OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
1. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible standard of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God so much that man is left without any excuse, they are not sufficient to provide that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary for salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in diverse manners to reveal Himself, and to declare His will unto his church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church, protecting it against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and the world, it pleased the Lord to commit His revealed Truth completely to writing. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing His will to His people having now ceased.[i]
2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the written Word of God, are now contained all of the following books of the Old and New Testaments:
Of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
All of these books are given by the inspiration of God to be the standard of faith and life.[ii]
3. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are not part of the canon (or standard) of the Scripture, and are therefore of no authority to the church of God, nor are they to be approved of or made use of any differently than other human writings.[iii]
4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, does not depend upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly and completely upon God, its Author, who is Truth itself. Therefore, it is to be received because it is the Word of God. [iv]
5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the people of God to gain a high and reverent estimation of the Holy Scriptures. We may be similarly affected by the nature of the Scriptures— the heavenliness of the contents, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God, the full disclosure it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, together with many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections. By all the evidence the Scripture more than proves itself to be the Word of God. Yet, notwithstanding this, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth of Scripture and its divine authority, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.[v]
6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word. There are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.[vi]
7. All things in Scripture are not equally plain in themselves, nor equally clear to everyone; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly put forward and revealed in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated, but the uneducated, may attain a sufficient understanding of them by the due use of ordinary means.[vii]
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew, which was the native language of the people of God of old, and the New Testament in Greek, which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations, were immediately inspired by God, and were kept pure throughout the ages by His singular care and providence. Therefore, they are authentic, so that in all controversies of religion, the church is to appeal to them as final. Yet, because these original languages are not known to all the people of God, who have a right to and interest in the Scriptures, and who are commanded to read them and search them in the fear of God, therefore they are to be translated into the ordinary language of every nation into which they come, so that, with the Word of God living richly in all, people may worship Him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope.[viii]
9. The infallible standard for the interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. Therefore, whenever there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture, which is not manifold but one, it must be searched by other passages that speak more clearly.[ix]
10. The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and by which must be examined all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, and doctrines of men and private spirits can be no other than the Holy Scripture, delivered by the Spirit. And in the sentence of Scripture we are to rest, for it is in Scripture, delivered by the Spirit, that our faith is finally resolved.[x]
OF GOD AND THE HOLY TRINITY
1. The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; who works all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will for His own glory; who is most loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; who is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him; and who, at the same time, is most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.[xi]
2. God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself, is unique in being all-sufficient, both in Himself and to Himself, not standing in need of any creature which He has made, nor deriving any glory from them; but on the contrary, it is God who manifests His own glory in them, to them, and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being; of whom, through whom, and to whom all things exist and move. He has complete sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do through them, for them, or to them whatever He pleases. In His sight all things are open and manifest; His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and not dependent upon the creature. Therefore, nothing is for Him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.[xii]
3. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father was not derived from any being; neither was He begotten nor did He issue from any other being; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning, and is therefore only one God, who is not divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him.[xiii]
OF GOD’S DECREE
1. God has decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet in such a way that God is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in the committing of sin; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. In all this God’s wisdom is displayed in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.[xiv]
2. Although God knows everything that may or can come to pass, upon all imaginable conditions, yet He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it in the future, or because it would come to pass upon certain conditions.[xv]
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.[xvi]
4. These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.[xvii]
5. Those of mankind who are predestined to life, God chose before the foundation of the world was laid, in accordance with His eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will. God chose them in Christ for everlasting glory, solely out of His free grace and love, without anything in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him to choose.[xviii]
6. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so, by the eternal and completely free intention of His will, He has foreordained all the means. Accordingly, those who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ; are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified; and kept by His power through faith unto salvation; neither are any but the elect redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved.[xix]
7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, in order that men who are heeding the will of God revealed in His Word, and who are yielding obedience to it, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election; so shall this doctrine provide cause for praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and will also provide cause for humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all who sincerely obey the Gospel.[xx]
