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
10. Eph. 1. 11. Heb. 6. 17. Rom. 9. 15 18. Decreed in himself from all Eternity by the most wise and holy Councel of his own will freely and unchangeably all things whatsoever comes to passe yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin b Jam. 1. 15 17. 1 Joh. 1. 5. nor hath fellowship with any therin nor is violence offered to the will of the Creature nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away but rather c Act 4. 27 28. Joh. 19. 11. established in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things and power and faithfulness d Numb 23. 19. Eph. 1. 3 4 5. in accomplishing his Decree 2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to passe upon all e Act. 15. 18. supposed conditions yet hath he not Decreed any thing f Rom. 9. 11. 13. 16. 18. because he foresaw it as future or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions 3. By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory g 1 Tim. 5. 21. Mat. 25. 41. some men and Angels are predestinated or fore-ordained to Eternal Life through Jesus Christ to the h Eph. 1. 5 6. praise of his glorious grace others being left to act in their sin to their i Rom. 9. 22 23. Jud. 4. just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice 4. These Angels and Men thus predestinated and fore-ordained are particularly and unchangeably designed and their k 2 Tim. 2. 19. Joh. 13. 18. number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished 5. Those of mankind l Eph. 1. 4. 9. 11. Rom. 8. 30. 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 9. that are predestinated to life God before the foundation of the world was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret Councel and good pleasure of his will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free grace and love m Rom. 9. 13. 16. Eph. 1. 6. 12. without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto 6. As God hath appointed the Elect unto glory so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will fore-ordained o 1 Pet. 1. 2. 2 Thes 2. 13. all the means thereunto wherefore they who are elected being faln in Adam p 1 Thes 5. 9 10. are redeemed by Christ are effectually q Rom. 8. 30. 2 Thes 2. 13. called unto faith in Christ by his spirit working in due season are justifyed adopted sanctified and kept by his power through faith r 1 Pet. 1. 5. unto salvation neither are any other redeemed by Christ or effectually called justified adopted sanctified and saved but the Elect s Joh. 10. 26. Joh. 17. 9. Joh. 6. 64. only 7. The Doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care that men attending the will of God revealed in his word and yeilding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their t 1 Thes 1. 4 5. 2 Pet. 1. 10. eternal election so shall this doctrine afford matter u Eph. 1. 6. Rom. 11. 33. of praise reverence and admiration of God and x Rom. 11. 5 6. of humility diligence and abundant y Luk. 10. 20. consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel CHAP. IV. Of Creation 1. IN the beginning it pleased God the Father a John 1. 2 3. Heb. 1. 2. Job 26. 13 Son and Holy Spirit for the manifestation of the glory of b Rom. 1. 20. his eternal power wisdom and goodness to Create or make the world and all things therein c Col. 1. 16. Gen 2. 1 2. whether visible or invisible in the space of six days and all very good 2. After God had made all other Creatures he Created d Gen. 1. 27. man male and female with e Gen. 2. 7. reasonable and immortal souls rendring them sit unto that life to God for which they were Created being f Eccles 7. 29. Gen. 1. 26 made after the image of God in knowledge righteousness and true holyness having the Law of God g Rom. 2. 14 15. written in their hearts and power to fulfill it and yet under a possibility of transgressing being left to the liberty of their own will which was h Gen. 3. 6. subject to change 3. Besides the Law written in their hearts they received i Gen. 6. 17. ch 3. 8 9 10. a command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which whilst they kept they were happy in their Communion with God and had dominion k Gen. 1. 26 28. over the Creatures CHAP. V. Of Divine Providence 1. GOD the good Creator of all things in his infinite power and wisdom doth a Heb. 1. 3. Job 38. 11. Isa 46 10 11. Ps 135. 6. uphold direct dispose and govern all Creatures and things from the greatest even to the b Mat. 10. 29 30 31. least by his most wife and holy providence to the end for the which they were Created according unto his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable Councel of his c Eph. 1. 11. own will to the praise of the glory of his wisdom power justice infinite goodness and mercy 2. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and Decree of God the first cause all things come to pass d Act. 2. 23. immutably and infallibly so that there is not any thing befalls any e Pro. 16. 33. by chance or without his Providence yet by the same Providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes either f Gen. 8. 22. necessarily freely or contingently 3. God in his ordinary Providence g Act. 27. 31. 44. Isa 55. 10 11. maketh use of means yet is free h Hos 1. 7 to work without i Rom. 4. 19 20 21. above and k Dan. 3. 27. against them at his pleasure 4. The Almighty power unsearchable wisdom and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his Providence that his determinate Councel l Rom. 11 32 33. 34. 2 Sam. 24 1. 1 Chro. 21. 1. extendeth it self even to the first fall and all other sinful actions both of Angels and Men and that not by a bare permission which also he most wisely and powerfully m 2 Kings 19. 28. Ps 76. 10. boundeth and otherwise ordereth and governeth in a manifold dispensation to his most holy n Gen. 50 20. Isa 10 6 7. 12. ends yet so as the sinfulness of their acts proceedeth only from the Creatures and not from God who being most holy and righteous neither is nor can be the author or o Ps 50. 21 1 Joh. 2. 16. approver of sin 5. The most wise righteous and gracious God
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
whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing Phil. 3. v. 15 16. Let it not therefore be judged of us because much hath been written on this subject and yet we continue this our practise different from others that it is out of obstinacy but rather as the truth is that we do herein according to the best of our understandings worship God out of a pure mind yielding obedience to his precept in that method which we take to be most agreeable to the Scriptures of truth and primitive practise It would not become us to give any such intimation as should carry a semblance that what we do in the service of God is with a doubting conscience or with any such temper of mind that we do thus for the present with a reservation that we will do otherwise hereafter upon more mature deliberation nor have we any cause so to do being fully perswaded that what we do is agreeable to the will of God Yet we do heartily propose this that if any of the Servants of our Lord Jesus shall in the Spirit of meekness attempt to convince us of any mistake either in judgement or practise we shall diligently ponder his arguments and accompt him our chiefest friend that shall be an instrument to convert us from any error that is in our ways for we cannot wittingly do any thing against the truth but all things for the truth And therefore we have indeavoured seriously to consider what hath been already offered for our satisfaction in this point and are loth to say any more lest we should be esteemed desirous of renewed contests thereabout yet forasmuch as it may justly be expected that we shew some reason why we cannot acquiesce in what hath been urged against us we shall with as much brevity as may consist with plainness endeavour to satisfie the expectation of those that shall peruse what we now publish in this matter also 1. As to those Christians who consent with us That Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God and our Lord Jesus Christ is required in persons to be Baptised and do therefore supply the defect of the infant being uncapable of making confession of either by others who do undertake these things for it Although we do find by Church history that this hath been a very antient practise Rom. 14. 4. 10. 12. 23. yet considering that the same Scripture which does caution us against censuring our brother with whom we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ does also instruct us That every one of us shall give an accompt of himself to God and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Therefore we cannot for our own parts be perswaded in our own minds to build such a practise as this upon an unwritten tradition But do rather choose in all points of Faith and Worship to have recourse to the holy Scriptures for the information of our judgment and regulation of our practise being well assured that a conscientious attending thereto is the best way to prevent and rectifie our defects and errors 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. And if any such case happen to be debated between Christians which is not plainly determinable by the Scriptures we think it safest to leave such things undecided until the second coming of our Lord Jesus as they did in the Church of old until there should arise a Priest with Vrim and Thummim that might certainly inform them of the mind of God thereabout Ezra 2. 62 63. 2. As for those our Christian brethren who do ground their arguments for Infants baptism upon a presumed foederal Holiness or Church-Membership we conceive they are deficient in this that albeit this Covenant-Holiness and Membership should be as is supposed in reference unto the Infants of Believers yet no command for Infant baptism does immediately and directly result from such a quality or relation All instituted Worship receives its sanction from the precept and is to be thereby governed in all the necessary circumstances thereof So it was in the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his Seed The sign whereof was appropriated only to the Male notwithstanding that the female seed as well as the Male were comprehended in the Covenant and part of the Church of God neither was this sign to be affixed to any Male Infant till he was eight dayes old albeit he was within the Covenant from the first moment of his life nor could the danger of death or any other supposed necessity warrant the circumcising of him before the set time nor was there any cause for it the commination of being cut off from his people being only upon the neglect or contempt of the precept Righteous Lot was nearly related to Aqraham in the flesh and contemporary with him when this Covenant was made yet inasmuch as he did not descend from his loynes nor was of his houshold family although he was of the same houshold of faith with Abraham yet neither Lot himself nor any of his posterity because of their descent from him were signed with the signature of this Covenant that was made with Abraham and his seed This may suffice to shew that where there was both an expresse Covenant and a sign thereof such a Covenant as did separate the persons with whom it was made and all their off-spring from all the rest of the world as a people holy unto the Lord and did constitute them the visible Church of God though not comprehensive of all the faithful in the world yet the sign of this Covenant was not affixed to all the persons that were within this Covenant nor to any of them till the prefixt season nor to other faithful servants of God that were not of descent from Abraham And consequently that it depends purely upon the will of the Law-giver to determine what shall be the sign of his Covenant unto whom at what season and upon what terms it shall be affixed If our brethren do suppose baptism to be the seal of the Covenant which God makes with every beleiver of which the Scriptures are altogether silent it is not our concern to contend with them herein yet we conceive the seal of that Covenant is the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in the particular and individual persons in whom he resides and nothing else neither do they or we suppose that baptism is in any such manner substituted in the place of circumcision as to have the same and no other latitude extent or terms then circumcision had for that was suited only for the Male children baptism is an ordinance suited for every beleiver whether male or femal That extended to all the maies that were born in Abrahams house or bought with his money equally with the males that proceeded from his own loynes but baptisme is not so far extended in any true Christian Church that we know of as to be administred to all the poor infidel servants that the