17. To Him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give-continual Thanks. See above, No I, and 16. 18. Prop. Pref. O Lord, [Holy Father,] Almighty, eon Trinity-verlafting God: Who art One God, One Sunday. Lord: Not One only Perfon, but †Three Perfons in * One Substance. For that which we believe of the Glory of the Father, the fame we believe of the Son and of the Holy Ghoft, without any difference or inequality. There is no paffage in the whole Service fo apt to be understood in a wrong Sense, as This; nor which fo much requires (as the Preface to the Book of Common-Prayer expreffes it) to be allowed such just and favourable Construction, as in common Equity ought to be allowed to all Human Writings, especially fuch as are set forth by Authority, and even to the very best Translations of the Scripture it felf. For, (the words, Lord, Holy Father, Almighty everlasting God, and Who art, being all Perfonal;) the firft obvious, natural and grammatical Sound of the whole Sentence is, that the Perfon of the Father is not One only Perfon, but Three Perfons. Which being manifeftly abfurd, contrary to the Doctrine of Scripture, to num berlefs berless other expreffions in the Liturgy, and to the true intent of this Paffage it felf: The meaning of it therefore, confiftent with what is fet forth in other places, muft of neceffity be; that God the Father Almighty is not to be confidered by us fingly in the Jewish or Sabellian Senfe, but that With him always Are his Son and his Spirit, by immediate ineffable Derivation from him, and in intimate Union and Communion with him; by and through whom He acts and governs all things, and manifefts his Glory in and by them plenarily and without measure." See above in this chapter, N. 3, 4, 5, 8. * See above in this chapter, No 14. + See above in this chapter, N° 5, 6, 7· 19. And the Bleffing of God Almighty, The Blef the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, fing. be amongst you, &c. 18. See above in this chapter, No 3, 4, 5, 8, and 20. First, I learn to believe in God the Fa- The Catether, &c. 2ly in God the Son, &c. 3ly 3ly chifm. in God the Holy Ghoft, &c. See above in this chapter, No 3, 4, 5, 8: and, in the fore-going chapter, Sect. II, N° 50. In the Of 21. God the Father, God the Son, God fice of Ma- the Holy Ghoft, blefs, preferve and keep trimony, theBleffing, you. See above in this chapter, N° 3, 4, 5, and 8. Ordination 22. Teach us to know the Father, Son, *Not, as, one and the fame perfon; bụt, ev, one and the fame thing: As has been explained above, Part I, No 594, 600, and 609. In the fame. 23. One God in Perfons Three, How these words may be understood agreeably to the Doctrine of Scripture, and to the other expreffions in the Liturgy; fee above in this chapter, No 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; and compare, in the fore-going chapter, Sect. II, No 67. Firft. 24. Article the There is but One living and true God, everlasting, without Body, Parts, or Paffions; of infinite Power, Wisdom and Good Goodness; the Maker and Preferver of all things both visible and invifible. And in Unity of this Godhead, there be † Three perfons, of one* Subftance, power and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It is not reconcileable either with the Doctrine of Scripture, or with the Expreffions of the Liturgy cited in the foregoing chapter, or with this Article it felf; to understand the words either in fuch a manner, as if they fignified that God was a Being compounded of three Perfons, as of fo many Parts; or that the Three Perfons, were only fo many diftinct Appellations and Denominations of One and the fame Perfon. But the confiflent and intelligible Meaning of them, can be no other than This; That there is One God, viz. he whom in the Creed we daily profess to believe in; One God, the Father Almighty; (fo it is in the Nicene Creed; and, as the learned and judicious Author of the History of the Creed has shown, in all the antient both Greek and Latin Copies of the Apostles Creed likewife; and, in the Athanafian Creed itself, The Father, God Almighty :) And that With Him, by immediate Union with him, and ineffable Communication of Being and Power from him, always Are his Son and his Spi rit: So that, not in his own Perfon only, but in and by his Son and Spirit, is His divine Power, Glory and Majefty, continually and plenarily manifefted. 8. † See above in this Chapter, No 3, 4, 5, and *See above in this Chapter, N. 14. Article the 25. The Son, which is the Word of the Article the * + See above in this chapter, N° 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, * See above in this chapter, N° 14. 26. The Holy Ghoft, proceeding from the 27. Article the The Three Creeds, Nice Creed, A- See above in this chapter, N° 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, THE END. |