more perillous then the hottest seasons of Persecution We have sailed through an Aestuation Fluxes and Refluxes of great varieties of Spirits Doctrines Opinions and Occurrences and especially in the matter of Opinions which have been accompanied in their several seasons with powerful perswasions and temptations to seduce those of our way It is known men have taken the freedom notwithstanding what Authority hath interposed to the contrary to vent and vend their own vain and accursed imaginations contrary to the great and fixed Truths of the Gospel insomuch as take the whole round and circle of delusions the Devil hath in this small time ran it will be found that every truth of greater or lesser weight hath by one or other hand at one time or another been questioned and called to the Bar amongst Us yea and impleaded under the pretext which hath some degree of Justice in it that all should not be bound up to the Traditions of former times nor take Religion upon trust Whence it hath come to pass that many of the soundest Professors were put upon a new search and disquisition of such truths as they had taken for granted and yet had lived upon the comfort of to the end they might be able to convince others and establish their own hearts against that darkness and unbelief that is ready to close with error or at least to doubt of the truth when error is speciously presented And hereupon we do professedly account it one of the greatest advantages gained out of the temptations of these times yea the honor of the Saints and Ministers of these Nations That after they had sweetly been exercised in and had improved practical and experimental Truths this should be their further lot to examine and discuss and indeed anew to learn over every Doctrinal Truth both out of the Scriptures and also with a fresh taste thereof in their own hearts which is no other then what the Apostle exhorts to Try all things hold fast that which is good Conversion unto God at first what is it else then a savory and affectionate application and the bringing home to the heart with spiritual light and life all truths that are necessary to salvation together with other lesser truths all which we had afore conversion taken in but notionally from common education and tradition Now that after this first gust those who have bin thus converted should be put upon a new probation and search out of the Scriptures not onely of all principles explicitely ingredients to Conversion unto which the Apostle referreth the Galatians when they had diverted from them but of all other superstructures as well as fundamentals and together therewith anew to experiment the power and sweetness of all these in their own souls What is this but tryed Faith indeed and equivalent to a new conversion unto the truth An Anchor that is proved to be sure and stedfast that will certainly hold in all contrary storms This was the eminent seal and commendation which those holy Apostles that lived and wrote last Peter John and Jude in their Epistles did set and give to the Christians of the latter part of those primitive times And besides it is clear and evident by all the other Epistles from first to last that it cost the Apostles as much and far more care and pains to preserve them they had converted in the truth then they had taken to turn them thereunto at first And it is in it self as great a work and instance of the power of God that keeps yea guards us through faith unto salvation Secondly let this be added or superadded rather to give full weight and measure even to running over that we have all along this season held forth though quarreled with for it by our brethren this great principle of these times That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a forbearance and mutual indulgence unto Saints of all perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the necessary foundations of faith and holiness in all other matters extrafundamental whether of Faith or Order This to have been our constant principle we are not ashamed to confess to the whole Christian world Wherein yet we desire we may be understood not as if in the abstract we stood indifferent to falshood or truth or were careless whether faith or error in any Truths but fundamental did obtain or not so we had our liberty in our petty and smaller differences or as if to make sure of that we had cut out this wide cloak for it No we profess that the whole and every particle of that Faith delivered to the Saints the substance of which we have according to our light here professed is as to the propagation and furtherance of it by all Gospel-means as precious to us as our lives or what can be supposed dear to us and in our sphere we have endeavored to promote them accordingly But yet withall we have and do contend and if we had all the power which any or all of our brethren of differing opinions have desired to have over us or others we should freely grant it unto them all we have and do contend for this That in the concrete the persons of all such gracious Saints they and their errors as they are in them when they are but such errors as do and may stand with communion with Christ though they should not repent of them as not being convinced of them to the end of their days that those with their errors that are purely spiritual and intrench and overthrow not civil societies as concrete with their persons should for Christs sake be born withall by all Christians in the world and they notwithstanding be permitted to enjoy all Ordinances and spiritual Priviledges according to their light as freely as any other of their brethren that pretend to the greatest Orthodoxity as having as equal and as fair a right in and unto Christ and all the holy things of Christ that any other can challenge to themselves And this doth afford a full and invincible testimony on our behalf in that whiles we have so earnestly contended for this just liberty of Saints in all the Churches of Christ we our selves have had no need of it that is as to the matter of the profession of Faith which we have maintained together with others and of this this subsequent Confession of Faith gives sufficient evidence So as we have the confidence in Christ to utter in the words of those two great Apostles That we have stood fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free in the behalf of others rather then our selves and having been free have not made use of out liberty for a cloak of error or maliciousness in our selves And yet loe whereas from the beginning of the rearing of these Churches that of the Apostle hath been by some prophecyed of us and applyed to us That whiles we promised unto others liberty we our selves would
