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i Jii^ *'-.' U>' ^'. ,..!♦•;• .■*5»?./ ,u?:H K^Hv.J. o>iM<* -A^X 1 ' , .li; .... >r^,;^* ■"(■,, 1 • ' ,r. J'.' ■'•t:;i^/ 'sWrf' *^ !>?(■ PREFACE. MANY of our minister must, with me, have felt a wish that there was a cheap and handy edition of the " Confession of Faith," for the use of their Bible classes and the adult portion of their con- gregations, in some such separate form as that in which the Shorter Catechism has been so often issued for the instruction of the children of the church. Every faithful servant of the Lord, knowing the short- comings of the men of his own age, is apt to think his contemporaries woree than any generation that went before them ; hence we might truly enough echo the complaint of Mr. Thomas Manton, in his separate epistle, and the lament of the xliv. divines who with him signed the address of the first published edition of the Confession, as to the decay of intelligence and piety in their day. It may be doubted whether the members and adherents of the Presbyterian Church in Canada know this authorized summary of the doctrines of the Bible, as familiarly as it deserves to be known ; and it is not unreasonable to suppose that they would have a more intimate acquaintance with it to-day, very much to their advantage, if it had been within their reach in a simple form, like that in which it is pre- sented in this edition. An objection has been taken to it that it is too bulky, and that it is expecting too much of the office-bearers of the Church to pledge I ! '■ ■•* IP ■" fir ?5* them to the contents of this document. But when the bare propositions of the Confession, as they are now presented, are taken into account, our Suboi*dinate Standard is seen to bo not so extensive after all. It does not cover many pages. In former editions the proof texts were given at length, and they occupied more space than the propositions which they were cited to support. There were advantages in this, as the divines, who issued the first edition, with the proofe extended, showed ; but it may be questioned whether, after all, it is not as well that the student of the Confession should, in every case, find for himself, in his Bible, the text cited. Besides, in constructing the Confession and the other documents which they framed, the Westminster Assembly drew up the propositions first, and afterwards annexed the texts, moved thereto by the Parliament. Neither the xxxix. Articles, nor any of the Ancient Creeds had scripture proofs attached. It is true, that the second of the rules laid down by Parliament for the guidance of the Assembly stipulated, " What any man undertakes to prove as a necessary truth in religion he shall make good from the Holy Scriptures " ; but at first the members of the Assembly regaixied this rule as only applicable to the debates, not to the conclusions which they formulated. At all events, th^ Confession seems a much less for- midable treatise to undertake to read, with the proofs omitted. This doctrinal standard of the Presbyterian Church has been attacked on other grounds than its length ; but any attack made upon it would have produced little impression, if the contents of the document were familiarly known. The doctrines of Grace stand out prominently in the Confession, but not more promi- nently than in the writings of the Apostle Paul ; and the several parts are bound together by a chain of in- fexorable logic, so that when the objector is put to it, he finds it difficult to point to any part that would be omitted, without marring the design of the whole. But while it contains little that could be well left out, it lacks some of the matters on which it could, perhaps, be desirable to have an authoritative utterance. It is chiefly taken up with settling points on which pro- fessing Christians have differed. It affords us little help, for instance, in defining the relations between Science and Eevelation. And yet all those previous questions, which men are raising in our day, were dealt with at an early period in the history of Christ- ianity. Heathen naturalism, championed by Julian, Celsus, Porphyry, and Hypatia, was overcome by supernaturalism, in the hands of Christian champions; and it would have been well that the weapons they used so effectively had been handed down to us. It was the Scottish General Assembly and Estates of Parliament that designated this treatise as the "Confession of Faith." The title by which it went in England was, "Articles of Eeligion, approved and passed by both Houses of Parliament, after advice had with an Assembly of Divines called together by them for that purpose." It is not a sectarian document, although it has been adopted by the Presbyterian Church, all over the world, as its Subordinate Stan- ! I B N I , ' i Its dard. The divines composing the Westminster As- sembly had received Episcopal ordination ; and the members of Parliament, who sat with them, were in communion with the Church, as it had been up to that time constituted. During the sittings of the Assembly, the course of the national history was such as to set men's minds free from traditional views. Every in- stitution was in that age thrown into the crucible of a severe logic ; and very considerable differences arose among the members, on questions of Church Govern- ment and the Oi*der of Public Worship. But there was substantial agreement among the Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Independent sympathizers in the Assembly, in the doctrinal part of their work, that on which their reputation chiefly rests ; although there was scarcely a proposition that was not debated, and but few of them escaped dissent from at least one or two members, as the recently published Minutes of the Assembly show. Clarendon, an extreme Eoyalist and Figh-Churchman, on the one hand, and Milton, a Re- publican and Independent, on the other, affected to despise the members of the Assembly, as men entitled to little consideration. Prof. Masson, in his life of Milton, has been at pains to establish, however, that they were almost all men of quality and position. But apart from this point, which he has proved, their work has shown that they were not unworthy contempo- raries of even the author of " Paradise Lost." It might be fairly enough maintained, indeed, that the " Confes- sion of Faith," which oae hears sometimes severely criticized, is the greatest product of the greatest age ■I 41 f er As- id the ere in bo that Binbly, to set ery in- )le of a 3 arose rovern- t there •palian, in the that on 1 there ed, and one or 3 of the list and 1, a Ee- cted to entitled life of er, that m. But ir work vtempo- t might Confes- everely est age of the greatest country of which history informs us. To be impressed with the remarkable literary qualities — the clearness, the scientific precision, and the mode- ration of this treatise, all that we have to do is to read it in the light of the discussions which led up to the conclusions embraced in it, and compare its utterances with those of the Synod of Dort or of the Council of Trent. The gentlemen composing the Assembly were the elect of the English people — the Parliam^antarians sitting in it being among the most eminent members of that Long Parliament which Macaulay has charac- terized as the greatest that has ever sat in West- minster Hall — and the divines being those who had an established reputation in the several counties of Eng- land for learning, piety and prudence. The debates in which they engaged show that they were men of high attainments, thoroughly familiar with the sources of Theology — the Scriptures, the Fathers and the Councils; and it may admit of question whether, even in our own time, with all its boasted acquire- ments, it would be easy for the Parliament of Great Britain, if it attempted it, to gather, in the same way, from the several counties of England, a body of men of equal spiritual insight, learning and sobriety of mind. Prof Mitchell has shown that it was apparently the Irish Articles of Faith, drawn up under the superin- tendence of Archbishop Usher, that formed the groundwork on which the Westminster Assembly based their plan, in drawing up the Confession. Six Scottish Commissioners assisted in framing the docu- ••!' 10 ment, while the Assembly itself fully reflected the doctrinal views prevailing in England. Thus all the three kingdoms went hand-in-hand in producing it. Scotland afterwards adopted the Confession in its integrity laying aside its own time honoured symbols in oi*der, to be in accoi'd with the sister kingdoms. Chapters xxx., xxxi., xxiv., and the last paragraph of Chapter xx., never were endoi*sed by the Eng- lish Parliament. But apart from this fact, the Confession contains the only uniform exposition of doctrine ever emitted by the authority of the three kingdoms. Mention has been made of the moderation which characterizes the conclusions of this Assembly, as compared with those of Synods hold under purely ecclesiastical authority. This is in some measure attributable to the presence of the keen-witted laymen who took a conspicuous part in the discussions ; but chiefly to the fact that, as the Assembly was sum- moned only to give advice to the Parliament of Eng- land, they knew that all their work had to run the gauntlet of a searching criticism, after it passed out of their hands, before it could receive any authority. 'f •i EOBEKT CAMPBELL. ;'^|i('S >i t.. ■ ' ' J ' t.i-< ; -^ i[ v-i 'in .-'f :v: ..( : i.!.( ;i -U ; ^rl'.U^V-,; .(i -..Jl:!!": •■'. •i:'"r.-.Ml'K ■-♦7,.---./^ J >iH| .5,1 V ed the all the ing it. in its ymbols gdoms. agraph Eng. ct, the tion of e three eration serably, purely neasure laymen is; but as sum- of Eng- I'un the jsed out ority. ELL. ■\ !:<'"r,. -•"a:* ■ t * f , \ j*^*^ THE CONFESSION OF FAITH, ' Agreed upon by the Asssmblt op Divines at West- minster : Examined and approved, Anno 1647, by the General Assembly op the Church op Scotland ; and ratified by Acts op Parliament 1649 and 1690. CHAP. I.