SERMON XLIV. 11 and Father of all. I Cor. viii. 6. " To us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." XIV. Since there isbut one God, even the Father, accord- ing to St. Paul, and since the Father is the only true God, according to Christ's own expression, then the Son and Spirit cannot have another, or a different godhead from that of the Father : But since the Son and Spirit also are true God, it must be by some communion in the same true godhead, which belongs to the Father : For if it were another godhead, that would make another God ; and thus the christian religion would have two or three Gods, which is contrary to the whole tenor of the gospel*, This might be proved from many scriptures, and many rea- sonings drawn from scripture; I shall mention two or three of them : 1. Christ himself saith? John x. 30. " I and my Father are one," that is, one in divine power and godhead, as the con- text leads us to expound it l And this has been the most general sense of all cur Trinitarian writers. 1 John v. 7. The apostle saith, " There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are one :" which is usually explained, these three are one in Deity, or have one and the same godhead. Nor do I know any better exposition. 2. The godhead of the Father, and the godhead of the Spirit, is the very same godhead which is in Christ, and which wrought his miracles. John xiv. 10. " I am in the Father, and the Father is in me : It is the Father that dwelleth in me, he Both the works," that is, the godhead of the Father. And this language is so strong, as if Christ and God, in these mira- culous actions, were to be esteemed one complex agent, since he elsewheresays; John x. 30. " I and my Father are one." * Here let it be observed, that I donot enter into that question, whether the godhead, which is ascribed to the Son, does always signify the full, complete, and adequate idea of the godhead, which is in theFather? or whether, in some scriptures, it only may mean an inadequate idea of godhead, which may be sup- posed to be called the word, or wisdomof God; or whether it be not rather the entire godhead under the special idea of wisdom ? For I would not enter into any particular schemes of explication, in this sermon : But, in general, it isevi- dent from scripture, that the godheadof Christ, and that of the Father, must be one and the same godhead, since there are not two Deities. . Let it be observed, again : that supposing the godhead of the Father and the Son, to be the very same, then, though the Father has theonly true godhead in him, the Son and Spirit are not excluded from a communion therein. For than it may be made to appear, that, though the Father be called the only true God ; John xvii. S. the Son and Spirit may be trueGod also ; yet, perhaps, this text might receive a much clearer explication, by applying some particular sehesge, in order to interpret it but this is not my present work.
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