CHAPTER 1; OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Paragraph 1. The Holy
Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving
knowledge, faith, and obedience,1 although the light of nature,
and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness,
wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not
sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary
unto salvation.2 Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times
and in diversified manners to reveal Himself, and to declare (that) His
will unto His church;3 and afterward for the better preserving and
propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort
of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan,
and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the
Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing
His will unto His people being now completed.4
1 2 Tim. 3:15-17;
Isa. 8:20; Luke 16:29,31; Eph. 2:20
2 Rom. 1:19-21, 2:14,15;
Psalm 19:1-3
3 Heb. 1:1
4 Prov. 22:19-21;
Rom. 15:4; 2 Pet. 1:19,20
Paragraph 2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
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 Ester Job Psalms Proverbs |
Ecclesiastes
The 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 which are given by
the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.5
5 2 Tim. 3:16
Paragraph 3. The books commonly
called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon
or rule of the Scripture, and, therefore, are of no authority to the church
of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human
writings.6
6 Luke 24:27,44;
Rom. 3:2
Paragraph 4. The authority
of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, depends not upon
the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself),
the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word
of God.7
7 2 Pet. 1:19-21;
2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 John 5:9
Paragraph 5. We may be moved
and induced by the testimony of the church of God to a high and reverent
esteem of the Holy Scriptures; and the heavenliness of the matter, the
efficacy of the doctrine, and 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 discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, and many
other incomparable excellencies, and entire perfections thereof, are arguments
whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet notwithstanding,
our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority
thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by
and with the Word in our hearts.8
8 John 16:13,14;
1 Cor. 2:10-12; 1 John 2:20,27
Paragraph 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.9 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,10
and that 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.11
9 2 Tim. 3:15-17;
Gal. 1:8,9
10 John 6:45; 1 Cor.
2:9-12
11 1 Cor. 11:13,14;
1 Cor. 14:26,40
Paragraph 7. All things in
Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all;12
yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed
for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture
or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of
ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them.13
12 2 Pet. 3:16
13 Ps. 19:7; Psalm
119:130
Paragraph 8. The Old Testament
in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old),14
and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it
was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by
God, and by His singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are
therefore authentic; so as in all controversies of religion, the church
is finally to appeal to them.15 But because these original
tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have a right unto,
and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded in the fear of God to
read,16 and search them,17 therefore they are to be translated
into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come,18
that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him
in an acceptable manner, and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures
may have hope.19
14 Rom. 3:2
15 Isa. 8:20
16 Acts 15:15
17 John 5:39
18 1 Cor. 14:6,9,11,12,24,28
19 Col. 3:16
Paragraph 9. The infallible
rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore
when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture
(which are not many, but one), it must be searched by other places that
speak more clearly.20
20 2 Pet. 1:20, 21;
Acts 15:15, 16
Paragraph 10. The supreme
judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and
all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men,
and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to
rest, can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into
which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved.21
21 Matt. 22:29, 31,
32; Eph. 2:20; Acts 28:23
CHAPTER 2; OF GOD AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY
Paragraph 1. The Lord our
God is but one only living and true God;1 whose subsistence is in
and of Himself,2 infinite in being and perfection; whose essence
cannot be comprehended by any but Himself;3 a most pure spirit,4
invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;5 who is immutable,6
immense,7 eternal,8 incomprehensible, almighty,9 every
way infinite, most holy,10 most wise, most free, most absolute;
working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most
righteous will,11 for His own glory;12 most loving, gracious,
merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity,
transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,13
and withal most just and terrible in His judgments,14 hating all
sin,15 and who will by no means clear the guilty.16
1 1 Cor. 8:4,6; Deut.
6:4
2 Jer. 10:10; Isa.
48:12
3 Exod. 3:14
4 John 4:24
5 1 Tim. 1:17; Deut.
4:15,16
6 Mal. 3:6
7 1 Kings 8:27; Jer.
23:23
8 Ps. 90:2
9 Gen. 17:1
10 Isa. 6:3
11 Ps. 115:3; Isa.
46:10
12 Prov. 16:4; Rom.
11:36
13 Exod. 34:6,7;
Heb. 11:6
14 Neh. 9:32,33
15 Ps. 5:5,6
16 Exod. 34:7; Nahum
1:2,3
Paragraph 2. God, having
all life,17 glory,18 goodness,19 blessedness, in and
of Himself, is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in
need of any creature which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them,20
but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the
alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all
things,21 and He hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures,
to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleases;22
in His sight all things are open and manifest,23 His knowledge is
infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing
is to Him contingent or uncertain;24 He is most holy in all His
counsels, in all His works,25 and in all His commands; to Him is
due from angels and men, whatsoever worship,26 service, or obedience,
as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased
to require of them.
17 John 5:26
18 Ps. 148:13
19 Ps. 119:68
20 Job 22:2,3
21 Rom. 11:34-36
22 Dan. 4:25,34,35
23 Heb. 4:13
24 Ezek. 11:5; Acts
15:18
25 Ps. 145:17
26 Rev. 5:12-14
Paragraph 3. In this divine
and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or
Son, and Holy Spirit,27 of one substance, power, and eternity, each
having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided:28 the
Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally
begotten of the Father;29 the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father
and the Son;30 all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one
God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by
several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine
of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable
dependence on Him.
27 1 John 5:7; Matt.
28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14
28 Exod. 3:14; John
14:11; I Cor. 8:6
29 John 1:14,18
30 John 15:26; Gal.
4:6
Paragraph 1. God hath 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;1
yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship
with any therein;2 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;3 in which appears His wisdom in disposing all
things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.4
1 Isa. 46:10; Eph.
1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15,18
2 James 1:13; 1 John
1:5
3 Acts 4:27,28; John
19:11
4 Num. 23:19; Eph.
1:3-5
Paragraph 2. Although God
knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,5
yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as
that which would come to pass upon such conditions.6
5 Acts 15:18
6 Rom. 9:11,13,16,18
Paragraph 3. By the decree
of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated,
or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,7 to the praise
of His glorious grace;8 others being left to act in their sin to
their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.9
7 I Tim. 5:21; Matt.
25:34
8 Eph. 1:5,6
9 Rom. 9:22,23; Jude
4
Paragraph 4. These angels
and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably
designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either
increased or diminished.10
10 2 Tim. 2:19; John
13:18
Paragraph 5. Those of mankind
that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world
was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret
counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting
glory, out of His mere free grace and love,11 without any other
thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.12
11 Eph. 1:4, 9, 11;
Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim. 1:9; I Thess. 5:9
12 Rom. 9:13,16;
Eph. 2:5,12
Paragraph 6. As God hath
appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free
purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto;13 wherefore
they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,14
are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due
season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,15 and kept by His power
through faith unto salvation;16 neither are any other redeemed by
Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved,
but the elect only.17
13 1 Pet. 1:2; 2;
Thess. 2:13
14 1 Thess. 5:9,
10
15 Rom. 8:30; 2 Thess.
2:13
16 1 Pet. 1:5
17 John 10:26, 17:9,
6:64
Paragraph 7. The doctrine
of the 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
yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual
vocation, be assured of their eternal election;18 so shall this
doctrine afford matter of praise,19 reverence, and admiration of
God, and of humility,20 diligence, and abundant consolation to all
that sincerely obey the gospel.21
18 1 Thess. 1:4,5;
2 Pet. 1:10
19 Eph. 1:6; Rom.
11:33
20 Rom. 11:5,6,20
21 Luke 10:20
Paragraph 1. In the beginning
it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,1 for the manifestation
of the glory of His eternal power,2 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.3
1 John 1:2,3; Heb.
1:2; Job 26:13
2 Rom. 1:20
3 Col. 1:16; Gen.
1:31
Paragraph 2. After God had
made all other creatures, He created man, male and female,4 with
reasonable and immortal souls,5 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;6 having the law
of God written in their hearts,7 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.8
4 Gen. 1:27
5 Gen. 2:7
6 Eccles. 7:29; Gen.
1;26
7 Rom. 2:14,15
8 Gen. 3:6
Paragraph 3. Besides the
law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil,9 which while they kept, they
were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.10
9 Gen. 2:17
10 Gen. 1:26,28
CHAPTER 5; OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Paragraph 1. God the good
Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom does uphold, direct,
dispose, and govern all creatures and things,1 from the greatest
even to the least,2 by His most wise and holy providence, to the
end for the which they were created, according unto 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.3
1 Heb. 1:3; Job 38:11;
Isa. 46:10,11; Ps. 135:6
2 Matt. 10:29-31
3 Eph. 1;11
Paragraph 2. Although in
relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things
come to pass immutably and infallibly;4 so that there is not anything
befalls any by chance, or without His providence;5 yet by the same
providence He ordered them to fall out according to the nature of second
causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.6
4 Acts 2:23
5 Prov. 16:33
6 Gen. 8:22
Paragraph 3. God, in his
ordinary providence makes use of means,7 yet is free to work without,8
above,9 and against them10 at His pleasure.
