Chapter 2: Of God, and of the Holy Trinity

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1. There is but one only^a living and true God,^b who is infinite in being and perfection,^c a most pure spirit,^d invisible,^e without body, parts,^f or passions,^g immutable,^h immense,ⁱ eternal,^k incomprehensible,^l almighty,^m most wise,ⁿ most holy,^o most free,^p most absolute,^q working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will,^r for his own glory;^s most loving,^t gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;^u the rewarder of them that diligently seek him;^w and withal most just and terrible in his judgments;^x hating all sin,^y and who will by no means clear the guilty.^z

a. Deut 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4, 6. • b. Jer 10:10; 1 Thes 1:9. • c. Job 11:7-9; 26:14. • d. John 4:24. • e. 1 Tim 1:17. • f. Deut 4:15-16; John 4:24 with Luke 24:39. • g. Acts 14:11, 15. • h. Mal 3:6; James 1:17. • i. 1 Kings 8:27; Jer 23:23-24. • k. Psa 90:2; 1 Tim 1:17. • l. Psa 145:3. • m. Gen 17:1; Rev 4:8. • n. Rom 16:27. • o. Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8. • p. Psa 115:3. • q. Exod 3:14. • r. Eph 1:11. • s. Prov 16:4; Rom 11:36. • t. 1 John 4:8, 16. • u. Exod 34:6-7. • w. Heb 11:6. • x. Neh 9:32-33. • y. Psa 5:5-6. • z. Exod 34:7; Nahum 1:2-3.

2. God hath all life,^a glory,^b goodness,^c blessedness,^d in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made,^e nor deriving any glory from them,^f 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;^g and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth.^h In his sight all things are open and manifest;ⁱ his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature;^k so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain.^l He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands.^m To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, he is pleased to require of them.ⁿ

a. John 5:26. • b. Acts 7:2. • c. Psa 119:68. • d. Rom 9:5; 1 Tim 6:15. • e. Acts 17:24-25. • f. Job 22:2-3. • g. Rom 11:36. • h. Dan 4:25, 35; 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 4:11. • i. Heb 4:13. • k. Psa 147:5; Rom 11:33-34. • l. Ezek 11:5; Acts 15:18. • m. Psa 145:17; Rom 7:12. • n. Rev 5:12-14.

3. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost,^a The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father;^b the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.^c

a. Mat 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 John 5:7. • b. John 1:14, 18. • c. John 15:26; Gal 4:6.