or practice And sure no such for Images is in the Creed or Decalogue § 26. The same I may say of many other Religious practices As St. Paul speaketh of meats and drinks and dayes Rom. 14. 15. so must we say of all things that are of no greater necessity If men in all these must be brought to uniformity and practising in the same mode it must be either by argument and perswasion or by force The first we are sure will never do it in all things though it may in many All the twenty reasons before mentioned prove it and many hundred years experience much more It is certain to all save blinded persons that all Christians will never be in all things of a mind about Lawful and Unlawful Duty and Sin And 〈◊〉 that force will never do it St. Paul saith of things indifferent that he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Ungodly persons that have no true Conscience may go against their false Consciences for worldly ends and wilfully sin for fear of men But so will no true Christian unless in the hour of such a temptation as Peters by a fall from which he will rise again to a stronger resolution than he had before No sound believer will sell his soul to save his flesh nor hazard heaven by wilful sin to save his interest on earth So that this way of forcing men to practise contrary to their Consciences in points in which good and tolerable Christians differ will but make up Churches of wicked men that have no conscience joyned with one party that is therein agreed And I shall shew you in due place that they will never devise what to do with the Conscionable dissenters that shall not be far worse than a charitable and peaceable forbearance § 27. III. It is certain that there will never be so great Concord as that all Disputings opposition and passionate and injurious words and writings will cease among all sorts of Christians No nor among all that are honest and upright in the main For as long as one taketh that for a dangerous errour or sin which another taketh for a necessary truth or duty men will even on Gods account think ill of one another and in some measure speak ill as they think They that know that they must not call evil good and good evil nor put darkness for light and light for darkness will abuse and injure one another in things where they confidently err A Lutheran though pious will speak and dispute against a Calvinâ—â— and a Calâ—inist against a Lutheran And so of many other Parties And though it is greatly to be wished that all Christians had humble thoughts of their own understandings and would stay till they know well what they say before they talk much against things or persons and though it be so with wise and eminently sober humble men yet with too many it is far otherwise and like so to continue Perverse disputings and shameful backbitings and speaking evil of things and persons not understood have such unhappy causes in the remnants of dark corrupted nature that they seem to be like to live till a golden age or heaven do cure them Talking and writing against one another even of the same Religion yea praying and preaching against one another must be expected in some degree I would I need not say silencing and persecuting one another yea excommunicating and anathematizing among the worser sort of men such usage as Nazianzen had from one of the famous General Councils and such usage as Chrysostom had from such Bishops as Theophilus Alexand. and Epiphanius and a Council of other Bishops and such as abundance of excellent men in most ages have met with in the like kind and way may be expected again till Bishops and all Christians become more wise and resined persons § 28. II. But affirmatively there is yet an excellent sort and degree of Unity and Concord to be sought with hope among Christians worthy of all our utmost labour Yea there is a true and excellent Unity and Concord which all true Christians do already enjoy consisting in the following things § 29. I. All Christians truly such believe in One God and believe the incomprehensible Trinity and believe Gods Essential Attributes and Grand Relations to man They believe that he is Infinite in Immensity and Eternity and Perfection even a most Perfect Spirit Life Vnderstanding and Will most Powerful Wise and Good the Creator and preserver the Governour and the End of all of whom and through whom and to whom are all things in whom we Live and Move and have our being Most Holy and True and Merciful and Just whom we are bound to believe and trust and love and serve and obey and praise with all our heart and mind and strength and perfectly and everlastingly to see Love and Praise him to Please Him and be Pleased in Him in Glory is the end and happiness of Saints § 30. II. All true Christians believe in One Mediator between God and man Jesus Christ the Eternal Word God and one in Essence with the Father Incarnate assuming the whole Nature of man conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary and was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners fulfilling all righteousness and overcame the Devil and the world and gave himself a Sacrifice for mans sin by suffering a cursed death on the Cross to ransome us and reconcile us unto God and was buried and went to the departed souls in hades and the third day rose again from the dead having conquered death And having declared the new Covenant or Law of Grace and commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world and promised them to send the Holy Spirit he ascended into Heaven before their faces The said Covenant of Grace is summarily this that whereas all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God sin by one man entring into the world and death by sin and so death and condemnation passed upon all in that all have sinned God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life that is God freely giveth to lost undone sinners Himself to be their reconciled God and Father Jesus Christ to be their Saviour and the Holy Ghost to be their Sanctifier if they will Believe and Trust him and accept the gift and will in serious Covenant which Baptism celebrateth accordingly give up themselves to him Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake the Devil the world and the Flesh as opposite to God and sincerely though not perfectly obey Christ and his Spirit to the end according to the Law of Nature and his Gospel institutions that so they may overcome and be Glorified for ever And they believe that Christ will come at last in Glory and judge all men according to his Laws
