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CHAP. II.

Of the Christian Faith.

Catechist. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.

Ans. I believe in God

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

A. First 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.

Catechist. The second special Part that our Catechism consists 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 Sense thereof, is called the Apoftle's Creed.

The first Expression of it (I believe) fignifies the Act of Faith, or that Faith by which we do believe; which is to trust God, and what he hath revealed. And the following Expressions declare the Objects of our Faith, both Personal and Doctrinal.

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

Divine or Human, we first trust the Person, and then we believe the thing. And so the things which we believe, upon the Testimony or Word of God, are the secondary and doctrinal Objects of our Belief.

These different forts of Objects, which our Creed proposeth to us, must be diffe rently believed by us, according to their Natures; either only intellectually, by the Afsent of the Understanding, or also with our Wills, in an affectionate and active Manner..

The Personal Objects, or three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, must be believed by us with Hope, Love and Confidence, as being absolutely fit and worthy to be lov'd and confided in. And to denote these Affections, or Acts of Faithi towards God, it is emphatically expressed by believing in him. We are faid to believe (in God) the Father; and (in) Jesus 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 represents them to us; especially his Blesled Self, to be a God all-fufficient, Best in himself, and also Best to us.

And to believe in each Person, as they are severally related to us, the Father as our Creator, the Son as our Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier, is to covenant with each particularly according to these Relations, accepting of those Mercies which they each offer to us, and performing those Duties which we owe unto each particularly.

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Thus as God the Father is our Creator, and through Christ 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 saved by him, as his Redeemed ones.

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

Both the Nature of God, and his Personal 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 said, are the Primary and Personal Objects of our Faith.

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

These Objects of our Faith, both Personal and Doctrinal, i. e. the three Divine Persons, whom we must believe in; and the principal Points of Doctrine, that we must afssent unto; they are fummarily propoun

ded

ded to us in this Confession thereof, confisting of 12 Parts or Articles, as they are commonly distinguished.

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 last 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 Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person 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 Person of the Father, or his Subfistence in the Godhead, is of himself alone, and not derived from any other. And accordingly his Works and Actions are all originally from himself, and most eminently by way of Power. Wherefore such Works of God wherein his Power is most observable, are more peculiarly ascribed to him, in the holy Scripture. And fo by way of Eminency he is said to create the World. Gen.i.1.

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

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

The Person of the Holy Ghost, or his Subsistence 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 Goodness. Wherefore such Works of God, wherein his Goodness is most apparent, are particularly ascribed to him as the immediate Author of them. And so he is faid to sanctify the Elect. 1 Pet. i.1.

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