Saving Faith

Q. What is true faith?

A. True faith is not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word; it is also a wholehearted trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel, that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, and salvation. These gifts are purely of grace, only because of Christ's merit.

Q. What then must a Christian believe?

A. All that is promised us in the gospel, a summary of which is taught us in the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith.

Q. What are these articles?

A. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Q. What do you believe when you say, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth"?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father for the sake of Christ his Son. I trust God so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this vale of tears. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

Q. Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only savior Jesus?

A. No. Although they boast of being his, by their actions they deny the only savior, Jesus. Either Jesus is not a perfect savior, or those who in true faith accept this savior have in him all they need for their salvation.

Q. What do you believe concerning "the Holy Spirit"?

A. First, that the Spirit, with the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, that he is given also to me, so that, through true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his benefits, comforts me, and will remain with me forever.

Q. What do you believe concerning "the holy catholic church"?

A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member.

Q. What do you believe concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?

A. I believe that God, because of Christ's satisfaction, will no longer remember any of my sins or my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life. Rather, by his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ that I may never come into judgment.

Q. But how does it help you now that you believe all this?

A. That I am righteous in Christ before God and an heir to life everlasting.

Q. How are you righteous before God?

A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me— if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.

Q. Why do you say that through faith alone you are righteous?

A. Not because I please God by the worthiness of my faith, for only Christ's satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness are my righteousness before God, and I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than by faith alone.

Q. It is by faith alone that we share in Christ and all his benefits: where then does that faith come from?

A. The Holy Spirit works it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments.

Q. Are both the word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?

A. Yes indeed! The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and confirms by the holy sacraments that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross.

Q. Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?

A. In the institution of baptism, where he says: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned." This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism "the washing of regeneration" and the washing away of sins.

Q. Should infants also be baptized?

A. Yes. Infants as well as adults are included in God's covenant and people, and they, no less than adults, are promised deliverance from sin through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit who works faith. Therefore, by baptism, the sign of the covenant, they too should be incorporated into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism.

Q. Where does Christ promise to nourish and refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat this broken bread and drink this cup?

A. In the institution of the Lord's Supper: "The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." This promise is repeated by Paul in these words: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

Q. Should those be admitted to the Lord's Supper who show by what they profess and how they live that they are unbelieving and ungodly?

A. No, that would dishonor God's covenant and bring down God's wrath upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives.

Q. What are the keys of the kingdom?

A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both of them open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.

Q. How does preaching the holy gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?

A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of Christ's merit, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God's judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.

We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith. And we believe without a doubt all things contained in them—not so much because the church receives and approves them as such but above all because the Holy Spirit testifies in our hearts that they are from God, and also because they prove themselves to be from God. For even the blind themselves are able to see that the things predicted in them do happen.

We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one—even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says—ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings—no matter how holy their authors may have been—equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, "Test the spirits to see if they are of God," and also, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house."

All these things we know from the testimonies of Holy Scripture as well as from the effects of the persons, especially from those we feel within ourselves. The testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, which teach us to believe in this Holy Trinity, are written in many places of the Old Testament, which need not be enumerated but only chosen with discretion. In the book of Genesis God says, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness." So "God created man in his own image"—indeed, "male and female he created them." "Behold, man has become like one of us." It appears from this that there is a plurality of persons within the Deity, when he says, "Let us make man in our image"—and afterwards he indicates the unity when he says, "God created." It is true that he does not say here how many persons there are—but what is somewhat obscure to us in the Old Testament is very clear in the New.

For when our Lord was baptized in the Jordan, the voice of the Father was heard saying, "This is my dear Son"; the Son was seen in the water; and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove. So, in the baptism of all believers this form was prescribed by Christ: "Baptize all people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In the Gospel according to Luke the angel Gabriel says to Mary, the mother of our Lord: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and therefore that holy one to be born of you shall be called the Son of God." And in another place it says: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you." "There are three who bear witness in heaven—the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit—and these three are one." In all these passages we are fully taught that there are three persons in the one and only divine essence. And although this doctrine surpasses human understanding, we nevertheless believe it now, through the Word, waiting to know and enjoy it fully in heaven.

Furthermore, we must note the particular works and activities of these three persons in relation to us. The Father is called our Creator, by reason of his power. The Son is our Savior and Redeemer, by his blood. The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier, by his living in our hearts.

This doctrine of the holy Trinity has always been maintained in the true church, from the time of the apostles until the present, against Jews, Muslims, and certain false Christians and heretics, such as Marcion, Mani, Praxeas, Sabellius, Paul of Samosata, Arius, and others like them, who were rightly condemned by the holy fathers.

And so, in this matter we willingly accept the three ecumenical creeds—the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian—as well as what the ancient fathers decided in agreement with them.

We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek—made such by an oath—and that he presented himself in our name before his Father, to appease his wrath with full satisfaction by offering himself on the tree of the cross and pouring out his precious blood for the cleansing of our sins, as the prophets had predicted. For it is written that "the chastisement of our peace" was placed on the Son of God and that "we are healed by his wounds." He was "led to death as a lamb"; he was "numbered among sinners" and condemned as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, though Pilate had declared that he was innocent. So he paid back what he had not stolen, and he suffered—the "just for the unjust," in both his body and his soul—in such a way that when he sensed the horrible punishment required by our sins his sweat became like "big drops of blood falling on the ground." He cried, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" And he endured all this for the forgiveness of our sins.

