obedience to him with understanding faith reverence and godly fear moreover solemn humiliation x Esth 4. 16. Joel 2. 12 with fastings and thanksgiving upon y Exo. 15. 1. c. Ps 107. special occasions ought to be used in an holy and religious manner 6. Neither Prayer nor any other part of Religious worship is now under the Gospel tied unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is z Joh. 4. 21. Mal. 1. 11. 1 Tim 2. 8. performed or towards which it is directed but God is to be worshipped every where in Spirit and in truth as in a Act. 10. 2. private families b Mat. 6. 11. Ps 55. 17. daily and c Mat. 6. 6 in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelessely nor willfully to be d Heb. 10. 25. Act. 2. 42. neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto 7. As it is of the Law of nature that in general a proportion of time by Gods appointment be set a part for the Worship of God so by his Word in a positive-moral and perpetual Commandement binding all men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a e Exo. 20. 8. 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 f 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Act. 20. 7. Rev. 1. 10. which is called the Lords 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 8. The Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering their common affairs aforehand do not only observe an holy g Isa 58. 13. Neh 13. 15-23 rest all the day from their own works words and thoughts about their wordly employment and recreations but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his worship and in the duties h Mat. 12. 1-13 of necessity and mercy CHAP. XXIII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows 1. A lawful Oath is a part of religious worship a Exo. 20 7. Deut. 10 20. Jer. 4. 2. wherein the person swearing in Truth Righteousness and Judgement solemnly calleth God to witness what he sweareth b 2 Cro. 6 22 23. and to judge him according to the Truth or falseness thereof 2. 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 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 c Mat. 5. 34. 37. Jam. 5. 12 abhorred yet as in matter of weight and moment for confirmation of truth d Heb. 6. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 23. and ending all strife an Oath is warranted by the word of God so a lawful Oath being imposed e Neh. 13. 25. by lawful Authority in such matters ought to be taken 3. Whosoever taketh an Oath warranted by the word of God ought duely to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act and therein to avouch nothing but what he knoweth to be the truth for that by rash false and vain Oaths the f Levit. 19. 12. Jer. 23. 10 Lord is provoked and for them this Land mournes 4. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and g Ps 24. 4. common sense of the words without equivocation or mental reservation 5. A Vow which is not to be made to any Creature but to God alone h Psal 76. 11. Gen. 28. 20 21 22. is to be made and performed with all Religious care and faithfulness But Popish Monastical Vows i 1 Cor. 7. 2. 9. of perpetual single life professed k Eph. 4. 28. poverty and regular obedience are so far from being degrees of higher perfection that they are superstitious l Mat. 19. 11. and sinful snares in which no Christian may intangle himself CHAP. XXIV Of the Civil Magistrate 1. GOd the supream Lord and King of all the World hath ordained Civil a Rom. 13 1 2 3 4. Magistrates to be under him over the people for his own glory and the publick good and to this end hath armed them with the power of the Sword for defence and encouragement of them that do good and for the punishment of evil doers 2. It is lawful for Christians to Accept and Execute the Office of a Magistrate when called thereunto in the management whereof as they ought especially to maintain b 2 Sam. 23. 3. Ps 82. 3 4. Justice and Peace according to the wholsome Laws of each Kingdome and Common-wealth so for that end they may lawfully now under the New-Testament c Luk. 3. 14. wage war upon just and necessary occasions 3. Civil Magistrates being set up by God for the ends aforesaid subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought to be yeilded by us in the Lord not only for wrath d Rom. 13. 5 6 7. 1 Pet. 2. 17. but for Conscience sake and we ought to make supplications and prayers for Kings and all that are in Authority e 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty CHAP. XXV Of Marriage 1. MArriage is to be between one Man and one Woman a Gen. 2. 24. Mal. 2 15. Mat. 19. 5 6. 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 2. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help b Gen. 2. 18. of Husband and Wife c Gen 1. 28. for the increase of Man-kind with a legitimate issue and for d 1 Cor. 7 2 9. preventing of uncleanness 3. It is lawful for e Heb. 13 4. 1 Tim. 4 3. all sorts of people to Marry who are able with judgment to give their consent yet it is the duty of Christians f 1 Cor. 7. 39. to marry in the Lord and therefore such as profess the true Religion should not Marry with Infidels g Neh. 13 25 26 27. or Idolaters neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as are wicked in their life or maintain damnable Heresie 4. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity h Levit. 18. or Affinity forbidden in the word nor can such incestuous Marriage ever be made lawful by any law of Man or consent of parties i Mat. 6. 18. 1 Cor. 5. 1. so as those persons may live together as Man and Wife CHAP. XXVI Of the Church 1. THe Catholick or universal Church which with respect
doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own heart to chastise them for their former sins or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitsulness of their hearts p 2 Chro. 32. 25 26. 31. 2 Sam. 24 1. 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. that they may be humbled and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin and for other just and holy ends So that whatsoever befalls any of his elect is by his appointment for his glory q Rom. 8. 28. and their good 6. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God as a righteous judge for former sin doth r Rom. 1. 24. 26. 28. ch 11. 7 8. blind and harden from them he not only withholdeth his s Deut. 29. 4. Grace whereby they might have been inlightned in their understanding and wrought upon in their hearts But sometimes also withdraweth t Mat. 13. 12. the gifts which they had and exposeth them to such u Deut. 2. 30. objects as their corruptions makes occasion of sin and withall x Psal 81. 11 12. 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. gives them over to their own lusts the temptations of the world and the power of Satan whereby it comes to pass that they y Exod. 8. 15. 32. Is 6. 9 10. 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. harden themselves even under those means which God useth for the softning of others 7. As the Providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures so after a most special manner it taketh care of his z 1 Tim. 4. 10. Amos 9. 8 9. Isa 43. 3 4 5. Church and disposeth of all things to the good thereof CHAP. VI. Of the fall of Man of Sin and of the Punishment thereof 1. ALthough God created Man upright and perfect and gave him a righteous law which had been unto life had he kept it a Gen. 2. 16 17 and threatned death upon the breach thereof yet he did not long abide in this honour b Gen. 3. 12 13. 2 Cor. 11 3. Satan using the subtilty of the serpent to seduce Eve then by her seducing Adam who without any compulsion did wilfully transgress the Law of their Creation and the command given unto them in eating the forbidden fruit which God was pleased according to his wise and holy Councel to permit having purposed to order it to his own glory 2. Our first Parents by this Sin fell from their c Rom. 3. 23. original righteousness and communion with God and we in them whereby death came upon all d Rom 5. 12. c. all becoming dead in Sin and wholly defiled e Tit. 1. 15 Gen. 6. 5. Jer. 17 9. Rom. 3. 10-19 in all the faculties and parts of soul and body 3. They being the f Rom. 5. 12-19 1 Cor. 15 21 22 45. 49. root and by Gods appointment standing in the room and stead of all mankind the guilt of the Sin was imputed and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation being now g Ps 51. 5. Job 14. 4. conceived in Sin and by nature children h Eph. 2. 3. of wrath the servants of Sin the subjects i Rom. 6. 20. ch 5. 12. of death and all other miseries spiritual temporal and eternal unless the Lord Jesus k Heb. 2. 14. 1 Thes 1. 10. set them free 4. From this original corruption whereby we are l Rom. 8. 7. Col. 1. 21. utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do m Jam. 1 14 15. Mat. 15. 19. proceed all actual transgressions 5. This corruption of nature during this Life doth n Rom. 7. 18. 23. Eccles 7. 20. 1 Joh. 1. 8. remain in those that are regenerated and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified yet both it self and the first motions thereof are truely and properly o Rom. 7. 24. 25. Gal. 5. 17 Sin CHAP. VII Of Gods Covenant 1. THE distance between God and the Creature is so great that although reasonable Creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they could never have attained the reward of Life but by some a Luk. 17. 10. Job 35. 7. 8. voluntary condescension on Gods part which he hath been pleased to express by way of Covenant 2. Moreover Man having brought himself b Gen. 2. 17. Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 3. 20 21. under the curse of the Law by his fall it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto Sinners c Rom. 8. 3. Mark 16. 15. 16. Joh. 3. 16. Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them Faith in him that they may be saved and d Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 44 45. Ps 110. 3. promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life his holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe 3. This Covenant is revealed in the Gospel first of all to Adam in the promise of Salvation by the e Gen. 3. 15. seed of the woman and afterwards by farther steps untill the full f Heb. 1. 1. discovery thereof was compleated in the new Testament and it is founded in that * 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 1. 2. Eternal Covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the Redemption of the Elect and it is alone by the Grace of this Covenant that all of the posterity of fallen Adam that ever were g Heb 11. 6. 13. Rom. 4. 1 2 c. Act. 4. 12. Joh. 8. 56. saved did obtain life and a blessed immortality Man being now utterly uncapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocency CHAP. VIII Of Christ the Mediator 1. IT pleased God in his eternal purpose to chuse and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son according to the Covenant made between them both a Is 42. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 19 20. to be the Mediator between God and Man the b Act. 3. 22. Prophet c Heb. 5. 5 6. Priest and d Ps 2. 6 Luk. 1. 33 Eph. 1. 23 Heb. 1. 2. Act. 17. 31 King Head and Saviour of his Church the heir of all things and judge of the world Unto whom he did from all Eternity e Is 53. 10. Joh. 17. 6. Rom. 8. 30. give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time redeemed called justified sanctified and glorified 2. The Son of God the second Person in the Holy Trinity being very and eternal God the brightness of the Fathers glory of one substance and equal with him who made the World who upholdeth and governeth all things he hath made did when the fullness of time was come take
