THREE SERMONS Concerning the Sacred Trinity By JOHN WALLIS D. D. Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1691. TO THE READER THE first of the three Sermons here following is Printed according as it was Preached in Oxford in the Year 1664. accommodated to that time and place but it was for the Substance of it Preached in London Twenty Years before that time Which I mention to shew that the Construction which I give of the Words is not a new forced Notion just now taken up to serve a turn or as somebody is pleased to call it Equally New and Cautious But what I did so long ago take to be a then received Truth And I since find it is at least as old as St. Austin's Epist. 174. The other Two are lately added in pursuance of some other Discourses lately made publick concerning the Sacred Trinity Wherein much of what was said before scatteringly as those who wrote against it gave occasion is now inlarged and put into a little better Order If what I have done may be serviceable to the Truth and to the Church of God I have what I did desire and shall not think the Labour ill bestowed A SERMON Preached to the UNIVERSITY of Oxford Decemb. 27. 1664. JOH xvij 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I Need not apologize for the seasonableness of this Text by telling you that the Subject Matter of it suites well with the great Solemnity which at this time we celebrate and the Pen-man with that of the day Because a Discourse on such a Subject can never be unseasonable to a Christian Auditory Especially to such as whose profession being to seek after Knowledge should not decline that of God and Christ the chief of all Nor will it be any Exception hereunto That it is no news but well known already Not only because That there be many who pretend to know what they do not or do in effect deny and That there be many things which though we know well we have need enough to be minded of But even because I do not find that many persons are wont to be displeased with being often minded of those things wherein they think that either their Interest or Excellency lies more than a good Wit when commended or a fair Lady with being told she is handsome even though sometimes as we are wont to say they know it but too well already And therefore since to know God and Christ is both our Interest and our Commendation it will not I hope seem grievous to any to hear it discoursed of to the end that those who know it not may be incited to learn it and those who know it may take content in it And I shall as little apologize for a plain Discourse on this Subject Since it is both my Profession and Practice to Demonstrate or make things as plain as I can not to perplex or make them intricate which may amuse the Auditors or sometimes please or tickle them but is not wont either to Teach or Perswade like too much of Ornament which doth but disguise the native Beauty or too much Trimming which hides the Cloth The words read are our Saviour's Words addressed to his Father in the behalf of his Disciples And are a part of that Prayer with which he closeth his large Exhortation or Farewel-Sermon to his Disciples the night before he was to suffer of which we have a large rehearsal in the three foregoing Chapters the 14 th 15 th and 16 th which this 17 th closeth with a Prayer He begins his Prayer with a Petition concerning Eternal Life which he was to bestow according to the Power his Father had granted him to as many as He had given him that is to as many as should effectually believe in him To which Petition he subjoins this Exegetical Epiphonema And this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent We may consider the words either according to a Synthetic or an Analytic method as the Schools speak The former of which they commonly follow in Sciences Theoretical the latter in Practical If considered Synthetically they present us with First The Cause or Principle The Knowledge of God and Christ and Secondly The Effect or Consequent resulting from it Eternal Life If Analytically we have in them First A glorious End proposed Eternal Life and Secondly The Means proportionate thereunto The Knowledge of God and Christ. In the former way the Result of them is to this purpose That the excellent Knowledge of God and Christ is attended with this most glorious Consequent Eternal Life In the latter way it amounts to thus much That the way or means to Eternal Life is the Knowledge of God and Christ. Nor is it much material whether of the two ways we take them Synthetically or Analytically whether we take them as a Theorem affirming this Effect of that Cause or as a Problem directing to these Means for such an End Yet I chuse rather to take them in the latter consideration though not exclusive of the former Because this Epiphonema taking its rise from the mention made of Eternal Life in the former verse not from a former mention of the Knowledge of God and Christ it seems to be rather intended as a Direction how to attain Eternal Life than an account of the Effect of such a Knowledge But in doing the one it doth the other also I shall begin first with that which lies first in the order of the word The End proposed or the Effect or Consequent of this Knowledge the Happiness which doth attend it which for its Excellency is called Life and for its Duration Eternal This is life eternal The word Life I take to be here used in a figurative sense and to import Good or Happiness like as its contrary Death especially Death Eternal to import Misery There is indeed at least a threefold Life commonly mentioned and in proportion thereunto a threefold Death Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life Natural which is indeed the proper acceptation of the word Life or the first signification of it is more easily apprehended than expressed It imports that active state or condition which ariseth from the Union of the Soul and Body as well in Man as in other Animals not to mention that of Plants the destruction or want of which upon the Soul's departure we call Death 'T is that according to which in common speech a Man or Beast is said to be alive or dead Now this Life is of all natural Goods looked upon as the chiefest and consequently Death the greatest of natural Evils Because Life is that foundation or first good which makes us capable of what else is so and with our Life we lose all the rest
