no not as it is a Conditional Covenant 3. That all except the elect or most or many at least are still under that first Covenant of Innocency made with Adam as prescribing to them and requiring of them sinless innocency or perfection as the only condition of their salvation As if God still said to sinners I will save you if you are not sinners 4. That the Covenant of Grace was made only to and with Christ and no other 5. That there was and is an eternal Covenant of Redemption made between God the Father and the Son which is neither Gods Essence a Divine Person or Decree but a proper Covenant 6. That God gave no grace pardon or salvation by Covenant till Christs incarnation 7. That the same faith objectively considered was necessary to salvation under the first edition of the Covenant of grace as under the last viz. to believe that Jesus the son of Mary is or must be the Messiah and that he must die for sin and rise again and intercede in heaven and return to raise us and judge the world 8. That Christs Disciples were not in a state of justification till they believed all this 9. That all men shall not be judged as they believed and kept or brake the condition of the Covenant in that edition which they were under but all according to the tenor of the last edition 10. That no faith in God as gracious and merciful to sinners and as pardoning sin was necessary before Christs incarnation 11. That God before did pardon sin without any respect to the future sacrifice and merit of Christ as mans Redeemer 12. That no souls were glorified or received to heaven and happiness till Christ's resurrection but reserved in some Limbus till then X. Of the Covenant made with Abraham and Moses Law and the Israelites 1. That Abraham was the first true Believer or the first to whom a promise or Covenant of Grace was made 2. That the Covenant of Grace was made to no other people in the world but the Israelites were Gods whole visible Church on earth and did not only add to them a Covenant of peculiarity 3. That this promise to Abraham and his seed in whom all Nations of the Earth should be blessed extended no way to the believing Gentiles 4. That all Heathens children that were circumcised were certainly saved if they died before actual sin 5. That Moses Law bound men to no spiritual duty nor promised any future reward or happiness after this life 6. That Moses Law was given by an evil God or evil Angel 7. That Moses Law was the same as the Law or Covenant of perfect innocency first made for Adam 8. That all the world was bound to keep Moses Law as such even the judicial and ritual parts of it 9. That under that Law God gave no grace to obey him 10. That the converted Jews are still bound to keep Moses Law 11. Yea and all converted Gentiles now 12. That we are bound to form our Church government according to the Mosaical or Jewish XI Of Redemption by Christ incarnate and the Gospel or last edition of the Covenant of Grace 1. That Christ brought no more Grace than was as ordinarily given before his incarnation 2. That he was habitually or actually a sinner guilty of original or actual sin 3. That Christ was properly reputed a sinner by God or a proper sinner by imputation in that he took our sin to be his own or God took him to be guilty of the fault of all our sin and not only one that undertook to bear the punishment deserved 4. That Christ was as guilty of our sin as we were of Adams 5. That Christ was habitually or actually holy and fulfilled all righteousness in the Legal person of every elect person or of every true believer so that the Law therefore judgeth them to have been what Christ was or done what Christ did therein they doing it in him 6. That Christ was not a satisfying sacrifice for sin 7. That Christs satisfaction and merit were not sufficient for their proper use and effect without our satisfaction and merit to make up their defect 8. That Christ was not the Saviour of the world or that God did not so love the world as to give his only son that who ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Or that God hath made no such promise or grant to all to whom the Gospel cometh that if they repent and believe in Christ they shall be pardoned and saved or that this conditional universal pardon was no fruit of Christs death 9. That none but the elect have any mercy purchased by the death of Christ nor are bound to be thankful to him for any such 10. That Christ suffered the same pains of hell hatred of God and torment of Conscience which all the elect should else have suffered 11. That Christs Righteousness and sacrifice are not the true meritorious cause of our righteousness pardon justification and salvation 12. That Christ must be oft really sacrificed 13. That Christ at his last supper did make the bread and wine become his real body then living and that it was broken and his blood shed by himself really before he was crucified by the Jews 14. That Christ felt no real pain as St. Hilary Picâ—av ill said 15. That Christ died not but another in his shape 16. That Christ took not his body into Heaven 17. That all power is not given to Christ nor are Kings and Magistrates his Ministers nor hold their power by him 18. That Christ is no Law-giver and made no Law 19. That he is not our sufficient intercessor with God by whom we may have access and acceptance 20. That Christ sendeth not forth his spirit to be his agent and witness to the end of the world in sanctifying his elect XII Of Faith Repentance and sanctification 1. That Faith repentance holiness and obedience are not necessary in us to our salvation because Christ was righteous for us and repented and believed in our stead 2. That believers are under no Law of God 3. That he may be pardoned and saved who forbeareth only the outward Acts of sin through meer fear and is absolved by a Priest though he love sin better than holiness and had rather keep it than leave it 4. That loving others and doing them good and no harm is all the Love of God and Holiness that is necessary to salvation 5. That Faith and Repentance are of nature or by meer natural power and free-will and not the gift of grace through Christ 6. That God giveth grace equally to all till good improvers make a difference 7. That men may be holy in the restored Image of God without the grace of the Holy Ghost 8. That men need not the Spirit of God to help them to pray or preach 9. That the sins of sanctified persons are not judged by God to be theirs and that he seeth them
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