— Of the Holy Scripture. I. A LTHOUGH the light of nature, and the works xjL of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men iiiexcusable ; * yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is neces- sary unto salvation :^ therefore it pleased the Loi-d, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself^ and to declare that his will unto his Church ; ° and afterwaixls, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Churoh against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing ; •* which maketh the holy scripture to be most necessary ; « those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.' ■ I. a Rom. ii. 14, 15 ; Rom. i. 19, 20 ; Ps. xiz. 1, 2, 3 ; Rom. i. 32 ^ Rom. ii. 1. l> 1 Cor. i. 21 , 1 Cor. ii. 13, 14. c Heb. i. 1. d Prov. xxii. 19, 20, 21 ; Luke i. 3, 4j Rom. xv. 4; Matt. iv. 4, 7, 10 j Isa. viii. 19, 20. e 2 Tim. iii. 15 ; 2 Pet. i. 19. t Heb. i. 1^ 2. ??r t^ t ill 12 The Confession of Faith. II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word •of God written, are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these :: ^^' Oenesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. Joshua. Judges. Ruth. I. Samuel. II. Samuel. I. Kings. II. Kings. I. Chronicles. '^:< OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. II. Chronicles. Ezra. ^^ , Neheir'iah. Esther. Job. ^ f Psalms. ' ' > Proverbs. "'- Ecclesiastes. The Song of Songs. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Lamentations. Ezekiel. -• - hj Daniel. Hosea. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. - r.ii ,' i.«4 . u\ OP THE NEW TESTAMENT. i ac- The Gospels cording to Matthew. Mark. * Luke. ;/; John. "The Acts of Apostles. Paul's Epistles to the Romans. Corinthians I. the .( Corinthians II. Galatians. Ephesians. Philippians. Colossians. Thessalonians I. Thessalonians II. To Timothy I. To Timothy IL To Titus. To Philemon. The Epistle to the Hebrews. / of The Epistle James. The first and second Epistles of Peter. The first, second and third Epistles of John. v The Epistle of Jude. The Revelation. All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.* III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the scripture ; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise ap- proved, or made use of, than other human writings. ^ II. fir Luke xvi. 29, 3L ; Eph. ii. 20 ; Rov. xxii. 18, 19 ; 2 Tim. iii. 16. III. b Luke xxiv. 27, 44 ; Rom. iii. 2 ; 2 Peter i. 21. le Word w of the T le to the 8 tie of id second of Peter, second I Epistles i of Jude. ation. be the ha, not e canon Lthority s^ise ap- tings.h^ m. iii. 16. TJie Confession of Faith, la IV. The authority of the holy scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof ^ and therefore it is to be received, because it is tho woi-d of God.* V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverend esteem of the- holy scripture,'' and the heavenliness of the matter, ;, the eflELcacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style^ the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole- (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfec- Ition thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abun- [dantly evidence itself to be the word of God; yet, [notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance or the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is . from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing , I witness by and with the woi*d in our hearts.* , ^^ YI. The whole counsel of God, conceniing all things , [necessary for his own glory, man's salvation^ faith,> and life, is eithei* expressly set down in scripture, or py good and necessary consequence may be deduced (from scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to [be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.™ Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be IV. i 2 Pet. i. 19, 21 j 2 Tim. iii. 16 ; 1 John v. 9 j 1 Thess. ii. 13».c V. k 1 Tim. iii. 15. 1 1 John ii. 20. 27 j John xvi. 13, 14 j 1 Cor.. Ji. 10, 11, 12 ; Isa. lix. 21*. VI. m 2 Tim. iii. 16, 16, 17 i Gal. i. 8, 9i 2 Thess. ii^ 2» >* 4i^i i i . I U The Confession of Faith. xiecossaiy for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the woi*d ; " and that there are some circumstances concerning the woi*ship of God, and Government of the Chui'ch, cominon to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, accoi*ding to the geneml rules of the word, which are always to be observed.® VII. All things in scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all ; » yet those things which are necessaiy to be known, believed, and ob- served, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unleai*ned, in a due use of the oi-dinary means, may attain unto a sufficient undei-fltanding of them.*» >'jiiv j'i?:^;n VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular cai'e and providence kept pure in all ages, are there- fore authentical ; ' so as in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them.» But be- cause these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto and interest in the scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them,^ thei*efore they are to be n John vi. 45 ; 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10, 11, 12. o 1 Cor. xi. 13, 14 ; 1 Cor, ziy. 26,40. Vn. P 2 Pet. iii. 16. i Ps. cxix. 105, 130. VIII. ' Matt. V. 18. ■ Isa. viii, 20 j Acta xt. 16 ; John v. 39, 46, * John y. 39. ,' "ii i'-' ." ■•* •'■t"- ■ v ','.•• t ■._••& ■;*> .*..>•.*» ■ — c-r.- The Confession of Faith. 15 things '6 some ^, and actions light of general pved.o )lain in J e things and ob- ded and that not e use of sufficient lich was old), and ne of the aations), I singular re there- religion, But be- to all the iterest in r of God, re to be 14 ; 1 Cor. n V. 39, 16. translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come,^ that the woi'd of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship him in an accept- able manner,^ and, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, may have hope.* IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of scrip- ture is the scripture itself; and, therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched anclj^uown by other places that speak more clearly.y ,,-'t , .: ; 1 'i^> f^ng ni X. The supreme Judge, by which all conirdVei-isios of reliffion ai-e to bo determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the scriptui^e." ;i;j fif i-ni CHAP. II.— Of God, and of the Holy Trinity. __ •'* ' I. rPHERE is but one only* living and true God,^ who X is infinite in being and perfection," a most pure spirit,** invisible,® without body, parts,' or passions,* immutable,** immense/ eternal,^ incomprehensible,* u 1 Cor. xiv. 6, 9, 11, 12, 24, 27, 28. vr Col. iii. 16. » Rom. xv. 4 IX. y 2 Pet. i. 20, 21 ; Aots xv. 15, 16. X. z Matt. xxii. 29, 31 ; Eph. ii. 20; Acts xxviii. 25. * *. .i^-^^»■^ i «> t^ I. » Deut. vi. 4 ; 1 Cor. viii. 4, 6. b i Thess. i. 9 ; Jer. x, 10. c Job xi. 7, 8, 9 ; Job xxvi. 14. d John iv. 24. e 1 Tim. i. 17. f Deut. iy. 15, 16; John iv. 24 ; Luke xxiv. 39. ff Acts xiv. 11, 15. ^ James i. 17 ; Mai. iii. 6. i 1 Kings viii. 37; Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. k Ps. xc. 2; 1 Tim. i. 17. » Ps. cxlv. 3. r 16 The Confession of Faith, Pi almighty," most wise," most holy,® most free," most absolate,^ working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will,' fbr his own glory ;■ most loving,* gracious, mericiful, 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.' II. Grod hath all life,* glory,^ goodness,® blessedness, * in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made,* not deriving any glory fi'om 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 hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by thorn, 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 com- mands.™ To him is due from angels and men, and m Gen. xvii. 1 j Rev. iv. 8. n Rom. xvi. 27. o Isa. vi. 3"; Rev. iv. 8* [See letter m immediately foregoing J] P Ps. cxv. 3. 3 ; Exod. xxxiv. 7. II. a John V. 26. b Acts vii. 2. c Pa. oxix. 68. d 1 Tim, vi. 16* Rom. ix. 5. e Acts xvii. 24, 25. f Job xxii. 2, 3. e Rom. xi. 36* b Rev. iv. 11; 1 Tim. vi. 15. [See letter^ immediately foregoing."} Dan. iv. 25, 35. i Heb. iv. 13. k Rom. xi. 33, 34 ; Ps. oxlvii. 5. l Acts XV. 18 J Ezek. xi. 5. m Pg. cxlv. 17 j Rom. vii. 12. -■ ' The Confession of Faith. 17 every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, he is pleased to require of them.^ III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity I God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. ° The Father is of- none, neither begotten nor proceed- ing ; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father ; ^ the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and theSon.i CHAP. III.— Of God's Eternal Decree. I. A^OD from all eternity did, by the most wise and vJ holy counsel of his own will, freely and un- changeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass : * yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,^ nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.*' II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; <^ yet hath he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.® III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of n Rev. V. 12, 13, 14. ni. o 1 John V. 7; Matt. iii. 16, 17j Matt, xxviii. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. P John i. 14, 18. 4 } wm The Confession of Faith. 19 through faith unto salvation .i* Neither are any other redeemed by Chri8t,effectually called, justified, adopted, uanctified, and savec^ but the elect only.** VII. The rest of mankind, God was pleased, accord- ing to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, where- by he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovei^eign 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.' VIII. The doctrine of this high mystery of predesti- nation is to be handled with special prudence and care," that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, fix)m the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election.* So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, ^ and of humility, diligence, And abundant consolation, to all that sincerely obey the Gospel.^ ':\ CHAP. lY.— Of Creation. I. TT pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, » , A for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal r power, wisdom, and goodness,*' in the beginning, to P 1 Pdt. i. 5. q John xvii. 9 ; Rom. viii. 28 [to the end of the ' Chapter] j John vi. 64, 65 j John x. 26 ; John viii. 47 j I John ii. 19. VII. r Matt. xi. 25, 26 j Kom. ix. 17, 18, 21, 22 j 2 Tim. ii. 19, 20; ' Jude, ver. 4; 1 Pet. ii. 8. VIII. 8 Rom. ix. 20; Rom. xi. 33; Deut. xxix. 29. t 2 Pet. i. 10. ^ " Eph. i. 6 ; Rom. xi. 33. [See letter » immediately Joregoing.'] w Rom. xi. 6, 6, 20 ; 2 Pet. i. 10. [See letter t immediately foregoing.] Rom. viii. 33 ; Lake x. 20. I. a Heb. i. 2 ; John i. 2, 3 ; Gen. i. 2 ; Job xxvi. 13 ; Job xxxiii. 4. b Rom. i. 20; Jer. x. 12; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. xxxiii. 5, 6. 20 TJie Confession of Faith. ci'oato, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.® I.I. After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female,** with reasonable and immortal souls,® endued with knowledge, righteous- ness, and true holiness, after his own image,' having the law of God written in their hearts,*^ and power to fulfil it ; ^ and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change.' Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the ti*ee of the knowledge of good and evil ',^ which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God| and had dominion over the creatures.* I...' r> M :'. 't-v CHAP. Y.—Cf Provideiice. I. /^ OD, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, * vJ direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things,** from the greatest even to the least,® by his most wise and holy providence,** accoixiing to his in- fallible foreknowledge,® and the free and immutable c [The whole Jirat Chapter of Oen.'\ Heb. xi. 3; Col. i. 16; Acts zvii. 24. II. d Gen. i. 27. e Gen. ii. 7 ; Ecol. zii. 7 ; Luke xxiii. 43; Matt. X. 28. f Oen. i. 26 ; Col. iii. 10 ; Eph. iv. 24. e Rom. ii. 14, 15. bEccl. vii. 29. * Oen. iii. 6 ; Eocl. vii. 29. {See letter'^ immediately foregoing."] k Gen. ii. 17; Gen. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 23. 1 Gen. i. 26, 28. I. a Heb. i. 3. b Dan. iv. 34, 35 ; Ps. oxxxv. 6 ; Acts xvii. 25, 26, 28; Job, chapters xxxviii., xxxix., xl., xli. c Matt. x. 29, 30, 31. d Prov. XV. 3; Ps. civ. 24; Ps. cxlv. 17. « Acts xv. IS; Ps. xciv. 8, 9, 10, 11. , i . i ■' . / of he and ous- ting r to Jing, was their f the tvhile with iMV 21 .hold, • ctions, 'by his his in- lutable 16 i Acts 13 : Matt, i. 14, 15. tmediately , i. 26, 28. il. 25, 26, 9, 30, 31. '8. xciv. 8, The Confession of Faith, . counsel of his own will,' to the pmiso of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. « II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all tl- .igs come to pass immutably and infallibly ; ^ yet, by the same provi- dence, he oixlereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.* "^ III. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means,*' j'et is free to work without,* above,™ and against them," at his pleasure. ,,. ..^,.,-j, vi,r vVi .17 IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his providence, that it oxtendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men,*' and that not by a bare permission,^ but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding,^ and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a mani- fold dispensation, to his own holy ends ; ^ yet so as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God ; who, being most holy and t Ejph. i. 11 ; Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11. elsa. Ixiii. 14 ; Eph. iii. 10 ; Rom. ix. 17; Gen. xlv. 7; Ps. oxlv. 7. II. h Acts ii. 23. i Gen. viii. 22; Jer. xxxi. 35; Exod. xxi. 13; Deut. xix. 5; 1 Kings xxii. 28, 34; Isa. x. 6, 7. III. kActs xxvii. 31, 44; Isa. Iv. 10, 11 ; Hos. ii. 21, 22. 1 Hos. i. 7; Matt. iv. 4; Job xxxiv. 10. m Rom. iv. 19, 20, 21. n 2 Kings ..'.»3^; -s 'VX vi. 6 ; Dan. iii. 27. IV. o Rom. xi. 32, 33, 34 ; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1 ; 1 Chron. xxi. 1 ; 1 Kings xxii. 22, 23 ; 1 Chron. x. 4, 13, 14 ; 2 Sam. xvi. 10 ; Acts ii. 23 ; Acts iv. 27, 28. P Acts xiv. 16. a Ps. Ixxvi. 10 ; 2 Kings xix. 28. r Gen. I. 20 ; Isa. x. 6, 7, 12. -^ I) 22 The Confession of Faith. righteous, neither is nor can be the author or ap- prover of sin." l .... , . v^ . .,, V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God, doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled;* and to raise them to a more close and constant^ependence for their support upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occa- sions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.'* VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and hai'den,'' from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts ; y but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had,^ and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of 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.® 8 James i. 13, 14, 17 ; 1 John ii. 16 ; Ps. 1. 21. v. t 2 €hron. xxxii. 25, 26. 31 ; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. u 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9; Ps. Ixxiii. throughout. *Ps. Ixxvii. 1, 10, 12. [^Read the inter- mediate verses in the Bible.^ Mark xiv. from the 66th verae to the end, with John xxi. 15, 16, 17. VI. 3c Hom. i. 24, 26, 28 ; Rom. xi. 7, 8. y Deut. xxix. 4. z Matt, xiii. 12 ; Matt. xxv. 29. a Deut. ii. 30 ; 2 Kings viii. 12, 13. b Ps. Ixxxi. 11, 12 ; 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12. c Exod. vii. 3 ; Exod. viii. 15, 32 ; 2 Cor. ii. 1ft, 16; Isa. viii. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Isa. vi. 9, 10; Acts xxviii. 26. 27. r ap- God, •en to r own or to ption, ay be )e and Lmself, •e occa- nds.'* whom ind and 8 grace, n their learts ; ^ which IS their al, gives s of the jomes to er those hers.*' r. xii. 7, 8, I the inter- to the end, I. z Matt. 13. b Ps. >d. viii. 15, . vi. 9, 10 ; The Confession of Faith. ^3 VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures ; so, after a most special manner, it taketh care of his church, and dispose th all things to the good thereof.** CHAP. VI.~-0/ the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof , r t ^ I. /^XJR first parents being seduced by the subtilty ' \J and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit.* This their sin God was pleased, accoi'ding to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory .*» II. By this sin they fell from their original righte- ousness, and communion with God,*' and so became dead in sin,** and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.® ' ~ * III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed,^ and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by oi*dinary generation.* ; IV. From this original corruption, whereby wo are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all VII. d 1 Tim. iv. 10 ; Amos ix. 8, 9 ; Rom. vi'". 28 j Isa. xliii. 3, 4, 5, 14. . I. a Gen. iii. 13; 2 Cor. xi. 3. b Rom. xi. 32. •. ' i II. c Gen. iii. 6, 7, 8; Ecol. vii. 29; Rom. iii. 23. d Gen. ii. 17; Eph. ii. 1. e Tit. i. 16 ; Gen. vi. 6 ; Jer. xvii. 9; Rom. iii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. III. t Gen. i. 27, 28; Gen. ii. 16, 17; Acts xvii. 26; Rom. v. 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, *46, *49. « Ps. Ii. 5 ; Gen. v. 3 ; Job xiv. 4 ; Job xv. 14. 24 The Confession of Faith, good.^ and wholly inclined to all evil,' do proceed all actual transgressions.^ . V. 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 pro- \ » > '. .' " ■ ..,-*,:4, i.,si.>. perly sin.™ ' ■ \v ■ ' - VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and con- trary thereunto," doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner,^ whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God,p and curse of the law,^ and so made subject to death.'^ with all miseries spiritual,' tem- poral,* and eternal.^ , ,i Vi CHAP. VII.— 0/ God's Covenant with Man. I. nPHE distance between God and the creature is so 1 great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessed- ness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.* IV. h Rom. V. 6; Rom. viii. 7; Rom. vii. 18; Col. i. 21. i Gen. vi. 5 ; Gen. viii. 21 ; Rom. iii. 10, 11, 12. ^ James i. 14, 15 ; Eph. ii. 2, 3; Matt. xv. 19. V. 1 1 John i. 8, 10 ; Rom- vii. 14, 17, 18, 23; James iii. 2; Prov. XX. 9 ; Eccl. vii. 20. m Rom. vii. 5, 7, 8, 25 ; Gal. v. 17.; VI. n 1 John iii. 4. o Rom. ii. 15 ; Rom. iii. 9, 19. P Eph. ii. 3. q Gal. iii. 10. i* Rom. vi. 23. b Eph. iv. 18. t Rom. viii. 20 ; Lam. iii. 39. u Matt. XXV. 41 ; 2 Thess. i. 9. . I. alsa. xl. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ; Job ix. 32, 33 ; 1 Sam. ii. 25 ; Ps. cxiii. 5, 6; Ps. c. 2, 3 ; Job xxii. 2, 3 ; Job xxxv. 7, 8 ; Luke xvii. 10; Acts xvii. 24,25. The Confession of Faith, 25 3ed all B, doth though Bt both nd pro- ►eing a id COQ. ig guilt to the o made 1,« tem- \'i .;■ an, ire is so iures do et they blessed- scension express 51. i Gen. , 15 ; Eph. i. 2; Pror. Eph. ii. 3. . 20; Lam. ii. 25 ; Ps. Luke xvii. II. The first covenant made with man was a cove- nant of works,^ wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity ,° upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.** III. Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second,® commonly called the Covenant of Grace 'r whereby he freely offereth unto sinners life and salva- tion by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved ; ^ and promising to give unta all those that are oixlained unto life his Holy Spirit, to- make them willing and able to believe.* IV. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the scripture by the name of a Testament, in refer- ence to the death of Jesus Christ the testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it therein, bequeathed.^ v ., ? \ [ / i V. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel;* under the law it was administered by promises, pro- phecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to tht people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come,^ which were for that time sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up IL b Gal. iii. 12. c Rom. x. 5; Rom. v. 12 to 20. [See Chap, vi^ Sect. 3, Utter f."] d Gen. ii. 17 ; Gal. iii. 10. in. e Gal. iii. 21 ; Rom. viii. 3; Rom. iii. 20, 21 ; Gen. iii. 15 ; Isa. xlii. 6. f Mark xvi. 15, 16 ; John iii. 16 ; Rom. x. 6, 9 j Gal. iii^ 11. ff Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27 ; John vi. 44, 45. IV. h Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17 ; Heb. vii. 22; Luke xxii. 20 j 1 Cor. xi. 25. V. i 2 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 8, 9. k (^Heb. Chapters viii. ix. x.) j Rom. iv^ 11; Col. ii. 11, 12; 1 Cor. v. 7. 26 The Confession of Faith. the elect in faith in the promised Messiah/ by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation ; and is called the Old Testament.™ YI. Under the gospel, when Christ the substance^ was exhibited, the oi*dinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Loixi's Supper ; ° which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity and less outwai*d glory, yet in them it is held forth in more fulness, ■evidence, and spiritual efficacy,^ to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles;^ and is called the New Testa ment.' There are not therefore two covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and the same under various dispensations.'' ;. j. » , > . . i ■'•' CHAP. YllL—Of Christ the Mediator. I. TT pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose A and oixiain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man ; * the Pro- phet,'' Priest,** and King ; * the Head and Saviour of his Church ;® the Heir of all things; ' and Judge of the -world ; « unto whom he did from all eternity give a 1 1 Cor. X. 1, 2, 3, 4 ; Heb. xi. 13 ; John viii. 56. m Gal. iii. 7, 8, ^,14. VI. n Col. ii. 17. o Matt, xxviii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, 25- P Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 ; Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. Q. Matt, xxviii- 19. ISee letter o immediately foregoing. 