affection; by his bowels, the tenderness of his compassion; by his feet, the ubiquity of his presence.

Q. If God be a Spirit, how was man said to be created after the image of God 2.

A. The image of God in man an did not consist in any bodily shape or likeness, but in the spiritual faculties and excellencies of his soul, in regard of its being a spirit, invisible, immortal, knowing, righteous, and holy.

Q. Is it lawful to represent God, who is a Spirit, by any image or picture, as the Papists pretend to do, f for an help in worship?

A. No; for, as it is impossible to do it, so it is most sinful to attempt it; seeing such mean representations are a great disparagement to the majesty of an infinitely glorious God, and also a manifest contempt of his laws, which strictly forbid any such practice, Deut. iv. 15, 16. Isa. xl. 18. Acts xvii.

29.

Q. How is it that God is described to us in the Catechism A. By his essential properties, or excellencies which we find ascribed to God in scripture, commonly called his attri butes.

Q. How are the attributes of God divided ?

4. Into two sorts; some being incommunicable, and others called communicable.

Q. What are the incommunicable attributes of God mentioned in the answer?

4. They are three, to wit, his infinity, eternity, and unchangcableness.

Q. Why are these called incommunicable ?

A. Because they cannot be communicated to any creature; and there is no resemblance of them to be found in creatures, Q. What are these attributes of God which are called cammunicable.

A. They are six, to wit, his wisdom, power, holiness, jus, tice, goodness and truth.

Q. Why are these called communicable ?

A. Because there are some faint rays or resemblances of them to be seen in some creatures, as in good men and angels; and hence they are called wise, holy, just, good, &c.

Q. What is it to be infinite?

A. It is to be without all measure, bounds, or limits.
Q. In what respect is God said to be infinite?

A. 1. In respect of his essence, greatness and glory; and so he is immense, unsearchable and incomprehensible. 2. He is infinite in his wisdom, power, and all the other perfections

of his nature; no bounds can be set unto them. 3. In respect of place, being every-where present, and unbounded by any place. 4. In respect of duration, being eternal, and bound. ed by no time.

Q. What understand you by God's being eternal ?

A. That he is without beginning, and without end; which no creature can pretend to: for though angels and men's souls have no end, yet they had a beginning; but God, who made them, is from everlasting to everlasting, Fsal. xc. 2.

Q. What do you understand by God's being unchangeable? A. That he is still the same, and subject to no variableness or change, either with respect to his essential perfections, or his counsels and designs, or his love and favour towards his people, Psal. cii. 27. Isa xlvi. 10. Rom xi. 22. James i. 17. Q. If God be unchangeable, how is repentance attributed to him in scripture, as Jer. xviii. and other places ?

A. Not properly, but improperly. God there speaks of himself after the manner of men, because he doth the same thing which men do when they repent and change their mind; he alters the course of his dispensations, but still without any change of counsels. For, whatever change appear in God's outward conduct, it is exactly according to his infallible prescience and immutable will; and doth not import any change of mind in God, as it doth in us.

Q. What is meant by the wisdom of God?

A. That essential perfection, whereby he perfectly knows all things, and skilfully orders and disposes all things to their proper ends, for his own glory.

Q. Wherein doth the wisdom of God most brightly appear? A. God's wisdom shines forth both in his works of creation and providence; but the brightest discovery we have of it is in the contrivance of our redemption by Jesus Christ, in a way that both satisfies justice in the punishment of sin, and magnifies mercy in the salvation of the sinner, Psalm civ. 24. Col. ii. 3.

Q. What is the power of God?

That essential property of God, whereby he is almighty, or able to do all things that he pleaseth to have done, Gen. xvii. 1. Jer. xxxii. 17.

Q. We read of God, that he cannot lie, repent, or deny himself: how then is he able to do all things?

A. These things are no objects of power. The doing of them, being contrary to God's holy nature and veracity, would arg e imperfection and weakness, but not power.

Q. Wherein is God's almighty power discovered to us?

A. In creating the world by his word, and upholding all things in it, in conquering the power of hell by Christ's death, in working miracles, raising the dead, converting sinners to himself, preserving his church, and subduing his enemies, Rom. i. 20. Heb. i. 3. 1 Cor i. 24. Eph. i. 19. Matth. xvi. 18. Q. What is the holiness of God? •

A. That essential perfection, whereby he is infinitely pure, and free from all'iniquity, loveth righteousness, and abhorreth all sin and impurity, Hab. i. 13.

Q. Wherein doth God's holiness, and hatred of sin, appear? A. In making pure and holy laws, encouraging men to obey them; threatening and punishing sin, which is contrary to them: and especially in sending his eternal Son to assume our nature and live in it, to be a pattern of holiness to us; and also to die, that he might extirpate sin and impurity, and purchase perfect holiness for us, Rom. vii. 12. 1 Thess. iv. 3. Eph. v. 25, 26, 27.

Q. What is the justice of God?

A. It is the perfect equity of his nature, which inclines him to will what is just and right, to render to every man his due, and to deal righteously with all his creatures.