invented expositions will be as liable to be wrested by Hereticks as the Scripture It is ridculous presumption to talk of making any Law profession or Articles that a false Heretick may not subscribe to 3. But there is another remedy against them while they conceal their heresie they are no Hereticks in the judgment of the Church Non apparere here is as non esse when they divulge it the judicatures must correct them It 's vanity to dream that the Law is faulty as long as it is but such as men can break or that any Law can be made which none can break But as they break them they are to be judged 4. And we must not rack and divide the good for fear of such letting in the bad The Churches Concord and peace is of more regard than the keeping out of some secret Heretick yea of old he was not called a Heretick that did not separate from the Church All good men agree to the word of God but all will not agree to every word of yours § 13. I conclude In humane affairs there is nothing without imperfection weakness and incommodity and to pretend the cure of these by impossibilities or mischiefs is the way of such as these Thirteen hundred years have been the true schismaticks and distracters of the Church CHAP. X. A draught or specimen of such Forms as are before mentioned for the Approved and the Tolerated Ministers § 1. TThis Chapter should have gone before the ninth But I thought to pass it by lest it seem presumptuous But the observation how ordinarily men miscarry in this work hath perswaded me to run the hazard of mens censures § 2. 1. The form to be subscribed by the Approved Ministry I A. B. do seriously as in the sight of God profess that as I have been in Baptism devoted by the sacred Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are his enemies so I do unfeignedly Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and consent still to that Covenant in hope of the grace and Glory promised obliging my self to continue by the help of that grace in Faith Love and sincere obedience to the end More particularly § 3. I. I do unfeignedly Believe 1. That there is one Only God an infinite Spirit of Life understanding and will most perfectly powerful wise and good incomprehensibly Three in One and One essence in Three called persons or subsistences by the Church the Father the Word and the Spirit of whom and through whom to whom are all things he being the Creator preserver Governour and the ultimate End of all Our absolute owner our most just Ruler and our most gracious and amiable Father and benefactor 2. I believe that this God created all the world things invisible and visible And made man in his own Image forming a fit Body and breathing into it a spirit of Life understanding and will fitted and obliged to know love and serve his Creator giving him the inferior Creatures for this use making him their Owner their Governour and their End under God But specially forbidding him to eat of the Tree of knowledge on pain of death 3. The woman being tempted by Satan and the man by the woman both fell by wilful sin from their Holiness Innocency and Happiness into a state of Pravity Guilt and misery under the slavery of the Devil world and flesh under Gods vindictive Justice and the condemnation of his Law Whence sinful corrupted guilty and miserable natures are propagated to all mankind And no meer Creature is able to deliver us § 4. II. I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be their Saviour Who being God and one with the Father took our Nature and became man being conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary named Jesus the Christ who was perfectly holy without sin fulfilling all righteousness and being tempted overcame the Devil and the world and after a life of humiliation gave himself a sacrifice for our sins by suffering a cursed death on the Cross to ransome us and reconcile us unto God and was buryed and descended to Hades and conquering death the third day he rose again And having sealed the New Covenant with his blood he commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world and promised the Holy Ghost and after forty daiesascended into heaven where he is God and man the glorified Head over all things to his Church all power being given him in heaven and earth our prevailing Intercessor with God the Father to present us our service acceptable to God and communicate Gods grace and mercies unto us to Teach us Govern protect and judge us and to save and bless and glorifie us § 5. 