7 Acts 27:31, 44;
Isa. 55:10, 11
8 Hosea 1:7
9 Rom. 4:19-21
10 Dan. 3:27
Paragraph 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;11 and that not by a bare permission, which also He most wisely
and powerfully binds, and otherwise orders and governs,12 in a manifold
dispensation to His most holy ends;13 yet so, as the sinfulness
of their acts proceeds only from the creatures, and not from God, who,
being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver
of sin.14
11 Rom. 11:32-34;
2 Sam. 24:1; 1 Chron. 21:1
12 2 Kings 19:28;
Ps. 76:10
13 Gen. 1:20; Isa.
10:6,7,12
14 Ps. 1;21; 1 John
2:16
Paragraph 5. The most wise,
righteous, and gracious God does often times leave for a season His own
children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own hearts,
to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden
strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, 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.15
So that whatsoever befalls any of His elect is by His appointment, for
His glory, and their good.16
15 2 Chron. 32:25,26,31;
2 Cor. 12:7-9
16 Rom. 8:28
Paragraph 6. As for those
wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, for former sin
does blind and harden;17 from them He not only withholds His grace,
whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and wrought
upon their hearts;18 but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which
they had,19 and exposes them to such objects as their corruption
makes occasion of sin;20 and withal, gives them over to their own
lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,21 whereby
it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God
uses for the softening of others.22
17 Rom. 1;24-26,28,
11:7,8
18 Deut. 29:4
19 Matt. 13:12
20 Deut. 2:30; 2
Kings 8:12,13
21 Ps. 81:11,12;
2 Thess. 2:10-12
22 Exod. 8:15,32;
Isa. 6:9,10; 1 Pet. 2:7,8
Paragraph 7. As the providence
of God does in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special
manner it takes care of His church, and disposes of all things to the good
thereof.23
23 1 Tim. 4:10; Amos
9:8,9; Isa. 43:3-5
CHAPTER 6; OF THE FALL OF MAN, OF SIN, AND OF THE PUNISHMENT THEREOF
Paragraph 1. Although God
created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had
been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof,1
yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtlety
of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any
compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the
command given to them, in eating the forbidden fruit,2 which God
was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed
to order it to His own glory.
1 Gen. 2:16,17
2 Gen. 3:12,13; 2
Cor. 11:3
Paragraph 2. Our first parents,
by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with
God, and we in them whereby death came upon all:3 all becoming dead
in sin,4 and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul
and body.5
3 Rom. 3:23
4 Rom 5:12, etc.
5 Titus 1:15; Gen.
6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-19
Paragraph 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,6 being
now conceived in sin,7 and by nature children of wrath,8
the servants of sin, the subjects of death,9 and all other miseries,
spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.10
6 Rom. 5:12-19; 1
Cor. 15:21,22,45,49
7 Ps. 51:5; Job 14:4
8 Eph. 2:3
9 Rom. 6:20, 5:12
10 Heb. 2:14,15;
1 Thess. 1:10
Paragraph 4. From this original
corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite
to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil,11 do proceed all actual
transgressions.12
11 Rom. 8:7; Col.
1:21
12 James 1:14,15;
Matt. 15:19
Paragraph 5. The corruption
of nature, during this life, does remain in those that are regenerated;13
and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself,
and the first motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.14
13 Rom. 7:18,23;
Eccles. 7:20; 1 John 1:8
14 Rom. 7:23-25;
Gal. 5:17
Paragraph 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 but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which
He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.1
1 Luke 17:10; Job
35:7,8
Paragraph 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,2 wherein He freely offers
unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith
in Him, that they may be saved;3 and promising to give unto all
those that are ordained unto eternal life, His Holy Spirit, to make them
willing and able to believe.4
2 Gen. 2:17; Gal.
3:10; Rom. 3:20,21
3 Rom. 8:3; Mark
16:15,16; John 3:16;
4 Ezek. 36:26,27;
John 6:44,45; Ps. 110:3
Paragraph 3. This covenant
is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation
by the seed of the woman,5 and afterwards by farther steps, until
the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament;6
and it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction that was between
the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect;7 and it
is alone by the grace of this covenant that all the posterity of fallen
Adam that ever were saved did obtain life and blessed immortality, man
being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on
which Adam stood in his state of innocency.8
5 Gen. 3:15
6 Heb. 1:1
7 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus
1:2
8 Heb. 11;6,13; Rom.
4:1,2, &c.; Acts 4:12; John 8:56
CHAPTER 8; OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
Paragraph 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;1 the prophet,2 priest,3 and king;4
head and savior of the church,5 the heir of all things,6
and judge of the world;7 unto whom He did from all eternity give
a people to be His seed and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified,
sanctified, and glorified.8
1 Isa. 42:1; 1 Pet.
1:19,20
2 Acts 3:22
3 Heb. 5:5,6
4 Ps. 2:6; Luke 1:33
5 Eph. 1:22,23
6 Heb. 1:2
7 Acts 17:31
8 Isa. 53:10; John
17:6; Rom. 8:30
Paragraph 2. The Son of God,
the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the
brightness of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him who
made the world, who upholds and governs all things He has made, did, when
the fullness of time was complete, take upon Him man's nature, with all
the essential properties and common infirmities of it,9 yet without
sin;10 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; and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of
the seed of Abraham and David according to the Scriptures;11 so
that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together
in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; which person
is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God
and man.12
9 John 1:14; Gal.
4;4
10 Rom. 8:3; Heb.
2:14,16,17, 4:15
11 Matt. 1:22, 23
12 Luke 1:27,31,35;
Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 2:5
Paragraph 3. The Lord Jesus,
in His human nature thus united to the divine, in the person of the Son,
was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure,13
having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;14 in whom
it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell,15 to the end
that being holy, harmless, undefiled,16 and full of grace and truth,17
He might be throughly furnished to execute the office of mediator and surety;18
which office He took not upon himself, but was thereunto called by His
Father;19 who also put all power and judgement in His hand, and
gave Him commandment to execute the same.20
13 Ps. 45:7; Acts
10:38; John 3:34
14 Col. 2:3
15 Col. 1:19
16 Heb. 7:26
17 John 1:14
18 Heb. 7:22
19 Heb. 5:5
20 John 5:22,27;
Matt. 28:18; Acts 2;36
Paragraph 4. This office
the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake,21 which that He might
discharge He was made under the law,22 and did perfectly fulfill
it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have born and
suffered,23 being made sin and a curse for us;24 enduring
most grievous sorrows in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body;25
was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw
no corruption:26 on the third day He arose from the dead27
with the same body in which He suffered,28 with which He also ascended
into heaven,29 and there sits at the right hand of His Father making
intercession,30 and shall return to judge men and angels at the
end of the world.31
21 Ps. 40:7,8; Heb.
10:5-10; John 10:18
22 Gal 4:4; Matt.
3:15
23 Gal. 3:13; Isa.
53:6; 1 Pet. 3:18
24 2 Cor. 5:21
25 Matt. 26:37,38;
Luke 22:44; Matt. 27:46
26 Acts 13:37
27 1 Cor. 15:3,4
28 John 20:25,27
29 Mark 16:19; Acts
1:9-11
30 Rom. 8:34; Heb.
9:24
31 Acts 10:42; Rom.
14:9,10; Acts 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:4
Paragraph 5. The Lord Jesus,
by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the
eternal Spirit once offered up to God, has fully satisfied the justice
of God,32 procured reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting
inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father has
given unto Him.33
32 Heb. 9:14, 10:14;
Rom. 3:25,26
33 John 17:2; Heb.
9:15
Paragraph 6. Although the
price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after His incarnation,
yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to the
elect in all ages, successively from the beginning of the world, in and
by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein He was revealed, and signified
to be the seed which should bruise the serpent's head;34 and the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,35 being the same yesterday,
and today and for ever.36
34 1 Cor. 4:10; Heb.
