Welchman on Article I: Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

There is, &c.] That there is a God, is manifest, 1. From the Order of Causes, which derives its Origin from | some first, self-existent Cause. 2. From the very Idea or Notion of a God, which implies in it a necessary Ex- istence. 3. .From the Content of all Nations. 4. From the Origin of the World, and the Order and Usefulness of all Things therein. 5. From the Force of Conscience.

6. From Prophecies. re rom Miracles, See Pearson on

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Epist. ad Mien

Ad Greco Cobortat.

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NorkEs on the XXXIX Articles

on the Creed, Art. I. Wiltins’s Natural Religion, Book I. Chap. 4, 5, 6. Stillingfleetis Orig. Sacr. B. III. Chap. 1. 2. Grotius de Verit. Christianæ Relig. Lib. I. C. 2. illotfon on Job xxviii. 28. | One God] That there is but One God, appears from the very Nature of God, which is incompatible with a Plu-

rality of Gods, inasmuch as He is the first Cause, and the

ultimate End of all Things, and is also a Being infinitely perfect: Whereas if there were more Gods, then one of them might be produced by another, and they might even clash one with another. And farther, as One God is „fi- cient, fo, if there were more, neither This nor That would

none other God but one.

See also Ignatius. There is One God ( says he) who 4 hath manifested himself by Jesus Christ his Son, who is „ his eternal Word.”

And Justin Martyr. ** That there is but One God, « is the first Document of true Religion.”

And St. Cyprian. © There is One God, who is Lord « of All; for his sublime Greatness cannot admit of a « Partner, since ‘tis alone possessed of all Power.”

See also Pæarsen on the Creed, Art. I. Wiltins’s Nat. Rel. B. I. Ch. 8. Grotius de Verit. Rel. Lib. I. c. 3.

Living and true God] See 1 Thess. i. 9. Je turned to Cod from Idols, to serve the living and true God. |

verlasting] Inasmuch as He is the first Cause, which

ell not possibly be produced either from any other Cause YT from Nothing. Now that which is not produced by any other Cause, exists of itself; and that which exists of itself, must always exist, See 1 Tim. i. 17. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be Ho- nour and Glory, for ever and ever. See also Wiltins’s Nat. Rel. B. I. Ch. 8. Grotizs de Verit. Rel. Lib. I. C. 6.

Without Body) That is, Immaterial and Spiritual. For a spiritual Substance excels a bodily one : And therefore if God were a bodily Substance, he would be more ignoble

than the Angels, and the Souls of Men. Besides, all

Matter is of itself unactive, and void of Motion, untess

it be moved by something else. But God is the first Mover. See John iv. 24. Gad is a Spirit.

See also Theophilus of Atrech, * The Form or *

of the Church of ENGLAND.

« of God ( /ays he) is ineffable and inexpressible, and can- 4d Aube. & not be seen with bodily Eyes. For He is infinite in “ ©

« Glory, incomprehensible in. Greatness, superexcellent in Power, incomparable in Wisdom, inimitable in « Goodness, unspeakable in Beneficence.“

Without Parts] Or, according to the Latin Articles, Impartibilis, that is, incapable of being divided into Parts. This follows from his heing Immaterial and Spiritual, If he were a Material and Bodily Substance, then, as he is Infinite, he would fill all Places in such a Manner, that there would be no Room for any other bodily Substance.

Without Passions} Or according to the Lavin Article, Impa/Jible, that is, incapable of suffering. Whatever /uffer;, a0 40 from an 3 hn en itself, and is / ome Measure impotent, But God is a Being of immense Power. For He, from whom all Power is derived, must

necessarily be Omnipotent. And if any thing could resist

God, it would either have that Power fronp itself, and con- sequently would itself be God; or else it would have it from Another, that is, from God. But how should God confer such a Power as is greater than his own?

The English Article has, without Parts or Passions, fot what the Latin one expresses by, Impartibilis and Impas- fibilis. And here it is to be observed, that the Scriptures indeed seem to attribute AZ-mbers to God, such as Eyes and Hands, &c. as also Passions, such as Love, Anger, Ha- tred, &c. of all which, since He is the molt simple Effence, and is also immutable, and always infinitely happy, He is utterly incapable; and therefore that those Things are spoken by way of Accommodation to the Weakness of Men, and not as suitably to the Perfeftions of God.

See Psal. cii. 26, 27. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure ; yea, all of them shall wax old as a Garment : As a 4 shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed. But

hou art the same, and Thy Years shall baue no End.

See also 1/ilkins’s Nat. Rel. B. I. Ch. 8. Pearson on the Creed, Art, VI. |

Of infinite Power) See Matth. xix. 26. Nith Gad all

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Things are pesseble. See also Clement of Rome. © There ,. ad

eis nothing ( /ays he) impossible with God. By the Word Cer. e. 27+ „of his __ were all Things made, and by a Word

• he can destroy them.“ Of infinite Visdom] God’s infinite Wisdom appears from the admirable Order and Usefulness of Things, and from

the various Effects of Divine Providence, See P/al. B 2 cxlvii.