OF CREATION
1. In the beginning it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, to create or make the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.[xxi]
2. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasoning and immortal souls, rendering them fit unto that life to God for which they were created; being made after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness; having the law of God 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 subject to change.[xxii]
3. Besides the law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. While they kept this command, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over all other creatures.[xxiii]
OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
1. God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will; to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy.[xxiv]
2. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, who is the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; so that nothing happens to anyone by chance, or without His providence; yet by His providence, He orders events to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.[xxv]
3. God, in His ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure.[xxvi]
4. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in His providence, that His determinate counsel extends itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions both of angels and men. This is not merely a bare permission, but by form of permission in which He included the most wise and powerful limitations, and other means of restricting and controlling sin. These various limitations have been designed by God to bring about His most holy purposes; yet, in all these affairs, the sinfulness of both angels and men comes only from them and not from God, who is altogether holy and righteous, and can never be the author or approver of sin.[xxvii]
5. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God often leaves, for a season, His own children to various temptations, and to the corruptions of their own hearts, in order to chastise them for the sins which they have committed, or to show them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness still within their hearts, so that they may be humbled and to arouse them to a closer and constant dependence upon God for their support; and that they may be made more watchful against future occasions of sin, as well as for other just and holy ends. So that whatever happens to any of His elect is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good.[xxviii]
6. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, blinds and hardens for former sin, from them He not only withholds His grace, by which they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and affected in their hearts, but sometimes He also withdraws the gifts which they had, and exposes them to certain objects which their corrupt state will make occasion of sin. God gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, so that eventually they harden themselves under the influence that God uses for the softening of others.[xxix]
7. As the providence of God in general reaches to all creatures, so in a more special manner it takes care of His church, and governs all things to the good thereof.[xxx]
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 secured life for him while he kept it, and threatened death upon breaking it, yet man did not abide long in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, seduced Adam by her, and he, without any compulsion, willfully transgressed the law of their creation and the command given to them by eating the forbidden fruit. God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit this act, having purposed to order it to His own glory.[xxxi]
2. Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them; and from this, death came upon all: all becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.[xxxii]
3. They being the root, and by God’s 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; their descendants being therefore conceived in sin, and by nature the children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.[xxxiii]
4. All actual transgressions proceed from this original corruption, by which we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil.[xxxiv]
5. During this life, the corruption of nature remains in those who are regenerated; and although it is pardoned and mortified through Christ, yet this corrupt nature and all its motions are truly and properly sinful.[xxxv]
OF GOD’S COVENANT
1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience to Him as their Creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, and this He has been pleased to express by way of a covenant.[xxxvi]
2. Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace. In this covenant He freely offers to sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring from them faith in Him, that they may be saved; and promising to give to all who are appointed to eternal life, His Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe.[xxxvii]
3. This covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by further steps until the full revelation of it became completed in the New Testament; and the covenant of salvation is founded upon an eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect; and it is solely by the grace of this covenant that all the descendents of fallen Adam who have ever been saved have obtained life and blessed immortality, because man is now utterly incapable of gaining acceptance with God on the terms by which Adam stood in his state of innocence.[xxxviii]
OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
1. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator between God and man; to be Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of His church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world. To the Lord Jesus God gave, from all eternity, a people to be His seed. These, in time, would be to be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by the Lord Jesus.[xxxix]
2. The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being true and eternal God, the brightness of the Father’s glory, of the same substance and equal with Him, who made the world; who upholds and governs all things He has made; who, when the fullness of time was come, did take upon Him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities, yet without sin; being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowing her, so that He was born to a woman from the tribe of Judah, a descendent of Abraham and David, according to the Scriptures; so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; so that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, yet He is one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.[xl]
3. The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, once in the person of the Son, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell, to the end that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of Mediator and Surety; a position He did not take upon Himself, but was called to perform by His Father; who also put all power and judgment in His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.[xli]
4. This office the of Mediator and Surety the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake. To discharge it, He was made under the law, and perfectly fulfilled it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have borne and suffered. He was made sin and a curse for us; enduring the most grievous sorrows in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet His body did not undergo any decomposition. On the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered, with which He also ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.[xlii]