Therefore we rightly say with Paul that we "know nothing but Jesus and him crucified"; we consider all things as "dung for the excellence of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." We find all comforts in his wounds and have no need to seek or invent any other means to reconcile ourselves with God than this one and only sacrifice, once made, which renders believers perfect forever. This is also why the angel of God called him Jesus—that is, "Savior"—because he would save his people from their sins.

We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God—for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior.

And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified "by faith alone" or by faith "apart from works." However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us—for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness crediting to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins.

We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach us when they declare that man blessed to whom God grants righteousness apart from works. And the same apostle says that we are justified "freely" or "by grace" through redemption in Jesus Christ.

And therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm forever, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits and leaning and resting only on the obedience of Christ crucified, which is ours when we believe in him. That is enough to cover all our sins and to make us confident, freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God's approach, without doing what our first father, Adam, did, who trembled as he tried to cover himself with fig leaves. In fact, if we had to appear before God relying—no matter how little—on ourselves or some other creature, then, alas, we would be swallowed up. Therefore everyone must say with David: "Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servants, for before you no living person shall be justified."

We believe that this true faith, produced in man by the hearing of God's Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit, regenerates him and makes him a "new man," causing him to live the "new life" and freeing him from the slavery of sin. Therefore, far from making people cold toward living in a pious and holy way, this justifying faith, quite to the contrary, so works within them that apart from it they will never do a thing out of love for God but only out of love for themselves and fear of being condemned. So then, it is impossible for this holy faith to be unfruitful in a human being, seeing that we do not speak of an empty faith but of what Scripture calls "faith working through love," which leads a man to do of himself the works that God has commanded in his Word. These works, proceeding from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable to God, since they are all sanctified by his grace. Yet they do not count toward our justification—for by faith in Christ we are justified, even before we do good works. Otherwise they could not be good, any more than the fruit of a tree could be good if the tree is not good in the first place.

So then, we do good works, but not for merit—for what would we merit? Rather, we are indebted to God for the good works we do, and not he to us, since it is he who "works in us both to will and do according to his good pleasure"—thus keeping in mind what is written: "When you have done all that is commanded you, then you shall say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have done what it was our duty to do.'"

Yet we do not wish to deny that God rewards good works—but it is by his grace that he crowns his gifts. Moreover, although we do good works we do not base our salvation on them; for we cannot do any work that is not defiled by our flesh and also worthy of punishment. And even if we could point to one, memory of a single sin is enough for God to reject that work. So we would always be in doubt, tossed back and forth without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be tormented constantly if they did not rest on the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior.

We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was "in the form of God," he nevertheless "emptied himself," taking the form of "a man" and "a servant" for us; and he made himself "completely like his brothers." Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though "we were his enemies"? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated "at the right hand of the Father," and who has all power "in heaven and on earth"? And who will be heard more readily than God's own dearly beloved Son?

So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy—for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith.

Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear—or rather, this unbelief—he says to us that Jesus Christ was "made like his brothers in all things," that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. And further, to encourage us more to approach him he says, "Since we have a high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has entered into heaven, we maintain our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to have compassion for our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all things, just as we are, except for sin. Let us go then with confidence to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace, in order to be helped."

The same apostle says that we "have liberty to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus. Let us go, then, in the assurance of faith. . . ." Likewise, "Christ's priesthood is forever. By this he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him who always lives to intercede for them." What more do we need? For Christ himself declares: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to my Father but by me." Why should we seek another intercessor? Since it has pleased God to give us his Son as our Intercessor, let us not leave him for another—or rather seek, without ever finding. For when God gave him to us he knew well that we were sinners.

Therefore, in following the command of Christ we call on the heavenly Father through Christ, our only Mediator, as we are taught by the Lord's Prayer, being assured that we shall obtain all we ask of the Father in his name.

We believe and confess One single catholic or universal church—a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit. This church has existed from the beginning of the world and will last until the end, as appears from the fact that Christ is eternal King who cannot be without subjects. And this holy church is preserved by God against the rage of the whole world, even though for a time it may appear very small in the eyes of men—as though it were snuffed out. For example, during the very dangerous time of Ahab the Lord preserved for himself seven thousand men who did not bend their knees to Baal.

And so this holy church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or certain persons. But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart and will, in one and the same Spirit, by the power of faith.

We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church—for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name of "the church." We are not speaking here of the company of hypocrites who are mixed among the good in the church and who nonetheless are not part of it, even though they are physically there. But we are speaking of distinguishing the body and fellowship of the true church from all sects that call themselves "the church."

The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church—and no one ought to be separated from it.

As for those who are of the church, we can recognize them by the distinguishing marks of Christians: namely by faith, and by their fleeing from sin and pursuing righteousness, once they have received the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. They love the true God and their neighbors, without turning to the right or left, and they crucify the flesh and its works. Though great weakness remains in them, they fight against it by the Spirit all the days of their lives, appealing constantly to the blood, suffering, death, and obedience of the Lord Jesus, in whom they have forgiveness of their sins, through faith in him.