God they did not understand him to speak in such a sense as when themselves were commonly wont so to speak as Joh. 8.41 We are not born of fornication we have one Father even God but in such a sense as they judged Blasphemous and had been so indeed had it not been true who therefore sought the more to kill him Joh. 5.18 because he said That God was his Father making himself Equal with God And the High Priest Matth. 26.65 rent his Cloths saying He speaketh Blasphemy when our Saviour affirmed before him That he was the Christ the Son of God 'T was manifest therefore that he so spake and they so understood him of such a Son-ship as argued a Divinity a being equal with God 2. His Humanity or Incarnation is pointed at in these words whom thou hast sent For by the Fathers sending him or his coming into the World is clearly meant his being Incarnate or made Man As Gal. 4.4 God sent his Son made of a Woman And Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us 3. His Mediatory Office is implyed as well in the Title Christ added to his Name Jesus as in that of his being sent by God Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah whom thou hast sent For as his Name Jesus doth design the Person so the Title Christ that is Messiah that in Greek answering to this in Hebrew and both signifying the Anointed doth import the Office to which he was designed and for which he was sent For God did not send him to no purpose but sent him for this end for this Work To be the Mediator between God and Man To reconcile us to the Father To make an Atonement or Propitiation for us To take away the sins of the World To obtain Eternal Redemption To procure an Everlasting Inheritance a purchased Possession To make Intercession for us To save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him Or as Joh. 3.16 17. where all the three Particulars are likewise intimated God therefore sent his onely begotten Son into the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life And now having gone through the whole Text we might if time would suffer look back upon it to take a new Survey thereof and collect from thence some of those particular deductions which might concern our practice For certainly the Knowledge which Christ here declares necessary to Eternal Life and the means conducing thereunto is not a bare Notional knowledge or a pure speculative Belief such as the Devils may have as well as we but an operative Knowledge a practical Faith a Faith fruitful in good Works without which those speculative notions will never bring us to Heaven And therefore without ingaging in the nice Disputes of Justification by Faith alone or Works concurring thereunto this is on all hands agreed without dispute That Faith without good Works will never justify us Whatever their influence be in Justification their Presence at least is necessary Without Doing we cannot in God's account be reputed either to Believe or Know. Those that obey him not are reckoned in God's account amongst those that Know not God at least amongst those who profess they know God but do in their works deny him Who shall be so far by such a Knowledge from obtaining Eternal Life that Christ shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them and to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power In particular If we know God to be the onely True God Then must we Love him Fear him Worship him and Obey him Nor doth the knowledge of Christ as Mediator abate any thing of this Duty For though he came to take away the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse for us yet not our Obligation thereunto He came not to destroy the Law or make it less obligatory to duty but to fulfill it I may add That those who will not acknowledge themselves under the Obligation of it have reason to fear they be yet under the Curse of it Again If we know Christ whom he hath sent It will be our duty then to Believe in him For 't is to those onely that Christ doth give eternal life And so to Believe in him as to Obey him For to those who obey not the Gospel of his Son it is that Christ shall render vengeance in flaming fire Furthermore If in this Christ we hope to have Eternal Life how should this excite our Rejoicing and Thankfulness for so great Salvation Not by Rioting and Drunkenness by Revelling and Debauchery which is the Abuse not the Celebration of this Solemnity in memory of Christ's Incarnation But by a pious Remembrance and Commemoration of that Redemption obtained for us such as may be to the Honour not the Reproach of him that came to Redeem us from our vain Conversation That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory for evermore The End of the First Sermon A Second SERMON Concerning the TRINITY TO THE UNIVERSITY of Oxford April 26. 1691. JOH xvij 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IT is now a great many years since in this Place if not to this Auditory I did discourse of these Words I shall repeat very little of that Discourse But think fit to add somewhat to what was then said Our Saviour in the three Chapters next foregoing the 14 th 15 th and 16 th Chapters of S. John's Gospel had made a large Discourse to his Disciples after his Institution of the Lord's Supper the night before he was to Die which in this 17 th Chapter he closeth with a Prayer to his Father in their behalf Wherein having made mention of Eternal Life ver 2. which he was to give to as many as the Father had given him that is to as many as should â—ffectually Believe in him he subjoins this Eâ—â—phonema And This is Life Eternal That they might know Thee the only True God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. In which words we have Two things proposed to us The Christian's Happiness And The Mâ—ans wâ—ereby it is to be attained I. The Câ—ristian's Happiness is called Life as to its Excâ—â—â—ency and Eternal as to its Duration Wâ—ich is Begun here in the Kingdom of Graâ—â— and is to be Perfected and for ever Conâ—inued in that of Glory II. The Means to attain it is the Knowledge of God and
