1 Every one out of tliis way everlastingly damned.
* The life of religion is in the Life.
' Popish traditions are false lights, leading from God.
* The authority of the Scripture dependeth not on the authority of the church, as the Papists blaspheme.
* All human inventions unnecessary helps in the worship of God.
^ The word thereof is the sole directory for faitli, worship, and life.
' This alone persuadeth and inwardly convinceth the heart of the divine verify of tiie Scri[)ture; other motives, also, there are from without, and unanswerable arguments to prove the truth of them; as, — 1. Their antiqnity; 2. Preservation from fnry; 3. Prophecies in them; 4. The holiness and majesty of tlieir doctrine, agreeable to the nature of God; 5. Miracles; 6. The testimony of the church of all ages; 7. The blood of innumerable martyrs, &c.
THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. 471
CHAP. II.— Of God.
Q. 1, What do the Scriptures teach concerning God?
A. First, what he is, or his nature ; secondly, what he doth, or his works. — Exod. iii. 14; Isa. xlv. 6; Heb. i. 1-3, xi. 6.
Q. 2. What is God in himself?
A. An "eternal, 'infinite,^ ^ ^ "incomprehensible ''Spirit, 'giving being to all things, and doing with them whatsoever he pleaseth. — * Deut. xxxiii. 27 ; Isa. Ivii. 15 ; Rev. i. 8. — " 1 Kings viii. 27 ; Ps. cxxxix. 2-5, &c.— ° Exod. xxxiii. 20 ; 1 Tim. vi. 16.— "^ John iv. 24.—^ Gen. i. 1 ; Ps. cxv. 3, cxxxv. 6; Isa. xlvi. 10; John v. 17; Heb. i. 2.
Q. 3. Do lue here know God as he is?
A. No ; his glorious being is not of us, in this life, to be compre- hended.— Exod. xxxiii. 23; 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
Q. 4. Whereby is God chiefly made known unto us in the Word?
A. First, by his " names ; secondly, by his " attributes or proper- ties.— ''Exod. iii. 14, vi. 3; Ps. Ixxxiii. 18. — "Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7; Matt. V. 48.
Q. 5. What are the names of God?
A. Glorious titles, which he'* hath given himself, to hold forth his excellencies unto us, with some perfections whereby he will reveal himself — Exod. iii. 14, 15, vi. 3, xxxiv. 6, 7; Gen. xvii. 1.
Q. 6. What are the attributes of God?
A. His infinite perfections in being and working. — Rev. iv. 8-11.
Q. 7. What are the chief attributes of his being ?
A. "Eternity, " infiniteness, "simplicity®'^ or purity, ** all-sufficiency, " perfectness, ^immutabilit}^, ''life, '"will, and 'understanding. — "Deut. xxxiii. 27; Ps. xciii. 2; Isa. Ivii. 15; Rev. i. 11. — M Kings viii. 27; Ps. cxxxix. 1-4, 8-10. — "Exod. iii. 14. — ""Gen. xvii. 1; Ps. cxxxv. 4-6.— ^ Job xi. 7-9; Rom. xi. 33-36.— ' Mai. iii. 6; James i. 17. ^Judges viii. 19; 1 Sam. xxv. 34; 2 Kings iii. 14; Ezek. xiv. 16,
' The perfection of God's being is known of us chiefly by removing all imper- fections.
^ Hence the abominable vanity of idolaters, and of the blasphemous Papists, that picture God.
^ Let us prostrate ourselves in holy adoration of that which we cannot compre- hend.
* The divers names of God signify one and the same thing, but imder diverse notions in respect of our conception.
^ Some of these attributes belong so unto God, as that they are in no sort to be ascribed to any else, — as infiniteness, eternity, &c. Othei-s are after a sort attii- buted to some of his creatures, in that he communicateth unto them some of the effects of then\ in liimself, — as life, goodness, &c.
^ The first of these are motives to humble adoration, fear, self-abhorrency; the other, to faith, hope, love, and contidence, through Jesus Christ.
472 THE PRINCIPLES OF
xvi. 48; Matt. xvi. 16; Acts xiv. 15; 1 Thess. i. 9.—'' Dan. iv. 85; Isa. xlvi. 10; Eph. i. 5, 11; James i. 18. — 'Ps. vii. 8, cxxxix. 2, cxlvii. 4; Jer. xi. 20; Heb. iv. 13.
Q. 8. What are the attributes tvMch usually are ascribed to him in his works, or the acts of his will?
A. "Goodness, ''power, ^^ "justice, ** mercy, 'holiness, ^wisdom, and the like ; which he delighteth to exercise towards his creatures, for the praise of his glory.— ^Ps. cxix. 68; Matt. xix. 17. — ''Exod. XV. 11 ; Ps. Ixii. 11; Rev. xix. 1. — " Zeph. iil 5; Ps. xi. 7; Jer. xii. 1 ; Rom. i. 32.— "Ps. cxxx. 7; Rom. ix. 15; Eph. iL 4. — "Exod. xv. 11; Josh. xxiv. 19; Hab. i. 13; Rev. iv. 8.— 'Rom. xi. 33, xvi. 27.
CHAP. III.— Of the Holy Trinity.
Q. 1. Is there but one God to whom these properties do belong?
A. "One only, in respect of his essence and being, but one ""in three distinct persons, of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. — ' Deut. vi. 4; Matt. xix. 17; Eph. iv. 5, 6.—" Gen. i. 26; i John v. 7; Matt, xxviii. 19.
Q. 2. What mean you by person ?
A. A distinct manner of ^ ^ ^ subsistence or being, distinguished from the other persons by its own properties. — John v. 1 7 ; Heb. i. 3.