Father the Word and the holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5.7 see also Gen. 1.26 chap. 3.22 chap. 11.7 and Esa. 6.8 5. I believe that these three are in Nature Essence and Eternity equally one These three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 6. I believe there is a World to come Heb. 2.5 chap. 6.5 7. I believe that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt Marvail not at this For the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of Damnation Act. 24.15 Dan. 12.2 Joh. 5.28 8. I believe that they that shall be counted worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall to the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection Luk. 10.34.35 36. Joh. 10.27 28 29. Rev. 7.16 chap. 20.6 9. I believe that those that dye impenitent shall be tormented with the Divel and his Angels and shall be cast with them into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone where their worm dyeth not and the fire is not quenched Rev. 21.8 Mar. 9.43.48 Mat. 25 41.46 Joh. 5.29 10. I believe that because God is naturally holy and just even as he is Good and Mercifull therefore all having sinned none can be saved without the means of a redeemer Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome We have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins For which out shedding of blood is no remission Job 33.24 Col. 1.14 Hebr. 9.22 11. I believe that Jesus Christ our Lord himself is the redeemer They remembred that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Psa. 78.35 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 12. I believe that the great reason why the Lord the second person in the God-head did cloth himself with our flesh and blood was that he might be capable of obtaining the redemption that before the world was intended for us Forasmuch then as the children were made partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same mark that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divel and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage When the fulness of the time was Come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high priest in things pertaining to God To make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able also to succour them that are tempted Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us As it is written cursed is every one that is hanged on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through faith in Jesus Christ. Heb. 2.14 15. Gal. 4 4. Heb. 2. 17 18. Gal. 3.13 14. 13. I believe that the time when he clothed himself with our flesh was in the dayes of the reign of Caesar Augustus then I say and not till then was the word made flesh or clothed with our nature And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed And Joseph went up from Galilee out of the City of Nazareth unto Judah unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and linage of David to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with child And so it was that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered This child was he of whom godly Simeon was told by the holy Ghost when he said That he should not see death untill he had seen the Lord Christ. Joh 1.14 1 Tim. 3.16 Luk. 2.1 2 3 6.25 26 27. 14. I believe therefore that this very child as afore is testified is both God and man the Christ of the living God And she brought forth her first born son and wrapt him in swadling clothes and laid him in a manger Because there was no room for them in the inn And there were in the same Countrey shepheards keeping watch over their flock by night And Lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the Glory of the Lord shined round about them and they were sore afraid And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the City of David a saviour which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you you shall find the babe wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a manger Again But while he thought on these things behold the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him saying Joseph thou son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Now all this was done that it might be fullfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Immanuel which being interpreted is God with us Luk. 2.7 12. Mat. 1.21 22. 15. I believe therefore that the righteousness and redemption by which we that believe stand just before God as saved from the curse of the Law is the righteousness and redemption that consists in the personal acts performancas of this child Jesus this God man the Lords Christ it consisteth I say in his personal fulfilling the law for us to the utmost requirement of the justice of God Do not think said he that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophet I am not come to destroy but to fulfill By which means he became the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and and for sin oondemned sin in the flesh So finishing
the conusail of his own will Rom. 11.5 6. 2 Tim. 2.19 Eph. 1.11 2. I believe that this decree choyce or election was before the foundation of the world and so before the elect themselves had being in themselves For God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were stayes not for the being of things to determine his eternal purpose by but having all things present to and in his wisdome he made his choice before the world was Rom. 4.17 Eph. 1.4 2 Tim. 1.9 3. I believe that the decree of election is so far off from making works in us foreseen the ground or cause of the choyce that it containeth in the bowels of it not onely the persons but the graces that accompany their salvation And hence it is that it is said Wa are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son not because we are but that we should be holy and without blame before him in love For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto Good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them He blessed us according as he chose us in Christ. And hence it is again that the salvation and calling of which we are now made partakers is no other then what was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began according to his eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eph 1.3 4. chap. 2 10. chap. 3.8 9 10 11. 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom 8.26 4 I believe that Christ Jesus is he in whom the elect are alwayes considered and that without him there is neither election Grace nor salvation Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace That in the dispensasation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are in earth even in him Neither is their salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Eph. 1.5 6 7.10 Act. 4.12 5. I believe that there is not any impediment attending the election of God that can hinder their conversion and eternal salvation Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justifyed and whom he justifyed them he also glorifyed What shall we say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's eiect It is God that justifyeth Who is he that condemneth c. What then Israel hath not obtaâ—ned that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded For Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God of the Lord of hosts though their land was filled with sin against the holy one of Israel When Ananias made intercession against Saul saying Lord I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem and here he hath authority from the high-priest to bind all that call upon thy name What said God unto him Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel Rom. 8.30 31 32 33 34. chap. 11.7 Jer. 51.5 Act. 9.12 13 14 15. 