Chapter 4: Of Creation

1689 Baptist Confession

Chapter 4: Of Creation

Paragraph 1. In the beginning it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,¹ for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power,² wisdom, and goodness, to create or make the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.³

1 John 1:2,3; Heb. 1:2; Job 26:13
2 Rom. 1:20
3 Col. 1:16; Gen. 1:31

Paragraph 2. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female,⁴with reasonable and immortal souls,⁵ rendering them fit unto that life to God for which they were created; being made after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness;⁶ having the law of God written in their hearts,⁷ and power to fulfill it, and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject to change.⁸

4 Gen. 1:27
5 Gen. 2:7
6 Eccles. 7:29; Gen. 1;26
7 Rom. 2:14,15
8 Gen. 3:6

Paragraph 3. Besides the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,⁹ which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.¹⁰

9 Gen. 2:17
10 Gen. 1:26,28