THE CONTRAST. DOCTRINES OF THE OLD CHURCH. Of God and the Trinity. In Unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, pow. er and eternity;-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding: the Son is eternally† begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and Son.-Confession of Faith, chap. ii. sec. 3. There be three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory, although distinguished by their personal properties. Larger Catechism, Quest. 9. * This fundamental doctrine of three distinct persons in the Godhead, was not known to the early Fathers. It is strictly Roman Catholic, and was first broached and introduced into that Church at the Council of Nice. Some of the Greek Fathers censured the Latins for adopting it; and on this subject Gregory Nazianzen has expressed himself in the following words: "The early Latins held the doctrine of the Trinity as we do; but from the poverty of their language, and not rightly distinguishing between the Greek word Hypostasis and essence, they adopted the word persons, lest they should seem to hold three substances in the Godhead." DOCTRINES OF THE NEW CHURCH. Of God and the Trinity. There is but one God, in essence and in person one, in whom is a Divine Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spi. rit; t and the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that God. This Trinity may be compared to the soul, body, and operation in every individual man. The Father is the Divine esse, the all. begetting Divinity; || answering to the soul of man: the Son is the Humanity of Jesus Christ made Divine and united to the Father; or, in other words, the Divine Humanity; answering to the body of man: and the Holy spirit is the Divine-proceeding energy out of the Son, from the Father; T answering to the operations of man's soul and body together. Therefore, the Lord, as Father, is the first cause and creator of all things, from eternity; ** as Son, the Redeemer, in time; †† and as the Holy Spirit, the regenerator to eternity. [Now C.] *Deut. vi. 4. Zech. xiv. 9. See Proof 1, Question 6. † Luke i. 35; Matthew xxviii. 19. See Proof 2, Question 6. Isaiah ix. 6, Ixiii. 1 to 6; John x. 30, xii. 45, xiv. 7, 9, 11; 1 John v. 20. See Proof 3, Question 6. Exodus xxxiii. 20; John i. 18; 1 John iv. 12. See Proof 2, Question 8. John xiv. 9, 10; Col. i. 19, ii. 9. See Proof 3, Question 8. ¶ John xiv. 13, 14, 18; xvi. 7, 14, 15; xx. 22, vii. 39. See Proof 1, Q. 10. ** Malachi ii. 10. See Proof 3, Q. 5. †† 1 John iv. 10; John iii. 16, 17; 1 Timothy i. 15; Col. i. 13, and 19, 20; John xii. 31, 32; Isaiah Ixiii. 1 to 6. See Proof 1, 4, 5 & 6, Question 12. ‡‡ John xiv. 18; xvi. 7, 14, 15; vii. See Proof 1, Question 10. Rev. See Proof 4, Question 13. For a refutation of this doctrine, 39. see note E, No. 14. i. 18. DOCTRINES OF THE OLD CHURCH. DOCTRINES OF THE NEW CHURCH. Of Predestination and Pro- Of Predestination and Pro vidence. 1. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death. 2. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace. 3. The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel for his own will, whereby he extendeth, or withholdeth mercy, as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.-Confession of Faith, chapter iii. section 3, 4, 5, & 7. See Largor Catechism, Q. 12, 13. 4. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden; from them he not only withholdeth his grace whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion for sin; and withal gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others. Chapter v. section 6. vidence. 1. God, from the nature of his Divine love, willeth the salvation of all men and angels, and created none for the mere purpose of everlasting death; Wherefore, 2. Divine love, through Divine wis. dom, hath provided the means whereby every man may be saved: * which means are, refraining from evils as sins against God, an acknowledgment of God, and a life of charity and faith, on the part of the creature. † These are the means, conditions, and causes of salvation; and every one continually receives from God the power of using them as his own. * 3. Those who do not use this pow. er, consequently cannot be saved, as being unfit subjects of the heavenly life; but it is contrary to Divine love to withhold the means of salvation_ from any one. * * 1 John iv. 8, 16; v. 45. See Pr. 1, Q. 8; also 2 Cor. v. 15; 1 Tim. ii. 6. † Gen. xxxix. 9 Soo Pr. 2, Q. 34. Heb. xi. 6; John xi. 25, 26; xv. 12; xiii. 34; Col. iii. 14; Matthew v. 44,45,46; 1 Cor. xiii. Psalm xv. John xiii. 17; xiv: 15, 21; Matthew vii. 24; 1 John iii. 23, 24; Rev. xx. 12; Eccl. xii. 13. Proofs 1, 2, 3, Q. 40. See 4. The Divine grace of God flow. eth unto all men; but those who will not receive and apply it, but follow the wicked inclinations of their own cor. rupt nature in the pursuit and practice of evil, and neglect to exercise their free will in co-operating with the Holy Spirit, thereby harden their own hearts, and blind their understandings, until at length they become totally unfitted for the reception of heavenly light and life, and consequently cannot be saved. ‡ Psalm ix, 17. Matthew xxv. 41 to 46; Gen. vi. 3; 1 Thess. v. 19; Isaiah Ixiii. 10; Heb. x. 29. See Proof 1, Question 54. [Note PP.] DOCTRINES OF THE OLD CHURCH. DOCTRINES OF THE NEW CHURCH. Of Original Sin and Here- Of Original Sin, and Here ditary Evil. 1. Our first parents being the root of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and the same death in sin, and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation. 2. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet, both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.