6 I believe that no man can know his election but by his calling The vessels of mercy which God afore prepared unto Glory do thus claim a share sherein Even us say they whom he hath called not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles As he also saith in O see I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Rom. 9.23 24 â—5 7 I believe therefore that election doth not forestall or prevent the means which are of God appointed to bring us to Christ to grace and glory but rather putteth a necessity upon the use and effect thereof because they are chosen to be brought to heaven that way that is by the faith of Jesus Christ which is the end of effectual calling Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Thes. 2.13 1 Pet. 1.12 2 Pet. 1.10 Of Calling 1. I believe that to effectual Calling the holy Ghost must accompany the word of the Gospel and that with mighty power I mean that calling which of God is made to be the fruit of electing love I know saith Paul to the Thessalonians brethren beloved your election of God for our Gospell came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance c 1 Thes. 1.4.8 Otherwise men will not cannot hear and turn Samuell was called four times before he knew the voice of him that spake from heaven It is said of them in Hosea That as the Prophets called them so they went from them And instead of turning to them sacrificed to Balaam and burnt incense to Graven Images 1 Sam 4.6.10 Hos. 11.2 The reason is because men by nature are not only dead in sins but enemys in their minds by reason of wicked works The call then is Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5.14 Understand therefore that effectual calling is like that word of Christ that raised Lazarus from the dead A word attended with an arm that was omnipotent Lazarus come forth was a word to the dead but not onely so It was a word for the dead a word that raised him from the dead a word that outwent all opposition and that brought him forth of the grave though bound hand and foot therein Joh. 11.43 Eph. 2 1 2. Heb. 10.32 Gal. 1.15 Act. 9. And hence it is that calling is sometimes expressed by quickening awakening illuminating or bringing them forth of darkness to light that amazeth and astonisheth them For as it is a strange thing for a man that lay long dead or never saw the light with his eyes to be raised out of the grave or to be made to see that which he could not so much as once think of before so it is with effectual calling 1 Pet. 2.9 Hence it is that Paul when called stood trembling and was astonished and that Peter saith he hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Eph. 4.21 Act. 7.2 In effectual calling the voyce of God is heard and the gates of heaven are opened when God called Abraham he appeared to him in glory Oh that of Ananius to Saul is experienced but by few The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee saith he that thou shouldest know his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the voyce of
transgressions and making an end of sins and making reconciliation for iniquity he brought in everlasting righteousness Math. 5.17 Rom. 10.3 chap. 8 3. 1 Joh. 3.8 2 Tim. 1 9. Hebr. 10.5 6 7 8 9 â—0 Dan. 9.24 16. I believe that for the compleating of this work he was alwayes sinless did alwayes the things that pleased God's Justice that every one of his acts both of doing and suffering and rising again from the dead was really and infinitely perfect being done by him as God-man Wherefore his acts before he dyed are called the righteousness of God his blood the blood of God and herein perceive we the love of God in that he laid down his life for us The Godhead which gave vertue to all the acts of the humane nature was then in perfect union with it when he hanged upon the cross for our sins Heb. 4.15 chap. 7.26 27 28. Joh. 8.29 Acts. 10 30. Rom. 3.21 22. Act. 20.28 1 Joh. 3.16 Joh. 20 28. Rom. 1.4 17. I believe then that the righteousness that saveth the sinner from the wrath to come is properly and personally Christs and ours but as we have union with him God by grace imputing it to us Yea doubtless and I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ ' and be found in him not haveing my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith For of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Phil. 3 8 9. 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.20 21. 18. I believe that God as the reward of Christs undertakings for us hath exalted him to his own right hand as our mediatour and given him a name above every name and hath made him Lord of all and judge of quick and dead and all this that we who believe might take courage to believe and hope in God And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself unto death even the death of the cross where he dyed for our sins wherefore God hath highly alted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow both of things in heaven and things in earth things that are under the earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it was he that was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Ph. 2.5 10. Eph. 1.18 22. Act. 10.42 ch 17.31 1 Pet. 1.19 20 21. 19. I believe that being on the right hand of God in heaven he doth there effectually exercise the office of his excellent priesthood and mediatorship presenting himself continually before God in the righteousness which is accomplished for us when he was in the world For by the efficacy of his blood he nor onely went into the holy place but being there and having by it obtained eternal redemption for us now as receiving the worth and merit thereof from the Father doth bestow upon us grace repentance faith and the remission of sins Yea he also received for us the holy Ghost to be sent unto us to ascertain us of our adoption and Glory For if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seeing then we have a great high priest that is entred into the heavens Jesus the son of God Let us hold fast our profession For there is one God and one mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus For by his own blood he entred into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figure of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Hebr. 8.4 1 Tim. 2 5. Hebr. 9.12.24 Act. 5.31 chap. 2 33. 20. I believe that being there he shall so continue till the restitution of all things and then he shall come again in Glory and shâ—ll sit in judgment upon all flesh And I believe that according to his sentence so shall their judgment be Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heaven must receive untill the restitution of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began For this same Jesus which ye have seen go up into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Arch-angel and the trumphet of God c. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then he shall sit upon the throne of his Glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepheard divideth his sheep from the Goats And he shall set his sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal For the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlinels looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Act. 3.19 20 21. 1 Thes. 4 16. Act. 1.11 Mat. 25.31 32 33 41 46. 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12.
