A glimpse of God, or, A treatise proving that there is a God discovering the grounds of atheism, with arguments of divers sorts against atheists : shewing also, the unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of the persons ... / by ... Mr. Thomas Byrdall ...

CHAP. II.

HEnce I note; that in the Unity of the Divine Essence there is a Plurality of persons: or, There are three persons, but one God. For proof hereof; whereas it is said Gen. 1. 1. that In the begining the Lord made heaven and earth; Some gather the mystery of the Trinity from these words Elohim Bara. Elohim is in the plural number denoting the Trinity of persons; and Bara, which signifies created is the singular number to de∣note the unity of essence: Many ar∣guments are brought to prove the Trinity from these words, as first, It were incongruous to put a word of the plural before a verb of the sin∣gular number. 2. Because whom Mo∣ses, calls here Elohim, he afterward calls Jehovah, which is the name of the Trinity. 3. Because Moses was not ignorant of the Trinity; would not silence it.

But others, though they approve of

this as a pious and probable collecti∣on, yet upon better arguments think the Mystery of the Trinity cannot be collected from these words: their rea∣sons are these.

1. Because Elohim being put in∣definitely, may signifie four or five persons as well as three, less or more; so there may be occasion given of making more or lesse persons, as well as three.

2. Because if Elohim signifie the Trinity here, it should signifie the Trinity in all other places of Scripture, but it doth not; and the placing of of it in the plural number with the verb in the singular is usual in Scri∣prure without a Mystery, as Genes. 9. 15. Exod. 2. 3. Jos. 24. 19. Some say, 'tis put in the plural number prop∣ter reverentiae amplitudinem, because the Majesty, power, wisdome, goodness of God is manifested in the creation.

Others would gather it from those words of Moses, Gen. 1. 26. And God said, Let Us make man in our Image, af∣ter Our likeness,

Others again, gather the Mystery of the Trinity from the unanimous cry of the Seraphims, Isa. 6. 3. they cry Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; therefore (say they) the word [holy] is trebled in relation to the Trinity, to the three Persons. But these are not plain and evident proofs of the Trinity. Holy, holy, holy, is tre∣bled here, principally for these reasons:

1. To shew that the Angels do continually praise God.

2. To shew that the Seraphims do praise God with all vehemency and fer∣vency.

3. To shew the infinite Perfection of his holinesse, that the tongues of Seraphims and Angels cannot express his holinesse.

There are more plain proofs of the plurality of persons in the Godhead. Mat. 3. there is a clear revelation of the Trinity: the Father speaks from heaven; the Son is incarnate, and is baptized; the holy Ghost descendeth in the shape of a Dove. Moreover,

Mat. 28. 19. the Commission that our Saviour gives to his disciples runs thus: Go teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, baptizing them, tanquam in nomen unius veri Dei. It plainly sheweth, that there are three persons in the Deity, and that these are but one God. To be baptized in∣to the name, is, to be bound to believe and obey, and worship this one God, the Trinity in the Unity, Joh. 15. 26. These three are one. John 17. 22.

Notes

• Observ.