4:2; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11
35 Rev. 13:8
36 Heb. 13:8
Paragraph 7. Christ, in the
work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing
that which is proper to itself; yet by reason of the unity of the person,
that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture, attributed
to the person denominated by the other nature.37
37 John 3:13; Acts
20:28
Paragraph 8. To all those
for whom Christ has obtained eternal redemption, He does certainly and
effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them;38
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,39
governing their hearts by His Word and Spirit,40 and overcoming
all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom,41 in such manner
and ways as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation;
and all of free and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them
to procure it.42
38 John 6:37, 10:15,16,
17:9; Rom. 5:10
39 John 17:6; Eph.
1:9; 1 John 5:20
40 Rom. 8:9,14
41 Ps. 110:1; 1 Cor.
15:25,26
42 John 3:8; Eph.
1:8
Paragraph 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 may not be either in whole,
or any part thereof, transferred from Him to any other.43
43 Tim. 2:5
Paragraph 10. This number
and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we
stand in need of His prophetical office;44 and in respect of our
alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need
His priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God;45
and in respect to our averseness 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 to His heavenly kingdom.46
44 John 1:18
45 Col. 1:21; Gal.
5:17
46 John 16:8; Ps.
110:3; Luke 1:74,75
Paragraph 1. God has endued
the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice,
that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to
do good or evil.1
1 Matt. 17:12; James
1:14; Deut. 30:19
Paragraph 2. Man, in his
state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which
was good and well-pleasing to God,2 but yet was unstable, so that
he might fall from it.3
2 Eccles. 7:29
3 Gen. 3:6
Paragraph 3. Man, by his
fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual
good accompanying salvation;4 so as a natural man, being altogether
averse from that good, and dead in sin,5 is not able by his own
strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.6
4 Rom. 5:6, 8:7
5 Eph. 2:1,5
6 Titus 3:3-5; John
6:44
Paragraph 4. When God converts
a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from
his natural bondage under sin,7 and by His grace alone enables him
freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;8 yet so
as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he does not perfectly,
nor only will, that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.9
7 Col. 1:13; John
8:36
8 Phil. 2:13
9 Rom. 7:15,18,19,21,23
Paragraph 5. This will of
man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in
the state of glory only.10
10 Eph. 4:13
CHAPTER 10; OF EFFECTUAL CALLING
Paragraph 1. Those whom God
hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased in His appointed, and accepted
time, effectually to call,1 by His Word and Spirit, out of that
state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation
by Jesus Christ;2 enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly
to understand the things of God;3 taking away their heart of stone,
and giving to them a heart of flesh;4 renewing their wills, and
by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually
drawing them to Jesus Christ;5 yet so as they come most freely,
being made willing by His grace.6
1 Rom. 8:30, 11:7;
Eph. 1:10,11; 2 Thess. 2:13,14
2 Eph. 2:1-6
3 Acts 26:18; Eph.
1:17,18
4 Ezek. 36:26
5 Deut. 30:6; Ezek.
36:27; Eph. 1:19
6 Ps. 110:3; Cant.
1:4
Paragraph 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,7
being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until
being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit;8 he is thereby enabled
to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it,
and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.9
7 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph.
2:8
8 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph.
2:5; John 5:25
9 Eph. 1:19, 20
Paragraph 3. Elect infants
dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit;10
who works when, and where, and how He pleases;11 so also are all
elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry
of the Word.
10 John 3:3, 5, 6
11 John 3:8
Paragraph 4. Others not elected,
although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some
common operations of the Spirit,12 yet not being effectually drawn
by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore
cannot be saved:13 much less can men that do not receive the Christian
religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according
to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.14
12 Matt. 22:14, 13:20,21;
Heb 6:4,5
13 John 6:44,45,65;
1 John 2:24,25
14 Acts 4:12; John
4:22, 17:3
Paragraph 1. Those whom God
effectually calls, he also freely justifies,1 not by infusing righteousness
into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting
their persons as righteous;2 not for anything wrought in them, or
done
by them, but for Christ's sake alone;3 not by imputing faith itself,
the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their
righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole
law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness
by faith,4 which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift
of God.5
1 Rom. 3:24, 8:30
2 Rom. 4:5-8, Eph.
1:7
3 1 Cor. 1:30,31,
Rom. 5:17-19
4 Phil. 3:8,9; Eph.
2:8-10
5 John 1:12, Rom.
5:17
Paragraph 2. Faith thus receiving
and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of
justification;6 yet is not alone in the person justified, but is
ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but
works by love.7
6 Rom. 3:28
7 Gal.5:6, James
2:17,22,26
Paragraph 3. Christ, by his
obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those who are
justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross,
undergoing in their stead the penalty due to them, make a proper, real,
and full satisfaction to Godís justice in their behalf;8 yet, in
as much as he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction
accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them,9
their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice
and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.10
8 Heb. 10:14; 1 Pet.
1:18,19; Isa. 53:5,6
9 Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor.
5:21
10 Rom. 3:26; Eph.
1:6,7, 2:7
Paragraph 4. God did from
all eternity decree to justify all the elect,11 and Christ did in
the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification;12
nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit
in time does actually apply Christ to them.13
11 Gal. 3:8, 1 Pet.
1:2, 1 Tim. 2:6
12 Rom. 4:25
13 Col. 1:21,22,
Titus 3:4-7
Paragraph 5. God continues
to forgive the sins of those that are justified,14 and although
they can never fall from the state of justification,15 yet they
may, by their sins, fall under Godís fatherly displeasure;16 and
in that condition they usually do not have the light of his countenance
restored to them, until they humble themselves, beg pardon, and renew
their faith and repentance.17
14 Matt. 6:12, 1
John 1:7,9
15 John 10:28
16 Ps. 89:31-33
17 Ps. 32:5, Ps.
51, Matt. 26:75
Paragraph 6. The justification
of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and
the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.18
18 Gal. 3:9; Rom.
4:22-24
Paragraph 1. All those that
are justified, God conferred, in and for the sake of his only Son Jesus
Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption,1 by which they
are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the
children of God,2 have his name put on them,3 receive the
spirit of adoption,4 have access to the throne of grace with boldness,
are enabled to cry Abba, Father,5 are pitied,6 protected,7
provided for,8 and chastened by him as by a Father,9 yet
never cast off,10 but sealed to the day of redemption,11
and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.12
1 Eph. 1:5; Gal.
4:4,5
2 John 1:12; Rom.
8:17
3 2 Cor. 6:18; Rev.
3:12
4 Rom. 8:15
5 Gal. 4:6; Eph.
2:18
6 Ps. 103:13
7 Prov. 14:26; 1
Pet. 5:7
8 Heb. 12:6
9 Isa. 54:8, 9
10 Lam. 3:31
11 Eph. 4:30
12 Heb. 1:14, 6:12
Paragraph 1. They 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 farther sanctified, really and personally,1
through the same virtue, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them;2
the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed,3 and the several
lusts of it are more and more weakened and mortified,4 and they
more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces,5
to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord.6
1 Acts 20:32; Rom.
6:5,6
2 John 17:17; Eph.
3:16-19; 1 Thess. 5:21-23
3 Rom. 6:14
4 Gal. 5:24
5 Col. 1:11
6 2 Cor. 7:1; Heb.
