58 SERMONS upon Serm.4. explication of this Myftery, as Vnity, Trinity, Efence, Perfon, ConfrbJtantial; which though they be not all found in the Scriptures, yet they are the beft that we can ufe in fo deep a Matter, and ferve to prevent the Errors and Mitakes of thofe, who would either multiply the E(iènce, or abolifh the Perlons. Some Terms mutt be ufed, and there are the fafeft. They be Three, and yet One ; and the molt commodious way to . folve it to our Under(tandings, is, One in Effence, and Three Perlons : for there be- ing Three in the Divine Effence, 'the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, each having the whole Divine Effence, and yet the Effence undivided, there mutt be Tome words toexprefs the Myftery. God being One, cannot be divided in Nature and Being; and there being Three, every One havingthe whole Godhead in himfelf, diftinguith- ed by peculiar relative Properties, what term (hall we ufe ? Three ways of Exittence there are in the Nature of God, becaufe of thofe three réal Relations, Paternity, Fi- liation, and Proceflion. One they are, and diftinet they are really. There is, and muff be a diftin &ion, for the Effence and particular way of Exiftence do differ. What- ever is faid of the Effence, is trgof every Perlon 5 God is Infinite, Eternal, incom- prehenfible ; fo is the Father, Son, and Spirit : But now, whatever is raid of the Exi- ftence, as Exiftence, cannot be faid of the Effence; every one that is God, is not Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. I fay then, there being a ditlin &ion between the Na- eure, and particular Exiftences, there mutt be Come Terms to exprefs it. The Greek Church in the Nicene Council, fome 36o Years after Chrift, worded it thus : The Occafion was this, fome Hereticks faid, If Chrift be God, of the fame Subitanee and Being with the Father; then, when Chrift was Incarnate, the Father was Incarnate alto : No, fay the Orthodox, though the join, the Subfiance or Effence be the fame; it is not the fame ;ae6scses, the fame Subfiftence in the Godhead ; and then began the publick and received Di(tinetión of itofa and vü ósans : ï sía fignifying the Nature or Subtrance; vztósaoss, the feveral manners of Exiftence. And the deternainationof the Church was, that thefe were the fitteft Terms to explicate this Myftery. Not but that thefe words were ufed before in this Matter ; as may appear out of divers Authors, that lived and wrote before that famous Nicene Council, but they were not fo accurately diftinguithed, nor fo publickly received. And indeed, though the word ëiofa, Effence, be not in Scripture, yet iwósams is. There is ground for issia, for when the Nature of God is expreffed, it is exprefl d by a word equivalent to Effence, I Am that I Am, Exod. 3. 14. So d wv, é iv, 3 4144.0% He that was, and irk -and is to come, Rev. 1. 4. Then for xitósao=s, Chrift is called, Heb. t. 3. 2«p9,,,,He sî s vztosdstus &uv , The exprefs Image of his Perfora : It cannot be. rendred Effence, but Subfiftence ; for then Arrias would have carried the Day, and Ch'fift would be only u s sn©- s And the Father's Effence cannot properly be Paid to bêtniprefïed on the Son, line the very fame individual Effence and Subftance was wholly in him, as it was wholly in the Father; and the Son cannot be Paid to be like : But now the exprefr Image of his Sublillence, or, as we now render it, Perfon, doth pro- vide for the Confubflantiality of the Son, againft Arrias ; and for the dillinetion of the Subfif fences, againft Sabel/Ms. Thus for a long time it was carried in the terms of Sub - fiance and Subflfence. Btu how came the word Perfon in ufe ? I anfwer, The Latin Church expreffed it by Perfon, upon thefe Grounds; partly, becaufe they would have a word in their ovin Language, that might ferve for common and vulgar ufe, and the right apprehenfion of this Myftery ; partly, becaufe :wo'çnns and Subfitíense were ambiguous, and of a doubtful fignification, being both often in common accep- tation put for the fame thing ; and the Latin Fathers, timidriu úfi font eo vocabtrl , were thy in ufing that word ; partly, becaufe this word is very commodious, as being proper to particular, dittinet, rational Subftances : Whatever is a Perlon, mutt be a Subftance, not an Attribute or Accident, as White or Black ; a particular Subftance, not a general Effence or Nature : it mull be living, we do not call a Book, or a Board, a Perron; it muff be rational, wedo not call á Tree, or a Beall, a Perlon, though they have Life, but only Man : and it mutt not be a part of a Man, as the Soul ; it mutt be that which is fuftained in another, but fubliffeth of it fell; fo the humanity of Chrift is not a Perlon, becaufe it hath no Subfiftence in it felf, but is fuftained by the God - head. Now a Perfon in the Godhead, is an incommunicable Suhfifience in the Divine Efface, or the Divine Efface or Nature, diftinguifüed by its incommunicable Property; or more plainly, a diverfe and d f inli Subfiftence in the Godhead. And the word is not to be taken in the extream rigor, to infer any feparation or divilion in the Godhead. Three Perfon among Men, make three feparate Effences, three Men ; but not here three
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