everlasting damnation as also in their free access to God and their yielding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a child-like-love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law for the substance of them but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoake of the Ceremonial Law the whole Legal administration of the Covenant of Grace to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God then Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of II. God alone is Lord of the Conscience and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word or not contained in it so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an implicit faith and an absolute and blind obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practise any sin or cherish any lust as they do thereby pervert the main design of the Grace of the Gospel to their own destruction so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty which is that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve the Lord without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life CHAP. XXII Of Religious Worship and the Sabhath-day THe light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all is just good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and all the soul and with all the might But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations or any other way prescribed in the holy Scripture II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and holy Ghost and to him alone not to Angels Saints or any other Creatures and since the Fall not without a Mediatour nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of natural worship is by God required of all men but that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son by the help of the Spirit according to his will with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance and when with others in a known tongue IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter but not for the dead nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death V. The reading of the Scriptures Preaching and hearing the word of God singing of Psalms as also the administration of Baptism and the Lords Supper are all parts of religious Worship of God to be performed in obedience unto God with understanding faith reverence and godly fear Solemn Humiliations with Fastings and Thanksgiving upon special occasions are in their several times and seasons to be used in a holy and religious manner VI Neither Prayer nor any other part of religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed but God is to be worshipped every where in spirit and in truth as in private families daily and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publique assemblies which are not carelesly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word or Providence calleth thereunto VII As it is of the Law of Nature that in general a proportion of time by Gods appointment be set apart for the worship of God so by his Word in a positive moral and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seaven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week which in Scripture is called the Lords day and is to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath the observation of the last day of the week being abolished VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affaires before hand do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployments and recreations but also are taken up the whole time in the publique and private exercisesof his Worship and in the duties of Necessity and Mercy CHAP. XXIII Of lawful Oaths and Vows A Lawful Oath is a part of Religious Worship wherein the person swearing in truth righteousness and judgment solemnly calleth God to witness what he afferteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth II. The name of God onely is that by which men ought to swear and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence Therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious or dreadful Name or to sweat at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred Yet as in matters of weight and moment an Oath is warranted by the Word of God under the New Testament as well as under the Old so a lawful Oath being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be taken III. Whosoever taketh an Oath warranted by the Word of God ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is the truth neither may any man bind himself by Oath to any thing but what is good and just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform Yet it is a sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is good and just being lawfully imposed by Authority IV. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words without equivocation or mental reservation It cannot oblige to sin but in any thing not sinful being taken it binds to performance although to a mans own hurt nor is it to be violated although made to Hereticks or Infidels V. A Vow which is not to be made to any Creature but God alone is of the like nature with a promissory Oath and ought to be made with the like religious care and to be performed with the like faithfulness VI Popish monastical Vows of perpetual single life professed poverty