2. By the new Testament Covenant or Law of grace God through the aforesaid Mediation of Jesus Christ doth freely give to fallen mankind Himself to be their Reconciled God and Father his Son to be their Saviour and his holy Spirit to be their sanctifier and comforter if they will accordingly believe and accept the gift and by faithful covenant give up themselves to him in these Relations Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are enemies to God and their salvation and sincerely to obey Christ his Laws and his Spirit to the end bearing the Cross and following him though through sufferings that they may reign with him in Glory All which God will faithfully perform § 6. III. I Believe that God the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and from or by the son was given to the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to be their infallible Guide in preaching and recording the doctrine of salvation and to be the great witness of Christ and his truth by his manifold Divine operations And that he is given to quicken illuminate and sanctifie all true believers and to save them from the Devil the world and the fleshes temptations from sin and from spiritual misery And that the Holy Scriptures indited by this Spirit are to be believed loved and obeyed as the word of God § 7. 2. I believe that all who by true Consent are devoted to God in the foresaid Baptismal Covenant and so continue are one sanctified Church or Body of Christ and have Communion in the same spirit of faith and Love and have forgiveness of their sins and having one God one Christ one spirit one faith one Baptism and one Hope of Heavenly Glory are bound to keep this unity of the spirit in the bond of peace in the Doctrine worship order and conversation and mutual helps which Christ hath by himself or his Apostles commanded avoiding uncharitable contentions divisions injuries and offences And that the Baptized Covenanters and external Professors of the foresaid Covenant consent are the visible
not and hateth them not nor punisheth them with any correcting punishment 10. That they that have the spirit need not study for matter method words or affection 11. That they are perfect or their duties perfect who have the spirit because all the spirits works are perfect 12. That the day of grace may be so past with some as that sincere faith and repentance and a changed will that loveth holiness and consenteth to the Covenant of grace may be rejected of God and unavailable to salvation XIII Of Justification and pardon 1. That God forgiveth the deserved punishment of no sin but requireth it of the sinner himself and Remission is only the destroying of sinful dispositions and preventing future sin and not forgiving the punishment of what is past or will be 2. That Christ's sacrifice and righteousness is not the meritorious cause of our pardon Justification adoption and Salvation 3. That Christ is not the Lord our righteousness or made of God to us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption nor we made the Righteousness of God in him or that it is not the Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ which justifieth us 4. That Christ suffered for his own sin being either actually a sinner or our sins made properly his own sin in the guilt of culpability and not only of punishment before he suffered for them And so that he was by real imputation or Divine reputation the greatest Atheist infidel malignant murderer adulterer c. in the world these sins being in their forms or culpable guilt translated from all the elect on him 5. That all the elect were justified from eternity or before they were born or while they were no true believers by that justification which the Scripture meaneth when it saith we are justified by faith 6. That the elect are justified by the Law of innocency made to Adam or the Law of works made to and by Moses to the Jews because they were Legally in Christ fulfilling them and did perfectly fulfill them in him 7. That the sense of the Law of innocency was Thou or Christ for thee shall be innocent and obey perfectly to the end or die 8. That the Gospel Covenant or Donation is not Gods justifying instrument gift or Law 9. That God reputeth us to have been perfectly innocent from our birth to our death or at least since our believing because we were so Legally in Christ and yet reputeth us such sinners as need a Saviour and Christ suffered for our sins though we were so innocent 10. That the elect have no need of pardon at all because they are perfectly obedient by imputation 11. That at least we need no pardon of any sin committed since we believed save only of temporal correction 12. That pardon and justification actually remit all sin at once that is yet to come and is yet no sin as well as that which is past and present 13. That pardon and justification are perfect as soon as we believe 14. That therefore no true penalty no not corrective is inflicted or remaineth after our first faith 15. Therefore to such none of their wants of grace or Communion with God nor permitted sin nor suffering nor death are any true punishments for sin for the demonstration of paternal justice 16. That therefore no believer must pray for the pardon of sin it being perfected already nor seek for it of Christ by faith 17. That therefore there is no further condition or means to be used by us for pardon of new sins or for fuller pardon 18. Therefore there is no other or perfecter justification at the last judgement 19. That faith is not imputed to us for Righteousness 20. That against the false accusations that we were impenitent infidels ungodly hypocrites we need no personal Repentance faith piety or sincerity to justifie us as the righteousness contrary to this accusation but only the imputed righteousness performed personally by Christ himself 21. That we shall not be judged according to our works nor in any respect justified before God by our works nor is St. James so to be understood nor Christ that saith By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12. 