and upright towards those that are planted in his house And that as the Faith was but once for all and intentionally first delivered unto the Saints so the Saints when not abiding scattered but gathered under their respective Pastors according to Gods heart into an house and Churches unto the living God such together are as Paul forespake it the most steady and firm pillar and seat of Truth that God hath anywhere appointed to himself on earth where his truth is best conserved and publiquely held forth there being in such Assemblies weekly a rich dwelling of the Word amongst them that is a daily open house kept by the means of those good Housholders their Teachers and other Instructers respectively appropriated to them whom Christ in the vertue of his Ascension continues to give as gifts to his people himself dwelling amongst them to the end that by this as the most sure standing permanent means the Saints might be perfected till we all even all the Saints in present and future ages do come by this constant and daily Ordinance of his unto the unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which though growing on by parts and piecemeal will yet appear compleat when that great and general Assembly shall be gathered then when this world is ended and these dispensations have had their fulness and period and so that from henceforth such a provision being made for us we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine And finally this doth give a fresh and recent demonstration that the great Apostle and High-priest of our profession is indeed ascended into heaven and continues there with power and care faithful as a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end and shews that he will as he hath promised be with his own Institutions to the end of the world It is true that many sad miscarriages divisions breaches fallings off from holy Ordinances of God have along this time of tentation especially in the beginning of it been found in some of our Churches and no wonder if what hath been said be fully considered Many reasons might further be given hereof that would be a sufficient Apology without the help of a retortion upon other Churches that promised themselves peace how that more destroying ruptures have befallen them and that in a wider sphere and compass which though it should not justifie us yet may serve to stop others mouthes Let Rome glory of the peace in and obedience of her children against the Reformed Churches for their divisions that occurred especially in the first rearing of them whilest we all know the causes of their dull and stupid peace to have been carnal interests worldly correspondencies and coalitions strengthened by gratifications of all sorts of men by that Religion the principles of blinde Devotion Traditional Faith Ecclesiastical Tyranny by which she keeps her children in bondage to this day We are also certain that the very same prejudice that from hence they would cast upon the Reformed if they were just do lye as fully against those pure Churches raised up by the Apostles themselves in those first times for as we have heard of their patience sufferings consolations and the transcending gifts poured out and graces shining in them so we have heard complaints of their divisions too of the forsakings of their Assemblies as the custom or maner of SOME was which later were in that respect felones de se and needed no other delivering up to Satan as their punishment then what they executed upon themselves We read of the shipwrack also of Faith and a good Conscience and overthrowings of the faith of SOME and still but of some not all nor the most which is one piece of an Apologie the Apostle again and again inserts to future ages and through mercy we have the same to make And truly we take the confidence professedly to say that these tentations common to the purest Churches of Saints separated from the mixture of the world though they grieve us for who is offended and we burn not yet they do not at all stumble us as to the truth of our way had they been many more We say it again these stumble us no more as to that point then it doth offend us against the power of Religion it self to have seen and to see daily in particular persons called out and separated from the world by an effectual work of conversion that they for a while do suffer under disquietments vexations turmoils unsettlements of spirit that they are tossed with tempests and horrid tentations such as they had not in their former estate whilst they walked according to the course of this world For Peter hath sufficiently instructed us whose business it is to raise such storms even the Devil's and also whose designe it is that after they have suffered a while thereby they shall be setled perfected stablished that have so suffered even the God of all Grace And look what course of dispensation God holds to Saints personally he doth the like to bodies of Saints in Churches and the Devil the same for his part too And that consolatory Maxim of the Apostle God shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly which Paul uttereth concerning the Church of Rome shews how both God and Satan have this very hand therein for he speaks that very thing in reference unto their divisions as the coherence clearly manifests and so you have both designs exprest at once Yea we are not a little induced to think that the divisions breaches c. of those primitive Churches would not have been so frequent among the people themselves and not the Elders onely had not the freedom liberties and rights of the Members the Brethren we mean been stated and exercised in those Churches the same which we maintain and contend for to be in ours Yea which perhaps may seem more strange to many had not those Churches been constituted of Members inlightned further then with notional and traditional knowledge by a new and more powerful light of the Holy Ghost wherein they had been made partakers of the holy Ghost and the heavenly gift and their hearts had tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the world to come and of such Members at lowest there had not fallen out those kindes of divisions among them For experience hath shewn that the common sort of meer Doctrinal Professors such as the most are now a days whose highest elevation is but freedom from moral scandal joyned with devotion to Christ through meer education such as in many Turks is found towards Mahomet that these finding and feeling themselves not much concerned in the active part of Religion so they may have the honor especially upon a Reformation
