nature, and he had eternal glory with his Father before the world was, John 17.5, Na, his calling of God Father, makes him equall with God; nay, he is not only equall to, but one with his Father, Job.5.18. Joh 10.30. Moreover, if the Facher have not a divine and eternal Son, how is he a divine and eternal Father? Finally, if the Father Son, and Holy Ghoft are not all three the fame true God, there is no God, for thefe three are one, and therefore all three are one God, or elie there is no God at all: from whence it will follow, that if we will be Socinians, we must be Atheists. The Son and Spirit have the fame nature with the Father; and therefore if his nature be divine, fo is theirs.

CHAP. V.

The Manner of OD'S Being or Subfifting in the Father, Sonne and H. Ghost, is the best man er of Being that is or can be, and the fingle Godhead is thereby thrice illufirious throughout the world.

Itherto we have contended for the

1.The Ex. Hren of this Divine Being or Sub

cellency of

God the fifting: Now we fhall demonstrate the Father. excellency thereof, God is made known to us

as

Domini

ore uti

mus.

as the everlasting Father of our Lord Jefus Ghrift, and is to be adored a worshipped as a En culthe Father of our Lord Jefus, Rom.15.6. tuin ProEphef.1.3. 2 Cor.1.3 If God had been the priè Evangelicum, Father of men and Father of Angels only, concorde, and not the Father of our Lord Jefus, he Deun ac would not have been fo exceeding glorious Patrem as now he is for Angels have but a finite noftri Jeexcellency; but when he begets a Son e-fu Chrifti quall to himself, without any change in concordihimself; and the begetting of this glorious ter coliPerfon, is as eternal as the divine nature it mus, uno Self This myfterie is exceeding glorious Chriftiaand admirable, and like the Godhead in- nos decet comprehenfible. Moreover, the Lord Iefus glorificaChrift his own Son, Rom.8.32, and his only 2 The ExSon begotten by eternal generation, Ioh. 1. cellency of 14. being the illuftrious brightneffe of the God the Fathers glory, and the expreffe character of Son. his fubfiftence, is fo exceeding glorious, that En Pathe most glorious Angels above are com- ftafin in manded to adore and worship him, Heb.1. filio reful3,4,5,6. For to which of the Angels faid God gentem: at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have in Filii Hypoftafin 1 begotten thee? And therefore when he brings cum & Pa his first begotten, and his only begotten Son are diftininto the world, he faith, And let all the An- guentem, gels of God worship him. Behold how the Godhead fhines glorioufly not only in one fingle Perfon, but in Father and Son both, by this manner of fubfiftence; that every tongue may confeffe fefus Chrift to be od E 4 and

b

b

tris Hypo

and Lord,to the glory of God the Father. And therefore the Father is not leffened or rob bed of his giore, by the glory of his coequal Son, Phil 2.6.11. but there is a pious acknowledgment made of this glorious myfterie, which doth very much redound to the glory of God the Father. For by this meanes God the Father is acknowledged to be the First personall Principle fubfifting of himself, and by himself; for he received not his fubfiftence from any other, and he gives fubfiftence unto two glorious Perfons equall with himself. The Socinians feem to be very zealous for the glory of God the Father; and therefore they deny the Godhead of Chrift and the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father,as they pretend; but the Scripture teaches us the contrary, namely to confeffe the Godhead of Chrift and the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father For it doth exceedingly redound to the glory of the Father, that he gives fubfiftence unto two glorious Perfons who are equall to himself, and yet receives no fuiftence from them, or any other. For as the Father hath life in him. ver fub felf, fo bath he given to the Son to have life fiftentem in himself, Joh 5,26. There is a fubfifting non Alie- life given to the Son by an eternal generafeu Com. tion; and the Father hath life in himself, municati- and felf-tuofiftence allo. And yet on the other fide, it is no difhonour to the Son to

C Vitam dedit Pa

cer Filio

-natione,

one.

be

John 5 18.

34.

fubfiften

tem,acci.

dare vi

be begotten of the Father, and to receive fubfifting life from the Father; for the Son hath life in him/elf alfo, and being God John 5.21. of himself quickens whom he will by his divine Joh.10.30. power even as the Father doth; for he hath the very fame power and will which the Father hath, because they have both one and the same divine nature and therefore John 1.33. the Jewes did conclude a ight, when they faid, that our Lord lefu made himself equall d Qui acwith God by faying he was the Son of God, cipit vita Job 5.18. It is no difhonour to Je fus Chrift tod receive fubfifting life in fuch a glorious pitvitam way from the Father, as that he is equall indepen with the Father, nay one with the Father, dentem: and therefore is to be worthipped with tam non one and the fame worfp with the Father, arguit ul with divine and fpiritual worship, inward lao cauíaand outward worship the worthip of our tatem, bodies and toules, of our whole man. For accipere all men are bound to honour the Son, as they arguit ulhonour the Father, Joh. 5. 23. And let all lan depen Socinians take speciall notice of what dentin; & followes: He that honoureth not the Son, prinde in honoureth not the Father which hath fent minoris him, Joh.5.23, let them not then pretend, perf, i onis eft effe Filium,quam cffe Patrem. Pater enim neceffitate naturali generat filium, filius eandem naturam habet cum Patre nonex gratiâ vel indulgentià Patris; noneft enim precario Deus;ratura divina in filio eft incaufata, independens, & per omnia cadem natura divina qua eft in Pare; ipfa etiam fubfiften:ia quam accipit filius eft fibi naturaliter debita.

That

vitam non

Deo non

that they dishonour the Son (by denying his Godhead) to the glory of God the Father; for the Father will maintain and vindicate the honour of his firft-begotten, and only begotten Sonne. And let them diligently confider that Text in the 2.Epift. 2 Epift. of Iohn. whofoever tranfgreffeth and abiJoh.ver.9. deth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God; he who abideth in the doctrine of Chrift, he hath both the Father and the Son. It is for the honour of our great Ruler Iefus Chrift, that he was begotten from the dayes of Eternity, Mic 5.2.

III. The

Finally, it doth much redound to the Excellency glory of the Father and the Son, that both of God the do concur to give Subfifting life to the Holy Ghofl. Deus eft Coequal Spirit by Eternal Spiration. The Perionali- Father and Son do both breathe forth this. ter fpiritus glorious Spirit. The Spirit of Elohim, of Sanctus. both Perfons, Gen 1,2. The Spirit that pro

ceeds from the Father, Ioh.15.26. is fent by

Chrift from the Father, and the Spirit is Tempo- given by Chrift. Chrift breathed upon ralis ope the Apofties, when he gave the Holy Ghoft rationis to them, to fhew that the Spirit was breath• Sigilum, ed forth by himself as well as from the Father, fpirationis Ioh.20.22. And he is often called the Spifignum, rit of the Son. The Holy Ghoft doth reJohan 20. ceive of that which is Chrifts, as well as the 22. Fathers, Job.16.14,15. and Chrift is glori

æterne

fied by the Spirit, Iob.16.14. as the Father is glorified by Chrift. For Chrift receives

from