not under grace VII Neither are the forementioned Uses of the Law contrary to the grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the Spirit of Christ subduing and inabling the will of man to do that freely and chearfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done CHAP. XX. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience THe Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Beleevers under the Gospel consists in their freedome 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 accesse to God and their yeelding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear but a Childe-like love and willing minde All which were common also to Beleevers under the Law But under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldnesse of accesse to the Throne of Grace and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God than Beleevers 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 beside it if matters of Faith or Worship So that to beleeve such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of Conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an implicite Faith and an absolute and blinde 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 do thereby 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 holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life IV. And because the Powers which God hath ordained and the liberty which Christ hath purchased are not intended by God to destroy but mutually to uphold and preserve one another They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty shall oppose any lawful Power or the lawful exercise of it whether it be Civil or Ecclesiastical resist the Ordinance of God And for their publishing of such Opinions or maintaining of such Practises as are contrary to the light of Nature or to the known Principles of Christianity whether concerning Faith Worship or Conversation or to the Power of Godliness or such erroneous Opinions or Practises as either in their own nature or in the maner of publishing or maintaining them are destructive to the external Peace and Order which Christ hath established in the Church they may lawfully be called to account and proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and by the Power of the Civil Magistrate CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THe light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all is 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 with 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 representation or any other way not 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 Creature and since the Fall not without a Mediator nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone III. Prayer with Thanksgiving being one special part of Religious Worship is by God required of all men and that it may be accepted it is to be made in the Name of the Son by the help of his Spirit according to his Will with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverence and if vocal 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 with godly fear the sound Preaching and Conscionable Hearing of the Word in obedience unto God with understanding faith and reverence singing of Psalms with grace in the heart as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the Sacraments instituted by Christ are all parts of the ordinary Religious Worship of God Beside Religious Oathes Vows Solemn Fastings and Thanksgivings upon special occasions which are in their several times and seasons to be used in an holy and religious maner 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 Truth as in private Families daily and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publique Assemblies which are not carelesly or 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 due proportion of time be set apart for the Worship of God so in his Word by a positive Moral and perpetual Commandment binding all men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed One Day in Seven 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 VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering of their common affairs 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 Exercises of his Worship and in the Duties of necessity and mercy CHAP. XXII Of lawful Oathes and Vows A Lawful Oath is a part of Religious Worship wherein upon just occasion the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to Judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth II. The Name of God only is that by which men ought to swear and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence
Die Lune 7. Decembr 1646. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT that sixe hundred Copies and no more of the Advice of the Assembly of Divines presented to this House Concerning a Confession of Faith be forthwith Printed for the service of both Houses and the Assembly of Divines and that the care of the printing thereof be referred to the Assembly of Divines And the Printer is injoyned at his perill not to print more then sixe hundred Copies of them or to divulge or publish any of them It is further Ordered that no person presume to Reprint Divulge or publish the said ADVICE or any part of it till further order be taken herein by both or either of the Houses of Parliament H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com. The humble ADVICE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF Divines Now by Authority of PARLIAMENT sitting at Westminster Concerning a Confession of Faith Presented by them lately to both Houses of PARLIAMENT A certain number of Copies are Ordered to be Printed only for the use of the Members of both Houses and of the Assembly of Divines to the end that they may advise thereupon LONDON Printed for the Company of STATIONERS TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT The humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines now by Authority of PARLIAMENT sitting at WESTMINSTER Concerning a Confession of Faith CHAP. I. Of the Holy Scripture ALthough the light of Nature and the works of Creation and Providence do so farre manifest the Goodnesse Wisdome 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 maners to reveale 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 Deuteronomie Joshuah Judges Ruth I. Samuel II. Samuel I. Kings II. Kings I. Chronicles II. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hoseah Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament The Gospels according to MAtthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I. Corinthians II. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I. Thessalonians II. To Timothy I. To Timothy II. 