Opinion (tho they do not always speak very clearly and confiftently) which you bave endeavour'd to fet forth in your Second Part; I fhall not examin for the Reafon already given. Befides, what does a cloud of Witneffes fignify, unless they are confiftent? But as to the Writers after that Council, you (e) declare, that the Reader must not wonder, if many Paffages not confiftent with (nay, perhaps contrary to) those which are by you cited, fhall by any one be alleged out of the fame Authors. For, you fay, you do not cite Places out of thefe Authors, fo much to show what was the Opinion of the Writers themselves, as to fhew how naturally Truth sometimes prevails by its own native Clearnefs and Evidence, even against the strongest and most fettled Prejudices: according to that of Bafil: I am perfuaded (faith be, as quoted by you) that the Strength of the Doctrine deliver'd down to us, has often compelled Men to contradict their own Affertions. Now, if this be the Cafe with refpect to those who wrote fince the Council of Nice, then we may by your own Confeffion divide thofe Writers between us. And what will the Caufe of Truth gain, by our fharing fuch oppofit and felfcontradicting Authoritys? You fee therefore, that tho' I do by no means Give up either the Antinicene or Poftnicene Writers; yet I juftly wave an Inquiry into their Sentiments, purely to fhorten our Difpute, and that I may speedily bring it to an Iffue, and obtain a Verdict from the Word of God, which alone can infallibly decide the Difference between us. (e) Introduct. p. 18. of Of the Doctor's First Propofition. These things being premifed, I fhall now proceed to your several Propofitions. The First of them is contained in thefe Words;.. There is One Supreme Caufe, and Original of Things; One fimple, uncompounded, undivided, intelligent Being, or Perfon; who is the Author of all Being, and "the Fountain of all Power. દરે " 1. In this Propofition you manifeftly make, as you do alfo elsewhere, intelligent Being and Perfon to be fynonymous and convertible Terms. Now 'tis very true, that in common Speech Intelligent Being and Perfon are convertible Terms; and in this fense the one fupreme Caufe of all things, whom I call the Very God, is undoubtedly a Perfou, and but one Perfon: but then the one fupreme Caufe or Very God may be, in a different fenfe, three diftinct Perfons, according to what has been already faid in Chap. 14. p. 218. and in this fenfe, tho' the one fupreme Cause of all things is an intelligent Being, yet he is more than one Perfon, even three Perfons. Wherefore in your fenfe of the Word Perfon, I grant the Truth of your whole Propofition, which you juftly fay, is the First Principle of Natural Religion, and every where fuppofed in the Scripture Revelation. 2. I need not obferve to you, that none of your References are intended to prove your fenfe of the Word Perfon; and therefore none of them can furnifh an Argument against my fenfe of the Word Perfon. His Second Propofition. "With this First and fupreme Caufe or Father of all "Things, there has exifted from the Beginning, a Second "Divine Perfon, which is his WORD or Son. 1. I have (f) already obferved, that the WORD is never called God's Son in Holy Scripture; tho' I have (g) fhewn, that that Way of speaking is allowable in other Writers. 2. That the WORD of God has exifted from the Beginning, is unquestionably true. 3. 'Tis alfo equally true, that the WORD has exifted from the Beginning with the firft and fupreme Caufe or Father of all Things, viz. the Very God. But then I have (b) fhewn, that the WORD's exifting with God, does not in Scripture Phrase, import that he is a diftinct Being from that God with whom he exifted from the Beginning. On the contrary I have (i) proved from Scripture, that the WORD is one and the fame Being with the Very God, with whom he always exifted. 4. The WORD therefore is not a fecond Divine Perfon in your fenfe of the Word Perfon, that is, the WORD is not a second intelligent Being coexifting with the Very God, and diftinct and feparat from him: but yet the WORD is a fecond Divine Perfon in my fenfe of the Word Perfon, viz. as exifting neceffarily in, and coeffential to, the Very God. (f) Chap. 11. p. 161, &c. The 5. The Texts you build this Propofition on, are, In fhort, all these Texts, except the firft, do relate to Chrift's Human Nature; and confequently they do none of them prove, what you have affirm'd, and I have deny'd. And as for the first of them, viz. John 1. 1, 2. I have largely explained it, and freed it from your Interpretation, in the Place referr❜d to. His Third Propofition. "With the Father and the Son there has exifted from the Beginning a Third Divine Perfon, which is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. 1. That the Spirit of the Father or Very God (who is also called the Spirit of the Son or the Man Christ Jefus, because he was moft plentifully enjoyed, and is bestowed, by him, as I have obferved above, ch. 13. p. 203, 212.) has exifted from the Beginning, is granted. But that this Spirit is a third Divine Perfon in your fenfe of the Word Per Son, Son, that is, a third Being diftinct from God and his WORD, I utterly deny; tho' I grant him to be a third Divine Perfon in my Senfe of the Word Perfon, as exifting neceffarily in, and coeffential to, the Very God. 2. The Scriptures do not fay that the Spirit exifted with the Father and the Son from the Beginning; tho' if they did, it would prove nothing for your Purpose, as is evident from what I have faid about the WORD's being in the Beginning with God. See Chap. 12. p. 188, &c. 3. The Spirit's proceeding from the Father and the Son denotes his Temporal Miffion : And I have largely explained the whole Allegory in Chap. 13. P. 202, &c. 4. As for the Texts you refer to, touching N° 11247 John 15.26. 1129 Cor. 2. 10,II. 1148Matt. 3. 16. Ch. 13. p.202,&c. 13. 198,&c. 82 13. 202. In Numb. 1132*, which is Heb. 19. 14. he is only called the Eternal Spirit, which furely can't prove him a diftinct Being from the Very God. His Fourth Propofition. "What the proper Metaphyfical Nature, Effence, or "Subftance of any of thefe Divine Perfons is, the Scripture has no where at all declared; but defcribes and diftinguishes them always by their personal Characters, Offices, Powers and Attributes. To this Propofition (fuppofing the Word Perfons, and confequently perfonal, to be taken in my fense; and |