The Christians Alphabet, Part 2 · Section 5 – Section 6
E Of the attributes or properties of God.
Q. Rehearse the Letter E.
A. ETernall, infinite, immutable, invisible, almighty: most wise, holy, good, mercifull, and iust is this one God.
For thus God is pleased to describe himselfe vntounto vsus in his word: because otherwise no man can see, or know the nature of God.
Q. Proue that God is eternall?
God is 1. eternallA. That God is eternall, without beginning or ending, i… euident, Psal. 90.…. Before the mountaines were made, and before thou hadst formed the earth and the world: euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God. And 1 Tim. 1.17. To the King eternall, immortall, inuisible, the only wise God, bee honour, and glory for euer and euer Amen.
Q. Proue that God is infinite?
A. That God is infinite, 2Infinite.filling all places, and present eueryevery where, see Ier. 23.23.24. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God a farre off? can any hide himselfe in secret places, that I shall not see him saith the Lord? doe not I fill heauen and earth, saith the Lord? And Ps. 139.7. Whither shall I goe from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Q. Proue that God is immutable?
A. That God is immutable, 3Immu…table.without change, see Iam. 1.17. where God is said to be the father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, neither shadow of turning. And Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sonnes of Iacob are not consumed.
Q. Proue that God is invisible?
4InuisibleA. It is manifest by that hath beene said before, 1 Tim. 1.17. That as God is eternall without beginning and immortall without end, so he is also invisible. And Col. 1.15. Christ is called the Image of the invisible God. And Ioh. 4.24. it is said, That God is a spirit, and therefore without bodily or visible substance.
Q. Proue that God is almighty?
5Almighty.A. It is written Gen. 17.1. I am the Almighty God, walke before me and be thou perfect. And Reu. 15.3.Reu. 4.8. Great and maruelous are thy works Lord God almighty. Whereupon it is said, Mark. 10.27. That with God all things are possible:
Q. Proue that God is most wise?
A. It is written, ps. 147.5.6Most wise. Great is our Lord and of great power, his vnderstanding or his wisdome is infinite. And 1 Tim. 1. 17. He is called The onelyonly wise God.
Q. Proue that God is most holy?
A. It is the voyce of the Seraphims, 7Holy.or Angels, Isa. 6.3.Le. 28.36. Who cry one to another, saying Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts. And Reu. 15.4. Who shall not feare … O Lord, and glorifie thy name, for thou only art Holy.Le 11 44. and 19.2. And 1 P…t. 1.15. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation.
Q. Proue that God is good?
A. That he is absolutely good in himselfe, 8Good.our. Sauiour sheweth, Matth. 19.17. when hee saith, There is none good but one, that is God. And that he is good to his creatures, read Psal. 145.9. where it is said, That the Lord is good to all. And Matth. 5. 45. He maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill and the good, and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust.
Q. Proue that God is mercifull?
9Mercifull.A. It is written Iam. 5.11. That the Lord is very pittifull and mercifull. And Psal. 145. 8.9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of Great mercy, and his tender me…y is ouer all his workes. And Luk. 6.36. Be ye therefore mercifull, as your father also is mercifull.
Q. Proue that God is iust?
10Iust▪A. It is said Deu. 32.4. That he is a God of truth and without iniquity; iust and righteous is he. Psal. 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes. Psal. 11.7. The righteous Lord loueth righteousnes. And therefore he is called 2 Tim. 4.8. The righteous Iudge.
Q. Proue that God would be so described?
A. It is euident in his appearing to Moses,God would be so described. Exod. 34.6. where it is said, That the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, mercifull and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth, reseruing mercy for thousands, forgiuing iniquity, and transgression, and sinne, and not making the wicked innocent, &c.
Q. Proue that God is so described because otherwise no man can see God.
A. It is written, Because none can see God.Ioh. 2.18. No man hath seene God at any time: And 1 Tim. 6.16. That God dwelleth in light, which no man can approach vntounto, whom no man hath seene nor can see. And therefore this is rendred duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page as the reason why God did so proclaime himselfe to Moses, Exo. 33.18.19.20. Because no man can see the face of God and liue.
F Of the creation of the world.
Q. Rehearse the Letter F?
A. FRamed and made was the whole world, by the word of God, and that of nothing, in six dayes, and all very good.
For nothing can make it selfe: neither can bee without some cause: nor can be euill, being made of God.
Q. Proue that God made the world?
A. It is written Gen. 1.1.1God made the world. In beginning God created the heauen and the earth. Act. 17.24. God made the world and all things therein. And Col. 1.16. By him were all things created, which are in heauen, and which are in earth, things visible and inuisible.
Q. Proue that the world was made by the word of God?
A. So it is in the Psalme 33.6.2By his word. By the word of the Lord were the heauens made, and all the host of them, by the breath of his mouth. And Psalme 148.5. He commanded, and they were created. See this in the history of the creation, Gen. 1.6.
Q. Proue that God made all things of nothing?
A. It is said Hebrewes 11.3.3Of nothing. Through faith we vnderstand, that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seene, were not made of things which doe appeare.
Q. Proue that God made all things in six dayes?
4In six dayes.A. It is manifest in the story of the creation, Gen. 1.31. And is repeated in the fourth commandement, Exod. 20.11. In six dayes the Lord made heauen and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
Q. Proue that God made all things very good?
5All very good.A. So God himselfe testifieth, Gen. 1.31. And God saw eueryevery thing, that he had made, and behold it was very good.
Q. Proue that nothing can make it selfe?
6Nothing can make it selfe.A. It is brought as a reason to proue that God made man, and so consequently all other creatures, Psal. 100.3. Know ye that the Lord hee is God, it is hee that hath made vsus, and not wee our selues.
Q. Proue that nothing can be without some cause?
A. It is euident in the light of nature: 7Nor be without some cause.and it is the reason of the Apostle to proue that God made all things. Heb. 3.4. for saith he, EueryEvery house is builded of some man: but he that built all things i… God.
Q. Proue that nothing made of God can be euill?
A. It is manifest because (as is shewed before) God is good,8Nor be euill being made of God. yea goodnesse it selfe. And Psal. 5.4. No euill can dwell with him. And therefore he cannot be the author of euill, who is the fountaine of all goodnesse, as is proued Iam. 1.17. EueryEvery good gift, and eueryevery perfect gift is from aboue, and cometh downe from the father of lights.