The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

3. Proposition. In the Vnitie of the Godhead, there is a Trinitie of per∣sons.

The proofe from Gods word.

THe Scripture saith,

In the beginning God the Fathera, the Sonne b, and the holy Ghostc, created the heauen, and the earth.

By ¹ the word of the ² Lord were the heauens made, and

all the host of them by the ³ Breath of his mouth d.

Loe, the heauens were opened vnto ¹ him; and (Iohn) sawe ² the Spirit of God descending like a Doue, and lighting vpon him: and loe, a voice from heauen saying, This is ³ my belo∣ued Sonne, in whome I am well pleased e.

Because yee are sonnes, ¹ God hath sent forth ² the Spirit of his ³ Sonne into your heartes, which crieth, Abba, Father, saith the Apostle f: and againe, The grace of ¹ our Lord Iesus Christ, and the loue ² of God, and the communion of the ³ holy Ghost be with you all g.

And S. Iohn: There are three which beare record in heauen, ¹ The Father, ² the word, and ³ the holy Ghost, and these three are one h.

This truth hath alwaies bin i, and serously is k, confessed in the church of Christ.

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

Then cursed are all opinions of men contrarie herevnto: whereof

Some denied the Trinitie, affirming there is one God, but not three persons in the Godhead: so did the Montanists a, and Marcellians b, and so doe the Iewesc, and Turkes d.

Some, as the Gnostikese, Marcionites f, and Valentinians g, affirme there be moe Gods then one, and yet not three per∣sons, nor of one and the same nature, but of a diuers, and con∣trarie disposition.

Some thinke there be three Gods, or spirits; not distingui∣shed onely, but diuided also, as did the Ennomeansh, and Trethectesi.

Some feare not to say, that in worshiping the Trinitie, Chri∣stians doe adore three Deuils, worse then all the idols of the Papists: such blasphemers were the Heretikes, Blandrat, and Alciat k.

Some will haue a Quaternitie of persons, not a Trinitie to be worshipped, so did Anastasius the Emperour command; & the Apollinarians did hold l. Some doe graunt, and acknow∣ledge the names of three in the God-head, but denie their per∣sons, such were the Noëtians, Praxeneans, and Hermogenians:

This did say, how the same God was called by diuers names in the holy Scripture: and therefore that the Father became flesh, and suffered, because one and the same God is called the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. For which cause they were tearmed Patripassians. In this number was Sernetus.

Againe, some doe grant the names, and persons of three, and yet depriue not onely the Sonne, and holy Ghost of their diui∣nitie, but the whole Trinitie also of their properties. For they say, there be three in heauen, viz. the Father, the Word, and ho∣ly Ghost, howbeit (say they) the Father onely is very God; the word is the breath of the Father; and the holy Ghost is the spi∣rit created by God of nothing, through the word: spoiling so both the Sonne, and holy Ghost of their deitie, and the whole Trinitie of their properties. Such were the Arrian, and Macedo∣nian heretikes, hence by-named Pneumatomachons, because they waged battel with the holy Ghost.

And some doe bring in other names of deitie, besides of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, as did the Priscilianists m.

Notes

• a

  The Father by the Sonne made the worlds. Heb. 1.2.
• b

  In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and that word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Ioh. 1.1, 2.
• c

  In the beginning God created the heauen, and the earth, &c. and the spirit of God mooued vpon the waters. Gen. 1.1, 2.
• d

  Psal. 33.6.
• e

  Math. 3.16, 17
• f

  Gal. 4.6.
• g

  2. Cor. 13.13.
• h

  1. Iohn 5.3.
• i

  Creed Apo. Nic. Athan.
• k

  Confess. Helv. 1. art. 6. & 2. c. 3. August. art. 1. Gal. art. 6. Belg. art. 6. Bohem. c. 3. VVittemb. c. 1. Suca••. art. 1.
• a

  Socrat. eccles. hist. l. 1. c. 23.
• b

  Theod. haeret. fab. lib. 2.
• c

  Lud. Carettus lib. diuinor. visor. ad Iudae.
• d

  Pol. of the Turk. emp. c. 5.
• e

  Clem. Alex. strom. l. 5.
• f

  Epiphan.
• g

  Cl. Alex. str. l. 4.
• h

  Philaster.
• i

  Zanch de 3. El. par. i. l. 7. c. 1.
• k

  Calvin. epist.
• l

  Athanas. ad Epictet.
• m

  Concil. Bra∣car. cap. 2.