Nores on the XXXIX Articles

’ extvii. 5. His Understanding is infinite. See also Millins’s

Nat. Rel. B. I. Ch. 6,9. Ray’s Wisdom of God, &c, $herlack of Providence, Ch. VIII. | 20 ’ Of infinite Goodness) God’s infinite Goodness appears from the Creation and Preservation of all Things; but es- pecially, from the Redemption of Mankind by Christ, See Luke xviii. 19. May calleft thou me good? None is good save ane, that is God. See alss Sherlock of Providence, Ch. VII. Wilkins’s Nat. Rel. B. I. Ch. 10. Art of Contentment, Sect. 3, 4. Scott’s Christian Life, Part II. Vol. II. p. 242. Maker of all Things] That the World is not eternal, is manifest, From the Arts which in these latter Ages of it have been invented, From the Countries which of late-have been discovered, and which were as yet uncultivated ; and,

From all the Histories of it, which do not reach many

Adver!. Here . J. I. Co 19.

Ages back. It was therefore made. And that it was thus made by Chance, is absurd and impossible. It had there- fore a Sg And who could that be but God? See Col. i. 16, 17. By Him were all Things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities,, vr Powers : All Things were

created by Him, and for Him; And He is before all Things,

and by Him all Things con sist. ; See also Jrengus, © God hath no Need of any Thing, * inasmuch as He made all Things by his Word and Spi- & rit, and still governeth all Things, which all receive & their Being from Him.“ |

ee also Pearson on the Creed, Art. I. WWilkinss Nat. Rel. B. I, Ch. 5. Stillingfleet’s Orig. Sacr. L. III. C. 2, Tilloison on Jab xxxviii. 28. Preserver of all Things] For nothing exists necessarily, and of itself, except God. And therefore all Things de- owe upon God. See Scott’s Christian Life, Part II.

ol. I. Ch. 4. Set. 1. Nowell, Catech. p. 49, 50. Sherlock of Providence, Ch, II.

And in the Unity, &c.] Since it is most certain that there is but One God, and yet that those Attributes and Divine Honours are in Scripture ascribed to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which belong to no other

Being but God; it is very justly said, on there is One

God, but Three Persons.

See Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye, and teach all Nations, bap- tizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gh. And 2 Gor. xiti. 13. The Grace of our Lord Fejus Christ, and the Love of God, and tle Communion of

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the Holy Ghost, le with you all. Amen. And 1 John v. 7. There are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, th Son, and the Holy Ghost ;, and these Three are One. See also Clerent of Rome. + Have we not One God, Epifad « and One Christ, and One Spirit of Grace?“ Cay. 6 he And Ignatius. Be subject to your Bishop—as the Apo- Epip. ad te ftles were to Christ, and to the Father, ond to the Spirit.“ Magnes- And Fuftin Martyr. * Him, and his Son begotten by Apel. . c.6. % Him, and the Prophetical Spirit, we worship and adore.”

And Athenagoras. From him, and by him, were all Legatio pro « Things made, since the Father and the Son are One, and Ce F. c since the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son, by the Union and Power of the Spirit.” And again, Who therefore would not wonder that We should be IId. f. 1. & called Atheists, who acknowledge God the Son, and the Holy Ghost, declaring their Power in Unity [or their « Unity in Power] and their Difference in order!“

And Theophilus of Antioch. „ The three Days which Ad Autoye. e preceded the Luminaries, are Types of the Trinity, of“ 2.

„ God, and his Word, and his Wisdom.”

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And Tertullian. The Connexion of the Father in the Av. Prax- e Son, and of the Son in the Comforter, makes Three . 25. « cohering with one another. These Three are one Thing, c nat one Person; and therefore it is said, I and the Father © are One, with regard to the Unity of Person, not the „ Singularity of Number.” And again, © It is made the zz, c. zr. chief Article of Faith amongst the Fews, fo to believe in « one God, as not to join the Son, or the Holy Ghost « with him, For what Difference will there be, except „That, between Them and Us? What is the Business of the Gospel, or what is the Substance of the New Testa- ment, which acknowledge the Law and the Prophets until 7ohn, if from thence it do not appear, that the „Father, the Son, and the Spirit, who are believed to be Three, yet constitute but One God.”

And St. Cyprian. * “These Words, Go ye, and teach all De let, & Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and Vus- * of the Son, and of the Holy Ghei, intimate the Trinity, © into the Belief and Profession of which the Gentiles F were to be received by the Sacrament of Baptism.“

See also St:{l:ngflzet’s Doctrine of the Trinity. Hooker’s Eccl. Pol. B. V. Sect. 51. Prideaux’s Fasc. Controv. C. 2. Q. 2. Nelson’s Festivals, Trin. Sund. Nowell;

Catech. p. 46. e ARTICLE

$ Nor Es en the XXXIX Articles

er u. Of the Word, or Son of God, which

was made very Man.