Rogers on Article I: Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

The propositions.

1. There is but one God, who is liuing, true, euerlasting, &c.

2. God is the maker, and preseruer of all things.

3. In the vnitie of the Godhead, there is a Trinitie of persons.

1. Proposition. There is but one God, who is liuing, true, euerlasting, without bodie, parts, or passions: of infinite power, wisedome, and goodnes.

The proofe from the word of God.

THat there is but one God, who is, &c. is a truth which may be gathered from the al-holy, and sacred Scripture; & is agreeable to the doctrine of the reformed Churches. For both Gods word giueth vs to knowe, that God is one, and no moe¹, liuing ², and true God³, euerlasting ⁴: without bodie, parts, or passions⁵: of infinite power⁶, wisedome⁷, and goodnes⁸: and Gods people in their publike confessions from Ausburgh ⁹, He[?]uetia ¹⁰, Bohemia ¹¹, France ¹², Flanders ¹³, and Wittemberge ¹⁴, testifie the same.

Errors, and adversaries vnto this truth.

Then impious, & execrable are the opinions of Dragoras, & Theodorus, who fasly denied there was any God¹⁵.

Of Protagoras ¹⁶, and the Machiuilian Athiests, which are doubtfull whether there be a God.

Of such as fained vnto themselues, diuers and sundrie gods, as did the Manichies¹⁷, the Basilidians¹⁸, the Valentinians¹⁹, the Messalian heretikes²⁰, the Gentiles, and heathen people, whereof some in place of God, worshipped Beastes vnreasonable, as the Aegyptians did a Calfe ²¹, an Oxe, Cats, Vulturs, and Crocodils²²; The Syrians, a Fish²³, and Pigeons²⁴; the Persians, a Dragon ²⁵: some as Gods, haue adored men, vnder the names of Iupiter, Mars, Mercurie, and such like²⁶: and some, euen at this day for God doe worship Kine, the Sunne, and what they thinke good, so doe inhabitants of Baly in the East Indies²⁷.

Of the Anthropomorphites, which ascribed the forme and lineamentes of man vnto God ²⁸, thinking God to be like vnto man.

Of such as put their trust and confidence, to be reposed in God alone, either in men liuing, as doe both the Persians in their Soldan²⁹, and the Papists in their Pope, who with them is God ³⁰, their Lord and God ³¹, of infinite power ³²: or in Saints departed this life, as doe the same Papists, both in their S. Francis, whome they tearme, The glorie of God, prefigured by Esay, when he said, Holy, Holy, Holy, ³³ &c. and in their Thomas Becket, whom they say, God hath set ouer the workes of his hands³⁴; or in Beastes vnreasonable, as doth the Mordwite Tartar³⁵; or finally in riches, and other senslesse creatures, as doe the Atheists, and irreligious worldlings.

2. Proposition. God is the maker, and preseruer of all things.

The proofe from Gods word.

THat the world, and all things both visible and invisible therein, both were made, and are preserved, by the almightie, and onely power of God, are truthes grounded vpon the holy Scripture, and agreeable to the confessions of Gods people.

For touching the creation of the world, we read that in the beginning God created the heauen and the earth ³⁶ &c. He made heauen and earth³⁷, by him were all things created, which are in heauen, and which are in earth, things visible and invisible, whether Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things, were created by him, and for him ³⁸: by his Sonne he made the worldes³⁹, and all these acknowledged by the Churches primitiue ⁴⁰, and reformed at this day ⁴¹.

And touching the preseruation of all things by him created: My soule, praise thou the Lord, &c. (saith the Psalmist) which couereth himselfe with light as with a garment, spreadeth the heauens like a curtaine; which laieth the beames of his chambers in the waters, and maketh the cloudes his chariot, and walketh vpon the wings of the winde; which maketh the spirits his messengers, and flaming fire his ministers,⁴² &c.

Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing, and one of them shal not fal on the ground without your Father? yea, and al the haires of your head are numbred, saith our S. Christ⁴³. God, that made the world, and all things that are therein, he is Lord of heauen and earth; he giueth life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all mankinde to dwel on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the times which were ordained before, and the bonds of their habitation, saith S. Paul⁴⁴.

