Attributes

are common

Eentiall properties, which are not naturally common to all three, as the Attributes are (which we call Naturall, because they are but Perfonal Attri- Effentiall,) for these personall properties butes are are naturally peculiar and incommunicaIntommu ble, and yet they do not fuperadd any new nicable. Nature; because the divine Nature doth containe all Relative as well as Abfolute ria fupra perfection in it; and the Godhead confidered rationem with all these incommunicable properties is funt Re, but one fingle Godhead, as hath been shew1 en this is a transcendent Mystery indeed.

/ In omni

bus myfte.

Ratione,

& Modo.

The fifth V. Created Perfons have a different Undifference derstanding, a different Will, a different betweens Power, because they have a different Nacreated & ture. But uncreated perfons who have one

uncreated

Perfons.

&u,volun

and the fame undivided and infinite NaVita Dei ture,muft needs have one and the fame Uneft actuo- derstanding, Will and Power. For, we fa intelle. cannot comprehend God as one pure vital act, but as his life is actuousTM or active in hisUntentiâ. derstanding and will, in his Effentiall and Quod ef- Almighty Power. Now,what is "Effential, fentiæpro- that muft needs be common to all three prium eft hypoftafi- perfons,

tate,& po

bus com

dicitur de

Whatfoever the Father is as he is fubmune eft. ftance, as he is life, as he is eternity, Quicquid as he is perfection, as he is God, the prædicato fame is the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost, ellentiali, as Auguftin doth frequently difcourfe. dicirur de When the Attribute or prædicate is EfSubje&o.

fential

nio contra

sential, whatsoever is affirmed of the Attribute or predicate, that must needs be true of the fubject, as the Philofopher and all that have any reafon in them, do unanimously conclude.The Effentiall power of God is the very Effence of God; God doth Act by,and of himself, and not by any faculty or power fuperadded to his Effence; Chrift is p Filius called the P power of God, and the Holy arodva 9 Ghoft is called the power of the most dicitur high. 1 Cor. 1.v, 8. 24. Luke 1 35. to fhew abEpipha that they have the fame Effential power Marcellithat the Father hath. Chrift faith, that anos herenone can take his sheep out of his hand, be- f.72 pag. caufe none can take them out of his Fathers 358. in & avhand; for faith he, I and my Father are one, το δυνάμε John 5. 28, 29, 30. We have one nature, ως 11789one hand, that is one Power. For the hand vapus of God can be nothing else but the power of inquit BaGod. And therefore fince all the three di- filius de vine Perfons are one God, because they have one and the fame divine Nature, thefe mium lib.z three are one with the most perfect and fingu pag. 339. lar manner of unity. Finally,fince the Pow- q Vide D. er of God is the Effence of God, it must Gomari needs follow that all three perfons have the fame power,because they have the fame di- Auto vine effence, and they have the felf-fame &). Voc effence by nature,not by meere indulgence tii notas or grace.

Filio con

tra Euno

Diatriben

de Chrifto

in felect,

Difp. D.

Voetii par.

1.pag.441.445. 449. Omnes tres perfonæ funt Coef But

fentiales, & proinde effentialiter unum funt; tres enim perfoae non funt tres effentiæ, fed ipfiffima & uniciffima effentia, quia fimpliciffima. Perfonæ autem Coeffentiales funt coæquales; licet enim filius & Spiritus San&tus vitam,potentiam, omnia habeant à Patre, omnia habent per naturam, nihil per gratiam.

