ing close to the Doctrine of Holy Men in all things. From whom we have learn'd that he is the Third in Dignity and Order; Paffim. and do therefore believe that he is the Third in Nature alfo: not changing the Dignity and Nature according to the political Changes among Men, no more than we can change their Order, fo that their Substances shall be contrary to their Creation, but agreeably to the Rules of Harmony; that fo the First in order may not be Second in nature; nor that which is First in nature, may have only the Second or Third place in order. Wherefore if the Order of Creation be the best Order in intelligent Beings, the Holy Spirit, which is the third as to Order, cannot be the first as to Nature: which is no other than God -the Father. For is it not foolish and vain, that the fame Being should fometime have the First, and at other times the Third place? and in both of them to be ador'd according to his nature, as the Lord God is a Spirit, John IV. and they that worship him must worship him in 24. Spirit and in Truth. Nor is he the fame with the Only-begotten; for then he would not have been enumerated after him, as having a Subfiftence of his own. Our Saviour's words being here in the first place fufficient, whereby he faid exprefly that he fhould be fent afterward, for the inftruction and teach-1XVI. 16, ing of the Apostles. Nor is he numerically different from God, and yet Unbegotten withal. For there is only One Unbegotten Being, from whom all things were made. Nor is he a Being different from the Son, and yet a Being begotten. For our Lord is but One; Ubi priand the Only-begotten; by whom are all things, us.

26.

as Col. I. 16.

Conftitut. as the Apostle fays: but he is the third in L. VI. C. Nature and Order, made by the Command of 1.P.340. the Father, and by the Operation of the Son; and honour'd in the third place, as the firft, and greatest, and indeed the only Being of this fort made by the Only-begotten: not endu'd with equal Power, Divinity, and the Power of Creating, but endu'd with the compleat Power of Sanctification and Inftruction. For as to thofe that believe the Comforter to be only a certain Energy of God, and yet do ftill enumerate him after the two real Substances, they feem fo very foolish, and fo intirely remote from Truth, that one muft have great leifure indeed to think it worth while to confute them. But that we may not tire our Readers by the prolixity of our Difcourfe, we will contract the Sum of what has been faid into a fhort compafs, and fay;

fim.

Ubi pri"That there is only One true God, the us, & paf- « God of all things, Unbegotten, without Begin"ning, and beyond Compare; fuperior to all "Cause, the Caufe of Existence to all Beings "that are: not creating the World in com"mon with another Being, [or by commu"nicating himself to another:] Not the "first in Order only, not fomewhat greater (C upon the comparison only, and a little fu"perior to them all; but by way of Super"eminence, beyond all compare, as to his "Substance, his Power, and his Authority: "One who before all things begat, and made "the Only-begotten God, our Lord Jefus "Chrift; by whom all things were made; "the Image and Reprefentation of his own "Power and Operation; who is himself not "Co

to be compar'd with him that begat him, ec as to his Subitance; nor to that Holy Spi"rit which was made by him: for he is in"ferior to the one, as a Being made by him "and fuperior to the other, as his Maker."

Now that Chrift was made, Peter, who, as
our Lord himself attefts, had his Knowledg Mat.XVI.
from God, is an authentick Witness, when he 17.
fays, Let all the House of Ifrael know affuredly Acts II,
that God hath made him both Lord and Chrift. 36.
And he that fpake in the Person of the Lord,
when he faid, The Lord created me the Be- Prov.
ginning of his ways. And he that faid, There VIII. 22.
is one God, from whom are all things; and one 1 Cor.
Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things. And VIII. 6.
the Bleffed Apostle John, when he said, All
things were made by him; and without him was John I. 3.'
not any thing made. From whence it will fol-
low, that either the Spirit is Unbegotten;
which is a piece of Impiety: or if he were
made, he must have been made by him. For Ubi pri-
we profefs that the Son alone was made by us.
the Father; fubordinate both in Substance,
and Will and himself owns that he lives on John VI,
account of the Father, and does nothing of him- 57•
felf. Nor do we acknowledg him confubftan-
tial; for that denotes fuch a Generation as
implies Divifion of the Substance. For nei-
ther is the Father Begotten, nor the Son Un-
begotten: but what he ever is, that is he
truly call'd, a Begotten Being, an Obedient Son, Ubi pri-
a most perfect Minifter, as fubfervient in the us.
whole Creation to the Will of his Father, in
order to the Conftitution of things, and to
their Preservation; and for the giving of Laws
to Men, making ufe of the Comforter as his Paffim,

V. 19.

Minister,

4

Minifter, for the difpenfing of his Gifts, and exercise of his Providence; for San&tification, for Inftruction, and for the Confirmation of the Faithful: Who was himself in the laft days born of the Virgin Mary, who convers'd holily, according to the Laws of God; was crucify'd, and died, and rose again the third day, afcended into Heaven, will come again to judg the quick and the dead, by a righteous diftribution to every one according to their Faith and Works; and is to reign for ever and ever. So that the fupreme Dignity and Monarchy of God is ever to be preferv'd in all things: viz. that the Holy Spirit, with all the other Beings, be own'd fubordinate to Chrift; and the Son himself to Paffim. God, even the Father; according to the Doctrine of the Bleffed Apostle Paul, who fays thus: For when all things fhall be fubdued unto XV. 28. him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him; that God may be all in all.

1 Cor.

L. VII.
C. 41. P.
380.&ali-
bi paffim.

We have elsewhere with greater care, and more largely demonftrated these things, which we have here in brief included in this Profeffion of our Faith. And we beg of you of the present Age, and all others that are Partakers of the fame Myfteries with us, not to fear the Cenfures of Men, nor to be impos'd on by their Sophifms, nor feduc'd by their Flattery; but to pafs your judgment upon what has been offer'd according to Truth and Equity; as fuffering the better part to prevail, and preferring Reafon before Prejudice, fo as to fly from all the Snares and Nets which the Devil contrives against Mankind; and thereby thinks to affright, or at least to allure

f.

allure many of those who do not prefer what is really profitable before what is pleafant, nor efteem things future more fecure than thofe that are prefent; that fo the worfer part may prevail over fome of them. But may God avert any experience of this that I have faid! tho there be many that confpire for Falfhood, and are departed from the Truth; preferring the prefent Glory and Security before things pleafing to God and truly ufeful. May he preferve the Faith of my Followers unmoveable and firm to him that deliver'd it to them; while they wait for the Judgment-Seat of our Saviour Christ; where all Haughtiness, and Glory, and Falfhood will intirely vanish; and those that are to be judg'd muft ftand naked of all their Authority and Attendance; and where Affluence and Riches, be they here never fo highly esteem'd among Men, is utterly infufficient to put their Adverfaries to fhame. For a multitude of Men in all their fplendor is not there equivalent to one poor and pious Perfon; or able to caufe his rejection, where Truth it felf is to approve him. It being agreeable to God's juft Method of Retribution, that their Piety fhould plead for them at that day, who do now, on its account, esteem Death it felf to be Gain; while Chrift, the Disposer of the Rewards, did formerly and still does render to every Combatant the Prize according to his Defert: to those that undergo great Labours for the Truth, true Liberty, and the Kingdom of Heaven; but to those that have dishonour'd it, from the Wickedness of their own Minds, inevitable Punishments. And fo much shall fuffice on both