would become servants of corruption and be brought in bondage to all sorts of fancies and imaginations yet the whole world may now see after the experience of many years ran-through and it is manifest by this Confession that the great and gracious God hath not only kept us in that common unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God which the whoâ—e Community of Saints have and shall in their Generations come unto but also in the same Truths both small and great that are built thereupon that any other of the best and more pure Reformed Churches in their best times which were their first times have arrived unto This Confession withall holding forth a professed opposition unto the common errors and heresies of these times These two considerations have been taken from the seasons we have gone through Thirdly let the space of time it self or dayes wherein from first to last the whole of this Confession was framed and consented to by the whole of us be duly considered by sober and ingenuous spirits the whole of days in which we had meetings about it set aside the two Lords days and the first days meeting in which we considered and debated what to pitch upon were but 11 dayes part of which also was spent by some of us in Prayer others in consulting and in the end all agreeing We mention this small circumstance but to this end which still adds unto the former That it gives demonstration not of our freeness and willingness onely but of our readiness and preparedness unto so great a work which otherwise and in other Assemblies hath ordinarily taken up long and great debates as in such a variety of matters of such concernment may well be supposed to fall out And this is no other then what the Apostle Peter exhorts unto Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason or account of the hope that is in you The Apostle Paul saith of the spiritual Truths of the Gospel That God hath prepared them for those that love him The inward and innate constitution of the new Creature being in it self such as is suted to all those Truths as congenial thereunto But although there be this mutual adaptness between these two yet such is the mixture of ignorance darkness and unbelief carnal reason pre-occupation of judgment interest of parties wantonness in opinion proud adhering to our own perswasions and perverse oppositions and avâ—rsness to agree with others and a multitude of such like distempers common to believing man All which are not onely mixed with but at times especially in such times as have passed over our heads are ready to overcloud our judgments and to cause our eyes to be double and sometimes prevail as well as lusts and do byass our wills and affections And such is their mixture that although there may be existent an habitual preparedness in mens spirits yet not always a present readiness to be found specially not in such a various multitude of men to make a solemn and deliberate profession of all truths it being as great a work to find the spirits of the just perhaps the best of Saints ready for every truth as to be prepared to every good work It is therefore to be looked at as a great and special work of the holy Ghost that so numerous a company of Ministers and other principal brethren should so readily speedily and joyntly give up themselves unto such a whole Body of Truths that are after godliness This argues they had not their faith to seek but as is said of Ezra that they were ready Scribes and as Christ instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven being as the good housholders of so many families of Christ bâ—nging forth of their store and treasury New and Old It shews these truths had been familiar to them and they acquainted with them as with their daily food and provision as Christs allusion there insinuates In a word that so they had preached and that so their people had beleived as the Apostle speaks upon one like particular occasion And the Apostle Paul considers in cases of this nature the suddenness oâ—length of the time either one way or the other whether it were in mens forsaking or learning of the truth Thus the suddenness in the Galatians caâ—e in leaving the truth he makes a wonder of it I marvel that you are SO SOON that is in so short a time removed from the true Gospel unto another Again on the contrary in the Hebrews he aggravates their backwards ess That when for the time you ought to be Teachers you had need that one teach you the very first principles of the Oracles of God The Parallel contrary to both these having fallen our in this transaction may have some ingredient and weight with ingenuous spirits in its kind according to the proportion is put upon either of these forementioned in their adverse kind and obtain the like special observation This accord of ours hath fallen out without having held any correspondency together or prepared consultation by which we might come to be advised of one anothers mindes We alledge not this as a matter of commendation in us no we acknowledge it to have been a great neglect And accordingly one of the first proposals for union amongst us was That there might be a constant correspondence held among the Churches for counsel and mutual edification so for time to come to prevent the like omission We confess that from the first every or at least the generality of our Churches have been in a manner like so many Ships though holding forth the same general colours lancht singly and sailing apart and alone in the vast Ocean of these tumultuating times and they exposed to every wind of Doctrine under no other conduct then the Word and Spirit and their particular Elders and principal Brethren without Associations among our selves or so much as holding out common lights to others whereby to know where we were But yet whilest we thus confess to our own shame this neglect let all acknowledge that God hath ordered it for his high and greater glory in that his singular care and power should have so warcht over each of these as that all should be found to have steered their course by the same Chart and to have been bound for one and the same Port and that upon this general search now made that the same holy and blessed Truths of all sorts which are currant and warrantable amongst all the other Churches of Christ in the world should be found to be our Lading The whole and every of these things when put together do cause us whatever men of prejudiced and opposite spirits may find out to slight them with a holy admiration to say That this is no other then the Lords doing and which we with thansgiving do take from his hand as a speciall token upon us for good and doth shew that God is faithfull and