1 Bph. ii. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19- r Luke xxii. 20. » Gal. iii. 14, 16 ; Acts xv. 11 ; Rom. iii. 21, 22, 23» 30 ; Ps. xxxli. 1 ; Rom. iv. 3, 6, 16, 17, 23, 24 ; Heb. xiii. 8. , , I. a Isa. xlii. 1 ; 1 Pet. i. 19, 20 ; John iii. 16 ; 1 Tim. ii. 5. b Acts iii. 22, c Heb. v. 5, 6. cl Pg. ii. 6 ; Luke i. 33. e Eph. v. 23. t Heb. i. 2. 8 Acta xvii. 31. The Confession of Faith. # whom nation ; stance" >venant md the md the >er, and ►utwai-d fulness, IS, both Testa ants of e same , I ) choose en Son, he Pro- viovLV of e of the give a . iii. 7, 8, 3, 24, 25- ;t. xxviii* 7, 18, 19- 21, 22, 23> $. 'im. ii. 5. ph. V. 23. I' people to be his seed,^ and to be by him in time re- deemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.* II. 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 him man's nature,'' with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin ; ' being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance."* So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were insepar- ably joined together in one person, without conver- sion, composition, or confusion." Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, th,e only Mediator between God and man.° • ■■■'' * ^ ■ •*= ' > III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure ; » having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ; ^ in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell ; ^ to the end, that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, * he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety.* Which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto b John xvii. 6 ; Ps. xxii. 30 ; laa. liii. 10. i 1 Tim. ii. 6 ; Isa. Iv. 4, 5 ; 1 Cor. i. 30. II. k John i. 1, 14 ; 1 John v, 20 ; Phil. ii. 6 ; Gal. iv. 4. l Heb. ii. 14, 16, 17 ; Heb. iv. 15, m Luke i. 27, 31, 35 ; Gal. iv. 4. See letter^ immediately foregoing, n Luke i. 35. [See the foregoing verae.] Col. ii. 9 ; Rom. ix. 5 ; 1 Pet. iii. 18 ; 1 Tim. iii. 16. o Rom, i. 3, 4 ^ 1 Tim. ii. 5. III. P Ps. xlv. 7 ; John iii. 34. a Col. ii. 3. r Col. i. 19. 8 Heb. vii. 26 ; John i. 14. t Acts x. 38 ; Heb. xii. 24 ; Heb. yii. 22. 28 The Confession of Faith. 1 1 I !•: I called by his Father ; " who put all power and judg- ment into his hand, and gave him commandment to execute the same.'^ {< ,». . » '■ IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake ;y which that ho may discharge, he was made under the law,^ and did perfectly fulfil it;* endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul,^ and most painful sufferings in his body; ° was crucified, and died ; ^ was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption.® On the third day he arose from the dead,' with the same body in which he suffered ; « with which also he as- cended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father,^ making intercession ; * and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.'' ' - •' ■ ' V. The Lord Jesus, 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 his Father ; ^ and purchased not only re- conciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.°^ t i; ^; 1; ■ .• ' j M h;;^ »: : -^ v uHeb. V. 4, 5. xJohn v. 22, 27; Matt, xxviii. 18 ; Acts ii. 36. IV. y Ps. xl. 7, 8 ; Heb. x. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ; John x. 18 ; Phil. ii. 8. z Gal. iv. 4. a Matt. iii. 15 ; Matt. v. 17. b Matt. xxvi. 37, 38 ; Luke xxii. 44 ; Matt, xxvii. 46. c Matt., Chapters xxvi. and xxvii. d Phil. ii. 8. See the last scripture in y iminediately foregoing, e Acts ii. 23, 24, 27 ; Acta xiii. 37 ; Rom. vi. 9. f 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4, 5. e John XX. 25, 27. h Mark xvi. 19. i Rom. viii. 34 ; Heb. ix. 24; Heb. vii. 25. iiRom. xir. 9, 10 ; Acts i. 11 ; Acts x. 42; Matt. xiii. 40, 41, 42 ; Jude, ver. 6 ; 2 Pet. ii. 4. V. 1 Rom. V. 19; Heb. ix. 14, 16; Heb. x. 14; Eph. v. 2; Rom. iii. 25, 26. m Dan. ix. 24, 26 ; Col. i. 19, 20 ; Eph. i. 11, 14 ; John svii.2; Heb. ix. 12, 15. The Confession of Faith. 29 judg- ant to .\\ lingly e was il it;» in his ° was under )n the same he as- right d shall of the ce and eternal atisfied nly re- in the Father ii. 36. Phil. ii. . 37, 38 ; %d xxvii. , e Acts I Of 4, 0. ). ix. 24; att. xiii. 2; Rom. 4 ; John VI. Although* the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benelits thereof, were com- municated unto the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein he was revealed and signified to be the Seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head, and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being yesteixiay and to- day the same, and for ever." VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth accord- ing to both natures ; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; ° yet, by reason of the unity of the pei'son, that which is proper- to one nature is some- times in scripture attributed to the person denomi- nated by the other nature.^ ■■,*. VIII. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased i*edemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same ; "^ making intercession for them ; ' and revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation ; " effectually persuading them by his SpiCrit to believe and obey; and governing their hearts by his woi-d and Spirit ; * overcoming all their enemies by liis almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.'* VI. nQal. iv. 4, 5; Gen. iii. 15 j Rev. xiii. 8 ; Heb. xiii. 8. VII. Heb. ix. 14. \_See letter 1, scripture the second-l 1 Pet. iii. 18. P Acts XX. 28; John iii. 13; 1 John iii. 16. ; .in VIII. q John vi. 37, 39 ; John x. 15, 16. r 1 John ii. 1, 2; Rom. viii. 34. 8 John xv. 13, 15; Eph. i. 7, 8, 9; John xvii. 6. * John xiv. 16; Heb. xii.2; 2Cor. iv. 13; Rom. viii. P, 14; Rom. xv. 18,19; John xvii. 17. u Ps. ex. 1 j 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26 ) Mai. iv. 2, 3 ; Col. ii. 15. I* I 30 The Confession of Faith. CHAP. JX.^OfFree WilL t. A'f I. G' OD hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined, to good or evil.* II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which is good and well pleasing to God ; ^ but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.« III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability or will to any spiritual good accom- panying salvation ; ** so as a natural man, being alto- gether averse from that good,® and dead in sin,' is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto.^ ^^ ^'- •'!"'■' * * •' • IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, be freeth him from his natural bondage under sin,^ and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is sjji- ritually good ; * yet so as that, by reason of his re- maining corruption, he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also will that which is OVil.i' ■■■■ " • ■ ■ ' : ,. :^ ^,.. ;.,;,>,; I. 9' Matt. xvii. 12; James i. 14 j Deut. xxx. 19. ,. i j-. II. bEccl. vii. 29; Gen. i. 26. c Gen. ii. 16, 17; Gen. iii. 6. -i / III. d Rom. V. 6 ; Rom. viii. 7 ; John xv. 5. e Rom. iii. 10, 12. f Eph. ii. 1, 5; Col. ii. 13. « John vi. 44, 65; Eph. ii. 2, 3, 4, 5; 1 Cor. ii. 14 j Tit. iii. 3, 4, 6. IV. hCol. i. 13; John viii. 34, 36. i Phil. ii. 13; Rom.vi. 18, 22. kGal. V. 17; Rom. vii. 15, 18, 19, 21, 23. 7 h that nor by o good )m and nd well ) might * i' wholly accom- ig alto- / is not f or to anslates rom his je alone h is spi- i" his re- Lor only it which ii. 6. ' iii. 10, 12. 2, o, 4, Of .vi. 18, 22. The Confession of Faith. , 31 V. The will of man is made perfectly and immu- tably free to do good alone in the state of glory only.* CHAP. X.— Of Effectual Calling. [.. . , . .„ I. A LL those whom God hath predestinated unto AX. life, and those only he is pleased, in his ap- pointed and accepted time, effectual Ij'^ 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;*' enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God ; ^ taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh : ® renewing their wills, and by his al- mighty power determining them to that which i& good; 'and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; » yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.** II. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything 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 offered and conveyed in it.* ^.^ : , V. 1 Eph. iv. 13 J Heb. xii. 23 j 1 John iii. 2 j Jude, ver. 24. • I. a Rom. viii. 30 j Rom. xi. 7 ; Eph. i. 10, 11. ^ 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14 ; 2 Cor. iii. 3, 6. c Rom. viii. 2; Eph. ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 ; 2 Tim. i. 9, 10. d Acts xxvi. 18 j 1 Cor. ii. 10, 12; Eph. i. 17, 18. e Ezek. xxxvi. 26. f Ezek. xi. 19; Phil. ii. 13; Deut. xxx. 6 , Ezek. xxxvL 27. e Eph. V 19 ; John vi. 44, 45. h Cant. i. 4 ; Ps. ex. 3 j John vi. 37; Rom. vi. 16, 17, 18. II. i 2 Tim. i. 9 ; Tit. iii. 4, 5 ; Eph. ii. 4, 5, 8, 9 ; Rom. ix. 11. k 1 Cor. ii. 14 ; Rom. viii. 7 ; Eph. ii. 5. 1 John vi. 37 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 27 ; John v. 25. rt. ) > I 32 The Confession of Faith. III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, ai*o regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit,*" who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth." So also are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being out- wardly called by the ministry of the word.°. IV. Others not elected, although they may be <;alled by the ministry of the woi'd,^ and may have some common operations of the Spirit,iyet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved ; ' much less can men not professing the Chris- tian religion be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they ever so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess ; ■ and to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.* - -' CHAP. Xl.--Of Justification. ' ^" ' ; I. npHOSE whom God effectually calleth he also X freely justifieth ; * not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pai'doning their sins, and by ac- counting and accepting their persons as righteous : 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 obedi- ence, to them as their righteousness ; but by imputing III. m Luke xviii. 