Rome ruin'd by VVhite Hall, or, The papall crown demolisht

SECT. 11. Severall sorts of people, proving a Trinity of Persons in the God-head.

1. TO which purpose some of the Rabbins, doe in the name Jehovah, comprehend a Trinity, for Jehovah (say they) be∣tokeneth a God begetting, or giving essence; and if there be a God begetting, there must also be a God begotten; and because it is impossible, but that betwixt the God begetting, and the God begotten, there should be a coeternall, and substantiall love; therefore in this name is also insinuated the Holy Ghost, the God of love. And hereupon some think, that our blessed Saviour allu∣deth to this name in his prayer, Luk. 17. 16. (where he saith, Father, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou ga∣vest me,) that is (say they) he declared openly the Doctrine of the Trinity, commanding his Disciples to baptize, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Mat. 28. 19.

2. Damascen doth most excellently prove the Trinity, by this demonstration, Ʋnus Deus, non sine verbo est, God being but one, is never without the Word, but the Word he hath in him∣selfe, begotten of his owne substance; not like unto our word which hath no substance, but vanisheth in the ayre (because the conditions of our natures is temporall:) But like as our word pro∣ceeding from the minde, is neither the same with the minde, nor yet altogether divers from it; so is the Son unto the Father, which is his Word, being the same in substance, but divers in subsistence: But the Word must also have a Spirit, for neither is out word without a Spirit; but here is the difference, our spirit is not of the same substance with us, but the drawing in of the Ayre, (for we are of a compound nature) but the Spirit of the Word, is of the same substance with the Word. He also saith, that it is impossible, that God should be without naturall fecun∣dity, the Lord therefore must needs beget, but he begetteth out of his owne substance, and that from all eternity: but if the Son had not been from the beginning coexistent with him, of whom he was begotten, we shall bring in a change of his substance, for

so when he was yet no Father, he should afterward become a Father.

3. Bernard also thus eligantly inferreth, What meaneth this number, without a number: if there be three, how can there be but a number: if one, where is the number, but here I have what I may number, and what I may not number: there is one substance, and three Persons.

4. Philo the Jew commenting upon Ephesians 5. 8. (where the Apostle speaking of the state and condition of the Ephesi∣ans, before their calling) saith, Ye were sometimes darknesse, but now are light in the Lord. God is the soveraigne Giver, and next to him is the Word of God: also there is two firsts, the one is, Gods Word, and the other is God, which is before the Word: and the same Word is the beginning, and end of his good pleasure, intent, and will. And like as a City, whereof the Plat-forme is but yet set downe in the minde of the builder, (hath not being elsewhere but in the minde of the builder) so the world had no being elsewhere then in the Word of God, which ordained all things, and seperated light from darknesse, both in the world, and mens mindes.

5. Rabbie Azariel termeth God, Spirit, Word, and Voyce, saying, that the spirit bringeth forth both the word and voyce, but not by speech of the tongue, or by breathing after the man∣ner of men, and these three being one spirit, viz. one God, one Spi∣rit, rightly living: Blessed be he, and his Name, who liveth for ever and ever, Spirit Word, and Voyce: that is to say, one Holy Ghost, and two spirits of that Spirit.

6. Rubbie Joseph also saith, that the light of the Soule of the Messiah is the living God, and the living God is the fountaine of the living waters and the Soule of the Messiah is the river, or streame of life, and none but the Messiah knoweth God fully: He is the light of God, and the light of the Gentiles, and therefore he knoweth God, and God is knowne by him.

7. Mercurius Thresmigests saith also to this purpose, I thy God, saith God, am light, and minde, and of more antiquity, then nature of moysture that is issued from the shadow: and this light some speech which doth proceed from the minde is the Son of God, that which seeth and heareth thee i•• the Word of the Lord.

and the minde is God the Father, these differ not one from the other. As for their Ʋnion, it is the union of life; and this speech being the work-man of God, the Lord of the world, hath chiefe power next him, and is uncreated, infinite, proceeding from him, the Commander of all things, which he made of the perfect and naturall first-bor Son of the most perfect.