a new Refinement that themselves are approved Members admitted to the Lords Supper and their Children to the Ordinance of Baptism they regard not other matters as Gallio did not but do easily and readily give up themselves unto their Guides being like dead fishes carried with the commonstream whereas those that have a further renewed Light by a work of the Holy Ghost whether saving or temporary are upon the quite contrary grounds apt to be bufie about and inquisitive into what they are to receive and practise or wherein their Consciences are professedly concerned and involved And thereupon they take the freedom to examine and try the spirits whether of God or no And from hence are more apt to dissatisfaction and from thence to run into division and many of such proving to be inlightned but with a temporary not saving Faith who have such a work of the Spirit upon them and profession in them as will and doth approve it self to the judgment of Saints and ought to be so judged until they be otherwise discovered who at long-run prove hypocrites through indulgence unto Lusts and then out of their Lusts persist to hold up these divisions unto breach of or departings from Churches and the Ordinances of God and God is even with them for it they waxing worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and even many of those that are sincere through a mixture of darkness and erroneousness in their Judgments are for a season apt out of Conscience to be led away with the error of others which lie in wait to deceive Insomuch as the Apostle upon the example of those first times fore-seeing also the like events in following generations upon the like causes hath been bold to set this down as a ruled Case that likewise in other Churches so constituted and de facto empriviledged as that of the Church of Corinth was which single Church in the Sacred Records about it is the compleatest Mirror of Church-Constitution Order and Government and Events thereupon ensuing of any one Church whatever that we have story of his Maxim is There must be also divisions amongst you he setly inserts an ALSO in the case as that which had been in his own observation and that which would be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the fate of other Churches like thereunto so prophefieth he And he speaks this as peremptorily as he doth elsewhere in that other We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Yea and that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution There is a MUST upon both alike and we bless God that we have run through both and do say and we say no more That as it was then so it is now in both respects However such hath been the powerful hand of God's Providence in these which have been the worst of our Tryals That out of an approved Experience and Observation of the Issue we are able to adde that other part of the Apostles Prediction That therefore such rents must be that they which are approved may be made manifest among you which holy issue God as having aimed at it therein doth frequently and certainly bring about in Churches as he doth bring upon them that other fate of division Let them therfore look untoit that are the Authors of such disturbances as the Apostle warneth Gal 5. 10. The experiment is this That we have seen and do daily see that multitudes of holy and precious souls and in the Holy Ghosts word approved Saints have been and are the more rooted and grounded by means of these shakings and do continue to cleave the faster to Christ and the purity of hiâ— Ordinances and value them the more by this cost God hath put them to for the enjoying of them Who having been planted in the House of the Lord have flourished in the Courts of our God in these evil times to new that the Lord is upright And this experimented event from out of such divisions hath more confirmed us and is a louder Apologie for us then all that our opposites are able from our breaches to alleadge to prejudice us We will add a few words for conclusion and give a more particular account of this our Declaration In drawing up this Confession of Faith we have had before us the Articles of Religion approved and passed by both Houses of Parliament after advice had with an Assembly of Divines called together by them for that purpose To which Confession for the substance of it we fully assent as do our Brethren of New-England and the Churches also of Scotland as each in their general Synods have testified A few things we have added for obviating some erroneous Opinions that have been more broadly and boldly here of late maintained by the Asserters then in former times and made other additions and alterations in method here and there and some clearer Explanations as we found occasion We have endeavoured throughout to hold to such Truths in this our Confession as are more properly termed matters of Faith and what is of Church-order we dispose in certain Propositions by it self To this course we are led by the Example of the Honorable Houses of Parliament observing what was established and what omitted by them in that Confession the Assembly presented to them Who thought it not convenient to have matters of Discipline and Church-Government put into a Confession of Faith especially such particulars thereof as then were and still are controverted and under dispute by men Orthodox and sound in Faith The 30th cap therefore of that Confession as it was presented to them by the Assembly which is of Church Censures their tlse Kinds and in whom placed As also cap. 31. of Synods and Councels by whom to be called of what force in their Decrees and Determinations And the 4th Paragr. of the 20th cap. which determines what Opinions and Practises disturb the peace of the Church and how such Disturbers ought to be proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and punished by the Civil Magistrate Also a great part of the 24th cap. of Marriage and Divorce These were such doubtful assertions and so unsutable to a Confession of Faith as the Honorable Houses in their great Wisdom thought fit to lay them aside There being nothing that tends more to heighten Dissentions among Brethren then to determine and adopt the matter of their difference under so high a Title as to be an Article of our Faith So that there are two whole Chapters and some Paragraphs in other Chapters in their Confession that we have upon this account omitted and the rather do we give this notice because that Copy of the Parl. followed by us is in few mens hands the other as it came from the Assembly being approved of in Scotland was printed and hastened into the world before the Parl had declared their Resolutions about it which was not til June 20. 1648. and yet hath been