5. The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of God, procured reconciliation, and has purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father has given unto Him.[xliii]
6. Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit arising from His payment were communicated to the elect in all ages from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices in which He was revealed and signified to be the seed which should bruise the serpent’s head; and also the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being the same yesterday, and today and for ever.[xliv]
7. Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet because of the unity of His person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.[xlv]
8. To all those for whom Christ has obtained eternal redemption, He certainly and effectually applies and communicates this redemption, making intercession for them, uniting them to Himself by His Spirit, revealing to them, in and by His Word, the mystery of salvation, persuading them to believe and obey, governing their hearts by His Word and Spirit, and 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; and all of this by free and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them to procure it.[xlvi]
9. This office of Mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ, who is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the church of God; and this office may not transferred to any other, either in whole or in part.[xlvii]
10. This number and order of offices is essential; for because of our ignorance, we need His prophetic office; and because of our alienation from God and the imperfection of the best of our services, we need His priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God; and because of our aversion and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need His kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us until we reach His heavenly kingdom.[xlviii]
OF FREE WILL
1. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty and the power to choose and act upon his choice; that this free will is neither forced, nor destined by any necessity of nature to do good or evil.[xlix]
2. Man, in his state of innocence, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but yet was unstable, so that he might fall from this condition.[l]
3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has completely lost all ability of will to perform any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse to spiritual good, and dead in sin, is unable by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself for conversion.[li]
4. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by His grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet, because of his remaining corruptions, he does not only or perfectly will that which is good, but also wills that which is evil.[lii]
5. This will of man will only be made perfectly and immutably free to good in the state of glory.[liii]
OF EFFECTUAL CALLING
1. Those whom God hath predestinated to life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time to effectually call by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death which they are in by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving to them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by His almighty power causing them to desire and pursue that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet is such a way that they come absolutely freely, being made willing by His grace.[liv]
2. This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, who is wholly passive in the matter; as man is dead in sins and trespasses, until quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it; and that enabling by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.[lv]
3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who works when, where, and how He pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.[lvi]
4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet because they are not effectually drawn by the Father, they will not and cannot truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that do not embrace the Christian religion be saved; however diligent they may be to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the requirements of that religion they do profess.[lvii]
OF JUSTIFICATION
1. Those whom God effectually calls He also freely justifies, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting them as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but they are justified wholly and solely because God imputes to them Christ’s righteousness, imputing to them Christ’s active obedience unto the whole law, and His passive obedience in death; they receive Christ’s righteousness by faith and rest on Him; which faith they do not possess or produce of themselves; it is the gift of God.[lviii]
2. Faith that receives and depends on Christ and His righteousness, is the sole instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is always accompanied by all other saving graces, and is not a dead faith, but works by love.[lix]
3. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and by the sacrifice of Himself in the blood of His cross, underwent instead of them, the penalty due to them, so making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in their behalf; yet, because He was given by the Father for them, and because His obedience and satisfaction was accepted instead of theirs, and both freely, not because of anything in them, their justification is only entirely free grace, so that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.[lx]
4. God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rose again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not personally justified until the Holy Spirit, in due time, actually applies Christ to them.[lxi]
5. God continues to forgive the sins of those that are justified, and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may because of their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they will not usually have the light of His countenance restored to them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg for pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.[lxii]
6. The justification of believers during the Old Testament period was, in all these respects, exactly the same as the justification of believers under the New Testament.[lxiii]
OF ADOPTION
God has granted permission, that in Christ, His only Son, and for His sake, all those that are justified shall partake of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges 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, they are never cast off, but are sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.[lxiv]
OF SANCTIFICATION
1. Those who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, are also further sanctified in a very real and personal way, through the same virtue, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the differnt lusts of the body are increasingly weakened and mortified, and Christ’s people are increasingly quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to practice all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.[lxv]
2. This sanctification extends throughout the whole man, yet it remains imperfect in this life; there abides still some remnants of corruption in every part, and from this arises a continual and irreconcilable war between the flesh and the Spirit; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.[lxvi]
