felves, is not to be altered at the pleasure of man. Now this priority doth properly and naturally refult from the divine Paternity; fo that the Son must neceffarily be (y) fecond unto the Father, from whom he receiveth his origination, and the Holy Ghost unto the Son. Neither can we be thought to want a fufficient foundation for this priority of the first Person of the Trinity, if we look upon the numerous teftimonies of the ancient Doctors of the Church, who have not stuck to call the Father the (z) origin, (a) the cause, (b) the author, the (c) root, the (d) fountain, and the (e) head of the Son, or the whole Divinity.

For by these titles it appeareth clearly, firft, that they made a confiderable difference between the Perfon of the Father, of whom are all things, and the Person of the Son, by whom are all things. Secondly, that the difference confifteth properly in this, that as the branch is from the root, and the river from the fountain, and by their origination from them receive that being which they have; whereas the root receiveth nothing from the branch, or fountain from the river: fo the Son is from the Father, receiving his fubfiftence by generation from him; the Father is not from the Son, as being what he is from

none.

Some indeed of the Ancients may feem to have made yet a farther difference between the Persons of the Father and the Son, laying upon that relation terms of greater oppofition. As if, because the Son hath not his effence from himself, the (ƒ) Father had; because he was not begotten of himself, the (g) Father had been fo; because he is not the cause of himself, the (b) Father were. Whereas, if we fpeak properly, God the Father hath (i) neither his being from another, nor from himself; not from another, that were repugnant to his Paternity; not from himself, that were a contradiction in itself. And therefore thofe expreffions are not to be underftood pofitively and affirmatively, but (k) negatively

and

34.

and exclusively, that he hath his effence from none, that he is not begotten of any, nor hath he any cause of his exiftence. So that the proper notion of the Father in whom we believe is this, that he is a Person fubfifting eternally in the one infinite effence of the Godhead; which effence or fubfiftence he hath received from no other perfon, but hath communicated the fame effence, in which himfelf fubfifteth, by generation to another perfon, who by that generation is the Son.

Howfoever, it is most reasonable to affert that there is but one Perfon who is from none; and the very generation of the Son and proceffion of the Holy Ghost undeniably prove, that neither of those two can be that Perfon. For whofoever is generated is from him which is the genitor, and whofoever proceedeth is from him from whom he proceedeth, whatsoever the nature of the generation or proceffion be. It followeth therefore that this Perfon is the Father, which name speaks nothing of dependence, nor supposeth any kind of priority

in another.

From hence it is obferved that the name of God, taken (1) abfolutely, is often in the Scriptures fpoken of the Father: as when we read of God fending 2 Cor. xiii. his own Son; of the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God; and generally wherefoever Christ is called the Son of God, or the Word of God, the name of God is to be taken particularly for the Father, because he is no Son but of the Father. 1 Cor. viii. From hence he is ftyled one God, the true God, the Eph. iv. 6. only true God, the (m) God and Father of our Lord Thell. i. Jefus Chrift.

6.

John xvii.

3.

Eph.i. 3.

Which, as it is moft true, and fo fit to be believed, is also a moft neceffary truth, and therefore to be acknowledged, for the avoiding (2) multiplication and plurality of Gods. For if there were. more than one which were from none, it could not be denied but there were more Gods than one.

Wherefore

Wherefore this (0) origination in the Divine Paternity hath anciently been looked upon as the affertion of the Unity: and therefore the Son and Holy Ghost have been believed to be but one God with the Father, because both from the Father, who is one, and so the (p) union of them.

Secondly, It is neceflary thus to believe in the Father, because our falvation is propounded to us by an accefs unto the Father. We are all gone away and fallen from God, and we must be brought to him again. There is no other notion under which we can be brought to God as to be faved, but the notion of the Father; and there is no other perfon can bring us to the Father, but the Son of that Father: for, as the Apostle teacheth us, through Eph. ii, 18. him we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Having thus defcribed the true nature and notion of the Divine Paternity, in all the feveral degrees and eminencies belonging to it, I may now clearly deliver, and every particular Christian understand, what it is he speaks, when he makes his confeffion in these words, I believe in God the Father: by which I conceive him to express thus much.