to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace may be called invisible consists of the whole a Heb. 12. 23. Col. 1. 18. Eph. 1. 10 22. 23. ch 5. 23 27 32. 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 2. All persons throughout the world professing the faith of the Gospel and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own profession by any Errors everting the foundation or unholyness of conversation b 1 Cor. 1 2. Act. 11. 26. are and may be called visible Saints c Rom. 1. 7. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. and of such ought all particular Congregations to be constituted 3. The purest Churches under heaven are subject d 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 2. ch 3. to mixture and error and som have so degenerated as to become e Rev. 18. 2. 2 Thes 2. 11 12. no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan nevertheless Christ always hath had and ever shall have a f Mat. 16. 18. Ps 72. 17. Ps 102. 28. Rev. 12. 17. Kingdome in this world to the end thereof of such as believe in him and make profession of his Name 4. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church in whom by the appointment of the Father g Col. 1. 18. Mat. 28. 18 19. 20. Eph. 4. 11 12. all power for the calling institution order or Government of the Church is invested in a supream soveraigne manner neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof but is h 2 Thes 2. 3-9 that Antichrist that Man of sin and Son of perdition that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ and all that is called God whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming 5. In the execution of this power wherewith he is so intrusted the Lord Jesus calleth out of the World unto himself through the Ministry of his word by his Spirit i Joh 10. 16. chap. 12 32. those that are given unto him by his Father that they may walk before him in all the k Mat. 28. 20. ways of obedience which he prescribeth to them in his Word Those thus called he commandeth to walk together in particular societies or l Mat. 18. 15-20 Churches for their mutual edification and the due performance of that publick worship which he requireth of them in the World 6. The Members of these Churches are m Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Saints by calling visibly manifesting and evidencing in and by their profession and walking their obedience unto that call of Christ and do willingly consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord one to another by the will of God n Act. 2. 41 42. ch 5. 13. 14. 2 Cor. 9. 13. in professed subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel 7. To each of these Churches thus gathered according to his mind declared in his word he hath given all that o Mat. 18. 17 18. 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. with v. 13. 2 Cor. 2. 6 7 8. power and authority which is any way needfull 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 8. A particular Church gathered and compleatly Organized according to the mind of Christ consists of Officers and Members And 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 p Bishops or Elders r Act. 20 17 with v. 28. Phil. 1. 1. and Deacons 9. The way appointed by Christ for the Calling of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit unto the Office of Bishop or Elder in a Church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common q Act. 14 23. See the original suffrage of the Church it self and Solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer with imposition of hands of the r 1 Tim. 4. 14. Eldership of the Church if there be any before Constituted therein And of a Deacon s Act. 6. 3. 5. 6. that he be chosen by the like suffrage and set apart by Prayer and the like Imposition of hands 10. The work of Pastors being constantly to attend the Service of Christ in his Churches in the Ministry of the Word and Prayer t Act. 6. 4. Heb. 13. 17. with watching for their Souls as they that must give an account to him it is incumbent on the Churches to whom they Minister not only to give them all due respect u 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. Gal. 6. 6 7. but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability so as they may have a comfortable supply without being themselves x 2 Tim. 2. 4. entangled in Secular Affairs and may also be capable of exercising y 1 Tim. 3. 2. Hospitality toward others and this is required by the z 1 Cor. 9. 6 -14 Law of Nature and by the Express order of our Lord Jesus who hath ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 11. Although it be incumbent on the Bishops or Pastors 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 a Act. 11. 19 20 21. 1 Pet. 4. 10. 11. gifted and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it and approved and called by the Church may and ought to perform it 12. As all Believers are bound to joyn themselves to particular Churches when and where they have opportunity so to do So all that are admitted unto the priviledges of a Church are also b 1 Thes 5. 14. 2 Thes 3. 6. 14 15. under the Censures and Government thereof according to the Rule of Christ 13. No Church-members upon any offence taken by them having performed their Duty required of them towards the person they are offended at ought to disturb any Church order or absent themselves from the Assemblies of the Church or Administration of any Ordinances upon the account of such offence at any of their fellow-members but to wait upon Christ c Mat. 18. 15. 16 17. Eph. 4. 2 3. in the further proceeding of the Church 14. As each Church and all the Members of it are bound to d Eph. 6. 18. Ps 122. 6. pray continually for the good and 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