Baptist Confession of 1689: Of God and the Holy Trinity

CHAPTER 2—OF GOD AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY

Paragraph 1. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God, (1Co 8:4, 6; Deu 6:4); whose subsistence is in and of Himself, (Jer 10:10; Isa 48:12); infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself, (Exd 3:14); a most pure spirit, (Jhn 4:24); invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, (1Ti 1:17; Deu 4:15-16); who is immutable, (Mal 3:6); immense, (1Ki 8:27; Jer 23:23); eternal, (Psa 90:2); incomprehensible, almighty, (Gen 17:1); every way infinite, most holy, (Isa 6:3); most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, (Psa 115:3; Isa 46:10); for His own glory, (Pro 16:4; Rom 11:36); most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, (Exd 34:6-7; Hbr 11:6); and withal most just and terrible in His judgments, (Neh 9:32-33); hating all sin, (Psa 5:5-6); and who will by no means clear the guilty, (Exd 34:7; Nah 1:2-3.)

Paragraph 2. God, having all life, (Jhn 5:26); glory, (Psa 148:13); goodness, (Psa 119:68); blessedness, in and of Himself, is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, (Job 22:2-3); but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, (Rom 11:34-36); and He hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleases, (Dan 4:25, 34-35); in His sight all things are open and manifest, (Hbr 4:13); His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain, (Eze. 11:5; Act 15:18); He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, (Psa 145:17); and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, (Rev 5:12-14); service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.

Paragraph 3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, (1Jo 5:7; Mat 28:19; 2Co 13:14); of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided, (Exd 3:14; Jhn 14:11; 1Co 8:6): the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, (Jhn 1:14, 18); the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son, (Jhn 15:26; Gal 4:6); all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.