unprofitable unto Life God was pleased to give unto the Elect the Promise of Christ The Seed of the Woman as the means of Calling them and begetting in them Faith and Repentance In this Promise the Gospel as to the substance of it was revealed and was therein Effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of Sinners II. This Promise of Christ and Salvation by him is revealed only in and by the Word of God neither do the Works of Creation or Providence with the Light of Nature make discovery of Christ or of Grace by him so much as in a general or obscure way much less that Men destitute of the Revelation of him by the Promise or Gospel should be enabled thereby to attain Saving Faith or Repentance III. The Revelation of the Gospel unto Sinners made in divers times and by sundry parts with the addition of Promises and Precepts for the Obedience required therein as to the Nations and Persons to whom it is granted is meerly of the Sovereign Will and good Pleasure of God not being annexed by virtue of any Promise to the due Improvement of Mens natural Abilities by virtue of common Light received without it which none ever did make or can so do And therefore in all Ages the Preaching of the Gospel hath been granted unto Persons and Nations as to the extent or straitning of it in great variety according to the counsel of the Will of God. IV. Although the Gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and Saving Grace and is as such abundantly sufficient thereunto yet that Men who are dead in Trespasses may be born again quickned or regenerated there is moreover necessary an effectual irresistable Work of the Holy Ghost upon the whole Soul for the producing in them a new Spiritual Life without which no other means are sufficient for their Conversion unto God. CHAP. XXI Of Christian 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 rigor and curse of the Law and in their being delivered from this present evil World bondage to Satan and dominion of Sin from the evil of Afflictions the fear and 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 out of slavish fear but a Child-like love and willing mind All which were common also to Believers under the Law for the Substance of them but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoak of the Ceremonial Law the whole Legal Administration of the Covenant of Grace to which the Jewish Church was subjected and in greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace and in fuller Communications of the free Spirit of God than Believers 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 not contained in it so that to believe such Doctrines or to obey such Commands out of Conscience is to betray true Liberty of Conscience and the requiring of an Implicit Faith and an absolute and blind Obedience is to destroy Liberty of Conscience and Reason also III. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any Sin or cherish any Lust as they do thereby pervert the main design of the Grace of the Gospel to their own Destruction so they wholly 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 CHAP. XXII Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THE Light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Sovereignty over all is Just 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 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 Representations 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 Creatures 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 natural Worship is by God required of all Men but 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 Perseverance and when with others 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 Preaching and hearing the Word of God singing of Psalms as also the Administration of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are all parts of Religious Worship of God to be performed in Obedience unto God with Understanding Faith Reverence and Godly Fear Solemn Humiliations with Fastings and Thanksgiving upon special Occasions are in their several times and seasons to be used in a Holy and Religious manner VI. Neither Prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tied 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 publick Assemblies which are not carelesly nor 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 proportion of time by God's Appointment be set apart for the Worship of God so by his Word in 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 Lord's Day and is to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath the Observation of the last Day of the Week being abolished VIII This Sabbath is then kept Holy unto
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 and Power of acting upon Choice that it is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of Nature determined to do good or evil II. Man in his state of Innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God but yet mutably so that he might fall from it III. Man by his Fall into a state of Sin hath wholly lost all ability of Will to any spiritual good accompanying Salvation so as a natural Man being altogether averse from that good and dead in sin is not able by his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto IV. When God converts a Sinner and translates him into the state of Grace he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his Grace alone inables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good yet so as that by reason of his remaining Corruption he doth not perfectly nor 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 onely 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 untill being quickned and renewed by the Holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it III. Elect Infants dying in Infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth so also are all other elect persons who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the 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 not being effectually drawn by the Father they neither do nor can come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved much less can men not professing the Christian Religion be saved in any other way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess And to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested CHAP. XI Of Justification THose whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone nor by imputing Faith it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole law and passive Obedience in his death for their whole and sole Righteousness they receiving and resting on him and his Righteousness by Faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God. II. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his Righteousness is the alone Instrument of Justification yet it is not alone in the Person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving Graces and is no dead Faith but worketh by Love. III. Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified and did by the Sacrifice of himself in the Blood of his Cross undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them make a proper real and full Satisfaction to Gods Justice in their behalf Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead and both freely not for any thing in them their Justification is 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 Dye for their Sins and rise again for their Justification Nevertheless they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the state of Justification yet they may by their Sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their Sins beg Pardon and renew their Faith and Repentance VI. The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the Justification of Believers under the New Testament CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALL those that are justified God vouchsafeth in and for his onely Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the Grace of Adoption by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the Liberties and Priviledges of the Children of God have 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 chastened by him as by a Father yet never cast off but sealed to the day of Redemption and inherit the Promises as Heirs of everlasting Salvation CHAP. XIII Of Sanctification THey that are united to Christ effectually called and regenerated having a new Heart and a new Spirit created in them through the vertue of Christ's Death and Resurrection are also further Sanctified really and personally through the same Vertue by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them the dominion of the
