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T^IBRARY
PRIWCETOIV, X. J.
DONATION OF
S A M U E 1. A a N K W ,
Lptter
No.
COLLECTION OF PURITAN AND ENGLISH THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE
i
LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
THREE
SERMONS
Concerning the
By JOHH WALLIS, D. D. ProfefTor of Geometry, in the Univerfity of Oxford.
LONDON:
Printed for Tho, Parkhurfi, at the BM and Three Crowm, in Cheapfidey 1691.
"^— — ••»
READER.
THE firji of the three Sermons here. foUomng^ is Printed according as it 'was Preached in Oxford^ in the Tear 1664. (^accommodated to that time and f lace ;^ but it was^ for the Suhjiance ofity Preached in London Twenty Tears before that time. Which I mention to fhew^ that the Conflru&ion which 1 give of the Words J is not a new forced Notion ^ jup now tal^n up to ferve a turn; or (^as fomebody is f leafed to call it ) Equally New and. Cautious : But^ what I did^ fo long ago^ taf^ to be a then received Truth. And^ IJince find^ it is at leaji as old as St, Au- ftinV Epift. 174. The other Two are lately added^ in purfuance of fbme other
A 2 Dtfcourfes
To the Reader.
Difcourfes lately made fuhlicf^^^ concerning the Sacred Trinity. Wherein much of what was faid before^ fcatteringly^ (as thofe who wrotg againft it gave occafi- on;') is now inlarged andfut into a little better Order. If what I have done may be ferviceable to the 7 ruth ^ and to the Church of God : I have what I did dejire, and jhall not thin\the Labour ill he/towed.
A
SERMON
Preached to the University of Oxford.
DecemL 27. 1664.
J o H, xvi;. 5,
GKcodi ere:, ® \^^^^ ciX7]divov &eoV) "^^
^nd this is life eternal^ that they might hporp thee the onely true Qod, and Jefm C^yijij whom thou hajljent.
I Need not apologize for the (eafonablenefs of this Text ; by telling you, that the Sub je(5^- Matter of it, fuitcs well with the great Solemnity, which at this cime we celebrate;'
6 and
A Sermon Preached to the
and the Pen- man, with that of the day : Be- <:aure a Difcourfe on fuch a Subject, can ne- ver be nnfealonable to a Chriftian Auditory. Efpecially to fuch as, whofe profeffion being to feek after Knowledge , fhould not decline that of God and Chrift, the chief of all. Nor will it be any Exception hereunto : That it is no news, but well known alrea- dy : Not only becaufe 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 becaufe I do not find that many per(bns are wont tobedifpleafed with being often minded of thofe things wherein they think that either their Intereft or Excellency lies ; more than a good Wit when commended, or a fair Lady with being told fhe is handfome ; even though fometimes (as we are wont to fay) they know it but too well already. And therefore, fince to know God and Chrift is both our Intereft and our Commendation ; it will not, I hope, leem grievous to any to hear it clifcourled of; to the end that thofe whc know it not may be incited to learn it, ard thoie who know it, may take content in it.
And
Vuiverfity of Oxford.
And 1 fball as little apologize for a plain Difcourfe on this Subject : Since it is both my Profeffion and Practice , to Dennonftrate or make things as plain as I can ; not to perplex or make them intricate ; which may amule the Auditors, or fometimes pleafe or tickle them ; but is not wont either to Teach, or Perfwade ; like too much of Ornament, which doth but dilguife the native Beauty ; or too much Trimming, which hides the Cloth.
The words read, are our Saviour's Words ; addreffed to his Father in the behalf of his Difciples : And are a part of that Prayer with which he cloleth his large Exhortation, or Farewel'Sermon to his Diiciples,the night be- fore he was to fufTer ; of which we have a large rehearfal in the three foregoing Chapters, the I jr/;, I 5^/;, and 1 6th : which this i ytb. clo- fcth with a Prayer.
He begins his Prayer, with a Petition con- cerning Eternal Life^ which he was to beftow (according to the Power his Father had gran- ted him) to as many as He had given him; that is, to as many as fliould effedliully be- lieve in him. To which Petition he fubjoins this Exegetical Epiphonevia, And this is life eter- naly that they may know thee the only true Gody and Jefi44 Chrijl whom thou haji fent, B i We
3
A Sermon Preached to the
We may confider the words either accord- ing to a Synthetic or an Analytic method, as the Schools fpeak : The former of which they - commonly follow in Sciences Theoretical j the latter in fraciical
If confidered Synthetic ally ; they .prefent us with, Firjl y The Caufe^ or Principle; T/;e I^no^'ledge of God andChriJi ; and ^ St cow J/j, The E^eBj or Confequent refulting from it 5 Eter- nal Life.
If Analytically -, we have in them, Firfl^ A glorious End propofed 5 Eternal Life : and, Se* condly^ The Means proportionate thereunto j Jhe I\}tol?ledge of Qjod and Chrifi.
In the former way, the Refult of them is tiE) this purpole ; That the excellent K^wledge of God and Qhrift^ is attended wh this moft glorious ConfecjHoity Eternal Life,
In the latter way, it amounts to thus much : That the ti^ayor means to Eternal Life^is the K^iow- ledge of God and Chrifl.
Kor is it much material, whether of the two ways we take them ; Synthetically^ or Ana- lytically: whether we take them as a Theorem $ affirming this Effect, of that Caufe : or as a frohlem ; direding to thefe Means for iuch an End. y^^ Yec
Vtiiverfty of Oxford. 5
Yet I chu(e rather to take them in the lat- ter confideratiou , (though not exclufive of the foimer ; ) Becaufe, this Eflphomma taking its rile from the mention made of Eternal Lifcy in the former verle ; (not from a former men- tion of the K^iowkdge of ^od and Cbrlft ; ) it feems to be rather intended as a 'DireBion how to atia'm Eternal Life-^ than, an account of the Eff^eft of fiich a I^W^ledge, But, in doing the one, it doth the other alio.
I fhall begin, firjlj with, that which lies firft in the order of the word ; The End pro- pofed ; or the E^eEl^ or Confequent of this Knowledge ; the Hapfinefs which doth attend it : which, for its Excellency,- is called Li/e,and, for its Duration, Eternal This is life eternal.
The word Life 1 take to be here n(ed in a figurative fenfe ; and to import Good or Hap* pinefs: like as, its contrary. Death, efpecially Death Eternalj to import Mifery.
There is indeed, at leaft, a threefold Life commonly mentioned; and, in proportion thereunto, a threefold Death : Natural, Spiri- tual, and Eternal.
Life Natural, ( which is indeed the prope-c acceptation of the word Life, or the firfl fig- nification of it, ) is rnoie eafily apprehended,
than
A Sermon Preached to the
than expreffed. It imporrs that adlive ftate or condition which arileth from the Unton of the Soul and 'Body^ as well in Man, as in other Jnimals ; (not to mention that of Plants : ) the defi:ru6tion or want of which, upon the Soul's departure, we call Death. 'Tis that, accord- ing to v^^hich, in common fpeech, a Man or Bead is faid to be alive or dead.
Kow this Lifcy is, of all yiatural Goods ^ look- ed upon as the chiefeft; and conlequently Death the greateft of nattiral Evils : Becaufe Life is that foundation or firft good, which makes us capable of what elfe is lo : and with our Life, wg lofe all the reft. Hence that in Job 2.4. Skin for skin^ and all that a man hath^ will he ^iye for his hfe. And that of Solomon ; J li» Vwg Pog is better than a dead Lion, Ecclel.9.4. For, when Life is gone, there lucceedsan inca- pacity, not only of Doing, but alfo of Enjoy ing Good.
From this confideration it is, that the other fignifications of the word have their Original. For Life being looked upon as the greateft na«» tural Good, and Death as the greateft natural Evil; The one (by 2i Sjnechdoche fpeciei) is fre* quently ufed (both in facred and profane Au- thours) to fignify Good indefinitely, efpecially
the
Vniverfity of Oxhxd.
the greatejl ^oodj and che other, ia I'ike manner, to fignifie Evil^ efpecially the ^natep BviL [ac one is put iox Haf>j^inefs ^ and the other ioxMijcry. And then, again, (by a Synechdoche generis) this general notion of Good or Evil, Happi- nefs or Mifery, implied in the words Life and Death , becomes applicable to this or chat particular Good and Evil, as occafion (erves. Suppofe the Spiritual Life of ^^-^c^, or Death in Sin : And the Eternal Life of Glory in Heaven, or the Eternal Death of Torment in Hell. Thus, De«^ 50. 1 9. I haye fet before you ( laith tAofes to Ijrael ) life and death , hlefflng ■ and curjtng : (where Life and Death, are made equivalent to Bleffing and Curfing ; ) therefore chufe life (faith he) that thou and thy feed may Liyd; that is, that you may be Happy. So at Ver. i 5. of the fame Chapter f I ha^e fet before you (faith he) Hie and good, death and eviL Whe^-e Life and Good are put exegecical each of other, and lo Death and Evil. And in the fime (enle it is the Poei tells us, Non eft ViVere^ fed Valcre^ Vita, Thus God to Adam in ?ara- dife (for 'tis no r^ewTrope, noi of ye^erJay) In the day that thou cate.'i thereof thm p?ak die the death ; chat is, thou Qialt become milerabie : For we know that ^dam did not the lame day
die
8 A Sermon V reached to the
die a naturalDeath; but fome hundreds of years after : but he did chac day begin to be in a ftate of Mifery, whereof his na^tural Death was but a part. So, ^om, 6. 2 ^. Th wages of Jin is death ; where the comprehenfion nf all the Evils orMi- fery which findeferves, or C odinflicteth for it, is called Death : like as on ti^ 3 contrary, all the Happinefs, which the Saints enjoy, is, on the lame account, called Li/^; '! he gift of God is eternal Life, through ']efus Chrifl our Lord. So here ; By Life we underftand Happinefs ; contrary to which is the Death of Mifery : and then (by a Metalepfisy or double Trope, ) that Happinefs in (pecial, which the Saints enjoy in Glory (though not exclufive of what they have be- fore ; ) and that Mifery wliich in Hell attends the wicked.
'Tis true indeed, that the condition of the Saints in Glory, after the Reftirreclion, may, even in a proper (enic, be called Life; be- caufe of that Union, which fhall then be, of Soul and Body • and the exercife of (at lead the moft noble) faculties of Life. Yet do not I take that to be the true import of the Word here. For though it be true, that the Saints in Glory, have not only an Union of SqhI and Sa- dy, but like wile a knowledge ovfenfe of that eftat^ -
wherein
Vuiverfity of Oxford^\
wherein they are, (which may import not only a.Life, but even a Rational Life :) yet as true it is, that the Damned in Hell have fo too ; (for their Souls and Bodies iThail not belels United^ nor fhall they be Infenfibk of their Woful con- dition :) yet is not that eftate of theirs called a Life (though naturally it be fo, and it is their mifcry that it is fo,) but Eternal Death ; becaufe ia Life of Wo and Mifery j not of Blifs and Happineft : A Living ^^^O'j being,in this (enfe, the trueft Veatk
U'' Secondly y As it is called Life.fot its EKcellen* t:y, fo, for its Duration, it is; called Eternal '1 It is very ufual in Scripture, in the ufe of Allegories, or Figurative expreffions, to add ibme kind of Epithet to diftinguifl^ the word (b u(ed from the lame in its native fignification : And, when the word is ufed lb as to expreG figuratively fbmewhat 7mre excellent than it lelf, the Ef'ithet h^th. lomewhat of additioqal exeU lency in it. Thus Chrift is (aid to be the Spi-^ yitual rock^ i Cor. 10.4. the Living Bread^ or Man- na that came down from HeaVeny Joh. 6. 50. to diflinguilTi the words, fo metaphorically uleds, from the Rock and* Manna literally (poken of, ?n the (lory of theirtrav^ils in the Wildernefs. ■And.'the Church of Chrift, as LiVm^ ftonesy be- it^3 C come
lO
A Sermon Preached to the
come 2l Spiritual houfey 2Lnd 2. Holy priefthooJy to offer up Spiritual facrtfices to God, 1 fet. 2. 5. Where the Epithets ferve both for diftindion from the material Stones and Temple, the Le- vitical Pfiefthood, and corporeal Sacrifices; and for the commendation or preheminence of thofe before thefe. So the new heaven, and the new earth, and the ftew Jerufakm^ Rev. 2 1 . 1,2. Jerufnlem that is above. Gal. 4. 26. And Match. 26. 29. 1 will drink ?w more (faith Chrift) of the fruit of the vine, till I drink it New with you in my Father s kingdom : Not that Chrift did intend anew to drink of fuch wine in his Fa* ther's Kingdom ; but of z New it^ine^ another (brt of wine than that commonly fo called ; CO wit, thofe fpiritual Joys in his Father^s Kingdom, which fbould more refrefh their Hearts and Souls, than this wine did their Bo- dies. So J I am the true vine , and my Father is the husbandman, Joh. i 5. 1. I am the^oodjhep- herd, Joh. 10. it. Not that Chrift was more truly a Fine^ in propriety of fpeech, than that which we fo call; or indeed xShepherd^vjho took the care of Sheep : But that there was in Chrift fomcwhat of another kind much more emi- nent, than that of the Vine, which did yet in Ibme meafure refemble it ; and, a much grea*
tey
Vniverfty of Oxford. 1 1
ter Care, buc of another nature, of thofe he calls his flock , than a Skfherd hath of his Sheep. So here ; This is life eternal ; Not a natural Life, (Inch as is commonly meant by the word Life^) a life of the Body , which af- ter a fliorc time is to be exchanged for Death ; but a Life, a Happinefs, of another nature; a far more excellent Good than what we call Life, which doth but very imperfeftly exprefi it 'y An Eternal Life,
And this Eternity^ as it lerves, in general, to diftinguifh this word Life from the ordinary acceptation ; and doth import, for the kind of it, fomewhat much more excellent : So it doth particularly point out that Eyerlafling Du- ration of this fo great a Happinefs. 'Tis that which, though indeed it have a Beginning, fliall never have an End. And upon this ac- count it is, that it is fb often called Eternal Lifey and Life E'Verlajiing ; that it were endlefs to enumerate the places where it is fb called. j4n eternal inheritance ; A houfe eternal in the he a- "eb. ^.i^ yens ; An inheritance incorruptible , and wtJefiled, i Pct.'ul which fadeth not away ; y{ kingdom which cannot he ilorX^i^ moved j Jn eternal weight of glory; When ow^^^f^*"**^* ^nortal fliaU have put on immortality.
C t And
1 2 ASermoH Freadhed to the
And this confideracioQ of Eternity j added to that of£i/e 5 this^everlafting Duration, to that unlpeakable, unimaginable Happineis,- ren*' ders this Eternal Life^ a perfeft Felicity and eve- ry way compleat. For that Perfeftion of 'De- ^ree^ imported in the word Life^ can admit of no addition, but that of Perfect Com'muance^ which the word Eternal aflures us of Like as, on the other hand, that perfeftion of Mifery^ which attends the wicked, is capable of, no greater Aggravation^ than that of Perpetuity : iealed up in that fad expreffion of a Living iVii^ lery, Eternal Death, You have them both pa^ ralleled in Mattb. i^, 46. Thefe jhall go Into e- yerlajl'mg punip?ment, but the righteous into life eter^ nal
I have no\5v done with the firfl party "thib
Happinels here propofed ; Eternal Life: :;niio>
.^.Before L<;ame tb the lecond ^ ^^he himvleSgk
ofj God: and Chmji.^ : it w ill be requ i&e." • to : 'confii^
der, a little, the connexion ofv.rhele together,
;., .,, in the word 7^ j This is LifeEttrnaL . Whirhis
;^^j;^.\cD capable of a double acceptn^tscnioi.Boii^ todyx
v '■'^'^, be underflood either as a Fo^7mb^^otA'Si§ Si^imfd.
predication. Ihis is life eternd'; that is^\Pkrem.\
imfifteth eternal life. Orelfe thusj This is life
eternal^
Vniverfity ^/^ Oxford. 13
eternal^ that is, This is is the yi^ay or rmans^ to at- tain eternal Life.
The former of thefe is very agreeable to the dodrine ot the Schoolmen ; who general* ly place the Happinels of Heaven in the Beati- Jick Vifion ; in the iecing or knowing of God. Grounded on fuch places as that oi Matth, y. 8. Sleffed are the pure in heart , for they fl^all fee God, I Cor. I |. 9, 1 Oj 12. We knoa> hut in part^ and we prophi'jie hut in part ; hut when that which is perfeH^ fj^all come^ then that which is in part (ball he done away : We now jee through aglafs d'arkely, hut then face to face : Now I knjw in part, but then fhall I know 'even a^s alfo I am known. 2 Cor. ^. 1 8. We all with open face beholding as m a,glafs<the glmy of the. Lor d^ ar£ changed iniq-.the fame iniage', from gjory •fO;^/or)(.;h:l:)Jph' j'-«^l,:®e/aV^' mw are we the Jons of God, and it doth not yet appear jvhat. m jlialLh :^. .t/if ^^kngw^, \that whenhefl)aU appear,^ {ox^<whe^)\.}t, ^jdi^ppear)}, m fl^all he like him: Jar we jliallfecbimAs-he isy-.j XX^ich. others of the Hke import. And certainly thac Per^ fe<^ipa of Knqvvledge, fliall oe at leaft a great pa^rt,of thaCiH^ppine^, \yhich ,vye: ^xpeci in Heaven,; z^ fv^\ ch^fe and ocj\ei[ tfe; hke pla* cesis well collefted. So that iris not impro- perly faid, thac ^ternal L//e dothjat'leaft in pare; co/j^J^^f^ch a knowledge^ Nor
fi4 ^ Sermon Preached to the
Nor is it any fufficient Objeftion hereuntOj to lay, That, ic is noc by knowledge only, as an A(5t of the Underftanding, thacwe enjoy God, wherein our Happinels conlifts ; but by an A(5l of the Will alio, chafing and clofing with, and delighting in hinci.
for though this be true ; yet neither is the Knowledge here fpoken of, a bare Speculativsj or Notional Knowledge, whereia the Under- Handing is alone concerned : But an yiEll\Q^ Operative Knowledge; iuch as brings the Will, Affeflions, and all the Faculties into a proportionate Conformity thereunto. And in Iuch a Knowledge of God in the Underftand- ing, attended with fuch a Conformity in the Will and other Faculties, it is not to be deny- ed that our Happinefs doth confift ; even that of Eternal Life.
Yet (without excluding this (enfe)! take the words here to be rather a Caufal Predication : affigning the way or Means whereby Eternal Life is attained. T^hls is life eternal^ that is, this is the Way to attain Eternal Life ; To know thee the only true God, Sec. The knowledge ot God and Chrift, being the direct way to attain E- ternal Life. Parallel to which, is that of our Saviour, Jok ii. 50. His commandment is life
. eyerlaflmg.
Vmverfty of Oxford. i ^
ewlajlin^. And very frequent ellewhere are fuch Metonymies of the EffeB for the Caufe. I am the refuvreBm^ and the life^ faith Chrift, JoL
11. 25. that is, The Aiithour of it. So Luk-
12. 15. cMans life confijleth not in the abundance of the things lf>hich he pojfeffeth ; that is , it doth not depend upon it > it is not fecured by it : or as Chrift elfe where, Matth. ^. ^. (out of Deut, 8. 3.) Man Itveth not by bread alone y Sec. And ."Mofes, fpeaking of their diligent obler- ving the Commands of God, T>eut, ji. 47. Tlyii is your life y{f2i\i\\ \\q) and through this thing yon fhall frolongyour days : (where the latter Claufc is enegetical of the former : ) juft in the fame form with the words here, Ihis is life eternal '^ that is, hereby they (Tiall attain eternal Life.
This therefore being the moft plain and fimple Interpretation of the Words : We are now to enquire particularly, what that is that Chrilt here fays to be Eternal Life, or rather the Way thereunto. TW they may know thee the only true ^od ; and, whom thou hafl fenty Jefm Cbnjl.
Which contains in brief the Dodlrine of the ^ofpely or Chrijlian Religion : Diftinguiflied in- to two parts, The Kjiowledge of (^od , and The
iQiowkdge
A • Sermn FreaiO^edM^ the
l\riowkige ofjefm Qhrifl, Both x'C^hich are ne- ctffary to bring us to Eternal Life.
