to both Natures by each Nature 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 in such manner 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 that 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 enables 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 only CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling ALL those whom God hath predestinated 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 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 through the Spirit 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 Ministry of the Word IV. Others not elected although they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common operations of the Spirit yet they never truly 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 detasted 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 the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them 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 it is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead 〈◊〉 but worketh by Love III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified and did make a proper real and full satisfaction to his Fathers 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 only 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 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 God's Fatherly displeasure and not have 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 only 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 his 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 chastned 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 who are effectually called and regenerated having a new heart and a new spirit created in them are further sanctified really and personally through the vertue of Christ's Death and Resurrection by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed the several lusts thereof are more more weakened mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all saving Graces to the practice of true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. II. This Sanctification is throughout in the whole man yet
special manner it taketh care of his Church and disposeth all things to the good thereof CHAP. VI. Of the Fall of Man of Sin and of the punishment thereof OUr first Parents being seduced by the Subtilty and Temptation of Satan sinned in eating the forbidden fruit This their sin God was pleased according to his wise and holy counsel to permit having purposed to order it to his own glory II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body III. They being the root of all mankind the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation IV. From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do proceed all actual transgressions V. This corruption of nature during this life doth remain in those that are regenerated and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified yet both it self and all the motions thereof are truely and properly sin VI. Every sin both Original and Actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subject to death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal CHAP. VII Of God's Covenant with Man THe distance between God and the creature is so great that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward but by some voluntary condescension on 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 offered 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. This Covenant was differently administred in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel Under the Law it was administred by Promises Prophesies Sacrifices Circumcision the Paschal Lamb and other Typs and Ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews all foresignifying Christ to come which were for that time sufficient and efficacious through the operation of the Spirit to instruct and build up the Elect in Faith in the promised Messiah by whom they had full remission of Sins and eternal Salvation and is called the Old Testament VI. Under the Gospel when Christ the substance was exhibited the Ordinances in which this Covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which though fewer in number and administred with more simplicity and less outward glory yet in them it is held forth in more fulness evidence and spiritual efficacy to all nations both Jews and Gentiles and is called the New Testament There are not therefore two Covenants of Grace differing in substance but one and the same under various dispensations CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son to be the Mediator between God and Man the Prophet Priest and King the 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 Sanctified and Glorified II. The Son of God the second Person of the Trinity being very and eternal God of one Substance and equal with the Father did when the fulness of time was come take upon him mans nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities 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 God-head and the Man-hood were inseperably 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 was sanctified and anointed with the holy Spirit above measure having in him all the treasures of wisdom knowledge in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell to the end that being holy harmless undefiled and full of grace and truth he might be thorowly 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 put all power and Judgement 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 fulfill it endured most grievous torments immediatly 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 his Father and purchased not only 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 actualy wrought by Christ till after his incarnaton yet the vertue efficacy and benefites thereof were communicated unto the Elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world in and by those promises typs and sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the Seed of the Woman which should bruise the Serpents 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
Satan and of the World the prevalency of corruption remaining in them and the neglect of the means of their preservation fall into grievous sins and for a time continue therein whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts have their hearts hardned and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgements upon themselves CHAP. XVIII Of the assurance of Grace and Salvation ALthough Hypocrites and other unregenerat men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate of Salvation which hope of theirs shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity endeavouring to walk in all good Conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of Grace and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shall never make them ashamed II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded upon a fallible hope but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of Salvation the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of Faith but that a true Believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before the be partaker of it yet being enable by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of him God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarge in peace and joy in the holy Ghost in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and chearfuless in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to loosness IV. True Believers may have the assurance of their Salvation divers ways shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some special sin which woundeth the Conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation by God's with-drawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God and life of Faith that love of Christ and the Brethren that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which by the operation of the Spirit this assurance may in due time be revived and by the which in the mean time they are supported from utter despair CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God GOD gave to Adam a Law as a Covenant of Works by which he bound him and all his Posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and threatned death upon the breach of it and endued him with power and ability to keep it II. This Law after his fall continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness and as such was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in two Tables the four first Commandments containing our duty towards God and the other six our duty to man III. Beside this Law commonly called Moral God was pleased to give the people of Israel as a Church under age Ceremonial Laws containing several typical Ordinances partly of Worship prefiguring