3. In this war, although the remaining corruption for a time may greatly prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part overcomes; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after a heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in His Word has prescribed to them.[lxvii]
OF SAVING FAITH
1. The grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought into being by the ministry of the Word; by which also it is increased and strengthened by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God.[lxviii]
2. By this faith a Christian believes to be true whatever is revealed in the Word because this Word has the authority of God Himself, and the Christian also apprehends an excellency in the Word above all other writings and everything else in the world, because the Word shows forth the glory of God in His attributes, the excellency of Christ in His nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in His workings and operations: and so, the Christian is enabled to cast his soul upon the Truth thus believed; and also to see and respond to the different kinds of teaching that different passages of Scripture contain; equipping him to yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and the life to come; but the first and most important acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, when the soul accepts, receives, and rests upon Him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.[lxix]
3. This faith, although it differs in degrees, and may be weak or strong, even though at its weakest is in an entirely different class and has a different nature, like other aspects of saving grace, from the kind of faith and common grace possessed by temporary believers; and therefore, though it may be frequently assailed and weakened, it gets the victory, growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.[lxx]
OF REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE AND SALVATION
1. Such of the elect as are converted in riper years, having lived some time in the state of nature, and in this state served diverse lusts and pleasures, God gives repentance that unto life, through an effectual call.[lxxi]
2. Whereas there is none that does good and does not commit sin, and because the best of men may fall into great sins and provocations through the power and deceitfulness of their own indwelling corruption and prevalence toward temptation, God has mercifully provided in the covenant of grace that when believers sin and fall, they shall be renewed through repentance unto salvation.[lxxii]
3. This saving repentance is an evangelical grace by which a person who is made to feel, by the Holy Spirit, the manifold evils of his sin, and being given faith in Christ, humbles himself over his sin with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrency, praying for pardon and strength of grace, with a purpose and endeavor, by supplies of the Spirit’s power, to walk before God and to totally please Him in all things.[lxxiii]
4. As repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, on the account of the body of death, and the motions of it, so it is every man’s duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly.[lxxiv]
5. Such is the provision which God has made through Christ in the covenant of grace for the preservation of believers unto salvation; that although even the smallest sin deserves damnation; yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them that repent; which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.[lxxv]
OF GOOD WORKS
1. Good works are only such as God has commanded in His Holy Word, and not such as do not have the warrant of Scripture; and works that are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions are not good works.[lxxvi]
2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith; and by them believers express and show their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus to perform good works, and to have fruits of holiness which lead to eternal life.[lxxvii]
3. Their ability to do good works does not in any way come from themselves, but comes wholly from the Spirit of Christ; that they may be enabled to do good works, alongside the graces they have already received, it is necessary to be a further real influence of the same Holy Spirit to cause them to will and to do of His good pleasure; yet they are not, on these grounds, to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion of the Spirit, but they must be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.[lxxviii]
4. They who, in their obedience to God, attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are still so far from being able to do above what is expected, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which they are bound to do in their duty to God.[lxxix]
5. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God because of the great disproportion between our best works and the glory to come, and because of the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy God concerning the debt we owe for our former sins; but when we have done all we can, we have merely done our duty, and are still unprofitable servants; and in any case, because our works are good they originate from the work of His Spirit, and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.[lxxx]
6. Yet, quite apart from the fact that believers are accepted through Christ as individual souls, their good works are also are accepted in Him; not as though the believers are in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God’s sight, but because He looks upon them in His Son, and is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.[lxxxi]
7. Works done by unregenerate men, although they may essentially be things which God commands, and be good and beneficial both to themselves and others; yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith, nor are done in a right manner according to the Word, nor for the underlying purpose to bring glory to God, they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, nor make a man fit to receive grace from God; and yet, for unregenerate men to neglect such works is even more sinful and displeasing to God.[lxxxii]
OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
1. Those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, and has effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; and therefore He continues to beget and nourish in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit which lead to immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against the saints, yet these things shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sight and feeling of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet God is still the same, and they are sure to be kept by the power of God until their salvation is complete, when they shall enjoy their purchased possession, for they are engraved upon the palm of His hands, and their names have been written in the Book of Life from all eternity.[lxxxiii]
2. This perseverance of the saints does not depend upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with Him, the oath of God, the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all these factors arise the certainty and infallibility of the security and perseverance of the saints.[lxxxiv]
