Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/185



HAVING treated of God the creator, and at the same time of creation, and afterwards of the Lord the redeemer, and at the same time of redemption, and lastly of the holy ghost, and at the same time of the divine operation, and having thus treated of the triune God, it is expedient now to treat also concerning the divine trinity, a doctrine which in the Christian world is known, and yet is unknown. The expedience of this doctrine appeareth from hence, that by it alone we can acquire a right idea of God, and aright idea of God is to the church what the inner court and altar were to the temple; or like a crown on the head, and a sceptre in the hand of a king sitting on his throne; for as one link of chain is united with, and dependeth on another, so doth the whole body of theology depend on a right idea of God, as its head; and, if the reader is in a disposition to receive and credit it, every one hath a place in heaven according to his idea of God; for this idea is like a touchstone whereby gold and silver are proved, that is, it is the true test whereby to examine the quality of goodness and truth in man, inasmuch as no possible saving good can come but from God, and there is not a single saving truth but what