15, 16 ; Acts ii. 38, 39 ; John iii. 3, 5 j 1 John T. 12 ; Rom. viii. 9. {Compared togetherJ] n John iii. 8. o 1 John V. 12 J Acts iv. 12. IV. P M&a. zzii. 14. a Matt. vii. 22 ; Matt. ziii. 20, 21 ; Heb. yi. 4, 5. r John vi. 64, 65, 66 ; John viii. 24. > Acts iv. 12 ; John xiv. '6 ; Eph. ii. 12 ; John iv. 22; John zvii. 3. t 2 John, ver. 9, 10, 11 ; 1 Cor. zvi. 22; Gal. i. 6, 7, 8. I. a Rom. viii. 30 : Rom. iii. 24. The Confession of Faith, 33 the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, ^ they receiving and resting on him and his righteous- ness by faith : which faith they have not of them- selves; it is the gift of God.° II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of justifica- tion ; ^ yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving gi^aces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.® III. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's justice in their behalf.' Yet, in as much as he was given by the Father for them,* and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead,'' and both freely, not for anything in them, their justi- fication is only of i'ree grace ; * that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.^ IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect;* and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification ;™ nevertheless they are not justified, until the Holy ^ Rom. iv. 5, 6, 7, 8 ; 2 Cor. v*19, 21 ; Rom. iii. 22, 24, 25, 27, 28 ; Tit. iii. 6, 7 J Eph. i. 7 ; Jer. xxiii. 6 ; 1 Cor. i. 30, 31 ; Rom. v. 17, 18, 19. c Acts X. 44; Gal. ii. 16; Phil. iii. 9; Acts xiii. 38, 39; Eph. ii. 7, 8. II. d John i. 12; Rom. iii. 28} Rom. v. 1. e James ii. 17, 22, 26 ; Gal. T. 6. , III. f Rom. V. 8, 9, 10, 19 ; 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6 ; Heb. x. 10, 14 ; Dan. ix. 24, 26 ; Isa. liii. 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12. ffRom. viii. 32. h 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Matt. iii. 17; Eph. v. 2. i Rom. iii. 24; Eph.i. 7. l^Rom. iii. 26 ; Eph. ii. 7. IV. 1 Gal. iii. 8 ; 1 Pet. i. 2, 19, 20 ; Rom. viii. 30. m Gal. ir. 4 ; 1 Tim. ii. 6 ; Rom. iv. 25. 34 TJie Confession of Faith. Spirit doth in duo time actually apply Christ unto them." V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified ; ° and although they can never fall from the state of justification,!* yet they may by their sins fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg paixion, and renew their faith and repentance.^ VI. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.' , , , ,f CHAP, XII.— 0/ Adoption. i. I. A LL those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in JTx and for his only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption ; * by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God ; ^ have his name put upon them,<^ receive the Spirit of adoption;'* have access to the throne of grace with boldness ; ® are en- abled to cry, Abba, Father ; ' are pitied,* protected, ^ n Col. i. 21, 22 ; Gal. ii. 16. {See letter c immediately foregoing.^ Tit. iii. 4, 5, 6, 7. V. Matt. vi. 12 j 1 John i. 7, 9 j 1 John ii. 1, 2. P Luke xxii. 32 ; John X. 28} Heb. x. 14. 1 Ps. Ixxxix. 31, 32, 33; Ps. Ii. 7, 8, 9, 10, II, 12; Ps. xxxii. 5 ; Matt. xxvi. 75; 1 Cor. xi. 30, 32; Luke i. 20. VI. ' Gal. iii. 9, 13, 14; Rom. iv. 22, 23, 24; Heb. xiii. 8. j L a Eph. i. 5 ; Gal. iv. 4, 6. b Rom. viii. 17 ; John i. 12. c Jer. xiv. 9; 2 Cor. vi. 18; Rev. iii. 12. d Rom. viii. 15. e Eph. iii. 12; Rom. V. 2. ' Gal. iv. 6. g Pa. oiii. 13. ^ Prov. xiv. 26. Hi i. The Confession of Faith, 35 iat unto of those lOver fall by their not have em, until g pardon, the Old the same the New ff 'jit •'». hsafeth, in , to make rhich they berties and J na.me put on;* have 3 ; « are en- protected, ^ dy foregoing.] Luke xxii* 32 ; . li. 7, 8, 9, 10, I; Lukei. 20. • • • A xni« 8. n i. 12. c Jer. eEph. iii. 12; r. 26. provided for,* and chastened by him as by a father;'' yet never cast off,' but sealed to the day of redemj)- tion,"* and inherit the promises," as heirs of everlast- ing salvation.2. CBAF. Xlll.—Of Sanctiflcation. ' '"' ' I. npHEY who are effectually called and regenerated, X having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are farther sanctified really and personally, through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, * by his woi-d and Spirit dwelling in them ; ^ the domi- nion of the whole body of sin is destroyed,° and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified,*^ and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces,^ to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the hordJ II. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man,^ yet imperfect in this life; there abide still some remnants of corruption in every part ; ^ whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war ; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.* '^" !.'' >'.-!T ..■■,!• ♦...!• •;,/.-l )■:,!'> ■ III. In which war, although the remaining corrup- l Matt. vi. 30, 32; 1 Pet. v. 7. k Heb. xii. 6. 1 Lam. iii. 31. m Eph. iv. 30. n Heb. vi. 12. o i Pet. i. 3, 4; Heb. i. 14. . . ^ Lai Cor. vi. 11 ; Acts xx. 32 ; Phil, iii* 10 ; Rom. vi. 5, 6. ^ John xvii. 17 ; Eph. v. 26 ; 2 Thess. ii. 13. c Kom. vi. 6, 14. cl Gal. v. 24; Rom. viii. 13. e Col. i. 11; Eph. iii. 16, 17, 18, 19. f 2 Cor. vii. 1 ; Heb. xii. 14. II. 8 1 Theas. v. 23. h 1 John i. 10; Rom. vii. 18, 23 ; Phil. iii. 12; i Gal. v. 17 j 1 Pet. ii. 11. /. .\^^'i j*; .i^j •. ..v.j ., ^ ...f,;^ ; . , . . - - ,- -„- : i:t: .!: .!4.;* 1-u- .'?. •I-.*'. 1 i:i • TV • '•^ n ( 1 Hi- 36 The Confession of Faith. tion for a timo may much prevail,'' yet, throagh the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome ; ^ and so the saints grow in grace,™ perfecting holiness in the fear of God." ^ ..v. . m y . t ; n 'v CHAP. XIV.— 0/ Saving Faith. Hi I I. npHE grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled A to believe to the saving of their souls,* is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,^ and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word ; ° by which also, and by the administration of the sacra- ments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.** II. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein ; ® and acteth diffe- rently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth ; yielding obedience to the commands,' trembling at the threatenings,*^ and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come.** But the principal acts of saving faith are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.' III. kRom. vii. 23. l Rom. vi. 14; 1 John v. 4; Bph. iv. 15, 16; m 2 Pet. iii. 18 ; 2 Cor. iii. 18. n 2 Cor. vii. 1. - . I. a Heb. x. 39. b 2 Cor. iv. 13; Eph. i. 17, 18, 19; Eph. ii. 8. c Rom. X. 14, 17. ^ 1 Pet. ii. 2; Acts xx. 32; Rom. iv. 11; Luke xvii. 5 ; Rom. i. 16, 17. IL e John iv. 42 ; 1 Thess. ii. 13 ; 1 John v. 10 ; Acts xxiv. 14. f Rom. xvi. 26. e Isaiah Ixvi. 2. ^Heb. xi. 13; ITim. iv. 8. i John i. 12 ; Acts xvi. 31 ; Gal. ii. 20 ; Acts xv. 11. The Confession of Faith. ■ 31 III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or itrong ; ^ may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, but gets the victory ; * growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ,™ '^ho is both the author and finisher of our faith.^ CHAP. XV. — Of Repentance unto Life, REPENTANCE unto life is an evangelical grace, » the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every Linister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Jhrist.^ ,:;n ^^! :•. - •3.>j,:.i ^>.i Or "* • -/;, -^i;;- ij.i^t \Mii\ II. By it a sinner, out of the sight and sense, not )nly of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odious- less of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and ^'ighteous law of G-od, and upon the apprehension of lis mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves |for and ^ "tes his sins, as to turn from them all unto Grod,*' purposing and endeavouring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments.* ^ III. Although repentance be not to be rested in, as my satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pai-don [thereof,® which is the act of God's free grace in Christ ; ' yet is it of such necessity to all sinners, that lone may expect pardon without it* ' •'*^'' * t sri- >f^ III. k Heb. V. 13, 14; Rom. iv. 19, 20; Matt. vi. 30; Matt. viii. 110. 1 Luke xxii. 31, 32 ; Eph. vi. 16 ; 1 John v. 4, 5. m Heb. vi. 11, 12 ; Heb. x. 22 ; Col. ii. 2. n Heb. xii. 2. , I a Zeoh. xii. 10 ; Acts xi. 18. b Luke xxiv. 47 ; Mark i. \h ; Acts ix. 21. IL c Ezek. xviii. 30, 31 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 31 ; Isa. xxx. 22 ; Ps. Ii. 4 ; Far. xxxi. 18, 19 j Joel ii. 12, 13 ; Amos v. 15 ; Ps. cxix. 128 ; 2 Cor. rii. 11. cl Ps. oxiz. 6, 59, 106 ; Luke i. 6 ; 2 Kiugs xxiii. 25. IIL e Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32 ; Ezek. xvi. 61, 62, 63. ' Hos. xiv. 2, 14; Rom. iii. 24; Eph. i. 7. ff Luke xiii. 3, 5; Acts xvii. 30, 31. • 1 . 38 The Confession of Faith. IV. As there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation ; ^ so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.* . r, ., V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man's duty to en- deavour to repent of his particular sins particularly.^ VI. As every man is bound to make private con- fession of his sins to God, praying for the paixion thereof; * upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy ; "* so he that scandalizeth his brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended;'* who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him.** • " • • '■ . • >;-7 <;,; i .'.'.. CHAP. XVL—OfGood Works. I. r^OOD works are only such as God hath com- UT manded in his holy word,* and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention. ^ II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and' evidences of a true and lively faith ;° and by them believers manifest IV. h Rom. VI. 23 ; Rom. v. 12; Matt. xii. 36. i Isa. Iv. 7', Rom. viii. 1; Isa. i. 16, 18. - . V. kpg. xix. 13; Luke xix. 8 ; 1 Tim. i. 13, 16. VI. 1 Pb. li. 4, 5, 7, 9, 14; Ps. xxxii. 5, 6. m prov. xxviii. 13 ; 1 John i. 9. n James v. 16; Lnke xvii. 3, 4; Josh. vii. 19; [Ps. li. throughout.} o 2 Cor. ii. 8. • • • xni. 21. b Matt. XV. 9 ; Isa. xxix. 13 : 1 Pet. i. 18 ; Rom. x. 2 ; John xvi. 2 ; 1 Sam. xv. 21, 22, 23. I. a Micah vi. 8 ; Rom. xii. 2 ; Heb. six. 13 ; 1 Pet. i. 18 ; ] XX. c James ii. 18, 22. r i •i' en- k I I The Confession of Faith, 39 i ret, . V •'■/ .' f their thankfulness,*^ strengthen their assurance,® edify their brethren,^ adorn the profession of the gospel,* . stop the mouths of the adversaries,^ and glorify God, * " whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto;* that, having their fruit unto holiness," they may have the end eternal life.