As for the false church, it assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God; it does not want to subject itself to the yoke of Christ; it does not administer the sacraments as Christ commanded in his Word; it rather adds to them or subtracts from them as it pleases; it bases itself on men, more than on Jesus Christ; it persecutes those who live holy lives according to the Word of God and who rebuke it for its faults, greed, and idolatry. These two churches are easy to recognize and thus to distinguish from each other.

We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge his good will and grace toward us, and also to nourish and sustain our faith. He has added these to the Word of the gospel to represent better to our external senses both what he enables us to understand by his Word and what he does inwardly in our hearts, confirming in us the salvation he imparts to us. For they are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible, by means of which God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So they are not empty and hollow signs to fool and deceive us, for their truth is Jesus Christ, without whom they would be nothing.

Moreover, we are satisfied with the number of sacraments that Christ our Master has ordained for us. There are only two: the sacrament of baptism and the Holy Supper of Jesus Christ.

We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, which anyone might do or wish to do in order to atone or satisfy for sins. Having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, he established in its place the sacrament of baptism. By it we are received into God's church and set apart from all other people and alien religions, that we may be dedicated entirely to him, bearing his mark and sign. It also witnesses to us that he will be our God forever, since he is our gracious Father.

Therefore he has commanded that all those who belong to him be baptized with pure water "in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." In this way he signifies to us that just as water washes away the dirt of the body when it is poured on us and also is seen on the body of the baptized when it is sprinkled on him, so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally, in the soul, by the Holy Spirit. It washes and cleanses it from its sins and transforms us from being the children of wrath into the children of God. This does not happen by the physical water but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh, who is the devil, and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan.

So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible, but our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies—namely the invisible gifts and graces; washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving us true assurance of his fatherly goodness; clothing us with the "new man" and stripping off the "old," with all its works.

For this reason we believe that anyone who aspires to reach eternal life ought to be baptized only once without ever repeating it—for we cannot be born twice. Yet this baptism is profitable not only when the water is on us and when we receive it but throughout our entire lives.

For that reason we detest the error of the Anabaptists who are not content with a single baptism once received and also condemn the baptism of the children of believers. We believe our children ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as little children were circumcised in Israel on the basis of the same promises made to our children. And truly, Christ has shed his blood no less for washing the little children of believers than he did for adults. Therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, just as the Lord commanded in the law that by offering a lamb for them the sacrament of the suffering and death of Christ would be granted them shortly after their birth. This was the sacrament of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, baptism does for our children what circumcision did for the Jewish people. That is why Paul calls baptism the "circumcision of Christ."

We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already born again and ingrafted into his family: his church.

Now those who are born again have two lives in them. The one is physical and temporal—they have it from the moment of their first birth, and it is common to all. The other is spiritual and heavenly, and is given them in their second birth; it comes through the Word of the gospel in the communion of the body of Christ; and this life is common to God's elect only. Thus, to support the physical and earthly life God has prescribed for us an appropriate earthly and material bread, which is as common to all as life itself also is. But to maintain the spiritual and heavenly life that belongs to believers he has sent a living bread that came down from heaven: namely Jesus Christ, who nourishes and maintains the spiritual life of believers when eaten—that is, when appropriated and received spiritually by faith.

To represent to us this spiritual and heavenly bread Christ has instituted an earthly and visible bread as the sacrament of his body and wine as the sacrament of his blood. He did this to testify to us that just as truly as we take and hold the sacraments in our hands and eat and drink it in our mouths, by which our life is then sustained, so truly we receive into our souls, for our spiritual life, the true body and true blood of Christ, our only Savior. We receive these by faith, which is the hand and mouth of our souls.

Now it is certain that Jesus Christ did not prescribe his sacraments for us in vain, since he works in us all he represents by these holy signs, although the manner in which he does it goes beyond our understanding and is incomprehensible to us, just as the operation of God's Spirit is hidden and incomprehensible. Yet we do not go wrong when we say that what is eaten is Christ's own natural body and what is drunk is his own blood—but the manner in which we eat it is not by the mouth but by the Spirit, through faith. In that way Jesus Christ remains always seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven—but he never refrains on that account to communicate himself to us through faith. This banquet is a spiritual table at which Christ communicates himself to us with all his benefits. At that table he makes us enjoy himself as much as the merits of his suffering and death, as he nourishes, strengthens, and comforts our poor, desolate souls by the eating of his flesh, and relieves and renews them by the drinking of his blood.

Moreover, though the sacraments and the thing signified are joined together, not all receive both of them. The wicked person certainly takes the sacrament, to his condemnation, but does not receive the truth of the sacrament, just as Judas and Simon the Sorcerer both indeed received the sacrament, but not Christ, who was signified by it. He is communicated only to believers.

Finally, with humility and reverence we receive the holy sacrament in the gathering of God's people, as we engage together, with thanksgiving, in a holy remembrance of the death of Christ our Savior, and as we thus confess our faith and Christian religion. Therefore no one should come to this table without examining himself carefully, lest "by eating this bread and drinking this cup he eat and drink to his own judgment." In short, by the use of this holy sacrament we are moved to a fervent love of God and our neighbors.

Therefore we reject as desecrations of the sacraments all the muddled ideas and damnable inventions that men have added and mixed in with them. And we say that we should be content with the procedure that Christ and the apostles have taught us and speak of these things as they have spoken of them.

