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THE EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES.
The first Principle expounded. Question.
WHat is God?
A. God is aaspirit, or a spirituall substance, most wise, most holy, eternall, infinite.
Q. How doe you perswade your selfe that there is such a God?
A. Besides the testimonie of the Scriptures, plaine rea∣son will shew it.
Q. What is one reason?
A. When I considerbthe wonderfull frame of the world, me thinks the sil∣ly creatures that be in it could neuer make it: neither could it make it selfe, and therefore besides all these, the maker of it must needes be God. Euen as when a man comes into a strange country, and sees faire and sumptuous buildings, and yet findes no liuing creatures there besides birds and beasts, he will not i∣magine that either birdes or beasts reared those buildings, but he presently conceiues, that some men either were or haue beene there.
Q. What other reason haue you?
A. c A man that commits any sinne, as murder, fornication, adulterie, bla∣sphemie, &c. albeit he doth so conceale the matter, that no man liuing know of it, yet oftentimes he hath a griping in his conscience, and feeles the very flashing of hell fire: which is a strong reason to shew that there is a God, be∣fore whose iudgement seat he must answer for this fact.
Q. How many Gods are there?
A. Nodmore but one.
Q. How doe you conceiue this one God in your minde?
A. Noteby framing any image of him in my minde (as ignorant folks doe, that thinke him to be an old man sitting in heauen) but I conceiue him by his properties and workes.
Q. What be his chiefe properties?
A. First, he is f most wise, vnderstanding all things aright, and knowing the reason of them. Secondly, he is g most holy, which appeareth in that he is most iust and mercifull vnto his creatures. Thirdly, he isheternall, without either be∣ginning or ende of daies. Lastly, he is iinfinite, both because he is present in all places, and because he is of power sufficient to doe whatsoeuer hek will.
Q. What be the workes of God?
A. l The creation of the world, and of euery thing therein, and the preser∣uation of them beeing created by his speciall prouidence.
Q. How know you that God gouerneth euery particular thing in the world by his speciall prouidence?
A. To omit the m Scriptures, I see it by experience: n Meate, Drinke, and clothing beeing void of heate and life, could not preserue the life of man, vn∣lesse there were a speciall prouidence of God to giue vertue vnto them.
Q. How is this one God distinguished?
A. o Into the Father which begetteth the Sonne: into the Sonne who is be∣gotten of the Father: into the holy Ghost,p who proceedeth from the Father & the Sonne.