22. That men are justified by the works of the Law of Moses or of innocency or some other works which must be joyned to the righteousness of Christ to make it sufficient to its proper part or office and are not only subordinate thereto 23. That we are justified by faith only in our Consciences as knowing that we are otherwise justified before God 24. That we are justified only by inherent righteousness and that pardon of sin and acceptance for Christs merits and mediation is none of our justification at all 25. That a man unjustified must believe that he is justified that thereby he may be justified taking justification in the same sense 26. That God doth not make men just before he sentenceth them just 27. That Christ justifieth only by his Priestly Office and not by his judicial sentence 28. That we are justified by no act of faith but only by the act of resting on or also accepting Christs imputed justifying righteousness 29. That being perfectly justified by the first act of faith we are never after justified as to continuation by any act after that first instant 30. That to expect justification by believing in God the Father or the Holy Ghost and in Christ as Christ in his person and whole office of a saviour and not only by the foresaid single act is to seek justification by works reprehended by Paul or unlawfully 31. That faith or repentance are not by Gods gift or promise made any conditions necessary to be done by us through his grace that we may have right to Christ or pardon or justification 32. That our believing in Christ is of equal impossibility to us as our personal perfect innocency 33. That to believe Heaven and that God will glorifie us for the sake of Christ and as a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him is no act of that faith which justifieth as a Condition of justification or salvation 34. That it is all mens duty to believe that they are elect 35. That justifying faith is only a full assurance that we are elect 36. That true faith is inconsistent with doubting or imperfection 37. That it is unlawful to trust to any thing in us or done by us as a means or condition of pardon or salvation though but subordinate to Christ 38. That no meer death-bed faith or repentance is accepted to salvation or pardon because good works are part of the condition 39. That there is no degree of pardon given by God to any but the elect that are saved 40. That all praise that is ascribed to any thing in our selves or done by us or to any subordinate act of man as a means to our salvation or final justification is a dishonour to God and our Saviour and
of the spirit to hear men in prayer and thanksgiving to be much and fervent for the Churches and for all the world and to make it the first and heartiest of their requests that Gods name may be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven and not to be almost all for themselves or for a sect or a few friends about them as selfish persons use to be 68. A very fervent desire of Vnion conâ—ined to some few that are mistaken for all or the chief part of the Church with a â—ensorious undervaluing of others and a secret desire that God would weaken and dishonour them because they are against the opinions and the interest of that sect or party is not only consistent with Schism as I said before but is the very state of Schism called Heresie of old And the stronger the desire of that inordinate separating Unity is as opposite to the Common Vnity of all Christians the greater is the Schism Even as a bile or other aposteme or inflammation containeth an inordinate burning collection or confluence of the blood to the diseased place instead of an equal distribution CHAP. III. II. The necessity and Benefits of this Unity and Peace II. THE Necessity and excellency of the Vnity of the spirit and peace will appear in these respects 1. For the good of the particular persons that possess it 2. For the good of Christian societies 3. For the good of the uncalled world 4. For the Glory and well-pleasing of Jesus Christ and of the Father of these in order 1. For the good of each particular person that possesseth it 1. It is the very Health and Holiness of the soul and the contrary is the very state of sin and death What is Holiness but that Vniting Love by which the will adhereth to God and delighteth in his Goodness as it shineth to us in his works and specially in Christ and in all his members and in a common sort in all mankind And what is the unholy state of sin and death but that Conâ—ractedness and retiring to our SELVES by which the selfish person departeth from the due Love of God and others and of that holiness which is contrary to this his selfishness So far as any mans Love is contracted narrowed confined to himself and to a few so far his soul is indeed unsanctified and void of the Vnity of the Spirit or the Spirit of Vnity If a man lived in banishment or a prison uncapable of doing others any good yet if he have that Love and spirit of Unity which inclineth him to do it if he could this is his own health and rectitude and acceptable unto God Little do many Religious people think how much they do mistake unholiness and sin it self for a degree of holiness above their neighbours When they contract and narrow their Christian Love and Communion to a party and talk against the Churches of Christ by disgraceful and Love-killing censures and reproaches as being not holy enough for their Communion this want of the spirit of Love and Unity is their own want of holiness it self It was the old deceit of the Pharisees which Christ the messenger and mediator of love condemned to think that holiness lay more in sacrifices and Ritual observances and in a strict keeping of the Sabbaths rest and such like than in the Love of God and all men And the lesson that Christ twice set them to learn was I will have mercy and not sacrifice He hath most grace and holiness who hath most of the spirit of Love and Unity 2. It is the souls necessary qualification for that life of true Christianity which God hath commanded us in the world It is this inward Health which must enable us to all our duty 1. Without this spirit of Vnity we cannot perform the duties of the first table unto God Our sacrifices will be as loathsome as theirs described Isa 1. and Isa 58. If we lift not up pure hands without wrath and wrangling or disputing for so I would rather translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2. 