12:14
Paragraph 2. This sanctification
is throughout the whole man,7 yet imperfect in this life; there
abides still some remnants of corruption in every part,8 wherefrom
arises a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.9
7 1 Thess. 5:23
8 Rom. 7:18, 23
9 Gal. 5:17; 1 Pet.
2:11
Paragraph 3. In which war,
although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail,10
yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit
of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome;11 and so the saints
grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an
heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ
as Head and King, in his Word has prescribed to them.12
10 Rom. 7:23
11 Rom. 6:14
12 Eph. 4:15,16;
2 Cor. 3:18, 7:1
Paragraph 1. The grace of
faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their
souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,1 and
is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word;2 by which also,
and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, prayer, and
other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.3
1 2 Cor. 4:13; Eph.
2:8
2 Rom. 10:14,17
3 Luke 17:5; 1 Pet.
2:2; Acts 20:32
Paragraph 2. By this faith
a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for
the authority of God himself,4 and also apprehends an excellency
therein above all other writings and all things in the world,5 as
it bears 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 is enabled to cast his soul upon
the truth consequently believed;6 and also acts differently upon
that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience
to the commands,7 trembling at the threatenings,8 and embracing
the promises of God for this life and that which is to come;9 but
the principle acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting,
receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification,
and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.10
4 Acts 24:14
5 Ps. 19:7-10, 69:72
6 2 Tim. 1:12
7 John 15:14
8 Isa. 116:2
9 Heb. 11:13
10 John 1:12; Acts
16:31; Gal:20; Acts 15:11
Paragraph 3. This faith,
although it be in different stages, and may be weak or strong,11
yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of
it, as is all other saving grace, from the faith and common grace of temporary
believers;12 and therefore, though it may be many times assailed
and weakened, yet it gets the victory,13 growing up in many to the
attainment of a full assurance through Christ,14 who is both the
author and finisher of our faith.15
11 Heb. 5:13,14;
Matt. 6:30; Rom. 4:19,20
12 2 Pet. 1:1
13 Eph. 6:16; 1 John
5:4,5
14 Heb. 6:11,12;
Col. 2:2
15 Heb. 12:2
CHAPTER 15; OF REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE AND SALVATION
Paragraph 1. Such of the
elect that are converted at riper years, having sometime lived in the state
of nature, and therein served divers pleasures, God in their effectual
calling gives them repentance to life.1
1 Titus 3:2-5
Paragraph 2. Whereas there
is none that does good and does not sin,2 and the best of men may,
through the power and deceitfulness of their corruption dwelling in them,
with the prevalency of temptation, fall in to great sins and provocations;
God has, in the covenant of grace, mercifully provided that believers so
sinning and falling be renewed through repentance unto salvation.3
2 Eccles. 7:20
3 Luke 22:31,32
Paragraph 3. This saving
repentance is an evangelical grace,4 whereby a person, being by
the Holy Spirit made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin, does, by
faith in Christ, humble himself for it with godly sorrow, detestation of
it, and self-abhorrancy,5 praying for pardon and strength of grace,
with a purpose and endeavor, by supplies of the Spirit, to walk before
God unto all well-pleasing in all things.6
4 Zech. 12:10; Acts
11:18
5 Ezek. 36:31; 2
Cor. 7:11
6 Ps. 119:6,128
Paragraph 4. As repentance
is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, upon the account
of the body of death, and the motions thereof, so it is every manís duty
to repent of his particular known sins particularly.7
7 Luke 19:8; 1 Tim.
1:13,15
Paragraph 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 there is no
sin so small but it deserves damnation,8 yet there is no sin so
great that it shall bring damnation to them that repent,9 which
makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.
8 Rom. 6:23
9 Isa. 1:16-18, 55:7
Paragraph 1. Good works are
only such as God has commanded in his Holy Word,1 and not such as
without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon
any pretense of good intentions.2
1 Mic. 6:8; Heb.
13:21
2 Matt. 15:9; Isa.
29:13
Paragraph 2. These good works,
done in obedience to Godís commandments, are the fruits and evidences of
a true and lively faith;3 and by them believers manifest their thankfulness,4
strengthen their assurance,5 edify their brethren, adorn the profession
of the gospel,6 stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glory God,7
whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto,8
that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life.9
3 James 2:18,22
4 Ps. 116:12,13
5 1 John 2:3,5; 2
Pet. 1:5-11
6 Matt. 5:16
7 1 Tim. 6:1; 1 Pet.
2:15; Phil. 1:11
8 Eph. 2:10
9 Rom 6:22
Paragraph 3. Their ability
to do good works is not all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of
Christ;10 and that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces
they have already received, there is necessary an actual influence of the
same Holy Spirit, to work in them and to will and to do of his good pleasure;11
yet they are not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion
of the Spirit, but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of
God that is in them.12
10 John 15:4,5
11 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil.
2:13
12 Phil. 2:12; Heb.
6:11,12; Isa. 64:7
Paragraph 4. They who in
their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this
life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God
requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound
to do.13
13 Job 9:2, 3; Gal.
5:17; Luke 17:10
Paragraph 5. We cannot by
our best works merit pardon of sin or eternal life at the hand of God,
by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory
to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by
them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins;14
but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable
servants; and because they are good they proceed from his Spirit,15
and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much weekness
and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of Godís punishment.16
14 Rom. 3:20; Eph.
2:8,9; Rom. 4:6
15 Gal. 5:22,23
16 Isa. 64:6; Ps.
43:2
Paragraph 6. Yet notwithstanding
the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works
also are accepted in him;17 not as thought they were in this life
wholly unblamable and unreprovable in Godís sight, but that he, looking
upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere,
although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfection.18
17 Eph. 1:5; 1 Pet.
1:5
18 Matt. 25:21,23;
Heb. 6:10
Paragraph 7. Works done by
unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may things which
God commands, and of good use both to themselves and to others;19
yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith,20 nor
are done in a right manner according to the Word,21 nor to a right
end, the glory of God,22 they are therfore sinful, and cannot please
God, nor make a man meet to receive the grace from God,23 and yet
their neglect fo them is more sinful and displeasing to God.24
19 2 Kings 10:30;
1 Kings 21:27,29
20 Gen. 4:5; Heb.
11:4,6
21 1 Cor. 13:1
22 Matt. 6:2,5
23 Amos 5:21,22;
Rom. 9:16; Titus 3:5
24 Job 21:14,15;
Matt. 25:41-43
CHAPTER 17; OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
Paragraph 1. Those whom God
has accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit,
and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor
finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein
to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God
are without repentance, from which source he still begets and nourishes
in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit
unto immortality;1 and though many storms and floods arise and beat
against them, yet they 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 sensible sight of the light
and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them,2
yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power
of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession,
they being engraved upon the palm of his hands, and their names having
been written in the book of life from all eternity.3
1 John 10:28,29;
Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19
2 Ps. 89:31,32; 1
Cor. 11:32
3 Mal. 3:6
Paragraph 2. This perseverance
of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability
of the decree of election,4 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,5 the oath of God,6 the
abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them,7 and the
nature of the covenant of grace;8 from all which ariseth also the
certainty and infallibility thereof.
4 Rom. 8:30, 9:11,16
5 Rom. 5:9, 10; John
14:19
6 Heb. 6:17,18
7 1 John 3:9
8 Jer. 32:40
Paragraph 3. And though they
may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of
corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation,
fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein,9 whereby
they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit,10 come
to have their graces and comforts impaired,11 have their hearts
hardened, and their consciences wounded,12 hurt and scandalize others,
and bring temporal judgments upon themselves,13 yet shall they renew
their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the
end.14
9 Matt. 26:70,72,74
10 Isa. 64:5,9; Eph.
4:30
11 Ps. 51:10,12
12 Ps. 32:3,4
13 2 Sam. 12:14
14 Luke 22:32,61,62
CHAPTER 18; OF THE ASSURANCE OF GRACE AND SALVATION
Paragraph 1. Although temporary
believers and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with
false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and in
a state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish;1 yet such
as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavouring
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,2 which hope shall never make them ashamed.3
1 Job 8:13,14; Matt.
7:22,23
2 1 John 2:3, 3:14,18,19,21,24,
5:13
3 Rom. 5:2,5
Paragraph 2. This certainty
is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible
hope, but an infallible assurance of faith,4 founded on the blood
and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel;5 and also upon
the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are
made,6 and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing
with our spirits that we are the children of God;7 and, as a fruit
thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy.8
4 Heb. 6:11,19
5 Heb. 6:17,18
6 2 Pet. 1:4,5,10,11
7 Rom. 8:15,16
8 1 John 3:1-3
Paragraph 3. This infallible
assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer
may wait long, and struggle with many difficulties before he be partaker
of it;9 yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which
are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation,
in the right use of means, attain thereunto:10 and therefore it
is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and
election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and
cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance;11
-so far is it from inclining men to looseness.12
9 Isa. 50:10; Ps.
88; Ps. 77:1-12
10 1 John 4:13; Heb.
