the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate 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 inabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministery of the Word by which also and by the administration of the Seals Prayer and other means it is increased and strengthened II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for 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 embracing 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 although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kinde or nature of it as is all other saving grace from the faith and common grace of temporary believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakned yet it 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 and salvation SUch of the Elect as are converted at riper years having sometime lived in the state of nature and therein served divers lusts and pleasures God in their effectual calling giveth them Repentance unto life II. Whereas there is none that doth good and sinneth not and the best of men may through the power and deceitfulness of their corruptions dwelling in them with the prevalency of temptation fall into great sins and provocations God hath in the covenant of Grace mercifully provided that Believers so sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto Salvation III. This saving Repentance is an Evangelical Grace whereby a person being by the holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin doth by Faith in Christ humble himself for it with godly sorrow detestation of it and self-abhorrency praying for pardon and strength of Grace with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things IV. As Repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives upon the account of the body of death and the motions thereof so it is every mans duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly V. Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the Covenant of Grace for the preservation of Believers unto salvation that although there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant preaching of Repentance necessary CHAP. XVI Of good Works GOOd works are onely such as God hath commanded in his holy Word and not such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blinde zeal or upon any pretence of good intentions II. These good Works done in obedience to Gods 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 mouthes 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 are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more then God requires as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do V. We cannnot 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 â—â—tisfie 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 unreproveable in Gods 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 to others yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by Faith nor are done in a right maner according to the Word not to a right end the glory of God they are therefore sinful and cannot please God nor 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 from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him the Oath of God the abiding of his 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. And though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world
A DECLARATION OF THE FAITH and ORDER Owned and practised in the Congregational Churches IN ENGLAND Agreed upon and consented unto By their ELDERS and MESSENGERS IN Their Meeting at the SAVOY October 12. 1658. LONDON Printed by John Field and are to be sold by John Allen at the Sun Rising in Pauls Church-yard 1659. A PREFACE Confession of the Faith that is in us when justly called for is so indispensable a due all owe to the Glory of the Soveraign GOD that it is ranked among the Duties of the first Commandment such as Prayer is and therefore by Paul yoaked with Faith it self as necessary to salvation With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Our Lord Christ himself when he was accused of his Doctrine considered simply as a matter of fact by preaching refused to answer because as such it lay upon evidence and matter of testimony of others unto whom therefore he refers himself But when both the High Priest and Pilate expostulate his Faith and what he held himself to be he without any demur at all cheerfully makes declaration That he was the Son of GOD so to the High Priest And that he was a King and born to be a King thus to Pilate though upon the uttering of it his life lay at the stake Which holy profession of his is celebrated for our example 1 Tim. 6.13 Confessions when made by a company of professors of Christianity joyntly meeting to that end the most genuine and natural use of such Confessions is That under the same form of words they express the substance of the same common salvation or unity of their faith whereby speaking the same things they shew themselves perfectly joyned in the same minde and in the same judgement And accordingly such a transaction is to be looked upon but as a meet or fit medium or means whereby to express that their common faith and salvation and no way to be made use of as an imposition upon any Whatever is of force or constraint in matters of this nature causeth them to degenerate from the name and nature of Confessions and turns them from being Confessions of Faith into exactions and impositions of Faith And such common Confessions of the Orthodox Faith made in simplicity of heart by any such Body of Christians with concord among themselves ought to be entertained by all others that love the truth as it is in Jesus with an answerable rejoycing For if the unanimous opinions and assertions but in some few points of Religion and that when by two Churches namely that of Jerusalem and the Messengers of Antioch met assisted by some of the Apostles were by the Believers of those times received with so much joy as it is said They rejoyced for the consolation much more this is to be done when the whole substance of Faith and form of wholsome words shall be declared by the Messengers of a multitude of Churches though wanting those advantages of counsel and authority of the Apostles which that Assembly had Which acceptation is then more specially due when these shall to choose utter and declare their Faith in the same substance for matter yea words for the most part that other Churches and Assemblies reputed the most Orthodox have done before them For upon such a correspondency all may see that actually accomplished which the Apostle did but exhort unto and pray for in those two more eminent Churches of the Corinthians and the Romans and so in them for all the Christians of his time that both Jew and Gentile that is men of different perswasions as they were might glorifie GOD with one minde and with one mouth And truly the very turning of the Gentiles to the owning of the same Faith in the substance of it with the Christian Jew though differing in greater points then we do from our brethren is presently after dignified by the Apostle with this stile That it is the Confession of Jesus Christ himself not as the Object onely but as the Author and Maker thereof I will confess to thee saith Christ to God among the Gentiles So that in all such accords Christ is the great and first Confessor and we and all our Faith uttered by us are but the Epistles as Paul and Confessions as Isaiah there of their Lord and ours He but expressing what is written in his heart through their hearts and mouthes to the glory of God the Father And shall not we all rejoyce herein when as Christ himself is said to do it upon this occasion as it there also follows I will sing unto thy Name Further as the soundness and wholsomness of the matter gives the vigor and life to such Confessions so the inward freeness willingness and readiness of the spirits of the Confessors do contribute the beauty and loveliness thereunto as it is in Prayer to God so in Confessions made to men If two or three met do agree it renders both to either the more acceptable The Spirit of Christ is in himself too free great and generous a Spirit to suffer himself to be used by any humane arm to whip men into belief he drives not but gently leads into all truth and perswades men to dwell in the tents of like precious Faith which would