8. than doubting our prayers will not be acceptable to God Though it be Christs worthiness for which our prayers and services are accepted yet there must be the subordinate worthiness of necessary qualification in our selves For Christ himself hath annexed specially the express mention of this one qualification in the Lords prayer it self Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and he repeateth it after For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you Mat. 6. 13 14. Love is here included in forgiving as a cause in its effect And Christ rather nameth forgiving than Love because men may pretend to that act which is secret in the heart but if it should not work in the necessary fruits of which forgiving others is one it would be but a vain pretence And here I intreat the Reader to consider a while the singularities of this passage of Christ 1. That men that must trust in Christs merits and mediation must yet be told of such an absolute necessity of a Condition or qualification in themselves 2. That Forgiving others as an Act of Love is singled out as this qualification 3. That this condition must be put into the very prayer it self that our own mouths may utter it to God 4. That it must be annexed to this one petition of Forgiveness rather than any of the rest where men are apt to confess their own necessity and where many are readiest to think that Gods mercy and Christs merits and mediation must do all without any condition on their part They that know that their daily bread and deliverance from temptation and evil must have some care and endeavours of their own are yet apt to think that the Forgiveness of sin needeth nothing on their part but asking and receiving 5. That Christ should after single out this one clause to repeat to them by urgent application And yet how little is this laid to heart And indeed the first word in the Lords prayer Our Father teacheth us the same lesson How needful a qualification Love and Vnity are to all that will come to God in prayer He that teacheth us that to Love our neighbour as our selves is the second summary Commandment and even like to the first which is Love to God for it is Loving God in his Likeness on his works doth here call us in all our prayers to express it by Praying for our brethren as for our selves O that men of wrath and wrangling were truly sensible what affections should be expressed by that word OVR FATHER and with what a heart men should say GIVE US and FORGIVE US and how far VS must extend beyond ME and beyond OUR PARTY or our side or our Church in the
performance-sake to engage us to do what we promise 2. And as a known false Covenant is null as to the benefit of the Covenanter though not as to his obligation so at the entrance a mans word is his credible profession but if he by notorious wilfulness violate this word or promise in any essential point he then so far nullifieth his verbal profession as to his benefit and proveth his Covenanting to be false And therefore all disciplined Churches do cast out gross impenitent violaters of that Covenant in such essential parts § 2. But what is such violation and for what fin men are to be cast out is a difficult question in some instances 1. I take it for a sure rule that no man is to be further cut off from the universal Church by sentence than he first morally departeth or cuts off himself For the Pastors have not their power for destruction but for edification And their office is subservient to Christ who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them even to seek and to save the lost They are not to be hurtful but helpful to mens souls § 3. 2. He therefore that apostatizeth or denyeth any one essential article of Christianity cuts off himself first and is to be declared by the Churches sentence to have so done if he repent not If he timely repent it must prevent the sentence § 4. 3. Whatever sin amounteth to an evident refusal of promised subjection to Jesus Christ cuts off the sinner morally from Christ and if he prevent it not by repentance he is to be sentenced accordingly by the Church who do but thus declare who depart from Christ and cut off themselves § 5. 4. Every sin is not a renouncing of our allegiance or subjection to Christ nor to be censured by excommunication 1. There are sins of meer infirmity or imperfection in duty as imperfection of sincere faith love hope obedience prayer c. 2. There are sins of sudden passion and surprize which the will habitually abhorreth and the sinner quickly repenteth of 3. There are sins of ignorance which a man knew not to be sins 4. There are sins of meer forgetfulness 5. Yea it is not all presumptuous sin that is a renouncing of our subjection A faithful man knoweth that the least sin should be avoided and he may know that vain jesting or idle words are a sin And he may be often guilty of these by some degree of presumption that is he may be tempted to think that all men being sinners such a sin may stand with grace and for want of due excitation not fear it or fly from it because it is a little one as he would do from perjury murder or some greater sin No small evils or danger doth so much suscitate the soul to resist and avoid it as a greater doth no man is so careful to avoid the prick of a pin as of a sword This want of suscitation through the smallness of the thing maketh less resistance and so some degree of presumption in all men § 6. 