body And although he fastened immortality upon it by his Resurrection yet he hath not changed the reality of his humane nature because our salvation and resurrection also depends from the reality of his body But these two natures are united so close in one person that they have not been separated even by his death Therefore that which at his dying he committed in the hands of his Father was a real Humane Spirit departing from his body nevertheless the divine nature was alwayes united with the humane even when he laid in the Grave And the Godhead did not cease in him no more then when he was a little Child thô it did not appear so manifestly for a while Therefore we confess him to be real God and real Man real God for to overcome Death by his power and real man that by the infirmity of his flesh he might die for us XX Wee believe that God who is perfectly merciful and just hath sent his Son for to take upon him that nature in which the disobedience was committed that so in it he might give satisfaction for and suffer the punishment of sin by his severe sufferings and Death Thus God hath exercised his justice against his Son when he Laid our sins upon him and hath powred forth his Goodness and Mercy on us who were guilty and worthy of condemnation in giving his Son up unto Death through a perfect love and raising him up to our justification that so by him we might obtain immortality and life eternal XXI Wee believe Jesus Christ to be an everlasting High-priest with and after the order of Melchisedec having proposed him self in our name to the Father for to allay his anger with full satisfaction offering him self up unto the Cross and shedding his precious blood to the cleansing of our sins as the Prophets have fore-told For it is written that the punishment is laid upon the Son of God that we might have peace and be healed by his wounds that he was brought to death like a Lamb being reckoned among the malefactors that he was condemned as a malefactor by Pontius Pilate although he found him not guilty Thus he has paied for that which he did not rob and suffered though just for the un just both in body and soul feeling the horrible punishment which our sins deserved inasmuch that his sweat became like unto drops of bloud falling upon the ground He cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Suffering al this for the remission of our sins Therefore we say right wel with Saint Paul That we do not know anything save Christ and him crucified we count all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ we find all manner of consolation in his wounds and we have no need to seek or invent any other means to be reconciled unto God but this one sacrifice once offered up through which the Believers become perfect for ever This also is the cause why he was called by the Angel of God Jesus that is Saviour because he should save his people from their sins XXII Wee believe That for the attaining to the true knowledge of this Mystery the Holy Ghost kindles in our hearts a sincere Belief which embraces Jesus Christ with all his merits and owns him seeking nothing besides him For it must needs follow that either every thing which is required to our salvation is not in Christ Jesus or if all things are in him then he who enjoys Christ by Faith must have his salvation intirely Now to say that Christ is not sufficient but that there wants something besides him would be to gross a Blasphemy for hence it would follow that Christ was but half a Saviour Therefore wee have just cause to say with St. Paul that wee are justified onely by Faith or by Faith without works Yet to speak more properly wee do not mean the Faith to be that by which wee are justified for it is but an Instrument by which wee embrace Christ our righteousness But Jesus Christ imputing us all his merits and so many holy works as he has done for us and in our room is our Righteousnes and Faith is an Instrument by which wee are made partakers of all his goods which being become ours are more then sufficient to the absolving us of our sins XXIII Wee believe that our happiness consists in the Remission of our sins for Jesus Christ sake and that our righteousness before God is contained therein as David and St. Paul do teach us declaring this to be the happiness of man that God imputes him the righteousness without works and the same Apostle saith that wee are justified freely or through Grace by the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus And therefore wee do alwayes lay hold of this foundation giving all glory unto God and humbling and acknowledging our selfs to be such as realy wee are without boasting of any thing out of our selves or our own merits but onely relying on the obedience of Christ the crucified which is ours if wee believe in him being sufficient to hide all our Iniquities and to give us boldness to free the conscience from terror astonishment and fear to approach unto God without doing like our first Father Adam who trembling covered him self with fig-leaves And truly if wee were to appear before God relying upon our selves or any other creature though never so little alas wee would be devoured And therefore every one ought to say with David Lord do not enter into judgment with thy servant for no living creature will be justified before thee XXIV Wee believe that this true Faith being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Ghost doth regenerate and change him into a new man by which he comes to live a new life and is made free from the bondage of sin This justifying Faith therefore is so far from making man grow cold in an honest and holy life that without it they will never do any thing out of love unto God but onely out of love unto themselves and for fear of being damned It is therefore impossible that this holy Faith should be unfruitfull in man for wee do not speak of a vain Belief but of such an one which in the Scriptures is called a Faith that worketh by Love and stirreth man to the excercise of those works which God hath commanded in his Word Which works if they proceed from the good root of Faith are good and acceptable unto God because they are sanctified by his Grace in the mean while they are of no account towards our Justification For it is by Faith in Christ that wee are justified even before wee do any good works otherwise they could not be good no more then the fruit of a Tree can be good before the Tree it self is good Thus wee do good works but not for any merit for what could wee merit Nay wee are beholding
