A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 7 Of the persons in Trinity.

And so much concerning Gods attributes, whereby his nature is made known unto us, that we may accordingly serve him, and so carry our selves, as that we may be acceptable in his sight. Now further we must know him in his persons, namely, that howsoever he is but one in nature and essence, yet he is distinguished into three persons, the Father, Son and holy Ghost. For the better understanding whereof, we are to know, that a person in the deity is a subsistence in the divine essence, comprehending the whole divine nature and essence in it, but distinguished by an incommunicable ⟨p. 34⟩property from other persons, unto which it hath relation. ¹Or it is the Godhead restrained or distinguished by his personal property. And therefore every person, containing in it the whole divine essence, it followeth, that whatsoever agreeth absolutely to, or is spoken of the whole divine nature, in respect of its outward actions and works towards the creatures, doth alike agree to every distinct person, and whatsoever agreeth to, or is spoken of every of the persons, that likewise agreeth to the whole divine nature. And from hence also it followeth, that these three divine persons, are in glory and all other attributes coequal, and in respect of time coeternal; but yet every one is distinct from other, by their personal property. So that the divine nature being considered with the personal property of begetting, is the Father, and not the Son, nor holy Spirit; being considered with the personal property of being begotten, is the Son, and not the holy Ghost nor Father; and with the personal property of proceeding, is the holy Spirit, and neither the Father nor the Sonne. The Father then is the first person in Trinity, who having his being of himself, hath communicated his whole essence unto the Son, and so hath begotten him by eternal generation. The Son is the second person in Trinity, who is begotten of the Father. The holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son, who is therefore called the Spirit, because he proceedeth, and (as it were) is breathed from them both; and the holy Spirit, because he doth immediately sanctify the elect, and make them holy, and the Father and Son do it mediately by him.