6:11,12
11 Rom. 5:1,2,5,
14:17; Ps. 119:32
12 Rom. 6:1,2; Titus
2:11,12,14
Paragraph 4. True believers
may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished,
and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it,13 by falling
into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit;14
by some sudden or vehement temptation,15 by God's withdrawing the
light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in
darkness and to have no light,16 yet are they never destitute of
the seed of God17 and life of faith,18 that love of Christ
and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of
which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be
revived,19 and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved
from utter despair.20
13 Cant. 5:2,3,6
14 Ps. 51:8,12,14
15 Ps. 116:11; 77:7,8,
31:22
16 Ps. 30:7
17 1 John 3:9
18 Luke 22:32
19 Ps. 42:5,11
20 Lam. 3:26-31
Paragraph 1. God gave to
Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular
precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil;1
by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact,
and perpetual obedience;2 promised life upon the fulfilling, and
threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability
to keep it.3
1 Gen. 1:27; Eccles.
7:29
2 Rom. 10:5
3 Gal. 3:10,12
Paragraph 2. The same law
that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule
of righteousness after the fall,4 and was delivered by God upon
Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first
containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.5
4 Rom. 2:14,15
5 Deut. 10:4
Paragraph 3. Besides this
law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel
ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship,
prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;6
and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties,7 all
which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation,
are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished
with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.8
6 Heb. 10:1; Col.
2:17
7 1 Cor. 5:7
8 Col. 2:14,16,17;
Eph. 2:14,16
Paragraph 4. To them also
he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of
that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their
general equity only being of modern use.9
9 1 Cor. 9:8-10
Paragraph 5. The moral law
does for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience
thereof,10 and that not only in regard of the matter contained in
it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it;11
neither does Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen
this obligation.12
10 Rom. 13:8-10;
James 2:8,10-12
11 James 2:10,11
12 Matt. 5:17-19;
Rom. 3:31
Paragraph 6. Although true
believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified
or condemned,13 yet it is of great use to them as well as to others,
in that as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their
duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the
sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, so as examining
themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation
for, and hatred against, sin;14 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, in that
it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it 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 unallayed rigour thereof. The promises
of it likewise show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings
they may expect upon the performance thereof, though not as due to them
by the law as a covenant of works; so as man's doing good and refraining
from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other,
is no evidence of his being under the law and not under grace.15
13 Rom. 6:14; Gal.
2:16; Rom. 8:1, 10:4
14 Rom. 3:20, 7:7,
etc.
15 Rom. 6:12-14;
1 Pet. 3:8-13
Paragraph 7. Neither are
the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel,
but do sweetly comply with it,16 the Spirit of Christ subduing and
enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will
of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.17
16 Gal. 3:21
17 Ezek. 36:27
CHAPTER 20; OF THE GOSPEL AND OF THE EXTENT OF THE GRACE THEREOF
Paragraph 1. The covenant
of works being broken by sin, and made unprofitable unto life, God was
pleased to give forth the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman, as
the means of calling the elect, and begetting in them faith and repentance;1
in this promise the gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed, and
[is] therein effectual for the conversion and salvation of sinners.2
1 Gen. 3:15
2 Rev. 13:8
Paragraph 2. This promise
of Christ, and salvation by him, is revealed only by the Word of God;3
neither do the works of creation or providence, with the light of nature,
make discovery of Christ, or of grace by him, so much as in a general or
obscure way;4 much less that men destitute of the revelation of
Him by the promise or gospel, should be enabled thereby to attain saving
faith or repentance.5
3 Rom. 1;17
4 Rom. 10:14,15,17
5 Prov. 29:18; Isa.
25:7; 60:2,3
Paragraph 3. The revelation
of the gospel to sinners, made in divers times and by sundry parts, with
the addition of promises and precepts for the obedience required therein,
as to the nations and persons to whom it is granted, is merely of the sovereign
will and good pleasure of God;6 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 made, or can do so;7
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.
6 Ps. 147:20; Acts
16:7
7 Rom. 1:18-32
Paragraph 4. Although the
gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace,
and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men who are
dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, there is
moreover necessary an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon
the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life;8
without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God.9
8 Ps. 110:3; 1 Cor.
2:14; Eph. 1:19,20
9 John 6:44; 2 Cor.
4:4,6
CHAPTER 21; OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
Paragraph 1. The liberty
which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in
their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the severity
and curse of the law,1 and in their being delivered from this present
evil world,2 bondage to Satan,3 and dominion of sin,4
from the evil of afflictions,5 the fear and sting of death, the
victory of the grave,6 and everlasting damnation:7 as also
in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not
out of slavish fear,8 but a child-like love and willing mind.9
All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance
of them;10 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 did ordinarily partake of.11
1 Gal. 3:13
2 Gal. 1:4
3 Acts 26:18
4 Rom. 8:3
5 Rom. 8:28
6 1 Cor. 15:54-57
7 2 Thess. 1:10
8 Rom. 8:15;
9 Luke 1:73-75; 1
John 4:18
10 Gal. 3;9,14
11 John 7:38,39;
Heb. 10:19-21
Paragraph 2. God alone is
Lord of the conscience,12 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.13 So that to believe such doctrines,
or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience;14
and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience,
is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.15
12 James 4:12; Rom.
14:4
13 Acts 4:19,29;
1 Cor. 7:23; Matt. 15:9
14 Col. 2:20,22,23
15 1 Cor. 3:5; 2
Cor. 1:24
Paragraph 3. They who upon
pretence of Christian liberty do practice any sin, or cherish any sinful
lust, as they do thereby pervert the main design of the grace of the gospel
to their own destruction,16 so they wholly destroy the end of Christian
liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies,
we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righeousness before
Him, all the days of our lives.17
16 Rom. 6:1,2
17 Gal. 5:13; 2 Pet.
2:18,21
CHAPTER 22; OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE SABBATH DAY
Paragraph 1. The light of
nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over
all; 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.1 But the acceptable
way of worshipping the true God, is instituted by himself,2 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.3
1 Jer. 10:7; Mark
12:33
2 Deut. 12:32
3 Exod. 20:4-6
Paragraph 2. Religious worship
is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone;4
not to angels, saints, or any other creatures;5 and since the fall,
not without a mediator,6 nor in the mediation of any other but Christ
alone.7
4 Matt. 4:9,10; John
6:23; Matt. 28:19
5 Rom. 1:25; Col.
2:18; Rev. 19:10
6 John 14:6
7 1 Tim. 2:5
Paragraph 3. Prayer, with
thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of
all men.8 But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in
the name of the Son,9 by the help of the Spirit,10 according to
his will;11 with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith,
love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.12
8 Ps. 95:1-7, 65:2
9 John 14:13,14
10 Rom. 8:26
11 1 John 5:14
12 1 Cor. 14:16,17
Paragraph 4. Prayer is to
be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall
live hereafter;13 but not for the dead,14 nor for those of
whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.15
13 1 Tim. 2:1,2;
2 Sam. 7:29
14 2 Sam. 12:21-23
15 1 John 5:16
Paragraph 5. The reading
of the Scriptures,16 preaching, and hearing the Word of God,17
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord;18 as also the administration
of baptism,19 and the Lord's supper,20 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,21
and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy
and religious manner.22
16 1 Tim. 4:13
17 2 Tim. 4:2; Luke
8:18
18 Col. 3:16; Eph.
5:19
19 Matt. 28:19,20
20 1 Cor. 11:26
21 Esther 4:16; Joel
2:12
22 Exod. 15:1-19,
Ps. 107
Paragraph 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 performed, or
towards which it is directed; but God is to be worshipped everywhere in
spirit and in truth;23 as in private families24 daily,25
and in secret each one by himself;26 so more solemnly in the public
assemblies, which are not carelessly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken,
when God by his word or providence calls thereunto.27
23 John 4:21; Mal.
1:11; 1 Tim. 2:8
24 Acts 10:2
25 Matt. 6:11; Ps.
55:17
26 Matt. 6:6
27 Heb. 10:25; Acts
2:42
Paragraph 7. As it is the
law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God's appointment,
be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive moral,
and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly
appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him,28
which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was
the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed
into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day:29
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.