3. And though the saints may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, and because their remaining sinful tendencies prevail over them, and through their neglect of the means which God has provided to preserve them, fall into grievous sins, they may continue in this state for some time, so that they incur God’s displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit, suffer the impairment of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened and their conscience wounded, and hurt and scandalize others; and by this they bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.[lxxxv]
OF THE ASSURANCE OF GRACE AND SALVATION
1. Although temporary believers, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions that they are in the favor of God and state of salvation, such a hope on their part will perish; yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.[lxxxvi]
2. This certainty is not merely a conjectural and probable persuasion based upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel; and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God; and, as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy.[lxxxvii]
3. This infallible assurance is not so joined to the essence of faith that it is an automatic and inevitable experience, but that a true believer may wait long and fight with many difficulties before he becomes a partaker of it; yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given to him by God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, attain this assurance by using the means of grace in the right way: and therefore it is the duty of every one to give the utmost diligence to make his calling and election sure, so that his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness for carrying out the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; ¯for it is far from inclining men to slackness.[lxxxviii]
4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation in various ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by their negligence in preserving it, or by their falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; or by some sudden or vehement temptation, or by God’s withdrawing the light of His countenance, and causing even those who fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light, yet believers are never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren that sincerity of heart and that conscience about their spiritual duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.[lxxxix]
OF THE LAW OF GOD
1. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a very specific instruction about not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which He bound him and all his posterity to personal, total, exact, and perpetual obedience; being promised life upon the fulfilling of the law, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued Adam with power and ability to keep it. [xc]
2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the first four containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.[xci]
3. Besides this law, commonly called the moral law, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly about their worship, prefiguring Christ along with His gracious attributes and qualities, His actions, His sufferings, and His benefits; and partly holding forth various instructions of moral duties; all of these ceremonial laws were appointed only until the time of reformation, when Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for this end cancelled them and took them away.[xcii]
4. To the people of Israel He also gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging anyone now by virtue of that institution; their general equity continue to be of moral use in modern times.[xciii]
5. The moral law forever binds everyone to obedience, justified persons as well as others, and not only from regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect for the authority of God the Creator, who gave the law; neither does Christ in the Gospel dissolve this law in any way, but He considerably strengthens our obligation to obey it.[xciv]
6. Although true believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be justified or condemned by it, yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, because as a rule of life it informs them of the will of God and their duty and directs and binds them to walk accordingly; it also reveals and exposes the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, and so examining themselves by it, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against, sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of His obedience; it is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions, because of the way that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of the law serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse and undiminished rigors of the law. The promises of the law also show believers God’s approval of obedience, and what blessings they may expect when the law is kept and obeyed, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works; if a man does good and refrains from evil simply because the law encourages to the good and deters him from the evil, that is no evidence that he is under the law rather than under grace.[xcv]
7. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, as the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the will of man to freely and cheerfully so those things which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.[xcvi]
OF THE GOSPEL, AND OF THE EXTENT OF THE GRACE THEREOF
1. The covenant of works being broken by sin, and made unprofitable for life, God was pleased to promise Christ, the seed of the woman, as the means of calling the elect, and bringing to life within them faith and repentance; in this promise the Gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed and shown to be effectual for the conversion and salvation of sinners.[xcvii]
2. This promise of Christ, and salvation by Him, is revealed only by the Word of God; neither do the works of creation or providence, with the light of nature, reveal Christ or His grace even in a general or obscure way; much less that men destitute of the revelation of Him by the promise or the Gospel, should be enabled by the light of nature to attain saving faith or repentance.[xcviii]
3. The revelation of the Gospel unto sinners, made in diverse 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 merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God; not being annexed by virtue of any promise to the due improvement of men’s natural abilities, by virtue of common light received without it, which none ever did make, or can do so; and therefore in all ages, the preaching of the Gospel has been granted unto persons and nations, as to the extent or straitening of it, in great variety, according to the counsel of the will of God.[xcix]
4. Although the Gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and as such, totally sufficient to accomplish this; yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, it is moreover necessary for there to be an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul to produce in them a new spiritual life; without which no other means will bring about their conversion unto God.[c]
OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
1. The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the Gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin and the condemning wrath of God, from the rigors and curse of the law, and in their deliverance from this present evil world, from the bondage to Satan, from dominion of sin, from the harm of afflictions, from the fear and sting of death, from the victory of the grave, and from everlasting damnation: as this liberty is also seen in their free access to God, and their ability to yield obedience to Him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing mind.
