and callings in the Exercise of their Gifts and Graces so the Churches when planted by the providence of God so as they may injoy opportunity and advantage for it ought to hold e Rom. 16. 1 2. 3 Joh. 8 9 10. communion amongst themselves for their peace increase of love and mutual edification 15. In cases of difficulties or differences either in point of Doctrine or Administration wherein either the Churches in general are concerned or any one Church in their peace union and edification or any member or members of any Church are injured in or by any proceedings in censures not agreeable to truth and order it is according to the mind of Christ that many Churches holding communion together do by their messengers meet to consider f Act. 15. 2 4 6. 22 23. 25. and give their advice in or about that matter in difference to be reported to all the Churches concerned howbeit these messengers assembled are not entrusted with any Church-power properly so called or with any jurisdiction over the Churches themselves to exercise any censures either over any Churches or Persons or g 2 Cor. 1. 24. 1 Joh. 4. 1 to impose their determination on the Churches or Officers CHAP. XXVII Of the Communion of Saints 1. ALL Saints that are united to Jesus Christ their Head by his Spirit and Faith although they are not made thereby one person with him have a 1 Joh. 1. 3. Joh. 1. 16. Phil. 3 10 Kom 6. 5 6. fellowship in his Graces sufferings death resurrection and glory and being united to one another in love they b Eph. 4. 15 16. 1 Cor. 12. 7. 1 Cor. 3 21 22 23. have communion in each others gifts and graces and are obliged to the performance of such duties publick and private in an orderly way c 1 Thes 5. 11. 14. Rom. 1. 12. 1 Joh. 3. 17. 18. Gal 6. 10. as do conduce to their mutual good both in the inward and outward man 2. Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God and in performing such other spiritual services d Heb. 10 24 25. with ch 3. 12 13. as tend to their mutual edification as also in relieving each other in e Act. 12. 29. 30. outward things according to their several abilities and necessities which communion according to the rule of the Gospel though especially to be exercised by them in the relations wherein they stand whether in f Eph. 6. 4. families or g 1 Cor. 12. 14. -27. Churches yet as God offereth opportunity is to be extended to all the houshold of faith even all those who in every place call upon the names of the Lord Jesus nevertheless their communion one with another as Saints doth not take away or h Act. 5. 4 Eph. 4. 28 infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions CHAP. XXVIII Of Baptism and the Lords Supper 1. BAptism and the Lords Supper are ordinances of positive and soveraign institution appointed by the Lord Jesus the only Law-giver to be continued in his Church a Mat. 28 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 26. to the end of the world 2 These holy appointments are to be administed by those only who are qualified and thereunto called according b Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 4. 1. to the commission of Christ CHAP. XXIX Of Baptism 1. BAptism is an Ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ to be unto the party Baptized a sign of his fellowship with him in his death c Rom. 6. 3. 4 5. Col. 2. 12. Gal. 3. 27. and resurrection of his being engrafted into him of d Mar. 1. 4. Act. 26. 16. remission of sins and of his e Rom 6. 2 4. giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of Life 2. Those who do actually professe f Mar. 16. 16. Act. 8. 36 37 repentance towards God faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus are the only proper subjects of this ordinance 3. The outward element to be used in this ordinance g Mat 28. 19 20. with Act. 8. 38. is water wherein the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 4. Immersion or dipping of the person h Mat. 3. 16. Joh. 3 23. in water is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance CHAP. XXX Of the Lords Supper 1. THE Supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed to be observed in his Churches unto the end of the world for the perpetual remembrance and shewing forth the sacrifice of himself in his death a 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. 25 26. confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits thereof their spiritual nourishment and growth in him their further ingagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him b 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. 21. and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him and with each other 2. In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to his Father nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the quick or dead but only a memorial of that c Heb. 9. 25 26. 28. one offering up of himself by himself upon the crosse once for all and a spiritual oblation of all d 1 Cor. 11. 24. Mat. 26. 26 27. possible praise unto God for the same so that the Popish sacrifice of the Mass as they call it is most abominable injurious to Christs own only sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the Elect. 3. The Lord Jesus hath in this Ordinance appointed his Ministers to Pray and bless the Elements of Bread and Wine and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use and to take and break the Bread to take the Cup e 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25 26 c and they communicating also themselves to give both to the Communicants 4. The denyal of the Cup to the people worshiping the Elements the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration and reserving them for any pretended religious use f Mat 26. 26 27 28. Mat. 15. 9. Exod. 20. 4 5. are all contrary to the nature of this Ordinance and to the institution of Christ 5. The outward Elements in this Ordinance duely set apart to the uses ordained by Christ have such relation to him crucified as that truely although in terms used figuratively they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent to wit the g 1 Cor. 11. 27. body and Blood of Christ albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and only h 1 Cor. 11. 26. v. 28. Bread and Wine as they were before 6. That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of Bread and Wine into the substance of Christs
