Chapter II. Of God and of the Holy Trinity.

CHAP. II.

Of God and of the Holy Trinity.

1. The Lord our God is but ²²one only living, and true God; whose ²³subsistence is in and of himself, ²⁴infinite in being, and perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; ²⁵a most pure spirit, ²⁶ invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, who is ²⁷ immutable, ²⁸ immense, ²⁹ eternal, incomprehensible, ³⁰ Almighty, every way infinit, ³¹most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute, ³²working all things according to the councel of his own immutable, and most righteous will, ³³for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, ³⁴the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withall most just, ³⁵and terrible in his judgements, ³⁶hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the ³⁷guilty.

2. God having all ³⁸ life, ³⁹ glory, ⁴⁰goodness, blessedness, in and of himself: is alone in, and unto himself all-sufficient, not ⁴¹standing in need of any Creature which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but onely manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them, he is the alone fountain of all Being, ⁴² of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most soveraign ⁴³dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; in his sight ⁴⁴ all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is ⁴⁵infinite, infallible, and independant upon the Creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain; he is most holy in all his Councels, in ⁴⁶all his Works, and in all his Commands; to him is due ⁴⁷from Angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience as Creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them.

3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, ⁴⁸the Father the Word (or Son) and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and Eternity, each having the whole Divine Essence, ⁴⁹yet the Essence undivided, the Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding, the Son is ⁵⁰Eternally begotten of the Father, the holy Spirit ⁵¹proceeding from the Father and the Son, all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and Being; but distinguished by several peculiar, relative properties, and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our Communion with God, and comfortable dependance on him.