Chapter 2: Of God and of the Holy Trinity
1.The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose
subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection;
whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure
spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;
who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every
way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working
all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most
righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful,
long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity,
transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,
and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin,
and who will by no means clear the guilty.
(
1 Corinthians 8:4, 6;
Deuteronomy 6:4;
Jeremiah 10:10;
Isaiah 48:12;
Exodus 3:14;
John 4:24;
1 Timothy 1:17;
Deuteronomy 4:15, 16;
Malachi 3:6;
1 Kings 8:27;
Jeremiah 23:23;
Psalms 90:2;
Genesis 17:1;
Isaiah 6:3;
Psalms 115:3;
Isaiah 46:10;
Proverbs 16:4;
Romans 11:36;
Exodus 34:6, 7;
Hebrews 11:6;
Nehemiah 9:32, 33;
Psalms 5:5, 6;
Exodus 34:7;
Nahum 1:2, 3
)
2.God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of
himself, is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in
need of any creature which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from
them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them;
he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to
whom are all things, and he hath most sovereign dominion over all
creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself
pleaseth; in his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge
is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as
nothing is to him contingent or uncertain; he is most holy in all his
counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands; to him is due
from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as
creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased
to require of them.
(
John 5:26;
Psalms 148:13;
Psalms 119:68;
Job 22:2, 3;
Romans 11:34-36;
Daniel 4:25, 34, 35;
Hebrews 4:13;
Ezekiel 11:5;
Acts 15:18;
Psalms 145:17;
Revelation 5:12-14
)
3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences,
the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power,
and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence
undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding;
the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding
from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning, therefore
but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but
distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal
relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our
communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him.
(
1 John 5:7;
Matthew 28:19;
2 Corinthians 13:14;
Exodus 3:14;
John 14:11;
1 Corinthians 8:6;
John 1:14,18;
John 15:26;
Galatians 4:6
)
Back to the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith
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