In order that people may be brought to faith, God mercifully sends proclaimers of this very joyful message to the people he wishes and at the time he wishes. By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. For "how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without someone preaching? And how shall they preach unless they have been sent?" (Rom. 10:14–15).

God's anger remains on those who do not believe this gospel. But those who do receive it and embrace Jesus the Savior with a true and living faith are delivered through him from God's anger and from destruction, and receive the gift of eternal life.

The cause or blame for this unbelief, as well as for all other sins, is not at all in God, but in man. Faith in Jesus Christ, however, and salvation through him is a free gift of God. As Scripture says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is a gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). Likewise: "It has been freely given to you to believe in Christ" (Phil. 1:29).

The fact that some receive from God the gift of faith within time, and that others do not, stems from his eternal decision. For "all his works are known to God from eternity" (Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:11). In accordance with this decision he graciously softens the hearts, however hard, of his chosen ones and inclines them to believe, but by his just judgment he leaves in their wickedness and hardness of heart those who have not been chosen. And in this especially is disclosed to us his act—unfathomable, and as merciful as it is just—of distinguishing between people equally lost. This is the well-known decision of election and reprobation revealed in God's Word. This decision the wicked, impure, and unstable distort to their own ruin, but it provides holy and godly souls with comfort beyond words.

This same election took place, not on the basis of foreseen faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness, or of any other good quality and disposition, as though it were based on a prerequisite cause or condition in the person to be chosen, but rather for the purpose of faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness, and so on. Accordingly, election is the source of each of the benefits of salvation. Faith, holiness, and the other saving gifts, and at last eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits and effects. As the apostle says, "He chose us" (not because we were, but) "so that we should be holy and blameless before him in love" (Eph. 1:4).

Those who do not yet actively experience within themselves a living faith in Christ or an assured confidence of heart, peace of conscience, a zeal for childlike obedience, and a glorying in God through Christ, but who nevertheless use the means by which God has promised to work these things in us—such people ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to count themselves among the reprobate; rather they ought to continue diligently in the use of the means, to desire fervently a time of more abundant grace, and to wait for it in reverence and humility. On the other hand, those who seriously desire to turn to God, to be pleasing to him alone, and to be delivered from the body of death, but are not yet able to make such progress along the way of godliness and faith as they would like—such people ought much less to stand in fear of the teaching concerning reprobation, since our merciful God has promised that he will not snuff out a smoldering wick and that he will not break a bruised reed. However, those who have forgotten God and their Savior Jesus Christ and have abandoned themselves wholly to the cares of the world and the pleasures of the flesh—such people have every reason to stand in fear of this teaching, as long as they do not seriously turn to God.

Since we must make judgments about God's will from his Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature but by virtue of the gracious covenant in which they together with their parents are included, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of their children whom God calls out of this life in infancy.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching concerning election and reprobation, the Synod rejects the errors of those

Error I.

Who teach that the will of God to save those who would believe and persevere in faith and in the obedience of faith is the whole and entire decision of election to salvation, and that nothing else concerning this decision has been revealed in God's Word.

For they deceive the simple and plainly contradict Holy Scripture in its testimony that God does not only wish to save those who would believe, but that he has also from eternity chosen certain particular people to whom, rather than to others, he would within time grant faith in Christ and perseverance. As Scripture says, "I have revealed your name to those whom you gave me" (John 17:6). Likewise, "All who were appointed for eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48), and "He chose us before the foundation of the world so that we should be holy" (Eph. 1:4).

Error II.

Who teach that God's election to eternal life is of many kinds: one general and indefinite, the other particular and definite; and the latter in turn either incomplete, revocable, nonperemptory (or conditional), or else complete, irrevocable, and peremptory (or absolute). Likewise, who teach that there is one election to faith and another to salvation, so that there can be an election to justifying faith apart from a peremptory election to salvation.

For this is an invention of the human brain, devised apart from the Scriptures, which distorts the teaching concerning election and breaks up this golden chain of salvation: "Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified" (Rom. 8:30).

Error III.

Who teach that God's good pleasure and purpose, which Scripture mentions in its teaching of election, does not involve God's choosing certain particular people rather than others, but involves God's choosing, out of all possible conditions (including the works of the law) or out of the whole order of things, the intrinsically unworthy act of faith, as well as the imperfect obedience of faith, to be a condition of salvation; and it involves his graciously wishing to count this as perfect obedience and to look upon it as worthy of the reward of eternal life.

For by this pernicious error the good pleasure of God and the merit of Christ are robbed of their effectiveness and people are drawn away, by unprofitable inquiries, from the truth of undeserved justification and from the simplicity of the Scriptures. It also gives the lie to these words of the apostle: "God called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of works, but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" (2 Tim. 1:9).

Error IV.

Who teach that in election to faith a prerequisite condition is that man should rightly use the light of nature, be upright, unassuming, humble, and disposed to eternal life, as though election depended to some extent on these factors.

For this smacks of Pelagius, and it clearly calls into question the words of the apostle: "We lived at one time in the passions of our flesh, following the will of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in transgressions, made us alive with Christ, by whose grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with him and seated us with him in heaven in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages we might show the surpassing riches of his grace, according to his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God) not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:3–9).

Error V.