to quicken all that we may have influence upon to the same work that if the will of God were so none might deceive themselves by resting in and trusting to a form of Godliness without the power of it and inward experience of the efficacy of those truths that are professed by them And verily there is one spring and cause of the decay of Religion in our day which we cannot but touch upon and earnestly urge a redresse of and that is the neglect of the worship of God in Families by those to whom the charge and conduct of them is committed May not the grosse ignorance and instability of many with the prophaneness of others be justly charged upon their Parents and Masters who have not trained them up in the way wherein they ought to walk when they were young but have neglected those frequent and solemn commands which the Lord hath laid upon them so to catechize and instruct them that their tender years might be seasoned with the knowledge of the truth of God as revealed in the Scriptures and also by their own omission of Prayer and other duties of Religion in their families together with the ill example of their loose conversation have inured them first to a neglect and then contempt of all Piety and Religion we know this will not excuse the blindness or wickedness of any but certainly it will fall heavy upon those that have thus been the occasion thereof they indeed dye in their sins but will not their blood be required of those under whose care they were who yet permitted them to go on without warning yea led them into the paths of destruction and will not the diligence of Christians with respect to the discharge of these duties in ages past rise up in judgment against and condemn many of those who would be esteemed such now We shall conclude with our earnest prayer that the God of all grace will pour out those measures of his holy Spirit upon us that the profession of truth may be accompanyed with the sound belief and diligent practise of it by us that his name may in all things be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen THE CONTENTS CHAP. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures page 1 2. Of God and of the Holy Trinity 9 3. Of Gods decrees 13 4. Of Creation 5. Of Divine Providence 19 6. Of the Fall of Man of Sin and of the Punishment thereof 23 7. Of Gods Covenant 26 8. Of Christ the Mediator 28 9. Of Free-will 35 10. Of Effectual Calling 37 11. Of Justification 40 12. Of Adoptions 43 13. Of Sanctification 44 14. Of Saving Faith 46 15. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation 49 16. Of Good works 51 17. Of Perseverance of the Saints 56 18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation 59 19. Of the Law of God 62 20. Of the Gospel and of the extent of the Grace thereof 67 21. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience 70 22. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath day 73 23. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows 78 24. Of the Civil Magistrate 81 25. Of Marriage 83 26. Of the Church 85 27. Of The Communion of Saints 94 28. Of Baptism and the Lords Supper 96 29. Of Baptism 97 30. Of The Lords Supper 98 31. Of The state of Man after death and of the Resurrection of the dead 103 32. Of The Last Judgment 105 An Appendix concerning Baptism 109 A Confession of FAITH CHAP. I. Of the Holy Scriptures 1. THe Holy Scripture is the only sufficient certain and infallible a 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. Isa 8. 20. Luk. 16. 29 31. Eph. 2. 20 rule of all saving Knowledge Faith and Obedience Although the b Rom. 1. 19 20 21. c. ch 2. 14 15. Psal 19. 1 2 3. light of Nature and the works of Creation and Providence do so far manifest the goodness wisdom and power of God as to leave men unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto Salvation c Heb. 1. 1. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal himself and to declare that His will unto his Church and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the Truth and for the more sure Establishment and Comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the World to commit the same wholly unto d Pro. 22. 19 20 21. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. writing which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary those former ways of Gods revealing his will unto his people being now ceased 2. Under the Name of Holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zachariah Malachi Of the new Testament Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistle to the Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Phillippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy to Titus to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude the Revelation All which are given by the e 2 Tim. 3. 16. inspiration of God to be the rule of Faith and Life 3. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of f Luk. 24. 27. 44. Rom. 3. 2. Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon or rule of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority to the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane writings 4. The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon g 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Joh. 5. 9. God who is truth it self the Author thereof therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God 5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church of God to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures and the heavenliness of the matter the efficacy of the Doctrine and the Majesty of the stile 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 mans salvation and many other incomparable Excellencies and intire perfections thereof are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God yet notwithstanding our h Joh. 16. 13 14. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. 1
