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476

The Scripture Doctrine Chap. II.
Scripture-Do&trine

17:

To Him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give—

al Thanks.

See above, No 1, and 16.

18.

-continu

Prop. Pref. O Lord, [Holy Father,] Almighty, e. on Trinity-verlafting God: Who art One God, One Sunday. Lord: Not One only Perfon, but † Three t 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 Senfe, as This; nor which fo much requires (as the Preface to the Book of Common-Prayer expreffes it) to be allowed fuch juft and favourable Construction, as in common Equity ought to be allowed to all Human Writings, especially such as are set forth by Authority, and even to the very best Tranflations 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 gramma tical 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 meafure.

+ 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.

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19.

And the Bleffing of God Almighty, The Blef the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 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 Cate~ ther, &c. 2ly in God the Son, &c. 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. I, N° 5o.

21,

In the Of

21.

God the Father, God the Son, God

fice of Ma- the Holy Ghoft, blefs, preserve and keep

trimony,

the Bleffing, you.

See above in this chapter, N° 3, 4, 5, and 8.

Ordination
Hymn.

22.

Teach us to know the Father, Son, And Thee, of Both, to be but * One. *Not, as, one and the fame perfon; but, 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,
Co-equal Three in One.

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, N® 67.

First.

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 Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in Unity of this Godhead, there be † Three perfons, of one * Substance, 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 Persons, as of so many Parts; or that the Three Perfons, were only fo many distinct Appellations and Denominations of One and the fame Perfon. But the confiftent 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 Hiftory of the Creed has fhown, in all the antient both Greek and Latin Copies of the Apostles Creed likewife; and, in the Athanafian Creed it felf, 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 Spirit: 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.

25.

Article the

25.

The Son, which is the Word of the fecond. Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal † God, of one Substance with the Father; &c.

Article the
Fifth.

+ See above in this chapter, No 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

* See above in this chapter, N° 14.

26.

The Holy Ghoft, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of One Subftance, Majefty and Glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal † God.

* See above in this chapter, No 14 and 4. † See above in this chapter, N° 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.

27.

Article the The Three Creeds, Nice Creed, AEighth. thanafius's Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apoftles Creed, ought throughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by moft certain Warrants of Holy Scripture.

See above in this chapter, N° 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, & 15.

THE END.

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