The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Thirdly, they differ in number: they are the same in number in respect of the Essence, because one God is Father Son, and holy Ghost, and yet in respect of those Characters in the manner of subsisting, each Person hath a subsisting by himself, which in number is not the same with the other Persons: The Father hath one manner of subsisting in number, the Son another, and the holy Ghost another: Note that I say each Person hath his subsisting by himself, not of himself.¹

Thirdly, they differ in number: they are the same in number in respect of the Essence, because one God is Father Son, and holy Ghost, and yet in respect of those Characters in the manner of subsisting, each Person hath a subsisting by himselfe, which in number is not the same with the other Persons: The Father hath one manner of subsisting in number, the Son another, and the holy Ghost another: Note that I say each Person hath his subsisting by himselfe, not of himselfe.¹

1. 1Per se, not àse.

Fourthly, they differ in operation: and so both in external and internal operations. In external works though in respect of the things wrought, they are common to all three persons, yet in respect of the manner of working, there is distinction of the persons: for the Father works by the Son in the holy Ghost: The Father worketh from none, the Son from the Father, and the holy Ghost from them both, Gen. 19. 24. John 5. 19. 30. & 8. 28. & 16. 13. There are two principles to be marked for the understanding of this point. The one is, that the works of the Deity that are outward are common to all three Persons. The other is, that look what order there is of existing in the Trinity, the same order there is in working: as was said before, the Father worketh by the Son in the holy Ghost. Thus Creation, Adoption, Sanctification, are the works of the whole Trinity: as the Scriptures prove, that attribute Creation to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Spirit, and so of the other works all three Persons work the same, Apotelesma or work, but not all after the same manner: as for instance, in the work of our Redemption, the Father works by sending the Son, the Son by assuming our Nature, the holy Ghost by sanctifying, and forming the body of Christ out of the flesh of the Virgin, &c. so in the Creation the Father wills it, the Son by the holy Ghost effects it. But this is withal to be noted, that as any outward work hath more resemblance in any part of it to any person in the Trinity, so it is more specially attributed to that Person: so in the Creed and in the Scriptures too, Creation is attributed to the Father, who being of himself, fitly gives being to the creatures: Redemption is