unto God for those good works which we do do and not he unto us since it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do according to his own good pleasure Let us therefore take notice of this saying which is left upon record When ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duty to do Yet wee do not deny that God rewards the good works but it is through his grace that he crownes his Gifts Moreover though wee act good works yet wee do not build our salvation thereon for wee can do nothing which is not defiled by our flesh and worthy of punishment and though it were otherwise yet the remembrance of one sin is sufficient to make God reject it So wee should always be doubtfull and floating to and fro without any certainty and our poor consciences be vexed continually if they did not rely on the merits of the sufferings and dying of our Saviour XXV Wee believe that the Ceremonies and Figures of the Law are ceased at the coming of Christ and that all shadows are finished wherefore the use and practise of them ought to be abrogated among the Christians yet the truth and substance of the same remaines with us in Christ Jesus in whom they are fulfilled in the mean while wee make use of the Testimonies of the Law and the Prophets to confirm us in the Gospel and to order our life and conversation in all honesty to the Glory of God according to his will. XXVI Wee believe that wee have no acces unto God but by the onely Mediator and Advocate Christ Jesus the righteous who for this cause is become man uniting together the divine and humane nature that so wee might have acces unto the divine Majesty for otherwise our acces would be barred up But this Mediator whom the Father hath given us to interceed between him and us must not deter us through his goodness and cause us to seek for another according to our fancy For there is none in heaven nor in earth among the Creatures who loveth us more then Jesus Christ who thô he was in the form of God yet made him self of no reputation and took upon him the form of a man and a servant for our sakes and is made like unto his Brethren in all things Now if wee were to seek for another Mediator that might be favourable unto us whom could wee find that would love us more then he who laid down his life for us even whilst wee were his Enemies And if wee look for one that is mighty and majestious who is more conspicuous then he that sits at the right hand of his Father having all power in heaven and earth Who shall bee sooner heard then the welbeloved Son of God Therefore it is onely by a mistrusting that this practice was introduced of dishonouring the Saints instead of honouring them doing that which they never have done nor required but constantly and according to their duty rejected as appeares from their writings And it ought not to be objected here that wee are not worthy for it is not intended that wee should offer up our prayers on the account of our worthiness but onely because of the Excellency and worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ whose righteousness is become ours by Faith. The Apostle therefore to take away from us this foolish fear or rather mistrust tells us that Jesus Christ is made like unto his Bretheren in all things that he might be a Mercifull and faithfull High Priest to purify the sins of the people For in that he him self hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And to give us more encouragement to go to him he tells us Seeing then that wee have a great High-priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession For wee have not an High-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like wee are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of grace that wee may obtaine Mercy and find grace to help in time of need The same Apostle saith that wee have liberty to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus Let us draw near saith he in full assurance of saith c. Item Christ hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them What do wee then want more since Christ him self sayes I am the way and the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me Why should wee look for another Advocate seeing it hath pleased God to give us his Son for an Advocate Let us not leave him for to take another or rather to seek for another without ever sinding him for when God did give him unto us he knew very well that wee were Sinners Therefore according to Christs commandment wee call upon our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our onely Mediator as wee are taught in the Lords prayer being assured that what ever wee pray for to the Father in his name it shall be given us XXVII Wee believe and profess one onely Catholick or universal Church which is a holy Congregation of true Christian believers who expect their salvation altogether in Christ Jesus being washed by his blood and Sanctifyed and sealed by the holy Ghost This Church hath been from the beginning of the World and will continue to the end of it as doth appear by Christ his being an everlasting King who cannot be without subjects And this holy Church is kept and preserved by God against the rage of the whole World although somtimes she may become very small and almost vanished in the eyes of men as when the Lord during the dangerous Reign of Achab had kept seven thousand men who had not bowed their knees before Baal Moreover this Holy Church is not situated in or bound or limited to a certain place or to certain persons but she is spread and seattered through the whole World being neve theless joined together and united with heart will and the same Spirit by the power of Faith. XXVIII Wee believe seeing this holy Congregation is an Assembly of those that are saved and that without it there is no salvation that none of what condition or quality soever ought to keep him self separate or to rely upon his own person but that it is the duty of all men to join and comply with it preserving the unity of the Church submitting them selves to the Instruction and Censure thereof bowing their neeks under the yoke of Christ Jesus and serving to the edification of the Brethren according to the gift which God hath assorded them as mutual members of the same body and to the better compassing of these ends it is a duty
