Of God and the Holy Trinity

Of God and the Holy Trinity - Chapter 1

Jun. 21, 2017

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Transcription

Article 1, Section 1 of the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to leave men inexcusable? Yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation? Therefore it pleased the Lord at the sundry times and in diverse manners to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church, and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same holy unto writing, which maketh the holy Scriptures to be most necessary those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased. Section 2.

Under the name of the Holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these. There follow the names of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven books of the New, all of which are given by the inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life. Section 3. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration or no part of the canon or rule of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority to the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings. Section 4.

The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof. Therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God. Section 5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church of God to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures, and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, and the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God, the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation. And many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evident itself to be the Word of God.

Yet, notwithstanding our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. Section 6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of the church common to human actions and societies which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. Section 7.

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all. Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not only the learned but the unlearned in due use of ordinary means may attain to a sufficient understanding of them. Section 8. The Old Testament in Hebrew, which was the native language of the people of God of old, and the New Testament in Greek, which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nation, being immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and providence kept pure in all ages are therefore authentic. So as in all controversies of religion the church is finally to appeal to them.

But because these original tongues are not known to all people of God who have a right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the fear of God to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar common language of every nation unto which they come, that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope. Section 9. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. And therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture, which is not manifold but one, it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly. Section 10.

The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of counsels, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits are to be examined. And in whose sentence we are to rest can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, and to which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved.

1. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

( 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12; Exodus 3:14; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15, 16; Malachi 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23; Psalms 90:2; Genesis 17:1; Isaiah 6:3; Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36; Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6; Nehemiah 9:32, 33; Psalms 5:5, 6; Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3 )

2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; in his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain; he is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands; to him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them.

( John 5:26; Psalms 148:13; Psalms 119:68; Job 22:2, 3; Romans 11:34-36; Daniel 4:25, 34, 35; Hebrews 4:13; Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 15:18; Psalms 145:17; Revelation 5:12-14 )

3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him.

( 1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Exodus 3:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:14,18; John 15:26; Galatians 4:6 )

Speakers

1S

The Baptist Confession of 1689 with Scripture proofs was put forth by the Elders and Brethren of many Congregations of Christians (baptized upon profession of their faith) in London and the Country. "...for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation." Romans 10:10

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, also called the Second London Baptist Confession, was written by Particular Baptists, who held to a Calvinistic soteriology in England to give a formal expression of their Christian faith from a Baptist perspective. This confession, like the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Savoy Declaration (1658), was written by Puritans who were concerned that their particular church organization reflects what they perceived to be Biblical teaching.

WB

William (Bill) E. Brown was a WWII P51 Mustang fighter pilot, arriving on the island of Iwo Jima to assist in bombing raids by protecting B-29 Super fortresses over Japanese targets. After the war, Bill Brown was a public school teacher in Alaska and California. He spent 10 years as a docent for the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. He then moved to North Carolina and lived with his son Scott and his family until he passed away on November 4th, 2020 at the age of 97.

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