A Catechism, Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. Of God.
Q. YOu have shewed that the meanes of well grounded knowledge is the holy Scripture; tell me now what it is that the Scriptures doe especially teach us?
A. They teach us especially the saving knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ.aIohn 17. 3. Col. 2. 2, 3.
Q. How may it be proved that there is a God?
A. The Scriptures doe abundantly, and plainly testifie it bExod. 20. 3. Isa. 42. 8. Heb. 11. 5. Iohn 17. 3.; and the creation of the world doth shew it cRom. 1. 20. Psal. 9. 1. Iob 12. 7, 8, &c..
Q. How doth the creation of the world shew that there is a God?
A. Even as a faire and sumptuous building doth shew that some body was the maker of it, so this great world doth shew there was a maker of it which is God. Heb. 3. 4.
Q. But why might not the world be without beginning and have its being of it selfe?
A. Because then the world should be God, for that which hath its being of its self, and is without beginning, is God.
Q. How else may it be proved that there is a God?
A. The succession of day, and night, and other seasons with the sustentation, and ordering of the Creatures and the motions of them, doth plainly witnesse that there is a God. Psal. 19. 2. 3. Acts. 14. 17. Amos. 4 13. & 5. 8.
Q. How may this be expressed in some familiar comparison.
A. When a ship is seene at Sea with her Sayles spread, and her passage rightly guided unto the harbour, it appeareth thereby, that there were men that guided the same; for if there were no men, there would never be any ships upon the Sea: Even so the preservation of the great ship of the world, and the guidance of its motions, doth evidently shew, that there is a God by whom the same is preserved, and guided.
Q. What else may be a further proofe that there is a God?
A. That there is a God is manifestly declared by the strange and wonderfull plagues and judgments, that sometimes are inflicted upon notorious sinners upon earth. Exod. 8. 19. & 9. 16. Psal. 9. 16. & 58. 10. 11: & 79 10.
Q. What may be thought of those accusations, and terrors of conscience, that sometimes are found in men, upon the committing of haynous sins, though knowne to no man living, but to the sinner himselfe?
A. This also is another testimony that there is a God, before whose judgment seate a man must answer for his deedes; for otherwise why should a man be afraid where no feare is? Rom. 2. 15. Isa. 33. 14. Psal. 14. 5. & 53. 5.
Q. How many Gods are there?
A. No more but one. Deut 4. 39, & 6. 4. Isa 44. 6. 8. & 45. 5. 18. 1 Cor 8. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 6.
Q. Why may there not be more Gods then one?
A. Because that is contrary to the nature of God which is to be infinite, and everlasting, that is the first, and the last; now there cannot be many infinites, nor many firsts and lasts, but one only.
Q. How else doth the nature of God shew that there can be no more but one God?
A. It is the nature of God to have his being of himselfe, and so give being to whatsoever else hath being; for so much is signified by the word Iehovah. Exod. 3. 14. & 6. 3. & 15. 3.
Q. And how doth this prove that there can be no more but one God?
A. Because if there were many Gods, then either they must one give being to the other, or each one have his being of himself, both which are utterly impossible.
Q. Why might not one of them give being to the other?
A. Because then that other could not bee God, as not having his being of himselfe.
Q. And why might they not be many Gods, each one having his God-head of himselfe?
A. Because then none of them could be God, as not giving being to all others which had being.
Q. Though there be but one God, yet is there not more persons, or subsistences in the Godhead then one?
A. Yes; the Scriptures doe apparently witnesse that in the unity of the divine essence, there is a plurality of the divine persons. Gen. 1. 26. & 3. 22. & 11. 7. Isai. 6. 8. & 41. 22, 23.
Q. How many are the Persons in the Godhead?
A. They are three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy-Ghost, Math. 3. 16, 17. & 28. 19. Ioh. 14. 16, 17. & 15. 26. 2 Cor. 13, 14. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Ioh. 5. 7.
Q. Whether are these three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy-Ghost severall, and distinct Persons, or onelyonly severall names, and titles of one, and the same person.
A. The Father is not the Sonne but another person; aIoh. 5. 32. & 8. 16, 17, 18.the Son is not the Father, but another; bIoh. 1. 1. 1 Ioh. 2. 1. Phil. 2. 6.and the Holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son, but another; cIoh. 14. 16. & 15. 26. Is. 48. 16.and therefore they are each distinct from other as severall, and distinct Persons.
Q. What are the personall properties, whereby each is distinguished from other?
A. The property of the Father is to beget the Son dPs. 2. 7. Ioh. 3. 16., the property of the Son to be begotten of the Father eIoh. 1. 18. Heb. 1. 13., the property of the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son fIoh. 15. 16., who is therefore called the spirit of the Father gMatth. 10. 20., and of the Son hGal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 9.,
Q. Are every one of these persons God?
A. Yea: Of the Father there is lesse question, and the Scriptures doe witnesse that the Son is God iCol. 29. Isa. 9. 9. Ioh. 1. 1 Rom. 9. 5. Prov. 8. 22. &c. Ioh. 17. 5. Col. 1. 16., and also that the Holy Ghost is God kActs 5. 3. 4. & 28. 25. with Is. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 19. with 2 Cor. 6. 16. Iob. 33. 4. 1 Cor. 2. 10.,
Q. You have shewed that there is a God, and and onelyonly one God, and three persons; tell me now what God is?
A. God is so infinite, and incomprehensible, that no creature is able fully to comprehend or know him. Exod. 33. 20. 23. Iob. 26. 14. & 11. 7, 8, 9. 1 Tim. 6. 16.
Q. How then may we conceive of him?
A. As he hath revealed himselfe to us lDeut. 29. 29., in his back parts mExod. 33. 23., which are his divine attributes nExod. 34. 6, 7., and by his workes oPsal. 19. 1. & 8. 1. Iob. 36. 24. &c. & 37. 1. 2. &c.,
Q. What are those Attributes or back parts of God?
A. Wisdome pIob. 12, 13. Rom. 11. 33. & 16. 27.Power, qGen. 17. 1. & 18. 14. Matth. 19. 26. Psal. 115. 3.Goodnesse rMatth. 19. 17. Psal. 119. 68., Truth sPsal. 108. 4. Rom. 3, 4. Tit. 1. 2., Justice tPsal. 92. last. Zeph. 3. 5. Rom. 9. 14. Iob. 8. 3. & 34. 10. & 36. 23., Mercy uPsal. 103. 11. Iam. 5. 11., and the like, in all which he is infinite w1 Kings 8. 27. Isa. 66. 1. Ier. 23. 24. Psal. 139. 7, &c., and everlasting xPs. 90. 2. & 93, 3. & 102. 26, 27..
Q. What are the works of God?
A. They are three, Decree, Creation, and Providence.