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 Commands To him is due from Angels and men and every other Creature whatsoever Worship Service or Obedience he is pleased to require of them III. In the Unity of the God-head there be three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost The Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is eternally begotten of the Father The Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son CHAP. III. Of God's Eternal Decree GOD from all eternity did by the most wise and Holy Counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably 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 his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others fore-ordained to everlasting death IV. These Angels and Men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished V. Those of Mankind that are predestinated unto Life God before the foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret Counsel and good Pleasure of his Will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting Glory out of his meer free grace and love without any foresight of Faith or good Works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious Grace VI. As God hath appointed the Elect unto glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will fore-ordained all the means thereunto Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are Justified Adopted Sanctified and kept by his power through faith unto salvation Neither are any other redeemed by Christ effectually Called Justified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only VII The rest of mankind God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own Will whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory of his Soveraign Power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice VIII The Doctrine of this high Mystery of Predestination 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 from 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. IV. Of Creation IT pleased God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal Power Wisdom and goodness in the beginning to create or make of nothing the World and all things therein whether visible or invisible in the space of six days and all very good II. After God had made all other Creatures he created Man Male and Female with reasonable and immortal souls endowed with knowledge righteousness and true holiness after his own Image having the Law of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill 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 Tree of the knowledge of good and evil which whiles they kept they were happy in their Communion with God and had dominion over the Creatures CHAP. V. Of Providence GOD the great Creator of all things doth uphold direct dispose and govern all Creatures actions and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy Providence according to his infallible fore-knowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will to the praise of the glory of his Wisdom Power Justice Goodness and Mercy II. Although in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God the first cause all things come to pass immutably and infallibly yet by the same Providence he ordereth 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 yet is free to work without above and against them at his pleasure IV. The Almighty power unsearchable wisdom and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his Providence that it extendeth it self even to the first fall and all other sins of Angels and men and that not by a bare permission but such as hath joyned with it a most wise and powerful bounding and otherwise ordering and governing of them in a manifold 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 righteous neither is nor can be the Author or Approver of sin V. The most wise righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptation 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 closs and constant dependency for their support upon himself and to make them more watchful against all future occasions 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 harden from them he not only withholdeth his grace whereby they might have been inlightned in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions 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 these means which God useth for the softning of others VII As the providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures so after a most
imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconciliable War the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh III. In which War although the remaining Corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the Regenerat part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of God CHAP. XIV Of Saving Faith THe Grace of Faith whereby the Elect are enable to believe to the saving of their Souls is the Work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarly wrought by the Ministry of the Word by which also and by the Administration of the Sacraments and Prayer it is increased and strengthned II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word from the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yielding obedience to the Commands trembling at the threatnings and imbracing 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 vertue of the Covenant of Grace III. This Faith is different in degrees weak or strong may be often and many ways assailed and weakned but gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith CHAP. XV. Of Repentance unto Life REpentance unto Life in an Evangelical Grace the Doctrine whereof is to be Preached by every Minister of the Gospel as well as that of Faith in Christ II. By it a sinner out of the sight and sense not only of the danger but also of the filthiness and odiousness his Sins as contrary to the holy Nature and righteous Law of God and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves for and hates his sins as to turn from them all unto God purposing and endeavouring to walk with him in all the ways of his Commandments III. Although Repentance be not to be rested on as any satisfaction for sin or any cause of the pardon thereof which is the act of Gods free grace in Christ yet it is of such necessity to all sinners that none may expect pardon without it 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 V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance but it is every mans duty to endeavour to repent of his particular sins particularly VI. As every man is bound to make privat confession of his sins to God praying for the pardon 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 privat or publick confession and sorrow for his sins to declare his Repentance to those that are offended who are thereupon to be reconciled to him and in love to receive him CHAP. XVI Of Good Works GOOD Works are only such as God hath commanded 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 their thankfulness strengthen their assurance edifie their brethren adorn the profession of the Gospel stop the mouths of the adversaries and glorifie 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 IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life is 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 V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon 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 us and God whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfie 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 Gods Judgement VI. Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers being accepted through Christ their good works also are accepted in him not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable 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 imperfections VII 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 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 cannot please God or make a man meet to receive grace from God and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God CHAP. XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints THey whom God hath accepted in his Beloved 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 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 unchangeable 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 III. Nevertheless they may through the temptations of
