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PROPOSITION XXIV.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM THE

NAMES OR

TERMS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, ALREADY EXPLAINED.

[Marne applied to the first person—Examples—® applied to the second person-Examples-Followed out at great length in John V. ver. 17.ver. 19.-ver. 20. ver. 21.-ver. 22.—ver. 23.—ver. 25.-ver. 26. -cer. 27.-ver. 30.-The arguments summed upObjections answered-Arguments proving the personality of the Holy Spirit-Four particularly laid down— View of the book of the Acts-The gifts mentioned, 1 Cor. XII.-Those in Eph. IV.—Arguments proving his personality from his office capacity-John XVI. ver. 13. ver. 14. ver. 15.-Conclusion.

WE shall, therefore, hasten to arguments taken from the New Testament, in proof of the doctrine under consideration.

Now, as the foregoing portions of the Old Testament Scriptures evidently prove the doctrine of the Trinity, and those passages adduced from the prophets refer more immediately to the second person in the Divine Essence; let us turn to the New Testament, and attentively peruse and examine what that ever-blessed Person, in our nature, says concerning himself, when he appeared in the likeness of man, to teach and instruct the church.

Arguments proving the personality of the Father.

In the Gospel according to John, xiv. 8. Philip saith unto him, "Lord, shew us (TOY ПlaTega) the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen (p) me, hath seen (TOV Пατega) the Father and how sayest thou then, Shew us (TOV Пarga) the Father? 10. Believest thou not that (sw) I am (v Tw ПaTg) in the Father, and

(ο Πατηρ εν εμοι εστι

('o Taτng EV EμLOL EσTI) the Father in me? The words that (y) I speak unto you, (y) I speak not of myself, but (ο δε Πατήρ, ο εν εμοι μενων) the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11. Believe me that (w) I am (ev Tw Taτg.) in Πατρι) the Father, and (o Пaτng ev εpor) the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works' sake." It is impossible for language to be plainer, more decisive, or more declarative of the doctrine of the Trinity, than that of these verses, when fairly followed out. If the words contain any meaning at all, they must signify two divine persons, distinct, not separate. The mutual in-being of the one in the other, expressed by the words in the verses, clearly proves the essence and perfections to be the same in each, that is, they are consubstantial: and the names of the terms Father and Son, as clearly prove the distinction of

the persons. Such is the plain, evident, and decisive declaration which the second person in the Divine Essence, after having assumed our nature, makes concerning himself, and also concerning the first. The expressions are so plain, that their meaning cannot be misapprehended by any common reader; and any attempt to explain away the doctrine which they teach, is both wanton and unjust.

Again, John x. 28.; the second person in the ever-blessed Essence, after he assumed our nature, and was both God and man in two distinct natures, and one person for ever, speaking of his own disciples, comforts them thus: "And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. 29. (Пlang μ8) My Father (os dedins μo) who gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them (x T out of my Father's hand. εoμ.) I and my Father are one."

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και ο Πάλης εν

One essence,

one being, one nature, one thing. Whatever the one is, that the other is, be that what it may, -consubstantial, though still distinct in subsistence and personality. Surely these words contain the plain declaration of one divine person concerning another: and he must do violence to his own judgment, to the word of God, and to the blessed persons in the adorable Godhead, who will venture to give these words another

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explanation, so far as they relate to the divine persons mentioned in them. Let no man, from a party spirit, be guilty of such a crime.

Arguments proving the personality of the Son.

2. As we have heard our Lord speaking coneerning the first person in the Divine Essence, whom he expressly mentions as standing related to him in the Divine Essence in the character of Father, without the least ambiguity or equivocation, we are surely called upon to believe that our Lord does not intend to deceive us therefore, if we really believe that he ever spake truth on any occasion, we have equal reason to believe he spake truth on this; and if he spake truth, it is surely our duty to believe his words in the natural interpretation which they will bear. And if so, we must believe that the Father is a divine person, distinct, though not separate, from the Son; and that both are equal in essence, and all perfections natural and moral.

Let us follow this subject a little farther, and observe how plainly and particularly our Lord teaches us concerning his own divine personality, as well as the personality of the Father,

3. John v. 17. "But Jesus answered them, (o lange) My Father worketh hitherto, (nayw spyo Coμai) and I work. 18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only

had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God;" which certainly he did, and his words clearly imply this, for so his enemies understood them. He undoubtedly declares, in the 17th verse, that the Father and he are one in working, which they could not possibly be, were they not one in essence, in perfections, and one in all respects except in distinct personality. He calls God his Father; and one divine person can be the Father of another, in no respect whatever, but by the law of the constitution and economy of the Divine Essence and perfections communicating the same essence and perfections, that they may subsist in a mode distinct from what they do in the person communicating, and thereby constituting personality, as has been fully proved in the Propositions of the first part of this Essay. And to this distinct personality, or sonship, our Lord refers, claiming divine personality, and in all respects partaking of the Divine Essence and perfections, in perfect equality with the first, and claiming necessarily to be in all respects consubstantial, except in distinct subsistence. And after referring to, and claiming this distinct personality, as co-eternal, co-immense, and co-immutable with the first person and the Father, he says,

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My Father worketh hitherto, and I work ;" evidently meaning all the works in creation and providence. The Greek phrase, as ag, signifies

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