposers of the B. Trinity most pretend to fear is That this Tenet does prejudice the UNITY of the GODHEAD Now tho' it has been already sufficiently prov'd that this has not the least show of Difficulty to a Considering Man yet it were not amiss for their farther Satisfaction to give this Point a farther Clearing tho' it wrong the Method of Discoursing by making Repetitions in which I sometimes indulge my self to inculcate it better to my Readers by their seeing the Coherence of this Doctrine in divers and several occasions For 't is not every Man's Talent to carry along with him every Link in the Chain of a Connected Discourse without needing to be re-minded of it 2. But first I complain that these Objecters confound themselves by not Distinguishing clearly their own Conceptions and therefore neither We nor Themselves know well what it is they would be at Let us try then if we can unravel their Thoughts which they have taken such pains to perplex Can they deny that GOD Knows and Loves Himself 'T is certain they will not for this makes GOD less Perfect than a Creature Tho' as far as I see they never think of it or what Consequences follow from it notwithstanding as was shown this is the Ground-work on which all true Explication of this Mystery is built Can they deny that this granted as it must be we are forced to affirm that GOD is the Knower and Object Known as also the Lover and Thing Loved The very words fly in their Faces and tell them they deny that which is perfectly Equivalent to what they have granted Will they deny that the GODHEAD is One and the Same under all the Notions whatever they are which is signifi'd by all those Relative and Contradistinct Names or Words 'T is equally against Common Sense unless they will say that by the word Himself is not meant GOD which is Self-evident Can they say that Knower and Known Lover and Loved are not Distinct and in some sort Opposite Notions All Mankind will laugh at them and every Junior Sophister who ever heard of the Predicament of Relation will hiss them Can they say that the Deity does not Verifie those Distinct Notions or that we say False when we attribute them to GOD Themselves will not affirm it Can they say That tho' GOD Verifies them yet there is no Distinction at all in GOD This is pure Nonsense For First These Distinct Notions or Attributes are not Extrinsecal Denominations but most Intrinsecal and even Essential to GOD to Know and Love Himself being the Perfection of His Spiritual Nature and one of His Chiefest Attributes Next If those Notions do most formally import Distinction and there be in GOD that which verifies them there is what verifies Distinction in GOD. May they not then with equal reason say that Gold verifies the Notions of Yellow and Heavy yet there is no Yellowness or Weightiness in Gold Can they say That tho' there be Distinction in GOD yet it does not any way or under any Respect make GOD Distinct This were to call Self Evidence in question and arraign First Principles For is it not Self-Known that a Form or Abstract Notion cannot be in any thing but it must make and denominate it such as it self is and may they not as well say that Whiteness may be in a Wall and yet not make it White or Humanity in a thing and not make it a Man as that Distinction is in a thing and yet not make it Distinct Can they find any thing in GOD besides Substance to Distinguish that is will they put any thing in GOD that â—s an Accident or which is the same that is Not-Self-Existent 'T is impâ—â—â—ble to pretend it Can they say That Distinction of the Substance does not Particularize it or â—ake Distinct Substances How can they Distinction whereever it is must make something or other Distinct and this according to the Nature of the Thing it distinguishes And therefore if there be only Substance for it to affect it must put Distinct or Particular Substances and this as evidently as if a Quantitative Thing be Distinguisht it must make Distinct or more Quanta Will they say these Distinct Substances they being Spiritual or Intelligent are not to be â—all'd PERSONS They would do well to let us know their Reason and withal to assign us some Other Name by which Three such Substances ought more properly be called I wish then we knew where their Difficulty pinches For otherwise it would half persuade an uncharitable Man that their Reason ails nothing when it knows not whereabouts it is hurt whence would follow that
be forced to say that what 's meant by the word GOD is not only Common in respect of those others but also that 't is a Common Suppositum and that it is the Common Suppositum which is Verify'd of all those Particulars And since it cannot be Verify'd or Predicated of them as a Genus or Species because These do necessarily include Indetermination and Potentiality which are Inconsistent with GOD's Purest Actuality therefore it must be Predicated of them after such a manner as is not Generical or Specifical but in such a way as a Notion which is in One Line is predicated of such Notions as are conceiv'd to be Formally in Another 2. These Particulars can be but Three tho' there seems to be two Conjugations as it were of mutually Opposite Relations Because Divine Love ought to proceed from the Greatest GOOD that can be conceiv'd to belong or be Connatural to GOD as He is of a Spiritual Nature viz. the Knowledge of Infinite Truth or which is the same from Infinite or Divine Truth Known in the Divine Knowledge which amounts to this that Divine Love proceeds from the Two other Particulars formally according to their Relations Whence no Correlation can be from those other Persons to Divine Love which thus proceeds from them because Relation is Grounded on that which it Refers or Relates It being then Evident that whatever is the Ground of Relation or Related must be some Absolute Notion and not such a one as is Relative it follows that there cannot be any Correlation where the Immediate Ground is a