faith really and indeed yet not carnally and corporally but Spiritually receive 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 of Believers in that Ordinance as the Elements themselves are to their outward senses VIII Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the Thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord to their own damnation Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lord's Table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remain such partake of these Holy Mysteries or be admitted thereunto CHAP. XXX Of Church-Censures THe Lord Jesus as King and Head of his Church hath therein appointed a Government in the hand of Church-Officers distinct from the Civil Magistrat II. To these Officers the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed by vertue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins to shut that Kingdom against the impenitent both by the Word and Censures and to open it unto penitent sinners by the Ministry of the Gospel and by Absolution from Censures as occasion shall require III. Church-Censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending Brethren fordeterring of others from the like offences for purging out of that Leaven which might infect the whole Lump for vindicating the honour of Christ and the holy profession of the Gospel and for preventing the wrath of God which might justly fall upon the Church if they should suffer his Covenant and the Seals thereof to be prophaned by notorious and obstinat offenders IV. For the better attaining of these ends the Officers of the Church are to proceed by Admonitions Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for a season and by Excommunication from the Church according to the nature of the Crime and demerit of the person CHAP. XXXI Of Synods and Councils FOr the better Government and further Edification of the Church there ought to be such Assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils II. As Magistrats may lawfully call a Synod of Ministers and other fit persons to consult and advise with about matters of Religion So if Magistrats be open Enemies to the Church the Ministers of Christ of themselves by vertue of their Office or they with other fit persons upon delegation from their Churches may meet together in such Assemblies III. It belongeth to Synods and Councils Ministerially to determine Controversies of Faith and Cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better ordering of the publick Worship of God and Government of his Church to receive complaints in cases of Male-administration and authoritatively to determine the same which Decrees and Determinations if consonant to the Word of God are to be received with reverence and submission not only for their agreement with the Word but also for the power whereby they are made as being an Ordinance of God appointed thereunto in his Word IV. All Synods or Councils since the Apostles times whether general or particular may err and many have erred Therefore they are not to be made the Rule of Faith or Practice but to be used as an help in both V. Synods and Councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to intermeddle with Civil Affairs which concern the Common-wealth unless by way of humble Petition in Cases extraordinary or by way of Advince for satisfaction of Conscience if they be thereunto required by the Civil Magistrat CHAP. XXXII Of the state of Men after death and of the Resurrection of the Dead THe Bodies of Men after Death return to dust and see corruption but their souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediatly return to God who gave them the Souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into the highest Heavens where they behold the Face of God in Light and Glory waiting for the full Redemption of their Bodies And the Souls of the wicked are cast into Hell where they remain in torments and utter darkness reserved to the Judgment of the great Day Besides these two places for Souls separated from their Bodies the Scripture acknowledgeth none II. At the last Day such as are found alive shall not die but the changed and all the dead shall be raised up with the self same Bodies and none other although with different qualities which shall be united again to their Souls for ever III. 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 and be made conformable to his own Glorious Body CHAP. XXXIII Of the Last Judgement GOD hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness by Jesus Christ to whom all power and judgement is given of the Father in which day not only the Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all Persons that hath lived upon the Earth shall appear before the Tribunal of Christ 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 II. The end of God's 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 damnation of the Reprobate who are wicked and dilobedient 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 Lord 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 presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power III. As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded that there shall be a Day of Judgement both to deterr all men from Sin And for the greater Consolation of the Godly in their Adversity so will he have that Day unknown to Men that they may shake off all carnel security and be alwayes watchful because they know not at what hour the Lord will come and may be ever prepared to say Come Lord Jesus come quickly AMEN FINIS Extracted forth of the Records of Parliament by me TH. BURNET Cls. Reg.
Satan and of the World the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation fall into grievous sins 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 hardned and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgements upon themselves CHAP. XVIII Of the assurance of Grace and Salvation ALthough Hypocrites and other unregenerat 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 rejoyce 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 perswasion 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 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 the be partaker of it yet being enable by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of him God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarge in peace and joy in the holy Ghost in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and chearfuless in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to loosness IV. True Believers may have the assurance of their Salvation divers ways shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some special sin which woundeth the Conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation by God's with-drawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God and life 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 Of the Law of God GOD gave to Adam a Law as a Covenant of Works by which he bound him and all his Posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and threatned death upon the breach of it and endued him with power and ability to keep it 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 four first Commandments containing our duty towards God and the other six our duty to man III. Beside this Law commonly called Moral God was pleased to give the people of Israel as a Church under age Ceremonial Laws containing several typical Ordinances 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 politick he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with 〈◊〉 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 the Creator who gave it Neither doth Christ in the Gospell 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 condemned yet it is 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 to walk accordingly discovering also the sinful pollutions 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 obedience It is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their curruptions in that it forbids sin and the threatnings 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 curse thereof threatned 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 performance thereof although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of works So as a mans doing good and refraining from evil because the Law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under Grace VII Neither are the fore-mentioned 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 cheerfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done CHAP. XX. Of Christians Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for 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 afflictions 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 our of slavish fear but a child-like love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers 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 communication of the free Spirit of God than Believers under the Law did ordinary partake of II. God