Chap. II. -- Of God.

Ques. 1. What is Christian religion?

Ans. The ^aonly way of [1] [2] knowing God aright, and ^bliving unto him. ^aJohn xiv. 5, 6, xvii. 3; Acts iv. 12. ^bCol. i. 10; 2 Cor. v. 15; Gal. ii. 19, 20.

Q. 2. Whence is it to be learned?
A. From the holy [3] Scripture only.
Isa. viii. 20; John v. 39.
Q. 3. What is the Scripture?

A. The books of the ^aOld and ^bNew [4] [5] [6] Testament, ^cgiven by inspiration from God, containing all things necessary to be believed and done, that God may be worshipped and our souls saved. ^aIsa. viii. 20; Rom. iii. 2. ^bRev. xxii. 19, 20. ^c2 Tim. iii. 16, 17; Ps. xix. 7, 8; Jer. vii. 13; John xx. 31.

Q. 4. How know you them to be the word of God?

A. By the ^atestimony [7] of God's Spirit, working faith in my heart to close with that ^bheavenly majesty, and clear divine truth, that shineth in them. ^aMatt. xvi. 17; John xvi. 13; 1 Thess. ii. 13; 1 John ii. 20, v. 6. ^bLuke xxiv. 32; 1 Cor. ii. 14; Heb. iv. 12; 2 Pet. i. 19.

[1] Every one out of this way everlastingly damned.

[2] The life of religion is in the Life.

[3] Popish traditions are false lights, leading from God.

[4] The authority of the Scripture dependeth not on the authority of the church, as the Papists blaspheme.

[5] All human inventions unnecessary helps in the worship of God.

[6] The word thereof is the sole directory for faith, worship, and life.

[7] This alone persuadeth and inwardly convinceth the heart of the divine verity of the Scripture; other motives, also, there are from without, and unanswerable arguments to prove the truth of them, as, --
1. Their antiquity; 2. Preservation from fury; 3. Prophecies in them;
4. The holiness and majesty of their doctrine agreeable to the nature of God; 5. Miracles; 6. The testimony of the church of all ages; 7. The blood of innumerable martyrs, &c.

Q. 1. What do the Scriptures teach concerning God?

A. First, what he is, or his nature; secondly, what he doth, or his works. Exod. iii. 14; Isa. xlv. 6; Heb. i. 1-3, xi. 6.

Q. 2. What is God in himself?

A. An ^aeternal, ^binfinite, [8] [9] [10] ^cincomprehensible ^dSpirit, ^egiving being to all things, and doing with them whatsoever he pleaseth. ^aDeut. xxxiii. 27; Isa. lvii. 15; Rev. i. 8. ^b1 Kings viii. 27; Ps. cxxxix. 2-5, &c. ^cExod. xxxiii. 20; 1 Tim. vi. 16. ^dJohn iv. 24. ^eGen. i. 1; Ps. cxv. 3, cxxxv. 6; Isa. xlvi. 10; John v. 17; Heb. i. 2.

Q. 3. Do we here know God as he is?

A. No, his glorious being is not of us, in this life, to be
comprehended.
Exod. xxxiii. 23; 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

Q. 4. Whereby is God chiefly made known unto us in the Word?

A. First, by his ^anames; secondly, by his ^battributes or properties. ^aExod. iii. 14, vi. 3; Ps. lxxxiii. 18. ^bExod. xxxiv. 6, 7; Matt. v. 48.

Q. 5. What are the names of God?

A. Glorious titles, which he [11] hath given himself, to hold forth his excellencies unto us, with some perfections whereby he will reveal himself. Exod. iii. 14, 15, vi. 3, xxxiv. 6, 7; Gen. xvii. 1.

Q. 6. What are the attributes of God?
A. His infinite perfections in being and working.
Rev. iv. 8-11.
Q. 7. What are the chief attributes of his being?

A. ^aEternity, ^binfiniteness, ^csimplicity [12] [13] or purity, ^dall-sufficiency, ^eperfectness, ^fimmutability, ^glife, ^hwill, and ^iunderstanding. ^aDeut. xxxiii. 27; Ps. xciii. 2; Isa. lvii. 15; Rev. i. 11. ^b1 Kings viii. 27; Ps. cxxxix. 1-4, 8-10. ^cExod. iii. 14. ^dGen. xvii. 1; Ps. cxxxv. 4-6. ^eJob xi. 7-9; Rom. xi. 33-36. ^fMal. iii. 6; James i. 17. ^gJudges viii. 19; 1 Sam. xxv. 34; 2 Kings iii. 14; Ezek. xiv. 16, xvi. 48; Matt. xvi. 16; Acts xiv. 15; 1 Thess. i. 9. ^hDan. iv. 35; Isa. xlvi. 10; Eph. i. 5, 11; James i. 18. ^iPs. vii. 8, cxxxix. 2, cxlvii. 4; Jer. xi. 20; Heb. iv. 13.

Q. 8. What are the attributes which usually are ascribed to him in his works, or the acts of his will?

A. ^aGoodness, ^bpower, [14] [15] ^cjustice, ^dmercy, ^eholiness, ^fwisdom, and the like; which he delighteth to exercise towards his creatures, for the praise of his glory. ^aPs. cxix. 68; Matt. xix. 17. ^bExod. xv. 11; Ps. lxii. 11; Rev. xix.
1. ^cZeph. iii. 5; Ps. xi. 7; Jer. xii. 1; Rom. i. 32. ^dPs. cxxx. 7; Rom. ix. 15; Eph. ii. 4. ^eExod. xv. 11; Josh. xxiv. 19; Hab. i. 13; Rev. iv. 8. ^fRom. xi. 33, xvi. 27.

[8] The perfection of God's being is known of us chiefly by removing all imperfections.

[9] Hence the abominable vanity of idolaters, and of the blasphemous Papists, that picture God.

[10] Let us prostrate ourselves in holy adoration of that which we cannot comprehend.

[11] The divers names of God signify one and the same thing, but under diverse notions in respect of our conception.

[12] Some of these attributes belong so unto God, as that they are in no sort to be ascribed to any else, -- as infiniteness, eternity, &c. Others are after a sort attributed to some of his creatures, in that he communicates unto them some of the effects of them in himself; -- as life, goodness, &c.

[13] The first of these are motives to humble adoration, fear, self-abhorrency; the other, to faith, hope, love, and confidence, through Jesus Christ.

[14] Nothing is to be ascribed unto God, nor imagined of him, but what is exactly agreeable to those his glorious properties.

[15] These last are no less essential unto God than the former -- only we thus distinguish them, because these are chiefly seen in his works.