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.

THE arrangement of the thirty-nine articles will be found exceedingly instructive to the Christian inquirer, not only furnishing him with a clear statement of the several points of doctrine, in which the Protestant differs from the Roman Catholic, but also leading into a comprehensive view of many most important parts of revelation.

The first article is not proposed to us, on the supposition that the Roman Catholic church denies, or would controvert the truths that are here affirmed, but as a foundation principle upon which to establish many other truths, to which their profession of faith stands opposed. Here, therefore, we enter upon a short statement of what is to be believed respecting the existence and perfections of Jehovah, and must endeavour

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to prove that this article, in its several branches, is established upon the word of God.

First, it is affirmed that there is but one living and true God. This is an article of faith in which all Christians are professedly agreed, and which also distinguished the Jewish church. The miserable effects of the fall of man were awfully visible in an early period, for men soon departed from the simplicity of their views upon this subject, and to their other abominations of rebellion added this monstrous crime, that they began to multiply gods to themselves according to their own particular constitution, taste, or notions, and degenerated into the most awful idolatry. Had it not been that God is merciful, and that He has designs towards the world which are full of grace and power, this darkness would have prevailed to throw the horrors of the night of superstition upon the whole universe; but He was pleased to preserve some gleams of light, by raising up, from time to time, true believers, who were taught by His Spirit, and kept in the pure faith, until Abraham was called out from the rest of mankind, and made the head of that nation with whom Jehovah was pleased to deposit the sacred oracles, and the expressive figures of the true religion: and although in process of time much idolatry, and departure from God, prevailed with this people, yet they have been the faithful guardians of that blessed book of revelation, through which the folly and

wickedness of idolatry are exposed, and men are taught what is here declared, that there is but one true God.

Various appellations are used in this article by which the glorious nature of the one true God is declared. He is styled, True, in order to proclaim that He is not an imposition upon man, nor a being of the creature's imagination, but that he is the legitimate object of worship: Living, because He is not only opposed to the dead and dumb idols of the heathen, but He is self-existent, He is from everlasting to everlasting.

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This glorious Jehovah is not to be conceived of by the gross idea of sense: He is a pure, uncreated Spirit, not having a "body," not divided into" parts," but one glorious, great, infinite, and universal presence, filling all things. When considering the perfections that are ascribed to God, we must likewise carefully distinguish between Attributes and “ Passions." God cannot be influenced, or governed by passion; for none of his purposes are fluctuating or uncertain, nor is He capable of being moved by subordinate causes; and when the Scriptures ascribe to Him the feelings and emotions of pity, anger, repentance, &c. these are expressions, intended, either condescendingly to meet man's understanding by terms that are level to his capacity, or they are expressions of acts arising out of the eternal mind, and directed according to the divine determination. Divine perfection is essential to, and

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inseparable from, Divine Being, and cannot but be perfect in action, operating through divine attributes, in constant harmony and agreement. Some of these attributes are mentioned in this article: they are power, "wisdom," and goodness." These with all others are infinite, that is, without limit or bound, and have been manifested, as stated, in this article, in works of creation, and preservation; this great Jehovah having put forth His own glorious will, to produce creatures that might be the recipients of His mercy and love, constantly extending to them a providential government, by which they are upheld.

A wonderful mystery is revealed in the Scriptures, respecting Jehovah's nature, it is introduced in this article, and which we term "the Trinity." It is here explained, as signifying, that in this One Jehovah, there is in unity, "three" distinct "persons," the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, of one substance, power, and eternity. We ought never to aim at destroying the incomprehensibility of God; and, therefore, in accepting this mysterious truth, we bow to that perfection, and own Jehovah “past finding out." Nevertheless, the truth is so far to be examined, as to see how it accords with the word of God, and how, although above the comprehension of man, it is not on that account to be considered as contrary to his reason, There are many things in the creation that cannot be fully explained, which nevertheless do manifestly

exist; and there are some things in this visible world, that may be considered as figurative of this interesting doctrine. We ourselves are composed of the animal life, the rational mind, and the immortal soul, yet it is but one man. Feeble indeed are all figures, when the great deep of Jehovah's nature is the theme to be extolled: nevertheless, such representations may aid us, not in comprehending the incomprehensible, but in seeing how even this mystery is reconcileable to the mind, "by the things which are seen." Faith is the grace that is called to act in these wonders, and the creature has to learn to bow down before the brightness of the eternal name, in humility and adoration. Upon this subject, also, God has a witness in the hearts of the redeemed; and the mystery of the Trinity is best known, and understood, by the experience of the operation of the Godhead in the soul; nor is there any mode of commending the blessedness of this truth to the sinner's mind, equal to that which is adopted by God himself, when He shows to man the exceeding love of the Father in not sparing his own Son, the matchless power of the Son in fulfilling the Father's design, and the invincible glory of the Spirit, in shining into the darkened heart, and establishing there the kingdom of Jesus.

What are we to understand of the nature of that God whom Christians adore? Is he like the