A calm and sober enquiry concerning the possibility of a Trinity in the Godhead…

XI. That we may proceed to speak to both, let these things be considered with seriousness and sobriety of mind, as to our selves; with all possible reverence towards the blessed God, and with just candour and equanimity towards other Men. And first we must leave it to any ones future representation (not being hitherto able to discern any thing) what there is in all this that is here supposed any way repugnant to such simplicity, as God any where claims to his own being, or that plain reason will constrain us to ascribe to him, or that is really in it self any Perfection. We are sure God hath not by his Word taught us to ascribe to him universal absolute simplicity; or suggested to us any such Notices as directly and evidently infer it to belong to him. Nor hath seemed at all intent upon cautioning of us lest we should not ascribe it. The word we find not among his Attributes mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. The thing, so far as it signifies any general perfection, ⟨p. 29⟩we are sure belongs to him; but the Scriptures are not Written with visible design to obviate any danger of our misconceiving his Nature, by not apprehending it to be in every respect most absolutely simple. It doth teach us to conceive of him as most powerful, most wise, most gracious; and doth not teach us to conceive all these in the abstract, viz. Power, Wisdom and Goodness to be the same thing. Yet we easily apprehend by reflecting upon our selves, that, without multiplying the subject, these may all reside together in the same man. But our difficulty is greater to conceive what is commonly taught, that these, without real distinction, or with formal only (as contradistinguished to the difference of thing from thing) are in the abstract affirmable of God, that he is Power, Wisdom, Goodness. That to his Being belongs so absolute simplicity, that we must not look upon these as things really distinguishable, there, from one another, but as different conceptions ⟨p. 30⟩of the same thing. We must conceive of things as we can, not as we cannot; and are only concerned to take heed of unrevealed, and undemonstrable, and peremptory conceptions concerning that glorious most incomprehensible and ever-blessed Being; to beware of too curious prying into the Nature of God (when it was so Penal to look unduly into, or even to touch that only-hallowed Symbol of his Presence, his Ark!)