* ' '-'"^ III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ.™ And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure ; ° yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.° '' lY. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.P - . V. We cannot, by our best works, merit pai-don of sin, or eternal life, at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between III. m John XV. 4, 6, 6 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. n Phil. ii. 13; Phil, iv. 13 ; 2 Cor. iii. 5. o Phil. ii. 12 ; Heb. vi. 11, 12 j 2 Pet. i. 3, 5, 10, 11 ; Isa. Ixiv. 7 ; 2 Tim. i. 6 ; Acts xxvi. 6, 7 ; Jude, ver. 20, 21. IV. P Luke xvii. 10 j Neh. xiii. 22 j Job ix. 2, 3 j Gal. r. 17. rrwr^trsaaraB 40 The Confession of Faith. us and God, whom by thorn we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins ; ^ but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants ; ' and because as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit ; " and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.* VI. Yet notwithstanding, the pei*sons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him ; "^ not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight ;^ but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and im- perfections.* , . , i '. S 1 . V YII. Works done by unregenerate men, although, for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others ;y yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; ^ nor are done in a right manner, according to the word ; * nor to a right end, the glory of God ; ^ they are therefore sinful, and can- not please God, or make a man meet to receive grace V. a Rom. iii. 20 ; Rom. iv. 2, 4, 6 ; Eph. ii. 8, 9 ; Tit. iii. 5, 6, 7 j Rom. viii. 18 ; Ps. xvi. 2 ; Job xxii. 2, .3 ; Job xxxv. 7, 8. ' Luke xvii. 10 1 [iSec letter V in this Chapter.] s Gal. v. 22, 23. * Isa. Ixiv. 6; Gal. v. 17 5 Rom. vii. 15, 18; Ps. cxliii. 2; Ps. cxxx. 3. VI. V Eph. i. 6 ; 1 Pet. ii. 5 ; Exod. xxviii. 38 ; Gen. iv. 4 ; Heb.' xi. 4. w Job ix. 20 ; Ps. cxliii. 2. » Heb. xii. 20, 21; 2 Cor. vlii. 12 ;Heb. vi. 10 ; Matt. xv. 21, 23. VII. y 2 Kings X. 30, 31 ; 1 Kings xxi. 27, 29 ; Phil. i. 15, 16, 18. z Gen. iv. 5; Heb. xi. 4, 6. a 1 Cor. xiii. 3; Isa. i. 12. b Matt. vi. 2,5,16. . , , _ _ .. , ,. The Confession of Faith. 41 from God.® And yet their neglect of them is more einful, and displeasing unto God.*^ ^■iVJH ^CHAP. XVII. — Of the Perseverance of the Saints. . L npHEY whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, A effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace ; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.^ j 1^ II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and un- changeable love of God the Father ; ^ upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ ; ^ the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them ; * and the nature of the'covenant of grace ; ® from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.' I* 1,.r ..» t.ti e * i.* ■• i*-S ■*r ,r« -^, » " !: . t Aiv|.t r« '^■s.\4*>JiiA i i ■ III. Nevertheless they may, through the tempta- tions of Satan and of the world, the prevalence of cor- ruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins;« c Hag. ii. 14 ; Tit. i. 15 ; Amos v. 21, 22 ; Hosea i. 4 ,• Rom. iz. 16 ; Tit. iii. 5. d Ps. xiy. 4 ; Ps. xxxvi. 3 ; Job zxi. 14, 15 ; Matt. xxv. 41, 42, 43, 45 ; Matt, zxiii. 23. I. a Phil. i. 6; 2 Pet. i. 10 ; John x. 28, 29 ; 1 John iii. 9 ; 1 Pet. i. 5, 9. II. b 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19 j Jer. xxxi. 3. c Heb. x. 10, 14 ; Heb. xiii. 20, 21 ; Heb. ix. 12, 13, 14, 15 j Rom. viii. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39; John xvii. 11, 24; Luke xxii. 32; Heb. vii. 26. d John xiv. 16, 17; 1 John ii. 27 ; 1 John iii. 9. e Jer. xxxii. 40. t John x. 28; 2 Thess. iii. 3; 1 John ii. 19. in. 8 Matt. xxvi. 70, 72, 74. '' -'" /^^'^ , ' ''\ ' \ ^t" •' . ■■ 42 The Confession of Faith, and for a time continue therein ; ^ whereby they incur ' God's displeasure/ and grieve his Holy Spirit ; * come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts ; ^ have their hearts hardened,"* and their consciences wounded ; " hurt and scandalize others, ^ and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.^ ; CHAP. XVIII. — Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, ^ I. A LTHOUGII hypocrites, and other unregenerate jTjl men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate of salvation ; • which hope of theirs shall perish ; ^ yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, ^ and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God ; which hope shall never make them ashamed,* '^ II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perauasion, grounded upon a fallible hope ; ® but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation/ the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made,* the testimony of the Spirit of adoption n Pa. li. [the title], 14. 1 Isa. Ixiv. 5, 7, 9 ; 2 Sam. xi. 21. k Eph. iv. 30. 1 Ps. li. 8, 10, 12; Rev. ii. 4 ; Cant. v. 2, 3, 4, 6. mlga. Ixiii. 17; Mark vi. 62; Mark xvi. 14. n Ps. xxxii. 3, 4; Ps. li. 8. o 2 Sam. xii. 14. p Ps. Ixxxix. 31, 32; 1 Cor. xi. 32. I. a Job viii. 13, 14 ; Mioah iii. 11 ; Beat. xxix. 19; John viii. 41. bMatt. vii. 22, 23. c l John ii. 3; 1 John iii. 14, 18, 19, 21> 24 ; 1 John V. 13. <1 Rom. ▼. 2, 5. II. e Heb. vi. 11, 19 ; ' Heb. vi. 17, 18. « 2 Pet. i. 4, 6, 10, 11 j 1 John ii. 3 ; 1 John iii. 14 ; 2 Cor. i. 12. ''■ The Confession of Faith. 43 witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God ; ** which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance ^ whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.* III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to- the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it ; '^ yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the righ t: use of ordinary means, attain thereunto.* And there- fore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure ; ™ that thereby his- •■ heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy^ Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength ' and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience,^ the pro- per fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining- men to looseness.* * ' r --^it u< [ ; L. »> A »i lY. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and inter- mitted ; as, by negligence in preserving of it ; by fall- ing into some special sin, which woundeth the con- science, and grieveth the Spirit ; by some sudden or vehement temptation ; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him iiRom. Tiii. 15, 16. i Eph. i. 13, 14; Eph. iv. 30; 2 Cor. i.. 21, 22. : f ni. ^ 1 John y. 13; Isa. 1. 10; Mark ix. 24. ISee Ps. Ixxxviii. througJiout. Ps. Ixxvii. to the 12th rerw.] 1 1 Cor. ii. 12; 1 John iv. 13 ; Heb. vi. 11, 12; Eph. iii. 17, 18, 19. m 2 Pet. i. 10. n Rom. v. 1, 2, 6; Rom. xiv. 17; Rom. xv. 13; Eph. i. 8, 4; Ps. ir. 6, 7; Ps. cxix. 32. o 1 John ii. 1, 2 ; Rom. vi. I, 2 1 Tit. ii. 11, 12, 14 ; 2 Cor. vij. 1 ; Rom. viii. 1, 12 ; 1 John iii. 2, 3 : Ps. cxxx. 4 ; 1 John i. 6, 7^ T 44 The Confession of Faith. ^ to walk in darkness, and to have no light ; ^ yet arc they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and iife of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,"* and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair.' ,. 'CHAP. XIX.— 0/ the Law of God, I. /^ OD gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, vJ by which he bound him, and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the broach of it ; and endued him with power and ability to keep it* .v in .?- ii II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness ; and, as such, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables;^ the first four commandments containing our duty towai^s God, and the other six our duty to man.*' III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church rV. P Cant. V. 2, 3, 6; Ps. li. 8, 12, 14 j Bph. iv. 30, 31 j Pa. Ixxvii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 j Matt. xxvi. 69, 70, 71, 72; Ps. xxxi. 22; [Ps. Ixxxviii. throughout]; Isa. 1. 10. a 1 John iii. 9; Luke xxii. 32; Job xiii. i5; Ps. Ixxiii. 15; Ps. li. 8, 12. [See letter P immediately be/ore.'] Isa. I. 10. [See letter V immediately foregoing.'] r Mioah vii. 7, 8, 9; Jer. xxxii. 40 ; Isa. liv. 7, 8, 9, 10 j Ps. xxii. 1 ; ,£P8. Ixxxviii. throughout.] I. a Qen. i. 26, 27 ; Oen. ii. 17; Rom. ii. 14, 15 ; Rom. x. 6; Rom. V. 12, 19 ; Gal. iii. 10, 12 ; Eccl. vii. 29 ; Job xxviii. 28. II. b James i. 25 ; James ii. 8, 10, 11, 12 ; Rom. xiii. 8, 9 ; Deut. V. 32 ; Deut. x. 4 ; Exod. xxxiv. 1. c Matt. xxii. 37, 38, 39, 40. . ' The Confession of Faith, 45 under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typiaal oi*dinances ; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his- graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits ;* and partly^ holding forth divers instructions of moral duties.® All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the* New Testament' > ^ ...... IV. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now further than- the general equity thereof may require.* V. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; ** and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, th& Creator, who gave it* Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.'' VI. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or con- demned J * yet is it of great use to them as well as to others ; in that as a rule of life, informing them of the- will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them* III. d [Heb. Chapter ix.] Heb. x. 1 ; Gal. iv. 1, 2, 3j Col. ii. 17. e 1 Cor. V. 7 ; 2 Cor. vi. 17 j Jude, ver. 23. t Col. ii. 14, 16, 17 j Dan. ix. 27; Eph. ii. 15, 16. IV. « [Exod. Chapter xxi. Exod. xxii. 1, to the 20t& verse, ^ee both in the Bibk.^ Gen. xlix. 10 ; 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14; Matt. v. 17, 38, 39 y. 1 Cor. ix. 8, 9, 10. y. ^ Rom. xiii. 8, 9 [See above in lettery], 10 ; Eph. vi. 2 ; 1 John ii. 3, 4, 7, 8. i James ii. 10, 11. (^ee in letterW) k Matt. v. 17 (^See in letter e.), 18, 19: James ii. 8. (See in letter y» before.) Rom. ui. 31. VI. 1 Rom. vi. 14; Gal. ii. 16; Gal. iii. 13; Gal. iv. 4, 5; Acts, xiii. 39 ; Rom. viii. 1. 46 The Confession of Faith. I 1 I,! to walk accordingly ;™ discovering also the sinful pol- lutions of their nature, hearts, and lives;** so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin ; ° together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedi- «nce.P It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin ; ^ and the threatenings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curae thereof threatened in the law.' The promises of it, in like manner, shew them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the per- formance thereof," although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works :^ so as a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law en- courageth to the one, and deterretb from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace.'