say,

that we and

A. We should, with Joshua, resolve and ours will serve the Lord, Josh. xxiv. 15. Q. Doth any man serve God for nought? A. No; for he rewards all his faithful servants with a crown of life, Rev. ii. 10.

Quest. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

Ans. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: And these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Q. What is meant by the Godhead?

A. The divine nature or essence.

Q. Is this word Godhead to be found in scripture?

A. Yes, in Acts xvii. 29. We ought not to think the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, &c.

Q. Are there three essences or natures in the Godhead?
A. No, but only three persons in one divine essence.

Q. How do you prove that there are three persons in the Godhead?

A. Frst, From that express assertion, 1 John v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. -2dly, From the institution of baptism, Matt. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. -3dly, From the apostolical benediction, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.

Q. What do you think of that proof of the Trinity which is brought from Christ's baptism at Jordun? Matt. iii. 16, 17. A. It is most clear; for there the Father is manifested by a voice from heaven, the Son by his bodily appearance upon earth, and the Holy Ghost by lighting on him in shape of a dove.

Q. Well then, is the Father God? the Son God? and the Holy Ghost Gcd?

A. Yes, each one of them is God.

Q. Will not that make three Gods?

A. No; these three persons are but one God; because the same divine nature or essence is in all the three.

Q. What mean you by a person in the Godhead ?

A. It is the divine nature subsisting in a different way, and distinguished by different personal properties.

Q. What are the different personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead?

A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and send out the Holy Ghost: it is proper to the Son to be begotten of the Father, and to send out the Holy Ghost: it is proper to the Holy Ghost to proceed by emanation from the Father and the Son. All which appears from these Scriptures, Ps. ii. 7. Heb. i. 5, 6, 8. John i. 14, 18. and xv. 26. Gal. iv. 6. Q. Is one of these persons before another in order of time? 4. No; for they are co-eternal.

Q. Is one of them before another in order of dignity or greatness?

A. No; for they are all equal in power and glory.

Q. Why then are they named in this order, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?

A. To denote the order of subsisting and working which they have among themselves; the Father subsisting and working from himself; the Son subsisting and working from the Father; and the Holy Ghost subsisting and working from the Father and the Son, John v. 19. and xvi. 1'4.

Q. Which of these three persons made the world?

4. Each of them made it, as is evident from the scriptures, which ascribe the work of creation to all three, Gen. i. 1, 2, 26. Isa, xlii. 5. Heb. i. 2. John i. 3. Col. i. 16. Job xxxiii. 4. Psalm xxxiii. 6. Isa. xl. 12, 13.

Q. Which of the three persons became man?

A. The Son, who is the second person of the glorious Trinity; and since his incarnation he is called the Lord Jesus Christ. Q. How doth it appear that Christ the Son of God is equal with the Father?

A. From the holy scriptures, in which we find the same names, titles, attributes, works, worship and honour ascribed to the Son, as are ascribed to the Father.

Q. What are these essential names and titles which are ascribed to the Son equally as to the Father ?

A. Even those which are most eminent and glorious, such as, God, the Lord God of the prophets, King of kings and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty God, the true God, the only wise God, God over all blessed for ever. And also he is called JEHOVAH, which is the peculiar incommunicable name of the only true God. For all which see these plain texts, John i. 1. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Rev. xxii. 6. and xix. 16. Tit. ii. 13. Isa. ix. 6. 1 John v. 20. Jude 25. Rom. ix. 5. Zech. ii. 10. Jer. xxiii. 6. Psalm lxxxiii. 18.

1

Q. What are the divine attributes which are ascribed to the Son equally with the Father ?

A. The holy scripture asserts, that he is eternal, unchangeable, almighty, omniscient, omnipresent, infinite in holiness, justice, goodness, and truth; as in these texts, Mic. v. 2. Heb. vii. 3. and xiii. 8. Rev. i. 8. John ii. 24, 25. and xxi. 17. Rev. ii. 23. Matt. xviii. 20. Isa. vi. 3. Rev. iii. 7. 2 Tim. iv. 8. Eph. iii. 19. Rev. i. 5.

Q. What are those divine works ascribed to Christ the Son, which prove him to be the true God?

A. The scriptures ascribe to him the creation of the world, the preservation and upholding of all things, the working of miracles by his own power, the forgiving of sins, the working of faith and repentance, the quickening of dead souls, the opening of the understanding, bestowing of the Spirit, raising the dead at the last day, judging of the world, and giving of eternal life, John i. 3, 10. Col. i. 16, 17. Heb. i. 3. Mark v. 41. and ii. 5. Heb. xii. 2. Acts v. 31. John v. 21, 25, 28, 29. Luke xxiv. 25. John xx. 22. Acts ii. 33. Tim. iv.-1. John X. 28.