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 reveal himself and to declare that his Will unto his Church and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the world to commit the same wholly unto writing which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary those former ways of Gods revealing his Will unto his people being now ceased II. Under the name of the holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistle to the Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 to Timothy 2 to Timothy To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation All which are given by the inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane writings IV. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it self 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 esteem of the holy Scripture And the heavenliness 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 onely 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 perswasion and assurance of the infallible Truth and Divine Authority thereof is from the inward work of the holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts VI The whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory mans Salvation Faith and Life is either expresly set down 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 Nevertheless 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 humane actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian prudence according to the general Rules of the Word which are always to be observed VII All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves nor alike clear unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not onely 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 writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediately inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authentical so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them But because these Original Tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the fear 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 maner and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope IX The infallible Rule of Interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it self 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 Scripture delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture so delivered our Faith is finally resolved CHAP. II. Of God and of the holy Trinity THere is but one onely living and true God who is infinite in Being and Perfection a most pure Spirit invisible without body parts or passions immutable immense eternal incomprehensible almighty most wise most holy most free most absolute working all things according to the Counsel of his own immutable and most righteous Will for his own Glory most loving gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and withal 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 Goodness Blessedness in and of himself and is alone in and unto himself All-sufficient not standing in need of any Creatures which he hath made nor deriving any glory from them but onely 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 Soveraign 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 Knowledge is infinite infallible and 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
with or calls them to to be continued to the end of the world are Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons X. Churches thus gathered and assembling for the Worship of God are thereby visible and publique and their Assemblies in what place soever they are according as they have liberty or opportunity are therefore Church or Publique Assemblies XI The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the holy Ghost unto the Office of Pastor Teacher or Elder in a Church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the Church it self and solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer with Imposition of Hands of the Eldership of that Church if there be any before constituted therein And of a Deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage and set apart by Prayer and the like Imposition of Hands XII The Essence of this Call of a Pastor Teacher or Elder unto Office consists in the Election of the Church together with his acceptation of it and separation by Fasting and Prayer And those who are so chosen though not set apart by Imposition of Hands are rightly constituted Ministers of Jesus Christ in whose Name and Authority they exercise the Ministery to them so committed The Calling of Deacons consisteth in the like Election and acceptation with separation by Prayer XIII Although it be incumbent on the Pastors and Teachers of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word by way of Office yet the work of Preaching the Word is not so peculiarly confined to them but that others also gifted and fitted by the holy Ghost for it and approved being by lawful ways and means in the Providence of God called thereunto may publiquely ordinarily and constantly perform it so that they give themselves up thereunto XIV However they who are ingaged in the work of Publique Preaching and enjoy the Publique Maintenance upon that account are not thereby obliged to dispense the Seals to any other then such as being Saints by Calling and gathered according to the Order of the Gospel they stand related to as Pastors or Teachers yet ought they not to neglect others living within their Parochial Bounds but besides their constant publique Preaching to them they ought to enquire after their profiting by the Word instructing them in and pressing upon them whether young or old the great Doctrines of the Gospel even personally and particularly so far as their strength and time will admit XV Ordination alone without the Election or precedent consent of the Church by those who formerly have been Ordained by vertue of that Power they have received by their Ordination doth not constitute any person a Church Officer