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 of John All which are given by 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 therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other humane Writings IV. The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be beleeved and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it selfe the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God V. We may be moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteeme of the holy Scripture And the heavenlinesse of the Matter the efficacy of the Doctrine the majesty of the Style the consent of all the Parts the Scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the only way of mans salvation the many other incomparable Excellencies and the intire perfection thereof are Arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God yet notwithstanding our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and Divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witnesse by and with the Word in our hearts VI. The whole Councel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory mans salvation Faith and Life is either expressely setdown in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of men Neverthelesse we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word and that there are some circumstances concerning the Worship of God and Government of the Church common to human actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian Prudence according to the generall Rules of the Word which are alwayes to be observed VII All things in Scripture are not alike plaine in themselves nor alike cleare unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known beleeved and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not only the Learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them VIII The Old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the people of God of old and the New Testament in Greek which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediatly inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authenticall so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to Appeale unto them But because these Originall Tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the feare of God to read and search them therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar Language of every Nation unto which they come that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all they may worship him in an acceptable manner and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope IX The infallible Rule of Interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it selfe and therefore when there is a Question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly X. The Supreme Judge by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Councels Opinions of Ancient Writers Doctrines of
men and private spirits are to be examined and in whose Sentence we are to rest can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture CHAP. II. Of God and of the holy Trinity THere is but one only living and true God who is infinite in Being and Perfection a most pure Spirit invisible without body parts or passions immutable immense eternall incomprehensible almighty most wise most holy most free most absolute working all things according to the Counsell of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory most loving gracious mercifull long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and withall most just and terrible in his judgements hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty II. God hath all life glory goodnesse blessednesse in and of himself and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient notstanding in need of any creatures which he hath made nor deriving any Glory from them but only manifesting his own Glory in by unto and upon them He is the alone Fountain of all Being of whom through whom and to whom are all things and hath most Soveraigne Dominion over them to do by them for them or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth In his sight all things are open and manifest his knowledg is infinite infallible independent upon the creature so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain He is most holy in all his counsels in all his works and in all his commands To him is due from Angels and men and every other creature whatsoever worship service or obedience he is pleased to require of them III. In the Unity of the God-head there be Three Persons of one substance power and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost The Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is eternally begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son CHAP. III. Of Gods Eternall Decree GOd from all eternity did by the most wise and holy Counsell of his own Will freely and unchangeably ordaine whatsoever comes to passe yet so as thereby neither is God the Author of sin nor is violence offered to the will of the Creatures nor is the Liberty or contingencie of second Causes taken away but rather established II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to passe upon all supposed conditions yet hath he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future or as that which would come to passe upon such conditions III. By the Decree of God for the manifestation of his glory some men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others fore-ordained to everlasting death IV. These Angels and men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished V. Those of man-kinde that are predestinated unto Life God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternall and immutable purpose and the secret Counsel and good pleasure of his Will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free grace and love without any fore-sight of Faith or Good-works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious grace VI. As God hath appointed the Elect unto glory so hath he by the eternall and most free purpose of his Will fore-ordained all the means thereunto Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are justified adopted sanctified and kept by his power through faith unto salvation Neither are any other redeemed by Christ effectually called justified adopted sanctified and saved but the Elect only VII The rest of man-kinde God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsell of his own Will whereby he extendeth or with-holdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory of his Soveraigne Power over his creatures to passe by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice VIII The Doctrine of this high Mystery of Predestination is to be handled with speciall prudence and care that men attending the Will of God revealed in his Word and yeelding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectuall Vocation be assured of their eternall Election So shall this Doctrine afford matter of praise reverence and admiration of God and of humility diligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel CHAP. IV. Of Creation IT pleased God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the manifestation of the glory of his eternall power wisedome and goodnesse in the beginning to create or make of nothing the World and all things therein whether visible or invisible in the space of six daies and all very good II. After God had made all other creatures he created man male and female with reasonable and immortall souls indued with knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse after his own Image having the Law of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill it And yet under a possibility of transgressing being left to the liberty of their own will which was subject unto change Beside this Law written in their hearts they received a command not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil which whiles they kept they were happy in their Communion with God and had Dominion over the Creatures CHAP. V. Of Providence GOd the great Creator of all things doth uphold direct dispose and governe all creatures actions and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy Providence according to his infallible fore-knowledge and the free and immutable counsell of his own Will to the praise of the glory of his wisedome power justice goodnesse and mercy II. Although in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God the first Cause all things come to passe immutably and infallibly yet by the same Providence hee ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes either necessarily freely or contingently III. God in his ordinary Providence maketh use of meanes yet is free to work without above and against them at his pleasure IV. The almighty power unsearchable wisedome and infinite goodnesse of God so farre manifest themselves in his Providence that it extendeth it selfe even to the first Fall and all other sinnes of Angels and Men and that not by a bare permission but such as hath joyned with it a most wise and powerfull bounding and otherwise ordering and governing of them in a manifold dispensation to his owne holy ends yet so as the sinfulnesse thereof proceedeth onely from the creature and not from God who being most holy and righteous neither is nor can be
Therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful Name or to swear 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 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 binde 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 is it a sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is good and just being imposed by lawful 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 bindes to performance although to a mans own hurt Nor is it to be violated although made to Hereticks or Infidels V. A Vow 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. It is not to be made to any Creature but to God alone and that it may be accepted it is to be made voluntarily out of Faith and conscience of Duty in way of thankfulness for mercy received or for the obtaining of what we want whereby we more strictly binde our selves to necessary duties or to other things so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto VII No man may Vow to do any thing forbidden in the Word of God or what would hinder any duty therein commanded or which is not in his own power and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God In which respects Popish Monastical Vows of perpetual single life professed Poverty and Regular Obedience are so far from being degrees of higher Perfection that they are superstitious and sinful snares in which no Christian may intangle himself CHAP. XXIII Of the Civil Magistrate GOd the supreme Lord and King of all the World hath Ordained Civil Magistrates to be under him over the People for his own Glory and the Publique good and to this end hath armed them with the Power of the Sword for the defence and incouragement of them that are good and for the punishment of evil doers II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the Office of a Magistrate when called thereunto in the managing whereof as they ought especially to maintain Piety Justice and Peace according to the wholsom Laws of each Commonwealth so for that end they may lawfully now under the New Testament wage Warre upon just and necessary occasion III. The Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the Word and Sacraments or the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven yet he hath authority and it is his duty to take order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church that the Truth of God be kept pure and intire that all Blasphemies and Heresies be suppressed all corruptions and abuses in Worship and Discipline prevented or reformed and all the Ordinances of God duly setled administred and observed For the better effecting whereof he hath power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the minde of God IV. It is the duty of People to pray for Magistrates to honour their Persons to pay them Tribute and other Dues to obey their lawful Commands and to be subject to their Authority for conscience sake Infidelity or difference in Religion doth not make void the Magistrates just and legal Authority nor free the People from their due obedience to him from which Ecclesiastical persons are not exempted much less hath the Pope any Power and Jurisdiction over them in their Dominions or over any of their People and least of all to deprive them of their Dominions or lives if he shall judge them to be Hereticks or upon any other pretence whatsoever CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and Divorce MArriage is to be between one Man and one Woman neither is it lawful for any Man to have more then one Wife nor for any Woman to have more then one Husband at the same time II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of Husband and Wife for the increase of mankinde with a legitimate issue and of the Church with an holy seed and for preventing of uncleanness III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgement to give their Consent Yet is it the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord And therefore such as profess the true reformed Religion should not marry with Infidels Papists or other Idolaters Neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life or maintain damnable Heresies IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity forbidden in the Word No can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any Law of man or consent of Parties so as those persons may live together as man and wife The man may not marry any of his wives kindred nearer in blood then he may of his own nor the woman of her husbands kindred nearer in blood then of her own V. Adultery or fornication committed after a Contract being detected before marriage giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that Contract In the case of Adultery after marriage it is lawful for the innocent party to sue our a Divorce And after the Divorce to marry another as if the offending party were dead VI. Although the Corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduely to put asunder those whom God hath joyned together in marriage yet nothing but adultery or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or Civil Magistrate is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage Wherein a publique and orderly course of Proceeding is to be observed And the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills and discretion in their own Case CHAP. XXV Of the Church THe Catholique or Universal Church which is invisible consists of the whole number of the Elect that have been are or shall be gathered into One under Christ the Head thereof and is the Spouse the Body the Fulness of Him that filleth all in all II. The Visible Church which is also Catholique or Universal under the Gospel not confined to one Nation as before under the Law consists of all those throughout the World that profess the true Religion and of their Children and is the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ the House and