lose of its preciousness and value if that sparkle of freeness shone not in it The character of his people is to be a willing people in the day of his power not Mans in the beauties of holiness which are the Assemblings of the Saints one glory of which Assemblings in that first Church is said to have been They met with one accord which is there in that Psalm prophesied of in the instance of that first Church for all other that should succeed And as this great Spirit is in himself free when and how far and in whom to work so where and when he doth work he carrieth it with the same freedom and is said to be a free Spirit as he both is and works in us And where this Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Now as to this Confession of ours besides that a conspicuous conjunction of the particulars mentioned hath appeared therein There are also four remarkable Attendants thereon which added might perhaps in the eyes of sober and indifferent spirits give the whole of this Transaction a room and rank amongst other many good and memorable things of this age at least all set together do cast as clear a gleam and manifestation of Gods Power and Presence as hath appeared in any such kinde of Confessions made by so numerous a company these later years The first is the Temper or distemper rather of the times during which these Churches have been gathering and which they have run through All do out of a general sense complain that the times have been perillous or difficult times as the Apostle foretold and that in respect to danger from seducing spirits
their proceedings We humbly 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 begun 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 differing from the State-settlement much less because we differ from our Brethren our differences 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 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-selves we are able to trace the footsteps 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 satisfied 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 Governors 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 publique Law to establish 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 endeavor our utmost joyntly to promove the honor and prosperity of such a Government and Governors 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 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 Governors 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 Books sold by John Allen at the Sun Rising in Pauls Church-yard viz. Mr. Caryls fifth Volume on the Book of Job in quarto Mr. Caryls seventh Volume on the Book of Job in quarto Bezae Novum Testamentum in folio Mr. Allens Scripture Chronology in quarto Mr. Baxters Call to the Unconverted Mr. Cotton on the Covenant intended suddenly for the Press Mr. Lukins Practice of Godliness Mr. Burgess of Original sin Pareus on the Revelation in folio Mr. Gataker against Judicial Astrology wherein he proves it to be the way and practice of Heathens and ought not to be so much as named by them that profess the Name of Christ Esay 47.12 13. Jer. 10.2 The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont containing a most exact Description of the Place and a faithful Account of the Doctrine Life and Persecutions of the ancient Inhabitants together with a most naked and punctual Relation of the late Bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following Transactions to 1658. justifiâ—d partly by divers ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morlaend Esq in folio The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the onely way of Salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick in quarto The Riches of Grace displayed in the offer and tender of Salvation to poor sinners by the same Author in twelves The Fountain opened and the Water of Life flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Author quarto The Gospels Glory without prejudice to the Law shining forth in the Glory of God the Father Son and holy Ghost for the salvation of sinners by Mr. Richard Byfield in octavo 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 Goodness Wisdom and Power of God as to leave men
and Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his almighty Power and Wisdom in such maner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation Chap. IX Of Free-will GOd hath endued 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 freedom 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 freeth 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 onely 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 predestinated unto life and those onely 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 mindes spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh renewing their wills and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ yet so as they come most freely being made willing by his grace II. This effectual Call is of Gods free and special grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in man who is altogether passive therein until being quickned and renewed by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it III. Elect Infants dying in Infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth so also are all other elect persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the Ministery of the Word IV. Others not elected although they may be called by the Ministery of the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit yet not being effectually drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved much less can men not professing the Christian Religion be saved in any other way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess And to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested CHAP. XI Of Justification THose whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing Faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole Law and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God II. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead Faith but worketh by Love III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified and did by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his Cross undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them make a proper real and full satisfaction to Gods Justice in their behalf Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead and both freely not for any thing in them their justification is onely of free grace that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners IV. God did from all eternity decree to justifie all the Elect and Christ did in the fulness of time die for their sins and rise again for their justification Nevertheless they are not justified personally until the holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the state of justification yet they may by their sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and in that condition they have not usually the light of his Countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their sins beg pardon and renew their faith and repentance VI The justification of Believers under the old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of Believers under the new Testament CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALl those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his onely Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the Liberties and priviledges of the Children of God have this Name put upon them receive the Spirit of Adoption have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness are enabled to cry Abba Father are pitied protected provided for and chastened by him as by a father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of Redemption and inherit the Promises as Heirs of everlasting Salvation CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification THey that are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the vertue of Christs death and resurrection are also further sanctified really and personally through the same vertue by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet imperfect in this life there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part whence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh III. In which war although