conceive that WE being dissatisfied in these things as our Brethren the like liberty was intended by the Honorable Houses and may be taken by us of the Congregational way without blame or grief to the spirits of those Brethren at least to resolve or rather to continue in the same Resolution and Practise in these matters which indeed were our practises in times of greatest opposition and before this Reformation was began And as our Brethren the Ministers of London drew up and published their opinions and apprehensions about Church-Government into an intire System so we now give the like publique account of our Consciences and the Rules by which we have constantly practised hitherto which we have here drawn up and do present Whereby it will appear how much or how little we differ in these things from our Presbyterian Brethren And we trust there is no just cause why any man either for our differing from the present settlement it being out of Conscience and not out of contempt or our differences one from another being not wilful should charge either of us with that odious reproach of Schism And indeed if not for our d ffering from the State settlement much less because we differ from our Brethren our d fferences being in some lesser things and circumstances onely as themselves acknowledge And let it be further considered that we have not broken from them or their Order by these differences but rather they from us and in that respect we less deserve their censure our practise being no other then what it was in our breaking from Episcopacy and long before Presbytery or any such form as now they are in was taken up by them and we will not say how probable it is that the yoke of Episcopacy had been upon our neck to this day if some such way as formerly and now is and hath been termed Schism had not with much suffering bin then practised and since continued in For Novelty wherewith we are likewise both charged by the Enemies of both it is true in respect of the publique and open Profession either of Presbytery or Independency this Nation hath been a stranger to each way it 's possible ever since it hath been Christian though for our s lves we are able to trace the foot-steps of an Independent Congregational way in the ancientest customs of the Churches as also in the Writings of our soundest Protestant Divines and that which we are much satified in a full concurrence throughout in all the substantial parts of Church-Government with our Reverend Brethren the old Puritan Non-conformists who being instant in Prayer and much sufferings prevailed with the Lord and we reap with joy what they sowed in tears Our Brethren also that are for Presbyterial Subordinations profess what is of weight against Novelty for their way And now therefore seeing the Lord in whose hand is the heart of Princes hath put into the hearts of our Governours to tolerate and permit as they have done many years persons of each perswasion to enjoy their Consciences though neither come up to the Rule established by Authority And that which is more to give us both Protection and the same encouragement that the most devoted Conformists in those former Superstitious Times enjoyed yea and by a publike Law to estalish this Liberty for time to come and yet further in the midst of our fears to set over us a Prince that owns this Establishment and cordially resolves to secure our Churches in the enjoyment of these Liberties if we abuse them not to the disturbance of the Civil Peace This should be a very great engagement upon the hearts of all though of different perswasions to endeavour our utmost joyntly to promove the honour and prosperity of such a Government and Governours by whatsoever means which in our Callings as Ministers of the Gospel and as Churches of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace we are any way able to do as also to be peaceably disposed one towards another and with mutual toleration to love as brethren notwithstanding such differences remembring as it 's very equal we should the differences that are between Presbyterians and Independents being differences between fellow-servants and neither of them having authority given from God or Man to impose their Opinions one more then the other That our Governours after so solemn an establishment should thus bear with us both in our greater differences from their Rule and after this for any of us to take a fellow-servant by the throat upon the account of a lesser reckoning and nothing due to him upon it is to forget at least not to exercise that compassion and tenderness we have found where we had less ground to challenge or expect it Our Prayer unto God is That whereto we have already attained we all may walk by the same rule and that wherein we are otherwise minded God would reveal it to us in his due time A DECLARATION OF THE FAITH and ORDER Owned and practised in the Congregational Churches IN ENGLAND CHAP. I. Of the Holy Scripture ALthough the Light of Nature and the Works of Creation and Providence do so far manifest the Goodnesse Wisdom and Power of God as to leave men unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of his Will which is necessary unto salvation 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 afterwards 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 writing which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary those former wayes of Gods revealing his Will unto his people being now ceased II. 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 Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament Mathew 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 To Timothy 2 To 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 inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and
Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant II. The first Covenant made with man was a Covenant of Works wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity upon condition of perfect and personal obedience III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that Covenant the Lord was pleased to make a second commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them faith in him that they may be saved and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life his holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe IV. This Covenant of Grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a Testament in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator and to the everlasting Inheritance with all things belonging to it therein bequeathed V. Although this Covenant hath been differently and variously administred in respect of Ordinances and Institutions in the time of the Law and since the coming of Christ in the flesh yet for the substance and efficacy of it to all its spiritual and saving ends it is one and the same upon the account of which various dispensations it is called the Old and New Testament CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to chuse and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son according to a Covenant made between them both to be the Mediator between God and Man the Prophet Priest and King and Head and Saviour of his Church the Heir of all things and judge of the World unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time redeemed called justified sanctiâ—â—ed and gloriâ—yed II. The Son of God the second Person in the Trinity being very and eternal God of one substance and equal with the Father did when the fulness oâ— time was come take upon him Mans nature with all the essential properties and common Inâ—irmities thereof yet without sin being conceived by the power of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance So that two whole perfect and distinct natures the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joyned together in one Person without conversion composition or confusion which Person is very God and very Man yet one Christ the only Mediator between God and Man III. The Lord Jesus in his Humane nature thus united to the Divine in the Person of the Son was sanctified and anointed with the holy Spirit above measure having in him all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in whom it pleased the Father that all fulnesse should dwell to the end that being holy harmlesse undefiled and full of Grace and Truth he might be throughly furnished to execute the Office of a Mediator and Surety which Office he took not unto himself but was thereunto called by his Father who also put all Power and Judgment into his hand and gave him Commandment to execute the same IV. This Office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake which that he might discharge he was made under the Law and did perfectly fulfil it and under went the punishment due to us which we should have born and suffered being made sin and curse for us enduring most grievous torments immediately from God in his soul and most painful sufferings in his body was crucified and died was buried and remained under the power of death yet saw no corruption on the third day he arose from the dead with the same Body in which he suffered with which also he ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession and shall return to judge Men and Angels at the end of the World V. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the Justice of God and purchased not onely reconciliation but an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him VI Although the work of Redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his Incarnation yet the vertue efficacy and benefits thereof were communicated to the Elect in all Ages successively from the beginning of the World in and by those Promises Types and Sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the seed of the Woman which should bruise the Serpent's head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World being yesterday and to day the same and for ever VII Christ in the work of Mediation acteth according to both Natures by each Natures doing that which is proper to it self yet by reason of the unity of the Person that which is proper to one Nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the Person denominated by the other Nature VIII To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same making intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the Word the mysteries of salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to believe and obey and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his Almighty Power and Wisdom and in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation CHAP. IX Of Free Will GOd hath endâ—ed the Will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of Nature determined to do good or evil II. Man in his state of Innocency had freedome and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might fall from it III. Man by his fall into a state of sin hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto IV. When God converts a sinner and translates him into the state of grace he freeeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good yet so as that by reason of his remaining-corruption he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good but doth also will that which is evil V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of Glory onely CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling ALL those whom God hath predestinâ—ted unto life and those only he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ inlightning their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of