5. No one Act of sin sufficiently repented of is matter for a just excommunication be the sin never so great For the penitent are pardoned If the Repentance be before the excommunication it preventeth it For the first part of discipline is to perswade the sinner to repentance as being intended for his recovery and salvation and excommunication is never just but when the sinner will not repent As under the Law of Innocency death was the wages of any sin but under the Gospel faith and repentance are the remedying conditions so accordingly though Adam was cast out of Paradise for the first sin none are to be cast out of the Church for any sin meerly as a sin but as not repented of by a believer I say not that this is the Magistrates rule in punishing the body but the Pastors in excommunicating § 7. 6. Yea the time and means of admonition for bringing the sinner to repentance must be competent and such as are suitable to a rational hope of his repenting and not as some Lay Chancellors do if a few rough words make them not repent presently excommunicate him nor pro forma to say thrice I admonish you I admonish you I admonish you and then I excommunicate you It is not a jeasting matter nor to be past as hastily as angry word The sinner must be gravely and seriously told of the evil of his sin and if it be something which he taketh for no sin he must be convinced by Scripture proof and must be heard speak for himself with patience and if he hear not a more private admonition he must be reproved before the Church that many may consent for the more authoritative conviction and for the warning of others and that the Church may thereby clear themselves as not consenting to the sin 1 Cor. 5. And the excommunication is only to pass at last when repentance justly seemeth hopeless § 7. But yet there is much difference herein to be made in respect of the difference of sins and of persons 1. A sin of errour or ignorance or controverted as also a smaller sin requireth a longer time of patience for the sinners conviction before he be judged to be impenitent But a notorious sin against the light of nature or plainest proof and of most scandalous consequence must have shorter time of patience yet so much as that the sinners passion may be over and he may have leisure well to consider of the evil and of the Churches reproof § 8. As gravity convincing reason compassion and patience are certainly necessary so it seemeth very convenient at least that when the sinner is admonished before the Church the Congregation joyn with the Pastor in earnest Prayer to God for his conviction and repentance and if that prevail not at once in tolerable cases to do it again before the sinner be cast out Ye ought to mourn saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 5. Men will not cut off a corrupt member of the body hastily nor till flat necessity nor without sense of pain § 9. It is not every sin that a man repenteth not of that is a just cause of excommunication For there is no man living that hath not some sins which he no otherwise repenteth of than as in general he hateth all sin so far as he knoweth it For every man hath sins of ignorance and every man hath some degree of errour and some faithful men have more than others and take some sins to be duties or no sins and some have darker minds than others that are hardly convinced and cannot perceive the force of an argument against the prejudice before received And some are educated where some sins are praised and converse with such persons as by their parts and interest in them harden them in their errour How many thousand zealous Papists Nestorians Eutychians Greeks take others for hereticks by mistake and perhaps by words and actions wrong or
Church universal and such as we must have outward Communion with though only the sincere believers and consenters shall be saved § 8. 3. I believe that at death the spirits of the justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to misery And that at the end of this world Christ will come in glory and will raise the bodies of all men from death and will judge all according to their works And that the Righteous shall go into everlasting life where being perfected themselves they shall see God and perfectly love and praise him in Joy with Christ and all the Glorified Church And that the rest shall go into everlasting punishment where their worm never dyeth and their fire is never quenched § 9. II. AS I Believe thus in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Sacred Scriptures and the Creeds and constant Profession of the universal Christian Church so I do unfeignedly continue to give up my self presently absolutely and resolvedly to this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Covenant of grace that I may be resigned to the will of God my Owner and obey the will of God my Ruler and please and rest in the Will and Love of God my Father the Chiefest End and Infinite Good And renouncing all Idols and enemies of God and this his Covenant I consent though with the Cross to follow Christ the Captain of my Salvation to the death desiring still more of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Spirit and hoping for the promised Glory All which I pray for according to that Prayer