2 T8E DOCTRINE Or THE TRINITY. doctrine, which have divided theTrinitarian writers, but nakedly to represent it according to its most obvious appearances in scripture, and yet in such a manner as almost all our divines have received, and delivered it, who may differ in particular schemes of explication. Proposition I. God is a Spirit, all -wise, and almighty, in- finite, eternal, unchangeable, and incomprehensible by any creature; the first, the greatest, and the best ofBeings. Since the word of God assures us thathe is a Spirit; John iv. 24. since men are called his offspring; Acts xvii. 28. since man is the image of God; 1 Cor. xi. 7. it is evident, that God teaches us to conceive of himself, in a way ofresemblance to our own souls, which are spirits. We are therefore to conceive of him as a Being, which has understanding, or conscious- ness and knowledge, which has a free will, and power of operation ; for these are the clearest and best notions that we have of `a spirit: And the scripture itself frequently applies them all to God, and speaks of his understanding, will, and power. Yet still let us remember, that we must conceive of these things in God, in the highest and greatest perfection possible ; removing always, from our idea of God, everything that is im- perfect, and raising this idea infinitely above every power and quality that is in our own souls. He bath infinite wisdom, or understanding, to know, contrive, and decree all his works, and infinite power, to execute and effect his decrees. Every thing in God transcends the highest conceptions of man. II. 'There is but one only, the living, and the true God. There is but one godhead, onedivinity ; for since God is the first, the greatest, and the best of Beings, there can be but one that is the very first, the very greatest, and the very best. Besides, God is a self- sufficient Being, and can wantnothing from another ; Acts xvii. 25. He is an all-sufficient Being, and can do every thing of himself Job xlii. 2. and therefore, he cannot possiblystand in need of any other being beside himself. Within himself the one God possesses all possible perfection. Two such all-sufficient Beings could do no more than one could do, either with regard to their own blessedness, or with regard to creatures ; for if two could make eachother more blessed, or do any thing more toward creatures, than one could do, then each of them alone could not be self-sufficient, nor all-sufficient; each of them could not be a God, if they could want any help from another. Thence it follows, thatthere cannot be two Gods ; for since each of them must be self-sufficient, that is sufficient for himself, and all-sufficient, that is, sufficient for all other
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