I fiiall fpeakj' {irjl^ to the former of thefe two; the Knowledge of God;; that u, of (^od the Creatour and Lord of ally as contradi- ftinguiilied to that of Chriji the ^deemer, "hex,
yvcauvM^ai G2, r fJigvov aAn^ivov Qedvy 1 belt they Plight
know thee the only true God.
By Thee^ or the Perfbn here fpoken to, we are to underfland GaJ, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifl:; ( For to hirh it is manifeft, that Chrifl doth here dired. his Prayer : ) ^et not lo much in his Terfonal as in his Ejfmtkl confi- dcration. For it is not the Ter/onaikyj but the EJfence of the Father, that determines him to be the only true God,
We have therefore, in the Objed: of this BCnowledge, at leaft^ theft Three Propofiti- ons :
.1. That there is a God. II. That there is but One (True) Cod. III. That God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is this God.
L The Firft of t hele ftrikes at Jtheiftriy or thofe that deny a God. And that we know thus much is neceffary from that of Heb. 1 1. 6i He that cometh unto §ody mujl belieye that God
is.
Vniverfity of Oxford. iy
is\ and that he is a rewiriUr of thofe that diligently Jeek him. n/r-^iVcu ^« on ©. He muft believe, That there is a (^^od. Hay, lie muil believe al(b (omevvhat of What he is : Not fanfie to himfelf (bmev\hac under tiie name of God, which in- deed is not a God; or notions inconliftent with that of a Deity ; as thoJe, Tfil. 50. 21. Thou thoughtefl that I was altogether fuch a one as thy felf: or the like. For to believe fuch a falle 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 i lo, That there is but One God. 1 mean j But One True God. For there are indeed^ as the Apoftle tells us, i Cor. 8. 4, 5, 6. Gods many J and Lords many\ that is, there are that are called Gods, (for fo he explains himfelf) hut to us there is hut One God ; We kno^Vj ((aith he) that there is no other God hut One, And t-his indeed depends upon the former. For he that doth, according to a true notion of God, know That there is a God ; mull: needs know alfo that there is but One, For the true notion of God, including Infinite, Abfolute, Perfed, .<rc. muft needs alio include Unity 5 for it is inconfiftent that there fhould be many fuch. So that, in a manner, Polytheiim includes A- >..yu D theilm.
1 8 A Sermon Tr cached to the
theifm. He that believes many Gods, doth, in effefi, not believe any : that is, not any fuch Being as of which it is impoflible there fhould be more than One. li r
We are, 'Thirdly^ to know, that this God, is that onely True God. 1 fay, This God; whom we have varioufly defigned in Scrir pture, by (everal Characters. T"e God that made Hta^mi and Earth : Tl?e living God : 7he God of Ifrael : Jhe God whofe nmie is JehoVah : And (as here, and elfewhere frequently in the New Teftament) the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifl. By which and other the like Characters, he is diftinguillied from all falfe Gods, from all pretended Deities. This God we are to know to be the onely True God.
But, when 1 fay. That th^ Father of our Lord Jefus Chrijl is this onely True God-y I add. That this appertains not fo much to his Terfonality as to his Bffence, For though the three Perfons in the Sacred Trinity, be diftinguifliedeach from other by their J^erfonalities , (the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Father, ^c.) yet they all communicate in the common Bffence; whereby the Son as well as the Father, and the Holy Ghoft as either, is this Onely True God. The Peribn of the Father is indeed True
God,
Vniverjity of Oxford. 19
Ood, but not according to his Perfonality, but according to his Eflence. And the Perfbn of the Son is God alio , and the True God ; yec HOC another, but the fame True God. And the Holy Ghojl likewifc. According to that of Joh, 10. \o* 1 and my Father are One : That is, One mody though not One Terfon. And i Joh. 5. 7. Ihere are Three that hear record in Heaven, the Father y the Word , and the Holy ^hojl ; and thefe Three are One. Three, and yet One. Three Perfons, yet but Or.e God. They are all this One, this Onely True God,- befide whom there is no God.
• I know there are Ibme who would be glad to take advantage of this place, to the Dero- gation of the Divinity of Chrift, and of the Holy Ghoft. As if it were here affirmed, That the Father ondy were True God : and therefore, not the Son, nor the Holy Ghoft.
But the Cavil is obvious , and the Anfwer eafie. It is not faid that the Father Omly is True Cod \ but that the Father is the onely True Qcd ; he is that God befidc whom there is no other True God : which may well enough be faid, though che Son alfo (as indeed he is) be that fame True God ; and the Holy Ghoft likewile.. Indeed fbould we fay, That the^
D 1 Son
20 ^ Sermon Preached to the
Son were alfo True God , and another God ; the Father could not then be faid to be the Onely True Godjfincethat there would be ano- ther True God befidethis. (And the like of the Holy Ghoft.) But to fay that the Son is the Same True God, is well confident with it. For though anotherPerfon than theFather be True God, yet, becaufe not Another God, this One God remains ftill the Onely True God. And the original words are to this purpo(e very
the Article "^v conciing before i^$v<^v^ (not after it) doth determine it to be a reftridbion of the Prsedicate, not of the Subjedt. 'Tis not
tn fJi$vovy r dhiSivQV ©goV, but <7^> t fJigvov olhvi^ipou Seo'v Not Ihee onely to be the True ^od ; but (as we truly render it) Thee to be the onely True Qod, That is; To know Thee to be that God, be^ fide which God there is no other True God ; though another befide Thee be like wife this onely True God; vi:^. the fiime God witb Thee, though not the fame Perfon. It ex- cludes only a Plurality of Gods , not a Plura* lity of Perlbns in the (ame God-headi 'Tis true indeed, That this Divinity, is not, in this place, fo dire <511y Afftmed, either of the Son, or the Holy Ghoft : But, neither is it Denyed :
And
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And therefore it is to receive its decifion from other places where it is affirmed clearly.
And thus much concerning the firft branch of this Knowledge, the Knowledge of God. To know Thee J the only True God.
There is another piece of Knowledge ne- ceffary tothe attainment of Eternal Life; the Knowledge of Chrift. For fo it follows, Ani Jejus Chrtji whom thou hajlfent,
'Tis true, that had we continued in that Eftate wherein Man was at firft Created^there had been no neceflityofthisfecond branch of Knowledge. For, had there been no Sin, there had been no need of a Saviour : and coniequently, not of this knowledge of Jefus Chrift. A knowledge ofGod,the onely True God, with an Obedience conformable there- unto, had then been enough to make us Hap- py. But Man, by his Fall, having contract- ed an Eftate of Mifery ; there is now no Refti- tution to our loft Happinefs, but by a Re- demption ; and there is no Redemption, but by Jefus Chrift. For as there ts but One (jod \ fo, hut One Mediator between God and 'Many the Man Chrijl Jcjus^ l Tim. i, 5. Keitber is there any other name ^iven to men, 'thereby we muft be favedy hut that ofJeJM Chnjl o/Na^iareth 5 fiphom
they
21
22 -^ Sermon F reached to the
thy Crucified^ mi Cod rat fed from the dead : (Ad. 4. \o, M.) Ihere is no Salvation m any other, Ic is necelTary therefore , to the attainment of Eternal Life, that we know Hin:i, in this Ca- pacity.
What we are to know concerning him, though we cannot expert , in fo few words, toh ave clearly fet down, without a Commenc from other places to give light to them : Yec at leaft three things feem in thcfe words to be pointed at j His Divinity , His Incarnation, and His Mediatory Office.
I . His DiVmity ; in that he is the Son of God. For he calls him Father , w^hom he fays we muft know to be the onely True God. Indeed, were he onely the Son of God in fuch a (enie as ^da7n is fo called, Luke }• ;8. or the Jngels thought to be , Job i, 6. that is, by Creation ; for as Saints are Co called (1{om. 8. and elfe- wherej that is, by Jdoption ; it would not in* era Divinity. Buc to be (as Chrift is) the Son of God by Eternal ^^eneration^ZYguQS a Com- munication in the fame Nature, Asthe Apoftle infers, Heb. i.^.hor to which of the Angels faid he at any time , Ihou art my Son , this day haVe I begotten the f This ojiely begotten of the Father^ muft needs be alio of the J ame nature with the
Father ;
ZJniverfity of Oxford. 2 5
Father ; and therefore, God , as he is.
And this Argument, (however now per- haps there are who endeavour to elude it) the Jews, his Enenciies, thought to be conclufive. For when they ob(erved him to call God his Fa- ther^ or pretend himlelfto be the Son of God ; elpecially , the Chrijl the Son of Cod ; they did not undcrftand him to fpeak in fuch a fenfe as when themlelves were commonly wont Co to fpeak (as Joh. 8. 4 i . We are not bom offornka- tion ; tt^e have one Father, even God ;) but in fuch a fenle as they judged Blafphemous, (and had been lo indeed , had it not been true j); who therefore fought the more to Kill hm^ (Joh. j.. 18.) becaufe he f aid-, That God was his father ; making himfelf Equal tpith God, And the High Triefi (Match. 26. 65.) rent his Cloths , f^y^^^^t He fpeaketh &afphemy , when our Saviour af- firmed before him, That he was the Chrijl^ the Son of God. 'Twasmanifeft therefore, that he (o fpake, and they fo underftood him, of fuch a Sonfhif as argued a. Divinity , a being eiiual with God,
1. His Humanity, or Incarnation, is pointed at, in thefe words, whom thou, haji fent. Far by the 5^thers fending him , or his coming into t'^e World, is clearly meant his being Incarnate, or
made
24 A Sermon Prectcbed to the
made Mart, As Gal. 4. 4. God fent his Son' made of a Womuiu And Joh. 1. 14. Ihe Word wa^ made Fkfl)^ and dwelt nmongfi us,
3. Wis Mediatory Office^ is implycd as well in the Tide Chrifl^ added to his T^zmcjefu^ ; as in that of his being fent hy God, Jejm the Chrijly or Jefus the Mejp ah J whom thou haft Jent, For as his Name J^yJ^^ doth defign the Perlon; fo the Title Cfcrj/?, that is JMejJ/ah^ (that in Greek, anfwering to this in Hebrew, and both fignifying the Anointed) doth import the Of- fice, to which he was defigned, and for which he was fent. For God did not fend him, to no purpole; but (ent him for this end, for coUo.'^*^'^^^ Work, To he the SMediator between God and 20,21. y[an : To reconcile m to the Father ; To mike an 10,11. 6- Monement or Tropitiation for iPS, 10 take away the I joh. 2.2. yi^'^^ of the World : To obtain Eternal Ademption ; Heb '*i2* ^^ procure an E'VerUftlng Inheritance ; a purchased » 5- ToffeJJion ; To make Intcrceffion for m ; To fave to Heb*7.*25'. the uttermojl thofe that come unto God by him. Or, as Joh, J. 16, 17. (where all the three Parti- culars are likewife intimated) (^od therefore fent his onely begotten Son Into the World^ that whofoever believes In him jhould not perifh, but have Fverlajl- mgLife,
And
Vniverfity of Oxford. 2 5
And now, having gone through the whole Text, we might, if time would fuffer, look back upon it to take a new Survey thereof,and colled: from thence (bme of thofe particular deduftions which might concern our pra- ftice. For certainly, the Knowledge which Chrift here declares mceffary to Eternal Life^ and the means conducing thereunto , is not a bare Notional knowledge^ or a pure fpeculatiye Beliefs (fuch as the Deyils may have as well as we ;) ja«.2 19. but an operative K^owledge^ a praElical Faith , a Faith fruitful in good Works , without which thole speculative notions will never bring us to Heaven. And therefore, without mgaging in the nice Difputes , of Juftification by Faith alone, or Works concurring thereunto; this is on all hands agreed without difpute, That Faith without good Works will never juftify us. Whatever their influence be, in Juftification; their Prefence at leaft is neceflary. Without Doings we cannot, in God's account, be re- puted either to (Believe or I^iow. Thofe that obey him not, are reckoned, in God's account, amongft thofe that I^iow not God : ac leaft a- aThcCi.g. mongft thofe who profefs they know ^od, but dork, n^. in their works deny him. Who fhall be fo far, by fuch a Knowledge , from obtaining £'rer-
£ na\
2 6 A Sermon Preached to the
ml Life^ chat Chrijl jhalliojie in flaming fire to take vengeance on them , and to umilh them wuh e'ver^ Uilmg deflruBion^ from tk pre fence of the Lord^ and from the glory of his ^ower.
In parucaiar : If^e know Gody to he the o?iely True ^od ^ Theu amd we Loye him^Fear him, Woijhip him , and Obey aim. Hor doth the knowledge of Chrift, as Mediator ^ abate any thing ot this 'Duty. For though he came to
Gjihi,^' take away the Curf of the LaWy by being made a Curfefortis ; yet not our Obligatton thereunto.
Macth. 5. ^^ f^^yf^^ ^Qi; iQ (ieflroy the Lai^y or make it lels obligatory to duty, hut to fulfill it, I may add ; That, thofe, who will not acknowledge them* felves under the Obligation of it, have reafon to fear, they be yet under the Curfe of it.
Again, If l^e knol^ Chrifl whoyn he hath fent ; It will be our duty then to Belieye in him ; (For
]oh. i7.2.'tis^ ta thofe onelyy that Chrifi doth give eternal life .) And, fo to Relieve in him, as to Obey
sThef.1.8. him ; For, to thofe who obey not the ^offel of his Son, it is , that Chrifi flnll render yengeance in fiamingfire.
Furthermore : If in this Chrift we hope to have Eternal Life ; how fhould this excice our ^joicing 2ndThankfulnefs foi {o great Salvation! Not by Rioting and Drunkennels ; by Re- velling
Vniverfity of Oxford. i^
veiling , and Debauchery ; (which is the Abule, not the Celebration, of this Solemni- ty, in memory of Chrift's Incarnation ;) But by 2l pious Remembrance and Commemora- tion of that Redemption obtained for us : fuch as may be to the Honour ^ not the Reproach, of hira that came to Redeem us from our yain « P^t. i.
2. 13,
(jonyerfation : That^ denying ungodlimfs and worldly Tit. lufts^ wejhould live Godly, ^ghteoufly, md Soberly '^' '** in this prefent World : Looking for that bleffed hope^ and the glorious appearing of the C^reat God, and our SaVtour Jefus Chrtfl ; ti^hogaye himfelffor us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf, a peculiar People, :^alous of good Works »
To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be Glory for evermore.
The End of the Firjt Sermon.
E 2 ASe-
' ad tu
A Second
SERMON
Concerning the
TRINITY:
TO THE
UNIVERSITY of Oxford.
^^pril 26. 169 I.
J OH. xvi;. 5;
oKcvm ere:, @ (uoi/ov dKri&ivov &eoVy >^,
And this is life eternal^ that they might l^on^ thee the onely true Qod^ and Jefus Q^^^fi'> ^homthoH haft fent.
IT is now a great many years fince, in this Place (if not to this Auditory) I did dif* courfe of the(e Words. I fhall repeat very little of that Difcourte: But think fie to add iomewhat to what was then faid. Ottr
»9
^ o A Second Sermon Preached
Our Saviour, in the three Chapters next foregoing (the i^thy i^th^ and i6rkCha- pti^l^ of S* Johns Gofpel) had niade a large Difcourfe to his Difciples (after his Inftitution of the Lord's Supper) the night before he was to Dhy which (in this 17th. Chapter) heclo- (eth with a Prayer, to his Father, in their be- half.
Wherein having made mention of Eternal Life (ver. 1.) which he was togive, to as ma- ny as the Father had given biniy (that is, to as many as fhould effectually Believe in him ;) he fubjoins this Epiphonema, And This is Life E- tenialyihat they might know Thee^the only True ^od ; and^ whom thou hajl fent^ Jefm Chrtjl,
In which words, we have Two things pro- poled to us : The Chriftian's Happinefs; And, The Means whereby it is to be attained.
I. The Qmflians Happinefs, is called Li/e, as to its Excellency : and Eternal, as to its 'Durati- on. Which is Begun here, in the Kingdom of Grace : and is to be TerfeEiedy and for ever Continued^ in that of Glory.
II. The Means to attain it, is the IQtof^ledge of God and Qn'ifl.
Where, by K^owledge^ I do not underftand . a,meer Notional or Speculative Knowledge;
(For
to the Vniverfity of Oxford. 5 1
(For fuch I pre&me the Devils may have in as large a proporn'on as any of us, and yet ne- ver atcain Eterml Life ;) Buc ^a ABive, f radical Knowledge : Such a Knowledge as is attend- ed with F^/^/; and with ^Prda/cg liutable there- unto. As in that of Ifa, jj.ii.i6y his lyww- ledj^e, ("that is, by the Knowledge of Him) (hall mj i tghuoas Servant juftijie many ; Thatis,b)r4i//; in him J attended wuh a iuitable ^raFiice to it.
The O/jjV^ of this Knowledge is declared to be twofold, i . The Knowledge o(God ; and Z' The Knowledge of Chrijl, To knoiv Thee the onelyTrue God; that's one part . Jnd (whom . thou ha/i fent) Jejus ChriH j that's the other.
And each of thefe contains feveral Particu- lars.
The former of them contains at leaft thele Three. 1 . That there is a ^od* 2 . That there is hut One (True) (^od. ^. That the Father of our Lordjefus Chriji^ is this Onely True God, He is that God^ befides which God, there is no other True God. And, thouph ]ef{4 Chrifl be God alfo; yet not another God, but the fame True God. For He and the Father are One. Joh. i o.
jo- in the latter of them (rhe Knowledge of
Chrift) aj:e Three things alio. 1 . His Divi"
nity.
52 -^ Second Sermon Preached
nity. 2. His Humanity. And }. His Media- tory Office. Which are here briefly infinua- ted ; and are elfc where niore fully expreffed.
1 . His Vmnityy in that he is the Son of the Father^ who is the Onely True God: Not by CreatioHy as Jdam and the Jngels are called the Sons of God : nor by Adoption ^ as are the ^ghteousy who truly believe in Chrift: But by Generation, as the Onely 'Begotten of the Father ^ {Joh, 1. 14.) and therefore of the fame Nature with the Father.
2. His Humanity ; implyed in thefe words, Whom Thou haft fent. That is, So fent as to be made of a Woman : (o lent as to be made Fief?, Gal. 4. 4. Joh. I. 14.
J. His Mediatory Office : implyed in the Ti- tle Chrift y added to the Name Jeft^s, {And, whom Thou haft fent, Jefus Chrift.) He vjzsfofent, as to be the Chrift, the Meffias, So lent, as that the World through him might he Saved : So, as that whofoever Believes in him (hould not IPeriJh, but have Everlafting Life, Joh. ^. 16, 17.
Of all which Points I did then Difcourfe more largely; and therefore do now but name them.
But I did then further oblcrve, from the Order of the Words, (to obviate a Cavil of
the
to the Vniverfity 0/ Oxford. 5 5
tlie Socinians^) chat theWord Omly {f^v^v) is here Reftridive, not of {the SuhjeB) Thee; but of (the Tredicate) the True God, Of which 1 in- tend (with God's Afliftance, and your Pati* ence) ro (peak further at this time.
Obje&ion L
The firfl: and great Ol?ie^ion of the 5ocwi* mSy from this place , againft the DlVmity of Chrijl, and the Dodtrine of the Trinity y is this ; If the Father be the onely true God ; then the Sorty or Holy-Ghofl^ is not God^ or not the True God ; but the Father onely.
To which I fliall give Three things in Anfwer.
I. This Argument is a plain Fallacy; which they put upon us, by a willful perverting the Order of the Words. For it is not faid fljee Onely to be the True God, (as if not the Son al« fo, or the Holy-Ghofty were the True Qod, but the Father onely :) But, to iQiow Thee (not Thee onely, or Onely Thee,) to be the Onely true Qod. Nor is it (b in our Englifh Tranflation onely ; but in the Original Greek : ^j"* ><fa?VxW ©«, toV
j^jf/oy aA/)6it'oV ^eov. It is not ^ fJiQvoVj n:iiV, but <7f»
«7Bv ij^vov ccAv^ivoy 3^o>/. Where the Article '^^ coming after <^> and before f^i'^y, doth deter-
F mine
oA A Second Sermon Tre ached
mine the Reftridive mvov, not to be applied CO the SiihjcB <^j but to the Tredicate^ dhvi^ivov ^edy. Juftasj inourEnglifh, the Article T/?e, coming between Thee and Onely , doth con- fine the word Onely , not to Thee (that went before,) but to 'Irtie Gody which follows. To know Thee (not onely Ihee^) the onely true God, That is, to know TI)eeto be that God^ befide "Tt^hich Qjody there is no other true God. Which we readily Acknowledge, and Profels.
