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A Defence of the Blessed Trinity. By Isaac Barrow. D. D.  
Price twelve Pence.   

A BRIEF STATE OF THE Socinian Controversy. Concerning a TRINITY in UNITY.  
By Isaac Barrow, D. D. Late Master of Trinity-College, in Cambridge.  
LONDON, Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill, 1698. Price two Pence.   

A BRIEF STATE OF THE Socinian Controversy.  

* V. Defence of the B. Trinity, p. 5.  THe Sacred Trinity may be considered, either as it is in itself, wrapped up in unexplicable Folds of Mystery; or, as it hath discovered itself, operating in wonderful Methods of Grace towards us.  
As it is in itself, 'tis an Object too bright and dazzling for our weak Eye to fasten upon; an Abyss too deep for our short Reason to fathom. I can only say, That we are so bound to mind it, as to exercise our Faith, and express our Humility, in willingly believing, in submissively adoring those high Mysteries, which are revealed in the Holy Oracles concerning it; by that Spirit itself, which searcheth the Depths of God, and by that Only Son of God, who residing in his Father's Bosom, hath thence brought them forth, and Expounded them to us, so far as was fit for our Capacity and use. And the Lectures so read by the Eternal Wisdom of God, the Propositions uttered by the Mouth of Truth itself, we are obliged with a Docile Ear, and a Credulous Heart, to entertain.  
That there is One Divine Nature or Essence, common unto Three Persons, incomprehensibly United, and ineffably Distinguished; united in Essential Attributes, distinguished by peculiar Idioms and Relations; all equally Infinite in every Divine Perfection, each different from other in Order and Manner of Subsistence; that there is a mutual inexistence of One in All, and All in One; a Communication without any Deprivation or Diminution in the Communicant; an Eternal Generation, and an Eternal Procession without Precedence or Succession, without proper Causality or Dependence: A Father imparting his own, and the Son receiving his Father's Life, and a Spirit issuing from both, without any Division or Multiplication of Essence; These are Notions which may well puzzle our Reason, in conceiving how they agree, but should not stagger our Faith, in assenting that they are true. Upon which we should meditate, not with hope to comprehend, but with disposition to admire, veiling our Faces in the Presence, and prostrating our Reason at the Feet of Wisdom so far transcending us.  
There be those, who because they cannot untie, dare to cut in sunder these Sacred Knots. Who, because they cannot fully conceive it, dare flatly to deny them. Who, instead of confessing their own Infirmity, do charge the plain Doctrines and Assertions of Holy Scripture with Impossibility. Others seem to think, they can demonstrate these Mysteries by Arguments grounded upon Principles of Natural Light, and express it by Similitudes derived from common Experience. To repress the Presumption of the former, and to restrain the Curiosity of the latter; the following Consideration (improved by your Thoughts) may perhaps somewhat conduce.  
We may consider, That our Reason is no competent or capable judge coneerning Propositions of this Nature. 'Tis not sufficient, nor was ever designed to sound such Depths; to descry the Radical Principles of all Being; to reach the extreme Possibilities of Things.  
Such an Intellectual Capacity is vouchsafed to us, as doth suit to our Degree (the lowest Rank of Intelligent Creatures) as becometh our Station in this inferior Part of the World; as may qualify us to discharge the petty Businesses committed to our Management, and the facile Duties incumbent on us. But to know, What God is; How he subsisteth; what he can; what he should do; by our natural Perspicacity, or by any means we can use, farther than he pleaseth to reveal, doth not suit to the Meanness of our Condition, or the Narrowness of our Capacity. These really are the most elevated Sublimities, and the abstrusest Subtleties that are, or can be in the nature of things. He that can penetrate them, may erect his Tribunal any where in the World, and pretend justly that nothing in Heaven or Earth is exempted from his Judgement.  
But in truth, how unfit our Reason is to exercise such Universal Jurisdiction, we may discern by comparing it to our Sense. It is obvious, that many Beasts do (by advantage of a finer Sense) See, Hear, Smell things imperceptible to us. And were it not very unreasonable to conclude, that such things do not exist, or are in themselves altogether insensible, because they do not all appear to us? Is it not evident, that we ought to impute their Imperceptibility (respecting us) to the defect of our Sense, to its Dulness and Grossness, in regard to the Subtlety of those Objects? Even so may Propositions in themselves, and in regard to the Capacity of higher Understandings; (for there are gradual Differences in Understanding, as well as in Sense) be true and very intelligible, which to our inferior Reason seem unintelligible, or repugnant to the Prenotions, with which our Soul is imbued: And our not discerning those Truths, may argue the Blindness and Weakness of our Understanding, not any Fault or Inconsistency in the Things themselves. Nor should it cause us any wise to distrust them, if they come recommended to our Belief by competent Authority.  
It cannot be reasonable out of Principles drawn from ordinary Experience, 
P. 21.  about these most low and imperfect Things to collect; that there can be no other kind of Unions, of Distinctions, of Generations, of Processions, than such as our own gross Sense doth represent to us. Reason itself more forcibly doth oblige us to think, that to sublimer Being's there do pertain Modes of Existence and Action, Unions and Distinctions, Influences and Emanations of a more high and perfect Kind: Such as our course Apprehension cannot adequate, nor our rude Language express: Which we perhaps, have no Faculty subtle enough to conceive distinctly, nor can attain any congruous Principles, from which to Discourse solidly about them. No Words, 