The Sonne is the brightnes of the glorie, and the ingraued forme of his person, and beareth vp all things by his mightie word⁴⁵.

The Churches of God in Heluetia⁴⁶, Basil ⁴⁷, France ⁴⁸, and Flanders⁴⁹, testifie the verie same.

Errors, and aduersaries vnto these truths.

Hereby are condemned all Heretikes, and errors impugning either the creation of the world by God; or his providence in the continuing, and preseruation of the same.

Of the former sort was,

First Aristotle, and his followers, which said the world was eternal, and without beginning.

Next, the Marcionites, that held, how God made not the world, as being too base a thing for him to create ⁵⁰.

3. Simon Magus, Saturnius, Meander, Carpocrates, Corinthus, who ascribed the worldes creation vnto Angels ⁵¹.

4. The Manichies, who gaue the creation of all things vnto two Gods, or Beginnings: the one good, whereof came good things; the other euill, whence proceeded euill things⁵².

5. The same Manichies⁵³, and Priscillianists ⁵⁴, which did affirme man to haue bin the workemanship not of God, but of the Deuill.

6. The Familie of Loue, who deliuer that God by them made heauen, and earth ⁵⁵.

7. The Papists, who giue out how sacrificing Priests are the Creators of Christ ⁵⁶.

Of the latter sort were,

The Stoike Philosophers, and the Manichies, who are the great patrones of Destinie, Fate, and Fortune⁵⁷.

The Familie of Loue, which may not say, God saue any thing: for they affirme that all things be ruled by nature, and not ordered by God ⁵⁸.

The old Philosophers, who thought that inferior things were too base for God to be carefull of ⁵⁹.

And lastly the Epicures, who thinke God is idle, and gouerneth not the same. Of which minde was Cyprian, who held that God, hauing created the world, did commit the gouerment thereof vnto certaine celestial powers⁶⁰.

3. Proposition. In the Vnitie of the Godhead, there is a Trinitie of persons.

The proofe from Gods word.

THe Scripture saith,

In the beginning God the Father⁶¹, the Sonne ⁶², and the holy Ghost⁶³, created the heauen, and the earth.

By 1 the word of the 2 Lord were the heauens made, and all the host of them by the 3 Breath of his mouth ⁶⁴.

Loe, the heauens were opened vnto 1 him; and (Iohn) sawe 2 the Spirit of God descending like a Doue, and lighting vpon him: and loe, a voice from heauen saying, This is 3 my beloued Sonne, in whome I am well pleased ⁶⁵.

Because yee are sonnes, 1 God hath sent forth 2 the Spirit of his 3 Sonne into your heartes, which crieth, Abba, Father, saith the Apostle ⁶⁶: and againe, The grace of 1 our Lord Iesus Christ, and the loue 2 of God, and the communion of the 3 holy Ghost be with you all ⁶⁷.

And S. Iohn: There are three which beare record in heauen, 1 The Father, 2 the word, and 3 the holy Ghost, and these three are one ⁶⁸.

This truth hath alwaies bin ⁶⁹, and serously is ⁷⁰, confessed in the church of Christ.

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

Then cursed are all opinions of men contrarie herevnto: whereof

Some denied the Trinitie, affirming there is one God, but not three persons in the Godhead: so did the Montanists ⁷¹, and Marcellians ⁷², and so doe the Iewes⁷³, and Turkes ⁷⁴.

Some, as the Gnostikes⁷⁵, Marcionites ⁷⁶, and Valentinians ⁷⁷, affirme there be moe Gods then one, and yet not three persons, nor of one and the same nature, but of a diuers, and contrarie disposition.

Some thinke there be three Gods, or spirits; not distinguished onely, but diuided also, as did the Ennomeans⁷⁸, and Trethectes⁷⁹.

Some feare not to say, that in worshiping the Trinitie, Christians doe adore three Deuils, worse then all the idols of the Papists: such blasphemers were the Heretikes, Blandrat, and Alciat ⁸⁰.

