884 THE ARIAN INVITED TO ORTHODOX FAITH. au easy light, and represent it in one contractedview, under the few following queries. SECT. III. Several Queties to illustrate this Doctrine. Query I. As the soul includes in it both the powers of un- derstanding andacting, that is mind and will, may not the soul properly represent the complete divine nature, or God ? And may not his Word and Spirit be represented by the human mind and will, that is, the power of knowing and contriving, and the power of effecting. Some of the ancients have represented the Father as the whole of the godhead, and the Son and Spirit as his powers. Hippolytus, an anti-nicene father, expresses himself in this manner, " To SE roo aralnç, Eg s /nrepas Toyer. 'rite Father is the whole, fromwhom is the power called The Logos or Word." Ire - nmus calls theWord and Spirit of God God's own self, " seme- tipsum;" for they are always present with him as his word and his wisdom, libro ii. capite 56. And Tertullian saith, " Pater tots substantia est : Filins vero derivatio et portio totius. The Father is the whole substance, but the Son is a derivation and portionof the whole." Contra Praxeam, capite 9. In some of the foregoing dissertations I have shewn, that not only the primitive fathers, but modern writers of the great- - est reputation, have represented God as one spiritual being, and' the Word, or Son, and the Spirit, as the wisdom and power of God the Father. And it may be made to appear, that this is not only the sentiment of single divines, but multitudes of them met together in synods, to form confessions of faith, have used the same manner of speaking. I shall mention only these two. The confession of the French churches, 1561, saith, " God is one only simple spiritual essence, and in that singular and divine essence there subsist three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father, the first in order, the cause and ori- ginal of all things ; the Son his wisdom and, eternal Word ; the Holy Spirit his virtue, power and efficacy." TheDutch confession, composed 1561, and confirmed in a. synod of the churches, 1579, saith, " there is one only simple and spiritual essence, which we call God, and that in this one God. are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause, origin, and beginning of all things visible and invisible ; the Son is the Word, wisdom, and image of the Father ; theHoly Spirit, the eternal virtue, and power, &c. IL May not the soul be described as employing its mind and will in different exercises or actions ? May not a spirit pro- perly say, " I employed my mind to search out such a truth,- I engaged my will in such a pious resolution, or in the practice of such a duty ?" And in the same manner, may not God be said to
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