of the Substance of Bread and Wine into the Substance of Christ's Body and Blood commonly called Transubstantiation by Consecration of a Priest or by any other way is repugnant not to Scripture alone but even to common Sense and Reason overthroweth the Nature of the Sacrament and hath been and is the cause of manifold Superstitions yea of gross Idolatries VII Worthy Receivers outwardly partaking of the visible Elements in this Sacrament do then also inwardly by 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 or 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 All ignorant and ungodly Persons as they are unfit to enjoy Communion with Christ so are they unworthy of the Lord's Table and cannot without great Sin against him whilst they remain such partake of these holy Mysteries or be admitted thereunto yea whosoever shall Receive unworthily are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord eating and drinking Judgment to themselves CHAP. XXXI Of the State of Man 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 dye nor sleep having an immortal Subsistence immediately 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 Torment 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 dye but be 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. XXXII Of the Last Judgment GOD hath appointed a Day wherein he will Judge the World in Righteousness by Jesus Christ to whom all Power and Judgment is given of the Father in which Day not only the Apostate Angels shall be judged but likewise all Persons that have lived upon 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 Disobedient For then shall the Righteous go into everlasting Life and receive that fulness of Joy and Glory with everlasting Reward in 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 Judgment 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 Carnal Security and be always 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 OF THE INSTITUTION OF CHURCHES And the ORDER Appointed in them by JESUS CHRIST I. BY the Appointment of the Father all Power for the Calling Institution Order or Government of the Church is invested in a Supreme and Sovereign manner in the Lord Jesus Christ as King and Head thereof II. In the Execution of this Power wherewith he is so intrusted the Lord Jesus calleth out of the World unto Communion with himself those that are given unto him by his Father that they may walk before him in all the ways of Obedience which he prescribeth to them in his Word III. Those thus called through the Ministry of the Word by his Spirit he commandeth to walk together in particular Societies or Churches for their mutual Edification and the due Performance of that Publick Worship which he requireth of them in this World. IV. To each of these Churches thus gathered according unto his Mind declared in his Word he hath given all that Power and Authority which is any way needful for their carrying on that Order in Worship and Discipline which he hath instituted for them to observe with Commands and Rules for the due and right exerting and executing of that Power V. These particular Churches thus appointed by the Authority of Christ and intrusted with Power from him for the ends before expressed are each of them as unto those ends the seat of that Power which he is pleased to communicate to his Saints or Subjects in this World so that as such they receive it immediately from himself VI. Besides these particular Churches there is not instituted by Christ any Church more extensive or Catholick intrusted with Power for the Administration of his Ordinances or the Execution of any Authority in his Name VII A particular Church gathered and compleated according to the Mind of Christ consists of Officers and Members The Lord Christ having given to his called Ones united according to his Appointment in Church Order Liberty and Power to choose Persons fitted by the Holy Ghost for that purpose to be over them and to Minister to them in the Lord. VIII The Members of these Churches are Saints by Calling visibly manifesting and evidencing in and by their Profession and Walking their Obedience unto that Call of Christ who being further known to each other by their confession of the Faith wrought in them by the Power of God declared by themselves or otherwise manifested do willingly consent to walk together according to the Appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord and to one another by the Will of God in professed Subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel IX The Officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the Church so called and gathered for the peculiar Administration of Ordinances and Execution of Power or Duty which he intrusts them 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 publick and their
Assemblies in what Place soever they are according as they have liberty or opportunity are therefore Church or Publick 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 Ministry 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 publickly ordinarily and constantly perform it so that they give themselves up thereunto XIV However they who are engaged in the Work of publick Preaching and enjoy the publick Maintenance upon that account are not thereby obliged to dispense the Seals to any other than such as being Saints by Calling and gathered according to the Order of the Gospel they stand related to as Paâ—tors or Teachers yet ought they not â—o neglect others living within their Parochial Bounds but besides their constant publick Preaching to them â—hey ought to enquire after their profiting by the Word instructing them â—n 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 virtue 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 Mind 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 only to some it is appointed by Christ that those to whom they are so known do first admonish the Offender in private in publick 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 Ministry 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 Believers are bound to joyn themselves to particular Churches when and where they have opportunity so to do so none are to be admitted unto the Privileges of the Churches who do not submit themselves to the Rule of Christ in the Censures for 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 themselves from the Publick 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 only 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 publick 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 Cohabitation within any Civil Precincts and Bounds is not thereby constituted a Church seeing there may be wanting among them what is essentially required thereunto and therefore a Believer living with others in such a Precinct may joyn himself 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 larger 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 than 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 Plaâ—â—s 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 planted 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 of Difficulties or Differences either in point of Doctrine or in Administrations wherein either the Churches in general are concerned or or any one Church in their Peace Union and Edification or any Member or Members of any Church are injured in or by any proceeding in Censures not agreeable to Truth and Order it is according to the Mind of Christ that many Churches holding Communion together do by their Messengers meet in a Synod or Counsel to consider and give their advice in or about that matter in difference to be reported to all the Churches concerned Howbeit these Synods so assembled are not intrusted 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 Counsels 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 deprived of his due Privileges or compelled to any thing in practice not warranted by the Word or in case of Persecution or upon the account of conveniency of Habitation he consulting with the Church or the Officer or Officers thereof may peaceably depart from the Communion of the Church wherewith he hath so walked to joyn himself with some other Church where he may enjoy the Ordinances in the Purity of the same for his Edification and Consolation XXIX Such Reforming Churches as consist of Persons found in the Faith and of Conversation becomming the Gospel ought not to refuse the Communion of each other so far as may consist with their own Principles respectively though they walk not in all things according to the same Rules of Church-Order XXX Churches gathered and walking according to the Mind of Christ judging other Churches though less pure to be true Churches may receive unto occasional Communion with them such Members of those Churches as are credibly testified to be Godly and to live without Offence FINIS