nus cited by Athanafius,) that the Holy Trinity Should be as it were recapitulated into One Head, and terminate in the One God of the Univerfe, even in Him who is Supreme over all. For it is the Doctrine of the vain and foolish Marcion, to divide the Monarchy of the Universe into Three [Supreme ] Heads: Which is a wicked Notion, and not the Doctrine of the Ἤδη καὶ τω θείαντειάδα εἰς ἕνα, ὥσπερ εἰς κορυφήν τινα, Θεὸν ἥ ὅλων, * Παντοκράτορα λέγω, συγκεφαλαιῖσαί τε και συνάγες πᾶσα ἀνάγκη. Μαρκίων ν το ματαιόφρον δαγμα, εἰς τρεῖς ἀρχὰς ἡ μου ναρχίας τομίω κ διαίρεσιν: παίδευμα ὄν διαβολικὸν, ἐχὶ ἢ ὄντως μαθησης το χεις, ν J ἀρεσκομλύων τοῖς τὸ σωτῆς μαθήμασιν Apud A thanaf. Epift. de Synod. Nican. true Difciples of Chrift, or of those who follow our Saviours inftructions. And Athanafius himfelf: The Trinity (faith he) is always perfett, and in tἶε Three perfons there is One Divinity, [viz. That of the Father:] Αεὶ τελεία ἐςὶ [τειας,] καὶ ἐν Teddi μia Deórns giváσnela και έτως ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ εἷς θεὸς κηρύσεται, ὁ τὸ λόγο Πατήρ Ad Epictet. Epifc. Corinth. Ὡς νῦν ὅξιν, ὅπως ἀεὶ ἦν καὶ ὅταν ἡ τειὰς, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ παThey say, wüμa τὴς ὑὸς καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· And fo there is preached in the Church One God, ven the Father of the Word. And again: As Now, fo Το Always was the Trinity; and in it, the Fa. ther, the Son and the Holy Ghoft, And (yet) One God, the Father, who is above all, and through all, and in all, bleffed for ever, Amen. १५ ἧς θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ, ἐπὶ πάν των καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶ σιν, ὃς ἔτιν ευλογητὸς εἰς τὸς divas, Aunv. Epift. ad Serap. 1. And . And again, in the place before-cited: The Father does all things, by the Word, and in the Holy Spirit : And fo the Unity of the Holy Trinity is preferved: And Jo One God is preached in the Church; even He who is over all, and through all, and in all : Over all, as he is the Father and Original and Fountain of all; Through all, by bis Word; and In all, in [or And again : There is but One Divinity, which is alfo in the Word: and One God, which is the Father; exifting of Him. felf, as being Over All; and manifefting bimfelf in the Son, as being Through All, and in the Spirit, as working In All through the Son and by the Spirit. And again: When all things (faith he) are done By God,Through Chrif, In the Holy Spirit ; Ifee the undivided Operation of the Father, ihe Son, and the Holy Spirit: Yet do I not therefore fo confound together, bin by Ὁ δὲ πατὴς διὰ τὸ λόγο ἐν τῷ πνεύματι το ἁγίῳ τα πάντα ποιῶν· καὶ ὅπως ἡ ἑνότης ἡ ἁγίας τειάδΘ σώζεται καὶ ὕτως ὡς θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλη σία κηρύττεται, ὁ ἐπὶ πάνε των καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶ σιν· ἐπὶ πάντων μου, ως παρ της, ὡς ἀρχὴ καὶ πηγή δια πάντων 5, δια το λόγο έν πᾶσι ϋ, ἐν τῷ πνεύματι το ἁγίῳ. Εpift. ad Serap.. by] bis Holy Spirit. ἐν Ἓν γ εδω θεότη], περ ἔεὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ· καὶ ἧς θεὸς, ὁ πατήρ· ἐφ ̓ ἑαυτῷ ὤν, καὶ τὸ Ἐπὶ πάντων εἶναι καὶ ἐν τῷ ὑῷ ἢ φαινόμυΘ, και τὸ Διὰ πάντων διήκειν· καὶ ἐν τω πνεύματι δ, καὶ τὸ Ἐν ἅπασι διὰ τὰ λόγκ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐνεργῶν. contr. Arianos Orat. 3. whom, and him through whom and bim in whom All is worked; as to be forced to run the Three Perfons into One. For, [as he adds in another place,] the FATHER bimfelf, through the Word, and in for by] the Spirit, worketh and giveth all things. And Nazianzen: In Τηρεί το δι ̓ ἄν, ὡς ἐμὸς λό my Opinion (faith he], sù Dcòs, eis év á'í the Unity of God will be preferved, if, without any Compofition or Mixture [of the Three perfons,] τιον καὶ ᾧ καὶ ἁγιο πνεύμαTarascoμsówv• 8 σw]10eμύων, ἐδὲ σωμαλειφομούων. Orat. 29. the One Cause. Upon both the Son and the Holy Spirit be referred to which Words, the learned Bishop Bull adds the following remark. CaSarius [the Brother of Nazianzen,] in his first