Id. on the Creed, p. 337.  perhaps, which we do use to signify our Conceptions about these Material and Inferior Things, will perfectly and adequately suit to a Mystery, so much remote from the common Objects of our Knowledge, so far transcending our Capacity. Shall we then, who cannot pierce into the Nature of a Pebble; that cannot apprehend how a Mushroom doth grow; 
V. Defence of the B. Trinity, p. 26.  that are baffled in our Philosophy about a Gnat or a Worm, debate and decide (beyond what is taught us from above) concerning the precise manner of Divine Essence, Subsistence, or Generation? I do (saith St. Chrysostom) eat Meats, but how they are divided into Phlegm, into Blood, into juice, into Choler, I am ignorant. These things which every day we see and taste, we do not know; and are we curious about the Essence of God?  
Wherefore do we stretch our Judgement beyond its Limits, 
P. 55.  unto Things so infinitely exceeding it? Why do we suffer our Reason to be Pragmatical, unjustly Invading the Office not belonging thereto; intruding into Things which it hath not seen, Col. two. 18. nor can comprehend; those secret Things, which belong to the Lord our God, Deut. xxix. 29. and the comprehension whereof he hath reserved unto himself?  
These Considerations may suffice in some manner, to show, that St. Chrysostom had reason to exclaim so much against the Madness, as he styleth, it, of those, who are busily Curious in Speculation about the Essence of God; daring to subject Divine Mysteries to their own Ratiocinations. That St. Basil's Advice was wholesome, not to be meddlesom about things, about which Holy Scripture is silent.  
That 
† Zeno Veronens.  another Ancient Writer did say no less prettily, than truly, that in these Matters curiositas reum facit, non peritum; we may easilier incur blame, than attain Skill by nice Enquiry into them. That many of the Fathers do with great Wisdom dislike and dissuade the searching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the manner of Things being true or possible, as a suspicious Mark, or a dangerous Motive of Infidelity. That St. Paul's Rules, Rom. xii. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to be wise so as withal to be sober, and modest; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not to conceit any thing without warrant of Scripture, 1 Cor. iv. 6. are in this Case most especially to be heeded. That, according to St. Peter's Admonition, we should as newborn Babes (unprepossessed with any Notions or Fancies of our own) long for, 
1 Pet. two. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  and greedily suck in the sincere milk of the Word; not diluting it with base Liquors of Humane Device. That where God doth interpose his definitive Sentence, our Reason hath nothing to do but to attend and submit. No Right to Vote, no Licence to Debate the Matter. It's Duty is to listen and approve whatever God speaketh, to read and subscribe to whatever he writeth. At least in any case it should be mute, or ready to follow Job, saying, Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth, Job xl. 4.  
In fine; The Testimony of God, with a sufficient clearness represented to the Capacity of an Honest and Docile Mind (void of all partial Respects, and clear from all sorts of Prejudice; loving Truth, and forward to entertain it; abhorring to wrest or wrack Things, to use any Fraud or Violence upon any Principle, or Ground of Truth) the Testimony of God, I say, so revealed, whatever Exception, our shallow Reason can thrust in, should absolutely convince our Judgement, and constrain our Faith.  
If the Holy Scripture teacheth us plainly, and frequently doth inculcate upon us (that which also the uniform Course of Nature, and the peaceable Government of the World doth also speak) That there is but One True God. If it as manifestly doth ascribe to the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, the same August Names, the same Peculiar Characters, the same Divine Attributes (essential to the Deity) the same Superlatively admirable Operations of Creation and Providence: If it also doth prescribe to them, the same Supreme Honours, Services, Praises and Acknowledgements to be paid unto them All; this may be abundantly enough to satisfy our Minds, to stop our Mouths, to smother all Doubt and Dispute about this High and Holy Mystery.  
It was exceeding Goodness in God, that he would condescend so far to instruct us; to disclose so Noble a Truth unto us; to enrich our Minds with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that most excellent Knowledge of himself. And it would be no small Ingratitude and Unworthiness in us, any wise to suspect his Word, or pervert his Meaning; any wise to subject his Venerable Oracles to our rude Canvases and Cavils.  
In fine; The proper Employment of our Mind about these Mysteries, is not to search and speculate about them, to Discourse flippantly and boldly about them; but with a pious Credulity to embrace them, with all humble Respect to Adore them.  
FINIS.   

Books Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, in Cornhill.  
A Seasonable Vindication of the B. Trinity. Being an Answer to this Question, Why do you believe the Doctrine of the Trinity? Collected from the Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Right Reverend Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, now Lord Bishop of Worcester. Price 12d.  
A Method of daily Devotion. A Method of Devotion for the Lord's-Day. Likewise several small Books against Debauchery, Profaneness, Blasphemy, Cursing, and Swearing, etc. Price two Pence each, and something cheaper to them that give away Numbers.  
All these by Dr. Ashton.