Places: and therefore by this perfonal Property the Son is really and truly distinguish'd from the Father, who is of none. And the Holy Ghoft is not of the Father alone, but from both Father and Son, and therefore is diftinct from both; but how he proceeded from them, or how the Son is begotten of the Father, you fee, Sir, is not here explained, but is a Mystery and inexplicable. The Creed goes no farther than the Scripture, and afferts only that these Things are fo, without pretending to fhew the Manner, how they are fo; and it is owing to Mens' Ignorance or Wilfulness, when it is accused of pretending to explain Mysteries or what is inexplicable. But now that the Holy Ghost doth proceed from both the Father and the Son, is evident, because he is the Spirit of the Son as well as of the Father, and was fent by the one as well as by the other, John 14. 26. and 16. 7, 14. Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 6. Phil. 1. 19. 1. Pet. 1. 11. So that there is a Trinity of (or three) Persons in the Unity of the Godhead. And feeing there is a Difference of Order, a First, a Second and a Third Perfon, unbegotten or unoriginate, begotten and proceeding in the Holy Trinity; we may allow Subordination in this Refpect, which makes that Text of St. John

2

St. John 14. 28. plain, where he fays, My Father is greater than I, if it should be fuppofed to be taken in Respect of his Divine and not his Human Nature only; for according to the Chriftian Oeconomy we allow a perfonal Dignity to the Father above the Son: but then, as it is expreffed in the 24th Verse of this Creed, none is afore or after either of the other with Regard to Time or Duration, and none is greater or less than another in Point of effential Dignity or Perfection of Nature; but the whole three Perfons are 'co-eternal together and co-equal. And here is no Contradiction; for we do not take this Co-eternity or Co-equality, this Priority and Subordination in one and the fame Respect: But the former is taken in an abfolute Sense with Regard to their Nature, which is one and the fame undivided in all the Three Persons, and therefore can have no Priority or Inferiority in it; and the latter is understood in Respect of their Order, that the Father has a relative Superiority or perfonal Dignity, in that he is the Fountain of Divinity, God of and from himself, and that the Son has his Effence and Divinity communicated to him by, or derived from the Father, and in this relative Sense is fubordinate to him: for we fay, that the Son D

is

is of the Father, and therefore the Second Perfon, and the Holy Ghoft of both, and therefore not the Second Perfon as the Son is, but the Third. So that it is concluded in Verse 25th, that the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity (or the Three Persons in the Unity of the Godhead, or as the one God) is to be worshipped distinct without Division, and united without Confufion; as is evident from the Form in Baptifm, and the Apoftolical Benediction, 2 Cor. 13, 14. to mention nothing else. The Ancient Fathers, who urged the Words in the Form of Baptism against the Arians, have obferv'd; that it is not said, in the Names in the Plural, but, in the Name in the Singular, as defigning an Authority common to the Three Perfons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; the Unity of Nature being thus included in the Unity of Name, which is that of God, fince Baptifm cannot be fuppofed to be administer'd in the Name of any but God alone.

What follows, Sir, is in Oppofition to the Eutychian and Apollinarian Herefies, the former of which confounded the two Natures of Chrift, making the Human to be wholly abforpt in the Divine, and not to remain diftinct in his Perfon; and the latter took away

the

the Human Soul, and put the Divine Logos in its Place. The former deny'd him to be both God and Man, and. the latter to be full and complete Man. But he is perfect God, as is expreffed in the 32d Verfe, having the Divine Nature; and alfo perfect Man, having the Human Nature complete in both its Parts, i. e. fubfifting of a reafonable Soul, and human Flefb or Body. Hence he is, as is faid in the 33d Verfe, by Confequence equal to the Father as touching his Godhead, or Divine Nature, and at the fame Time inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood, or Human Nature. And yet he is not two Chrifts, but one Christ, Verse 34th. Not by Confusion of Natures, as the Eutychians held; but by an entire Union of two diftinct Subftances in one Perfon juft as the Soul and Body united, though diftinct Subftances and different in their Natures, do not make two Men, but one Man. But how this Union is made, is a Mystery still, and not here explained; just as the Union of the Soul aud Body in Man is 'mysterious and incomprehenfible, and confequently inexplicable, though that there is such an Union none will deny. And therefore those that find fault with this Creed, as if it pretended to explain what is mysterious and

unreveal'd, are in a great mistake; for it does not explain the Manner, how the Union of the two Natures in Christ is made, which is a Mystery and unreveal'd; but only obviates the false Interpretations of Hereticks, and informs us in what Senfe this and fuch other Objects of our Faith, as are reveal'd, as far as they are reveal'd, are to be taken. And the Illustration of this Hypoftatick or personal Union, by the Union of the Soul and Body in Man, is váftly fine and perfuafive; for I defy any Philofopher or Metaphyfician of the higheft Wit and deepest Penetration, to explain to us the Manner, how this Soul and Body are united together.

I have been forced, Sir, to place thefe Verfes in this Light, that I might render, what I have farther to offer to your Confideration in Relation to the Equality of the Son with the Father, as touching his Godhead, as it is expreffed in this Creed, more evident and convincing.

In Refpect of this Equality you may remember, Sir, I faid in our Difcourfe, that all those Texts which proved Christ to be really and truly God, fuch as John 1. 1, 2, 3, and Col. 1. 16. imply'd that Equality; because the Godhead being infinite, can admit of no