Dialogue, fays that Mofes uses this expreffion, The Lord thy God is One Lord; to lead us to the Knowledge of God, and that the Univerfe is under the Government of One Supreme Principle. Which One Principle (adds the learned Bifhop,) is the Father; from whom the Son and Holy Spirit derive their original. Cafarius in Dialogo primo, Mosen scripfiffe dicit, Dominus Deus tuur, Dominus Unus eft; ut ad povasxíar & deovolar, hoc eft, unici Principii profeffionem Deique notitiam nos eveheret. Quod quidem Principium Unicum Pater eft; ex quo Filius & Spiritus Sanctus originem habent. Defenf. Sect. 4, cap. 4, §7. And And the judicious Dr Payne: The School-men (faith he) mif'd this plain Notion, [viz. of One God, the Father; with an only-begotten Son, and a Divine Spirit;] whilft they -- -run into a Labyrinth of Subtilties and Difficulties, about Ones being Three, and Three One; and wave an artificial cloudy Net-work of thin but dark Cobwebs, such as Real Univerfals, Subftantial Modes, Subfiftent Relations, Unfubfiftent Exiftencies, Concrete perfonal Properties, &c. that through it One Being may look and appear as Three, and yet be One; And to avoid the objection of Three Gods, (which they need not have been puzled with, if they had hit right upon That [Notion] of One according to Scripture and Antiquity,) they make Three diftinct Subfiftencies, and but one diftinct Subfiftent; three oppofite Modes and Relations, and but one Subject of them; three divine Perfons, and but one divine Being; three Somewhats, and but one Thing. My Hearty Zeal and Concern (concludes that Pious and Learned Writer) for the Honour of Cristianity, and my deep Regret to fee its Faith thus mangled and perverted, and my Pity to fee fo many groping for the Light at Noon-day, and Looking fo carefully for what they have in their Hands; has made me venture to show That which I wonder I did not always fee; and I hope Others may do the fame. Letter from Dr P. to the Bp of R. in Vindication of his Sermon on Trinity-Sunday, Poft-fcript pag. 28. See the Commination It cannot here be denied, but that as in the case of the † Discipline of the Church, fo alfo in the Compo on the first day fition of Publick Prayers, it were much to be wished that the most an of Lent. tient Forms might always be preferred; and that particularly in This part of the Liturgy, (asCare has al already been taken in almoft all other parts of it;) for the avoiding all doubtful and confufed Notions,for preventing Misunderstandings of hard Phrases among the Vulgar, and for more perfect unexcepti onableness in Expreffions wherein All are to joyn; that natural Simplicity which (after the Example of Scripture) was used in the primitive Church, (fo far as appears in the Remains of thofe Times,) of directing folemn publick Prayers uniformly to the Perfon of the Father, in the Name and through the Mediation of the Son, by the Affiftance and under the Direction and Influence of the Holy Spirit, (praying in the Holy Ghoft, as the Apoftle expreffes it, Fude 20,) had been conftantly retained; rather than that Forms composed in the later and difputaceous Ages of the Church, should have been introduced. Many of the most eminent of the firft Reformers, were of that Opinion; and the most confiderate Perfons in all times, who have been difpofed to prefer Peace and Charity in the Church of God before other confiderations, have in this matter agreed with them. Mr Hales, in his Excellent and unanswerable Tract concerning Schifm, has fhown; That, were all publick Forms of Service fo framed, as that they admitted of no particular private Opinions, but contained only fuch things in which all Chriftians do agree; fchifms upon matters of Opinion, would utterly vanish: That, if we confidered of all the Liturgies that are or ever have been, and removed from them whatsoever is offenfive to any; the Event would be, that the publick Service and Honour of God would no ways fuffer: That, to fill publick Forms with private Opinions upon which men differ, is the most effectual way |
