CHA P. II.

Of the Chriftian Faith.

Catechift. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.

Anf. I believe in God

Q. What do'st thou chiefly learn in thefe "Articles of thy Belief?

A

A. Firft I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the World.

Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all Mankind.

Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghoft, who fanctifieth me, and all the elect People of God.

3

Catechift. The fecond fpecial Part that our Catechifm confifts of,is an Instruction in the Christian Faith. And this is what you have in that Summary of Christian Doctrine, which for the Matter and Senfe thereof, is called the Apoftle's Creed. 3

A

The firft Expreffion of it (I believe) fignifies the Act of Faith, or that Faith by which we do believe; which is to truft God, and what he hath revealed. And the following Expreffions declare the Objects of our Faith, both Perfonal and Doctrinal.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are the primary, perfonal, and proper Objects of our Faith. For in all Belief, whether

Divine or Human, we first trust the Perfon, and then we believe the thing. And fo the things which we believe,upon the Teftimony or Word of God, are the fecondary and doctrinal Objects of our Belief.

Thefe different forts of Objects, which our Creed propofeth to us, must be diffe rently believed by us, according to their Natures; either only intellectually, by the Af fent of the Understanding, or alfo with our Wills, in an affectionate and active Manner.

The Perfonal Objects, or three Divine Perfons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, must be believed by us with Hope, Love and Confidence, as being abfolutely fit and worthy to be lov'd and confided in. And to denote thefe Affections, or Acts of Faith towards God, it is emphatically expressed by believing in him. We are faid to believe (in God) the Father; and (in) Jefus Chrift; and (in) the Holy Ghost.

To believe in this Sacred Trinity as the only true God, is in Confidence of his Perfections to rely upon his Word or Testimony; taking all things for fuch as he reprefents them to us; especially his Blessed Self, to be a God all-fufficient, Beft in himself, and alfo Beft to us.

And to believe in each Perfon, as they are feverally related to us, the Father as our Creator, the Son as our Redeemer, and the Holy Ghoft as our Sanctifier, is to covenant with each particularly according to these Relations, accepting of thofe Mercies which they each offer to us, and performing thofe Duties which we owe unto each particularly OldThus

Thus as God the Father is our Creator, and through Chrift reconciled, and gracious to us, by Faith we believe this, and give up ourselves to him, with Fear, Love and Obedience, as Creatures to their Maker.

As God the Son is our Redeemer and Mediator, even our High-Priest and Prophet,and King, by Faith we believe this,and give up ourselves to him, to be reconciled to God, by his Blood, and be faved by him, as his Redeemed ones.

As God the Holy Ghoft is our Sanctifier and Regenerator, by Faith we believe this, and give up ourselves to him, to be perfectly renewed and fanctified by him.

Both the Nature of God, and his Perfo nal Relations to us, even the Relation of God the Father as our Creator; of God the Son as our Redeemer, and of God the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier and Regenerator, do require us to believe in them thus conjunctly and severally.

And these, as I faid, are the Primary and Perfonal Objects of our Faith.

But the Doctrinal Objects of it, being Things, not Perfons, do require no more. of us than an intellectual Affent unto them; yet fuch as affects the Will,and raiseth fuitable Affections. Thus the Threatnings produce Fear, the Promises Hopes, and the Commandments Obedience, in fuch as thoroughly believe them.

Thefe Objects of our Faith, both Perfonal and Doctrinal, i. e. the three Divine Perfons, whom we must believe in; and the, principal Points of Doctrine, that we must affent unto; they are fummarily propoun

ded

ded to us in this Confeffion thereof, confi fting of 12 Parts or Articles, as they are commonly diftinguished.

The first whereof is concerning God the Father, the first Person, and the Work of Creation. And by this you are taught to believe in him as your Maker.

The fix next following are concerning God the Son, and the Work of Redemption. And all these teach us to believe in him as our Saviour.

The five laft are concerning God the Holy Ghost; by which we are taught to believe in him as our Sanctifier.

And in fum, they all teach us to worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Perfons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one

Perfon of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost; who are distinguished from one another, not in their Being, nor in their outward Operations, but in the Manner of their Being, and in their Manner of acting outwardly.

The Perfon of the Father, or his Subfiftence in the Godhead, is of himself alone, and not derived from any other. And ac cordingly his Works and Actions are all originally from himself, and most eminently by way of Power. Wherefore fuch Works of God wherein his Power is moft obfervable, are more peculiarly afcribed to him, in the holy Scripture. And fo by way of Eminency he is faid to create the World. Gen.i.1.

The Perfon of the Son, or his Subfiftence in the Godhead, is immediately from the Father by an ineffable Generation, being

F

the

the Brightness of his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his Perfon. And fo from him he acts and operates, and that eminently by way of Wisdom. Wherefore those Works of God, wherein his Wifdom is most confpicuous, are more particularly afcribed to him, as his more peculiar Works. And fo he is faid to redeem Mankind. Gal. iii. 13. and iv. 5.

The Perfon of the Holy Ghoft,or his Subfiftence in the Godhead, is by way of Proceffion from both the Father and the Son ; and accordingly he acts from both, and most eminently by way of Goodnefs. Wherefore fuch Works of God, wherein his Goodness is moft apparent, are particularly afcribed to him as the immediate Author of them. And fo he is faid to fanctify the Elect. 1 Pet. i.1.

But though this Sacred Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, are thus diftinguished in their Subsistences, and in their manner of acting outwardly, yet in Effence they are all one, and do all act infeparably. The Father is an infinite and eternal Spirit; and fo is the Son, and fo is the Holy Ghoft. The Father creates, redeems and fanctifies, and fo do's the Son, and fo do's the Holy Ghost. They have all the fame Nature, and do all the fame things for us; being three in Perfons, not in Nature; one in Nature, not in Perfon. Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord. Or (which is more expressive of this Myftery of our Religion, viz. the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, and more agreeable with the Original, as Bp. Beveridge hath obferv'd ) the Lord our God,

the