And then the Socmians Argument will ap- pear juft in this Form : The God of Abraham is the Onely true ^od j And therefore not the Qod ofjfaacy nor the Cod of Jacob. Yes, (ay I; the God oilfaac is the fame God with the God of Ahraham 5 And therefore theTrue God as he is. , And the God oijacob, likewi(e.
And this one Anfwer doth fully fatisfy the Objection, and there needs no more. Yet I fhall add Two other things (though they might here be (pared) becaufe they may be of ufe el fe where.
2. I fay further : If it had been faid (as it is not) Thee Onely ; yet even this would not exclude any who is the fame with Him. And therefore, not the Son , nor the Holy-Ghojl ; fince they are Om and the fame (^od mth Him. (I
and
to the Vniverjity of Oxford. ^5
and the Father are One^ Joh. 10. jo. Tbefe Three are One J 1 Joh. 5.7.)
To which purpofe, confider we what wc have Jer, 16. 14, 15. and again Jer. 2 j. 7, 8. !Behold the days come, faith the Lord, that it jhall no more he /aid, The Lord liveth that brought up the Children oflfraelout of the land of Egypt ; Sut, The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Ifrael from the land of the TSlorth, or out of the North Country, Now we are told by God him(elf, Exod, 20. 2, ;. I am the Lord thy God , which brought thee out^f the land of Egypt y— Thou /halt have no other Cod but ME, Shall we therefore argue thus 5 The God who brought Ifrael out of Egypt , is the onely true God ; and we mud have no other God hut HI M. Therefore, not him ivho brought Ifrael out of the North^Country ? Yes, fay I, Htm al(b. For the God who brought them out of the North-Country , is the fame God, with him ti^ho brought them out of Egypt , (not another God^ though defigned by another Chara* Eier^) and therefore, in having Htm, we have not another God. So here ; To I\iiow thee onely (if it had been fo faid, as it is not 5) it had implied no more but thus , Not any who is not the fame God with Thee, To Know Thee Onely (and not any other, who is not the fame God with
F 2 Thee)
5 6 A Second Sermon Tre ached
Thee) to be the true God, Which therefore would not exclude the Son nor HolyOhoJly\Mho are the fame God with the Father. But of this Anfwer, there is no need in this place, be» caufe it is not faid Jhee Onely^ or onely Thee,
^. I fay further ; If it had been laid (as it is not) Thee Onely^ (as the Socinians would have it to be underftood 5) 1 would then fay, This were an EJfential Predication, rather than zferfonaL That is, That the Predicate True Godj is affirmed of him in regard of his Ef- fence y rather than of his Terfonalky, As belong* ing to the EJfence, which is common to the Three TerfonSy not as peculiar to the Terfon of the Fathtr. Like as if it were faid, David the iQng of Ifrael, or DaVtd the Father ofSolomony is a ^eafonable Creature , or endued mth ^afon ; this being endued with ^afon, doth not belong to him as l!\jng oflfrael^ nor as Father of Solomon j but, as he is a Man (though denominated by thefe Relations,} and is equivalent to this, T?;e JMan (who is Father oi^ Solomon, and King oflfrael) is endued with ^eafon. So if it be faid, that DaVid IQngof Ifrael., and He onely, was Father of Solomon : it is not intended, that he was fo a^ i\tng of Jfrael (much le(s , in that capacity Onely,) but rather, as the Man who
begot
to the Vniverfty of Oxford. 57
kgot him ; though defigned by chat Chara- cter. So here; God the Creator is the Onely True God: and God the Redeemer likevvife; {Thm faith the Lord thy BeDCtniCt the Holy One oflfrael, the Lord of Hofts, I am the Fir ft and I am the Laft, and beftde ME there is no God^ Jfa, 41. 14. Jfa. 44. 6. applyed to Chrift, ^^v. i. 8, 17. (J^fV. 21. 13, 16.) Shall we therefore argue, That God the KCDCtmCtC is the Onely True God, and bejlde J^tni there is no God^ therefore not God the Qreator ? No, we mufi: not fb ar- gue. For it is not as Redeemer j or as Qreator^ that he is the Onely True God^ but as God. (It may be pr^edicatio j(9^0' ujuovj but not jc^G' oa» Trpw- Tvv.) For he was the Onely True God fron:i all Eternity 'y but it was in lime that he 7nade the Wbrldy and was the ^deetner of Mankind.
And this both the Jrian, and the Socinian^^ muft needs acknowledge as to the place- be- fore us. For when Chrift (aith. To know Thee (Father) the Onely True Cjod; it cannot (accord- ing CO their Principles^ be (aid of him as Fa- ther of our Lord Jefus Chrift^ but as Qod, For if Chrift be onely a Titular God, or a Creature- God, ( as they would have it, ) there was a time, or moment, when he WiPS not, (w ots vk ^v,) and therefore, when God was not his Fa- ther.
4% A Second Sermon Treacbed
ther. But he was the Onely True God from all Etemty; and therefore muft be here fo called, not as Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift^ but as ^od. Not according to his ^erfomlity^ but ac- cording to his Ffjence ; which, we fay, is com- mon to the I hree Terfom : Who are the fame Godj though under different Denominations,
Butthele two latter Anfwers, (though they be True and Solid,) are not neceffary to this place ; becaufe it is not faid Tl^ee Onely, Yet I here name them, becaufe they may be of ufe to anfwer fome like Obje6tion raifed from fome other pkce.
The full import of the words, is this, That the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift^ is that Gody he fide which God^ there is no other True God, Or, There is no other True God, hefide that God, which is the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And this we. do fully agree with, when we fay. That the Son and the Holy-Ghoft, are not another God, but the fame True God with the Father.
ObjeBion II. I
it may perhaps be next Objected, That ^ though this place do not Veny the Son and Holy-Ghoft to be the True God, (meaning thereby, the fame God with the Father : ) Yet neither doth it Troye them (b to be. I an-
to the Vniverjhy of Oxfordi yg
I anfwer. 'Tis true : This place alone, (without the concurrence of others) doth not ^Troye the Trinity, (And it is much if it (liould, where there are but livo mentioned.) Nor is it brought by us to that purpofe. We only Anfwer the Objedions brought againft it by others, from this place : And leave the Proof of it to be fetched from other places in con* currence with this.
1 have obierved elfcwhere {Lett, '^,) that if we fbould read it thus, To know Thee to he the Onely True God; and him alfo whom thou hajlfenty Jejws Chrift, (as implying him alfo to be the fame True God : ) Or thus. To know Tl:ee, and {whom thou hajl fent) Jejm Chrijlj the Only True God The words will well bear it, without any force pur upon them.
Nor is this only a new Notion of my own. For I ( fince) find , ihat S. Aujlin Ind faid the fame long ago, in his Eptjl, {74. (Ipeaking to Tajcentius^ an Jrian, concerning this place) Ve Tatre tantummodo vos "Vultis imellip^ quod aity Ut coguofcant Je unum verum Deum, Cir, quern nnfi- jlij Jefum ChriUum \ Uhi nos fuhaadimu^^ ettam Je- [am Chrijlum Verum Veum • Ut h^c fit fententidy Te, ^y quern mififti^ Jefum Chrijiumy cognojcant unum ytrum Deum, Ne. ilia confequatur ahfurditaSy
a^ MSeconiSertnon Vreachei,,
utj ft propter ea non eji yerus Deus Jcjii4 Chrijlus^ quiaJiBumeJi ^atri^ Te unum verum 'Di^im : prop* terea'mn ftt Dommus Tater^ qtm ditlum efl de Chrijioy Unus 'Domimis, Where he takes the meaning to be this, To) know Thee, and^ whom thou haft fenty 'jeftis Chr'ijl^ the Onely True Qod ; which he backs with this Argument ; Becau(e if we fliould here on this account exclude the Son from being the True God; we might, for the fame reafon, exclude the Father from be- ing the Lordj becaule it is faid (i Cor. 8. 6.) One Lordyjefus Chrift.
Yet even this, though it might prove it, as to the Son, it would not hence conclude it, as to the Holy-Ghoft, But the concurrence of other places, will prove it more clearly as to both. I fliall fhew it of each.
As to the Sonj we have it clearly affirmed, by the (ame S. John^ (who bed underftood the import of his own words)that he is alibffce True §od ; (lb that it was not intended here to ex- clude him.) 1 Job. 5. 20. We are in him that is TruCy even in his Son Jefus Chrift : This is the True God, (And therefore not onely the Father.) And he had before told us (from Chrift's own words) Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are One.
Nor is it hejr« meant of one in Teftimony, as
the
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the Sochiians would have it underltood elle- where , ( there being in the Context here no m-enrioa of iefimony at all : ) But it moil be meanu ol One ycd. And this is manikAfrom the Inference which ih^ Jews made from ic.f or they did thereupon take up ft ones to jlone him, as for (what they call) BLfphemy: 'Bee atife thou ((ay they) bcino^aMun^ make H thy felf God , ver. ^i, ^1,^ \> For which Inference there had been no Pretence, if by One^ they had not underftood One God.
And the High Prieft in like manner, Mattk l6. 6^,64,65. I adjure thee (faith he) by the Living God^ that thou tell us "whether thou be the Chrifl^ the Son of ^od; To which when Chrift had anfwered, i hou haji jaid, ( dicis quod res eft, ) He rent his clothes^ /^J'''l?) ^^ hathfpoken (Blafphemy, What further need haVe we ofwitmffes ? For to lay that he was the thrift, the Son of l^od; or (as it is in Mark 14. 6 1.) The Chrift , the Son d)f the Bleffed; was underftood by them to be the fame, as to call himlelf (^od. Which had been Blafphemy, had it not been True,
And what is laid of Chrft, Jo^. 10. ^o. 7 and the Father are One , is laid of all Three^ by the lame St. 'john^ ( 1 Joh. 5.7.) Ihe Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghojl ; thefe Three are One.
G ObjeBi-
A2 A Second Sermon Preached
ObjeBion III.
It is Objcifted, that thefe words, laft cited, are (aid to have been wanting in fome Tranfla- tions, or (bme ancient Copies.
An[w, Be it fo. And fo are fome whole E- . piftles wanting in fome Tranflations. And confiderable parts of fome other Chapters. But we are not therefore to caft them away as not Genuine. The lU. and HU. Epiftles ofSt. /o/;«, and that oijude^ are faid to have been wanting in the Syriack and Jrabick Tranflations ; And the Story of the Woman taken in Adultery^ Joh, 8. wanting in the Gothick Gofpels : And part of the laft Chapter of St. S¥,arKs Gofpel, is faid to be wanting in (bme Books : And the Doxo- logy in the cloie of the Lord's Prayer : And the like in divers others. But we muft not thence conclude them not to be Genuine, and put them out of our Bibles, becaufe they have chanced to be omitted in fome Books.
And it is fo far from being ftrange, that fuch OmifTions fhould iometimes happen; that it is very ftrange (if there were not a great Providence of God to preferve the Scri- ptures pure and entire) that there fliould be no more fuch miftakes than what are found. For
(before m
. to the Vniverfity (?jf Oxford. 45
(before the convenience of Printing was found out) when Copies were to be fingly tranfcri- bed one from another, and even thofe but in a few hands : 'Twas very poffible, (and hard=' ly avoidable J even for a diligent Trankriber, fomecime to skip a line. Efpecially, (which is ^ the cafe here) when Tome of the lame words do again recur after a line or two ; Men are very fubjeft, both in Writing and Printing, (as thofe well know who are verfed in either,) to leap from one word) to the lame recurring foon after. Nor is luch Omiffion (when it happens) readily diicerned, if (as here) the fenfe be not manifeflly diflurbed by it.
Now when fuch variety of Copies happens (that words be found in fbme, which are wanting in others,) this muft either happen by a Caftial mistake, (without any defign of Fraud ) or by a willful Falilfication ; as to lerve a particular ,rurn ; ('which I take to be the cafe ol the Papifts, Indices Expiirgatorii.)
A-r^.d, as to the words in queftion ; If the difference of Copies happened at firft by a Cafual miftake, (as 1 am apt to think,) 'tis very eafy for a Tranfcriber (unawares) to fe^^e out a Line which was in his Copy (fetpeoially where fucb omiffion doth not ma-
G z nifeftly
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nifeftly difturb the fenfe ;) but not to put in a Hoe which was not there. And, in fuch cafe, the Fuller Copy is likelyeft to be True, and the Omiffion to be a Fault. Which happen- ing (as it feems it did) fome hundreds of years ago, in fome one Copy ; it might eafily pals (unobferved) into many others tranlcribed thence (and fo to others derived from thofe Tranfcripts.) But an Infertion (ot what was not in their Copy) muft needs be willful, and not cafual.
On the other fide ; If this variety of Co* pies were at hrft from a ipillful Falfijicatm ; Ic is much more likely to be a willful Omiffion of the Jrians, in fome of their Cop es , (which might be done filently, and unobferved ;) than by a willful Injertion of the Orthodox.
For the Infertion of fuch a claufe, if wholly New , and which had never before been Heard of; would have. been prefently dete- cted by the Avians , as foon as ever it (hould be urged againfl them.
Nor was any advantage to be made of it by the Orthodox, fince the DiVmity of Chrijl (which was the Point then in quellion) might be as ftrongly urged irom that in St. Johns Gofpel, I and the Father are One, as from this
in
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in his Epiftle, Theje Three are One. And there- fore it is not likely chac the Orthodo'^ iliould willfully make any inch Falfification, from whence they could promifethemfelves no ad- vantage. Nor do 1 find, it was ever charged upon them by the ancient Jrians in thole days: chough Athanafiiis and others urged it againft them. And in very ancient Copies, in which it had been left out, it is found fupplied in the Margin, as having been faultily omitted.
And it is the more likely to be GenuJne,be- caufe in this claule {The Father^ the Word. ^ and the Holy-(^hojl) the jecond Terfon is called Jim- flicker^ 0 AoV©-, the Word'^ which is St. '^ohns Language, both here, and m his Gofpelj/ofc. 1. And is (I think) peculiar to him; and not fo ufed by any other of the Holy Writers of the New Teftament.
I do not deny but that this fecondTerfon may be called the Word of God, in Heb, 1 i. |. By Faith tl^e under jland that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God. And i Pet. j. ^,7 'By the Word of God were the HeaVens of old, and the Earth, Sec. and by the fame Word they are kept tnjiore. As he is by the lame St. John, Rev. 19. 1 ^. His name is called, the Word of God. But to call him the Word abfolutely (without other addition) I
think
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think is peculiar to St, Jolm. And therefore much more likely in this place, to have pro- ceeded from the fame Ten , and no: to have been inferted by an Interpolater feme hun- dreds of years after. And that claufe Thefe Three are One^ in the Epiftle, agreeing fo well with 1 and the Father are one in the Gofpel, is a further confirmation of their being both from the fame Pen.
Add to this, That the Antithefts v^/hich we find in the 7t/;and ^thVerfes^ is fo very lSia= tural J that it is a great Prefumption to be Ge- nuine, there are Three that hear record in Hea- yen. The Father^ the Word ^ and the Holy Ghojlj and thefe Three are hie : And there are Three that hear ivitncfs m Earthy The Spirit^ and the Water , and the Bloody and theje Three agree in One, Which asitflands, is very. Natural j but the latter clauie would feem lame without the former ; and the words in Earth v\^holly redundant in the latter, if not by Antithefts to anfwer to the words in Heaven^ ?n the former Ver(e.
And that it Wc^s anciently fo read, appears from Sx. Cyprian^ by wliom it is twice cited (in his Book De VUutate EcclefiiCy and in his Epijlle ad Juh ai anupt) befoxQ ihQ Arian Controverfy was on (ooc.
In
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In the former place,(arguing for theChurch's Unity ^ noc to be broken by Schljms) he Ipeaks thus. Diclt J)o77mm^ Ego <l^ Tater unumfumus. Bt iterum de ^atre <jr Filio <sr Spiritu SanHo^ jcri- ptu?n eft , Et hi tres ummfunt, Et quijquam credit banc Unitatem de diVina Jinnitate yenientemj facra- mentii coikjlibm coh^reniem^ fclndi in Ecclejla pojfe ^ That is , Our Lord faiths I and the Father are One : And again , of the Father ^ Son and Holy Ghojtj It is Written^ Thefe Three are One, j4nd ipho can believe^ that this Unity of the Chuychj proceeding from this Firm Union in ^od^ and united hy the Heavenly Sacraments^ can he fe- parated in the Church ? Where he argues for the Unity of the Church (not to be divided by Schifm) by two Arguments from this place. One from ihe finn Unity of God j noted in yer. 7. The Father^ Sony and Holy ^hoft are One ; from whom this Church proceeds, (tie diVma firmi- tate Venientem.) The other, from their being United by the (ame Sacraments [jacramentis ccc" leflihius coh(&rentem) which relates to Ver, 8. The Spirity the Water, and the &oud agree in One, Which double Argument, from the two \ erles, fliew that, then^ they were both read.
And, as to the former of them (w^hich is that in queftion) He cites it again, in his
Epifiok
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Epijtola adjubaianum ; where, difpuiing again ft iBaptiJm by Hentkks^ he thus argues j Si bapth \ :^dn quis nfud H^reticos potuit ; jit'tque i^ nmtf- jam peccatorum conjequi pot ait. Si peccatorum rtmif- fam confecutiui eji j <jr janFuficatm cjly ^ tLm[^ium Dei faElits eft. Oii^ro^ Cujm Vei ! Si Lreatorts ; mn potuit^ qui in eum non credidit* Si Chrijli \ nee hujus potuit fieri tenipluniy qui negat Deum Chrijlum. Si Spiritus SanRi ; [cum tres Unum fine, i quo- modo Spiritm SanFtm placatm ejje ei poteft^ qui aut ^atris aut Filii inimicus eft ^ That is; If by Heretivks one could be baptized ; then he might obtain remiflion of fins : if he obtain remiflion of fins j then is he landlified, and become the Temple of God. I ask then, of What God ? Of the Creator ? that he cannot be , who did not in Him beheve. Of Chrifi ? Neither can he be His Temple, who denies Chrift to be God. Of the Holy Ghojl ? No. For, feeing tbefe Tbree are Om , How can the Holy Ghoft be at Peace with him who is at Enmity with either the Father or the Son ?
'Tis manifeft therefore that, Thefe Tbree are One. was thus read in Cyprians time ; as being by him ti^Mce cited , before the Arian Contro- verfie w.>s on foot.
And (before him) it is cited by TertuUiariy in
his
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his Book aiverfus Traxeam^ cap. 25. Connexus Tatris in Filio^ ^^ Fil'u in Taradeto^ tres efjkit co- h^rentes^ alurmi ex altero : qui Tres Unum iiint, {non Unus : } quomodo diElum ejl, £go Sc Pacer Unum fnmus ; ad juhjiantiie Unitatem^ non ad TSiumeri Singular it atem^ \)!' here he doch not only cite the place, but do:h Iikewiie Pa- rallel and Compare, Ihefe Three are One, (in this place) with I and the Father are One, (m the other place) as being of a like import. That is , The Connexion of the Father with the Son, and of the Son with the Paraclete or Holy Ghofl:, makes thefe coherent one with the other : Which Jhree are 0 NE, ( Unum not Unus, One Ihin^ , not One Terjon ; ) like as it is laid, I and the Father are One, (one Thing) as to the Unity of Subflance, though not as to Sin- gularity of Number, They are One ^eing, One Subftance, though other wile they may be Three.
'Tis therefore no New Interpolation; but was anciently fo read by Cyprian and Tertullian (the two moft ancient of the Latin Fathers) long before the Arian Controverfie was on foot. And hath been urged by others after- ward, againfl: the Anans.
Nor is there any prejudice (that I know of) againft its being fo read as now we read
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it, fave that fome of the Fathers (it is faid) have omitted to Urge it againft the Arians^ when there hath been occafion of io doing.
