n Vid. He ronym. ad Rev. 1. 8. PFuturum ferentias fible purity of his infinite and fingle Being in that amazing and yet edifying text, I am miya' ei that I am, Exod. 3. 14. as if he had faid v.Sept. there is nothing in your God which is not God; my Attributes do not differ from my Eph.c. 3. felf, my Being is abfolutely neceflary, eve- o Omnia ry way perfect, altogether pure, fingle tempora and infinite. I do therefore conclude as conjun&i de Deo Hierome, That the very nature of God is dicta æterbeing it felfe, and therefore he ever was and nitatem cannot cease to be; he cannot borrow his connoBeing from any thing,who gives Being and tant wel-being to all things, The abfolute and independent neceffity of the Divine-Being triumtemdoth demonstrate its eternity, and there- porumdiffore all the differences of time are united by the Talmudifts, to connote the Eternity of tinet. os God in that text, Exod. 3. 14. according to vi that excellent Commentary made by the a Apostle, Rev. 1. 8. God is the Almighty, dei wv. which is, and which was, and which is to quieft, & Qui erat, come. Hence it is that fome have thought fempereft, fit to tranflate that text, Exod. 3. 14. ac- uti Epicording to the full scope of the Future a- phanius mongst the Hebrews, I am that I am, that I contra Arwas, and that I will be. For the Future Pa- Futurum mongst the Hebrews, points at all diffe- perfeve rences of time paft, prefent and to come; rantiam but others obferving the strict and proper fignification of the Future,tranflate it thus, I will be that I will be. The Angel of the tiam. waters doth unite all differences of time in that in fe con ر , chonticos. eflendi de notat &independen on the that gratefull acknowledgement, Rev. 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord, which art and waft, and shalt be, because thou haf judged thus. And Jefus Chrift, (who is one inf. and the fame God with his father,) is the OnExod.3. fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever, 14.D.Riv. Heb. 13.8. The Rabbines upon Exod. 3. 14.9 expreffe themselves after this manfame place ner,The blessed God faid unto Mofes fay unto them, I that have been, and I the fame now, and I the fame for time to come, &c. or as others more agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrafe, I, he that is, and was, and hereafter will be, hath sent me unto you. But enough of that; it is now time to conclude that this first and independent Being cannot be measured in it felf, because it is infired's nice, nor in its caufes, for it hath no cauάναρχος fes, but is from it self, of it self, by it gavai felf and for it telf; for as the Apostle faith, TIG. All things are of him, and through him, and to him; to him be glory for ever. Amen. Rom. 11. 36. CHAP. CHAP. JII. God hath fufficiently and graci- vannot be made known to his creatures but by himfelfe: Men and Angels cannot know him any further then he is pleafed to reveale him felf unto them. non funt The word of God is pure and perfect, it doth fully discover Gods mind and our duty. The Scriptures (direct us in all points / Dogmaof faith, in all parts of worship, and in all ta Theopaffages of our life and converfation; there logica is the whole body of Religion, and the on- vera quis ly right way to falvation fufficiently and Ecclefia graciously revealed unto us by God himself; ita testafor God is the Author, Object, End of true tur, fed Religion, and is the only happineffe and quia Deus falvation of his chofen People, and there- tur in fore God alone can direct us how to ferve Scripturis and enjoy his own bleffed felf, in an accep- æternæ table and comfortable way, glory and our own everlasting fatisfaction. The Jefuites tell us that the Scriptures are but a partiall Rule, and that we must for his be ita tefta veritatis. be beholding to fome unwritten word or tradition for the proofe of fome points, which are neceflary to be known and beleeved for our everlasting salvation. Some inftance in the Doctrine of the Trinity, others in the Worship of the Holy Ghost. The Papists do generally acknowledge that it is neceffary for the attainment or falvation to beleeve the number of the Persons of the Trinity, and their confubftantiality, because no man can be faved who doth not believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in all three as in the only true God, one and the self fame God bleffed for ever; but fome of them deny that this mystery is luf ficiently revealed in the written word, and therefore fhall make it my bufineffe to confute them, and all that adhere unto them in the following reatife. The faving knowledge of God in Chrift is revealed by the Spirit fpeaking in the Scriptures of truth; nay Father, Son and Holy Ghoft do all joyne in revealing to us the faving myftery of faith and godlineffe, that by the grace of Christ, the love of God, and Communion of the Holy Ghost, we may have a glorious fellowship with all three as one God, the only true God, whom to know is life eternall, John 17 3. we are taught by the father to come to Chrift for fal vation, John 6. 45. we are taught by the for, John 1, 18. Heb. 1.2. we are taught by the Spirit, 5.de The redar Spirit, Heb. 3.7. Rev. 2. 29. and I lohn 5. 6. the Spirit doth beare witnesse after an efpeciall manner to this faving truth: it is the fpirit that beareth witnesse, because the Spirit is truth: yet all three (and therefore the whole Trinity,the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,) do joyn in bearing record, and their record is written, for it ftands upon Record in the Gospel, and their Record is a faving Record, and there t Vide Na can be no other Record produced to in lib. gianpo prove that Chrift is our Saviour, 1 John 5 ologia. 7, 11, 12, 13, 20. John 20. 31. if we study Epiphanithe Scriptures', beleeve, apply them, wor- um Apofhip and act according to them, we shall ftolicos be faved by our faith in the written Trini- guentem. ty; in Father, Son and Holy Ghost, with- Chryfoft. out the help of any unwritten tradition in 1 Cor. whatsoever; for the holy Scriptures are cap. 2. able to furnish the Man of God unto in Ethicis. Perfection, and make the fimple wife unto a cyrillus falvation, 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. Cyrill lib.de Triin his Book of the Trinity and Per- nit. & perfon of Chrift, put forth not long fince fonâ Chriby Wegeline, faith that he would not speak or gel. edit. think any thing of God, but what is written x Vide in his Word. Clemens Alexandrinus faith Clem. Athat we ought to make good every point in lex. ftroquestion by the Word of God, because that is uain or de the fureft, nay that's the only Demonstration; 'n uo'rn he fpeaks of Theologicall Demonftration, dis nothing can be embraced with a divine faith, but Turjares. u Bafilium u fti. a we mat.lib.7. d |