28 Exod. 20:8
29 1 Cor. 16:1,2;
Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:10
Paragraph 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
a holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their
worldly employment and recreations,30 but are also taken up the
whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the
duties of necessity and mercy.31
30 Isa. 58:13; Neh.
13:15-22
31 Matt. 12:1-13
CHAPTER 23; OF LAWFUL OATHS AND VOWS
Paragraph 1. A lawful oath
is a part of religious worship, wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness,
and judgment, solemnly calls God to witness what he swears,1 and
to judge him according to the truth or falseness thereof.2
1 Exod. 20:7; Deut.
10:20; Jer. 4:2
2 2 Chron. 6:22,
23
Paragraph 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 abhorred;3 yet as in matter of weight and moment,
for confirmation of truth, and ending all strife, an oath is warranted
by the word of God;4 so a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority
in such matters, ought to be taken.5
3 Matt. 5:34,37;
James 5:12
4 Heb. 6:16; 2 Cor.
1:23
5 Neh. 13:25
Paragraph 3. Whosoever takes
an oath warranted by the word of God, ought duly to consider the weightiness
of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he knows to
be truth; for that by rash, false, and vain oaths, the Lord is provoked,
and for them this land mourns.6
6 Lev. 19:12; Jer.
23:10
Paragraph 4. An oath is to
be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation
or mental reservation.7
7 Ps. 24:4
Paragraph 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;8 but popish
monastical vows of perpetual single life,9 professed poverty,10
and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection,
that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may
entangle himself.11
8 Ps. 76:11; Gen.
28:20-22
9 1 Cor. 7:2,9
10 Eph. 4:28
11 Matt. 19:1
CHAPTER 24; OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE
Paragraph 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 to this
end has armed them with the power of the sword, for defence and encouragement
of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers.1
1 Rom. 13:1-4
Paragraph 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
justice and peace,2 according to the wholesome laws of each kingdom
and commonwealth, so for that end they may lawfully now, under the New
Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.3
2 2 Sam. 23:3; Ps.
82:3,4
3 Luke 3:14
Paragraph 3. Civil magistrates
being set up by God for the ends aforesaid; subjection, in all lawful things
commanded by them, ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for
wrath, but for conscienceí sake;4 and we ought to make supplications
and prayers for kings and all that are in authority, that under them we
may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.5
4 Rom. 13:5-7; 1
Pet. 2:17
5 1 Tim. 2:1,2
Paragraph 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.1
1 Gen. 2:24; Mal.
2:15; Matt. 19:5,6
Paragraph 2. Marriage was
ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife,2 for the increase
of mankind with a legitimate issue,3 and the preventing of uncleanness.4
2 Gen. 2:18
3 Gen. 1:28
4 1 Cor. 7:2,9
Paragraph 3. It is lawful
for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their
consent;5 yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord;6
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 such as are wicked in their life, or maintain damnable
heresy.7
5 Heb. 13:4; 1 Tim.
4:3
6 1 Cor. 7:39
7 Neh. 13:25-27
Paragraph 4. Marriage ought
not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity, forbidden in
the Word;8 nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful,
by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together
as man and wife.9
8 Lev. 18
9 Mark 6:18; 1 Cor.
5:1
Paragraph 1. The catholic
or universal church, which (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit
and truth of grace) may be called invisible, consists of the whole 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 fills all in all.1
1 Heb. 12:23; Col.
1:18; Eph. 1:10,22,23, 5:23,27,32
Paragraph 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 unholiness of conversation, are
and may be called visible saints;2 and of such ought all particular
congregations to be constituted.3
2 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts
11:26
3 Rom. 1:7; Eph.
1:20-22
Paragraph 3. The purest churches
under heaven are subject to mixture and error;4 and some have so
degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan;5
nevertheless Christ always has had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this
world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession
of his name.6
4 1 Cor. 5; Rev.
2,3
5 Rev. 18:2; 2 Thess.
2:11,12
6 Matt. 16:18; Ps.
72:17, 102:28; Rev. 12:17
Paragraph 4. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father,
all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church,
is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner;7 neither can the
Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but 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.8
7 Col. 1:18; Matt.
28:18-20; Eph. 4:11,12
8 2 Thess. 2:2-9
Paragraph 5. In the execution
of this power wherewith he is so intrusted, 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,9 that they may walk
before him in all the ways of obedience, which he prescribes to them in
his word.10 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.11
9 John 10:16; John
12:32
10 Matt. 28:20
11 Matt. 18:15-20
Paragraph 6. The members
of these churches are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing
(in and by their profession and walking) their obedience unto that call
of Christ;12 and do willingly consent to walk together, according
to the appointment of Christ; giving up themselves to the Lord, and one
to another, by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances
of the Gospel.13
12 Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor.
1:2
13 Acts 2:41,42,
5:13,14; 2 Cor. 9:13
Paragraph 7. To each of these
churches therefore gathered, according to his mind declared in his word,
he has given all that 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 exerting, and executing of that power.14
14 Matt. 18:17, 18;
1 Cor. 5:4, 5, 5:13, 2 Cor. 2:6-8
Paragraph 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 intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end
of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons.15
15 Acts 20:17, 28;
Phil. 1:1
Paragraph 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 suffrage of the church itself;16
and solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with imposition of hands
of the eldership of the church, if there be any before constituted therein;17
and of a deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage, and set apart by
prayer, and the like imposition of hands.18
16 Acts 14:23
17 1 Tim. 4:14
18 Acts 6:3,5,6
Paragraph 10. The work of
pastors being constantly to attend the service of Christ, in his churches,
in the ministry of the word and prayer, with watching for their souls,
as they that must give an account to Him;19 it is incumbent on the
churches to whom they minister, not only to give them all due respect,
but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their
ability,20 so as they may have a comfortable supply, without being
themselves entangled in secular affairs;21 and may also be capable
of exercising hospitality towards others;22 and this is required
by the law of nature, and by the express order of our Lord Jesus, who has
ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.23
19 Acts 6:4; Heb.
13:17
20 1 Tim. 5:17,18;
Gal. 6:6,7
21 2 Tim. 2:4
22 1 Tim. 3:2
23 1 Cor. 9:6-14
Paragraph 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 gifted and fitted
by the Holy Spirit for it, and approved and called by the church, may and
ought to perform it.24
24 Acts 11:19-21;
1 Pet. 4:10,11
Paragraph 12. As all believers
are bound to join themselves to particular churches, when and where they
have opportunity so to do; so all that are admitted unto the privileges
of a church, are also under the censures and government thereof, according
to the rule of Christ.25
25 1 Thess. 5:14;
2 Thess. 3:6,14,15
Paragraph 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, in the further proceeding of the church.26