But this (befide that it is onely a Negative Argument, and I know not how well ground- ed) might very well happen, if it chanced to be wanting in that particular Copy which fuch Father ufed. (For we are not to fuppole they had then fuch plenty of Bibles as are now in our hands ; but fome one Manufcfipt Copy was to (erve many.) And becaufe that in St. Johris Gofpel, I and the Father are One , did fit their purpofe as well,or rather better, than this in his Epiftle, Thefe Three are One. For the Con- troverfie, then on foot, was not fo much thac of the Trinity^ as that of the DiVmity of Chriji.
To return, therefore, to the place which is before us \ From what hath been (aid, it is manifeft enough, that St. John^ in calling the Father, the Onely True GoJ^ did not intend to exclude the Son^ from being the fame True God ^ whom himfelf dgth elfewhere call the True Go^plfo, ? Joh, 5. 20.
No more (I fay) than what is faid, by name, o(God the ^deemtr (Ifa. 44. 6, 8.) is to be thought exclufive of God the Creator ^ or God the Father 5 Thus faith the Lord, the <I{E T> EEU-
E(^,
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£5^, the Lord of HgJIsj I am tbefif}^ audi am the lajly and kfde :M E there is no (Jod. ■ Which is applied to Chrift in parcicukr,(^ev. ii. %xi(-^ 1.6. But is not cxclufiveot the Father; be** caule God the Creator (or God the Father) is the fame Qod with God the ^deemer, and there- fore not another ^od hefide hinu And therefore • both of thim (or rather, the fame God under both Confiderations) indifferently called (elpeci- ally in the Old Teftament) God indefinitely, the Lord of Hofts^ the Holy One of Ifrael,
Nor is that which is faid of Chrift, i Tim. 6. S4, -5, 16. Our Lord Jefm Chrift, ivho Onely- hath Immortality , intended to exclude the Fa- ther; as if the Father were not alfo Immortal^ or were not ("what is there laid of Chrili) the blejfed and onely Potentate , the Kjng of kings ^ and the Lord of lords. But only, that our Lord Jsfu^- Chrifly is that God^ which (God) is the hleffedand onely Potentate J thel!\ing of kings, and Lord of lords y and who only hath Immortality.
And (as was before noted by S. Auflhi.) The Fctther is not excluded from being Lord, not- withftandir.o chat of i Cor. 8. 6. Ions there is but One God , t\y father ; and One Lord Jefus Chrift': or that of Eph, /^, 5, 6. One Lord, me Faith, One Baptifn, oiie God and Father of alL For g/^ -Hi the
52 -^ Second Sermon Preached
the Father, and the Son, are the fan[\e God, the fame Lord. The fame of whom it is faid, J/i. 45. 5. I am the Lord and there is none elfe^ there is no^od heftde me. And again, "Ver. 6. / am the Lord and there Is none elfe. Where note, that the Word Father ^ in that phraie, Qod and Father of All, is different from the fenie of it, in the Father of our Lord Jefii^ Chrijl : that relating to the common Nature ; this to the Perfbn.
And as in thele places, what is faid of the Sow, (that he onely hath Immortality^ that he is the onely Potent ate, that he is the One Lord^ that be^' fide him, the Redeemer, there is no God,) are not to be underflood exclufive of the Father ; Co what is here faid of the Father, (that he is the Onely True (jod) is not to be underflood exclu-- five of the Son ; who is not another^ but the. fame True God.
I thought here to have inferted (as in a pro* per place) a Difcourfe of fome other Points^ relanng to the Trinity 5 which I find it necei^ ftry here to omit (or to defer it to fome other occafion) that I be not prevented by the time in what I have to fay further.
That there is a God the Creator, a God the Redeemer, and a God the z' anBifier , and chat thefe art the fame Gody I think cannot reafon«» ably be Denied, I fhaU (hew it of eacL As
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As to God the Creator ^ we are told, Gen\ s . i • In the beginning God Qreated the Heaven and the Earth. (And, to the fame purpofe, in many other places. ) And, 1 think, there is none doubts, but that this Creator-^ is the True Gody t\\Q Supreme G06* And in Jer. 10. \i, God doth by this Character diftinguidi himfclffrom all other (pretended) Gods, I he Gods that have not made the Hea'vens and the Earth , they jhall pe- rijl'jfrom the Earthy and from under thefe Heavens.
As to God the ^deemer ; I know that my (?^e- deemerliveth^ hith Job, C/;. 19.25. By which ^edeetner doubdeft he meant the Living God, a God who did then Live 5 a God who was, then, in Being, and not (as the Socinians would have us think) who was not to Be , rill Two Thoufand years after. And j^^. 44. 6. Ihus faith the Lord the Redeemer, the Lord of Hofls^ I am the firfi and I am the lafl, and be fide Me there is no God. Which ^^deemer, muft needs be the (ame God, with God theCreator^ the Lord of Hojis.
As to God the SanBtfier ; Twge me with hyf- fop (faith David) and J fhall be dean ; loaf:} me, and I f?all be whiter thanjnow : Create in me a clean heart, 0 Cod ; and renew a right fpirit within me, (ffaL 5 I. 7, 10.) Which certainly are works of SanBification ; and the God^ to whom Vavid
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prayed, is doubdeis che Livirgijod, a God u\^r\ ':n Bpw^, And v\hen God promifech lo Jjf , mil ghe ihtm a heart to know me'^ and tbay jhall return unto me iviih their llhole hearty Jer. 24. 7. I willgiye them one, hearty and one yi^ay^ that they may fear me far ever ; 1 tvill put my fear in their hearts J that they fhaii not depart from me ^ Jer. ^r. ^9,40. I tvillgiie than one hearty and put a new fpirit within them; I mil take away the heart of jlone mdgiye them a heart of flejhy Ezek. 11. 19. and jd. 26. I will put my Law in their inward parts^ and write it in their hearts^ Jer. \\. ^3. 2he Lord thy (Jod ipHI circumaje thine hearty and the heart of thy feed, to /ove the Lord thy (jod with allthme hearty and with all thy Joul^ that thou mayfl hye.. DtLit ^ J, 6. AVi chefeare/^M^i/)m^ works 5 and that Cod who doth tUttn^ is Qod the San- Bijier And it is che lame God, who doth thus Sanclifie^ chat is the Creator and che Redeemer.
ilo'v this God the Creator.^ God che Redeem- er y^nd God the SanFlifiery I take to be the (a me w.ih what we otherwiie call, God the Father ^ God i.he Son^ and God the Holy Ghojl^ An4 our Chu'ch doth foe'jspound it in her Cate- chi^n 5 tirfl, 1 learn to believe in God the Father y who hith Made me and al! the World: SecorJlyy In Gedthe Son, who hath ^deemed me and all Man- ^ " kind :
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Ktnd : Thirdly^ Jn God the Holy Ghoif^ who San- Hijieth me and all the Eietl people of Uvd, And ic is no more ablurd or inconfiftenr, ro (ay, that God the Father^ God the Son^ and God the Holy Ghojl^ are the fame God -^ than to (ay, thdt God the Creator^ (^od the 'Redeemer ^ and^God the Sancli- fier^ are the Jame God.
As they (land related to us, they are cal- led God the Creator J God the ^cdcermr^ and God the SanFiifier. As to the different Oeco- nomy, amongft themfelves, one is called Ahq Father^ who is faid to Beget ; another the 60//, who is (aid to be Begotten -, a thrd, the Holy- Qhojl^ who is (aid to Troceed or Come forth ; But are all the fame God.
ObjeBion IV.
But then here I nneet with another Obje- ftion, on which the Soctnians lay great weight. If Qod the Creator, God the ^deemer, and God the SanBifier ^ or God the Father. God the Son, and God the Holy-Ghoft^ be the fame God, they can» not then be Three 'Perfons : And if they be Thiee Terjons, they muft be ^hrce Gods, For like as Three Terjons. amongfl M.i, doth fignifie Ihree Men ; (o Three Terjons^ who are God, mufl: be Three Gods. Contrary to the Firft Commandment^ which allows us to have hut One God. To
^6 A Second Sermon Preached
To w'hich I anlwer ; Fiyji, This is only to cavil at a Wordj when they have nothing of niomerit againft the Ihhig. So that if inftead of faying i hefe 1 hree ^erfons are One God, we (ay, Theje Three are One God, or give them ano- ther Name inftead of Terfojis, or (ay thefe Three Someivhats, without giving them a Name, this Objedlion is at an end.
z. I lay further; 'Tis very true, that, in our Engliff) Tongue^ by another ^erfon, we fome- t'lmes underftand another Man^ ( becaufe that other ^erfon is, very often, another Man alfo.) But it is not always (o -, nor is that the proper Signification of the Word ; but an Abufive fen(e put upon it.
And the reafon of ufing the word Terfon in this abufive or improper (enfe; is, for want . of an Englifh word to anfwer the Latin word HomOy or the (^reek aVOpwTr©-^ which might in- differently relate to both Sexes.
for the word Man doth properly relate to the Maky and Woman to the Female. And if the word Man be fometimes (o uled as to imply the Woman 2\io J it is (by a Synecdoche) putting the Kame of One Sex, to fignifie Both. And 'tis for want of fuch a Word (which might in- differently relate to both Sexes) that we fome-
time
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rime make o(e oi •^erfon in a borrowed fenfe, Tocher than to u(e a Circtmlocution of \fan and Womnriy hy naming both Sexes. '^ And 'if we fhould ule fuch Circumlocution of cMcin and Woman ; yet even this would not reach the whole Species, For we do not u(e to call them Man z,ndWoman^ till they be of a conliderable Age; before which time they are call'ed Children ; and therefore to compre- hend the whole Spades, we lay, Mm, Woman, and Child.
^- We do indeed, (ometimes, to rh^it purpole, make uftofthe word A/^wfcwJ, (adding the word kind to that of Man, to Ampliate the Signifi- cation of it.) But this relates only to Gentis Hunmnnm in a Co/Zc^Jve (enle ; ' r^ot to Homines t;$ken Diftrihut'mly. For we do not lay a Man- "kvkl. two Mankmdsy:4^CY-SLSv^e fay Hojwo, Hpp mines, '^•Jhl,v.;■ v. •-!: ?'
'We are fain, therefore , for want of a pro- per Englijh word, to make «ule of ^Perjon in a borrowed fenle to anfwer the L^cin Homo. '■■ But the Ancient Fathers, who firft applied the word i^erfona to the Sacred Trinity, did not jpeak Englifli, And therefore we cannot, from "Ate prelerrt: ule of the word Merlon in vour Lan- guage,'^'conclude in what fenfe they uled the vjovdferfona, I ^. Again;
^$ A Second Sermon Preachei-
fCU^l 'Again ; the Schoolmen in later Ages> have yet put another feafe on the word Terfor ?w, pecuhar to themfelves ; extending it ia: differently to Men and Jngels ; ( for want of a proper word of that Extent 5 ) (b as to fignifie (with them) what they call Suppojttum ^atio- fiale^ or what we call d ^eajonahkCeaiure, (And, . in imitation of theni, fome others have fincg lo irfed it. ) But this is a NevV feale^ of later Ages, fince the time of thole Fathers, (qor ,do the Schoolmen, in this fenfe, withouc.a J\^^f^-: fhr^ ^Pply it t^ ^^^ Sacred Trinity.) We can- not therefore conclude from hence, What was the Fathers fcnle of it. • ]q ^^fj ^
4. To find out therefore the true lenieof the word ¥ erfon 2is applied to the Trinity ; we are not fo much to confider, what now-a-days the word doth fometime fignifie wich us in Bi* glifh; nor what fenfe the Schoolmen have put upon it fince the time of thoie Fathers : As, what was the true fenfe of the word ferfonay at or before their times, in approved Latin Authours. W hich is quite another thing from either of thefe fenies.
For what in En^liJJ? we fometimes mean by Three ^erfons (taken indifferently for Men^ Wo- menj and (^hddren, ) the Lati?yi would not have
called
to the ZJnwsrfity 0/ Oxford 59
called trex Per/ow^jbut tresffom'mes : Though,if confidered in luck Relations, as Father ^ Mother^ and Childy chey might (6 be called trcs 'Perfon^e.
Nor do I find that in approved Latin Au- thours, the word Terfona was wont to be attri» buted by them (asbytheSchoolmen it hath iince been) to Angdsy nor to their ^enii^ or Heathen Gods, .
But, 5. It did fignifie the StatCy Quality^ or Gndition of a M^n, as he /lands plated to other Men. ( And lo I find the Latin wor4 Terfotia EnglilTied in our Didionaries.) Suppofe, as, a iQf^ , a SuhjeEi , a Father , a Son , a Ndgh* hour, a Tublick or Trivate fPerfon^ 2l ^ erf on of fjonour^ and the Hke. And lo, as the Condition varied, the Terfon varied alfo, though the lame }^an remained. As if an ordinary Terfon, be firft made a Knight ^ and then a Lord^ the '?t?r* /o?2 or Condition \s varied, but he is ftill the fame Man that he was before. And he that is this Year, a Lord J^/UyoYy may be, nQxt Year, bu^^ an Alderman y or not (o much.
Hence are thofe Latin Phrales^ frequent in approved Authours j Terfonam imjiomre (to put a^Man into an Office^ or confer a. Dignity upon him ; ) Induere perfonaniii^O' take upon him the Qi^t ; ') Suflinm ]per^mm {tq Bparra n Qff^e> .MiWi^rj?"?. 1 ^(ii^(fa cfc.i^i* ilufff
U*-' .1.
6o A Second Sermon Preached
or Execute an office ; ) Deponere perfonam (to. Refign the Office, or lay it down ; ) fo, Jgere perjonam ( to Adt a Perfon , ) and many the
like.
So that there is nothing of QntradiSiion^ no-.
thing of hconfiflence^ nothing Ahjurd ox Srvangt*
m it, for t\\tfame Man lofultain dmrs hrjons^i
(either rucceiiively> or at the fame lime ; ) otv
dmrs Terfcns to meet in the fame Man ; accord '^
ing to the true and proper Notion of the word
Terfon. A Man may, at the fame tiftpiey fuftaM
the Perfon of a ^ing^ and of a Pdthery if in*
vefted* with -^gal and ^ate-i'nd Autliority^-
(iandth^le' Authorities may be Suhrdinate one
to another;) and he may accordiftgly AS:
fometime as a Kjng, and fomecime as a Fa-
thdr. ' Thus Tully, ( who well under Rood the
Propriety of Latin words) Suflineo Unm tres
^erfoncvs ; meam^ jdverfarii^ Judicis^ (I being One
and the fame Man, fuftain Three Perfons ;
That of my Own, that of my Adveriary, and
that of the Judge. ) And DaVtd was, at the
fame time, Son of jejfe^ Father of Solomon^ and
KJng of IfrneL 'l-^ufvb^Oiqn
•^^' And this takes away the very Foundation of
their Objection ; Which proceeds upoa this
Miftake, as if Three Terfom (in a proper ienfe)
. muft needs imply Three Men. 6, Now
to the Vniverfty of Oxford. 6 1
1: ii, NoWiifT/;rff ferfons (in the proper lenfe of, the word Perfon) may be One Man', whac hinders but that Three 'Divine ^erfons (in a lenfe Metaphorical) may be One God ? What hinders but that the farm God, confidered as the Maker and Sovereign of all the World, may be God the Creator^ or God the Father ; and the fame God confidered.. as to his fpecial Care of Mankind, as the Ruthour of our Redempti- on, be God the Redeemer ^ or God the Son; and the fame God, as working effectually on the Hearts of his Eled:, be God the SanHtfier^ or God the Holy<^hoJl ?
And what hinders but that the fame God^ di- ftinguirtied according to thefe three Confiderati- ons^ may fitly be (aid to be Three Terfons ? Or (if the word T.erfon do not pleafe) Three Some- 'ft>hats that are but One God f
And this feems to me a Full and Clear So* lutibn vof that Objection, which they would haA'eto'be thought Infuperable.
Obje&ion V, It may perhaps be Objefl-ed further, Why tnraft we needs make ule of the word Perfon ; and call them Three ^erfom^ if Three Some- what s Will ferve as well ? 3; Ian-
5 2 -^ Second Sermon Preached
I anfwer, Firjly We have no fuch need of the word Terfon , but that we can Ipare it. ^yfojiajh will Icrve our turn as well. And if they think, the Latin word ferfoiu^ be not a good Ttanflation of the Greek Hypoftafis-^ Let them retain the Greek word. (We mean the fame by both. ) And then perhaps they will find themfelves at a loG, to fallen fome of their Objections upon the word Hypoftafsj which they would faften upon Terfona,
2. But, Secondly., if the T/;m^ be thus far agreed, That thefe Three Somtwhats (thus con- fidered) may be One ^od: I lee not why they fhould contend with us about the NameiPerfon. For this is only to quarrel about a Word, or Namej when the Notion is agreed.
J. If it were admitted (which I fee no rea- fon for) that the word Terfon doth not fitly exprefs that Notion which it is intended to de- fign ; the mod that can be inferred from it, is but, That we have not given it fo fit a Name : And) to cavil at that, when the Notion in- tended by it isunderftood; were juftas if one 'fliould argue, There never was fuch a Man, as whom they called Tope 'Piu^-, becaufe the JPHan, who was (b called, was not 2iTiom Man.
4. But
te the Vniverfity of Oxford. 63
4. Bu: I fee noc why the word Terfon fliould noc be choughc a very fie word for this purpoie. • ^
y For Two of the(e Three are reprefented to \us ill Scriocui'e under the Names of Father and Son ; and this Son as 'Begotten of the Father ; (and thc^GfijTt ckfe Names are noc to be quar- relled, with : ) Bir ail this in a Metaphorical fcnfe J (For no M^n can fuppofe, that this Fa^ ther doth lo Beget .this Son. as thele words do properly fignifie amongft Men).
Now the Relations of Father and Son, in a proper fenle, are luch as are properly denoted by the word Verfona^ in its proper Accepta- tion.
And confcquently the Father and Son , in a Metaphorical fenle, may (by a Continuation of the fame Metaphor) be fitly called ¥erfo7is, in that Metaphorical lenle. And in what lenfe they be Father and Son, in a like lenfe they 'h^'Verfons^ according to the Propriety of the Latin word ^erfona. For fuch ^latives the Latins called VerfonM.
And it the Father and Son rc\^y fitly be fo called ; no doubt but the Holy Ghojl may be fo called alfo, as One Proceeding or Coming forth (oH7n.j>€uof^;(^) from them. As in ^0/7.14. z6.
64
A Second Sermon P reached .
77;e Comjorter^ which is the Holy §hoJl, whom the Father wll jend in My namey, he Mil teach you all things. And Joh, J 5. 16. The Comforter,^ whom I will fend you from the Father ^ even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Fathr^ Hefliall teftijie of ^yle. Where it is manifeft, thatj in what fenie the Father ^nd ion are to be repu^ ted ^erjonsy the Comforter ox Holy Ohoji, is, in the lame Jfen(e, fo to be reputed.
So that (I think) 1 have clearly V'-ndicated, not; only the Notion^ That thelc Three Some- whats may be One God^ But the Name aUo, That thefe S(7W2ef^/M^ may fitly be csWtd-^Berjons, i'..
Obje&ion VI.
I fliaU name but one Objedion more, which when I have fatisfied, I fliall conclude for this time.
That 6tk Objedion (ind 'tis but a weak one) is this. ; The Trinitarians do not all agree, but differ among themfelvesan expreffing their Kctions in this Matter. . «
Very well. And do not tht' Jntitrinitarians differ much more ? Doth not the Aian and the Socinian (j.ffer as much from one another, as ei- ther of them do from us 5 (and deciare that th^y fo do ? ) And do not the Jrians among them-
feives,
to the Vniverfity of Oxford. 6 K
(elves, and the Socinians amongft themfelves differ more than do the Innitarians f Certain- ly they do.
It muft be confeffed, that different Men, as well in the lame as in different Ages, have very differently expreffed themfelves, accor- ding to their different Sentiments of Terfo- nality ; and of the particular DiftinBions of the three Perfbns among themlelves.
