The Trinity and the 1689 LBCF

                                          1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

          Chapter 2:  Of God and the Holy Trinity

          1. The Lord our God is but one living and true God; whose subsistence is in
     and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be com-
     prehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts,
     or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can
     approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty,
     every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all
     things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will
     for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in
     goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of
     them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments,
     hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
     (1 Corinthians 8:4,6; Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36;
     Hebrews 11:6)

          2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, 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, 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, and he hath most sovereign dominion over all
     creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; in
     his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and
     independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain; he
     is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commmands; to him
     is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures
     they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them.
     (John 5:26; Psalm 119:68; Psalm 145:17)

          3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the
     Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having
     the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided; the Father is of none, neither
     begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit
     proceeding from the Father and the Son; 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.
     (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:14,18;
     John 15:26; Galatians 4:6)