A. To all the hearers of the gofpel, as a ground of faith: Mark xvi 15. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature: Acts ii. 39. The promife is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fall call.

212. How doth it appear that this record is given as a ground of faith, to all the hearers of the gofpel?

A. If it were not fo, it were impoffible that unbelievers, under the gospel, could make God a liar; for, if they have no concern in this record, and are not bound to believe it with application of themfelves, their rejecting of it could not be their fin; because, where no law is, there is no tranf greffion, Rom. iv. 15

213. if the record, or promife of the God of truth be made to every one of the hearers of the gofpel, is he not, in that cafe, obliged to fulfil it to every one?

A. By no means: because the unbeliever wilfully rejects the promise, and will have no benefit by it, Plxxxi 10-13. 914 By what example, in fcripture, m.y this be illuftrated?

A. By the eximple of the promise of Canaan made indefinitely to all Ifrael who came out of Egypt, Ezod. vi. 6. 8. yet many of them could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. iii 19.: even fo, the promife of eternal life is made to all the hearers of the gofpel; yet many of them come fhort of it, becaufe the word preached doth not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that hear it, Heb. iv. 1, 2,

Q15. What then is the deplorable cafe of unbelievers under the gofpel?

A. They are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on them, John iii. 18, 36.

Qf6. What improvement ought we to make of the truth and faithfulness of God?

A. We ought to choose the way of truth, Pfal, exix 30; walk in it, 3 John verse 4, bear witnefs for it before the world, Heb x. 23. to praif God for his truth, Pfal, cxxxviii. 2.; and truft him on his wor 1, without flaggering at the promife through unbelief, Rom. iv. 20,

5. QUEST. Are there more Gods than one? ANSW. There is but one only, the liv ing and true God.

Q. 1. How doth it appear from fcripture, that there is but one God [only]?

A. From Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord, Ifa. xìv. 22.--I am God, and there is none else. 22. How doth reafon demonftrate this truth, that there is but one God?

A. Reafon fays, that there is but one first cause and ultimate end of all things; and that there cannot be two, or more, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable beings.

Q. Why is God's omnipotence commonly adduced to prove, that he can be but one only?

A. Because he could not be omnipotent, or almighty, if any other could oppofe or refift him, Job ix 12.

Q4. How may it be proved from his government of the world?

A. There could not be an uniform governing of all things in the world, to one certain end, if the infinitely wife governor, who is at the helm, were not one only.

Q5. How are fome of the divine perfections expreffed in fcripture, for proving the unity of the effence?

A. They are expreffed in the abstract; for instance, God is faid to be light, 1 John i. 5.; to be love, chap. iv. 8 ; to be ftrength, i Sam. xv. 29.: all which, and the like abftract properties, plainly denote that God is one only.

Q. 6. Is God compounded of the feveral perfections of his nature, as the Socinians fpeak.

A. By no means: for all the feveral attributes of God, are but the one infinite perfection of his moft fimple and uncompounded nature; which infinite perfection, because of our weaknefs, is defcribed by parts, according to the feveral objects about which it is converfant.

Q. 7. Are the vaft variety of the divine decrees any ar-` gument against the divine unity?

A, No: because the decrees are various, only with refpect to the different objets and effects to which they extend, but not with refpect to the act of the divine will, which is but one.

Q. 8. Are there not severals in fcripture who are called gods?

A. Yes; angels, magiftrates, and the idols of the Hea

then nations.

Q. 9. Why are angels called gods, Pfam xcvii. 7.

A, Becaufe of the excellency of their nature, power, and wildom Pfalm ciii. 21

10. Why are magiftrates fo called, Exod. xxii. 28 ? A. Because they are God's deputies for government and juftice among men, Rom. xiii 4.

21. Why are the idols of the Heathen nations called gods, 1 Chron v 25.?

A. Because ignorant and brutish perfons have honoured them as fuch; but there is no reafon at all to be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither alfo is it in them to do good, Jer x. 5.

Q. 12. Why is Satan called the god of this world, 2 Cor. iv 4.?

A. Because he reigns and rules over the greateft part of the world, as his fervants and flaves; for he is the fpirit that now worketh in the children of difabedience, Eph. ii. 2. 2. 13. Why are covetous men called idolaters, Eph. 4 ?

V.