But (b it is in all the mod obvious things in the world. As, in TmCy ^lace^ Spacey Motioriy and the like. We are all ape to think, that we all know well enough, what we mean by thofe Words, till we be asked. But if we be put to it, to exprels our fclves concerning any of them , Wl>at it is^ whether a Things or Nothingy or not aTh'mgy or fometiphat of a Thing , and "^hut that fome- n>hat is ; it would be long enough before we fliould all agree to exprels our (elves juft in the (ame manner; and, fo clearly ^ as that no man who hath a mind to cavil, could find occafion (b to do. I might fay the like of Heat and CoU; o{ Light y Sights and Colour; of Smellsy and Taflsy and the different Sorts of them.
K Can
66 A Second Sermon^ &c.
Can we never be (aid to agree in this, That the Fire doth !Burn and Conjume the Wood ; till we be all agreed what is the Figure of thofe Fiery Atoms (^.nd what their Motion^ and from what hnpulfe ) which enter the ^Pores of the Wood^ and fef orate its partSy and convert fbme of them to Smoak, iome to Flames and iome to AJhes i and which to which ; and ia whatjjWflWr ner all this is done ? , ^' ^ ■ .*:
What a folly then is it to require that, in the things of God, we (hould all /& a? gree as to expreft our ^thoughts jujt it^ th fame manner 'j as is diot poflible to do in the moft obvious things we meet with ?
And, in fuch a cafe as whecein.co expxefi our Notions, we have no Words but ,ifir gurativey it is not to be thought ftrange, that one man fhould make ufe of one Metar phor , and another of another^ according as their feveral Fanfies lerve.
Bur thus far, 1 think, the Orthodox are all agreed ; That between thefe Three^ which the Scripture calls Ihe Father^ the Son^ and the Holy Ghojl^ or the Father, the Wordy and the Spirit^ there is- a DiftmBion., greater than that of {what we call) the DiVme Jttributei; hut not (b as to be Three Gods, And this Di-
(linftion.
to th^ Vniverfity of Oxford 6j
ftindion, they have thought fit to denote by the Word Hypoftafsy or 9erfon.
They are alfo all agreed ; that one of thefe Perfbns ( namely the Son or the Word ) was Incarnate^ ox Made fie [hj and did take to him- lelf our Humane J>laturei\': , -^ *j^j
But as to the particular A/od(?rjOr Manner Hoi^ j either how thefe two Natures are United^ or how thele three Terfons are Vijlinguijhed each from other : we may be content to be Ig- noranty farther than God hath been pleafcd to Reveal to us.
We know that our Immortal Soul is join« ed with an Humane Sody^ fo as to make One Man ( without ceafing, that to be a Spi^ rity and this to be a 'Body :) But 'tis hard for us to fay Ho'M^. And accordingly we fay, that the Man Chrijl Jefus^ ( without cea- fing to be Man,) and God manifejled in th Flefh, ( without ceafing to be God, ) are One Chrijl : But what kind of Union this is, which we cMHypofiatical, we do not through- ly underftand. We know alfo that the Fa^ ther is faid to Se^et^ the Son to be Begotten^ the Holy Ghoft to Proceed : But neither do we fully underftand the import of thefe Words ; nor is it needful that we fhould.
K 2 But
58 ^ Second Sermon^ &c.
But, fo far as was faid before, we do all agrees and we may fafely reft there.
tlm to God the Father y God the Son, atid God the Boly Ghojt ; three ferfonSy but Om God'y he Honour^ and Gldry^ and ^rdfe, now and for ever.
The End of the Second Sermon.
A
rnin -v
^9
A Third
SERMON
Concerning the
TRINITY.
J o H. xvi;. 3.
en aey (g) ^wvov ^Kridivov Qeov^ x^^ ov ct-
And this is life eternal ^ that they might hfiort? thee the onely true Qod^ andjefus ^ (^hriji^ mhomthouhafi fent.
I Have , in a former Difcourfe from this Verfe, enter- ed upon the Doftrine of the Trinity ; not fo much;, as being contained in it, as occafioned by it. • I have fhewed that the word Ot^dy ii here reftri£l:ive, not of the Subjeft Thte^ but of the Predicate True God, Affirming fhe Father to be /^e 0;^(^/v T;^«e Go^, though not the Father Onely. Nor is it exclufive of the Sofi, who is alio the fame Tr/ze God; and is foexprefl} called, by this fame Writer, i Joh, 5. 20. where (Tpeakjng of j^f-
Jus
«^ A Third Sermon
fm Chip) he fays. Tins is the True God , and Eterml Life \ as if it were Ipokea with a direQ afpeO; to the words before us.
Now that Chnfi; is often called God^ neither the Ari- rf;;j nor the Socinims do deny. And it is fo frequent, and ^o evident, as not to be denycd. Not only in the place lafl: cited, but in many others. Thy throm^ 0 God endureth for ever^ Heb. i. 8. The Word mu with God, and the Word was God, Joh. i. i- My Lord and my God. Joh. 20. 28. The Being over all^ God bkjfed for ever, Amen, ('Or, the Spireme Being, the ever bleffed God, Rom. 9. 5.) And elfewhere.
OfyBion Vli.
But to this they Objed, That though he be fbmetime called God ; yet by God is not there meant the Supreme God : But either a mere Titular God, as the Socinians will have it ; (as one of the Xsyi^oi ©go) , i Cor, 8. 5. one who is called God^ but indeed is not , but a mere Man ' however highly dignified.) Or ('as the Arians will have It) that he is God indeed , but not the Supreme God, not die fame God with the Father, but an Inferiour God, (fieus fa5fus) dt. made-God, 2i Creature-God '-^ who was in- deed before the World, but not from Eternity, Zv on vk riv, there was (a. Time, a Moment, a Quando') when he was not, when he had not a Being.
In Anfv/er to both which^ I fhall endeavour to Oiew, (by the molt fignal Chara^ers, whereby the Supreme God, the Onely true God , is let forth to us in Scripture : and by which he is therein Diftinguilbed froai all falfe Gods, or other pretended Gods ; ) that Ch rift is the True God, the Supreme God, thQ fame God with the Father, and not another God.
CHA*
concerning the Trinity. 71
CHARACTER I.
The firft Charatler, which we meet with, of this God, is that oi Gen. i. i. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, Wliich I tlunk no man doubts but tc be meant of the True God, the Supreme God. An^X by virtue of this, he claims the Sovereignty thereof j The Earth is the Lord^s, and the fnlnefs thereof' y Pfal. 24. i. Je- hovah, the Lord of all the Earth, Jofb. ^. ii, 15, The God of the Heaven, and the God of the Earthy Geo. 24. ^. The Heaven is my Throne, and the Earth is my Footftool, Ifa. 66, I., Behold the Heaven^ and the Heaven of Hea- vens ^ is the Lord'^s, the Earth alfo, and all that is therein^ Deut. 10. 14.
The iame Chara£ter is applied to God very often, Ifai 42. 5, 8. Thi/s faith God the Lord /^Jehovah) he that created the irleavens and jlretchedthem oitt\ he that fpre ad forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it ; he that giveth breath ttnto the people upon it, arid fpirit to them that walk therein; I am the Lord ( Jehovah) that is- my name, and my Glory^ will J not. give unto another. And J fa. 48. 1 ^. Mine hand hath laid the foundation of the Earth, and. my right hand hath fpanmd ( Q)t fpread oat) the Heavens. So Vfal, 8. 5^ When I ccnfider the Heavens, the rvork of Thy fingers ; the Moon.r.nd the Stars which thou hasl ordained. Pfal. 146. 6> Which 7'^ade Heaven and Earthy the Sta, and all that there- in is. And many other places, not only in the Old Te- iiament ; but in the New Teflament likewife : 2isAdhi^>, I 5. That ye fjould turn from thefe vanities unto the Living' God, nho made Heaven and. Earth, a-td the Sea and all. things that are therein. And o//j 17. 24. God that made. the World, and all things therein. So RfveL 4.' 11. Thoi4. h'afl created all things. Chap. 14.7. Him that made He^-- vtn and Earthy and the Sea, and the Fountains of yidter.'
And it i> die diftii)c\ive Characler, whereby he doth.
diftinguifli ,
.2
A Third Sermon
diftinguilh himfelf from all other pretended Gods, 'Jer, 10. Where he who at T/er. to. is called The Lord, the ttue God, the living God, m evtrUfting Kj^gt ^^ ^ho"*! wrath the Earth jhall tremble^ and the Nations fhall mt Abide his indignation ; doth at vtr. 1 1. give this defiance to all other Gods, Thus (hall ye fay to them \ The Gods which have not made the Heavens and the Earthy they fhall perijh from the Earthy and from under theft Heavens,
Now this Chara6ler we find afcribed to Chrift. Not only, where it is fpoken as of God indefinitely, but to be under flood of Chrift ; (as are fbme of the places al- ready mentioned ; ) But even where it is particularly applied to him.
I fhall begin with that of "Joh, i, i, 2. where we have a large Difcourfe of him, In the kgifining was the Wordy and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Where, by the Word is meant Qhrifly as is evident from the further defcriptions of him in the following verles ; 'Tis he of whom ^ohn the Baptifi came to hear witnefsy ver, 7,8. He who came into the World, hut the World knew him not, ver, 10. Who came to his own, but his own received him not ; but to as many as received him, he gave power to become the Sons of God. ver, 1 1 . 1 2. Who was made fie/h, and dwelt amongfl us, and we beheld his glory ; the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father, ver, 14. He of whom 'John bare witnefs and cryed, faying, This is he of whom I fpake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me^ for he was before me ; (not as to his Humane Nature; for, fb, John the Baptifi was older than he, by fix months, Luk. i . 26,) and of his fulnefs (faith St. ^c?^/?) we have all recei- ved grace for grace ; Tor the Law was given by Mofes^ but grace and truth came by Jefm Chrill, ver, 15,16,17. 'Twas Jefus ChriH therefore that is here called the Word,
Now of this fame Word, it is laid, The fame was in the beginning with God \ All things were made by him^ and with- out
concerning the Trinity. 73
out him was not any thing made which was made, ver. 2, 5. He was in the Worlds and the World was made by him , ver. 10. Confbnant to that of //e^.i i. 9. The Worlds we refrmedby the Word of God: and 2 l?ct, ?. 5. By the Word of God the Heavens were ofold, and the Earth ft anding in the Water and out of the Water, And by the fame Word, the heavens and earth are kept in ft ore, or preferved, ver. 7.
And to the fame purpole, Col, i. 16, 17. By him were all things created, that are in heaven , and that are in earths And he is before all things^ and by him all things conftft. And Heb. I. 1. By whom alfo he made the Worlds.
In Pfal, 102. we have a long Prayer (^ to the Supreme Gd?^ doubtlefs) which bears this xxth^A Prayer of the Jfflt- Bed, when he is overwhelmed^ and pouretb out his complaint before the Lord, ( the Lord Jehovah, J It begins thus. Hear my Prayer, 0 Lord, ( Jehovah ) and let my cry come unto thee. And at the fame rate he proceeds, addrelling himfelf to the fame God all along. And at ver. 24, 2 ^, 26, 27. hefpeaks thus, 0 my God, thy years are throughout all Generations ; Thou of old haft laid the Foundations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the work of thy hands ; ( who is t\\Qfame Gc>^ therefore of whom Mofes had before faid, In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earthy Gen. 1. 1.) They jhall peri jh (as the Pfalmift proceeds) but thou [f J alt endure : Tea all of them jhallwax old as a Gar- ment, as a veftnre jjyalt thou change them and they (hall be changed : But thou art the fame y and thy years (hall have no end. And doubtlefs the Pfalmift, when he made this long Prayer, thought not of addreding himfelf to any other than the Supre-me God. ( Not to a God who had not, then, a Being, nor was to have til! a Thoufand Tears after, as the Soctnians would have us think of Chriil.) He prays to God as his Redeemer ; that is, to Chrift.
And that Chrifl is that God to whom he did thus ad- drefs , we are exprefly told, Hb.i. 8, 10, 11, 12.
L But
n^ A Third Sermon
But unto the Son he faith ^ — Thou^ Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens are the Works of thine hands ; Theyjhall perijh, hut thou remain- eft : and they all (hull wax old as doth a Garment y and as x Tjefture jhalt thou fold them up, and they /ball he changed ; hut thou art the fame ^ and thy years fhall not fail. All which is plainly cited from that Pfalm. Chrift therefore is thai God to whom that Prayer was made ; the fame Supreme God, who created the Heaven and the Earth : qyqu. Jefta Chrift, the fame yefter day and today and for ever, Heb. i g. 8.
And it is very frequent in Scripture , that what in one place is fpoken of God Indeftnitly (without fpecification of this or that Perfbn ) is elfe where applied to one or o- ther of the Perfons in particular, as that of the Creation is here to Chrift, the Redeemer ; as being the fame God who is the Creator alfb. And that oi Redemption, to God the Creator (who is the Redeemer alfb) Ifai, 4^. i. Thus faith the LORD ( Jehovah ) that Created thee, — Fear not, for I have Redeemed thee. So that Go^ the Creator, and God the Redeemer, are the fame God,
CHARACTER II.
The next Gharafler I fhall infift upon, is that where- by Gc;^ denotes himfelf to Mofes, Exod. 5. i^, 14, 1-5. 7 Am that LAM; and I AM hath fent me unto you. When God was fending Mofes to the Children oflfrael, in order to their deliverance out of Egypt, Mofes puts thi^ Queflion, When I come to the Children of Jfrael, and fhall fay to them, The God of your fathers hath fent me unto you 5 and they flj all fay, Whit is his Name r What fhall I fay to them ? 'Tis certainly, therefore the True God, that is here fJ3oken of: Let us fee what is the Character that this God gives of himfelf. And God [aid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM: And he faid, Thus fbalt thou fay to the Children of Ifrael, I AM hath fent me unto you. This therefore is a. proper CharaQer of the True
God.
concerning the Trinity. ys-
God. lam that 1 4W,(Ehieh afher Ehjeh,) or / am^who A M; or I amy He who A M, fe the vulgar Latin ; ( Ego fum OV I ^Z;M;)and(QUI EST) He that IS, hath /e^jt me : As if, what God fays of himlelf (in the firft Perfbn) / that AM, were proper for iVfo/ej to lay of him (^ in the third perfbn) He that I S, And fo the Septrugint, 'Zy^ «V/ 0 'nN, / am^ He that AM, or He that IS', and o 'SI N (He that I S ) hath fent me, ySf\\QVQftmpiy T 0 B E, is made a Diftin^tive Charader of God, as he whole Effence is To be ; and it is Impofftble for him Not to Be, Who IS of Himfelf for rather Himfelf IS) without deriving ought from any other; and from whom all other Beings, have their Being. Whogiveth to all, life and breath and all things ; In whom we live and move and have our Beings A£V. 17. 27, 28. Who hath firft given to him ? that is, None hath : He receives no- thing (aliunde) from ought elfe ; but ofhim^ and through him, and to him are all things^ Rom. 11. 35, 56. who is therefore called q^QIv.
The fame notion the Heathens alfb had of the Su- preme God. Hence Arijlotle calls him ^Ov'Ovrwv , the Being of Beings ; and Plato dunm^'Ov, the {hlf Being ; who himfelf IS, and gives Being to all elfe.
And (being thusfelfexi/lent) he mud be alfb a Ne- cejfary Being 7 £;?y Necejfarium) and Eternal, (for if ever he had not been, it were impoflible he fhould ever Be ; for how could Nothing make it felf /o be : J and like- wife Infinite i^as the Source of all Being.) All which the Heathen acknowledged (as confonant to Natural Light) as well as We.
Now this fame Character / Am, or o''Q.v (which is the word whereby the Greek Septuagint doth here ren- der the Hebrew word Ehjeh^ which we tranflate / A M) that is / ipho A M, or He who I S, we find fignaliy ap- plied to Chrifiy Rom. 9. 5. //e that IS, For what there
L2 we
76
A Third Sermon
we render, Who IS^ in the Greek is not o$ '^, but o''av,He that I S, or the Being : With this addition, overall; (the Beings over all^ or the Supreme Being : ) with this further Charafter, God BkJJed for ever; (or the ever bleffed God,) Amen*
Where it is not amifs to note, that the Bkffed (o gJAo- •jy^osj was an uflial Title whereby they were wont to de- fign the True God. And accordingly, that queftion which Caiaphas tht High Prieft, puts to our Saviour, Mat, 26, 6 j. / adjure thee hy the Living Gody that thou tell us, whether thou k the Chriji, the Son of God; is in Mark 19. 55. Jrt thou the Chrift ythe Son of the 05lcCfeD , tf^s tk EJAo>n- X Where no man doubts but that by o^vhoy^oi, is meant, the Supreme God. And when Chriji is here call- ed, ^ ''Or g-TH ^vlm ©eo5 ajMytiTK «5 t^s almtti, {the Su- preme Being , the ever-BleJfed God;) with the Solemn note of Affeveration, Jmen : It is certainly too Auguft a Title for any leis than the Supreme God, the Only God, The fame Character we have of him again, Rev, i. 8. \Vhere we have not only the- Title 0 "Hv, importing his Beifig , but the additional intimation of his Eternity^ through all the variety'of continued Duration, pa/, pre- fent, and to come. '
Where we are to obferve, that at ver. 4. we have this CharaQer of God Indefinitely, without reftri8:ion to this or that Perfbn in the Deity, fas appears by its being con- rradiftin£l- to Chrift perfonally confidered, ver, 5.J Grace he unto you and peace, (ctTro t« 0 ' Q-Vt ^ a h, ^ 0 ep^dfjiev^, Xj ^ tS 'f«o-y Xqj(c^v) from him which Is, and which Was, and which is to come, — and from Jefm Chri[l,^c,
Where it is manifeft from the unufual conftru£l:ion, t^To T» 0 ''flf, 1&C. that the Title 0 'Slv, %ovv, ^ 0 ep^d^ fji.€v@^, (who island was, and (hall he) is taken, ts^^^vi' X a??, as the Grammarians fpeak, (as one mdeclined^Suh^
ftantivcy
concerning the Trinity. yy
fiitntivt joined with the Article tv) as being (^all toge- ther ) one joint title of God, Indefinitely fake//, Cbecaufe of that contradiftinclion which follows ; And from Jefm Chrifi\) and with particular refpe£l (as the Margin * of our Bible direds ^ to \.\\2iX.Q{ Exod.'^, 14. \y(J> eifxi 6 "Hi/, 1 am o^'D.v, or He who A M; and can relate to none but the Supreme God,
Now wliat is thus faid of this God indefinitely,at ve>'.4.' is again repeated ofChriJlin particular at ^'cr. 8. (^with a further addition of OmntpotenceJ I am Alpha and Omegay the Beginning and the Ending (x\\z Firft and the Laft^ faith the Lord^ which Is^ andwfnch H^as, and which is to Come ; the Aljnighty. So that he is here defign*d, not only by his Abfblute Being ; but by his Eternity alfo, through all variety of continued duration, ( paft, prefent, and fu- ture ; ) who Is, and Was, and fly all Be ; who was the Firft ('before whom nothing was ) and the La[l (after whom nothing fball be ,• ) and, by his Omnipotence, the Al- mighty.