body and blood commonly called Transubstantiation by consecration of a Priest or by any other way is repugnant not to Scripture i Act. 3. 21. Luk. 24. 6. v. 39. alone but even to common sense and reason overthroweth the k 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. nature of the ordinance and hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions yea of gross Idolatries 7. Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible Elements in this Ordinance do then also inwardly by faith really and indeed yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucified l 1 Cor. 10. 16. ch 11. 23 26. all the benefits of his death the Body and Blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally but spiritually present to the faith of Believers in that Ordinance as the Elements themselves are to their outward senses 8. All ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion m 2 Cor 6 14 15. with Christ so are they unworthy of the Lords Table and cannot without great sin against him while they remain such partake of these holy mysteries n 1 Cor. 11. 29. Mat. 7. 6. or be admitted thereunto yea whosoever shall receive unworthily are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord eating and drinking judgement to themselves CHAP. XXXI Of the State of Man after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead 1. THE Bodies of Men after Death return to dust a Gen. 3. 19. Act. 13. 36. and see corruption but their Souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediately b Eccles 12. 7. return to God who gave them the Souls of the Righteous being then made perfect in holyness are received into paradise where they are with Christ and behold the face of God in light c Luk. 23. 43. 2 Cor. 5. 1 6 8. Phil. 1. 23 Heb. 12. 23. and glory waiting for the full Redemption of their Bodies and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell where they remain in torment and utter darkness reserved to d Jud. 6 7. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Luk. 16. 23 24. the judgement of the great day besides these two places for Souls separated from their bodies the Scripture acknowledgeth none 2. At the last day such of the Saints as are found alive shall not sleep but be e 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. 1 Thes 4. 17. changed and all the dead shall be raised up with the self same bodies and f Job 19. 26 27. none other although with different g 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. qualities which shall be united again to their Souls for ever 3. The bodies of the unjust shall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonour the bodies of the just by his spirit unto honour h Act. 24. 15. Joh. 5. 28 29. Phil. 3. 21 and be made conformable to his own glorious Body CHAP. XXXII Of the Last Judgement 1. GOD hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the world in Righteousness by a Act. 17. 31. Joh. 5. 22. 27. Jesus Christ to whom all power and judgement is given of the Father in which Day not only the b 1 Cor. 6 3. Jud. 6. Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all persons that have lived upon the Earth shall appear before the Tribunal of Christ e 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eccles 12 14. Mat. 12. 36. Rom. 14. 10. 12. Mat. 25. 32. c. to give an account of their Thoughts Words and Deeds and to receive according to what they have done in the body whether good or evil 2. The end of Gods appointing this Day is for the manifestation of the glory of his Mercy in the Eternal Salvation of the Elect d Rom 9. 22 23. and of his Justice in the Eternal damnation of the Reprobate who are wicked and disobedient for then shall the Righteous go into Everlasting Life and receive that fulness of Joy and Glory with everlasting reward in the presence e Mat. 25. 21. 34. 2 Tim. 4. 8. of the Lord but the wicked who know not God and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into Eternal torments and f Mat. 25. 46. Mar. 9. 48. 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 10. punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 3. As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded that there shall be a Day of judgement both g 2 Cor. 5. 10 11. to deter all men from sin and for the greater h 2 Thes 1. 5 6 7. consolation of the godly in their adversity so will he have that day unknown to Men that they may shake off all carnal security and be always watchful because they know not at what hour the i Mar. 13. 35 36 37 Luk. 13. 35 36. Lord will come and may ever be prepared to say k Rev. 22 20. Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen AN APPENDIX WHosoever reads and impartially considers what we have in our forgoing confession declared may readily perceive That we do not only concenter with all other true Christians on the Word of God revealed in the Scriptures of truth as the foundation and rule of our faith and worship But that we have also industriously endeavoured to manifest That in the fundamental Articles of Christianity we mind the same things and have therefore expressed our belief in the same words that have on the like occasion been spoken by other societies of Christians before us This we have done That those who are desirous to know the principles of Religion which we hold and practise may take an estimate from our selves who jointly concur in this work and may not be misguided either by undue reports or by the ignorance or errors of particular persons who going under the same name with our selves may give an occasion of scandalizing the truth we profess And although we do differ from our brethren who are Paedobaptists in the subject and administration of Baptisme and such other circumstances as have a necessary dependence on our observance of that Ordinance and do frequent our own assemblies for our mutual edification and discharge of those duties and services which we owe unto God and in his fear to each other yet we would not be from hence misconstrued as if the discharge of our own consciences herein did any wayes disoblige or alienate our affections or conversation from any others that fear the Lord but that we may and do as we have opportunity participate of the labors of those whom God hath indued with abilities above our selves and qualified and called to the Ministry of the Word earnestly desiring to approve our selves to be such as follow after peace with holyness and therefore we alwaies keep that blessed Irenicum or healing Word of the Apostle before our eyes if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you nevertheless