Baptism the term of Christian Catholick unity and concord as necessary ad esse and the Creed as needful and apt ad bene esse ordinarily § 22. There is a controversie raised as aforesaid by Donatists and other Sectaries so now by the Papists whether the person baptized must not also own 1. the Ministry in general 2. the particular Minister that baptizeth him 3. and the particular Church into which he is received 4. and subject himself by profession to such pastoral power To all which I shall distinctly answer § 23. I. To the first 1. what is connoted is not alwayes a necessary part of the contract A man cannot be baptized but he must know that some one hath power to baptize him 2. It is more needful of the two that the Apostolical office and power be known and believed than the successive ordinary Ministry Because the belief of the truth of the Gospel more dependeth on their testimony as commissioned and qualified with those extraordinary gifts of the spirit which are its seal and proof 3. It is of great use to our faith and obedience to understand that Christ hath settled an authorized Ministry to preserve and preach his Word and administer his Sacraments and guide his Churches to the end of the world and he that knoweth not this wanteth an integral part of Christianity and a great and needful help to his edification and salvation 4. Yet none of these are absolutely necessary to the essence of Christianity If any lived where the ministerial office were not known or should by misleading so far err as to think that any judicious Christian or any Christian Magistrate or master of a family might preach and administer the Sacraments if yet this man believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and be accordingly devoted to him in baptism this man shall be saved notwithstanding his ignorance or errour about the Ministry yea though he knew not of the office of the Apostles but took them for lay men For the promise is that whoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 18. by what means soever he was converted to the faith It is not only He that is converted by a Priest shall not perish Nor is it ever said He that believeth in the Apostles or Priests shall not perish but he that believeth in Christ which essentially includeth the belief in the Father and the Holy Ghost And therefore Paul calleth them carnal as guilty of Schism that said I am of Paul and I of Cephas because they were not baptized into the name of Paul or Cephas but of Christ And he thanketh God that he had baptized few of them lest they should say that he had baptized them into his own name And yet are the Apostles foundations or bases and pillars in the Church because Christ used them as the first great keepers of his word and seals and the means of converting unbelievers and it 's hard and rare to believe in Christ without knowing and believing that they were his commissioned Ministers § 24. II. But though it be a duty to choose a true Minister to be baptized by yet it is not at all necessary to the validity of baptism to know that the baptizer is such Indeed not one of many can be sure as not having seen his ordination nor knowing of his necessary qualifications Many things may deceive them and all baptism by Lay-men is not null as the Fathers held and the Papists now hold and confess § 25. III. And as to reception into a particular Church I have proved before that it is no work of baptism as such but a consequent act in order of nature alwayes and oft of time The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no Church but the Universal There be some few rigid mistaken brethren called Independents in New England that think indeed that all baptized persons must be baptized into a particular Church but others even of that party are wiser herein It is very fit that every one that can be a member of some particular Church But some cannot as Travellers Merchants Ambassadors c. who reside among Infidels only and those that live in Countreys where the Pastors by tyranny refuse to admit any to their communion who will not say or do some unlawful thing But yet Baptism as such is no such thing nor hath such an effect Much less is it a profession that such a particular Church is sound § 26. IV. And as to subjection to the Clergie It is true that Baptism essentially subjecteth us to Christ and this includeth an obligation to obey him in all things which we know to be his Law And it is true that just obedience to the Guides of the Church is his command But it followeth not that every man knoweth this nor that every disobedience unchurcheth us It is his command that we pray continually and in all things give thanks and that we speak not an idle word and use not vain jeasting c. But it nullifieth not Christianity that we culpably offend in one of these Nor doth our baptism contain our promise that we will never sin nor that we will obey a command which we understand not but that we will be Christs subjects and obey him sincerely so as that when we fail by weakness we will renew our repentance Christ also commandeth every child subject wife servant to obey their parents Princes and Magistrates Husband and Master And he that is baptized bindeth himself also to obey these Laws sincerely if he know them But it followeth not that it is essential to Baptism to oblige us to subjection to parents husbands masters but only to Christ who commandeth us to obey them Even as subjects take not an Oath of Allegiance to every Justice Constable or Messenger but only to the King who yet commandeth us to obey his Judges Justices Constables c. § 27. To pretend that Baptism as such doth subject men to the Bishop of Rome or to the Bishop of Alexandria Antioch Paris London or to the Pastor of a single Church is a perverting the sence of it and to be answered as the Apostle did others Were ye baptized into the Name of Paul CHAP. IV. II. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of Church-Communion and what are the lawful Causes of abscission or Excommunication § 1. IT is granted that as there is somewhat more necessary to the continuance of our pardon justification and right to glory than was to our first reception so also to our continuance as members of the Catholick Church That is the bare profession of faith and consent and subjection or Covenanting with Christ for future sincere obedience is enough to our first reception by baptism But some performance of this Covenant is necessary to our continuance The reasons are 1. Because the Covenant or promise is necessary not meerly for it self but for the