The fame title di Alpha and Omega^ the Firft and the LaH, is given him in divers other places ; as at ver. II, and 17. of the fame Chapter, / am Alpha and Omega, the Firfl and the haft ; / am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore. Amen. And Kev. 2. S. The fir si and the lafl, which was dead and is alive. And ngain, Rev. 21. 6. anci Rev. 22. i^. All relating to Ifai. 41. 4. Ifai.^^.6. Ifar. ^^. i2. where the like had before been faid, as a Charatler ('no doubt j of the True God. And Ifai. 45. 10. Before me there was no God formed, ntither fhall there he after me. ' And what can this be other than the Infinite^ the E- ternal, the Ahnighty God. The fame yeflerday^ and to day, and for ever, as he is called, Htb. 15. 8. The Bleffed, and only Potentate, the Kjng of Kjngs , and Lord of Lords, who only hath Immortality ^ SfC. as he is defcribed,
1 Tim.
78
A Third Sermon
I T/w. 6. 14, 15, 16. And again, The KjngofKjngj, a»d Lord of Lords y Rev. 17. 14. and Rev. 19. 16. r/»e Great God^ and our Saviour ^ Tit. 2. 15. Where, our Savi^ our^is lb contra-diftingaifhed, not as another from ^/^e Ureat God, but as another Title of that fame Perfon : He that hour God and Sxviour ^ or God our Saviour, as it is Tit. }, 4. ( like as God and the Father, Hphef. 5. 2. and again, Col. ?. 17. Giving thanks to God, and the Father,) For 'tis manifeft that here (T/V. 2. i^. ) it is fpoken of Chrifl: s coming to judgment ; which is here called, the Gloriom appearance of the Great Qod, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift ; that is, the glorious appear^ ance ofjefus Chrifl, who is the Great God and our Saviour^ The title that Jeremy gives to God, Jer, 32. 18. The great and mighty God, the Lord of Hofls is his name. Qhrifl therefore, our Saviour, is 0 jw^g^s ©gos, the Great God, And the Doxology there added, Rev, i. 6. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen \ is equi- valent to that of ©go$ guAo7'>?7o5, Rom. 9. 5. God hlef- fed for ever. And the like, i Tim. 6, 16, To whom be Honour and Power everUfting, ^^men. And much more, that oiRev. 5. 12, 13, 14. Worthy is the Lamb, that was flain^ to receive Power, and Riches, and Wifdomi^nd Strength ^ and Honour, and Glory, and Blefftng : (As High a Doxolo- gy as that in the clofe of the Lords-prayer ;) To which we have the Acclamation of every Creature ( which is in heaven , and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the Sea, and all that are therein,) jaying, Bleffing, Honour, Glory, and Power, be unto him that fit- teth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, And the four Beajls faid. Amen ; And the four and twenty Elders fell down and worfhipped him that liveth for ever and ever. Too great things to be laid of a mere Creature, or i Titular God; but very agreeable to Chrift, being ^as he is ^ the fame God with the Father^ the only True God, I
concerning the Txinity. 79
I might here add a like Remark, on that of Ifai. 48. 12. Hearken 0 Ifrael, I am H E ; 1 am the Firfty 1 am alfo the LaH, And in like manner, Ifai, 41. 4. Ifai, 4^. 10,1^,25. Deut, ^2. ^9. I, even I ^ am HE (Yiu) and there is no other God with me, or befide me, (And to the fame purpoic clfewhercj Jni Hw, lam HE; io we render it.
I am HE ; What HE ? 'Tiso ajjrni, ^^.Te^o^v, Tis the H E Abfolutely taken, and Emphatica/fy applied to God, Which I take to be of hke import witli, 0 \Qr, I AM; / that AM, or That which IS, ^ The Greek * For r Septuagint ( in the places cited ) renders Jni Hu by r^ke the iya &fju: And the vulgar Latin (^indifferently j by f^^PronoITns
Hh and ///, ("which we commonly render by //I?, 5/;e,or It^ according as the Gender va- ries) to be Derivatives from the Verb Havab or Ha]ah which fignifits To Be. Not that I take Hh to be a proper Name of God (as are Jah, and Jehovah, from the fame Verbs, ) But an Appellative w rd, common to the Creatures alfo •-, but here Emphatically applied to God, ("as are the words o"ftr and ri '■0»'> which are common to the Creatures alfo •■, for they alfo are, in their kind, "ovta.^ And the Latin Pionouns », id, (that is, he or if) when Relatively taken, are to be expounded of their Antecedent to which they Relate : But when put Abfolutely without anAntecedent ; they are of alike import with to Quid taken Subilantively : (0 t/<, or T.s T»3 according to which we ufe to fay(even in e.ur ^\euphy{xki>'}Ens^/ilitjuidconvertmtury (He orJt,,(o taken are of the fame importjwith a Ee'ing^ox What /y.^And the Learned Oatal^r ('than whom I do not know that we have a better Critick y more Judiciousor more Acute ; ) though Q in his Book De 'itj/lo Abvi Injirumenti, contra Ffochenium^ he do-not take Hu to be a Proper Name ci God (but communicable to Creatures, however here Emphatically applied to him : ) Yetdorh allow, that in thefe places, and in many others (ofwhich he gives divers inftances^ it is ufed for the Verb Subftantive ( i?<m, or EJLJ Which is the fame w ith what I lay, tliat it Imports a Bcin^, or to Be, ( and therefore, when ftgnally applied to God, his Abfolutc, IPifinirc, Independent, ^elf-Being.) And fo, it fcems, the Septuagints did here UDderftand it, who render Ani Hu, by kyd Hfxt , I A M ; ( and tlie Vulgar Latin, by E^o Sum j) and in the NcwTeHamei.t ( uhicli commonly follows the Phrafc of tlie Septua- gints) Chriftlays icothimfcff, Befirc Abraham Was (noz I Was, but} T Am^ (lycJ ti/xi,') importing tl-,creby his Pern-anent and Inf.ccejfiix Eeiiig •■, cc-exiftcnr to all the varieties of C Succcliivc J Duration i Part, Frefent, and Future ; the fame Teficr day, andlh-day, and for e-ier. Tl;e difterencc between ;< or irf' Relacivcly raken ( reining to what we call the Anttccdtnt, ) and rhe fame taken Abfolutely ( without fuch rcterencc to other than itrfelf;) is miicli tl.e fame as between ( v\hac tlie Logic iars call} Eft fecundi ad- )eilt (which is but a Cofidu to join ti.c Predicate with the 5ub;C(ft, } and tft tertiiad- jeiiis where it klf i? (or djth include) the I'redicate. As when Siaates Eji, is re* folvcd by Socrates Eft Ens, or Eft Extftens ; The word Eft, fo taken, including both the Copula and the Frcdicate : Like as id or quid Subftantivtly taken, is not RtlativCy but AbfolHte, and the lame with Ens,
8o ^ Third Sermon
Sum J Ego Ipfe, Ego Sum Jpfe^ Bgo Ipfe Sum : That is, 7 4m He, or I AM. And Chrill, of himfelf, Joh. 8.58, 'Trpiv 'Aj8e^a|M. fyiilic^^ 1^ «/xt, Before Abraham ivas^ I JM, And I the rather take it fo to fignify (in the places cited) becaufe I there find it attended (exegetically)with an In- tinfiation of his Eternity^ He //, He is the ivrf/ and he is th€ Laft ; Before him none Was^ and after him none Jha/l Be : He Is, and ever Was, and ever fhail Be.
CHARACTER III. The next Chara£ler that I fliall infift upon, is that of the tvi'o Proper Names of God, Jah and Jehovah', which I take to be Proper to God, and Incommunicable to any- other. I put them both together, becaufe they be both of the fame import; and indeed, of the fame with E^jW;, (1 AM j before-mentioned. The chief difference is, that Ehjeh (I AMj retains the form of the ^er^ ; but Jah and Jehovah are Nouns verbal, from Hajah or Havah which fignifie to Be : All denoting Gods abfblute Being: And All peculiar to the Supreme God, and no where apphed in Scripture C that I know of j to any other. I know the Socinians would perfwade us that Jehovah is fbmetime given to an Angel, which we do not deny ; but we fay that Angel is not a Created Angel, but the Angel of the Covenant, who is God himfelf.
The name Jah comes often in the Old Teflament, but not To often as Jehovah. Particularly in Pfal. 68. <;. Sing unto Gody ftng praijes to his Name, extol him that * In one rideth upon the heavens by his Name JAH, So we find it bieof this i" our Bibles, and it agrees with the Original. But in Tranflati- our Pfaltefs, ^ hy a continued miftake, ; inftead of Jah mongrt' 0^ ^'^) is printed Tea ^.
Mr. Seidell i Books in the Bodleyan Library ) appointed to be read in Churches ( as we are told in the Title page ) printed (" if I do not mif-remember the date ) about the Reign of King Edtvardthe Sixth, or the end of King Henry the Eighth, I find the Name . j A. But in all •ther (whether Pfalters or Bibles, Old or Nevv^ of that Tranflacion ( that I have con-
But
concerning the Trinity. > 8i
fulted ) it is Ten. Of which ( I fappofe ) the occafion at firfl was this : The Hebrew Let- ter, by different perfons, is differently called Jodzud Tod j and accordingly r!iac"Name to be written in Englim Ja or Ta. Which being ( it kenis ) in fome Books written or printed Ta-f fome atter-Printer thinking it to be mif-printed tor ^trf, did fo (^ as he thought ) Cor- rc(ft it i and the Error hath thence been propagated cverfince. Yet this having (it feems) been difcovered by fome-body, fome while iince 5 I lind in divers late Editions of the Pfal- ter, or Pfalnis in our Book of Common-prayer, ( which follows that Tranflation ) it is thus printed paife him in hit name, yea, \and re'pjce before bimy ( with a Comma before and after yea,) leaving ic indifferent, whether to refer Tea (orirf) to the former Claufc, as the Name of God ■■, or^ to tiie latter Claufe as the Affirmative particle yea. But in the Original Hebrew, and in all other Tranflations ( that I have obfcrved ) in any Language, I find the name Jah, or fomewhat equivalent thereunto 5 as doubdefs it ought to be.
But this name is no where (I think) retained in the Greek Septuagint, f the Septuagint renders it by KJe'@^ oyoy^ ccbT^'.jNor in the NewTeflamentf which frequent- ly follows the Septuagints form of Speech,^ unlefs in the Solemn Form of praife Halkh-Jah ('which the Greek puts into one word ^//e/////«^ that is, Praife J ah, or (as it is ufually rendred ) Praife ye the Lord. Which is joint- ly applied to him that fits upon the Throne and to the Lamby Rev. 19. I, 3, 4, 6. whom I take to be there meant by' the Lord our God, ver. i. and the Lord God Omnipotent ^ ver. 6. and the Great God, ver. 17. For the Supper of the Great God, ver. 17. is the fame with the Supper of tht Lamb, ver. 7, 9.
The name Jehovah is, in the Old Teflament, much more frequent , efpecially in the Original Hebrew. But in our Tranflation is frequently rendered by tht LO RD ; as in all shole places (if the Printers have been careful j where LORD is printed in Capital Letters.
The name Jehovah, is at Exod. 3. 14, 15. made e- quivalcnt toEhjthy I AM. For what is laid at z>er. 14. Thu^fbalt thou fay unto the Children of Ifrad, 1 AM hath fent me unto you ; is thus repeated at ver. \ 5. Thn^s fhali thou fay unto the Children of Ifrael, J E HO FA H ( the God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham^ the God of If aac, and the God of Jacob ) hath fent me unto you : with thi^ Addition, This is my name for ever, a^id this is my m^
M AtorTal
82 A Third Sermon
moYtdunto allgmerations. And VfaL 8i. 18. That men may
knorv, that thou, tjj^oCe JSame alone fe J E H O V A H,
art the mofl High over all the earth.
la which place, the reftridive word Alone^ cannot be linderftood to affedl the word Name , as if it were thus to be conftrued, (cujm nomen efi Jehovah folum^) Whofe name is Only Jehovah; (For God we know had Other Names, whereby he is often called:) But to the word Whofe^ ( cujm folius nomen efi Jehovah^ ) To whom Alone ( or to whom Only ) the name "Jehovah doth belong. So Ifai. 45. 5. 1 am JEHOVAH and none elje \ there is no God hefide me. And Dent, 5. ^5, ^9. J £ HO- VA H he is Godl, and there is none tlfe hefide him : J E- HO VA H he is God in heaven above , and upon earth beneath^ there is none elfe. And Ifai, 42. 8. / amJE^ HO VA H that is my name ; and my Glory mil I not give unto another. And Deut. 6. 4. Hear, 0 Ifrael, the LORD thy God is one LO RD; or, JEHOVAH thy God is one JEHOVAH; there is no other Jehovah but he. And Deut. 28. 58. That thou mayeft fear this glorious and fearful name^ THE LORD THT GOD, or JEHOVAH thy God. And to the fame purpofe, Deut. 32. 39. i Sam. 12. 2. and in many o- ther places.
I \\ ill not defpute, whether this name JEHO' VJH, were never made known, till God did thus declare it to Mofes, at Exod. ^. 15. It might feem fb to be by that of Exod. 6. 5. / appeared unto Abraham, And to Ifaac^ and to J/icob, by the name of -God Almighty, but by my name J E HO VA H was I not known to them, 'Tis true, that God is often fo called in the Book of Genefts : But that Book was VvTitten by Mojis, after the time that^/t^/e^rpeaks of, in Exodus. And Mr^/^j miglit fo call him, by a name known at the time when he viote, though it had not been known at the time whereof he
wrote.
concerning the Trinity. 8j
wrote. As when Ahrah/nn is faid to go forth from Vr of the Chaldees, or of C^^/^/w, Gen. ii. 31. though Chefed the Son of Nahor (from whom, in hkeUhood, the Chaldees were called Cha/Mm') was not born till afterwards, as appears Gen. 22.22. So Exod, 12.40. where the Children of Ifrael are faid to have fojottrned four hundred and thirty years ; it muft be reckoned back- ward as far as Abraham\ coming forth from Vr of the Chaldees, at which time they could not be called, the Children of Ifrael y ( for Ifrael was not then born, ) but it was that feopk , who were aftenvards called the Children of Ifrael. And many fuch Prolepfesy or anticipa- tions of Names, there are in all Hiftorians.
But, whether it be upon this account, or fbme 0- ther, that he is laid, hy his Nfime JEHO VAH not ts have been known to them, is not material to our prefeot bufinefs. 'Tis enough, that Jehovah is now known to be the fignal Name of the True God; and ( I think) no where given to any other.
Now that our Saviour Chrifl is called Jehovah, is not to be denied. And it is for this reafbn, that the Soci- nians would have us think that this Name is not pec»- liAT to God. In jfer. 23.5,6. he is called 'Jehovah Tzidkenu, the LORD our RJghteoufnefs. Behold the days come faith the Lord, that I will ratfe unto David a Righteous Branch ; and a King (hall reign and prof per, and f hall execute judgment andjuflice on the Earth ; In his days Judah fhall he faved, and Ifrael jhall dwell in fafety : ( which is agreed, by Jews and Chriftians, to be underftood of the Mefftas,^ ^^nd this is the name whereby he {hall be called (JEHOVAH TzidkenuJ the LORD our Righteoufnefs, (JE HO- F A H our Righteoufnefs.) And to the fame purpole, Jer, 33, 15, 16. 2 in tJ
In Pfal. 102. which is called, A prayer of the affliSftd^ vfhen he poureth otft his complaint before the LO RO ( Je-
M 2 hovah )
§4 A Third Sermon
hovahO ^t begins thus, Hur my grayer 0 LORD ( Jehovah ) a^d let my cry come unto thee. And he to whom this prayer is made, is eight or nine times called the. LORD ( Jehovah. ) Now he to whom this prayer is made (we are told, Hehr. i. 8, lo, ii, 12.) is our Lord Chrift ; Vnto the Son he faith, — Thou Lord in the be- ginning haft laid the foundations ef the earthy and the hea- "vens are the works of thy hands ; Lhey (ball per ifh^ but thott remainefl ; They all (ball wax old as a garment^ and as a ve^ fittre (halt thou fold them up, and they (ball be changed ; but thou art the fame ^ and thy years (hall not fail. All which is cited out of that Prayer, made to the Lord Jehovah,
So I the LORD Qe:\iOV2hyhe(irfi: and thelafi, Ifai.41.4; Thmfatth the LOR D ( Jehovah ) before me there rva^no Gody "neither jh all there be after me^lhi. 4^. 10. Thus faith the LORD (Jehovah,) the I(Jng of Jfrael, and his Redeemer ^ (Jehovah) the LORD of Hojls; I am the firfi and I am the lafi ; and beftde Me there is no Gody Ifai. 44. 6. which are the Charadlers applied to Chrift, Rev, i. 8, 9. d" 2. 8. &21.6, & 22, 1^. 2LS was (hewed before.
*Tis true, that in the Greek Septuagint of the Old Teft-ament, the name Jehovah is no where retained ; but wue^Q- ( I think) every where put for it. Whe- ther becaufe of a Jewifh Superftition, no where to pronounce that Name ; or becaufe it could not conve- niently be expreffed in Greek Letters ; I will not de- termine. And for that reafon (becaufe the Sep- tuagints did not ufe it) it is not ufed in the New 'Teftament (which doth moftly comply with the Lan- guage of the Septuagints ; as being the Greek Tran- ilation then in ule.) And therefore we are not to look tor the Name Jehovah there applied to Chrifti But di* vers places are in the New Teftament applied to Chrift, wherein the name Jehovah was ufed in the Old Telta- ment. And the name 0 kju^<B^ (the Lord) by which.
both
concerning the Trinity. 85
both the Septuagints and the New Teftament do con- llrantly render the Hebrew Name Jehovah^ is fb frequent- ly appHed to Chrill in the New Teftament, as that C throughout the New Teftament ) it is alraoft his con- ftant Character, the Lord^ the Lord Jefus Chrifi, 8cc, One Lord ^efas Chrift^ i Cor. 8. 6. Our Lord Jefus Chrift^ the Lord of Glory, Jam. 2. i. My Lord apfdmyGod, Joh. 20. 28. No mm can Jay that Jeftfs is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft^ I Cor. 12. ^. And ellewhere lo often, that none can be ignorant of it.
CHARACTER IV.
The laft Character (which I fliall infift upon) of the True God, the Only God ; is that of the Lord God of Ifrael ; Hear 0 Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord, And thou (halt love the Lord thy God with all thy hearty 8cc. Deut. 6. 4. And the Lord thy God, is almoft the conftant Language of Mofes to the Children of Ifrael: And it is the Charafter which God dire£ls him to ufe ; Thus fhalt thou fay unto the Children of Ifrael, The Lord God of your ■Fathers, the God of Abraham, the Godoflfaac^ and the God of 'Jacob, hath fent me ; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all Generations, Exod. ^. 15. and the Liord God of the Hebrews^ ver. 18. And elfewhere very often throughout the Bible. And doubtlefs, he that was the Lord God oi Ifrael, is the trueGod^ the only God,
*T.is He who tells us, / am the Lord thy God — Thot* (halt have no other God but Me, Exod. 20: J. And, Bc- fides Me, there is no other God, Ifai. 44. 6. and fo often elfewhere, that it is needlefs to name the places.
And this Charader, as well as the reft, is- exprefly given to Chrift alfb, Luk.i. 16, xj, where wc are ex-' prefly told of John the Baptifl, that many of the Children^ of Ifrael (hall he turn to tOe lLo?D ^Wc ^dD (to the Lord- God of I(rael'^ for ht (ball go before Him inthtfpirit and^
power
85 A Third Sermon
power of Elm, Now we all know, ^ho^kfore-rmmrjohn Baptift was ; and before whom be was to go, in the Power and Spirit ofElias, And he before wbom be was thus to go, is the Lord Qodof Ifratl ; and therefore not only a Titular God, or a Cre4/«re God, but the7>»eGod, the Supreme God, the fame God with that God who is the Lord God of Ifrael ; whom no man doubts to be the True Gody the Supreme God^ the Only God,
I might add many other Charaders given to Chrifl:, proving him to be the True God ; as that Rev. 2. ij. I am he which fear cheth the Reim and Hearts^ and! will give unto every one according to bis Works^ ( and to the lame purpofe, Rev, 22. 1 2. and elfewhere : ) which God (the True God ) claims as his peculiar Prerogative, Jer. 17. 9, 10. The heart is deceitful above all things, and defperate' ly wicked^ Who can know it ^ 1 the LORD fearch the Heart , / try the Reins:, to give to every man accor- ding to his ways, and according to the fruit (f his doings. And to the fame purpole, jfcr. 11. 20. Jtr, 20. 12. 1 Chr&n, 28. 9. Pfal, 7. 9. Vfal, 159. i. and in many o* ther places. And that like wife of //^^ 9. 6. His Name fhall be called Wonderful Councellor, the Mighty God, the Everlajling Father, the Prince of Peace, Sfc. with many other Chara£ters of like nature, which can never a- gree to any but the True God.
But it is not my bufinefs, in this fhort Difcourfe, to fay All that might be faid ; but what may be fufficient.