26 Matt. 18:15-17;
Eph. 4:2,3
Paragraph 14. As each church,
and all the members of it, are bound to pray continually for the good and
prosperity of all the churches of Christ,27 in all places, and upon
all occasions to further every one within the bounds of their places and
callings, in the exercise of their gifts and graces, so the churches, when
planted by the providence of God, so as they may enjoy opportunity and
advantage for it, ought to hold communion among themselves, for their peace,
increase of love, and mutual edification.28
27 Eph. 6:18; Ps.
122:6
28 Rom. 16:1,2; 3
John 8-10
Paragraph 15. In cases of
difficulties or differences, either in point of doctrine or administration,
wherein either the churches in general are concerned, or any one church,
in their peace, union, and edification; or any member or members of any
church are injured, in or by any proceedings in censures not agreeable
to truth and order: it is according to the mind of Christ, that many churches
holding communion together, do, by their messengers, meet to consider,
and give their advice in or about that matter in difference, to be reported
to all the churches concerned;29 howbeit these messengers assembled,
are not intrusted with any church-power properly so called; or with any
jurisdiction over the churches themselves, to exercise any censures either
over any churches or persons; or to impose their determination on the churches
or officers.30
29 Acts 15:2,4,6,22,23,25
30 2 Cor. 1:24; 1
John 4:1
CHAPTER 27; OF THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS
Paragraph 1. All saints that
are united to Jesus Christ, their head, by his Spirit, and faith, although
they are not made thereby one person with him, have fellowship in his graces,
sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory;1 and, being united
to one another in love, they have communion in each others gifts and graces,2
and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private,
in an orderly way, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward
and outward man.3
1 1 John 1:3; John
1:16; Phil. 3:10; Rom. 6:5,6
2 Eph. 4:15,16; 1
Cor. 12:7; 3:21-23
3 1 Thess. 5:11,14;
Rom. 1:12; 1 John 3:17,18; Gal. 6:10
Paragraph 2. Saints by profession
are bound to maintain a holy fellowship and communion in the worship of
God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual
edification;4 as also in relieving each other in outward things
according to their several abilities, and necessities;5 which communion,
according to the rule of the gospel, though especially to be exercised
by them, in the relation wherein they stand, whether in families,6
or churches,7 yet, as God offers opportunity, is to be extended
to all the household of faith, even all those who in every place call upon
the name of the Lord Jesus; nevertheless their communion one with another
as saints, does not take away or infringe the title or propriety which
each man has in his goods and possessions.8
4 Heb. 10:24,25,
3:12,13
5 Acts 11:29,30
6 Eph. 6:4
7 1 Cor. 12:14-27
8 Acts 5:4; Eph.
4:28
CHAPTER 28; OF BAPTISM AND THE LORDíS SUPPER
Paragraph 1. Baptism and
the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution,
appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his
church to the end of the world.1
1 Matt. 28:19,20;
1 Cor. 11:26
Paragraph 2. These holy appointments
are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called,
according to the commission of Christ.2
2 Matt. 28:19; 1
Cor. 4:1
Paragraph 1. Baptism is an
ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the
party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death and resurrection;
of his being engrafted into him;3 of remission of sins;4
and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness
of life.5
3 Rom. 6:3-5; Col.
2:12; Gal. 3:27
4 Mark 1:4; Acts
22:16
5 Rom. 6:4
Paragraph 2. Those who do
actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our
Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance.6
6 Mark 16:16; Acts
8:36,37, 2:41, 8:12, 18:8
Paragraph 3. The outward
element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to
be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit.7
7 Matt. 28:19, 20;
Acts 8:38
Paragraph 4. Immersion, or
dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration
of this ordinance.8
8 Matt. 3:16; John
3:23
CHAPTER 30; OF THE LORDíS SUPPER
Paragraph 1. The supper of
the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed,
to be observed in his churches, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual
remembrance, and showing to all the world the sacrifice of himself in his
death,1 confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits
thereof, their spiritual nourishment, and growth in him, their further
engagement in, and to all duties which they owe to him; and to be a bond
and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other.2
1 1 Cor. 11:23-26
2 1 Cor. 10:16,17,21
Paragraph 2. In this ordinance
Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at
all for remission of sin of the quick or dead, but only a memorial of that
one offering up of himself by himself upon the cross, once for all;3
and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same.4
So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable,
injurious to Christ's own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the
sins of the elect.
3 Heb. 9:25,26,28
4 1 Cor. 11:24; Matt.
26:26,27
Paragraph 3. The Lord Jesus
hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to pray, and bless the
elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common
to a holy use, and to take and break the bread; to take the cup, and, they
communicating also themselves, to give both to the communicants.5
5 1 Cor. 11:23-26,
etc.
Paragraph 4. The denial of
the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or
carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended
religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this ordinance, and to
the institution of Christ.6
6 Matt. 26:26-28,
15:9, Exod. 20:4,5
Paragraph 5. The outward
elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the use ordained by Christ,
have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, although in terms used
figuratively, they are sometimes called by the names of the things they
represent, in other words, the body and blood of Christ,7 albeit,
in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine,
as they were before.8
7 1 Cor. 11:27
8 1 Cor. 11:26-28
Paragraph 6. That doctrine
which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance
of Christ's body and blood, commonly called transubstantiation, by consecration
of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to Scripture alone,9
but even to common sense and reason, overthrows the nature of the ordinance,
and has been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross
idolatries.10
9 Acts 3:21; Luke
14:6,39
10 1 Cor. 11:24,25
Paragraph 7. Worthy receivers,
outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then
also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally,
but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits
of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or
carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance,
as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.11
11 1 Cor. 10:16,
11:23-26
Paragraph 8. All ignorant
and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ,
so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and cannot, without great sin
against him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or
be admitted thereunto;12 yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily,
are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment
to themselves.13
12 2 Cor. 6:14,15
13 1 Cor. 11:29;
Matt. 7:6
CHAPTER 31; OF THE STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH, AND OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
Paragraph 1. The bodies of
men after death return to dust, and see corruption;1 but their souls,
which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately
return to God who gave them.2 The souls of the righteous being
then made perfect in holiness, are received into paradise, where they are
with Christ, and behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for
the full redemption of their bodies;3 and the souls of the wicked
are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved
to the judgment of the great day;4 besides these two places, for
souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
1 Gen. 3:19; Acts
13:36
2 Eccles. 12:7
3 Luke 23:43; 2 Cor.
5:1,6,8; Phil. 1:23; Heb. 12:23
4 Jude 6, 7; 1 Peter
3:19; Luke 16:23,24
Paragraph 2. At the last
day, such of the saints as are found alive, shall not sleep, but be changed;5
and all the dead shall be raised up with the selfsame bodies, and none
other;6 although with different qualities, which shall be united
again to their souls forever.7
5 1 Cor. 15:51,52;
1 Thess. 4:17
6 Job 19:26,27
7 1 Cor. 15:42,43
Paragraph 3. The bodies of
the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies
of the just, by his Spirit, unto honour, and be made conformable to his
own glorious body.8
8 Acts 24:15; John
5:28,29; Phil. 3:21
CHAPTER 32; OF THE LAST JUDGMENT
Paragraph 1. God has appointed
a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ;1
to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father; in which day, not
only the apostate angels shall be judged,2 but likewise all persons
that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ,
to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive
according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.3
1 Acts 17:31; John
5:22,27
2 1 Cor. 6:3; Jude
6
3 2 Cor. 5:10; Eccles.
12:14; Matt. 12:36; Rom. 14:10,12; Matt. 25:32-46
Paragraph 2. The end of God's
appointing this day, is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy,
in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of his justice, in the eternal
damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient;4 for
then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness
of joy and glory with everlasting rewards, in the presence of the Lord;
but the wicked, who do not know God, and do not obey the gospel of Jesus
Christ, shall be cast aside into everlasting torments,5 and punished
with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power.6
4 Rom. 9:22,23
5 Matt. 25:21,34;
2 Tim. 4:8
6 Matt. 25:46; Mark
9:48; 2 Thess. 1:7-10
Paragraph 3. As Christ would
have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment,
both to deter all men from sin,7 and for the greater consolation
of the godly in their adversity,8 so will he have the day unknown
to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful,
because they know not at what hour the Lord will come,9 and may
ever be prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus; come quickly.10
Amen.
7 2 Cor. 5:10,11
8 2 Thess. 1:5-7
9 Mark 13:35-37;
Luke 12:35-40
10 Rev. 22:20


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SYNOPSIS
git restore [<options>] [--source=<tree>] [--staged] [--worktree] [--] <pathspec>… git restore [<options>] [--source=<tree>] [--staged] [--worktree] --pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul] git restore (-p|--patch) [<options>] [--source=<tree>] [--staged] [--worktree] [--] [<pathspec>…]
DESCRIPTION
Restore specified paths in the working tree with some contents from a restore source. If a path is tracked but does not exist in the restore source, it will be removed to match the source.
