Who Are You Lord? I AM Jesus - PART 155

Norton (Trinitarian) tries to explain the trinity view point to Howgill's reply. From Norton’s presentation - you are endeavouring to prove the trinity as you call it, and you say that the Father is a distinct subsistence, and the Son a distinct subsistence, and the Holy Spirit a distinct subsistence. And to support this you refer to John 5. There is another that bears witness likewise, speaking of the Holy Spirit, he calls Him another, and this another you say is intelligible of the essence, and then you say, what is more manifest than another subsistence, and another subsistence, and another subsistence speaks distinct subsistence, and then you say, the Spirit is called the hand of the Trinity.

Howgill replies to Norton’s above outline saying, Another is not to be understood as being of another life or another subsistence, but is to understood of as another manifestation or operation of the same God who subsists in the same power in which the Father the Son and the Spirit subsists, and as I said to you before, another, as to distinguish of the operation and work of the Spirit, and of the Son , we accept this. However, to make three distinct essences and beings is ignorance and error, and as you say, another is intelligible of the essence, and so you have made three essences, three subsistence’s, three persons and three Gods; but we say there is but One God, and there is three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the Spirit, and these three are one. Now as for subsistence’s and essence, they are unsound words coined of yourselves, from your dark imaginations, in which there is no truth at all, but casts a mist; Now as to where the Holy Spirit is called a person in the scriptures I have never read, and where it is called the hand of the Trinity I have never heard you say before, and so your blind ignorant conclusions and sophistically arguing will have place with them that are come to know the teachings of the Spirit, who keep to a form of sound words, which you cannot do.

Francis Howgill died in 1668 after repeated imprisonments. His last words were, "I have sought the way of the Lord from childhood and I have lived innocently among men, and if any inquire concerning my latter end, let them know that I die in the faith in which I lived and for which I suffered."

May all born again believers continue steadfastly in the faith that was once delivered to the saints, personally delivered to them by their (our) Great God and Only Saviour the Lord Jesus the Christ. There is only One God in Heaven and Jesus is His name. Jesus said, "except you believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins. He that has seen Me has seen the Father." Remember Paul's question - Who are you Lord? The reply - I am Jesus!