Relative it self 3. These Three Distinct Particulars Verify'd of GOD and therefore Truly in the Divine Nature are properly to be called PERSONS because â—here being no Accidents in GOD there is noâ—hing in the Divine Nature to be Distinguish'd or â—articulariz'd but his Substance and Particulars â—n an Intelligent Substance are properly called PERâ—ONS There are therefore Three Persons in GOD. Amongst which since Knowledge formally proceeds from an Object of the same Nature in both the Knower and thing Known and to communicate a Living Nature to another Living Particular is to GENERATE hence this Procession is truly call'd GENERATION and therefore the Divine Object Known from which Divine Knowledge thus proceeds is truly tho' in a Spiritual Sense call'd a FATHER and the Divine Knowledge a SON and the former of these is the First by way of Origin because Knowledge must be conceiv'd to proceed from the Object and not the Object or Thing to proceed from the Knowledge unless that Knowledge makes it to be or Creates it as the Divine Wisdom does Creatures The Third Person is properly call'd Divine Love because Love proceeds from that which is our Greatest and most Connatural Good perfectly and expresly Known or as we phrase it conceited or fully conceiv'd to be such Now the Greatest Good of GOD who is of a Spiritual Nature is Essential TRUTH which as was said consists in this that GOD knows Himself or which is the same that the Divine Object is in the Divine Knower By which is seen How and Why the Holy Ghost who is Divine Love proceeds from both the Father and the Son 4. Wherefore since as appears by those oftrecited Words on which we build our Explication the Common Suppositum exprest by the word GOD has in it All the Perfections that can be imagin'd and this Infinitely hence all the Three Persons having the common Suppositum or the GODHEAD in them are Coeternal Co-omnipotent c. and in every respect Co-equal as is exprest in ihe Creed of St. Athanasius Whence all Objections of their being before one another for some Time or some Instant as also of Dependence on one another and all Distinction in Nature or imagin'd Plurality of Gods are Diametrically opposite to the Doctrine of the Trinity Lastly hence all pretended Arguments taken from Fancy for from True Reason none at all can be drawn are by the respective parts of this Explication shewn to be frivolous and either Answer'd or else Forestall'd and Prevented 5. If the Anti-Trinitarians have any Objections in their Quiver I have set them here a fair Mark at which they may level them They may see here that I do not wrap my Discourse in Ambiguity of words but I distinguish my Notions as exactly as is possible and draw my Conclusions consequently Nor have I any Deductions which are nor grounded on Principles But I foresee that they will not be able to raise any Opposition which is not built on Faneies taken from Material Beings which are too grofs to be made use of when we are discoursing of GOD and altogether unfit to be Transferr'd in their rude sense to so sublime a Majesty or else that they are occasion'd by perfect Ignorance of Spiritual Natures and their Operations The main Distinction between which and Bodies is this that whereas Bodies being Divisible Entitites can have nothing in them Matter supposed but their own Accidents or Modes which Determine the Matter thus or thus and thence make it this or the other Individuum so that a Corporeal Suppositum or Thing can have nothing in it but its own Nature and its own Intrinsical Modes which have no Being but Its A Spiritual Being which is so far Superiour to it that it is constituted by its Difference Indivisible which is of a Contradictory Nature to it can therefore by its Proper Operation Knowing have all other Essences or Natures in it besides its own and engraft them as it were on its Stoek of Being and in such a different manner from the former that as they are in It they are no Part or proper Mode of the Spiritual Nature it self nor any Intrinsical Accidents of it but they are there formally as Others or as Distinct from it nor are they Dependent on the Spiritual Nature that Knows them for their Being as were the Corporeal Modes on their Subject but they have a Proper Being of their own out of the Understanding and Independently on it So likewise when they have an Act of Love they have a Propension Tendency or Panting after the Object of that Love and an endeavour to be Conjoyn'd and United to it by way of Attainment or Fruition of the Good they conceive to be in it Whence 't is plain that they are carry'd to it as it is Another or as 't is Distinct from themselves So that even when an Angel or a Soul Knows and Loves its self they must in some Respect or other be Distinct from themselves as they are the Object of that Knowledge and Love as the very word Object does Evidence and as manifestly appears from the Antithesis between Knower and Known Lover and Loved Only because as was shown above in Creatures which are not Self-Beings this Knowledge and consequently Love are Accidental to them in regard that even their Existence which this Knowledge and Love presupposes is Extrinsical and Accidental to their Essence therefore this Distinction
