confession whereof persons should be admitted to baptism; and in that case, every one was to make a distinct profession of his faith in order thereunto, it was fitting the Creed itself should be penned after such a manner as was most proper for the main end for which it was composed.

5. Q. Are all the things contained in this Creed to be proved by Divine revelation?

A. They are all plainly delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures; which being confessed by all Christians to be the word of God, what is delivered by them, must be looked upon as delivered to us by God himself.

6. Q. What are the general parts of which this Creed consists?

A. They are these four: First, it shews us what is most needful to be believed and professed by us concerning God the Father; secondly, concerning our Lord Jesus Christ; thirdly, concerning the Holy Ghost; and, fourthly, concerning the Church of Christ; its duties and privileges here, and the blessings and glory which God has prepared for it hereafter.

7. Q. Do you think it necessary not only to believe all these things, but also, upon occasion, to profess the belief of them?

A. I do think it necessary, whenever our duty to God, or the edification of our neighbour, or the honour of our religion shall require it of any of us. Matt. x. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Rom. x. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy

mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. See 1 Pet. iii. 15. Be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

SECT. VII.

Of God the Father, and what we are to believe concerning Him.

1. Q. What is the first article of your Creed? A. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

2. Q. What is God?

A. He is an eternal, infinite, incomprehensible spirit; immortal, invisible, almighty; most perfect himself, and the giver of all that perfection which is found in any others.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.- Isaiah, xli. 4. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last, I am he. xliv. 6. Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God. Psalm xc. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 1 Kings, viii. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Psalm cxxxix. 7, 8, 9. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither

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shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Job, xi. 7. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? John, iv. 24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. 2 Cor. iii. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16. Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power from everlasting. Amen. Jeremiah, xxxii. 27. Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Matt. xix. 26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

3. Q. How do you profess to believe in God?

A. I do firmly believe that there is such a Being as God. Heb. xi. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And that there is but 'one such Being; so that besides him there neither is, nor can be, any other.

1 Cor. viii. 4, 6. We know that there

is none other God but one:-to us there is but one God the Father. Isaiah, xlv. 5, 6. I am the Lord, and there is none else; there is no God besides me: I am the Lord, and there is none else.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Mark, xii. 29. And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord. John, xvii. 3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Eph. iv. 6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 4. Q. Upon what account do you give to God the title of Father?

A. Upon several accounts, but chiefly on these two: first, with respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, whom, in the next Article, I profess to be his Son : and, secondly, as he may also be accounted our Father. 2 Cor. i. 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. See John, x. 29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.-Our Father which art in heaven.

5. Q. How do you believe God to be our Father? A. * By right of creation; so he is the Father of all mankind. 1 Cor. viii. 6. To us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things. *By right of adoption; so he is the Father of us Christians in particular. Eph. i. 3, 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ-who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ to himself. Compare Eph. iv. 6. One God

and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Rom. viii. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. James, i. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 1 John, iii. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God.

6. Q. What do you mean by the attribute of Almighty?

A. I mean two things: first, that God has a right of absolute power and dominion over all the world. Dan. iv. 34. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And, secondly, that he has an infinite power of action, so that he can do all things, and with him nothing is impossible. Matt. xix. 26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Psalm xciii. 1. The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself; the world is established that it cannot be moved. xcvii. 1, 9. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice: let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.—For thou, Lord, art higher than all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. xcix. 1. The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. Gen. xviii. 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life,