A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. 1.
Of Chriſtian Religion in generall, and the parts thereof.
Chriſtian Religion treateth of the
Nature of God, & therin of the
Vnity of the God-head; Where
Of his Eſſence, Chap. 2.
Of his Attributes, Chap. 3.
Trinitie of Perſons, Chap. 4.
Kingdome of God, Chap. 5.
IOH. Chap. 17. verſ. 1. 2. 3.
1. Theſe words ſpake Ieſus, and lift vp his eyes to heauen, and ſaid, Father, the houre is come, glorifie thy Sonne, that thy Sonne alſo may glorifie thee.
2. As thou haſt giuen him power ouer all fleſh, that hee ſhould giuegive eternall life to as many as thou hast giuen him.
3. And this is life eternall, that they might know: thee the onelyonly true God, and Ieſus Christ whom thou haſt ſent.
Q. WHat principall matter doe you learne out of this Scripture?
Anſw. I learne, what is the chiefeſt, & moſt neceſſary knowledge.
Q. What knowledge is that?
A. The Chriſtian Religion, heere called the Knowledge of God, and in the Schooles commonly called Theologie, or Diuinitie.
Q. What is the Chriſtian Religion?
A. A holy doctrine concerning God, reuealed and taught by Chriſt, ſhewing the principal meanes to glorifie God, and thereby to come to life euerlaſting, and true Bleſſedneſſe.
Q. What are the parts of this doctrine concerning God?
A. They are two: the firſt treateth of the Nature of God, the other of his Kingdome.
Q. What is the Nature of God?
A. An abſoluteneſſe of perfection, infinitely excelling all other things. Conſiſting in vnity of Eſſence, and Trinity of Perſons.
Q. Is there then but one God?
A. No verily, but one only true God. As ſufficiently Exod. 20. 2. Deut. 5. 4. Pſal. 18. 32. 1. Cor. 8. 4. 5.appeareth by the third verſe of this Scripture. This is life eternall, that they might know thee the onelyonly true God. And wheras this title is giuen to more then to one, it is either abuſiuely, to Idols or falſe gods, which are no gods; or tropically, and by a grace of ſpeech, to Magiſtrates, who are the ſpeciall deputies, and Lief-tenants of God here vponupon earth.
Q. What are we more ſpecially to conſider concerning the Nature of this one only true God?
A. His Eſſence, and Attributes.
CHAP. 2.
Of the Eſſence of God.
Herein conſider his
Name
Primitiue,
foreign I AM.
Deriuatiue,
IAH.
IEHOVAH.
Speciall Eſſence expreſſed by that name.
EXOD. Chap. 3. verſ. 13. 14. 15.
13. And Moſes ſaid vntounto God, Behold, when I come vntounto the children of Iſrael, and ſhall ſay vntounto them, The God of your fathers hath ſent me vntounto you: and they ſhall ſay to me, what is his Name? what ſhall I ſay vntounto them?
14. And God ſaid vntounto Moſes, I AM THAT I AM, and he ſaid, thus ſhalt thou ſay vntounto the children of Iſrael, I AM hath ſent me vntounto you.
15. And God ſaid more ouer vntounto Moſes. Thus ſhalt thou ſay vntounto the children of Iſrael. The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Iacob hath ſent me vntounto you: this is my Name for euer, and this is my memoriall vntounto all generations.
Q. VVHat learne you out of this Scripture principally?
A. I learne in the firſt place two generall duties, which are to be obſerued in the queſtion of Moſes, verſ. 13. One, that we be carefull to be inſtructed in all things concerning our calling, thereby to be able to anſwere al doubts that may be moued: the other, that being deſirous to learne any thing concerning God, we enquire it of God himſelfe: And becauſe now hee vſeth not to ſpeake, but in the Scriptures, 2. Cor. 5. 20. Hoſ. 12. 10.and by his Miniſters, interpretors of the Scriptures; we muſt hauehave our recourſe vntounto them.
Q. What learne you elſe?
A. I learne more ſpecially, what the proper name of God is.
Q. What is that?
A. I am that I am, or (as the Hebrew ſoundeth) I will bee that I will bee; ſauing that the Hebrewes vſe the future time for the preſent, as that which noteth a continuance.
Q. What is meant by theſe words?
A. Hereby is ſet forth the manner of the Being and Eſſence of God, farre otherwiſe then is vſuall in the proper names of men; which declare either nothing, or very little of their nature and being.
Q. Is there nothing of God to be knowne, beſides that which is ſignified by this Name?
A. Nothing, as touching the ſpeciall manner of his Being, falling vnderunder our weake and ſhallow capacity.
Q. What Names of God in the Scripture are deriued from theſe words?
A. Two: the name Iehouah, and the name Iah; both which being drawne from the deſcription of God, doe ſet forth the manner of his Eſſence and Being.
Q. Can you from hence define, what God is?
A. Hee muſt hauehave the Art and Logicke of God himſelfe, that can giuegive a perfect definition of God; but he may in ſuch ſort be deſcribed, as hee may bee diſcerned from all falſe gods, and all creatures whatſoeuer.
Q. What is that deſcription?
A. God is a Spirit, which hath his being of himſelfe.
Q. What meane you by that addition, of himſelfe?
A. It hath a ſecret oppoſition to all creatures, which hath a being, but not of themſelues: wheras God alone is hee, in whom wee liue, and moue, and Act. 17. 28.hauehave our being: which proueth, that hee alone hath his Being of himſelfe; and therefore all other things hauehave no being in compariſon: whence the Prophet ſaith, that all nations before him are nothing, Eſa. 40. 17.yea, to him leſſe then nothing: and if men be nothing (for whom the whole world was made) how much more are all other creatures in heauen and earth nothing before him, and to him leſſe then nothing?
Hitherto of the Eſſence of God, it followeth to treate of his Properties and Attributes.