of Eternity added to that of Life this everlasting Duration to that unspeakable unimaginable Happiness renders this Eternal Life a perfect Felicity and every way compleat For that Perfection of Degree imported in the word Life can admit of no addition but that of Perfect Conâ—inâ—ance which the word Eternal assures us of Like as on the other hand that perfection of Misery which attends the wicked is capable of no greater Aggravation than that of Perpetuity sealed up in that sad expression of a Living Misery Eternal Death You have them both paralleled in Matth. 25.46 These shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal I have now done with the first part the Happiness here proposed Eternal Life Before I come to the sâ—â—ond The knowledge of God and Christ it will 〈◊〉 requisite to consider a little the conneâ—â—â—â— of these together in the word Is This is 〈◊〉 Eternal Which is capable of a double acâ—â—ptation For it may be understood either as a Formal or as a Causal predication This is life eternal that is Herein consisteth eternal life Or else thus This â—s life eternal that is This is is the way or means to attain eternal Life The former of these is very agreeable to the doctrine of the Schoolmen who generally place the Happiness of Heaven in the Beatifick Vision in the seeing or knowing of God Grounded on such places as that of Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 1 Cor. 13.9 10 12. We know but in part and we prophesie but in part but when that which is perfect shall come then that which is in part shall be done away We now see through a glass darkely but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 1 Joh. 3.2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear or when it shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is With others of the like import And certainly that Perfection of Knowledge shall be at least a great part of that Happiness which we expect in Heaven as from these and other the like places is well collected So that it is not improperly said that Eternal Life doth at least in part consist in such a knowledge Nor is it any sufficient Objection hereunto to say That it is not by knowledge only as an Act of the Understanding that we enjoy God wherein our Happiness consists but by an Act of the Will also chusing and closing with and delighting in him For though this be true yet neither is the Knowledge here spoken of a bare Speculative or Notional Knowledge wherein the Understanding is alone concerned But an Active Operative Knowledge such as brings the Will Affections and all the Faculties into a proportionate Conformity thereunto And in such a Knowledge of God in the Understanding attended with such a Conformity in the Will and other Faculties it is not to be denyed that our Happiness doth consist even that of Eternal Life Yet without excluding this sense I take the words here to be rather a Causal Predication assigning the way or Means whereby Eternal Life is attained This is life eternal that is this is the Way to attain Eternal Life To know thee the only true God c. The knowledge of God and Christ being the direct way to attain Eternal Life Parallel to which is that of our Saviour Joh. 12.50 His commandment is life everlasting And very frequent elsewhere are such Metonymies of the Effect for the Cause I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ Joh. 11.25 that is The Authour of it So Luk. 12.15 Man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth that is it doth not depend upon it it is not secured by it or a Christ elsewhere Matth. 4.4 out of Deut. 8.3 Man liveth not by bread alone c. And Moses speaking of their diligent observing the Commands of God Deut. 32.47 This is your life saith he and through this thing you shall prolong your days where the latter Clause is enegetical of the former just in the same form with the words here This is life eternal that is hereby they shall attain eternal Life This therefore being the most plain and simple Interpretation of the Words We are now to enquire particularly what that is that Christ here says to be Eternal Life or rather the Way thereunto That they may know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. Which contains in brief the Doctrine of the Gospel or Christian Religion Distinguished into two parts The Knowledge of God and The Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Both which are necessary to bring us to Eternal Life I shall speak first to the former of these two the Knowledge of God that is of God the Creatour and Lord of all as contradistinguished to that of Christ the Redeemer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they might know thee the only true God By Thee or the Person here spoken to we are to understand God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For to him it is manifest that Christ doth here direct his Prayer Yet not so much in his Personal as in his Essential consideration For it is not the Personality but the Essence of the Father that determines him to be the only true God We have therefore in the Object of this Knowledge at least these Three Propositions I. That there is a God II. That there is but One True God III. That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is this God I. The First of these strikes at Atheism or those that deny a God And that we know thus much is necessary from that of Heb. 11.6 He that cometh unto God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He must believe That there is a God Nay he must believe also somewhat of What he is Not fansie to himself somewhat under the name of God which indeed is not a God or notions inconsistent with that of a Deity as those Psal. 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self or the like For to believe such a false notion of God is not to believe a God but to believe an Idol We are next to know as that there is a God so That there is but One God I mean But One True God For there are indeed as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 8.4 5 6. Gods many and Lords many that is there are that are called Gods for so he explains himself but to us there is but One God We know saith he that there is no other God