Who teach that the incomplete and nonperemptory election of particular persons to salvation occurred on the basis of a foreseen faith, repentance, holiness, and godliness, which has just begun or continued for some time; but that complete and peremptory election occurred on the basis of a foreseen perseverance to the end in faith, repentance, holiness, and godliness. And that this is the gracious and evangelical worthiness, on account of which the one who is chosen is more worthy than the one who is not chosen. And therefore that faith, the obedience of faith, holiness, godliness, and perseverance are not fruits or effects of an unchangeable election to glory, but indispensable conditions and causes, which are prerequisite in those who are to be chosen in the complete election, and which are foreseen as achieved in them.

This runs counter to the entire Scripture, which throughout impresses upon our ears and hearts these sayings among others: "Election is not by works, but by him who calls" (Rom. 9:11–12); "All who were appointed for eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48); "He chose us in himself so that we should be holy" (Eph. 1:4); "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16); "If by grace, not by works" (Rom. 11:6); "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son" (1 John 4:10).

Error VI.

Who teach that not every election to salvation is unchangeable, but that some of the chosen can perish and do in fact perish eternally, with no decision of God to prevent it.

By this gross error they make God changeable, destroy the comfort of the godly concerning the steadfastness of their election, and contradict the Holy Scriptures, which teach that "the elect cannot be led astray" (Matt. 24:24), that "Christ does not lose those given to him by the Father" (John 6:39), and that "those whom God predestined, called, and justified, he also glorifies" (Rom. 8:30).

Error VII.

Who teach that in this life there is no fruit, no awareness, and no assurance of one's unchangeable election to glory, except as conditional upon something changeable and contingent.

For not only is it absurd to speak of an uncertain assurance, but these things also militate against the experience of the saints, who with the apostle rejoice from an awareness of their election and sing the praises of this gift of God; who, as Christ urged, "rejoice" with his disciples "that their names have been written in heaven" (Luke 10:20); and finally who hold up against the flaming arrows of the devil's temptations the awareness of their election, with the question "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?" (Rom. 8:33).

Error VIII.

Who teach that it was not on the basis of his just will alone that God decided to leave anyone in the fall of Adam and in the common state of sin and condemnation or to pass anyone by in the imparting of grace necessary for faith and conversion.

For these words stand fast: "He has mercy on whom he wishes, and he hardens whom he wishes" (Rom. 9:18). And also: "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given" (Matt. 13:11). Likewise: "I give glory to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to little children; yes, Father, because that was your pleasure" (Matt. 11:25–26).

Error IX.

Who teach that the cause for God's sending the gospel to one people rather than to another is not merely and solely God's good pleasure, but rather that one people is better and worthier than the other to whom the gospel is not communicated.

For Moses contradicts this when he addresses the people of Israel as follows: "Behold, to Jehovah your God belong the heavens and the highest heavens, the earth and whatever is in it. But Jehovah was inclined in his affection to love your ancestors alone, and chose out their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as at this day" (Deut. 10:14–15). And also Christ: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if those mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Matt. 11:21).

Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.

But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ's death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God's grace—which he owes to no one—given to them in Christ from eternity.

For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son's costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God's will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit's other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death); that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

Error I.

Who teach that God the Father appointed his Son to death on the cross without a fixed and definite plan to save anyone by name, so that the necessity, usefulness, and worth of what Christ's death obtained could have stood intact and altogether perfect, complete and whole, even if the redemption that was obtained had never in actual fact been applied to any individual.

For this assertion is an insult to the wisdom of God the Father and to the merit of Jesus Christ, and it is contrary to Scripture. For the Savior speaks as follows: "I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know them" (John 10:15, 27). And Isaiah the prophet says concerning the Savior: "When he shall make himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand" (Isa. 53:10). Finally, this undermines the article of the creed in which we confess what we believe concerning the church.

Error II.

Who teach that the purpose of Christ's death was not to establish in actual fact a new covenant of grace by his blood, but only to acquire for the Father the mere right to enter once more into a covenant with men, whether of grace or of works.

For this conflicts with Scripture, which teaches that Christ "has become the guarantee and mediator" of a better—that is, "a new"—"covenant" (Heb. 7:22; 9:15), and that "a will is in force only when someone has died" (Heb. 9:17).

Error III.

Who teach that Christ, by the satisfaction which he gave, did not certainly merit for anyone salvation itself and the faith by which this satisfaction of Christ is effectively applied to salvation, but only acquired for the Father the authority or plenary will to relate in a new way with men and to impose such new conditions as he chose, and that the satisfying of these conditions depends on the free choice of man; consequently, that it was possible that either all or none would fulfill them.

For they have too low an opinion of the death of Christ, do not at all acknowledge the foremost fruit or benefit which it brings forth, and summon back from hell the Pelagian error.

Error IV.

Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with men through the intervening of Christ's death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ's merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life.

For they contradict Scripture: "They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood" (Rom. 3:24–25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of man before God, against the consensus of the whole church.

Error V.

Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the grace of the covenant, so that no one on account of original sin is liable to condemnation, or is to be condemned, but that all are free from the guilt of this sin.

For this opinion conflicts with Scripture which asserts that we are by nature children of wrath.

Error VI.

