The divine trinunity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or, The blessed doctrine of the three coessentiall subsistents in the eternall Godhead without any confusion or division of the distinct subsistences or multiplication of the most single and entire Godhead acknowledged, beleeved, adored by Christians, in opposition to pagans, Jewes, Mahumetans, blasphemous and antichristian hereticks, who say they are Christians, but are not / declared and published for the edification and satisfaction of all such as worship the only true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all three as one and the self same God blessed for ever, by Francis Cheynell ...

CHAP. II. (Book 2)

GOD is the First, Eternal and In∣dependent Being, the Fountaine of all Being and Well-Being, & therefore cannot but Be, Exist, and persist in Being. (Book 2)

IT is a Rule generally received in the Schooles, that all creaturesi 1.1 have more of imperfection and nothingnes, then they have of Being or Perfection. But all Being, the whole of being is in God. God is princi∣pium totius esse, the fountain of all Being, and wel-being, the only self-being.

God is thek 1.2 First, Eternal and Indepen∣dent Being, and therefore can have no Cause of his Being without himself, or above him∣self, because he was before, and is above all

Causes,* 1.3 Isa. 44. 6. God is the First and the Last; he is everlasting, and therefore can have no Efficient or Final Cause; and it is utterly impossible that God should have a∣ny Matter or Form, or any thing answera∣ble to either, because it is impossible that any thing should set bounds to his Bound∣lesse Being,* 1.4 and infinite perfection.

God is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith the Philosopher, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith the Divine, but we must (as the Schools state the point) understand both Sensu Negativo, because God hath his Being not from any other, but from him∣self; and God is said to have his Being from himself, because his very nature and Essence are necessaryl 1.5, and therefore we cannot conceive the Divine Essence to be void of existence; it is utterly impossible that God should not exist, because the Di∣vine Nature is a pure Act, an absolute, necessary, eternall, infinite, independent, single Being. We must not conceive that God was first in a naked Power of Being, and was afterwards reduced unto actuall Being by his own effectuall Power, as if his Existence were really distinct from his Es∣sence, or did virtually flow from, and con∣sequently depend upon his Essence, as its proper cause. For it is manifestly absurd to conceive this pure, infinite and eternall Being not to be in Act, since it is a pure Act. God doth declare the incomprehen∣sible

purity of his infinite and single Being in that amazing and yet edifying text, I am that I am,m 1.6 Exod. 3. 14. as if he had said there is nothing in your God which is not God; my Attributes do not differ from my self, my Being is absolutely necessary, eve∣ry way perfect, altogether pure, single and infinite. I do therefore conclude as Hierome,n 1.7 That the very nature of God is being it selfe, and therefore he ever was and cannot cease to be; he cannot borrow his Being from any thing, who gives Being and wel-being to all things. The absolute and independent necessity of the Divine-Being doth demonstrate its eternity, and there∣fore o 1.8all the differences of time are untied by the Talmudists, to connote the Eternity of God in that text, Exod. 3. 14. according to that excellent Commentary made by the Apostle, Rev. 1. 8. God is the Almighty, which is, and which was, and which is to come. Hence it is that some have thought fit to translate that text, Exod. 3. 14. ac∣cording to the full scope of the Future a∣mongst the Hebrews, I am that I am that I was, and that I will be. For the Futurep 1.9 a∣mongst the Hebrews, points at all diffe∣rences of time past, present and to come; but others observing the strict and proper signification of the Future, translate it thus, I will be that I will be. The Angel of the waters doth unite all differences of time in

that gratefull acknowledgement, Rev. 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. And Iesus Christ, (who is one and the same God with his father,) is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, Heb. 3. 8. The Rabbines upon Exod. 3. 14.q 1.10 expresse themselves after this man∣ner, The blessed God said unto Moses, say un∣to them, I that have been, and I the same now, and I the same for time to come, &c. or as others more agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrase, I, he that is, and was, and here∣after will be, hath sent me unto you. But e∣nough of that; it is now time to conclude that this first and independent Being can∣not be measured in it self, because it is infi∣nite, nor in its causes, for it hathr 1.11 no cau∣ses, but is from it self, of it self, by it self and for it self; for as the Apostle saith, All things are of him, and through him, and to him; to him be glory for ever. Amen.

Notes

• i 1.1

  Omnes creaturae plus ha∣bent non-Entis. quā Entis.
• k 1.2

  Deus so∣lus est 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quia se, & per se est, a quo, in quo, per quem & propter quem sunt quaecunque sunt; omnia quippe Deus aut in tempore sustentat in ipsis, aut aeternùm in se.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• l 1.5

  Qui v••∣rè, neces∣sariò & absolutè est essentia primò & per se est, imò a se∣ipso, & per seipsum existit, & proinde non po∣test non existere. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Rev. 1. 4 Vide Hie∣ronym. E∣pist. ad Marcel. de X. Dei no∣minibus.
• m 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Sept.
• n 1.7

  Vid. He∣ronym. ad Eph. c. 3.
• o 1.8

  Omnia tempo••a conjun∣cti de Deo dicta aeter∣nitatem conno∣tant. Rev. 1. 8.
• p 1.9

  Futurum trium tem∣porum dif∣ferentias ••n se con∣tinet. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Qui erat, qui est, & semper est, uti Epi∣phanius contra Ar∣chonticos. Futurum perseve∣rantiam essendi de∣notat & in∣dependen∣tiam.
• q 1.10

  Ainsw. on Exod. 3. 14. D. Riv. on the same place
• r 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Rom. 11. 36.