How Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are to be distinguished in certain attributes.

Of this we confess: That in the only eternal Divine Being there are not three mere names; but that each name has its true signification and attributes; so that there is a true, real Father, of whom all things are; and a true, real Son, by whom are all things; and a true, real Holy Ghost, through whom the Father and the Son operate. The Father is the true Father, who begat the Son before all time, and from whom the Son proceeded and came, and by whom he (the Father) created and made all things; and through whom the Son was sent to be the Savior of the world. The Son was born of, proceeded and came from the Father; by whom the Father created all things, and who was sent by the Father, and came into the world, and through the effectual power of the Most High was conceived by Mary, and born as man. He suffered, was crucified, died, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of His Almighty Father in heaven. The Holy Ghost is He that proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is sent by them; through whom the Father and the Son operate and work. He speaks not of Himself, but whatsoever He has heard from the Father; He takes of the things of Christ, to show them to His own.

Hence there are, in the same divine essence, in heaven, three true witnesses: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; of whom the glory of the only begotten Son of God appeared really and distinctively, in the form of a servant, on earth, and was also seen by John the Baptist, at the Jordan. And the Holy Spirit was also distinctively seen by the same John to descend, in the form of a dove, from God out of heaven, upon Christ and abide upon Him. And the Father who is an invisible Spirit, and cannot be seen by mortal eye, let His voice be heard from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
These three true witnesses are distinctively spoken of as follows: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness, of me" (John 5:31, 32).

"I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me, beareth witness of me" (John 8: 16-18, 29, 54; 1 John 5:20; John 16:32 and 15:24).

Again, Paul says: "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5).
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the -doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (2 John 1:9).

Of the Holy Ghost, Christ says: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive" (John 14:11, 17; Matthew 12:32).

"But if I depart I will send him unto you. For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:7, 13, 14).

How John, the man of God, saw the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove, read: "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).

"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him and I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:32-34). Read also Mark 1:10.

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him" (Matthew 3:16).

Mark, how awfully they sin against the Most High, who, contrary to all these express words of the Holy Ghost, still dare say and maintain that John did not see the Holy Ghost, but only a natural or created dove.

Hear also how the voice of the Father was heard from heaven: "And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

"For he received from God the Father honor and. glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory" (2 Peter 1:17. Read also: Psalm 110:1; 2 Esdras 13:32; John 1:1; 1 Corinthians 12:5; 1 John 5:7).

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost" (1 John 5:7; 1 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 3:14).

©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.