PART I.

THE

THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE WITH REFERENCE
ΤΟ THE FATHER, THE SON, AND
HOLY GHOST.

ARTICLE I.

Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

De fide in Sacrosanctam Trinitatem.

Unus est vivus et verus Deus, æternus, incorporeus, impartibilis, impassibilis; immensæ potentiæ, sapientiæ, ac bonitatis, Creator et Conservator omnium, tum visibilium, tum invisibilium. Et in unitate hujus Divinæ naturæ tres sunt Persona, ejusdem essentia, potentiæ, ac æternitatis, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus.

WHAT

AT does the first Article assert?1 What is the foundation of all religion? How does the unseen God manifest His eternal power and Godhead? (Rom. i. 20.) What is the state of those

1 The existence and unity of God, His positive and negative attributes, and the doctrine of the Trinity.

2 Faith in God. (Heb. xi. 6.)

B

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who will not acknowledge God in His works? (Rom. i. 90.) Suppose a savage saw a watch, and observed its movements, what would he conclude?1 Could he suppose that it came by chance? Do we see the evidences of design in the works of creation? For example, is man suited to be an inhabitant of the earth? Is the earth, etc., adapted to man? Is the eye formed for the reception of light? The ear for that of sound? How is this argument expressed by the Psalmist? (Psalm xciv. 9.) Have all nations acknowledged a Supreme Being in some form or other? What do you infer from this? What is conscience? How does the possession of this faculty affect us in reference to our Creator? What do you mean by being responsible? If we are responsible, what do we require ? 5 What is the peculiar evidence derived from conscience as to the nature of God?"

What two distinct evidences are derived from revelation as to the existence of God? What is a miracle? What evidence brought Nicodemus to Christ? (John iii. 2.) What power does our Lord assign to His own miracles? (John v. 36.) Show that a similar power is given to prophecy. (John v. 46.)

'That they were designed.

2 The probability of some original revelation.

3 That within us which shows us right from wrong.

It makes us responsible to Him.

5 A conscience.

• It teaches us that God is a moral Governor, who will call us to account hereafter for our actions.

7 Miracles and Prophecy.

Unity of God.-How is Moses directed to declare the unity of God? (Deut. vi. 4.)

Living and true.-How is God described by Jeremiah? (Jer. x. 10.) What instructions are given to the captive Jews in that chapter? Why, particularly, is God there described as "living and true"?1 From what does St. Paul remind the Thessalonian converts that they had turned? (1 Thess. i. 9.) For what purpose?

Everlasting.-Who existed before the creation of the heavens and the earth? What do you mean by existing? Did God always exist? Will God always exist? How is this truth asserted by Moses? (Psalm xc. 2.) How does God describe His own eternity? (Rev. i. 8.)

3

Without body, parts, or passions.—What are meant by negative attributes? Can anything material be said to be perfect? Is God a perfect being? What do you infer? How is God described in John iv. 24? How is the nature of a Spirit explained by our Lord? (Luke xxiv. 39.) What do you mean when you say that God is without parts? * What was the error of Sabellius ?5 What is the declaration of the Athanasian Creed on this point?"

In opposition to the false and inanimate gods of the Chaldeans.

2 Those which describe God by stating what He is not. 3 That God is a Spiritual Being.

The Latin word is impartibilis, "incapable of being divided." One of the earliest heretics asserted that a part of the Divine nature rested on Christ.

5 He denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity.

"Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance."

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1

What is the literal meaning of the word passion ? 1 What do we observe in the arrangement of the natural world? What may we infer from this?3 How is this negative attribute expressed by Balaam ? (Numb. xxiii. 19.) What was the argument used by Paul and Barnabas to dissuade the people of Lystra from worshipping them? (Acts xiv. 14, 15.) Does the Scripture ever speak of God as affected with passions? How is He described in the second Commandment? Is God ever described as possessed of a body? What do you understand by these expressions? For example: What divine attribute is expressed in Proverbs xv. 3?

6

Of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness.- What are positive attributes? What is the meaning of the word "infinite"? Can God do what is contrary to His own perfections? For instance; can God lie, or deny Himself? Can God forgive impenitent sinners? Were God to do so, what attribute would He violate? How, then, would you express the power of God? How does the Psalmist

1 Suffering. But because violent emotions of the mind cause suffering, therefore passions are taken to represent the feelings which cause these emotions, such as anger, fear, love, joy, etc. In the Latin version the expression, "without passions," is rendered by impassibilis.

2 Order and regularity.

That the Creator is not affected by any violent passions. The face, the eyes, the hands, etc., of God are spoken of. 5 They are employed in condescension to our feeble conceptions, and to show us that, if God had our feelings, He would be so affected.

6 Those which describe God by what He is.

7 His justice.

s God is infinite in His power of performing whatever is not contrary to the perfections of His nature.