how that wee three severall times have propounded unto you the name of our fellow Brother N. heere present to see if there was any body who had any thing against him eyther in doctrine or life whereby hee might bee hindred from being confirmed in the Ministery of the Word seeing now that no body hath shewed any lawfull exception against his person therefore are we now in the name of the Lord to proceed to his Confirmation For which cause you N. and all yee who are present are to hearken to ashort declaration touching the institution and worke of the Pastour or Minister of the Word Where in the first place you are to observe That God our Heavenly Father having purposed to call and assemble out of sinfull mankinde a Church to everlasting life useth heere unto out of his singular grace the ministry of men therefore saith Paul That Christ hath given some to bee Apostles some to bee Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Doctors for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of his service namely the edification of the body of Christ Out of which wee see that the Apostle saith that among others the Pastors Office is an institution of Christ Now what belongs to his holy Office wee can easily see out of the very name given unto it for as the charge of a common Shepheard is to feed the flocke committed unto his charge to leade rule and protect the same so is it with the spiritual Pastours which are set over the Church of God which God esteemes as sheepe of his Pasture The pastures wherewith these Sheepe are to bee fed is nothing else but the preaching of the Word of God with the service of Prayer and administration of the Sacraments the same Word of God is also the staffe wherewith the flocke is lead and ruled consequently the office of the Pastours and Ministers of the worde of God consists heere in First That they faithfully propound the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and apply the same both in generall and particular to the edification of the hearers instructing admonishing comforting and reprooving according to every ones necessity preaching conversion to God and reconciliation with him through faith in Christ as also refuting with the worde of God all errours and heresies which are repugnant to sound Doctrine All this is plainly discovered unto us in holy Scripture For the Apostle Paul saith That these labour in the Word and elswhere hee saith That this ought to bee done according to the rule of Faith and that a Pastor must hold fast that faithful and sincere word which is according to Doctrine and divide it aright also hee that prophecyeth that is who teacheth Gods word speaketh to edification admonition and consideration In another place hee doth put himselfe as a patterne to Pastors declaring that hee openly and in houses hath taught and testified the conversion to God and Faith in Jesus Christ But wee reade in an especiall manner a true description of the Office and Ministery of the Gospell 2. Cor. 5. wherein the Apostle speakes after this manner All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe through Jesus Christ and hath given to us namely to the Apostles and Pastours the ministery of reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath commited to us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead to bee reconciled to God. Touching refutation of unsound doctrine saith the Apostle to Titus Chap. 1. vers 6. That a Minister must holde fast the faithful word of God that hee may bee able by sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers Secondly The office of the Pastour is publiquely to invocate the name of God in the behalfe of the whole assembly For what the Apostles saith We will give our selves to prayer and the Ministery of the Word the same is common to these Pastors with the Apostles to which end the Apostle Paul thus exhorteth Timothy Wherefore I exhort that Supplications Prayers intercessions and giving of Thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all in Authority Thirdly Their order is to administer the holy Sacraments which the Lord hath ordained and instituted as a seale of his grace as appeareth out of the Commandement which Christ hath given to his Apostles and in them to all the Pastours Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost In like manner I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you The Lord Jesus in the night c. Fourthly The office of the Minister of the Word is to keepe the Church in good discipline and to rule them after that manner which the Lord hath ordained For Christ having spoken of Christian reproofe saith thus to his Apostles What you shall binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and Paul will have Ministers to bee able to governe their owne houses well because otherwise they should not bee able to governe well the Church of God. For this cause also the Pastors are called Housholders of God and Bishops That is Overseers and Watchmen for they have the inspection of the House of God wherein they converse to the end that all things may bee done decently and in order and that they open and shut with the Keyes committed unto them the Kingdome of Heaven according to the charge given unto them of God. Out of these things it doth appeare what an honourable worke the Pastorall office is seeing that such great things are done by the same yea how necessary it is to men for the salvation of their soules which is the reason also why God would have this office allwayes to remaine For thus speakes Christ to his Apostles when hee sends them abroad to exercise this function Loe I am with you to the end of the world Where wee see that his will and pleasure is that this holy office should bee kept and maintained alwayes upon earth unto the end of the world for those persons to whom hee spake can not live to the end of the world and therefore Paul exhorteth Timothy that hee would commend that which hee heard of him to faithful men who are able to teach also others and to this end also hee ordained Titus to bee a Pastor and commanded him that hee should ordaine Bishops and Elders in every place For as much therefore as wee to the maintaining of this office in the Church of God are now to ordaine a new Minister of the Word and having sufficiently spoken of the charge thereof Therefore you N. are to answer to that which shall bee propounded unto you that so it may appeare to every one that you are minded thus to receive this charge First I aske you whether you feele in your heart that you are