Anfw. To be eternally begotten of the Father, John i. 14.We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

Queft. 17. What is the perfonal property of the Holy Ghoft?

Anfw. To proceed eternally from the Father and the Son, John xv. 26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall teftify of me.

Queft. 18. How doth it appear that the Holy Ghoft proceedeth from the Son, as well as from the Father, when it is not exprefly affirmed that he doth fo, in the above text?

Anfw. Because he is called the Spirit of the Son, Gal. iv. 6.; the Spirit of Christ, Rom. viii. 9.: the Spirit is faid to receive all things from Chrift, 'John xvi. 14, 15; to be fent by him, John xv. 26.; and the Father is faid to fend him in Christ's name, John xiv. 26.: from all which, it may be safely gathered, that he proceedeth from the Son, as well as from the Father.

Queft. 19. What is the difference betwixt a perfonal and an effential property?

Anfw. A perfonal property is peculiar to one of the perfons only, but an effential property is

common to them all.

Queft. 20. Why are the perfonal properties called incommunicable?

Anfw. Because each of them is so proper to one of the perfons in the trinity, that it cannot be affirmed of any of the other two.

Queft. 21. Is it the divine effence that begets, is begotten, or proceeds?

Anfw. No: for thele are not effential but perfonal acts. It is the Father, who begets the Son; the Son, who is begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghoft, who proceeds from both.

Queft. 22. re

Queft. 22. Are the terms, necessary existence, fupreme Deity, and the title of the only true God, effential or perfonal properties?

Anfw. They are effential properties of the divine nature, and fo common to all the perfons of the adorable trinity, who have all the fame effence, wholly, equally, and eternally.

Queft. 23. May the above terms be taken, or are they by found authors taken, in a fenfe that includes the perfonal property of the Father, and fo not belonging to the Son and Holy Ghost?

Anfw. They may not, and never are, by found authors, taken in that fense; for this would be to make the Son and Holy Ghost inferior to, and dependent upon the Father, for being or exiftence, which is the very foul of Arianifm.

Queft. 24. Doth not the Father, being called the firft; the Son, the fecond; and the Holy Ghoft, the third perfon in the Godhead, imply an inequality or preference of one perfon to another?

Anfw. Thefe are only terms of mere order, and imply no preference or priority, either of nature, excellency, or duration; and therefore we find in fcripture, that fometimes the Son is named before the Father, as in 2 Cor. xiii. 14. Gal. i. 1.; and fometimes the Spirit before the Son, as in Rev. i. 4, 5.

Quest. 25. Are not each of thefe glorious persons truly and properly God?

Anfw. Each of thefe perfons is God, in the true and proper fenfe of the word, though none of them can be called the Deity, exclufively of the reft, in regard the Deity, being the fame with the divine nature, or effence, is common to them all.

Quest. 26. But does not our Lord say, that the Father is the only true God, John xvii. 3. This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God? Anfw. Our

Anfw. Qur Lord does not fay, that the Father only is the true God, exclufive of the other perfons of the trinity; but that he is the only true God (as each of the other perfons is) in oppofition to idols, or gods, falfly fo called.

Queft. 27. How doth it appear that the Father is God?

Anfw. From his being exprefly fo called every where in fcripture; particularly, Rom. xv. 6. 2 Cor. i. 3. Gal. i. 3. Eph. i. 3. etc.

Queft. 28. Is it proper to fay, that the Father is the fountain of the Deity?

Anfw. The expreffion is dangerous, and now ufed by adverfaries in an unfound fenfe, to exclude self existence and independency from the Son and Holy Ghost, and therefore to be avoided.

Queft. 29. How doth it appear from scripture, that Chrift, the Son is truly and properly the fupreme God, equal with the Father?

Anfw. From the fame names, attributes, works and worship afcribed to him in fcripture, as are afcribed unto the Father, and in as full and ample a fenfe.

Quest. 30. What are the names afcribed to Chrift that prove him to be equal with the Father?