which Christ hath left to be the summary Directory of our desires Our Father which art in heaven c. § 10. III. ACcording to the foresaid Belief and Consent As God hath obliged me I do by Covenant oblige my self by the help of his Grace sincerely to obey this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Law of nature summed up in the two Great Commands of Loving God with all our hearts and our neighbours as our selves and in the Ten Commandments as the Law of Christ explained by him with his superadded precepts and institutions By all which I am bound to take God only for my God by believing fearing trusting loving and obeying him To Avoid all Idolatry of mind and body To worship God according to his Law by learning and meditating on his word by believing-holy-fervent-prayer thanksgiving and praise and the holy use of the Sacrament of his Body and Blood I must reverently and holily use his name and not by perjury or otherwise profane it I must keep holy the Lords day especially in holy Communion with the Christian Assemblies in the publick worship of God and thankful commemoration of Christs Resurrection and our redemption I must if I be a superiour faithfully and holily govern my Inferiours and as an Inferiour I must honour and obey my Parents Magistrates and other superiours in power over me I must not wrong my neighbour in thought word or deed in his Soul his Body his Chastity Estate Right or Propriety but must do him all the good I can and justly give to all their own and do as I would be done by as Loving my neighbour as my self According to the Decalogue God spake all these words saying I am the Lord c. § 11. 2. ANd as the special duty of my office as in the Sacred Ministry I do Consent and Promise sincerely to perform that office for the flock over which I shall be placed or whereever I am called to exercise it Teaching them the doctrine of the Sacred Scriptures especially the greatest and most necessary parts which I have here professed and nothing contrary thereto so far as by diligent study I can discern it exhorting them to live by faith in love to God and man and in the joyful hope of heavenly Glory in humility self-denial temperance patience justice diligence and fruitfulness in all good works To be loyal and obedient to their superiours teachable to their instructors haters of sinful divisions and contentions and lovers and followers of peace To seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness to mortifie the flesh and not to overlove this world To repent of sin to resist temptations to prepare for death and judgement most carefully to please and quietly trust the will of God And in the publick celebration of the Sacraments and all the worship of God and Guidance of the flock the same word of God shall be my Rule to which also I will sincerely endeavour to conform my whole Conversation not following after vain-glory or filthy lucre or lording it over the heritage of God but seeking to please and glorifie Christ in my own and their salvation § 12. ANd as I expect my part in the benefits of godly and peaceable Government so I do profess to believe and promise to teach and practise accordingly That there is no power but of God and that Rulers are Gods Ministers for Good not for destruction but edification to be a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well and this under Christ to whom is given all Power in heaven and earth That we must pray for Kings and all in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty That subjects must obey their Rulers in all things lawful belonging to their office to command and not resist rebel or be seditious That they must give honour reverence and tribute to whomsoever they are due And all this not only for fear of man but in Conscience as hereby obeying God The Renunciation ANd as I have thus unfeignedly professed my Belief my Consent and promised Practice so I heartily Renounce all Doctrines Desires and Practices contrary to any part of this Profession And if by errour I hold or shall hold any thing contrary thereto as soon as I discern such contrariety I will renounce it Especially I Renounce Atheism Polytheism and Idolatry of Mind or Body All Infidelity Antichristianity and false Christs Profaneness ungodliness and malignant enmity to God and Holiness All contempt of Gods spirit and his word All serving the Devil the world or the flesh as enemies to God or Holiness All selfishness Pride and hypocrisie perjury and taking Gods name in vain superstition profanation of Gods holy day and contempt of his publick or private worship All Rebellion against my parents Prince or other Rulers All murder adultery and fornication theft and deceit lying and false witness bearing and all other injury against the life health chastity estate or reputation of my neighbour All sinful discontent with my estate and coveting that which is anothers And whatever is impious uncharitable or unjust From all these I desire to be free PArticularly to approve my fidelity to my Rulers I
