The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · God the Father – creation of the world
OF GOD THE FATHER.
Queſt. 26. What beleeveſt thou when thou ſaiſt, ON THE 9. SABBATH.I beleeve in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?
Anſ. I beleeve the everlaſting Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath made of nothing heaven and earth, with all that are in themaGen. chap. 1. Exod. 20.11. Job 33.4. & ch. 38. & ch. 39. Acts 4.24. & 14.15. Pſal. 33.6. Iſa. 45.7., who likewiſe upholdeth and governeth the ſame by his eternall counſell and providencebPſa. 104.2, 3. & 115.3. Mat 1….29. Epheſ. 1.11. H…b. 1.3., to be my God, and my Father for Chriſts ſakecJoh. 1.12. Rom. 8.15. Gal. 4.5, 6, 7. Epheſ. 1.5.: and therefore I doe truſt in him, and ſo relye on him, that I may not doubt but he will provide all things neceſſary both for my ſoule and bodydPſ…lm 55.23. Matth 6.26. Luke 12.22.. And further, whatſoever evils hee ſendeth on mee in this troubleſome life, he will turn them to my ſafetyeRom. 8.28., ſeeing both he is able to do it, as being God almightyfRom. 10.12. & 8.38, 39.; and willing to doe it, as being a bountifull FathergIſa. 49.4. Matth. 6.32, 33. & 7.7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
The Explication.
I beleeve. One thing to beleeve God, another thing to beleeve in God.I Beleeve in God.) We are to obſerve in this place, that it is one thing to beleeve God, another thing to beleeve in God: For that ſheweth a faith of knowledge, or hiſtoricall faith; this declareth true faith or confidence: For to ſay, I beleeve God, (if we ſpeak properly) is, I beleeve there is a God and hee ſuch a one, according to whatſoever is aſcribed unto him, as he hath manifeſted himſelfe in his word: to wit, that he is a ſpirituall eſſence, almighty, &c. everlaſting Father, Son▪ and holy Ghoſt. I beleeve in God, is, I beleeve that he is my God; that is, I am perſwaded that whatſoever God is, and is ſaid to be, hee is all that, and referreth it all to my ſafety for his Sons ſake; that is, to reſolve that he is ſuch a one towards me.
In God.) The name of God is here taken eſſentially for God the Father, Son,In God. The word God in the Cre…d, is meant eſſentially to all three perſons, not perſonally to one. The Father. Eſa. 9.6. Why the firſt perſon of the Trinity is called Father. Epheſ. 1.5, 6. and holy Ghoſt; becauſe theſe words, I beleeve, with the particle in, are referred after the ſame manner and meaning to the whole three perſons of the Deity: for it is as well ſaid, I beleeve in the Son, and, I beleeve in the holy Ghost, as, I beleeve in the Father.
The Father.) When the name of the Father is oppoſed to the Son, it is taken perſonally, and ſignifieth the firſt perſon of the God head, as here in the Creed: bu… when it is referred to the creatures, it is underſtood eſſentially, and ſignifieth the whole divine nature, as in the Lords prayer, Our Father which art in heaven. In this ſenſe the Son is expreſly called of Iſaiah. The everlaſting Father. Now the firſt perſon is called the Father, 1. In reſpect of Chriſt his only begotten and naturall Son. 2. In reſpect of all the creatures, as hee is Creatour and preſerver of them all. 3. In reſpect of the elect; whom hee hath adopted to be his ſons, and hath made accepted in his beloved. Wherefore God is our Father in reſpect both of our creation, adoption, and regeneration. To beleeve therefore in God the Father, is to beleeve in that God, who is the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and to beleeve that …e is my Father, that is, hath a fatherly affection towards me for Chriſts ſake, in whom hee hath adopted me to be his ſon. Briefly, and in a word, it is to beleeve, 1. That hee is the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. 2. That he is my Father for Chriſts ſake. Object. I beleeve in God the Father: Therefore the Son and the holy Ghoſt are not God, b…he Father only is God. Anſ. This kind of reaſoning Logicians call a fallacie of compoſition and diviſion, that is, either a miſ-joyning or diſ-joyning of words in any clauſe or ſentence not to be joyned or diſ-joyned: for the word God is ſo to be joyned with the Father, that it be not ſeparated from the Son and holy Ghoſt; for a comma point ſhould be inferred after theſe words, in God, on this wiſe: I beleeve in God, the Father, &c. This is proved, 1. Becauſe the name of God here in the Creed is put eſſentially, and compriſeth all the three perſons, which by appoſition, or for farther explication, are placed in order in the Creed: as, I beleeve in God, the Father: and in Jeſus Chriſt, his only begotten Son: I beleeve in the holy Ghoſt: For, I beleeve in one true God, who is the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt: yet ſo, that neither the Father is the Son, nor the holy Ghoſt is either the Father or the Son. 2. We expreſly profeſſe that we beleeve in the Son and holy Ghoſt, no leſſe then in God the Father: But wee may not beleeve but in one God. Wherefore, as we beleeve in the Father, in that he is God: ſo beleeve we alſo in the Son and the holy Ghoſt, becauſe they are God. 3. Moſt of the Greek copies read, I beleeve in one God, to wit, Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt. 4. Furthermore, if of theſe words of the firſt article it follow, that the Father only is God, then of the ſame words by the like reaſon it ſhould follow, that this Father only is omnipotent and Creatour of heaven and earth; which the whole Scripture cryeth to be moſt falſe. But of eſpeciall conſideration is this name of God but only once mentioned in the Creed, thereby to ſignifie that the true God is but only one: but in no caſe is it put, as if thereby were intimated that the Father only is called God.