or communicate Office power unto him XVI A Church furnished with Officers according to the minde of Christ hath full power to administer all his Ordinances and where there is want of any one or more Officers required that Officer or those which are in the Church may administer all the Ordinances proper to their particular Duty and Offices but where there are no teaching Officers none may administer the Seals nor can the Church authorize any so to do XVII In the carrying on of Church-administrations no person ought to be added to the Church but by the consent of the Church it self that so love without dissimulation may be preserved between all the Members thereof XVIII Whereas the Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed and instituted as a means of Edification that those who walk not according to the Rules and Laws appointed by him in respect of Faith and Life so that just offence doth arise to the Church thereby be censured in his Name and Authority Every Church hath Power in it self to exercise and execute all those Censures appointed by him in the way and Order prescribed in the Gospel XIX The Censures so appointed by Christ are Admonition and Excommunication and whereas some offences are or may be known onely to some it is appointed by Christ that those to whom they are so known do first admonish the offender in private in publique offences where any sin before all or in case of non-amendment upon private admonition the offence being related to the Church and the offender not manifesting his repentance he is to be duely admonished in the Name of Christ by the whole Church by the Ministery of the Elders of the Church and if this Censure prevail not for his repentance then he is to be cast out by Excommunication with the consent of the Church XX As all Belâ—evers are bound to joyn themselves to particular Churchâ— when and where they have opportunity so to do so nonâ— are to be admitted unto the Priviledges of the Churches who do not submit themselves to the Rule of Christ in the Censures of the Government of them XXI This being the way prescribed by Christ in case of offence no Church-members upon any offences taken by them having performed their duty required of them in this matter ought to disturb any Church-order or absent themselvâ—s from the publique Assemblies or the Administration of any Ordinances upon that pretence but to wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the Church XXII The Power of Censures being seated by Christ in a particular Church is to be exercised onely towards particular Members of each Church respectively as such and there is no power given by him unto any Synods or Ecclesiastical Assemblies to Excommunicate or by their publique Edicts to threaten Excommunication or other Church-censures against Churches Magistrates or their people upon any account no man being obnoxious to that Censure but upon his personal miscarriage as a Member of a particular Church XXIII Although the Church is a Society of men assembling for the celebration of the Ordinances according to the appointment of Christ yet every Society assembling for that end or purpose upon the account of cohabâ—â—ation within any civil Precincts and Bounds is not thereby constituted a Church seeing there may be wanting among â—hem what is essentially required thereunto and therefore a Believer living with others in such a Precinct may joyn hâ—mself with any Church for his edification XXIV For the avoiding of differences that may otherwise arise for the greater Solemnity in the Celebration of the Ordinances of Christ and the opening a way for the large usefulness of the Gifts and Graces of the holy Ghost Saints living in one City or Town or within such distances as that they may conveniently assemble for divine Worship ought rather to joyn in one Church for their mutual strengthning and edification then to set up many distinct Societies XXV As all Churches and all the Members of them are bound to pray continually for the good or prosperity of all the Churches of Christ in all places and upon all occasions to further it Every one within the bounds of their Places and Callings in the exercise of their Gifts and Graces So the Churches themselves when planâ—ed by the providence of God so as they may have opportunity and advantage for it ought to hold communion amongst themselves for their peace increase of love and mutual edification XXVI In cases oâ— difficulties or differences either in point of Doctrine oâ—â—n Administrations wherein either the Churches in general â—â—e concerned or any one Church in their Peace Union anâ— Edification or any Member or Members of any Church 〈◊〉 injured in or by any proceeding in Censâ—â—es not agreâ—able to Truth and Order it is according to the minde oâ— Christ that many Churches holding communion togethâ—r do by their Messengers meet in a Synod or Councel to consider and give their advice in or about that matter in â—ifference to be reported to all the Churches concerned Howbeit these Synods so assembled are not entrusted with any Church-Power properly so called or with any Jurisdiction over the Churches themselves to exercise any Censures either over any Churches or Persons or to impose their determinations on the Churches or Officers XXVII Besides these occasional Synods or Councels there are not instituted by Christ any stated Synods in a fixed Combination of Churches or their Officers in lesser or greater Assemblies nor are there any Synods appointed by Christ in a way of Subordination to one another XXVIII Persons that are joyned in Church-fellowship ought not lightly or without just cause to withdraw themselves from the communion of the Church whereunto they are so joyned Nevertheless where any person cannot continue in any Church without his sin either for want of the Administration of any Ordinances instituted by Christ or by his being 1 Cor. 1.10 Acts 15. Rom. 15.6 8 9. v. 9. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you Gal. 5.8 1 Pet. 1.5 1 Pet. 3.15 8 Cor. 2. Gal. 1.6 Heb. 5.12 Eph. 4.12 14. Heb. 3.6 Heb. 10.22 June 20. 1648. Aug. 1647 Session â—86 Ordinance of March 14. 1645. Considerations and Cautions from Sion Coll. June 19. 1646. Jus divinum Minist. pub by the Provost of London in the Preface Puritanis Ang. by Dr. Aims near 50 years since as the opinions of Whitehead Gilbe Fox Dearing Greenham Cartwright Venner Fulk Whitaker Rainold Perkins c.