Q. What is that worship and honour ascribed to Christ the Son, which prove him to be the true God?

A. We find the same religious divine worship and adoration given to him as to the Father, both by angels and men. As also, he is made the object of faith, of prayer, of praise, and of sacramental dedication, equally with the Father; as we see in these texts, Heb. i. 6. Matt. viii. 2. and xiv. 13. John xiv. 1. Acts vii. 59, 60. 1 Cor. i. 2. Acts ix, 14. Rev. v. 12, 13. Matt. xxviii. 19. Acts xix. 5.

Q. Is it not the Father's express will that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father?

A. Yes; as in John v. 22, 23.

Q. Doth not God the Father call Jesus Christ his Fellow, or equal? A. Yes; as in Zech. xiii. 7. Q. Did not Christ think himself to be equal with him? A. Yes; for it is said, He thought it no robbery to be equal with God, Phil. ii. 6.

Q. If the Son be God equal with the Father, how saith Christ, My Father is greater than I? John xiv. 28.

A. Christ doth not speak there of his divine nature; for, in respect of that, he and his Father are equally great and therefore he saith, I and my Father are one. And it cannot be otherwise, since one and the same infinitely great Godhead is the undivided nature of them both. But in the place objected, as the context shews, Christ doth speak of his mediatorial

office to which he is appointed by the Father, and in which respect he is the Father's servant.

Q. Is there not great absurdity in maintaining the Son to be inferior to the Father in respect of his divine nature?

A. Yes; for it would lead us into Polytheism, or the setting up of two gods, and two objects of worship, the one supreme, and the other subordinate; besides, it would make Christ no God in a proper sense; for inferiority or dependency is inconsistent with the notion of the Deity.

Q. How doth it appear that the Holy Ghost is God equal with the Father and the Son?

A. By the same arguments that prove the divinity of the Son for the Holy Ghost hath the same names, attributes, works, worship and honour ascribed to him, which the Father and the Son have; he is called God, Jehovah; he is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent; he created the world, miracuously formed and furnished Christ's human nature, and inspired the prophets and the apostles; he raises the dead, regenerates and sanctifies his people; and he is the object of divine worship, of prayer, and sacramental dedication: for all which see these texts, Acts v. 3, 4. Ezek. iii. 24, 26. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Cor. ii. 10. Luke ii. 26. Psalm cxxxix. 7, 8. Psalm xxxiii. 6. Job xxvi. 13. Matt. i. 18. Luke iv. 18. 2 Pet. i. 21. Rom. viii. 11. John iii. 6. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Cant. iv. 16. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. Matt. xxviii. 19.

Q. Do we not receive distinct blessings and benefits from these glorious persons ?

A. Yes; the Father contrived the ransom, and sent the Ransomer: the Son undertook and came to be our Redeemer ;. and the Holy Ghost applies the redemption to us.

Q. Ought not then a distinct glory to be given to each of the blessed Three?

A. Yes; and this will be the work of the redeemed with the angels for ever, Rev. i. 4, 5, 6. and iv. 8, &c. and y. 9, &c. *

Q. How are we to worship one God in three persons ?

A. We are to worship God in Christ the Son, by the Spirit. We must ask of the Father, in the name of the Son, and by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, John xvi. 23. Eph. v. 20. Jude 20

Q. Could ever the doctrine of the Holy Trinity be known by the light of nature?

A. No; and this should make us thankful for the light of revelation.

Can this mystery of one in three, and three in one, be comprehended by human reason?

A. No; the shallow capacities of men cannot fathom the deep things of God. This great mystery is what we should believe, reverence and adore, seeing we have the most plain and positive assertions in God's word of a trinity of persons, in an unity of essence.

Q. Is there any thing in religion contrary to reason?

A. No.

Q. Are there not many things in it above the reach of human reason? A. Yes.

Q. Is it just to reject what our nature cannot account for ? A. No; for then we should deny every one of God's essential perfections, for each of them doth infinitely transcend our thoughts; nay, we should deny that we have immortal souls, and many other things in nature that our reason cannot search out, such as the motion of the wind and tide, &c.

Q. What shall we think of those who deny the Trinity, or refuse the divinity of the Son, or Holy Ghost?

A. That they are blasphemers and damnable heretics, seeing they deny such great and fundamental truths of God so clearly revealed in his word.

Quest. 7. What are the decrees of God?

Ans. The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Q. What do ye understand by God's decrees?

A. His eternal purposes and appointments concerning the things that shall be in time and through eternity.

Q. Were all God's decrees framed from eternity?

A. Yes.

Q. Doth God purpose nothing, upon new emergents in time,

but what he had before decreed?

A. No; Acts xv. 18. Isa. xlvi. 10.

Q. And doth nothing fall out in time but according to these eternal decrees? A. No; Eph. i. 11. Q. Would it not be blasphemy to say that God is the author of sin ? A. Yes.

Q. Would it not make God the author of sin, to say that he had decreed sinful actions?

A. It would indeed be blasphemy to say that he had decreed to effectuate sin: but it is not so to say that he hath decreed to permit sinful actions, and to over-rule them to his own glorious purposes.