Who make use of the distinction between obtaining and applying in order to instill in the unwary and inexperienced the opinion that God, as far as he is concerned, wished to bestow equally upon all people the benefits which are gained by Christ's death; but that the distinction by which some rather than others come to share in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life depends on their own free choice (which applies itself to the grace offered indiscriminately) but does not depend on the unique gift of mercy which effectively works in them, so that they, rather than others, apply that grace to themselves.

For, while pretending to set forth this distinction in an acceptable sense, they attempt to give the people the deadly poison of Pelagianism.

Error VII.

Who teach that Christ neither could die, nor had to die, nor did die for those whom God so dearly loved and chose to eternal life, since such people do not need the death of Christ.

For they contradict the apostle, who says: "Christ loved me and gave himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20), and likewise: "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died," that is, for them (Rom. 8:33–34). They also contradict the Savior, who asserts: "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15), and "My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12–13).

The fact that others who are called through the ministry of the gospel do come and are brought to conversion must not be credited to man, as though one distinguishes himself by free choice from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains). No, it must be credited to God: just as from eternity he chose his own in Christ, so within time he effectively calls them, grants them faith and repentance, and, having rescued them from the dominion of darkness, brings them into the kingdom of his Son, in order that they may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called them out of darkness into this marvelous light, and may boast not in themselves, but in the Lord, as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture.

And this is the regeneration, the new creation, the raising from the dead, and the making alive so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures, which God works in us without our help. But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God has done his work, it remains in man's power whether or not to be reborn or converted. Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work, one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing, a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not lesser than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches. As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe. And then the will, now renewed, is not only activated and motivated by God but in being activated by God is also itself active. For this reason, man himself, by that grace which he has received, is also rightly said to believe and to repent.

In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this work occurs; meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that by this grace of God they do believe with the heart and love their Savior.

In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God, not in the sense that it is offered by God for man to choose, but that it is in actual fact bestowed on man, breathed and infused into him. Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—from man's choice; rather, it is a gift in the sense that he who works both willing and acting and, indeed, works all things in all people produces in man both the will to believe and the belief itself.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

Error I.

Who teach that, properly speaking, it cannot be said that original sin in itself is enough to condemn the whole human race or to warrant temporal and eternal punishments.

For they contradict the apostle when he says: "Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death passed on to all men because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12); also: "The guilt followed one sin and brought condemnation" (Rom. 5:16); likewise: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

Error II.

Who teach that the spiritual gifts or the good dispositions and virtues such as goodness, holiness, and righteousness could not have resided in man's will when he was first created, and therefore could not have been separated from the will at the fall.

For this conflicts with the apostle's description of the image of God in Ephesians 4:24, where he portrays the image in terms of righteousness and holiness, which definitely reside in the will.

Error III.

Who teach that in spiritual death the spiritual gifts have not been separated from man's will, since the will in itself has never been corrupted but only hindered by the darkness of the mind and the unruliness of the emotions, and since the will is able to exercise its innate free capacity once these hindrances are removed, which is to say, it is able of itself to will or choose whatever good is set before it—or else not to will or choose it.

This is a novel idea and an error and has the effect of elevating the power of free choice, contrary to the words of Jeremiah the prophet: "The heart itself is deceitful above all things and wicked" (Jer. 17:9); and of the words of the apostle: "All of us also lived among them [the sons of disobedience] at one time in the passions of our flesh, following the will of our flesh and thoughts" (Eph. 2:3).

Error IV.

Who teach that unregenerate man is not strictly or totally dead in his sins or deprived of all capacity for spiritual good but is able to hunger and thirst for righteousness or life and to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit which is pleasing to God.

For these views are opposed to the plain testimonies of Scripture: "You were dead in your transgressions and sins" (Eph. 2:1, 5); "The imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). Besides, to hunger and thirst for deliverance from misery and for life, and to offer God the sacrifice of a broken spirit is characteristic only of the regenerate and of those called blessed (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:6).

Error V.

Who teach that corrupt and natural man can make such good use of common grace (by which they mean the light of nature) or of the gifts remaining after the fall that he is able thereby gradually to obtain a greater grace—evangelical or saving grace—as well as salvation itself; and that in this way God, for his part, shows himself ready to reveal Christ to all people, since he provides to all, to a sufficient extent and in an effective manner, the means necessary for the revealing of Christ, for faith, and for repentance.

For Scripture, not to mention the experience of all ages, testifies that this is false: "He makes known his words to Jacob, his statutes and his laws to Israel; he has done this for no other nation, and they do not know his laws" (Ps. 147:19–20); "In the past God let all nations go their own way" (Acts 14:16); "They [Paul and his companions] were kept by the Holy Spirit from speaking God's word in Asia"; and "When they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit would not allow them to" (Acts 16:6–7).

Error VI.

Who teach that in the true conversion of man new qualities, dispositions, or gifts cannot be infused or poured into his will by God, and indeed that the faith [or believing] by which we first come to conversion and from which we receive the name "believers" is not a quality or gift infused by God, but only an act of man, and that it cannot be called a gift except in respect to the power of attaining faith.

For these views contradict the Holy Scriptures, which testify that God does infuse or pour into our hearts the new qualities of faith, obedience, and the experiencing of his love: "I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts" (Jer. 31:33); "I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring" (Isa. 44:3); "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Rom. 5:5). They also conflict with the continuous practice of the church, which prays with the prophet: "Convert me, Lord, and I shall be converted" (Jer. 31:18).