^ . . ■ -^ . VII. Neither are the foremen tioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it ;^ the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheer- m Rom. vii. 12, 22, 25 j Ps. oxix. 4, 5, 6 ; 1 Cor. vii. 19 ; Gal. v. 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. See in the Bible, n Rom. vii. 7 ; Rom. ' iii. 20. o James i. 23, 24, 25; Rom. vii. 9, 14, 24. P Oal. iii. 24; Rom. vii. 24. {See be/ore in letter o, Verae 25, in letter n».) Rom. viii. 3, 4. Q. James ii. 11 ; Ps. cxix. 101, 104, 128. r Ezra ix. 13, 14 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. & (Lev. xxvi. to the 14th verae.) 2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. vi. 2, 3; Pa. xxxvii. 11 ; Matt. v. 5; Ps. xix. 11. t Gal. ii. 16 ; Luke xvii. 10. ▼ Rom. vi. 12, 14 ; 1 Pet. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 ; Ps. xxxiv. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 j Heb. xii. 28, 29. VII. w Gal. iii. 21. -, - : ,- ,u -w. * I I < \ The Confession of Faith. 47 fully which the will of God revealed in the law re- quireth to be done.* , , , M ' ; /■ r >■ I 1 • .M '. ^ J'.; CHAP. XX.— -Cy Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience, I. T^HE liberty which Christ hath purchased for X believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law ; * and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin,^ from the evil of aflfliic- tions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation ; ° as also in their free access to God,<* and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love, and willing mind. ® All which were common also to believera under the law;' but under the new testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected,* and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace,*^ and in fuller communi- cations of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did oi*dinai*ily partake of.* ^Esek. zzxvi. 21 ; Heb. viii. 10 ; Jer. zxxi. 33. mn ' I. » Tit. ii. 14 ; 1 Thess. i. 10 ? Gal. iii. 13. b Gal. i. 4 ; Col. i. 13 ; Acts xxvi. 18; Kom. vi. 14. c Rom. viii. 28; Pa. cxiz. 71; 1 Cor. XV. 54, 55, 56, 57 ; Kom. viii. 1. d Rom. v. 1, 2 ; e Rom. viii. 14, 15 ; 1 John iv. 18. f Gal. iii. 9, 14. erGal. iv. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 ; Gal. v. 1 ; Aots XV. 10, 11. b Heb. iv. 14, 16 : Heb. z. 19, 20, 21, 22. i John vii. 38, 39; 2 Cor. iii. 13, 17, 18. I ; I 1 1 I! 48 The Confession of Faith, II. God alone is lord of the conscieDce,*^ and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or beside it, in matters of failh or worship.^ So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commandments out [of conscience, is to betray true libertj/ con- science; ™ and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also." u..: i III. They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty^ do practise any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty ; which is, that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the liovd without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our li"^^ IV. And because the powers which God . a or- dained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the oi*dinance of God.^ And for their publishing of such opinions, or maintain ing of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or II. k James iv. 12 ; Rom. ziv. 4. l ^ots iv. 19 ; Acts v. 29 ; 1 Cor. vii. 23 ; Matt, zxlii. 8, 9, 10 ; 2 Cor. i. 24 ; Matt. xr. 9; m Col. ii. 20, 22, 23 ; Gal. i. 10 ; Gal. ii. 4, 5 ; Gal. v. 1. n Rom. x. 17 ; Rom. xiv. 23; Isa. viii. 20 ; Acts zvii. 11; John iv. 22; Hos. v.. II > Rev. xiii. 12, 16, 17 ; Jer. viii. 9. III. o Gal. V. 13; 1 Pet. ii. 16; 2 Pet. ii. 19 ; John viii. 34; Luke i. 74, 76. • -" '^ ' IV. PMatt. xii. 25 ; 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14, 16. (Rom^ xiii. 1, to the Bth veree.) Heb. xiii. 17. I ihatb (nt8 of ird, or bat to tnents con- b, and iberty berty^ lereby , that, es, we IS and \ o a or- hased, illy to upon awful civil nd for ng of re, or ICor. Col. ii. Rom. J. Rev. ii. 34 ; the Bth » The Confession of Faith. 40 to the known principles of Chrislianity, whether con- cerning faith, worship, or conversation ; or to the power of godliness ; or such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publish- ing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and oixler which Christ hath established in the church ; they may lawfully be called to account,* and proceeded against by the censures of the church, and by the power of the civil magistrate.' ^ ; • " CHAP. XXL—OfBeligious Worship, and the '' > Sabbath-day. I. npHE light of nature showeth that there is a God, JL who hath loixlship and sovereignty over all ; is good, and doeth good unto all ; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.* But the acceptable way of wor- shipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worehipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestion of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy scripture.^ „,,„,. q Rom. i. 32 ; 1 Cor. v. 1, 6, 11, 13 j 2 John, ver. 10, 11 j 2 Thess. iii. 14; 1 Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5 ; Tit. i. 10, 11, 13 j Tit. iii. 10 j Matt, xviii. 16, 16, 17 j 1 Tim. i. 19, 20 ; Rev. ii. 2, 14, 15, 20 ; Rev. iii. 9. ' [Deut. xiii. 6, to the 12th] ; Rom. ziii. 3, 4; 2 John, verses 10, 11. [See in letter ^l.] Ezra vii. 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 j Rev. xvii. 12, 16, 17; Neh. xiii. 15, 17, 21, 22, 25, 30 ; 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 6, 9, 20, 21 ; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 33; 2 Chron. xv. 12, 13, 16; Dan. iii. 29; 1 Tim. ii. 2 ; Isa. xliz. 23 ; Zeoh. xiii. 2, 3. I. aKom. i. 20; Acts xvii. 24; Pa. oxix. 68; Jer. x. 7; Ps. xxxi. 23 ; Ps. xviii. 3 ; Rom. x. 12 ; Ps. Ixii. 8 ; Josh. xxiv. 14 ; Mark xii. 33. bDeut. xii. 32; Matt. xv. 9; Acts xvii. 25; Matt. iv. 9, 10; [Deut. XV. to the 20th verae] ; Exod. xx. 4, 5, 6 ; Col. ii. 23. 50 The Confession of Faith, II. Beligious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Sk)n, and Holy Ghost ; and to him alone : ^ not to angels, saints, or any other creature : * and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.® III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship,' is by God required of all men; « and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name'of the Son,*^ by the help of his Spirit,* ac- cording to his will,*^ with understanding, reverence, humility, fei'vency, faith, love, and pereeverance ; ^ and, if vocal, in a known tongue." -.■. nnrt-f r IV. Prayer is to he made for things lawful," and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter ; ° but not for the dead,P nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.^ V. The reading of the scriptures with godly fear ; ' the sound preaching," and conscionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence ; ' singing of psalms with grace in the heart ; ^ as also the due administration and worthy n. c Matt. iv. 10 [See before in letter^'] ; John v. 23 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. dCol. ii. 18 ; Rev. xix. 10; Rom. J. 25. e John xiv. 6 j 1 Tim. ii. 5 ; Eph. ii. 18 ,* Col. iii. 17. in. t Phil. iv. 6. 8 Ps. Ixv. 2. h John xiv. 13, 14; 1 Pet. ii. 6. 1 Rom. viii. 26. k i John v. 14. l Pa. xlvii. 7; Eccl. v. 1, 2; Heb. xii. 28; Gen. xviii. 27; James v. 16; James i. 6, 7; Mark xi. 24; Matt. vi. 12, 14, 15 ; Co!, iv. 2 ; Eph. vi. 18. m 1 Cor. xiv. 14. IV. n [1 John V. 14. ^ee letter K} o 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2 ; John xvii. 20 j 2 Sam. vii. 29 ; Ruth iv. 12. p 2 Sam. xii. 21, 22, 23 ; Luke xvi. 25, 26 ; Rev. xiv. 13. q 1 John v. 16. V. r Acts XV. 21; Rev. i. 3. 8 2 Tim. iv. 2. t James i. 22; Acts z. 33; Matt. xiii. 19; Heb. iv. 2; Isa. Ixvi. 2. vCol. iii. 16 ; Eph. V. 19; James V. 13. s. ,,,4 . . ,. ., .t' '.< ':il The Confession of Faith* receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worahip of God j'^ besides religious oaths* and vows,^ solemn fastings* and thanksgivings upon special occasions,* which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.* VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is, now under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed, or towai*ds which it is directed ; ^ but God is to be worshipped everywhere** in spirit and in truth ; « as in private families ' daily ,» and in secret each one by himself; * so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to bo neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or pro- vidence, calleth thereunto.* VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God ; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept holy unto him :^ which, from the beginning of the world to the resuiTCCtion of Christ, was the last day of the week ; and from the resurrec- w Matt, xxviii. 19. [1 Cor. xi. 23 to verse 29.] Acts ii. 42. ^ Dent, vi. 13; Neh. x. 29. v Isa. xix. 21; Ecol. v. 4, 5. z Joel ii. 12; Esth. iv. 16; Matt. ix. 15;^1 Cor. vii. 5. »[P8. cvii. throughout.] Esth. ix. 22. b Heb. xii. 28. VI. c John iv. 21. d Mai. i. 11 ; 1 Tim. ii. 8. e John iv. 23, 24. t Jer. X. 25; Deut. vi. 6, 7; Job i. 5; 2 Sam. vi. 18, 20; 1 Pet. iii. 7 ; Acts X. 2. e Matt. vi. 11. h Mati. vi. 6 ; Eph. vi. 18. i Isa. Ivi. 6, 7 ; Heb. x. 25; Prov. i. 20, 21, 24; Prov. viii. 34; Acts xiii. 42 ; Luke iv. 16 ; Acts ii. 42. VII. kExod. XX. 8, 10, 11; Isa. Ivi. 2, 4, 6, 7. ^See in letter ^ .) The Confession of Faith, tion of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,* which in scripture is called the Lord's Day,"* and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.^ • . VIII. This sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, ^when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly em- ployments and recreations ; ° but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy ? p CHAP. XXII.— 0/ lawful Oaths and Vms. I. A LAWFUL oath is a part of religious worehip, * Xjl wherein, upon just occasion, the pei*son swear- ing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth ; and to judge him accoixling to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.^ 11. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence j ^ therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. * 1 Gen. ii. 2, 3j 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2j Acts xx. 7. mRev. i. 10. nExod. XX. 8, 10 [See letter^} j Matt. v. 17, 18. yill. o Exod. XX. 8. [See letter K^ Exod. xvi. 23, 25, 26, 29, 30 ; Exod. xxxi. 15, 16, 17 j Isa. Iviii. 