15'6 Tfte DOCTRTftE OP THE TBINTTY, [SEAM. XLIV. of; as three distinct Persons*, who have different works or offices, attributed and assigned to them. The Father is represented, as the prime Agent, in out creation, and redemption, our sanctification, and sal- vation : It was he sent his Son Jesus Christ to redeem, and save us from hell: It is he sends his Holy Spirit to enlighten, sanctify, and comfort us, and to prepare us for heaven. The Son is represented as sent by the Father into this world, to take our flesh and blood upon him, that he might die. to redeemus : He becomes,our Prophet, our Priest, and our King, to complete our salvation : He sends the Holy Spirit, from the Father, to dwell in his people. The Holy Spirit is represented as sent, by the Father. and the Son, to confirm the truth of the gospel, to guide us into all truth, to change' our Sinful natures into holi- ness, and to witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God : He is expressly called a Witnesser And a Comforter, or Advocate. Proposition XVI. Upon the whole it appears, that there is, and there must be, some real union and commu- nion in godhead between the sacred Three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to answer and support the divine names, titles, and attributes, &c. which are ascribed to them all ; And, there is, and there must be, sathe sufficient distinction between them, to sustain these distinct personal characters. and offices, an to answer to these distinct representations of scriptaáre : Thougl& how far this oneness of godhead, and. this personal distinction extend, may not be easy for us, to find out exactly, and to describe to the understanding and satis- faction of our fellow-christians. This is that veryquestion, which has so much difficulty Though they are generally called " three distinct persons," by our divines, yet there are no writers, either abroad or at home, that ever pre- tended this to -be the express language of scripture : And there are very few, if äny, of our most orthodox writers, e`ho ever supposed the word person," was to be taken here in the full, common, and literal sense of it for a distinct conscious being; but only in á qualified and restrained sense, or a sense that is analogous, or a-kin to thecommon meaning of it, among men: for three distinct persons, in the common and literal senseof it, would be three distinct Spirit, which very fewTrinitariansallow.
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