Christ his graces actions sufferings and benefits and partly holding forth divers instructions of Moral Duties All which Ceremonial Laws are now abrogated under the New Testament IV. To them also as a body politick he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with 〈◊〉 state of that people not obliging any other now further than the general equity thereof may require V. The Moral Law doth for ever bind all as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it but also in respect of the Authority of God the Creator who gave it Neither doth Christ in the Gospell any way dissolve but much strengthen this obligation VI. Although true Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works to be thereby justified or condemned yet it is of great use to them as well as to others in that as a rule of Life informing them of the will of God and their duty it directs and binds them to walk accordingly discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature hearts and lives so as examining themselves thereby they may come to further conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience It is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their curruptions in that it forbids sin and the threatnings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the curse thereof threatned in the Law The promises of it in like manner shew them God's approbation of obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of works So as a mans doing good and refraining from evil because the Law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no evidence of his being under the Law and not under Grace VII Neither are the fore-mentioned Uses of the Law contrary to the grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done CHAP. XX. Of Christians Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin the condemning wrath of God the curse of the Moral Law and in their being delivered from this present evil World bondage to Satan and Dominion of sin from the evil of afflictions the sting of death the victory of the grave and everlasting damnation as also in their free access to god and their yielding obedience unto him not our of slavish fear but a child-like love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law But under the New Testament the Liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace and in fuller communication of the free Spirit of God than Believers under the Law did ordinary partake of II. God
faith really and indeed yet not carnally and corporally but Spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucified and all benefits of his death The Body and Blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in with or under the Bread and Wine yet as really but Spiritually present to the Faith of Believers in that Ordinance as the Elements themselves are to their outward senses VIII Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward Elements in this Sacrament yet they receive not the Thing signified thereby but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord to their own damnation Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him so are they unworthy of the Lord's Table and cannot without great sin against Christ while they remain such partake of these Holy Mysteries or be admitted thereunto CHAP. XXX Of Church-Censures THe Lord Jesus as King and Head of his Church hath therein appointed a Government in the hand of Church-Officers distinct from the Civil Magistrat II. To these Officers the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed by vertue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins to shut that Kingdom against the impenitent both by the Word and Censures and to open it unto penitent sinners by the Ministry of the Gospel and by Absolution from Censures as occasion shall require III. Church-Censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending Brethren fordeterring of others from the like offences for purging out of that Leaven which might infect the whole Lump for vindicating the honour of Christ and the holy profession of the Gospel and for preventing the wrath of God which might justly fall upon the Church if they should suffer his Covenant and the Seals thereof to be prophaned by notorious and obstinat offenders IV. For the better attaining of these ends the Officers of the Church are to proceed by Admonitions Suspension from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for a season and by Excommunication from the Church according to the nature of the Crime and demerit of the person CHAP. XXXI Of Synods and Councils FOr the better Government and further Edification of the Church there ought to be such Assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils II. As Magistrats may lawfully call a Synod of Ministers and other fit persons to consult and advise with about matters of Religion So if Magistrats be open Enemies to the Church the Ministers of Christ of themselves by vertue of their Office or they with other fit persons upon delegation from their Churches may meet together in such Assemblies III. It belongeth to Synods and Councils Ministerially to determine Controversies of Faith and Cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for the better ordering of the publick Worship of God and Government of his Church to receive complaints in cases of Male-administration and authoritatively to determine the same which Decrees and Determinations if consonant to the Word of God are to be received with reverence and submission not only for their agreement with the Word but also for the power whereby they are made as being an Ordinance of God appointed thereunto in his Word IV. All Synods or Councils since the Apostles times whether general or particular may err and many have erred Therefore they are not to be made the Rule of Faith or Practice but to be used as an help in both V. Synods and Councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is Ecclesiastical and are not to intermeddle with Civil Affairs which concern the Common-wealth unless by way of humble Petition in Cases extraordinary or by way of Advince for satisfaction of Conscience if they be thereunto required by the Civil Magistrat CHAP. XXXII Of the state of Men after death and of the Resurrection of the Dead THe Bodies of Men after Death return to dust and see corruption but their souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediatly return to God who gave them the Souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into the highest Heavens where they behold the Face of God in Light and Glory waiting for the full Redemption of their Bodies And the Souls of the wicked are cast into Hell where they remain in torments and utter darkness reserved to the Judgment of the great Day Besides these two places for Souls separated from their Bodies the Scripture acknowledgeth none II. At the last Day such as are found alive shall not die but the changed and all the dead shall be raised up with the self same Bodies and none other although with different qualities which shall be united again to their Souls for ever III. The Bodies of the Unjust shall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonour the Bodies of the just by his Spirit unto honour and be made conformable to his own Glorious Body CHAP. XXXIII Of the Last Judgement GOD hath appointed a Day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness by Jesus Christ to whom all power and judgement is given of the Father in which day not only the Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all Persons that hath lived upon the Earth shall appear before the Tribunal of Christ to give an account of their Thoughts Words and Deeds and to receive according to what they have done in the body whether good or evil II. The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal Salvation of the Elect and of his Justice in the damnation of the Reprobate who are wicked and dilobedient For then shall the Righteous go into everlasting Life and receive that fulness of Joy and Refreshing which shall come from the presence of the Lord But the Wicked who know not God and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into eternal Torments and be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power III. As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded that there shall be a Day of Judgement both to deterr all men from Sin And for the greater Consolation of the Godly in their Adversity so will he have that Day unknown to Men that they may shake off all carnel security and be alwayes watchful because they know not at what hour the Lord will come and may be ever prepared to say Come Lord Jesus come quickly AMEN FINIS Extracted forth of the Records of Parliament by me TH. BURNET Cls. Reg.