Some will haue a Quaternitie of persons, not a Trinitie to be worshipped, so did Anastasius the Emperour command; & the Apollinarians did hold ⁸¹. Some doe graunt, and acknowledge the names of three in the God-head, but denie their persons, such were the Noëtians, Praxeneans, and Hermogenians: This did say, how the same God was called by diuers names in the holy Scripture: and therefore that the Father became flesh, and suffered, because one and the same God is called the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. For which cause they were tearmed Patripassians. In this number was Sernetus.

Againe, some doe grant the names, and persons of three, and yet depriue not onely the Sonne, and holy Ghost of their diuinitie, but the whole Trinitie also of their properties. For they say, there be three in heauen, viz. the Father, the Word, and holy Ghost, howbeit (say they) the Father onely is very God; the word is the breath of the Father; and the holy Ghost is the spirit created by God of nothing, through the word: spoiling so both the Sonne, and holy Ghost of their deitie, and the whole Trinitie of their properties. Such were the Arrian, and Macedonian heretikes, hence by-named Pneumatomachons, because they waged battel with the holy Ghost.

And some doe bring in other names of deitie, besides of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, as did the Priscilianists ⁸².

Footnotes

1. Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me. Ex. 20.3. the lord our God is Lord onely. Deut. 6.4. Who is God beside the Lord? Psal. 18.31. Hath not one God made vs? Mal. 2 10. There is none other God but one. 1. Cor. 8.4. ↩

2. Mine heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God. Psal. 84.2. Ye are the Temple of the liuing God. 2. Cor. 6.16. ↩

3. For a long season Israel hath bin without the true God. 2 Chron. 15.3. The Lord is the God of truth, he is the liuing God, and an euerlasting King. Ier. 10.10. This is life eternall, that they know thee to be the onely very God, &c. Ioh. 17.3. Ye turned to God from idols, to serue the liuing and true God. 1. Thess. 1 9. ↩

4. O my God, &c. thy yeares endure from generation to generation, &c. thy yeares shall not faile. Psal 102. v. 24, 26, 27. He is the liuing God, and remaineth for euer. Dan. 6.16. ↩

5. O Lord my God, thou art exc[?]eding great, thou art clothed with glorie, and honour, which couereth himselfe with light as with a garment, &c. Psal. 104. v. 1. &c. God is a spirit. Ioh. 4.24. The Lord is the spirit. 2. Cor. 3.17. He is not a man, that he should repent. 1. Sam. 15.29 I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath, I will not returne to destroy Israel: for I am God, and not man. Hos. 11.9. ↩

6. The sound of the Cherubims wings was heard into the vtter court, as the v[?]ice of the Almightie God, when he speaketh. Ezek. 10.5. I will be a Father vnto you, &c s[?]ith the Lord Almightie. 2. Cor. 6.18 We giue thee thanks, Lord God Almightie. Reuel. 11.17 ↩

7. Great is our Lord, and great is his power: his wisdome is infinite. Psal. 147.5. To God onely wise, be honour and glorie for euer and euer. 1. Tim. 1.17. To God, I say, onely wise be praise through Iesus Christ for euer, Amen. Rom. 16.27. ↩

8. Praise ye the Lord, because he is good, for his mercie endureth for euer. Psal. 106.1.107.1.108.1. &c. ↩

9. Art. 1. ↩

10. Confes. 2. ar. 2. ↩

11. cap. 3. ↩

12. art. 1. ↩

13. art. 2. ↩

14. cap. 1. ↩

15. Deos esse dubitabat Protagoras, nullos esse omnino Diagoras, & Th[?]o[?] rus Cyreniacus putauerunt. M. T. Ci[?]e. de Nat. Deor. l. 1. ↩