Error VII.

Who teach that the grace by which we are converted to God is nothing but a gentle persuasion, or (as others explain it) that the way of God's acting in man's conversion that is most noble and suited to human nature is that which happens by persuasion, and that nothing prevents this grace of moral suasion even by itself from making natural men spiritual; indeed, that God does not produce the assent of the will except in this manner of moral suasion, and that the effectiveness of God's work by which it surpasses the work of Satan consists in the fact that God promises eternal benefits while Satan promises temporal ones.

For this teaching is entirely Pelagian and contrary to the whole of Scripture, which recognizes besides this persuasion also another, far more effective and divine way in which the Holy Spirit acts in man's conversion. As Ezekiel 36:26 puts it: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. . . ."

Error VIII.

Who teach that God in regenerating man does not bring to bear that power of his omnipotence whereby he may powerfully and unfailingly bend man's will to faith and conversion, but that even when God has accomplished all the works of grace which he uses for man's conversion, man nevertheless can, and in actual fact often does, so resist God and the Spirit in their intent and will to regenerate him, that man completely thwarts his own rebirth; and, indeed, that it remains in his own power whether or not to be reborn.

For this does away with all effective functioning of God's grace in our conversion and subjects the activity of Almighty God to the will of man; it is contrary to the apostles, who teach that "we believe by virtue of the effective working of God's mighty strength" (Eph. 1:19), and that "God fulfills the undeserved good will of his kindness and the work of faith in us with power" (2 Thess. 1:11), and likewise that "his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).

Error IX.

Who teach that grace and free choice are concurrent partial causes which cooperate to initiate conversion, and that grace does not precede—in the order of causality—the effective influence of the will; that is to say, that God does not effectively help man's will to come to conversion before man's will itself motivates and determines itself.

For the early church already condemned this doctrine long ago in the Pelagians, on the basis of the words of the apostle: "It does not depend on man's willing or running but on God's mercy" (Rom. 9:16); also: "Who makes you different from anyone else?" and "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7); likewise: "It is God who works in you to will and act according to his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

Hence daily sins of weakness arise, and blemishes cling to even the best works of God's people, giving them continual cause to humble themselves before God, to flee for refuge to Christ crucified, to put the flesh to death more and more by the Spirit of supplication and by holy exercises of godliness, and to strain toward the goal of perfection, until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven.

Although that power of God strengthening and preserving true believers in grace is more than a match for the flesh, yet those converted are not always so activated and motivated by God that in certain specific actions they cannot by their own fault depart from the leading of grace, be led astray by the desires of the flesh, and give in to them. For this reason they must constantly watch and pray that they may not be led into temptations. When they fail to do this, not only can they be carried away by the flesh, the world, and Satan into sins, even serious and outrageous ones, but also by God's just permission they sometimes are so carried away—witness the sad cases, described in Scripture, of David, Peter, and other saints falling into sins.

For, in the first place, God preserves in those saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Secondly, by his Word and Spirit he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; experience again the grace of a reconciled God; through faith adore his mercies; and from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith, by which they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Meanwhile, Scripture testifies that believers have to contend in this life with various doubts of the flesh and that under severe temptation they do not always experience this full assurance of faith and certainty of perseverance. But God, the Father of all comfort, "does not let them be tempted beyond what they can bear, but with the temptation he also provides a way out" (1 Cor. 10:13), and by the Holy Spirit revives in them the assurance of their perseverance.

This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it—a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers—is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

Error I.

Who teach that the perseverance of true believers is not an effect of election or a gift of God produced by Christ's death, but a condition of the new covenant which man, before what they call his "peremptory" election and justification, must fulfill by his free will.

For Holy Scripture testifies that perseverance follows from election and is granted to the chosen by virtue of Christ's death, resurrection, and intercession: "The chosen obtained it; the others were hardened" (Rom. 11:7); likewise, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not, along with him, grant us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised—who also sits at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. 8:32–35).

Error II.

Who teach that God does provide the believer with sufficient strength to persevere and is ready to preserve this strength in him if he performs his duty, but that even with all those things in place which are necessary to persevere in faith and which God is pleased to use to preserve faith, it still always depends on the choice of man's will whether or not he perseveres.

For this view is obviously Pelagian; and though it intends to make men free it makes them sacrilegious. It is against the enduring consensus of evangelical teaching which takes from man all cause for boasting and ascribes the praise for this benefit only to God's grace. It is also against the testimony of the apostle: "It is God who keeps us strong to the end, so that we will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:8).

Error III.

Who teach that those who truly believe and have been born again not only can forfeit justifying faith as well as grace and salvation totally and to the end, but also in actual fact do often forfeit them and are lost forever.

For this opinion nullifies the very grace of justification and regeneration as well as the continual preservation by Christ, contrary to the plain words of the apostle Paul: "If Christ died for us while we were still sinners, we will therefore much more be saved from God's wrath through him, since we have now been justified by his blood" (Rom. 5:8–9); and contrary to the apostle John: "No one who is born of God is intent on sin, because God's seed remains in him, nor can he sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9); also contrary to the words of Jesus Christ: "I give eternal life to my sheep, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28–29).

Error IV.

Who teach that those who truly believe and have been born again can commit the sin that leads to death (the sin against the Holy Spirit).