He therefore that is ( as hath been fhewed) God, the True God ; the Mighty God ; the Everlafling Father ; the Eternal God; the Fir ft and the Laft, (before whom nothing was, and after whom nothing fhall be ) that fVas, and Is , and fhall Be ; the fame yefterday^ and to day, and for ever ; the K^lmiqhty ; by whom the World was made', by whom *// things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made ;
who
concerning f^e Trinity. 87
who ^aid the foundstions of the Earthy and the Henvens are the work of his hands ; who , when the Heavens and the Earth fhall fail^ his years endure for ever ; who fearcheththe heart and ths rtins^ to give to every one according to his works ; who is Jehovah ; the Lord God oflfrael\ the Su- freme be'wQ ; which is over all^ God blejjedfor ever', who is the Buffed and only Potentate^ the Kjng of Kjngs and Lord of Lords J who only hath immortality, to whom he Mo- noftr and Power Everlafting, Amen, That God ( I fay ) of whom allthefe great things are faid, is (certainly) not a mere Titular God, (who is called God but is not^ ) a Creature God, or only a dignified Man, For, if thefe be not Chara£lers of the True God, by what Cha- rafters fhall the True God be defcribed ?
I know, the Socinians have imployed their Wifs to find out fbme tricks to evade or elude fome of thefe plain places, which I fhall not trouble my (elf, or you to re- peat ; or to give an anfwer to them. For they are fb weak, and fb forced, that the plain words of Scripture, read together with the forced fenfes they would put upon them, are anfwer enough; nor do they need or deferve any further anfwer.
OBJECTION VIII.
The lall Obieftion which I (hall now take notice of, is this ; That the Doftrine of the Trinity was not known to the Jewifh Church before Chrift.
To which I anfwer, i. If it were not made known to them, it was not neceitary for them to know. For mat- ters of pure Revelation, are not ncceffary to be known, before they are revealed, ( nor farther than they are re- vealed :) But may be fb to us, to whom they are Re- vealed.
The whole Doftrine of our Redemption by Chrift, was (doubtlels) unknown to Adam htiox^ his Fall;
And,
88 A Third Sermon
And, had he not fallen, it would have been no fault in him not to have known it at a!.
And when Cafter his fall) ic was firft made known to him, (in that firft promiJe, that the Seed of the Wo- man (boa Id break the Strpents head^ Gen. 5. 15.) it was yet {^o dark, that he could know very little ( as to the particulars of it) of what is now known to us. And as God by parcels ( TrDAi/ju^pw?) at fundry times ^ and in di- vers manners^ declared more cf it to ^braham^ to David, and the ProphetSy io were they obliged to know and be- lieve more of it : and when in the Ufi days he had de- clared the whole of it by his Son \ Heb. i. 1,2, it is now neceffary for us to believe much more ; of which they^ might be fafely ignorant. And, of the Trinity likewife, if it were not then revealed.
2. But Secondly, There were many things, which though not fully revealed, fb as to be clearly underftood by All ; were yet foinfinuated, as to be in good mea- lure underftood by fbme ; and would more be fb, when the Veil [hould be taken off from Mofes\ face^ 2 Cor. ^.
13, 15, i*^.
Thus the Death and Refurreclion of Chrift , were not underftood,even by his qvj \\ Difciples, tiW after his Refur- redion. Yet we muft not fay that thefe things were not before intimated in the Scriptures ( though covertly ; ) for when their underjlandings were opened, to underfiand the Scriptures y and what had been written of him in the Law of Mofesy and in the Prophets^ and in the Pfalms ; they then perceived that it was fo written^ and that it behooved Chrift to Suffer and to Rife from the dead the Third day. Yet this was therein fb covertly contained, that they feem no more to have underftood it, than that of the Trinity,
And St. Patd in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, declares a great deal to have been covered under the jewifi Rites
and
concerning the Trinity. jjo
and Ceremonies ; which, .certainly, moft of the Jewifh Church did not underftand ; though, in good meafure, it might be underftood by Ibme. - . I might fay the Hke of the Refurreciion ; which was but darkly dilcovered till Immortality was brought to light through the Gofpel^ 2 Tim. i. 10. We muft not yet fay, it was wholly unknown to thQjewijh Church, ( of whom many, no doubt, did believe it : ) Yet neither can we lay, it was generally received ; For we know the Pha- rijees and the Sadduces were divided upon that point, JSt. 2^.6, 7, 8. And fo httle is laid of it in the Old Te- flament, that thofe who had a mind to be captious, might have found much more fpecious pretence of cavilling a- gainft it then, than our Adverfaries now have againftthe r>o£b:ine of the Trinity.
J. 1 fay Thirdly, as of the Refurre^ion, there were tlien divers intimations, which are now better under- ftood ( in a clearer light ) than at that time they were : So I think there were alfb of the Dodlrine of the Trinity. I fhall inftance in fbme of them.
I. That there was, in the Unity of the God-head, a Plurality of Somewhat (which now we call Perfbns) ^feems fairly to be infinuated, even in that of Elohim-bara, Gen. I. I. (In the beginning God created,) where Elohim ( God ) a Nominative Cafe Plural, is joined with Bara, a Verb Singular ; ( which is as if we fhould fay in Englifh, We Am J or They Doth ; which would to us found odly, if fomewhat of Myflery be not intended in it.) Nor is it here only, but very frequently, that God is called Elohim in the Plural Number, (and much oftner than in the Singular Number Eloahj) as if, though Jehovah be but One, yet Elohim may be Three : Not Three Gods, but Three Somervhats in that One God. ( For though it be Elohtm, yet it is Bar a : It is So Three, as yet to be One.') Nor is it Elohajim (in the Dual Number.) as fpoken oif
N Two,
^o
A Third Sermm
Tn>Oy or a Oupie-, but ElohmQn the Plural Number ) zs 0^ more than Two, usilrabnu joabib^
This may perhaps be called a Critkifm, ^and it is io.) But I am loth to fay, it is purtly C^/^^/, and not deiigned. For many times little Circumfiauces, and uniieedcd Ex- prefTions ("as atfirft they may feem to be,; may r'by the Divine WifdomV be fore-ds:(igncd tofome confirlerable purpofe. As, that of, Not a bone of it ^ all he hroketfy Exod, 12. 46. Numkg. 12. P/al. ^4. 20. And that of, they pierced my hands and my feet ^ Pfal. 22, 16. And, they jhall look upon him vthom they have pierce i, Zach. 12. 10. And that, they part my garment among ih:m^ and on my vci fiure they caft lots^ PfaL 22. 18. And, they gave me gull for my meat^ and in my thirft they gave mt vinegar to drink^ Pfal. 69. 2 1 . Which are moft of them, but Poetical Ex- preliions ; and feemingly cafual, and undefigned, as to their Literal Senfe ; but were providentially ordered, as being literally to be fulfilled ; as we find in Joh. ig. 2^, 24, 28, 29, ^6, 57. and in the places parallel of the other Gofpels.
I might inftance in a great many fuch, which at firft might feem Cafual, but were Providentially defigned. I (ball content my Iclf at prefent with one more ; which ^ is that of St. PW, (^ which perhaps may be thought to look as like a Criticifm as what I mention / G^/. |,i6. Noii> to k^braham and ha Seed were the prom/fes made. He fath not. And to Seeds y as of many ; hut as ^ of one^ And to :hy Seedmich is Chr/ft. Now the prprmfes made to ^^haham^ to which he refers, are diofeGe;?. 22. 16, 17, 18. (which, I thmk, y-. the only plac*ii,where, in pro- miles made to ^^braham. luch rricntion is made of his. Seed. J By my f elf have Ifvorn, [Mth the Lord ; For he- caufe^ thou haft done thu things and haft not tpMeld thy Sony thine omty Son ^ That inhkfftng 1 nf'iU bltfs thee, and multiply mg 1 rvili mdtiply thy Seed, as thefiars of the heaven ,.
and
concerning the Trinity. oi
anei a6 the f and tvhich is ufon the fed-fljoar^ and thy Ssed/haH fojfefs the gate of hh efiePHies ; and in thy'Seedjhiil alL the nations of the earth he hieffed ; ' hecxufe thou hafi obeyed my 'voice.
By Abrahams Seed, here, is manifeftly meant hts Chil- dren Mdiom God prorrvifeth to multiply. And it might leem to be very indifferent whether to fay, thy Seed, or thy Children, But St. Paul was fb nice a Critick,si§ to take advantage of his faying Seed ("in the Singular -Number > and not Seeds or Children (m the Plural y as thereby fignally denoting (^as principally intended^ tlutOneSeedf which is Chrift. Yet are not the rejl of the Seed to be quite excluded /^ even in that laft Claufe of it^ In thy Seed jh all all the Nations of the earth be blejfedj as appears by y^<^. i^ ^5. And ye (men of Ifrad, ver, iz.) are the Children of the Prophets ^ and of the Covenant- which God made with our fathers^ faying urito \^draham^ And in thy Seed /ball all the kindreds of the earth be bleffed, Wherice 'tis evident, thatfeertiingly unheeded Criticifmsare (bme- times Providentially defigned. And fuch I take this of Bara Elohim^ to be. And it is taken notice of to this pur- pofe, both by Jemfh and Chriftian writers.
The like Plnrallty feems plainly intimated in the fame Chapter, Gen. i. 26, Let VS make man in OUR image and after OV R likenefs. Yet even this Plurality is no other than what in another confideration, is 2iaVnity\ tor fb it follows, 'ver-, 27. So God created mm in HIS own image. Thele Plural Somervhats, therefore, are but One God,
And'tisbutachildifh excufe to fay, It is the Stile of Princes to fpeak in the Plural, ^e and Vs inlkad of/ and Me. 'Tis indeed a piece of Courtfliip at thi^ day^ (and perhaps hath been forfbme Ages: ) But how long hath it been fo ? 'Tis hot fo old as Mofcs ; m-jcK lefs fb old as the Creation. King Pharoah^^nd Ser^achariii and
N 2 Ahafu'
0 2 A Third Sermon
Ahafutrus^ were wont to fay /, Afe, Mine^ ( not Wt, Vi^ Ours. ) And Nebmhadnez.zjir^ even in the Height of his Pridey Dan. 4. ^o. _ Is not this great Babylon that I have hftiity by the might of MT Power^ and for the honour of MX Majefty, Here's nothing oiWe and Our, This was not Stilui Regim in thofe days. And if we illould here ex- pound it by fuch an equivalence.; J»d God f aid. Let Mt make man in My image \ it would fcarce found like good Senfe. ( For 'tis not ufual to fpeak iJmperatively -m the, Firfi perfon Singular.) Itfeeras tliarefore to imply a Plurality, thoughnot a Plurality of' Gc>i/; nob viiRri-^ ;
The like we have Gen, 5. 22. Behold^ the ?paff 4t'- 'he" com.e likeOneofVs. , Is this alfo Stjh Regioym^Q^^iQ^t. The man is become like one of Me? .^U^^/V ■Jik^i \\i» \\«vt\\ 5b^-.
So, Gen. ii. 6, 7. ^^nd the LORD (Jehovah) faid^ Let VS go down, and confound their Language,
2. Andasthele places intimate 2i Plurality, Co I know not but that of Gen. 18. may intimate tlais Plurality to be a Trinity, That the appearance there of three Men to Abraham, was a Divine '.apparition (though ^^r^/^^^w did not at firft apprehend it fo to be) is evident. For it is exprefly faid by Mofes^ver i. The LORD (Jehovah) appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre ; and he lift up Jo is eyes J and lo Three Men flood hy him. So that this appear- ance of Three Men, was an appearance of the Lord Je- hovah. And though we do not find that Abraham doth any where ufe the word Jehovah in that difcourfe, (but AdonaisiW along:) Yet Mofes the Reiater ( where him- felf fpeaks ) fays every where Jehovah ; though when he recites Abraham^ words, it is :4dmai : Bpt even Adonai iaa word Plural ( as well as Elohim ) that is, my Lords; (the Singular is <^doni, my Lord; but feldom laid of God.J
Whether it were, that the name JEHOVAH were not then known to x^braham ( according to that of
Exod^
concerning the Trinity. 9 3
Exod.S.^,) or that Ji?rahamw2s not at fir ft aware who it was with whom he was then difcourfing ; or for what other reafbn he did avoid ufing the mme Jehovah ; I fhall not trouble my lelf curioufly to enquire : Butfure weare that Mofes tQlls us, This Apparition o^ Three Men (as at firft they Teemed to be ) was an Apparition of the Lord 'Jehovah. . . v.^
We need not doubt therefore, but that G^?^ appeared there, in this Apparition of T/>ree Men ; which is there- fore a fair intimation of a Trinity of Perfons.
It might perhaps be cavili'd at, if this were all : And fb might that ofjonah\ being three days and three flights in the Whalers helly^ when brought as an Argument to prove our Saviour ought fo long to lie in the Grave. But St. FauI tells us^ \Cor. 15. 5,4. that Chrift died for our ilns According to the Scriptures ; and that he role again the -^hird day, according to the Scriptures, (^ And Ghrift in like manner, Luk, 24. 46.) Yet I know hot any thing more clear to that purpole in the Scriptures ( of the Old Te- ftament^ than either t\\\s oi Jonahh being fo long in the Whales belly (to which Chrift himfelf alludes , Mat. 12. 40.^ or that of Hof, 6. 2. After two days he mil re- vive usy and the third day he willraife us if. Which feems not to be more exprcis (^for the Refufredion of Chrift on the Third day ) than this of 'jbnah. But fuch coV«^t ^Intimations there are in t-iie Old Teftament ; of tilings afterward more clearly difcovered in the New.
Nor was this unknown to the ancient Jewifh Doctors,' as appears by what <^infworth('m his Notes on Ge«.i.) cites from thence, Yout of i^. Simeon, Ben'ji.chai in Zoar\) Come fee the My ft ery of the rwr^ Elohim ; there m-e thrct 'Degrees, and every Degree by it felf Difiinci ; and yet not- with/landing they are all one, and joined together in One, and are not divided one from another, ( only, there he calls Degrees what we now. call Perfons.') So that it was
£LOt
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not unknown to the Jews of old, whatever theprcfent Jews think of it. /ii ?f;v7 ^fUfii
: 3. What thefe Three are,. ( the Fdther\, the Word, and |:he Spirit^) feems to be Hkewife intimated in the Story of the Creation, Ge;/, i. where they feem to be diftind- ly named.
In the beginning (^ Elohim ) God created the He.wen and the Earth, ver. i. where no man doubts but God the F^/^er is impHed, though perhaps not He only.
And ver, a. The Spirit of GoAmovtdupon the face of the Waters. Where Jinf worth tells us from the ancient Rah- bines whom he cites, they call him. The Spirit of Mercies from before the Lord : The Spirit ofWifdom^ called^ the Spf- rit of the Living God : And, The Spirit of the Mejft^. Of the fame Spirit ^'WQ have elfewhere mention ; My Spi- rit /ball not always ftrive mth Man, Gen. 6; 5. Take ^ thine Holy Spirit from we, P^l. 51. 11. The Spirit cf the Lord is upon me^ Ifai. 6 1 . i . They vexed his Holy Sff- rity Ilai. 6j. 10. and elfewhere. And if it be faid, that by the Spirit of God, is meant Godhimfelf: we fay fb too, for we do acknowledge, that the Holy Ghoft, is God himfelf
And, of the IVordy there is a like intimation, ver. 5. God ®diD C or fpake the Word) Let there be Light, and there was Light, And in like manner, ver, 6, 9, 11. 14, 20. God ^attl, Let there be a Firmament^ &c. So Pfal. 55. 6, 7. By the ®0iO|D of the Lord were the Havens made, 8cc. He Spake and it was done. He Commanded and it flood f aft. And Pfal, 148. <;. He Spake the Word and they were made, He commanded and they were created, Con- fbnant to that olHeb, 1 1. ^. By faith we under ft and that the Worlds were made by r/^e Cj33o?D of God. And i Pet, ?. ^,7^ By the CD002t} of God the Heavens were of old, mdthe Earth, 8(C, And by the fame PSO^D they arekeptinftore, or preferved. In which places, by the Word^ fb often men- tioned,
concerning the Trinity. oe
tioned, and wifh fuqh En^hafis put upon it; feemsto be meant, th^t ^ord mentioned, Joh, i. i, ^, lo. In the
beginning was the Word^ ( o x6y{^y ) All th'mgs were made by Him : The World \va^ mide by Him ; juft as in Heb, II. ^ . the Worlds were made by the Word of God,
Nor was this notion of the Word (Pcrfbnal'y taken) unknown to the Jewifli Do£l:ors. For what we have P/rf/. no. I. The Lord J aid unto my Lord, ( Dixit Jehova Domino meo ) the Chaldee Paraphrafe, renders by Dixit Jehova, (Bemeimreh) in Vtrbofuo meaning, by His Word, the Mtfjia^s \ and of whom our Saviour himfelf expounds it,A/4/. 2 2. 44. And it is frequent, in that Paraphrafe, by the Word to defign the Meffia^ \ '^ as S. Joh, doth, *^^oin//rf. Joh. I.I. In the beginning w^ the Word^ Vear\m i
amvf'ith thee •■, aiid ver. 1 9 . Fearnot, IrviUhelptkee ; zndver. 14.. Fearnot^ IrviU help thee, faith the Lord and thy Redeemer •-, and ver. 16. The W/tid (or Spirit, Ruach') fjoU carry them away, and the Whirl-wind flmllfcatter them : Is in the Chaldee Paraphrafc (rendrcd into Latin) mt Timeas, quia inadjutorium tmm erit Verbum meum. A'e timeat, quia VerbHm meum erit m ad-
jutor'mmtuum^ Netimeatk, Verbum meum efi in aHxiliim vejlrum, dicit dotninm ((y Re-
demptorvefler. Ke-n^w ( feuSpiricus} abripiet eos, (fy- Verhiwi e]iii difperget cos, quaji Jurbo fiipulas. C Where we have God, his Word, and Spirit.) So in Ifai. 48. i r. For my on^nfal^e, for my own fal^e will I do it : and ver. 1 2. Hear^n unto Me : and ver. 13. My hand hath laid tl:f foundation of the Earth, and my right hand hath fpanncd the heavens: zndver. 15. I, even } have fpol^en, J have called htm : and ver. 1 6. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this : Are in the Chaldee Paraphrafe, Propter Nomen meum,propter Verbum meum faciam. Obedite Verba meo. In Verb-) meifmdavi terram.'fy' in Potentia mea appendi coelos. ("Where again we have God,\ni Wordy and Power, or Spirit.) In Verbomeo pepigi pa5lum cum Abraham p.ttre vcfiro, ((y vocavi sum. A:cedite ad Verbum meuin, audit e h£c. And, at the like rate, in many ether places.
And I put the more weight upon this,becau{e (as here, Gen, i. 2, ^.fo) we have in leveral other places, the WorddiVid Spirit mentioned as concerned in the Creation, Vfal. 5?. 6. By the Word of tht LO R ^ (Jehovah ) rvere the Have/JS f/iade, And all the Hofts of them hv the ( Spirit, or) breath of his mouth, ( Beruach.J Where we have jF^- hcvJj, his Word J and Spiru, Job 26. 12, i ^. He. di^>/deth the Sea by his Power, and by his ( Wifdcin, or) Vnderjl.ind- fng he fmiteth through the prond , By his Spirit hcgarmjoeth <he Heavens, his Hand hath formed the crooked ^)>erpent.
Where
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Where we have the Ponder of God, the WifMm of God, and the Sprit of God. And Joh 5^. 4. The Spirit of God hath made we, and the Breath of the Lord hath given me Life. So, Pfal. 104. 24, ^o. 0 LORD (Jehovah) how won- derful are thy Works, in WiWiiitltMW thoff hafi made them all. Thou fendefi forth thy ®ptttt,> they are created^ and thou re- newefi the face of the Earth.
And it is not amifs here to take notice, that as ?,oy^* fignifies as well ratio as oratio ; Co Chrift (o Ao^©.) is called the Pi^ord of God, and the Wtfdom of God. And as in Joh, 1. 1, ^, 10. it is (aid of ^^e Word, that in the be^ ginning was the Wcrd, all things were made by Him, and the World was made by him : And Heb.i 1. ^. The Worlds were framed by the Word of God. So the fame is faid of Wif- domy^rov. 5. 19. The LORD by SJ^lTDom hath formed the Earth, by Vnderftanding hath he efiablifbed the Heavens. And Prov.%. 22. kQ> The LORD poffeffed me CWifdom; in the beginning of his way, before his works of old \ Iwasfet up from ever lafling^ from the beginning, ere eve/ the Earth was ;-'^— When he prepared the Heavens I was there, — - When
he ejlablifhed the Clouds above, When he flrengthened the
Fountains of the deep, — When he appointed the Foundations vfthe Earthy then was 1 by him, &c.