What Soul tho' never so Wicked and Senseless who with a full consideration lays this to Heart will not melt with Love at such a Transcendent Mercy to a Sinful World Who can chuse but be Astonisht even to an Extasie at such a Generous Goodness Who can be so Ungrateful as wilfully to offend and disoblige so kind a Benefactor Who will not tremble at the Iustice of so Pure a GOD and reflect on the Hatred he bears to Sin who punisht it so severely in his own Son who had taken upon Him to bear the Curse of it What heart would not break in the midst of all Temptations rather than Crucifie again so dear a Saviour Who would stick to pardon an Enemy for his sake who had not only pardon'd us while we were his Enemies but moreover heapt all the â—â—â—â—est Benefits of his Mercy upon us even while we were such tho' it cost him so dear Who would not Love and Hope in such an Indulgent Father who so tenderly lov'd us and a Suffering GOD who at the Infinite Expence of His most Precious Blood Redeem'd us and in Both of them who to Crown all their Favours sent the Holy Ghost GOD Coequal with themselves to Sanctifie with a thousand Blessed Effects the Hearts of the Faithful to strengthen them in Afflictions and Temptations to inspire them with Charity the Source of all heavenly Virtues to the end of the World and to dwell spiritually in our Hearts for ever 5. Here are Motives of another kind of size than either the Law of Nature or the Empty Elements of the Mosaick Law could afford us or even give us a glimpse of Here are Means of raising Souls effectually to Love of Heaven in comparison of which all the rest are Flat and Dull and in comparison Trifles or rather meer Nothing Yet these Men who would bereave the World of these by Denying the Mystery of the B. Trinity on which all these are grounded expect they should be kindly treated as Brethren while they for their Whimsies of Fancy bereave all the Faithful in GOD's Church of these highest Spiritual Advantages which every sensible Man cannot but see would both dispose them strongly for Heaven and bring to Salvation innumerably more Souls and advance those who do go thither to higher Degrees of Bliss and make them more Glorious Stars in the Firmament of the Heavenly Hierusalem What I wonder at is That these Gentlemen do not plant their Batteries against the Belief of the B. Trinity upon the Incredibility of such wonderful Condescensions and as they might pretend Debasements of thâ— DEITY than against the Speculative Truth of the Point it self None of those Prodigious Mercies but transcend our Fâ—ncy whence all their other Arguments are drawn for which reason the Greeks esteem'd Christianity Foolishness and therefore might afford them more plausible Arguments than any they have brought hitherto Had they employ'd their Talent in impugning the Trinity upon that score and ply'd that Topick I must confess I had been to seek for any other Answer than to alledge that GOD is INFINITE in all His Attributes which he had not been at least we could not so well have known it had not he given us such Testimonies of His Mercy Goodness Justice c. as are beyond all that we are able to conceive Wherefore since what 's beyond what we are able to conceive is justly held Mysterious to us all the Mysteries of our Faith if things be well consider'd and driven up to their First Root or Principle do spring from GOD's Infinity in this or some such Regard Even the Mystery of the B. Trinity which chiefly consists in this that the same Numerical Nature is in Three Distinct Persons is grounned on this that His Nature being Infinite is but One as is shown above B. 3. and the same may be said of all the rest of those Articles of our Faith which we account Mysteries Wherefore I would recommend it to the Author of Christianity not Mysterious that He would bless us wâ—th a Treatise to show us how to comprehend INFINITY how to Define it or give us it 's Full Dimensions for all we know of it hitherto is to distinguish it's Notion from Finite by a Negation but to make a true Conception of it's Entire Positive Perfection we fall infinitely short Let â—im then either do this or else as long as GOD â—e Author of our Faith is Unconceiveable by us or â—NFINITE so long that Faith it self the Product of His Infinite Being and His other Attributes especially those which concern His own Essence â—ill still be Impossible to be comprehended by us and so Christianity will still remain Mysterious let him scribâ—le his plausibe Conceits as long as he pleases But to proceed with showing the Demerit of those scarce-half-quarter Christians 6. Let us next consider what Powerful Authority and Majesty it must give to the whole Doctrine of Christianity and to every Particular of it What Veneration and Esteem to the Holy Sacraments instituted by Christ to every Sentence which is recorded in the Holy Scripture to have been spoken by our B. Saviour and to every Action said to have been done by Him to believe that it was GOD Himself who came down from Heaven to teach us that Doctrine institute those Sacraments from which Institution they have all their Efficacy who spoke those Words of Eternal Life and did those Actions in his own Person Infinite are the Particular Motives of this Nature and beyond any Man's Power to recount and lay open at large as he ought all of them â—ending to rectifie our Irregular Passions to arm us against Temptations and sanctifie our Souls by raising them to a Firm Faith a Stedfast Hope and Ardent Charity the only Dispositions which can fit Mankind for Eternal Happiness Were all these Particulars laid open and dilated upon to their full Energy in Affective Sermons as they are daily to a great measure in the Christian Church what Transports of Heavenly Love and Affectionate Devotion must they needs make in the hearts of the Hearers to thâ— End of the World what innumerable Pioâ— Thoughts must they excite how many Actions oâ— all sorts of Virtue must they produce Not to speak how vigorously it must move People of all sorts to the Imitation of those Heroick Virtues which the Life and Practice of a GOD made Man sets before their Eyes for Patterns by which they ought to frame their Christian Conversation the very Notions of which confronted with the contrary demeanour of frail Sinners is of force to shame them into Repentance and Amendment of their Lives 7. Now the main Efficacy and Powerfulness of all these Highest Motives to true Sanctity depends on the Belief of Three Divine Persons in the Unity of the GODHEAD Take this away GOD the Father could not send his Son who was also GOD nor could GOD in his own Person come amongst us to teach and instruct us by His Word and Example