The command can also be used to restore the content in the index with
--staged
, or restore both the working tree and the index with
--staged --worktree
.
By default, if --staged
is given, the contents are restored from HEAD
,
otherwise from the index. Use --source
to restore from a different commit.
See "Reset, restore and revert" in git(1) for the differences between the three commands.
THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. THE BEHAVIOR MAY CHANGE.
OPTIONS
- -s <tree>
- --source=<tree>
-
Restore the working tree files with the content from the given tree. It is common to specify the source tree by naming a commit, branch or tag associated with it.
If not specified, the contents are restored from
HEAD
if--staged
is given, otherwise from the index. - -p
- --patch
-
Interactively select hunks in the difference between the restore source and the restore location. See the “Interactive Mode” section of git-add(1) to learn how to operate the
--patch
mode.Note that
--patch
can accept no pathspec and will prompt to restore all modified paths. - -W
- --worktree
- -S
- --staged
-
Specify the restore location. If neither option is specified, by default the working tree is restored. Specifying
--staged
will only restore the index. Specifying both restores both. - -q
- --quiet
-
Quiet, suppress feedback messages. Implies
--no-progress
. - --progress
- --no-progress
-
Progress status is reported on the standard error stream by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless
--quiet
is specified. This flag enables progress reporting even if not attached to a terminal, regardless of--quiet
. - --ours
- --theirs
-
When restoring files in the working tree from the index, use stage #2 (ours) or #3 (theirs) for unmerged paths.
Note that during
git rebase
andgit pull --rebase
, ours and theirs may appear swapped. See the explanation of the same options in git-checkout(1) for details. - -m
- --merge
-
When restoring files on the working tree from the index, recreate the conflicted merge in the unmerged paths.
- --conflict=<style>
-
The same as
--merge
option above, but changes the way the conflicting hunks are presented, overriding themerge.conflictStyle
configuration variable. Possible values are "merge" (default) and "diff3" (in addition to what is shown by "merge" style, shows the original contents). - --ignore-unmerged
-
When restoring files on the working tree from the index, do not abort the operation if there are unmerged entries and neither
--ours
,--theirs
,--merge
or--conflict
is specified. Unmerged paths on the working tree are left alone. - --ignore-skip-worktree-bits
-
In sparse checkout mode, by default is to only update entries matched by
<pathspec>
and sparse patterns in $GIT_DIR/info/sparse-checkout. This option ignores the sparse patterns and unconditionally restores any files in<pathspec>
. - --recurse-submodules
- --no-recurse-submodules
-
If
<pathspec>
names an active submodule and the restore location includes the working tree, the submodule will only be updated if this option is given, in which case its working tree will be restored to the commit recorded in the superproject, and any local modifications overwritten. If nothing (or--no-recurse-submodules
) is used, submodules working trees will not be updated. Just like git-checkout(1), this will detachHEAD
of the submodule. - --overlay
- --no-overlay
-
In overlay mode, the command never removes files when restoring. In no-overlay mode, tracked files that do not appear in the
--source
tree are removed, to make them match<tree>
exactly. The default is no-overlay mode. - --pathspec-from-file=<file>
-
Pathspec is passed in
<file>
instead of commandline args. If<file>
is exactly-
then standard input is used. Pathspec elements are separated by LF or CR/LF. Pathspec elements can be quoted as explained for the configuration variablecore.quotePath
(see git-config(1)). See also--pathspec-file-nul
and global--literal-pathspecs
. - --pathspec-file-nul
-
Only meaningful with
--pathspec-from-file
. Pathspec elements are separated with NUL character and all other characters are taken literally (including newlines and quotes). - --
-
Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
- <pathspec>…
-
Limits the paths affected by the operation.
For more details, see the pathspec entry in gitglossary(7).
EXAMPLES
The following sequence switches to the master
branch, reverts the
Makefile
to two revisions back, deletes hello.c by mistake, and gets
it back from the index.
$ git switch master
$ git restore --source master~2 Makefile <1>
$ rm -f hello.c
$ git restore hello.c <2>
-
take a file out of another commit
-
restore hello.c from the index
If you want to restore all C source files to match the version in the index, you can say
$ git restore '*.c'
Note the quotes around *.c
. The file hello.c
will also be
restored, even though it is no longer in the working tree, because the
file globbing is used to match entries in the index (not in the
working tree by the shell).
To restore all files in the current directory
$ git restore .
or to restore all working tree files with top pathspec magic (see gitglossary(7))
$ git restore :/
To restore a file in the index to match the version in HEAD
(this is
the same as using git-reset(1))
$ git restore --staged hello.c
or you can restore both the index and the working tree (this the same as using git-checkout(1))
$ git restore --source=HEAD --staged --worktree hello.c
or the short form which is more practical but less readable:
$ git restore -s@ -SW hello.c
SEE ALSO
GIT
Part of the git(1) suite


Harry Kane breaks silence on Mauricio Pochettino axe as Tottenham bring in Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho has been appointed as Mauricio Pochettino's replacement, agreeing a three-and-a-half year deal in north London
by Liam Prenderville, http://www.facebook.com/mirrorfootballHarry Kane has sent an emotional message to Mauricio Pochettino following his Tottenham axe.
Pochettino was sacked by Spurs on Tuesday night after a disappointing start to the Premier League season.
Jose Mourinho has been confirmed as his replacement, agreeing a three-and-a-half year deal in north London.
England captain Kane is among those players to flourish under Pochettino, following his appointment in 2014.
The Spurs striker posted on social media: "Gaffer. I’ll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams.
We’ve had some amazing moments in the last 5 and a half years that I will never forget.
"You were my manager but my friend as well and I thank you for that relationship.
"Good luck with your next chapter!
Kane follows Dele Alli, who also sent his best to the departing Tottenham boss, who is sacked months after reaching the Champions League final.
He wrote: “I can’t thank this man enough. He’s taught me so much and I’m so grateful for everything he’s done for me."
Ben Davies also paid tribute to Pochettino following Wales' victory over Hungary.
The Tottenham left-back only found out about his exit after the match after news broke during Wales' 2-0 victory.
"It was a big shock. He has been amazing to work with for the last five years and it is a shame to see him go."
Mourinho's first match in charge of Spurs will be a London derby against West Ham this weekend.
The new Spurs boss also faces a trip to former club Manchester United at Old Trafford in his first month in the job.


Prolog's grammar rules provide a convenient notation for expressing definite clause grammars, which are useful for the analysis of both artificial and natural languages.
The usual way one attempts to make precise the definition of a language, whether it is a natural language or a programming lanaguage, is through a collection of rules called a “grammar”. The rules of a grammar define which strings of words or symbols are valid sentences of the language. In addition, the grammar generally analyzes the sentence into a structure that makes its meaning more explicit.
A fundamental class of grammar is the context-free grammar (CFG), familiar to the computing community in the notation of “BNF” (Backus-Naur form). In CFGs, the words, or basic symbols, of the language are identified by “terminal symbols”, while categories of phrases of the language are identified by non-terminal symbols. Each rule of a CFG expresses a possible form for a non-terminal, as a sequence of terminals and non-terminals. The analysis of a string according to a CFG is a parse tree, showing the constitutent phrases of the string and their hierarchical relationships.
Context-free grammars (CFGs) consist of a series of rules of the form:
nt --> body.
where nt is a non-terminal symbol and body is a sequence of one or more items separated by commas. Each item is either a non-terminal symbol or a sequence of terminal symbols. The meaning of the rule is that body is a possible form for a phrase of type nt. A non-terminal symbol is written as a Prolog atom, while a sequence of terminals is written as a Prolog list, whereas a terminal may be any Prolog term.
Definite clause grammars (DCGs) are a generalization of context-free grammars and rules corresponding to DCGs are referred to as “Grammar Rules”. A grammar rule in Prolog takes the general form
head --> body.
meaning “a possible form for head is body”. Both body and head are sequences of one or more items linked by the standard Prolog conjunction operator `,' (comma).
Definite clause grammars extend context-free grammars in the following ways:


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