Anfw. He is exprefly called God John i. 1.; the great God, Tit. ii. 13.; the mighty God, Ifa. ix. 6.; the true God, I John v. 20.; the only wife God, Jude ver. 25.; and JEHOVAH, which is a name never afcribed to any, in fcripture, but the living and true God. Jer. xxiii. 6. Pfalm lxxxiii. 18.

Quest. 31. What are the divine attributes af cribed unto Chrift, that prove him to be the fupreme God?

Anfw. Eternity, in the ftrict and proper fenfe of the word, Micah v. 2.; unchangeableness, Heb. xiii. 8.; omniscience, John xxi. 17.; omni. potence, for he calls himself the Almighty, Rev. PART I.

F

i. 8.;

i. 8.; omniprefence, Lo, fays he, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Matth. xxviii. 20.; and fupremacy, Rom. ix. 5.

Queft. 32. What are thefe works which manifeft Chrift to be the true God?

Anfw. The creating and preserving of all things, Col. i. 16, 17.; the obtaining eternal redemption for us, Heb. ix. 12; the working of miracles by his own power, Mark v. 41.; the forgiving of fins, Mark ii. 5.; the railing of the dead at the last day, John v. 28, 29.; and his judging the world, Rom. xiv. 10.

Queft. 33. What is that worship afcribed unto Chrift, which proves him to be the Jupreme God?

Anfw. The fame divine worship and adoration that is given unto the Father, John v. 23.; we are commanded to believe in him equally with the Father, John xiv. 1.; and we are baptized in his name, as well as in the name of the Father, Matth. xxviii. 19.

Quest. 34. In what fenfe does Christ say, John xiv. 28, My father is greater than I?

Anfw. He does not speak in that place of his nature, as God, but of his office, as Mediator; in which respect he is the Father's fervant, Ifa. xl. 1. Queft. 35. How do you prove the fupreme Deity of the Holy Ghoft?

Anfw. From the fame arguments whereby the Deity of the Son was proved; for, (1.) He is exprefly called God, Acts v. 3, 4. (2.) Attributes, which are peculiar only to God, are ascribed unto him, Heb. ix. 14. 1 Cor. ii. 10 Luke ii. 26. Pfalm cxxxix. 7. (3.) Works, which can be accomplished by none but God, are performed by him, Pfalm xxxiii. 6. Job xxvi. 13. Luke i. 35. 2 Pet. i. 21. John xvi. 13. Rom. xv. 16. (4.) The fame divine worship is paid to him, as to the Father and Son, Matth. xxviii. 19. 2 Cor xiii. 14. Quest. 36.

Queft. 36. Could the trinity of perfons, in the unity of effence, have been difcovered by the light of nature?

Anfw. By no means: for then it would be no mystery, seeing divine myfteries are fuch fecrets, as the wisdom of man could never have found, out, Matth. xi. 27. Cor. i. 21. and ii. 9, 10, 14.

Queft. 37. Is it lawful to explain this mystery by natural fimilitudes ?

Anfw. No for there is no fimilitude amongst all the creatues, that has the remoteft refemblance to this adorable mystery of the three-one God. By making fimiles or comparifons of this kind, men have become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish minds have been darkened, Rom. i. 21,---26. and therefore as this doctrine is entirely a matter of faith, it becomes us to adore it, without prying curiously into what is not revealed.

Quelt. 38. Doth the afferting of three perfons in the Godhead, with distinct personal properties, infer any feparation, or divifion, in the divine effence?

Anfw. No: for the perfons in the Godhead are not separated, but diftinguished from one another, by their perfonal properties. As the unity of the effence doth not confound the perfons, fo neither doth the distinction of perfons imply any divifion of the effence, 1 John v. 7.

Queft. 39. Can any worship God aright, without the faith of this mystery of the trinity?

Anfw. No: for, he that cometh to God, muft believe that he is, Heb. xi. 6.; namely, that he is God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft.

Queft. 40. How is our worship to be directed to this three-one God?

Anfw. We are to worship the Father, in Chrift the Son, by the Spirit; and thus when we pray,