Almighty.) To beleeve in God almighty,Almighty. is to beleeve in ſuch a one, 1. Who is able to do whatſoever he will, yea, alſo thoſe things which he will not, if they be not contrary to his nature; as, he could have kept Chriſt from death, but he would not. 2. Who doth all things even with his beck and word only, without any difficulty. 3. Who alone hath power to work all things, and is author of that power which is in all his creatures. 4. Who is alſo unto me almighty, and both can will direct all things to my ſafety. Obj. God cannot lie, die, make that which is once done, undone, &c. Therefore he is not omnipotent. Anſ. God can do all things, which to do argueth any power or ability: But to lie, to die, &c. is no ſigne or part of omnipoteny, but of infirmity and want of power. Now defects are in creatures not in God; wherefore they are contrary to the nature of God. By inverting the reaſon therefore, I thus conclude, God is not able to will or to do that which argueth impotency, and is against his nature: Therefore he is omnipotent.
Maker of heaven and earth.Maker of heaven and earth.) To beleeve in the Creatour, is to beleeve, 1. That he is Creatour of all things. 2. That he ſuſtaineth and governeth by his providence thoſe things which he hath created. 3. That he hath created my ſelf alſo to his own glory, and to the obtaining at length of my ſalvation; and that I may be a veſſell of mercy, he bringeth me to that ſalvation by his ſpeciall providence, wherewith hee imbraceth his choſen. 4. That he hath created all other things for us, to ſerve for the ſalvation of his Church, to the praiſe of his glory. More briefly thus: I beleeve in God the Creatour; that is, I beleeve that God hath created me to celebrate and ſerve him: and all other things to ſerve for my ſafety:1 Cor. 3.22, 23. All things are yours, and you are Christs, and Chriſt is Gods: as if he ſhould ſay, All things are created for us, and we for God.
OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.
Two ſorts of Gods workes. 1. Generall. 2. Speciall. Gods generall works are the workes.NExt unto the doctrine concerning God, the doctrine of the works of God is moſt fitly placed: as we ſee to be done alſo in the Creed. The works of God are of two ſorts; generall, and ſpeciall: The generall are divided into the works, Of creation.Of Creation (the works whereof are read in Geneſis to have been accompliſhed in ſix dayes, and are by daily increaſe furthered and multiplied in the world.) Of preſervation.Of preſervation, whereby God ſtill ſuſtaineth the heavens and the earth, and the things that in them are, that they fall not to ruine and decay. Of adminiſtration.Of adminiſtration, wherby, through his immenſe and great wiſdome, he adminiſtreth and governeth all things. Theſe two latter are comprehended under the name of his providence. And therefore next unto the creation is annexed the place concerning Gods Providence.Gods ſpeciall works are the works, 1. Of reparation. The ſpeciall works of God are thoſe which are wrought in the Church and company of his elect and choſen, to juſtifie, ſanctifie, and glorifie them; and are either works of reparation, or reſtoring, whereby he repaireth all things which for the ſin of man are ſubject to corruption: or of perfection and accompliſhment,2. Of perfection. whereby he bringeth all things to their certain appointed end: eſpecially, he perfectly delivereth and glorifieth his Church. Here we are to treat of the work of Creation, or, the Creation of the world: and the principall Queſtions of Creation are theſe;
1. Whether the world was created of God.
2. How it was created.
3. For what cauſe it was created.