IV. That the Son is consubstantial or of the same essence with the Father and the Holy Ghost

Having established the former propositions, we are now naturally led to prove that the Son is consubstantial; that is, of the same essence with the Father. Heretics are willing to confess that the Son is of like substance, or essence with the Father, which is, indeed, true, but does not express the whole truth in relation to this subject. Two men are also, like-substantial who are nevertheless, not consubstantial. But the Father and the Son are not only of similar, but of one, and the same essence, and are one God; for there is only one divine essence which is the same, and is wholly in every one of the persons of the Godhead. The Father is, indeed, one person, and the Son is another; but yet the Father is not one God, and the Son another God, &c. John says, "that there are three that bear record in heaven; “they are three persons, but not three Gods that bear witness; "for these three are one.” Therefore, we declare against Arius, that Christ is not only like-substantial, but also consubstantial with the Father, having the same divine essence with the Father, which is confirmed by the following arguments:

1. Because the Son is called Jehovah, who is only one essence. And not only is the name, but the properties, also, which belong to Jehovah alone, are attributed to Christ: “And this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” “Lo this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord.” This expected God and Saviour is the Messiah, who, in the same sense, is called “the desire of all nations.” (Jer. 23:6, Is. 25:9, Hag. 1:7)

Those passages of Scripture are here also in place in which the angel of the Lord is called Jehovah himself; and also, those which in the Old Testament are spoken concerning Jehovah, and in the new are cited and applied to Christ: “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” (Ps. 68:18, Eph. 4:8) Jehovah was tempted in the desert; the same is said of Christ. “And let all the angels of God worship him.” “And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands.” (Ps. 97:7, Ps. 102:26, Heb. 1:6, 10)

2. Because he is called the true God, who is but one, as it is said, "This is the true God, and eternal life.” “Who is over all God blessed forever.” (1 John 5:20, Rom. 9:5)

3. Because there is one and the same Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeding from, and proper unto both through whom the Father and the Son work. They are, therefore, not distinct in essence, but only in persons, otherwise each one would have his own peculiar Spirit, and that different from the Spirit of the other.

4. Because Christ is the only begotten and proper Son of the Father, having his essence communicated to him the same, and entire, in as much as the Godhead can neither be multiplied or divided.

From these considerations it is easy to return an answer to the sophisms of heretics, especially if we consider the source whence they proceed; for they either rest their conclusions upon false principles; or they transfer to the Creator those things which are peculiar to created things; or they attribute to the Divinity of Christ those things which are spoken of his human nature; or they confound the office of the mediator with his nature or person; or they exclude the Son and Holy Ghost from those things which they ascribe to the Father as the fountain of all the divine works of the Son and Holy Ghost; or they detract from the Son and Holy Ghost those things by which the Divinity of the Father is distinguished from creatures and idols; or, finally, they corrupt the language of Scripture.