16. Protagoras Deos in dubium vocavit, Diagoras exclusi[?]. Lactan. de fal. Rel. cap. 2. ↩

17. August. contra Manich. l. 2 c. 1, 2. ↩

18. Clemen. Alex. str. l. 5. ↩

19. Valentinus trigintae Deorum praedicator, saith Cyril, catech. 6. ↩

20. Epiphan. ↩

21. Exod. 32. ↩

22. Gand. Merula demi[?]abil. lib. 3. c. 56. ↩

23. Piscem Syri venerantur. Cic. de Senect. ↩

24. Merula de mirab. l. 3. c. 48. ↩

25. Histor. of Bel. ↩

26. Gods are come downe to vs in the likenes of mē, and they called Barnab[?]s, Iupiter. and Paul Mercurius, &c. Then Iupiters priest, &c. Act. 14.11. &c. who knoweth not that the citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great Goddesse Diana? Act. 19.35. ↩

27. Voiage of the Holland. ships. ↩

28. Theodoret. l. 4. c. 10. ↩

29. Tu es nostra fides, & in te credimus: will the Persians s[?]y vnto the Soldan. P. Bizarus rerum Pe[?] sic. l. 11. ↩

30. Panormit. C. quanto Abbas. ↩

31. Extruag. Joan. 22. ↩

32. Extrauag. de transl. epist. Quanto. ↩

33. Alcar. Francisc. l. 1. ↩

34. Horum B. virginis Ma. secundum vsum Sarum. p. 51. ↩

35. Russe commonvveale. c. 19. ↩

36. Gen. 11. &c. ↩

37. Psal. 124.8.134.3. ↩

38. Coloss. 1.16. ↩

39. Heb. 1.8. ↩

40. Creede Apost & Nicen. ↩

41. Confess. Helv. 2. c. 6, 7. Basil. ar. 1. of Frāce. ar. 7. Fland. ar. 12. ↩

42. Psal. 104.1. &c. ↩

43. Mat. 10.29, 30 ↩

44. Act. 17.24, 25, 26. ↩

45. Heb. 1.3. ↩

46. Confess. 2. [?]. 7. ↩

47. Confess. Basil. ar. 1.2. ↩

48. Confess. Gal. ar. 18. ↩

49. Confess. Belg. ar. 12.13. ↩

50. Tertul. lib. 1. contr. Marc. ↩

51. Iren. Epiph. Phila[?]er. ↩

52. Epip. August. cont. Man. c. 49. ↩

53. D. August. de side. contra Manich. c. 40. ↩

54. Concil. Brac. cap. 11. ↩

55. Display of the Fam. of Loue. H. 8. b. ↩

56. Qui creavit me sine me, iam creatur mediante me. Stella cleric. ↩

57. Socrat. hist. eccles. l. 1. c. 22. ↩

58. Display of the Fam. H. 5. b. ↩

59. Dii magna curant, parva negligunt. Cic. de nat. Deor. lib. 2. ↩

60. In exposit. Symb. ↩

61. The Father by the Sonne made the worlds. Heb. 1.2. ↩

62. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and that word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Ioh. 1.1, 2. ↩

63. In the beginning God created the heauen, and the earth, &c. and the spirit of God mooued vpon the waters. Gen. 1.1, 2. ↩

64. Psal. 33.6. ↩

65. Math. 3.16, 17 ↩

66. Gal. 4.6. ↩

67. 2. Cor. 13.13.
    ↩
68. 1. Iohn 5.3.
    ↩

69. Creed Apo. Nic. Athan. ↩

70. Confess. Helv. 1. art. 6. & 2. c. 3. August. art. 1. Gal. art. 6. Belg. art. 6. Bohem. c. 3. VVittemb. c. 1. Suca[?]. art. 1. ↩

71. Socrat. eccles. hist. l. 1. c. 23. ↩

72. Theod. haeret. fab. lib. 2. ↩

73. Lud. Carettus lib. diuinor. visor. ad Iudae. ↩

74. Pol. of the Turk. emp. c. 5. ↩

75. Clem. Alex. strom. l. 5. ↩

76. Epiphan. ↩

77. Cl. Alex. str. l. 4. ↩

78. Philaster. ↩

79. Zanch de 3. El. par. i. l. 7. c. 1. ↩

80. Calvin. epist. ↩

81. Athanas. ad Epictet. ↩

82. Concil. Bracar. cap. 2. ↩