The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith
1. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; (1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; (Isaiah 48:12) whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; (Exodus 3:14; Job 11:7-8; Job 26:14; Psalms 145:3; Romans 11:33-34) a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15-16; Luke 24:39; Acts 14:11-15; James 5:17)who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute;(Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Psalms 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17; Genesis 17:1; Revelations 4:8; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 16:27; Psalms 115:3; Exodus 3:14) working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; (Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36) most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; (Exodus 34:6-7; 1 John 4:8) the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.(Hebrews 11:6; Nehemiah 9:32-33; Psalms 5:5-6; Nahum 1:2-3; Exodus 34:7)
2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not 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; (John 5:26; Acts 7:2; Psalms 148:13; Psalms 119:68; 1 Timothy 6:15; Job 22:2-3; Acts 17:24-25) he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; (Revelations 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:15; Romans 11:34; Daniel45:25; Daniel 45:34-35)in his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain; (Hebrews 4:3; Romans 11:33-34; Psalms 147:5; Acts 15:18; Ezekiel 11:5) he is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands; to him is due 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. (Revelations 5:12-14)
3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, (Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: (Exodus 3:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6;) the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; (Proverbs 8:22-31; John 1:1-18; John16:28; Hebrews 1:1-21 John 4:14;) the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; (John 15:26; Galatians 4:4-6) 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.
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