Christ. Where by Knowledge I do not understand a meer Notional or Speculative Knowledge For such I presume the Devils may have in as large a proportion as any of us and yet never attain Eternal Life But an Active Practical Knowledge Such a Knowledge as is attended with Faith and with Practice suitable thereunto As in that of Isa. 53.11 By his Knowledge that is by the Knowledge of Him shall my righteous Servant justifie many That is by Faith in him attended with a suitable Practice to it The Object of this Knowledge is declared to be twofold 1. The Knowledge of God and 2. The Knowledge of Christ. To know Thee the onely True God that 's one part And whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ that 's the other And each of these contains several Particulars The former of them contains at least these Three 1. That there is a God 2. That there is but One True God 3. That the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is this Onely True God He is that God besides which God there is no other True God And though Jesus Christ be God also yet not another God but the same True God For He and the Father are One Joh. 10.30 In the latter of them the Knowledge of Christ are Three things also 1. His Divinity 2. His Humanity And 3. His Mediatory Office Which are here briefly insinuated and are elsewhere more fully expressed 1. His Divinity in that he is the Son of the Father who is the Onely True God Not by Creation as Adam and the Angels are called the Sons of God nor by Adoption as are the Righteous who truly believe in Christ But by Generation as the Onely Begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 and therefore of the same Nature with the Father 2. His Humanity implyed in these words Whom Thou hast sent That is So sent as to be made of a Woman so sent as to be made Flesh. Gal. 4.4 Joh. 1.14 3. His Mediatory Office implyed in the Title Christ added to the Name Jesus And whom Thou hast sent Jesus Christ. He was so sent as to be the Christ the Messias So sent as that the World through him might be Saved So as that whosoever Believes in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 17. Of all which Points I did then Discourse more largely and therefore do now but name them But I did then further observe from the Order of the Words to obviate a Cavil of the Socinians that the Word Onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here Restrictive not of the Subject Thee but of the Predicate the True God Of which I intend with God's Assistance and your Patience to speak further at this time Objection I. The first and great Objection of the Socinians from this place against the Divinity of Christ and the Doctrine of the Trinity is this If the Father be the onely true God then the Son or Holy-Ghost is not God or not the True God but the Father onely To which I shall give Three things in Answer 1. This Argument is a plain Fallacy which they put upon us by a willful perverting the Order of the Words For it is not said Thee Onely to be the True God as if not the Son also or the Holy-Ghost were the True God but the Father onely But to Know Thee not Thee onely or Onely Thee to be the Onely true God Nor is it so in our Englis◠Translation onely but in the Original Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth determine the Restrictive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be applied to the Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to the Predicate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just as in our English the Article The coming between Thee and Onely doth confine the word Onely not to Thee that went before but to True God which follows To know Thee not onely Thee the onely true God That is to know Thee to be that God beside which God there is no other true God Which we readily Acknowledge and Profess And then the Socinians Argument will appear just in this Form The God of Abraham is the Onely true God And therefore not the God of Isaac nor the God of Jacob. Yes say I the God of Isaac is the same God with the God of Abraham And therefore the True God as he is And the God of Jacob likewise And this one Answer doth fully satisfy the Objection and there needs no more Yet I shall add Two other things though they might here be spared because they may be of use elsewhere 2. I say further If it had been said as it is not Thee Onely yet even this would not exclude any who is the same with Him And therefore not the Son nor the Holy-Ghost since they are One and the same God with Him I and the Father are One Joh. 10.30 These Three are One 1 Joh. 5.7 To which purpose consider we what we have Jer. 16.14 15. and again Jer. 23.7 8. Behold the days come saith the Lord that it shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt But The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the land of the North or out of the North Country Now we are told by God himself Exod. 20.2 3. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Thou shalt have no other God but ME. Shall we therefore argue thus The God who brought Israel out of Egypt is the onely true God and we must have no other God but HIM Therefore not him who brought Israel out of the North-Country Yes say I Him also For the God who brought them out of the North-Country is the same God with him who brought them out of Egypt not another God though designed by another Character and therefore in having Him we have not another God So here To Know thee onely if it had been so said as it is not it had implied no more but thus Not any who is not the same God with Thee To Know Thee Onely and not any other who is not the same God with Thee to be the true God Which therefore would not exclude the Son nor Holy Ghost who are the same God with the Father But of this Answer there is no need in this place because it is not said Thee Onely or onely Thee 3. I say further If it had been said as it is not Thee Onely as the Socinians would have it to be understood I would then say This were an Essential Predication rather than a Personal That is That the Predicate True God is affirmed of him in regard of his Essence rather than of his Personality As belonging to the Essence which is common to the Three Persons not as