his Spirit unto honour and be made conformable to his own glorious Body CHAP. XXXII Of the last Judgment GOD hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in righteousnesse by Jesus Christ to whom all Power and Judgment is given of the Father in which day not onely the Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the Tribunal of Christ to give an account of their thoughts words and deeds and to receive according to what they have done in the body whether good or evil II. The end of Gods 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 disobedient for then shall the righteous go into everlasting Life and receive the fulnesse of joy and glory with everlasting reward in 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 Judgement both to deter 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 carnal 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 OF THE INSTITVTION OF CHURCHES And the ORDER Appointed in them by Jesus Christ I. BY the appointment of the Father all Power for the Calling Institution Order or Government of the Church is invested in a Supreme and Soveraign manner in the Lord Jesus Christ as King and Head thereof II. In the execution of this Power wherewith he is so entrusted the Lord Jesus calleth out of the World unto Communion with himself those that are given unto him by his Father that they may walk before him in all the wayes of Obedience which he prescribeth to them in his Word III. Those thus called through the Ministery the Word by his Spirit he commandeth to walk together in particular Societies or Churches for their mutual edification and the due performance of that publique Worship which he requireth of them in this world IV. To each of these Churches thus gathered according unto his mind declared in his Word he hath given all that Power and Authority which is any way needfull for their carrying on that Order in Worship and Discipline which he hath instituted for them to observe with Commands and Rules for the due and right exerting and executing of that Power V. These particular Churches thus appointed by the Authority of Christ and intrusted with power from him for the ends before expressed are each of them as unto those ends the seat of that Power which he is pleased to communicate to his Saints or Subjects in this World so that as such they receive it immediatly from himselâ— VI Besides these particular Churches there is not instituted by Christ any Church more extensive or Ca holique entrusted with power for the administration of his Ordinances or the execution of any authority in his Name VII A particular Church gathered and compleated according to the minde of Christ consists of Officers and Members The Lord Christ having given to his called ones united according to his appointment in Church-order Liberty and Power to choose Persons fitted by the Holy Ghost for that purpose to be over them and to minister to them in the Lord VIII The Members of these Churches are Saints by Calling visibly manifesting and evidencing in and by their profession and walking their Obedience unto that Call of Christ who being further known to each other by their confession of the Faith wrought in them by the power of God declared by themselves or otherwise manifested do willingly consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God in professed subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel IX The Officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the Church so called and gathered for the peculiar administration of Ordinances and execution of Power or Duty which he intrusts them with or calls them to to be continued to the end of the World are Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons X. Churches thus gathered and assembling for the Worship of GOD are thereby visible and publique and their Assemblies in what place soever they are according as they have liberty or opportunity are therefore Church or Publique Assemblies XI The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Ghost unto the Office of Pastor Teacher or Elder in a Church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the Church it self and solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer with Imposition of Hands of the Eldership of that Church if there be any before constituted therein And of a Deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage and set apart by Prayer and the like Imposition of Hands XII The Essence of this Call of a Pastor Teacher or Elder unto Office consists in the Election of the Church together with his acceptation of it and separation by Fasting and Prayer And these who are so chosen though not set apart by Imposition of Hands are rightly constituted Ministers of Jesus Christ in whose Name and Authority they exercise the Ministery to them so committed The Calling of Deacons consisteth in the like Election and acceptation with separation by Prayer XIII Although it be incumbent on the Pastors and Teachers of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word by way of Office yet the work of Preaching the Word is not so peculiarly confined to them but that others also gifted and fitted by the Holy Ghost for it and approved being by lawful ways and means in the Providence of God called thereunto may publiquely ordinarily and constantly perform it so that they give themselves up thereunto XIV However they who are ingaged in the work of Publique Preaching and enjoy the Publique Maintenance upon that account are not thereby obliged to dispense the Seals to any other then such as being Saints by Calling and gathered according to the Order of the Gospel they stand related to as Pastors or Teachers yet ought they not to neglect others living within their Parochial Bounds but besides their constant publique Preaching to them they ought to enquire after their profitting by the Word instructing them in and pressing upon them whether young or old the great Doctrines of the Gospel even personally and particularly so far as their sterngth and time will admit XV Ordination alone without the Election or precedent consent of the