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Trinity, by Himself, to be God and Lord. They declare also, that there is but One God, and One Lord: there cannot possibly, therefore, be Three Gods, or Three Lords.

We, therefore, who believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," are bound to acknowledge the one, and deny the other.

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Having considered the Equality and Union of the Three Sacred Persons in the Trinity, we consider next their Distinc tion, as it is set forth in Scripture, by the several Personal Characters belonging to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost."

SECTION XIV.

The Father is made of NONE; neither created nor begotten.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."-Gen, i. 1.

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God existed before the beginning of

created things; therefore, " from everlasting."

The Eternal God is the Great Original, or First Cause of the Universe; consequently, Himself uncaused, underived, from eternity; the distinguishing Character of the First Divine Person in the Trinity.

SECTION XV.

The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but BEGOTTEN.

The Eternal Son of God could neither be made nor created, for "He was in the beginning with God;" and God together with the Father.

The distinguishing Character of the Second Divine Person in the Trinity is,—

That he is the "only begotten Son of God."John iii. 16.

"He was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."-John i. 14.

"Thou art my Son," GoD said, "this day have I begotten thee "-Ps. ii. 7.

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"The Son is said here to be of the Father alone; in contradistinction to the Holy Ghost; who is not of the Father alone, but of Both."

SECTION XVI.

The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but PROCEEDING.

As the words of Scripture accurately express:

"The Comforter, whom I will send you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father."-John xv. 26.

The Eternal Spirit of the Father, and of Christ, and God together with them; was neither made, nor created, nor begotten.

But," the peculiar and distinguishing Character of the Holy Ghost, the Third Divine Person in the Trinity, is to proceed; and to proceed from the Father and the Son."

SECTION XVII.

So there is ONE Father, not THREE Fathers; ONE Son, not THREE Sons; ONE Holy Ghost, not THREE Holy Ghosts.

The Scriptures relative to one God, and one Lord, are equally applicable to one Father, one Son, and one Holy Ghost; not to dwell upon the emphatic distinction remarkable in the original language.

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The Father; the Son, or the Word; the Holy Ghost, or the Comforter.

& Υιος: or ὁ Λογος: ὁ Παρακλητος.

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"The intent and purpose" of this article of the Creed, "is to set forth the distinction of the three Divine Persons, and their several offices and characters."

1. "That there is one Father, who is of none, who alone is unoriginate, is first. Person in the blessed Trinity."

"Neither the Son, nor the Holy Ghost, have these titles or characters, so as to make three Fathers."

2. "That there is one Son, alone be

gotten, and afterwards incarnate; which characters and offices belong not to the other Divine Persons, so as to make three Sons; but are distinct and appropriate

to one."

3. "That there is one Holy Ghost; whose peculiar character is to proceed, and whose office is to sanctify. Which character and office are not to be ascribed in the same sense to the other two Divine Persons in the Godhead, so as to make three Holy Ghosts, instead of one. For this would be to confound the personal characters and offices."-Waterland.

SECTION XVIII.

And in this Trinity none is afore or after other; none is greater or less than another: but the whole Three Persons are co-eternal together, and co-equal.

These sentences explain each other. Each Person in the Godhead, by himself, being eternal, and all being equal: together or united, they are co-eternal and

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