13; Neh. xiii. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22. P Isa. Iviii. 13. (See in letter o. Matt. xii. 1, to the IZth Verae.) I. a Deut. X. 20. b Exod. xx. 7 ; Lev. xix. 12 ; 2 Cor. i. 23 ; 2 Chron. vi. 22, 23. II. c Deut. vi. 13. ^Exod. xx. 7. (See letter'.^.) Jer. v. 7j Matt. V. 34, 37 ; James v. 12. i . rn'. The Confession of Faith. !,«• ^ r of the 8 Day,"* , as the be Lord, irts, and 1, do not leir own dly em- Q up the 38 of his )rcv ? p orship, * D swear- ^serteth he truth ch men with all ainly or to swear lorred. ^ }. nExod. !6, 29. 30 ; 7, 18, 19, 3'A Verse.) . i. 23; 2 7; Matt. Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the woi*d of God under the New Testa- ment, as well as under the ^Old ; ® so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters, ought to be taken.' III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly to con- sider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.* Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.^ Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touch- ing any thing that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.* ' ' ^^' lY. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.^ It cannot oblige to sin; but in any- thing not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt ; ^ nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels."^ - V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness. ^ YL It is not to be made to any creature, but to God e Heb. vi. 16 ; 2 Cor. i. 23. (^ee letter b.) Isa. Ixv. 16. ' 1 Kings viii. 31; Neh. xiii. 25 j Ezra z. 5. III. erExod. xx. 7. (See letter^.) Jer. iv. 2. hQen. xxiv. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9. i Num. v. 19, 21 ; Neh. v. 12; Exod. xxii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. IV. kJer. iv. 2. (See letter e.) Pa. xxiv. 4. 1 1 Sam. xxv. 22, 32, 33, 34; Ps. xy. 4. m Ezek. xvii. 16, 18, 19; Josh. ix. 18, 19; 2 Sam. xxi. 1. V. n Isa. xix. 21 ; Eccl. v. 4, 5, 6 ; Ps. Ixi. 8 j Ps. Ixvi. 13, 14. 54 The Confession of Faith, alone : ^ and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtainingof what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, s > far and so long as they may fitly conduce there- unto.** VII. No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God.* In which respects. Popish mon- astical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superetitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.' ' , < 1 \i ; CRAF. XXIU.— Of the Civil Magistrate. •; .. I. /^OD, the supreme Lord and King of all the \J world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him over the people, for his own glory, and the public good; and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encourage- VI. o Ps. Ixxvi. 11 J Jer. xliv. 25, 26. P Deut. xxiii. 21, 22, 23 ; F 1. 14; Gen. xxviii. 20, 21, 22 j 1 Sam. i. 11; Ps. Ixvi. 13, 14. (.See letter.^.) Ps. oxxxii. 2, 3, 4, 5. . . ... .;. . ,. VII. qActs xxiii. 12, 14. Mark vi. 26 j Num. xxx. 5, 8, 12, 13. r Matt. xix. 11, 12 j 1 Cor. vii. 2, 9 j Eph. iv. 28 j 1 Pet. iv. 2 j 1 Cor. vii. 23. V ■ . • ■ I . .-115- r-- , . .-. ■■ lld^i-H^H^- The Confession of Faith. 55 3 made ity, in or the itrictly things, there- Iden in p" duty er, and Diise of 1 mon- overty, legrees us and itangle i ■> • ill the to be nd the n with )urage- . 13, 14. \ 12, 13. iv. 2; 1 ment of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doei-s.* * U. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto : ^ in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth -^^ so, for that end, they may lawfully now under the Now Testa- r ment, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.* III. The civil magistrate may not assume to him- self the administration of the word and sacraments, or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven : ® yet he hath authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire, that all blas- phemies and heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or re- formed, and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed.^- For the better effecting I. a Rom. ziii. 1, 2, 3, 4; 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. II. ^ Frov. viii. 15, 16; Rom. xiii. 1, 2, 4. (^See in letter^,.) c Pa. ii. 10, 11, 12 ; 1 Tim. ii. 2 ; Ps. Ixxxii. 3, 4; 2 Sam. xxiii. 3; 1 Pet. ii 13. (.i I ll ; • 64 The Confession of Faith. CHAP. XXIX.— Of the Lord's Supper, jn'uiii^ I. /^XJR Loi*d Jesus, in the night wherein he was yj betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Loixi's Supper, to be observed in his church unto the end of the world, for the jicrpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death, the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him, and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other, as mem- bers of his mystical body.* , II. In this sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sins of the quick or dead ; * but only a commemora- tion of that one offering up of himself, by himself, upon the cross, once for all, and a spiritual oblation of eAl possible praise unto God for the same j « so that the Popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is moat abominably injurious to Christ's one only sacrifice, the alone pi'opitiation for all the sins. of the electd : i ; i i 1 ^»* • III. The Lord Jesus hath, in this oixiinance, ap- pointed his minister to declare his woi*d of institution to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a com- mon to a holy use ; and to take and break the broad, I. a 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, 25, 26 ; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17, 21 ; 1 Cor. xii. 13. II. b Heb. ix. 22, 25, 26, 28. o 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25, 26. [See them in letter t^.l Matt. xxvi. 26, 27. d Heb. vii. 23, 24, 27 j Heb. x. 11, 12, 14. 18. , . The Confession of Faith, 65 he was 8 body r\ed in rpetual I death, lievers, Q, their jh they >f their 3 mem- p to his amission lemora- himself, ation of that the is moat ifice, the Qce, ap- jtitution of bread 1 a com- Q broad, , zii. 13. See them in . X. 11. 12. to take the cap, and (they communicating also them- selves) to give both to the communicants ; ® but to none who are not then piH3sent in the congi-egation/ IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by :i priest, or any other, alone ; ' as likewise the denial of the cup to the people;^ worahipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adora- tion, and the resei*ving them for any pretended religi- ous use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacra- ment, and to the institution of Christ^ y. The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, yet saci*amon tally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ ; ^ albeit, in substance and nature they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.* YI. That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood (commonly called Transub- stantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to scripture alone, but even to common sense and i-eason ; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament; and hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries."* m. e Matt. xzvi. 26. 27 [See in letter c], 28; Mark xiv. 22, 23. 24 ; Luke xxii. 19. 20 ; 1 Cor. zi. 23-26. {See all in letter ».] ' Act;; xz. 7 ; 1 Oor. zi. 20. IV. S 1 Cor. z. 6. h Mark zir. 23. [^e« in letter «.] 1 Cor. zi. 25, 26 [See in letter a.] 27, 28. 29. i Matt. XT. 9. t .ix nvl' V. k Mntt. zxvi. 26. 27. 28. 1 1 Cor. zi. 26. 27. 28 ,• Matt. zzri. 29. VI. mAotsiii. 21; 1 Cor. zi. 24. 25.'26. [See in Utter y,^ Luke xxiv. 6. 39. 66 TIjb Confession of Faith, 'i i-i VII. Worthy receivers, outwaixily partaking of tbe visible elements in this sacrament,*^ do then also in- wai-dly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, i>eceive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as really, but spiritually, present to the faith or believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.** »']♦» imrtF? .i^ "^ h ifji// Irj l-iifisf ^v^ = .•.. V. 'Lukexii. 13, U; Johnxviii.36. i I. a Qen. iii. 19 ; ^ets ziii. 36. b Luke xxiii. 43; Eool. xii. 7. ( Heb. xii. 23; 2 Cor. ▼. 1, 6. 8 ,- Phil. i. 23; Acts iii. 21 ; Eph. iv. 10. d Lake xvi. 23, 24; Aots i. 26 ; Jude, rer. 6, 7 ; 1 Pet. iii. 19. IL e 1 Thess. iv. 17 ; 1 Cor. xt. 61, 62. f Job xlx. 26, 27; 1 Cor. XT. 42, 43, 44. V ^- : - - ■i'H ,' ii 'i til (I h III'' 70 The Confession of Faith* III. Tho bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of < yhrist, be raised to dishonour ; the bodies of the just, by his Spirit, unto honour, and bo jnade conformable to his own glorious body.* !('{*>f;Hj^if.',/ IJ4/:/:' AV CHAP. XXXIII.— 0/ the Last Judgment I. r^ OD hath appointed a day wherein he will judge G the wox*ld in righteouspess by Jesus Christ,* to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. ** In which day not only the apostate angels shall be judged,^ but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, woi'ds, and deeds, nnd to receive acooixling to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil,* II. The end of God*8 appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect, and of his justice in the damna- tion of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and refreshing which shall come from the presence of the Loi*d ; but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the III. ff Acts xxiv. 15 ; John v. 28, 29 ; 1 Cor. xv. 43. {See in letter f.] Phil. iii. 21. . ^ I. a Acts zvii. 31. i> John y. 22, 27. c 1 Cor. ri. 3 ; Jude, ver. 6* [See letter^ Chapter /aregoing,'} 2 Pet. ii. 4. d2Cor. T. lOj Eccl. xii. 14; Rom. il. 16 j Rom. xiv. 10, 12 j Matt. xii. 36, 37. >^ .^^ The Confession of Faith. n presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.^ III. As Christ would have us to be certainly per Huaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their advereity ; ' so will he have that day unknown to men, that they may shake oif nil cai*nal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Loixl will come ; and may be ever prepared to say, Come, Loi-d Jesus, come quickly. Amen.*^ II. e [Matt. XXV. 31, to the end.] Rom. ii. 5, 6; Rom. ix. 22, 23; Matt. xxT. 21 ; Acts iii. 19; 2 Thesa. i. 7-10. [See in the Bible.} III. i 2 Pet. iii. 11, 14; 2 Cor. v. 10 [See letter^}, 11 ; 2 Thess i. 5, 6,7 ; Lukexxi. 27, 28 ; Rom. viii. 23, 24, 25. B Matt. xxiv. 36, 42, 4^, 44. [See in the Bible.] Mark ziii. 35,36,37; Lnke xii.35, 36: Key. zxii. 20. Printed for the Publishers by Hart & Sox, 230 St. James St.