The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

¹I. 1. There is one only GOD in Essence, in Three Essential Principles, POWER, UNDERSTANDING and WILL; or OMNIPOTENCY, OMNISCIENCE and GOODNESS; in Three Subsistences or Persons, the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT, who is a Mind or Spirit, and therefore is most Simple, Incorruptible, Immortal, Impassionate, Invisible, Intactible, &c. and is Indivisible, Eternal, Immense, Necessary, Independent, Self-sufficient, Immutable, Absolute and Infinite in all Perfections: The Principal Efficient, Dirigent and Final Cause of all the world: The CREATOR of all, and therefore our Absolute OWNER,² or Supreme RULER, and our Total BENEFACTOR, and CHIEF GOOD and END. 2. GOD made Man for himself; not to supply any want of his own, but for the pleasing of his own Will and Love, in the Glory of his Perfections shining forth in his works: In his own Image; that is, with Vital Power, Understanding and Free-will, Able, Wise and Good; with Dominion over the Inferior Creatures, as being in subordination to God their OWNER, their GOVERNOR and their BENEFACTOR and END. And he bound him by the Law of his Nature to adhere to GOD his MAKER; by Resignation, Devotion and Submission to him as his OWNER, by Believing, Honouring and Obeying him as his RULER; and by Loving him, Trusting and Seeking him, Delighting in him, Thanksgiving to him, and Praising him, as his Grand BENEFACTOR, chief Good, and ⟨p. 221⟩ultimate end, to exercise Charity and Justice to each other; and to Govern all his inferior faculties by Reason according to his Makers will, that he so might please him, and be Happy in his Love: And, to try him, he particularly forbade him to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. 3.³ Man being tempted by Satan to break this Law of God, did believe the Tempter who promised him impunity, and advancement in Knowledge, and who accused God as false in his threatening, and as envying Man this great advancement: And so by wilful sinning against him, he fell from God and his uprightness and happiness, under the displeasure of God, the penalty of his Law, and the power of Satan: And hence we are all conceived in sin, averse to good, and prone to evil, and condemnation is passed upon all, and no mere Creature is able to deliver us. 4.