The grand

divina di

Perfonalis

munis eft

But then fome who have a great mind objection to cavill, tell us that we do but equivocate Potentia when we fay these three Perfons have the ftinguitur fame Effentiall Power, because we do conin Perfo- ceale the other member of the distinction, nalem & which is Relative or Perfonall Power. Now Effentiale it is impoffible, fay they, that these three fhould have the fame Perfonall or Relative est quâРazer generat power, because the Father doth beget a filium, &c. Son as he is God the Father, as he is the Effentialis first perfonall principle, and not fimply eft queco and abfolutely as he is God; But the Son hath tribus per- not power to beget himselfe, or to beget afonis. Po mother Son, because there can be but three tentia Pa- divine Perfons, and there is but one of the tris vide three called a Son in Scripture. Moreover, tur effe A. the Son is begotten, and therfore his powPater eft er is rather a Paffive then an Active powgignens; er. But the power of the Father whereby generatio he did beget his Son is an Active power. videtur ef- Nor did the Holy Ghoft breath forth himfe Paffiva, felfe by his owne power, for he did not quia filius proceed from himfelfe, but from the Faeft genitus ther and the Son; and therefore though Pfal. 2. 7. there be but one Effentiall power, it should There is no feeme that there are three Perfonall or RePaffive Ge- lative powers truly diftinct in the Godthe Son fGod head.

Aiva, quia

autem filii

Joan.1.14

neration in

This

This Argument is the most plausible Ar- The divine gument which is urged by them,and there- Ellence of Christ is not fore it must be moft warily answered. changed,or

▸ Nullus

horum a

1. We do not equivocate in this or any begotten. other point, but do readily acknowledge The Anthat God the Father doth beget a Son as fwer. he is God the Father, and not fimply and abfolutely as he is God; because this eternal lium aut generation points at a perfonall property con- præcedit fidered after the manner of a vitall A&t. But æternitate then as this perfonal property and relati- aut excedit magnion doth not differ really from the divine tudine aut Effence, fo this personal power of beget fuperat poting doth not differ really from the Effen- teftate Au tiall power, because God doth beget a Son guft.lib.6. in the unity of his owne divine Effence; his Son is equall to him, and therefore not " ef- timo. fentially different from him, John 5.18.26. Ideo non John 10. 30. Nulla fuit mutatio effentialis eft Pater in filio, cujus effentia eft immutablis.

u

de trinita

te cap.

ul

major fi...lio, quia æqualem

fibi genuit. Originis enim quæftio ifta eft, quis de quo fit; æ qualitatis autem qualis aut quantus fit. Aug. Cont. Max.1.3.

c.18.

x Pater non genuit filium exfe per feminálem rationem, nec extra fe per Phyficam productionem,fed in fe, hoc eft in unitate effentiæ genuit. Philip.2.6.

2. We deny that there is an active Pow er in the Father, and a paffive Power in a Potentia the Son in refpect of generation, because a paffiva eft Paffive power notes materiality and imper- Propria fection; but this eternall generation cannot ex quâ pro

be

materiæ,

ducitur ge- be materiall, for God is a Spirit infinitely nitum. In more fpiritual then the most glorious Annulla eft gel. Pater genuit filium & filius genitus generatio eftfpiritualiter, immutabiliter.

deo auten

Materialis.

In paffiva generatione genitum à non effe ad effe producitur, Filius autem femper actu extitit; genitus non eft gignente pofterior, quia ab æterno genitus.

b Genera

derata re

3. The two words of begetting and tio confi- being begotten which are used in Scripfpectu fi- ture do not point at two different powers,an li geniti Active and a Paffive, but at two different eft filiatio perfons; the Father who did beger, and five pro- the Son who was never unbegotten, Miprietas fi cab 5. 2. for he was of old, from the dayes

lii; gene.

ratio auté of eternity.

refpe&u

Patris eft Communicatio vitæ fubfiftentis; per hanc autem communicationem filius eft unum cum Patre ab æterno. Mich.` 5. 2. non funt itaque due generationes fed dux perfonæ gignens, & genita. Vide D. Alting. Problem, XI.par.1.

non fem

C

4. It was not in the power of the Fa¿ Quod eft in po ther to forbeare the begetting of his Son, tentia gig- because the Son is Ens fumme neceffarinentis, id um, as well as the Father, the Son is a’vtóSeos, God of himselfe, and not God by fed poteft participation, not a different God from effe vel the Father, but the fame God with the Fanon effe ther, and therefore an Independent, EterFilius au- nall God, who did not begin to be God,

per extitit,

tem fem

per extitit imò non poteft non effe,quia eft d'vródeos Ens fum me neceffarium non minus quàm ipfe Pater.

who