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3.

The living and true God is without Body,
Parts, or Paffions.

4. The living and true God is of infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness.

5. The living and true God is the Maker and Preferver of all things both visible and invifible. 6. There is but one fuch living and true God, as is above defcrib'd.

7. In Unity of this Godhead (viz. the Divine Nature of the One living and true God before mention'd) there be Three Perfons, viz. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

8. These Three Perfons (viz. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft) are of one Subftance, Power and Eternity.

The word God is taken in different Senfes. Sometimes it betokens a fictitious Deity of the Heathens, at other times the Image of fuch a fuppos'd Deity, at other times an Angel, at other times a Magiftrate. For this reafon there are Gods many, as the Apostle fpeaks, 1 Cor. 8.5. Our Church therefore determins the Meaning of the Word, and fhews in what Senfe fhe is here to be understood, by adding the Epithets living and true. Wherefore The treats in this Article of that one independent, immutable, and felf-exiftent Being, who does in the highest Senfe deferve to be call'd GOD; and the gives him the Appellation of the true God, to diftinguish him, 1. from thofe Gods or Images of the Heathen, which have not an independent, immutable, and felf-exiftent Nature, and are for that. reafon no Gods, that is, no true Gods, but falfe and pretended Deities, or the Images of fuch fanfied Beings; 2. Front thofe Angels or Magiftrates, who tho they have the fame Appellation, nevertheless

theless are not true Gods, that is, they are not Gods in a strict and proper Senfe, but in a bor rowed and Metaphorical one. She gives him alfo the Appellation of a living God, to distinguish him from those lifelefs Idols which the Pagans ador'd, and from all other Beings, which tho they have Life, yet receive it from another. Whereas God has in himself an effential felf-exiftent Life, that is (not any fuch grofs thing as what we call an animal Lifé, which depends upon an organiz'd Frame, and a Difpofition of corporeal Parts; but) an internal active Principle of his own, which is infeparable from him. So that God is living, or does live (not as the Creatures do, by virtue of a fuperior fuftaining Power; but) absolutely, neceffarily, and of himself.

The First Propofition contain'd in this Firft Article, viz. That there is a living and true God, Dr. Clarke has proved in the Four First Propofitions of his Demonstration.

The Second Propofition. See the Fifth Propofition of the fame Book.

The Third Propofition. See the Eighth Propo fition of it. For fince he has fhewn, that God is immaterial, therefore he can have no Body of Parts, and confequently he can have no Paffions, which are bodily Affections. But because God, in condescension to human Weakness, is fometimes reprefented in Scripture, as having the Paffions of Love, Anger, &c. therefore the Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Chapters of the Second Book of Limborch's System may be perufed.

The Fourth Propofition. See Bifhop Pearson on the First Article, beginning at I believe in God the Father Almighty, and ending at Maker of Heaven and

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Earth;

Art. II. Earth; and the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Propofitions of Dr. Clarke's Demonstration.

The Fifth Propofition. See Bishop Pearson on the First Article, beginning at Maker of Heaven and Earth, and the laft Paragraph of the Seventh Propofition of Dr. Clarke's Demonftration, wherein he confutes the Error of Spinoza.

The Sixth Propofition. See Dr. Clarke's first Paragraph of his Seventh Propofition before mentioned.

The Seventh Propofition. See Bishop Pearson on the First Article, from I believe in God the Father, down to I believe in God the Father Almighty; and on the Second Article, from His Only Son, down to Our Lord; and on the Eighth Article, from the Beginning down to the Paragraph which begins thus, Our Sixth and laft Affertion (fufficient to manifeft, &c.

The Eighth Propofition is therefore true, because there can be no more Gods than one, according to the Sixth Propofition.

The SECOND ARTICLE,

Of the Word or Son of God which was made very Man.

HE Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten

Tfrom everlasting of the Father, the very and eter,

nal God, of one Subftance with the Father, took Man's nature in the Womb of the bleffed Virgin, of her Subftance: So that two whole and perfect natures, that is to fay, the Godhead and Manhood, were joyned together in one perfon, never to be divided, whereof is one Chrift, very God and very Man, who truly fuffer'd, was crucified, dead and buried,

buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a Sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual fins

men,

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This Article contains Ten Propofitions.

r. The Son is the Word of the Father.

2. The Son is begotten from everlafting of the Father.

3. The Son is the very and eternal God.

4. The Son is of one Substance with the Father. 5. The Son took Man's Nature in the Womb of the bleffed Virgin, of her Substance.

6. By the Son's taking Man's Nature, two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joyned together in one Perfon.

7. The two Natures joyn'd together in one Perfon, are never to be divided.

8: Of those two Natures joyn'd in one Perfon is One Chrift.

9. Chrift is very God and very Man,

10. Chrift truly fuffer'd, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a Sacrifice, not only for Original Guilt, but alfo for Actual Sins of Men.

The First Propofition is evident from John r. 14. where Chrift (who is the Incarnate Son, as the Article afterwards declares) is exprefly call'd the Word, that is, the Word of the Father; because he was in the beginning with the Father, v. 2. and is One God with the Father, as the laft Propofition of the First Article afferts.

The Second and Third Propofitions. See Bishop Pearfon on the Second Article, beginning at His only Son, and ending at Our Lord,

The

The Fourth is therefore true, because there can be no more than One God, according to the Sixth Propofition of the First Article.

The Fifth and Sixth Propofitions. See Bishop Pearfon on the Third Article.

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The Seventh Propofition needs no other Proof, befides this fingle Confideration, viz. That fince Chrift muft ever continue in that Glory which he is poffeffed of; therefore that Union of the two Natures, by which he is Chrift, muft ever continue.

The Eighth Propofition is included in the Sixth. The Ninth Propofition is included in the Third and Fifth. ori

The Tenth Propofition. See what References I have already made touching Chrift's Satisfaction, in the foregoing Directions for Studying a General System or Body of Divinity, p. 16.

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The THIRD ARTICLE.

Of the Going down of Chrift into Hell.

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S Chrift died for us, and was buried: fo alfo it is to be believed, that he went down into Hell.

* edw) That Chrift died for us, and was buried, we have feen in the Tenth Propofition of the Second Article. Of his Defcent into Hell, fee Bishop Pear fon on the Fifth Article, down to He rofe again.

Here it may not be improper to obferve one thing. We learn from Bifhop Pearson, that there are different Senfes of this Article. One of them is, that Hell betokens the Grave; and confequent

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