All these freedoms were also common in substance to true believers under the Old Testament law; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of a ceremonial law, 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 normally experienced.[ci]
2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to His Word, or not contained in it. Thus to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.[cii]
3. They, who upon pretence of Christian liberty practice any sin, or cherish any sinful lust, pervert the main design of the grace of the Gospel to their own destruction, so that they completely destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is that we, being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies, might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our lives.[ciii]
OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE SABBATH DAY
1. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all; that He is just, good and does good to 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 imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.[civ]
2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 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 Christ alone.[cv]
3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men. But to be accepted, it must be made in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to His will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known language.[cvi]
4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living who are alive or live in the future; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.[cvii]
5. The reading of the Scriptures, preaching and hearing the Word of God, the teaching and admonishing of one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as well as the administration of baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to Him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.[cviii]
6. Under the Gospel, neither prayer nor any other part of religious worship is tied to, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each individual by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly nor willfully neglected or forsaken, when God by His Word or providence calls us to them.[cix]
7. Under the Gospel, Christ our King has come and fulfilled the law, therefore, we need to continue to rely upon Him for our Sabbath rest. The perfect, finished work of Jesus Christ upon Calvary's tree, not only provides salvation, sanctification, and security, but also provides for and fulfills the Sabbath itself. Therefore, our worship of God is not attached to a singular day as such, recognizing one particular day over another, but every day has now become a Sabbath in Christ Jesus, and considered holy.[cx]
8. Though Christ is our Sabbath rest, and every day holy in Him, we recognize our need to gather together as believers, to encourage one another as the return of the Lord approaches, and challenge and stir up one another unto love and good works. Therefore, we have chosen to assemble as disciples on the first day of the week in order to pray, to break bread at the Lord's table, to hear the preaching of God's Word, and to set aside a protion of our finances unto God, according as the Lord has prospered us.[cxi]
OF LAWFUL OATHS AND VOWS
1. A lawful oath is an act of religious worship, in which the person swearing in truth, righteousness, and judgment, solemnly calls God to witness what he swears, and to judge him according to the truth or falsity of it.[cxii]
2. Only by the name of God can a righteous oath be sworn; and only if it is used with the utmost fear of God and reverence; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and awesome name of God, or to swear at all by any other name or thing, is sinful, and to be regarded with disgust and detestation; yet in matters of weight and moment, for the confirmation of truth, and ending all strife, an oath is warranted by the word of God; so a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority in such circumstances, can rightly be taken.[cxiii]
3. Whosoever takes an oath warranted by the Word of God is bound to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and affirm or confess to nothing but what he knows to be truth; for that by rash, false, and vain oaths, the Lord is provoked, and because of them this land mourns.[cxiv]
4. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.[cxv]
5. A vow, which is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone, is to be made and performed with all religious care and faithfulness; but popish monastic vows of a perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.[cxvi]
OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE
1. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained civil magistrates to be under Him, over the people, for His own glory and the public good; and for this purpose He has armed them with the power of the sword, for defense and encouragement of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers.[cxvii]
2. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called upon to do so; in the management of such an office they are particularly responsible for maintaining justice and peace by application of the right and beneficial laws of the nation, so that they may lawfully, under the New Testament, engage in wage war upon just and necessary occasions.[cxviii]
3. Because civil magistrates are established by God for the purposes previously mentioned, subjection to all their lawful commanded as part of obedience to God, not only to avoid punishment, but for conscience sake; and we ought to make supplications and prayers for rulers and all that are in authority, that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.[cxix]
OF MARRIAGE
1. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman; neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time.[cxx]
2. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and the preventing of uncleanness. [cxxi]
3. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry if they are able with judgment to give their consent; yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord; and therefore such as profess the true religion, should not marry with infidels or idolaters; neither should such as are godly, be unequally yoked by marrying with those who are wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresy.[cxxii]
4. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of blood relation or affinity, forbidden in the Word; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful, by any law of man or consent of parties, so that such persons may live together as man and wife.[cxxiii]
OF THE CHURCH
1. The catholic or universal church, which may be called invisible (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace), consists of the entire number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the Head thereof; and this universal church is the wife, the body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.[cxxiv]
2. All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the Gospel and obedience to God by Christ on its terms, not destroying their own profession by any errors that contradict or overthrow the Gospel fundamentals, or by unholy behavior, are visible saints and may be regarded as such; and all individual congregations ought to be constituted of such people.[cxxv]
3. The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated that they have ceased to be churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ has always had, and always will have a kingdom in this world, to the end of time, of such as believe in Him, and make profession of His name.[cxxvi]
4. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, is vested in a supreme and sovereign manner all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head of the church, but he is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.[cxxvii]
5. In the execution of this authority by which He is so entrusted, the Lord Jesus calls out of the world unto Himself, through the ministry of His word, by His Spirit, those that are given unto Him by His Father, that they may walk before Him in all the ways of obedience, which He prescribes to them in His Word. Those thus called, He commands to walk together in particular societies, or churches, for their mutual edification, and the due performance of that public worship, which He requires of them in the world.[cxxviii]
6. The members of these churches are saints because they have been called by Christ, and because they visibly manifest and give evidence (in and by their profession and walking) of their obedience unto that call of Christ; and they willingly consent to walk together, according to the appointment of Christ; giving themselves up to the Lord, and one to another, by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel.[cxxix]
7. To each of these churches thus gathered, according to His mind as declared in His Word, He has given all the power and authority, which is in any way needful for their carrying on that order in worship and discipline, which He has instituted for them to observe; with commands and rules for the due and right exertion and execution of that power.[cxxx]
8. A particular church, gathered and completely 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 entrusts