Q. What discoveries have we of the justice of God?

A. In sending terrible judgments upon men for their sins in this world, and executing eternal vengeance upon the wicked in hell; and in rewarding the righteous upon the account of Christ's merits, Rom. ii. 5, 6, &c. 2 Thess. i. 7, 8, 9. 2 Tim. iv. 8.

Q. What is the greatest evidence of the justice of God, that ever he gave to the world?

A. His pouring out the vials, of his wrath upon his own Son, when he stood surety for us; and exacting full satisfaction from him for all the debts or sins of an elect world, without abating him one farthing, Isa. liii. 4. Rom. iii. 25, 26. Rom. viii. 32.

Q. Doth God's infinite justice hinder him from being merci

ful?

A No; for, through Christ's mediation, he exerts his infinite mercy and goodness to the world, as well as his justice. Q. Wherein doth the goodness and mercy of God appear? A. In our daily preservation, in supplying the wants of all his creatures, in sparing his enemies, and chiefly in providing Christ to be a surety for them, in offering them salvation through him, and particularly in pardoning, sanctifying, and giving eternal glory to all who believe in him.

Q. What is the truth of God?

1. That essential property, which always inclines him to be sincere and true in what he saith, and to be faithful in fulfil ling his word.

Q. Wherein doth the truth and faithfulness of God appear? A. In accomplishing the predictions recorded in his word, in executing his threatenings against the wicked, and in fulfilling all his promises to his people, Matth. xxiv. 35. Zech. i. 6. Heb. x. 23.

Q. Wherein do these perfections of wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth, which belong to God, differ from those we find in angels and men ?

A. These perfections being essential to God, he is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in them': but any inferior degree of these perfections we see in creatures, the same is communicated from God to them, and is subject to change.

Quest. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
Ans. There is but one only, the living and true God.

Q. In what respect is God said to be one?,

A. God is one, 1st, In opposition to mixture and composition, he being a most pure and simple essence. 2dly, In opposition to multitude, he being numerically one in essence and nature, and no other like him.

Q. Why is God said to be the One only God?

A. To shew that though there be others that bear the name of gods in the world, yet there is none really God, but he alone, 1 Cor. viii. 4, 5, 6.

Q. Why is this one God called the living God?

A. To distinguish him from the dead idols of the nations, and to shew that all life, natural, spiritual and eternal, is originally in him, and from him only, Psalm cxv. 4, 5. John v, 26. 1 Tim. vi. 13.

Q. Why is he called the True God?

A. To distinguish him from all the false and imaginary deities that are in the world, Jer. x. 10, 11, 15.

Q. Who are these mentioned in scripture that bear the name of god, beside the true God?

A. We find severals called gods, as the heathen idols, the devil, antichrist, and magistrates, 1 Cor. viii. 5. 2 Cor. iv. 4. 2 Thess. i. 4. Psalm lxxxii. 6.

Q. Why are the heathen idols called gods?

A. Not that there is any thing of true divinity in them, but because their deluded worshippers fancied that they were gods, and reputed them so.

C

Q. Can any of the gods among the heathen give rain ?

A. No, Jer. xiv. 29.

Q. Can they create a world, or know the heart?

A. No; they cannot, and therefore ought not to be wor shipped, Jer. x. 11.

Q. How is the devil called god?

A. He is called the god of this world, because he rules over the unregenerate world; he usurps divine homage, and is actually worshipped in many parts by the heathen, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Deut. xxxii. 17. Rev: ix. 20.

Q. How is antichrist called god?

A. In respect of his usurping the titles, homage, and prerogatives which are only due to God, 2 Thess. ii. 4. Q. How are magistrates called gods?

A. Only improperly, and by participation; they being God's vicegerants on earth, to minister justice to others, Psalm lxxxii. 6.

Q. Do not some make the world their god? A. Yes; and hence covetous men are called idolaters, Eph. v. 5. Col. iii. 5.

Q. Why are they called so?

A. Because they set their hearts upon the world more than upon God. Q. Do not some make a god of their belly? A. Yes; Phil. iii. 19.

Q. How are they guilty of this?

4. By studying to serve and please the belly more than God. Q. How do you prove that there is but one God, and no more? A. First, From holy scripture, that doth frequently assert this; as in Deut. vi. 4. Mal. ii. 10. Matth. xix. 17. 1 Cor. viii. 4, 6. Secondly, From reason; for, seeing God is an infinite, omnipotent, independent, and most perfect being, and also the first cause of all things, reason must certainly conclude that there can be but one such being, and no more, and that there cannot be a plurality of infinites and first causes. Q. Who are they that are guilty of multiplying gods to themselves? A. Both the Pagans and Papists, seeing they actually worship and pray to others beside the one true God; so do the Papists to saints and angels.

Q. But may not professed Protestants be chargeable with multiplying gods to themselves?

A. Yes; for though they profess to own and worship the one true God; yet many set up idols in their hearts, and study to serve and please other things more than God, Ezek. xiv. 3. Phil. iii. 19.

Q. What is incumbent on us, when others will not worship and serve this one true God?.