And accordingly the Holy Ghojl is called the Power of God, Luk. I. ^5. The Holy Ghofl /ball come upon thee, and the Power oftheHigheji /hall over'/hadow thee. And I Pet. I. ^. Who are kept by the Power of God, through Faith unto Salvation ; which doubt lefs is not without the operation of the Holy Ghofl, working and preferving faith in us.
Suitably hereunto,God's Power and Wifdom are oft con- joy ned. He is Wife in Heart, and Mighty in Strength, Job 9. 4, Sfc. He is excellent in Power, and in Jxidgment, Job ^ 7. i ? •
But, ( without laying to6 great a ftrefs on every par- ticular, ; there feems a foundation clear enough to con- fider theffV^of God, and the <S;p/>/> of God, as clearly
diftin-
concerning the Trinity. gy
diftinguifliable, even in the great Work of Creation ; and that the holy Writers, even in the Old Teftament, have confidered them as diftind ; and that even the Jewifh Writers have owned them as fuch.
I know very well that thofe who have a mind to be cap- tious, may cavil at thefe places, as the S adduces of old did at thofe palTages in the Old Teftament tending to prove a Refurre^ffon.
And not thofe only, but even fome of our own ; who would have us think, that the Fathers before Chrifb had only Promifes o( Temporal blelTings (not of Heavenly and Eternal :) Though St. F4«/ tells us, ( when, of the hope andrefurreBion of the dead he was called in quejlion; ) that he didy^ worfhip the God of his Fathers^ believing all things which were written in the Law and the Prophets, and had hope towards God (which they alfo allowed) that there fbould be a KefurreBion of the dead both of the Jufl and Vnjufi ; and that it wsis a promi/e made of God to their Fat her Sy to which their twelve Tribes injiantly ferving God day and night, hoped to come ; which were no other things than what Mofes and the Prophets had faid fbould come topafs ; and which to Kjng Agrippa (^who if not a7err,was at leaft well acquain- ted with their Doctrines J fhould not/few ftrangeyAcl.21.6, -<^(5?. 24. 14, 15. y^f;7. 26.2,9,6, 7,8,22. And //e^. 1 1. 1 J. that all thefe died in faith ^ not having received the promifes ; f'that is, they died in the belief of better things than what they had yet received : J But f aw them afar ojj\and were pvr- fwadid of them ^ and embraced them^ and confefjed, they were hut firangers and Pilgrims upon Earth. And our Savi- our proves it out of the Old Teftament, ( Mat. 22. ^2.) by fuch an Argument, as if one of us fhould have urged, it would perhaps have been ridiculed : / am the God of Abraham^ the God oflfaac^ and the God of Jacob ; Now God is not the God of the deady but of the living. And the Apoflle purfues the fame Argument, Meb. 11. 9, 10, 14, 15, 16.
O Thev
,8 A Third Sermon
Theyfojourned in the-Land of promife, as in a firangt Landy dwelling in Tabernacles (mowMe from place to place >
for thty looked for a City which hath foundations ( d. fixed City, not flitting as were thofe Tabernacles,) rvhofe huil-^ der and maker is God : Declaring plainly that they didfeek a Country : 'Notfuch as that from whence they came ; hut a bet' ttr Country, that is^ a Heavenly : wherefore God is not ajham- ed to he called itletC ®0D ; fo^ he hath prepared for them a, City, where he direclly argues, that God's Promile, to be their God, was a Promife of Heaven,
And no doubt but the Prophets, and Men of God, had taught them all along, tO' put a Spiritual Senfe, upoi\ thofe (feeminglyj Temporal Fromifes, (though the iJ^^- duces would not believe it, but cavilled at it ; ) in fo much that not only the Pharifees and Doclors of the Law ; buL even the Women embraced it (even heforeChx'i^h Refur- reclion ;) I kno!v faith Martha f'of her dead Brother L^j^^r- rtes ) that hejballRiJe Again in the RefurreBion, at the laji day^ Joh. 11.24. And, of fuch Spiritual Senfes^ we have copious Inftances, in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, and elfe- where frequently.
And as they did without any reluctances, readily em- brace the Dodrine of the jRe/«rrec7/o«,when more clearly declared by the Apoftles, T as a thing not wholly new to them ;; fo neither do we find in them any Reluftance to that of the Trinity ({ot which, in likelihood, they had in like manner been ^/^^re prepared :;but readily clofed with the Form of Baptifm,/>ry&e Name(i\otNames)of theFather^ and of the Son. and of the Holy Ghoft, Mat.28.19.And that Solemn BenediBion, 2Cor.i ^.14. The grace of our Lord "Jefus Chrijl-, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghoji be with you all, Amen. Where we have all the Three Perfbns reckoned together ; as they are alfo in that cele- brated place, I "Joh. 5. 7. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghofi ; thefe Three are One, And as they had been
before
concerning the Trinity. 9^
before by Clirift himfelf, Joh. 14. 26. The Comforter , which is the Holy Ghofi, whom the Father will fend in My NameyHe {hall teach yoit all things. Andjo^. I 5. ^6. The Comforter whom I will fend unto you from the father^ even the Sprit of truth, which Proceedeth from the Father ^ He /ball teftify of Ak. And i^'to name no more places^ Mat.^, 16,17. Jeff^y when he was baptiz^dy went< (Irait- way out of the Water : And lo^ the heavens were opened unto him, and he ( John the Baptift ) faw the Spirit of God de- fending like a Dove, and lighting upon Him : And lo^ a voice from heaven faying, 1 his is My beloved Son^ in whom I am well pleafed,
4. There is yet another Confideration which doth coiir firm this opinion, that the Do6:rine of the Trinity was not unknown to the Jewiflj Church before Chrift : From the footfteps thereof yet extant in Heathen Writers.
'Tis well known (^to thofe conyerfant in fuch Studies j that much of the Heathen Learning ( their Philolbphy, Theology, and Mythology j was borrowed from the Jews ; though much Difguiled, and fometimes Ridicu- led by them. Which things though they be Fabulous, as difguiled in a Romantick drefs : yet they are good Evidence that there was a Truth in Hiftoryy which gave occafion to thoie Fables,
None doubts but Oz///s Fable of the C^4^/ (of which all things were made ) took its rile from Mofes\ Hiftory of the Creation : And DeucaliorPs t luod, from that oi Noah : and the TitarPs fighting againll: the Gods,from theBiiilders of BabePs Tower : And that of Two-faced Janf^s, from Noah's looking backward & forward to the World before and fince the Flood. And many the like,of which we may fee in Natalis Comes ^ in Bochartus, and others : And of which we have a large Collection in Theophilit^ Gale\ Court of the Gfntiles. And in Dr. Duport'^s Gnomologia Homerica ; wherein is a Colle£lion of Homer^s Sayings,
O 2 which
loo A Third Sermon
'Which look like Allufionsto like Paflkges in Sacred Scrl- pture 5 and feem to be borrowed (moft of them) from thofe Books of it, which were written before Homer^s time ; who yet is one of the moft Ancient and moft Fam- ed of Heathen Writers.
' Plato hath borrowed fb much of his Philofbphy,Hiftory, and Theology, from the Jeivijh k^ming, as that he hath obtained the Title of ( Mwa>?$ 'ArTiKi^mJ Mofes dlfguifed in A Greek drefs. And, may feem, becaule the name ofjervs w-as odious, to cite them rather by the names of certain Barbarians^ Syrians^ Ph^niciafiSy Egypt i am ^ 8cc. From that Title of God in Eoiodm, I AM, o'nj', (or from rfie Equivalent names of Jah and Jehovah ) he borrows his ( TO QVj &jj^ oV, ov^ooi oV,) the Being, (oi: that which Is^ the very Beings the true Being ; which are the Titles he gives to tlie Supreme God. For his Immortality of the Soul^ he reckons the beft Argument to be ( 6^©- AoQ/©i ) A Divine Revelation y which he had by Tradition from cer- tain Ancient Sy who lived (as hefpeaks) nearer to the Gods, (zs if he had borrowed even this Phrafe from Deut. 4. 7. What nation ii fo great ^ who hath God fo Nigh unto them ?") And much more, as hath been noted by others.
And I am fb far from thinking (as the Socinians would have us) that St. John did but Platonize, and borrowed his 0 AoV©- from Plato's Trinity ; that I rather think, that Plato borrowed his Tr/.^//;' (as he did many other things; horn tliQ Jewi/Jj Do5lrine, though by him dif^ guifed : And take it for a good Evidence, that the Do- Qrineof the Trinity, was then not unknown to them.
Jriftotky in the la ft Chapter of his Book, De Mundo ; which is de Dei Nomimhm : He tells us that God^ though he be but One, hath many Names : And amongft thole many^ he reckons that of the Tres Paras ( Tpas m Moiesi^i) or as we call them, the Three Defiinies (Jtropas, Clot ho, and Lachefis ; (whom he doth accommodate to the three di- ver fities
concerning the Trinity. i o i
verfities of Time ; pafty prefent, a-ad future,) to be One of thefe Names. Which, though numbred ^sThree, are but this Om God, TavTo, Si TrdvJcc sq'lv hx aMo n irKyw o <S)sh, ( And cites P/ato to the fame purpofe J JcgtOaVep >^ o ytwouos flAaTay (pmv. So that it feems both Plato and Ariftotle were of opinion, that Three Some- whats may be One God. And this, in likelihood, they derived from the Jewifh Learning.
I might fay the like of their three Judges in another World, Mims, Radamanth^^ and jEacas, which thing though it be Fa- bulous, yet it implies thus much , That they had then a Notion, not only of the Scnl's Immortality, but aifbof a Trinity o^ Perfons in another World, who fliould take Account of mens Aftions ija this World. And both thefe Notions they had, no doubt, from the Jemjh Learning ; from whence their mofl: fublime Notions were derived.
To thefe I might add that of their three-fhapM Chim£ra ; which their Poets feign to have been. UqJxt^ Xtwv^o'ma^ J\e^yMv,yAo^y)Si A^,K5^'e^» as is to be feen in Homer one of their mod Ancient Po- ets. And that of Cerheni^y their three-headed Porter of the other World.
Which Poetical Fidions, though invented perhaps to ridicule the Trinity ; do yet at laft argue that they had then fbme notices of a Trinity, (of Three Sometvhats which were yet but One,) For, if they had no notice of it, they could not have ridiculed it.
Our Adverfaries, perhaps, may pleafe themfelves with the Fan- fy, that Chimera and Cerberus are brought in to prove the Trinity, But they miftakethe point : We are not now Provingthc Tri- nity, (which is already fettled on a firmer Foundation;) but in- quiring, whether this Doctrine were then known. And as we think it a good argument to prove the Chriflian Religion, to have been known in Lmims time,rand known to himJhQC2iuri^Lf4cian doth'Scoffd.t it ; which he could not have done, if he had known nothing of it : So is it a good Argument to prove the Do6lrine of the Trinity to have been then known, when it was ridiculed.
And it proves alfb, that there might be tkn prophane Wits to ridicule it , as there are now to Blafpheme the Trtnity, as a three^
headed '
102 A Third Sermon J &c.
heaM Monjler ; and, that this little Wit of theirs, is not their own, but ftollen from wittier Heathens.
But, whether it were, or were not, known to the Jewifh Church before Chrift, (of which there be great Prefumptions that it»was lb known, as well as that of the Refurre^ion : ) it is enough to us, that we are taught it- /y^ir. And, if any will yet be fo obftinateas not to believe, either the RtjurrtBion^ or the lyimty; upon pretence that neither of them was known to the Jemjfj Church, (or at leall, not fo clearly, but that they may beableto cavil at places from theOld Teftamentalledged to prove either ;) we muft leave them to the Wifdom and Judgment of God, till he fhall think fit to inftrud them better.
Now to God the Father fiodthe Son^ a^d God^he Holy Ghoji ; Three Perfom, yut One Eternal and Ever bkffedGod\ be Praife, Ho- nour and Glory, Now and for Evermore, Amen.
FINIS,
Advertifement.
BT reafon of the Authors abfence from the Prefs at fo great a dijiancey fome mfiakes have happened, both in the Letters and Sermons j and fome things omitted^ which fiould have •been infenedintheir proper places, but that they came fo late to the Printers hands, that it could not w.eU be done without dfcompofing his Affairs. Of both which it is thought fit thus to direSl»
ERRATA,
LEc. I./). 12. /. 6, for Divifions rediDimenfions. p. 13. / 5. rfe/<? Three, p. 18.L 7. for Nieaning read Memory.
Let. II. if».7. /. SI. /or that re^c? fhall.
Let. HI.;*. 30. /. II. as a feparate Exiftcnce. pga /. 7. as to be. p. 37. /. ult. for TKofc read Thefe. ^. 41. /. 18- knovvi>. p. 57. /. 7. for fure read Cave.
Let. IV. j(>. 7. /. 20. for coil read talk. /». 1 1 . /. 2. as well as.
Let. v. p. 6. I. 22. deleoL p. 7. /. 19. /or tmyreadm^. p. ii./.'io. read i Joh. 5. 20. p. 12.1. 18. /3r Ifrael read Jacob. p.iS. l.i^. dochnotvvell />. 21./. 14. faidfo much.
Let. VI. p.4. /. I. for Nor re*?(/ Now. />. 9. /. 28 • /or then re^irf there, p. \o. I. 28. for London rMi/Leyden. p.ii.L ip.at leaft.p. 13./. jo/or This re<ii/ Thus. p. 14./. ■^^.fprz% read'm, t. 34. thee only, the. p. "17. /.d. /or Railing rM«f Ranting. jf». i8./.2. was notthen. /. i^. be- •fide that in.
Let. Vll. p.(5./28.Poflibility.,^.7./. 27./orfourchre4rffauk.p.io./.]'e/z.All-comprehen- iive. p. 12./. 20. Father, p. 13. /. $. aftev Notions, add further than they are revealed. hpen. Words, p. i^.l. 13. Hands, p. 17. /. 13. to Anfwer. /. 23. for one readme. ,
Scrra.J). 1$. /. 14. exegedcal. p. 19 l.j. God. p. 22. /. 19- fir for read or. /. zx^for erj readier. P. 6i*L ^,readh\xihQt. F. 73. /; 3. fe^siaf were framed.
^A D T> I T I 0 N S.
LET. I. p. 2. /. I . rf/f^r united, <^^^ or intimately One. p. 12. /. 21. <«/rfr Cube, 4^/^, ('there being no limits in nature, greater than which a Cube cannot he).
Let. II I p. 16. I \^. Add this Marginal Note ^ThtSlT:onvtOT6 Helor Helle^ (whence comes the Englifli word //f//,) doth not properly or ne- ceflarily import the place of the Damned \ But may be indifferently taken for Helljhole^or hollo vp place : Which are all words of the fame original. HeUn (to hide, or cover,) Hole (cavitas,) Hoi (cavus j hollow. And when it is ufed inareflrained fenfe \ it is Metonyraical, or Synecdochical^ as when Hole or Pit^ is putfor theCr^v^, and the like. p. 19 /. i.Add^ So that I takethe plain fenfe of the words to be this: Hcvcuu (for fome time) in that Heii^ or Hades ( what ever by that word be meant ) -, wherein (it is exprefly faid j he was not left \ but was Raifed from if. p. 44. /. 16. Add\, Belide this Letter of thanks from his Partner in the Difputation ^ there was another from Sandim himfelf, (not Printed, but in Manufcript,) acknowledging a like convidion. Of which Wittichita recites an Extraft, in his Canfa Spiritus SanEii FtBrix detnonjlrata^ aChrifiophoro Wittichio: Ltigdnni Batavorum^ apiid Cornelium Boutefiein, 1682.
Let. IV. p. 36./. 25. <«/frrAthanafius,^^<J,('Tis thefaraethingwithme, whether it were written by Him or fome Other, as long as I find it agree- able to Scripture.^r the end of the fame line. Add (Wherein yet I would not be thought to encourage dangerous Errors : For the Errors are equally Dangerous, and equally Fundamental ^ whether 1 do, or do not Anathe- matize them.) p. ^S. at the End \ Add]2in. 13. 169°. YoviVSj John Pl^alli^-
Let. Vi.p.g.i. 25. Add this Marginal Note. SocinuPs Words are thefe: f^elim "aittem fcioi, me dnplici de caufa (prater earn (juam ipfe r.ommemoras) ah ■ifta ejuafiione^ De Anima Immortalitatc^ ahfliniitffe. Nam dr mihi res erat cum homine ejiti ?ne calumniandi^ inq-, omninm invidiam vocandi^ omnem occa- fionem cjiurebat. Necdum mihi^ t^uid de qnafiione ifiajlatuend'Am ftt^ plane ex* ploratiim erat ', quemadmodum nee hodie quidem tfl. Tantum id mihi videtur fiatiii pnjfe j Pojl h.'.nc vitam, animam ftu animum hominii non ita per fe fhhfi' jiere ut pramia nlla poenafve fentiat^ vel etiam ijta fen'iendi fit capax. .QiidS mca Firma Opinio ftictle potcfi ex DifpHtatione tjia coUigi : Cttm ex multi^ qu^ identidem a me thi dicttntur •, Turn ex ea ipfa^ de tjna pr£cipne agitur, fenten^ tiji mea Nam q-iarnvts, cum ipfo Puccio difpntans, (^«*» **t tmmortalitatem pritni hominii ante piccatum probaret^ animt ipfim Immortalttatem mihi oh- jtcicbat,) o^evdi^ non propterea dtci pofft hommem ir^mortulcm quia anima ipf.iis non moriatur : Tamen fatis apparct me [entire, non ita vivere, pofi
hominis
Additions.
hominis ipjtus moYteffiy amm»m ejus, ut per fe pyamicmm poeHArnrnve ca- pax exifiat : Cftm in ipfo prima homine^ totim JmmortahtatU rationem unl gratia Divina tribao ^ nee in ipfa Creatione quidqHam Immortalis VitA agmfcQ. Socini Epift. 5. ad Volkeliuaii die 16. Noveffib.ris, Anno, 1596.
Let. VI. p. 11. L 3. jldd this Marginal Note: SandiuPs Words are theie, ( cited by IVitttchim in his Cauja Spiriti** Sanili n^rix^ pag. 4.) Jam finitis illif qim ad Librum ttium regerenda dttxi (prater ea qud fat is k Socio meo refponfhm pHto^ ) Oro te ne graveris Hlteriits hoc argHtnentHm profecjiti •, quo tandem Feritas.^ ft fieri poffit^ patefiat •, & velht fcin^ tilla ex ftlice adChalybcm allifo projiliat. Nam ingenue fateor, mihi con- je^uram me am Ion (re verifimiliorem vifam^ antequam Libntm tttum^ quo me docere aggrejjus «, legijfem. Non paritm & conthlit ad earn debi^ litandam^ confideratio mea^ Joh. I. 32, 33. & Mat. 4. 11. Nam poft- quam in Baptifmo Spiritits San^us fuper Chrifium defcendit^ & fuper earn manfit^ eumque in defertnm duxit ^ nee ab eo recejfif, (^cum non veri- fimile fit Chrifium tmtationem' Satan^ fine Spiritm San^i auxilio fupe- rajfe ; ) finita demum tentatione dicuntur Aingeli accejftjfe & minifirajfe ei. jQuod fi itaque conjeSiura mea confijiere non pojfit ^ Ht vix po^it^ perpendendum erit, an non Sphitnt SanElus pojfwt ejfe feptem SpintPts Brincipales •, vel^ multitudo Spiritimm longe fubtiliorHm careris Angelo- rum ordinibiis .f forte an natura ipja: Et an per hanc hypothejin falvari fojfint omnes diff-cdtates contra conjeEluram meam haSienus produ^^* Novi q'lendam qui fentit , Spiritnm San5ium qnidem ejfe unam Per" fonam^ eamque creatam^ fed totum Vniverfan} Bjfentia fua pervaden- tem. Valde aittem dubito an hac fententia fubfiflere queat. Ilia de una Perfona Spiritus San^ii comprehenfts fub eo Angelis tanquam ejtu mini' Jiris & fatellitibus •, mihi non admodum arridet. Si amem horum nihil nje^ rutn camper iatur •, tum demum mihi veri/imillimum <videbitur^ Spiritum San' iium cum Deo Vatre ejfifqiie F'erbo, tmim Detm^ nmm Spihfantiam-^ mum Indivldnitm eJfe,
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