8. Numius a Pithagorist saith, the first God is free from all worke, but the second is the Commander, which maketh heaven; and God the worker and maker (saith he) is the beginner of be∣betting, and God the Good, is the beginner of being, the second is the lively expresse of the first, as begetting is an image of being, and that this worker being the Son, is known to all men, by rea∣son of the creating of the world: but as for the first Spirit, which is the Father, he is unknowne unto them.

9. Jamblicus another of the Philosophers saith plainly, that God made the world by his divine Word, and the first God being before the Beer, is the Father of a first God, whom he begetteth, and yet neverthelesse abideth still, in the solenesse of his Ʋnity: which thing farre exceedeth all ability of understanding. This is the originall patterne of him, that is called both Father to him∣selfe, and is the Father of one alone, a God verily good indeed.

10 Aemelius the Disciple of Plato, notwithstanding how great an enemy he was to Christians, speaking of the second Person, yeel∣deth to that which John speaketh, Chap. 1. 1. in these words, viz. Surely, saith he, this is the Word which was from everlasting, by whom all things which are, were made, as Heraclitus suppose∣eth: and before God (saith he) this is the very same word which that barbarous fellow avoucheth to have been with God from the beginning, in the ordering, and disposing of all things when they were confused, and it is the same God by whom all things were absolutely made, and in whom they be living, and of whom they have their life and being, which very Word cloathed it selfe with mans flesh, and appeared a man so much, that after he had bin put to death, he took unto him his God-head againe, and was very God as he had bin before, ere he came down in bodily flesh and man.

11. Another of Plato's imitaters speaking to the same effect, saith, That the beginning of St. Johns Gospel, was worthy to be written every where in letters of gold.

12. Suidas relateth, that the Devill being asked by the King of Aegypt, who he was that reigned before him, and who should reign after him, answered in these foure verses:

First God, and then the Word, and then the Spirit, Which three be one, and joyn'd in one all three, Their force is endlesse; get thee hence fraile weight, The man of life unknown excelleth thee.

Thus have I brought a jury of Rabbins, Fathers, Philosophers, yea, and the Devill himself (to evidence against the Athists, and Anti-trenitarians of these times,) who were compelled to glorifie God in their speeches, making as it were a large Volume of the Creation of God by his Word, and that the same Word is his Son. How then is it possible, that men living in so shining a light (as is now defused amongst us,) should espape the force, wrath, and vengeance of God, for not imbrasing of the truth, seeing that the other (as it were) through a mist, did see a cleernesse of his brightnesse, and that we, whom he hath nourished in his owne bosome, and comforted with the grapes of his owne vine-yard, fed with the bread of his owne Flesh, and bathed in the blood of his owne heart, should refuse to give him that respect which was ac∣knowledged by them. Doubtlesse those whom I have named shall rise up in judgement against all the Arians, Anti-trenitarians, and what others, who yet wilfully oppose the truth, as it is in Jesus; yea, when the Scriptures doe so punctually declare Christ to be the Son of God, as in these five respects, which agree to no other but him.

As first in his Name, for he is simply called God, as Joh. 1. 1.* 1.1 the Word was God; as also 1 Epist. John. 5. 20. where the Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ, saith, the same was very God.

• 2. By his Nativity and Generation, and so he is called the Son of God, Rom. 1. 3.
• 3. By nature, he is one with God, as in Joh. 20. 30. I and the Father am one.
• 4. In power, as in Mat. 28. 18. all power is given me in heaven and earth.
• 5. By his owne profession, for he professed himselfe to be the Son

• of God, and therefore th•• Jewes went about to kill him, because he said, that God was his Father, Joh. 5. 18.

Which five places, (if there were no other expressions to make out the truth of it,) is sufficient to convince the worst of men; and certainly, such as refuse to subscribe to this truth, may justly be termed worse then the Devill, for he freely confessed, that Jesus Christ was the Son of the most high God, Mark 5. 7. and surely none will any longer persist in such blasphemies, but such as dispaire of their salvation, (and therefore indeavoureth to in∣trap others in the same snare) for if there be no God, and Christ be an imposter, what expectation of any good can be hoped from them?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christ decla∣red to be the Son of God in five respects.