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The 1689 Confession · Chapter II

Of God and of the Holy Trinity

2.1

The Lord our God is but one only living, and true God; whosea subsistence is in and of himself,b infinite in Being, and Perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself;c a most pure Spirit,d invisible, without Body, Parts, or Passions, who only has Immortality, dwelling in the Light, which no Man can approach unto, who ise immutable,f immense,g eternal, incomprehensible,h Almighty, every way infinite,i most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute,j working all Things according to the Counsel of his own immutable, and most righteous Will,k for his own Glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin,l the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just,m and terrible in his Judgments,n hating all sin, and will by no means clear theo guilty.p

  1. a 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4
  2. b Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12
  3. c Exodus 3:14
  4. d John 4:24
  5. e 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15-16
  6. f Malachi 3:6
  7. g 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23
  8. h Psalm 90:2
  9. i Genesis 17:1
  10. j Isaiah 6:3
  11. k Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10
  12. l Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36
  13. m Exodus 34:6-7; Hebrews 11:6
  14. n Nehemiah 9:32-33
  15. o Psalm 5:5-6
  16. p Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2-3

The Lord our God is but one only living, and true God; whosea subsistence is in and of himself,b infinite in Being, and Perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself;c a most pure Spirit,d invisible, without Body, Parts, or Passions, who only hath Immortality, dwelling in the Light, which no Man can approach unto, who ise immutable,f immense,g eternal, incomprehensible,h Almighty, every way infinite,i most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute,j working all Things according to the Counsel of his own immutable, and most righteous Will,k for his own Glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin,l the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just,m and terrible in his Judgments,n hating all sin, and will by no means clear theo guilty.p

  1. a 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4
  2. b Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12
  3. c Exodus 3:14
  4. d John 4:24
  5. e 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15-16
  6. f Malachi 3:6
  7. g 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23
  8. h Psalm 90:2
  9. i Genesis 17:1
  10. j Isaiah 6:3
  11. k Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10
  12. l Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36
  13. m Exodus 34:6-7; Hebrews 11:6
  14. n Nehemiah 9:32-33
  15. o Psalm 5:5-6
  16. p Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2-3
2.2

God, having all Life,a glory,b goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in, and unto himself all-sufficient, notc standing in need of any Creature which he has 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,d of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he has most sovereigne Dominion over all Creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleases; in his sightf all things are open and manifest, his knowledge isg infinite, infallible, and independent upon the Creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain; he is most holy in all his Counsels, inh all his Works, and in all his Commands; to him is duei 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.j

  1. a John 5:26
  2. b Psalm 148:13
  3. c Psalm 119:68
  4. d Job 22:2-3
  5. e Romans 11:34-36
  6. f Daniel 4:25, 34-35
  7. g Hebrews 4:13
  8. h Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 15:18
  9. i Psalm 145:17
  10. j Revelation 5:12-14

God, having all Life,a glory,b goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in, and unto himself all-sufficient, notc 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,d of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most soveraigne Dominion over all Creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; in his sightf all things are open and manifest, his knowledge isg infinite, infallible, and independant upon the Creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain; he is most holy in all his Counsels, inh all his Works, and in all his Commands; to him is duei 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.j

  1. a John 5:26
  2. b Psalm 148:13
  3. c Psalm 119:68
  4. d Job 22:2-3
  5. e Romans 11:34-36
  6. f Daniel 4:25, 34-35
  7. g Hebrews 4:13
  8. h Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 15:18
  9. i Psalm 145:17
  10. j Revelation 5:12-14
2.3

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,a yet the Essence undivided, the Father is of none neither begotten, nor proceeding, the Son isb eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Spiritc 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.d

  1. a 1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
  2. b Exodus 3:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6
  3. c John 1:14, 18
  4. d John 15:26; Galatians 4:6

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,a yet the Essence undivided, the Father is of none neither begotten, nor proceeding, the Son isb eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Spiritc 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 dependance on him.d

  1. a 1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
  2. b Exodus 3:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6
  3. c John 1:14, 18
  4. d John 15:26; Galatians 4:6