21. I believe that when he comes his saints shall have a reward of grace for all their work and labour of Love which they shewed to his name in the world And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour And then shall every man have praise of God And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Wherefore my beloved brethren be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for asmuch as ye know your labour is not in vain in the Lord Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ 1 Cor. 3.8 chap. 4.5 Rev. 22.12 1 Cor. 15 58. Col 3 24. How Christ is made ours or by what means this or that man hath that benefit by him us to stand just before God now and in the day of judgement 1. I believe we being sinfull Creatures in our selves that no good thing done by us can procure of God the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But that the imputation thereof is an act of grace a free gift without our deserving Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. He called us and saved us with an holy calling Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 chap. 5.17 2 Tim. 1 9. 2. I believe also that the power of imputing righteousness resideth onely in God by Christ 1 Sin being the transgression of the Law 2. The soul that hath sinned being his creature and the righteousness also his and his onely Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Hence therefore it is said again that men shall abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness and sing of his righteousness For he saith in Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 4.6 7. Psal. 145.7 Rom. 9.15 16. 3. I believe that the offer of this righteousness as tendered in the Gospell is to be received by faith we still in the very act of receiving it judging our selves sinners in our selves Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Gospel is preached in all nations for the obedience of faith Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation a sacrifice to appease the displeasure of God through faith in his blood To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifyer of him that believeth on Jesus Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justifyed from all things from which they could not be justifyed by the law of Moses Rom 7.24 Act. 16.31 Rom 3.24.25 Act. 13.38 39. 4. I believe that this faith as it respecteth the imputation of this righteousness for justification before God doth put forth it self in such acts as purely respect the offer of a gift It receiveth accepteth of imbraceth or trusteth to it As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospell of your salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise I believe therefore that as to my justication from the curse of the Law I am as I stand in my self ungodly to receive accept of imbrace and trust to the righteousness that is already provided by and wrapt up in the personal doings and sufferings of Christ it being faith in that and that onely that can justify a sinner in the sight of God Joh. 1.12 1 Tim. 1.15 Heb. 11.13 Eph. 1.13 5. I believe that the faith that so doth is not to be found with any but those in whom the Spirit of God by mighty power doth work it all others being fearfull and incredulous dare not venture their souls and eternity upon it And hence it is called the faith that is wrought by the exceeding great and mighty power of God The faith of the operation of God And hence it is that others are said to be fearfull and so unbelieving These with other ungodly sinners must have their part in the lake of fire Eph. 1.18 19. Col. 2.12 Eph. 2.8 Phil. 1.19 Rev. 21.8 6. I bilieve that this faith is effectually wrought in none but those which before the world were appointed unto Glory And as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed That he might make known the riches of his Glory upon the vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto Glory We give thanks unto God alwayes for you all making mention alwayes of you in our prayers remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God knowing brethren beloved your election of God But of the rest he saith ye believed not because ye are not of my sheep as I said which latter words relate to the 16. v. which respecteth the election of God Joh. 10.26 Therefore they could not believe because Esaias said again he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and I should heal them Act. 13.48 Rom. 9.23 1 Thes. 1.2 3 4. Joh. 10.26 chap. 12 38 39 40. Of Election 1. I believe that Election is free and permanent being founded in Grace and the unchangeable will of God Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace And if by Grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then it is no more of grace otherwise work is no more work Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after