A. Because the world has that room in their heart which God fhould have.

Q. 14. What may we learn from God's being one only? A To be aware of mistaken notions of him, as if he were partly in heaven, and partly on earth; for he is fo much one, that he is wholly every where prefent, Jer.

xxiii 2.4.

Q. 15. Why is this one only God faid to be the [living] God?

A Because he has life effentially in himself, John v. 26. ; and is the author and giver of that life that is in any living creature, Acts xvii 28.; and lik wife in oppofition to dead and dumb idols, Psalm cxv. 4—7

Q. 16. Why is he called the [true] God?

A. In oppofition to all falfe and imaginary gods, Jer.

*. 10, 11

Q. 17. Why are living and true put together in the anfwer?

A. Because they are infeparably conjoined in the infi. nitely perfect nature of God. He who is the living God is the only true God; and the true God, the only living God, Theff. i 9.

Q8. What may we learn from his being the living God?

A. To prefent our bodies a living facrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service, Rom. xii. 1. PART I.

G

2. 19. What may we learn from his being the only true God?

A. To worship him in fpirit and in truth, John iv. 24. because he defires truth in the inward parts, Psalm li. 6.; and likewise to beware of fetting up an idol, or regarding any iniquity in our hearts, otherwise he will not here us, Pfalm lxvi. 18..

6. QUEST. How many perfons are there in the Godhead?

ANSW. There are three perfons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and these three are one God, the fame in fubftance, equal in power and glory.

21. Whence is it, that this article of our holy religion, has been fo much opposed by adverfaries, in every period of the church?

A. The devil and his inftruments have warmly oppofed it, because they know it is the primary object of our faith and worship; it not being enough for us to know what God is, as to his effential attributes, without knowing whe he is, as to his perfonality, according as he has revealed himself in his word, to be Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft: John ii. 23. Whofoever denieth the Son, the fame hath not the Father.

2. Is this doctrine of the Trinity, then, a fundamental article, upon the belief whereof our salvation depends?

A. Beyond all doubt it is; because without the knowledge and belief of the Trinity of persons, we would remain ignorant of the love of the Father, the merit of the Son, and the fanctifying influences of the Holy Ghoft, in the purchase and application of redemption; without which there could be no falvation: John xvii. 3. This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent.

23. Can the Trinity of perfons be proven from the Gld Tefiament?

A. Yes: not only from the hiftory of man's creation,

where God fpeaks of himself in the plural number, Let us make man, Gen. i. 26. but likewise from fuch passages, as exprefsly restrict this plurality to three perfons; fuch as Pfal. xxxiii. 6. By the word of the Lord, or JEHOVAH, were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath, or spirit, of his mouth. Where there is mention made of JEHOVAH, the Word and the Spirit, as concurring in the creation of all things accordingly, we are told that all things were made by the Word, John i. 3. ; and that the Spirit garnished the heavens, Job xxvi. 13. The fame truth is also evident from Ifa. lxiii. 7, 9, 10 where we read of the loving-kindnesses of JEHOVAH; of the Angel of his prefence faving them; and of their vexing his Holy Spirit. A plain difcovery of a Trinity of perfons.

24. What is the meaning of the word TRINITY, so commonly used in expreffing this doctrine?

A. It fignifies the fame with TRI-UNITY, or three in one; that is, three diftinct perfons, in one and the fame individual or * numerical effence, 1 John v. 7.

25. Is not a Trinity of Persons, in the divine Effence, an unfearchable mystery ?

A. Yes: and fo is every perfection of God, which infinitely tranfcends our thoughts, and finite capacities, Col. ii. 2. Job xi 6, 7.

2. 6. Is it not unreasonable to require a belief of what we cannot understand?

A. It is not at all unreasonable in matters that are entirely fupernatural; but, on the contrary, it is the highest reafon we should believe what God fays of himself, and of the manner of his own fubfiftence, John xx. 31.: besides, it is the peculiar office of faith to subject our reason to divine revelation, Heb. xi 1.

27. How has God revealed this mystery in his word? A. He hath therein told us, that there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost ; and thefe three are one, 1 John v. 7. Or, as our Confeffion expreffeth it, In the unity of the Godhead there be three 'perfons, of one fubftance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost,' Mat. iii. 16, 17. and xxviii. 19. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. †

• That is, particular.

↑ Chap. ii, Se&. 3.