As I am affured that there is an infinite and independent Being, which we call a God, and that it is impoffible there fhould be more infinities than one: fo I affure myself that this one God is the Father of all things, especially of all Men and Angels, fo far as the mere act of creation may be styled generation; that he is farther yet, and in a more peculiar manner, the Father of all those whom he regenerateth by his Spirit, whom he adopteth in his Son, as heirs and co-heirs with him, whom he crowneth with the reward of an eternal inheritance in the heavens. But beyond and far above all this, befides his general offspring, and peculiar people, to whom he hath given power to become the fons of God; I believe him the Father, in a more eminent and tranfcendent manner, of one fingular and proper - VOL. I. F

Son,

Son, his own, his beloved, his only-begotten Son: whom he hath not only begotten of the bleffed Virgin, by the coming of the Holy Ghoft, and the over-fhadowing of his power; not only fent with special authority as the King of Ifrael; not only raifed from the dead, and made Heir of all things in his house; but antecedently to all this, hath begotten him by way of eternal generation in the fame Divinity, and Majefty with himself: by which Paternity, coæval to the Deity, I acknowledge him always Father, as much as always God. And in this relation, I profefs that eminency and priority, that as he is the original caufe of all things as created by him, fo is he the fountain of the Son begotten of him, and of the Holy Ghoft proceeding from him.

A

I believe in God the Father Almighty.

FTER the relation of God's Paternity, immediately followeth the glorious attribute of his (q) Omnipotency: that as those in heaven in their devotions, fo we on earth in our confeffions Rev. iv. 8. might acknowledge that Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; that in our folemn meetings of the Church of God, with the joint expreffion and concurring language of the Rev, xix. 6. congregation, we might fome way imitate that (1) voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, faying, Allelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

This notion of almighty in the Creed muft certainly be interpreted according to the fenfe which the original word beareth in the New Teftament; and that cannot be better understood than by the Greek Writers or Interpreters of the Old, especially when the notion itself belongs unto the Gospel and the Law indifferently. Now the word which we tranflate

tranflate (s) almighty, the most ancient Greek Interpreters used fometimes for the title of God, the Lord of Hofts, fometimes for his name Shaddai, as generally in the book of Job: by the first they seem to fignify the rule and dominion which God hath over all; by the second, the ftrength, force, or power by which he is able to perform all things. The heavens and the earth were finished, faith Mofes, Gen. ii. 1. and all the host of them: and he which began them, he which finished them, is the Ruler and Commander of them. Upon the right of Creation doth he juftly challenge his dominion. I have made the Ifa, xlv. 12. earth, and created Man upon it; I, even my hands

bave ftretched out the heavens, and all their hoft have I

commanded. And on this dominion or command

Cand.

doth he raise the title of the Lord of hofts: Kúpi Zawhich, though preserved in the (t) original language both by St. Paul and St. James, yet by St. John is turned into that word which we tranflate almighty. Wherefore from the use of the facred Writers, from the (u) notation of the word in Greek, and from the teftimony of the ancient (x) Fathers, we may well afcribe unto God the Father, in the explication of this Article, the dominion over all, and the rule and government of all.

roa.

Luke xii.

Rev. v. xiii.

This authority or power properly poteftative is attributed unto God in the facred Scriptures; Acts i. 7. from whence thofe (y) names or titles which moft Jude 25. aptly and fully exprefs dominion, are frequently given unto him; and the rule, empire, or government of the world is acknowledged to be wholly in him, as neceffarily following that natural and eternal right of dominion.

What the nature of this authoritative power is, we fhall the more clearly understand, if we first divide it into three degrees or branches of it: the first whereof we may conceive, a right of making and framing any thing which he willeth, in any manner as it pleaseth him, according to the abfolute

F 2