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1 THe onely and proper Prin∣ciple of Divinitie, is the word of God.
2 For God came forth from the secret throne of his Majesty, and manifested himself unto men, in the word.
3 At sundrie times, and in di∣verse manners God spake in time
past unto the fathers by the Pro∣phets. In these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his Sonne, and his Apostles. Hebr. 1.1, 2.
4 That word of God was first preached by the Prophets and Apo∣stles: and afterwards the chief and necessarie heads of divine revelation were penned by them, according to the will of God. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.
5 Therefore the undoubted word of God cannot at this day any where be found, but in the writings of the Prophets, and Apostles.
6 From this word of God flow∣eth Theologie, and is busied about it, propounding unto us the oracles of God. Rom. 3.2.
7 Now Theologie is, as the name it self imports, A doctrine concern∣ing God.
8 And by this doctrine men are instructed, concerning the essence and will of God, unto their salvation.
9 And this is life eternall, To
know the onely true God, and Je∣sus Christ, which came in the flesh. John 17.3.
10 The doctrine concerning the Essence of God, is absolved in this question, What God is: to wit, Je∣hova Elohim, One in Essence, three in Persons.
11 For God hath so manifested himself; that in the divine Essence be∣ing but one, and that undivided, there are three Persons, neither more nor lesse, to wit, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost.
12 The Father is the first Per∣son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, nor proceeding.
13 The Sonne is the second Per∣son, not made, nor created, but be∣gotten of the Father from all eter∣nitie.
14 Who in the fulnesse of time took upon him our humane nature, in which and through which he payed the price of our redemption.
15 The Holy Ghost is the third person, not made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding from the Fa∣ther and the Sonne from all eternity.
16 We must judge of the Will of God, by his decrees made from all eternitie.
17 Whereof there are two more principall, The decree of Creation, and the decree of Reparation: or (as the Greek words signifie) Creation and Recreation; Formation and Re∣formation.
18 What those decrees were, the fulfilling of them in time doth de∣clare.
19 For what God doth, and in what manner he doth in time, the same thing, and in the same manner he decreed to do from all eternitie.
20 The reason of which assertion depends upon the immutabilitie of Gods will.
21 Creation made in time, is the manifestation of the decree, concern∣ing
the creation of all things, made from all eternitie.
22 And it is the production of the Angels, Men, and all other creatures in the six first dayes of the world, wrought by God the Father, through the Sonne, in the Holy Ghost, to his own glorie.
23 A great part of the Angels fell away from God: The rest being con∣firmed in goodnesse, do laud and praise God, and are ministring Spirits for the good of men.
24 Our first parents, Adam and Eve, in like manner, at the instigati∣on of Satan, transgressed the law of God, which was written in their hearts, and proclaimed by the mouth of God.
25 So then by this fall of theirs the image of God was quite defaced in them, and their nature was corrupted with sinne.
26 Whereupon their posterity al∣so were and are to this day born stark-naked of originall righteousnesse, and
in a miserable manner corrupted with sinne.
27 Through the contagion whereof all the powers and faculties in the soul of man are so infected, that there is little or no light of Reason left, and scarce any power at all in the will, even about external things.
28 God who is omniscient could not but know that our first parents would fall: and therefore of his in∣finite mercie, he made a decree, con∣cerning the Reparation or Re∣demption of man, from all eternity.
29 What that decree was, the ful∣filling of the same in like manner doth declare. He sent in time his Sonne to be our Redeemer and Mediatour: There∣fore he decreed to send him, from all eternitie.
30 God by his word offereth the benefits of a Mediatour unto all, and applieth them unto those that beleeve: Therefore from all eternitie he de∣creed to offer them unto all by the
word, and to apply them unto those that beleeve.
31 This decree, in Scripture is called Predestination: of which we must not judge but (à posteriori, that is) by the manifestation thereof.
32 For the fulfilling of the de∣cree, concerning the Reparation of man, God hath appointed the Word and the Sacraments.
33 The Word is reduced to two chief heads, the Law and the Go∣spel.
34 The Law is, the doctrine of works: Therefore it manifesteth unto us the corruption of our nature; it ter∣rifieth us, and prescribeth unto us the rule of well-doing.
35 The Gospel is, the doctrine of faith: which pointeth at Christ our Mediatour, who hath made satisfa∣ction for our sinnes, and raiseth up the conscience of man.
36 The practise of the Law and the Gospel consisteth in true Repen∣tance.
37 Whereunto there is required Contrition, to be wrought in us by the Law; and Faith, by the Gospel.
38 Faith apprehendeth the Righ∣teousnesse of Christ offered in the word of the Gospel: by which man, after Contrition wrought in him by the voice of the Law, is justified be∣fore God, and beginneth to be renew∣ed by the receiving of the Holy Ghost.
39 For by faith our hearts are purified. Acts 15.9.
40 Therefore the fruits of true Repentance are good works.
41 For, Faith worketh by Love. Gal. 5.6. And Christ giveth unto us not onely his righteousnesse, but also his Holy Spirit, which beginneth to renew our nature, and bridle in us the concupiscences of the flesh.
42 Of Good works there are three ranks: some have respect unto God, some unto Our selves, and others unto our Neighbours.
43 For the Summe of Pietie and
Christian Religion is this, That we live soberly, righteously, and god∣ly in this present world. Tit. 2.12.
44 The Sacraments are the Seals of the word, appointed for the con∣firming and strengthening of our Faith: And they are the Visible word.
45 Such in the Old Testament were, Circumcision and the Paschal Lambe: and such in the New Testa∣ment are, Baptisme and the Lords Supper.
46 By the Audible and Visible word, God gathereth together his Church here on earth.
47 Whereof there are three Hie∣rarchies, ranks or orders: The Eccle∣siasticall, Politicall, and Oecono∣micall.
48 Of the Ecclesiasticall Hie∣rarchie the Pope of Rome makes him∣self Monarch and Head.
49 But inasmuchas he setteth him∣self against Christ, he makes himself Antichrist.
50 The Ministerie of the word, or the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie is or∣dained at this day by a mediate voca∣tion.
51 The Politicall Hierarchie comprehendeth Magistrates both in∣feriour and superiour.
52 Vnto the Oeconomicall Hie∣rarchie belongeth Matrimonie, which is, (as I may so call it) a certain Semi∣narie or Nurserie of the Church.
53 God in this life puts his Church under the Crosse: and that for many waightie and urgent reasons.
54 But at length he will glorifie it in the life to come, being delivered and freed from all enemies; from all evills, perills, and dangers.
55 Death, and the Last Judge∣ment, without going through any Purgatorie, is to the godly and those that beleeve, the entrance into ever∣lasting life.
56 But the ungodly and unbelee∣vers shall at length be cast into ever∣lasting fire.