Spirit and sufficient Rule 23. That men must believe the Scripture without reason for their believing it or must believe it to be Gods word without seeking any proof that it is his word 24. That it is meritorious to believe the Scripture to be Gods word without knowing any proof or reason of it this being an infused faith and proof making it but acquired 25. That we must believe Gods word no further than we have evidence of truth from the nature of the matter revealed 26. That Mahomet is the Paraclet promised by Christ V. Of the Creation 1. That this world was from eternity and not made in time 2. That an evil God made this earth or a middle God between the perfect God and the evil one As old Hereticks variously spake 3. Or that such an evil or middle God made the body of man 4. Or that such an evil or middle agent made the woman 5. That God made sin and death and disorder before sin deserved them 6. That when God had made this world he left it to the Government of certain Angels who fell and necessitated man to fall 7. That the World is Gods body and he the Soul of it and no more 8. That the world came by chance or by a fortuitous conflux of atomes and was not made by Gods wise and powerful word or action 9. That there is nothing in the world but matter and motion and the various shapes of matter caused by motion or at least nothing but God and matter and motion and its modal effects 10. That the world is Infinite as being made by that infinite God who made it as great and good as he was able and therefore infinite in his own similitude VI. Of Angels and Spirits and Heaven 1. That men can certainly tell the space number and order of all the celestial regions orbs or spaces and the number of Angels or when the first were made 2. That this world or earth was made by Angels only 3. That the fallen Angels were necessitated by God to sin and to tempt man 4. That God hath so left to Angels the Government of this world as not to govern it himself save by such leaving all to their free contingent action 5. That all that which scripture ascribeth to the Holy Ghost is done only by Angels 6. That we may know which are our Guardian Angels 7. That men may choose their own guardian Angels or spirits 8. That we must pray to Angels though we see them not or have no special notice when they hear us 9. That Angels lusted after women and begat Giants of them before the deluge 10. That they fight with each other for the government of the Kingdoms of this world even the good Angels among themselves VII Of Man as man in his nature and first state 1. That mans soul is God or part of God 2. Or is only a part or act of an universal soul of the world and is no singular or individual substance in each one 3. That the soul is but a quality motion or action of a higher agent 4. That the soul is mortal and dieth with the body being either annihilated or asleep or sunk into a meer potentia or hath no knowledge will sense or action or is swallowed up in the universal soul so as to lose its proper or numerical existence 5. That mans soul is of the same species as the bruits 6. That mans spirit only is immortal and continueth after death but not his soul 7. That mans soul or spirit was from eternity 8. That it was made before this earth and sinned in a former body and was thrust for punishment into this body and world 9. That the souls departed of men are sent back into beasts or at least into other men and so are oft born 10. That mens souls are fallen Angels 11. That Adams soul was made first male and female before it was incorporate 12. That Adams body was the cloathing that God made him after he sinned having no body before 13. That neither soul nor body was made after Gods image as Epiphanius ill affirmeth 14. That mans Vital faculty Intellect and Will are but accidents of his soul 15. That the soul is moved but as an engine by an extrinsick cause and hath not any Essential self-moving form or power 16. That no man can do more or less or otherwise than he doth because God as the first mover necessitateth all his actions 17. That the will hath no habits but a meer power and liberty 18. That Adam and Eve had no holiness or holy inclination to love God as God and to obey him but a meer neutral possibility 19. That Adam had not help or strength sufcient or necessary power to have forborn his first sin 20. That man was made only to be an inhabitant of earth as Angels are of heaven and is not capable of an higher habitation VIII Of sin Original and subsequent 1. That God is as much the Cause of all sin as he is of darkness and such other privations and that he made Adam sin or that he irresistibly predetermineth every ones will to every forbidden act which it doth 2. That the Devil irresistibly necessitated Adam to sin and so some superior cause did the Devils 3. That sin is not only the occasion of much good but a proper cause and as such is decreed willed and caused by God 4. That God made a Covenant with Adam that if he sinned all that came of him should be reputed sinners farther than they were really seminally in him and by natural in-being and derivation were partakers of his guilt and corruptions and so that God made them sinners by his arbitrary imputation when naturally they were not so 5. That Original sin necessitateth every sin of omission or act which ever after followeth in the world 6. That sin being a meer privation all are by nature deprived of all moral good and so all are equally evil and as bad as those in hell notwithstanding any thing that the Redeemer hath done to prevent it 7. That infants have no Original sin no guilt of Adams sin and no sinful pravity of nature 8. That Infants have no participation of guilt of any nearer parents sin but Adams only and God doth not inflict any punishment on children for their fathers sin because of their derived guilt by nature 9. That therefore Infants have no need of a Saviour to suffer for their sin nor of a pardon 10. That Infants need not the Holy Ghost to sanctifie them by killing any sinful pravity or inclination in them 11. That sin was not the cause of death 12. That sin deserveth not hell or an everlasting punishment IX Of Redemption and the Covenant of grace made to Adam and Noah 1. That God made no promise Covenant or gift of grace to Adam after his fall 2. That God made the Covenant of grace only to Adam and the elect and not to all mankind in him