—Chap. vi. sec. 3, 5. ditary Evil. 1. Hereditary evils exist, and are inherited from parents successively;* but they are not imputed, except to those who make them their own by actual commission; † consequntly, all infants are saved. ‡ 2. This corruption of our nature, by a life of charity and faith and consequent regeneration, may in a great measure be extirpated or brought into subjection, and the mere natural affec. tions reduced to a degree of heavenly order. || [See Note EE.] *James i. 14, 15; Exodus xx. 5. See Proof 1, 2, Question 45. James i. 14, 15; Deut. xxiv. 16. See Proof 1, Question 44. Luke xviii. 16; Matthew xviii. 10. See Proof 2, Question 44. || 1 Peter i. 22, 23. See Pr. 2, Q. 52. Of Christ the Mediator, and Of Christ the Mediator, and of Redemption. 1. It pleased God, in his eternal pur. pose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and man. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon himself man's nature. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he, through the Eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of the Father, and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.-Ch. viii. sec. 1, 2, 5. of Redemption. 1. It pleased Jehovah God, in his eternal purpose, and in the fulness of time, to assume the human nature, in the person of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of redeeming mankind,⋆ and glorifying that Humanity, which is called the Son of God. † [Note E.] * Isaiah ix. 6; 2 Cor. v. 19; 1 Tim. iii. 16, 15; Col. i. 13. See Proof 2, 3, & 4, Question 12. †John xvi. 28; xvii. 1, 5. See Proof 3, Question 13. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ, as Divine Truth, by acts of redemption, which were spiritual combats with, and subjection of the hells and infernal spirits, and the removal of evils from man, as also by the glorification of his humani. ty, and the uniting of it with the Father, or Divine Good, † (by which man was enabled to approach nearer to the Divinity, and the Divinity to man,) hath fully established the means of salvation to all those who live a life of charity and faith, and keep his commandments.|| DOCTRINES OF THE OLD CHURCH. DOCTRINES OF THE NEW CHURCH. 3. "This Humanity being the medium by which man may come to God the Father, and God the Father to man, and thereby be his teacher and 3. Christ maketh intercession, by his appearing in our nature continually before the Father in heaven, in the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on earth, declaring his will to have it ap-guide unto salvation--therefore the son plied to all believers; answering all accusations against them; and procuring for them quiet of conscience notwithstanding daily failings, access and bold ness to the throne of grace, and accept ance of their persons and service. Larger Cat. Qu. 55. 4. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his holy spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces. Question 32, and Conf. Chap. vii. Of Free-Will. 1. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so, as a natural man being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to pre. pare himself thereunto. Con. of Faith, Ch. ix, Sec. 3. of God, by whom is meant the Humanity of God the Father, is called the Saviour and mediator.S Intercession, consequently, is perpetual mediation; for true love, whence mercy, clemency and grace proceed, perpetually intercedeth, that is, mediateth for those who do his commandments, and are thereby the objects of his love,"¶T-E. S. DOCTRINES OF THE OLD CHURCH. DOCTRINES OF THE NEW CHURCH. Of effectual Calling and Re- Of effectual Calling and Re generation. generation. of the holy spirit, gradually removed from the state of sin and corruption which they are in by nature, to a spiritual state of virtue and purity,----and finally to salvation.* 1. All those whom God hath pre. 1. All those who refrain from evils destinated unto life, and those only, he as sins against God, and live a life of is pleased in his appointed and accept-charity and faith, are by the operations ed time, effectually to call by his word and spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. 2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone-not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace of fered and conveyed in it.-Confes. of Faith, Ch. x, Sec. 1, 2. Of Gentilism. 1. They who have never heard the Gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not on him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they possess; neither is there salvation in any other but Christ alone, who is the Saviour only of his body the Church. Larger Cat. Question 60. Of Justification and Good 1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth-not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness, but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves-it is the gift of God. 2. This spiritual state of heavenly purity, is effected solely by the exertions of man's free-will (in refraining from evils as sins against God, and living a good life) co-operating with the divine influence flowing unto all; thereby making himself a fit subject for the reception of further communications of the Holy spirit--which operates so far only in regeneration, as man exerts his free-will. † [Note I.I.] 52. * 1 Pet. i, 22, 23. Proof 2, Question 1. They who have never heard of the Gospel, and know not the Lord Jesus Christ, if they acknowledge the Being of a God, and live a conscientious life of charity and virtue, according to the best light they have-thereby become fit receptacles of the life and faith of heaven, in their degree, and are consequently saved. [Note C.C.] * John ix, 41; Acts x, 35; Rom. ii, 13, 14, 15. See Proof 1, Question 43. Of Justification and Good Works. 1. Those who live a life of goodness according to the commandments, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, will be saved; and such life and faith will be imputed to them. * * James i, 27; 1 Cor. ch. xiii; John xi, 25, 26. See Proof 1, Question 40. and John i, 12. |