For the same apostle John, after making mention of those who commit the sin that leads to death and forbidding prayer for them (1 John 5:16–17), immediately adds: "We know that anyone born of God does not commit sin" [that is, that kind of sin], "but the one who was born of God keeps himself safe, and the evil one does not touch him" (v. 18).

Error V.

Who teach that apart from a special revelation no one can have the assurance of future perseverance in this life.

For by this teaching the well-founded consolation of true believers in this life is taken away and the doubting of the Romanists is reintroduced into the church. Holy Scripture, however, in many places derives the assurance not from a special and extraordinary revelation but from the marks peculiar to God's children and from God's completely reliable promises. So especially the apostle Paul: "Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39); and John: "They who obey his commands remain in him and he in them. And this is how we know that he remains in us: by the Spirit he gave us" (1 John 3:24).

Error VI.

Who teach that the teaching of the assurance of perseverance and of salvation is by its very nature and character an opiate of the flesh and is harmful to godliness, good morals, prayer, and other holy exercises, but that, on the contrary, to have doubt about this is praiseworthy.

For these people show that they do not know the effective operation of God's grace and the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they contradict the apostle John, who asserts the opposite in plain words: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, but what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he is made known, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:2–3). Moreover, they are refuted by the examples of the saints in both the Old and the New Testament, who though assured of their perseverance and salvation yet were constant in prayer and other exercises of godliness.

Error VII.

Who teach that the faith of those who believe only temporarily does not differ from justifying and saving faith except in duration alone.

For Christ himself in Matthew 13:20ff. and Luke 8:13ff. clearly defines these further differences between temporary and true believers: he says that the former receive the seed on rocky ground, and the latter receive it in good ground, or a good heart; the former have no root, and the latter are firmly rooted; the former have no fruit, and the latter produce fruit in varying measure, with steadfastness, or perseverance.

Error VIII.

Who teach that it is not absurd that a person, after losing his former regeneration, should once again, indeed quite often, be reborn.

For by this teaching they deny the imperishable nature of God's seed by which we are born again, contrary to the testimony of the apostle Peter: "Born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable" (1 Peter 1:23).

Error IX.

Who teach that Christ nowhere prayed for an unfailing perseverance of believers in faith.

For they contradict Christ himself when he says: "I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:32); and John the gospel writer when he testifies in John 17 that it was not only for the apostles, but also for all those who were to believe by their message that Christ prayed: "Holy Father, preserve them in your name" (v. 11); and "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you preserve them from the evil one" (v. 15).

And so this is the clear, simple, and straightforward explanation of the orthodox teaching on the five articles in dispute in the Netherlands, as well as the rejection of the errors by which the Dutch churches have for some time been disturbed. This explanation and rejection the Synod declares to be derived from God's Word and in agreement with the confessions of the Reformed churches. Hence it clearly appears that those of whom one could hardly expect it have shown no truth, equity, and charity at all in wishing to make the public believe:

• that the teaching of the Reformed churches on predestination and on the points associated with it by its very nature and tendency draws the minds of people away from all godliness and religion, is an opiate of the flesh and the devil, and is a stronghold of Satan where he lies in wait for all people, wounds most of them, and fatally pierces many of them with the arrows of both despair and self-assurance;

• that this teaching makes God the author of sin, unjust, a tyrant, and a hypocrite; and is nothing but a refurbished Stoicism, Manicheism, Libertinism, and Mohammedanism;

• that this teaching makes people carnally self-assured, since it persuades them that nothing endangers the salvation of the chosen, no matter how they live, so that they may commit the most outrageous crimes with self-assurance; and that on the other hand nothing is of use to the reprobate for salvation even if they have truly performed all the works of the saints;

• that this teaching means that God predestined and created, by the bare and unqualified choice of his will, without the least regard or consideration of any sin, the greatest part of the world to eternal condemnation; that in the same manner in which election is the source and cause of faith and good works, reprobation is the cause of unbelief and ungodliness; that many infant children of believers are snatched in their innocence from their mothers' breasts and cruelly cast into hell so that neither the blood of Christ nor their baptism nor the prayers of the church at their baptism can be of any use to them;

• and very many other slanderous accusations of this kind which the Reformed churches not only disavow but even denounce with their whole heart.

Therefore this Synod of Dort in the name of the Lord pleads with all who devoutly call on the name of our Savior Jesus Christ to form their judgment about the faith of the Reformed churches, not on the basis of false accusations gathered from here or there, or even on the basis of the personal statements of a number of ancient and modern authorities—statements which are also often either quoted out of context or misquoted and twisted to convey a different meaning—but on the basis of the churches' own official confessions and of the present explanation of the orthodox teaching which has been endorsed by the unanimous consent of the members of the whole Synod, one and all.

Moreover, the Synod earnestly warns the false accusers themselves to consider how heavy a judgment of God awaits those who give false testimony against so many churches and their confessions, trouble the consciences of the weak, and seek to prejudice the minds of many against the fellowship of true believers.

Finally, this Synod urges all fellow ministers in the gospel of Christ to deal with this teaching in a godly and reverent manner, in the academic institutions as well as in the churches; to do so, both in their speaking and writing, with a view to the glory of God's name, holiness of life, and the comfort of anxious souls; to think and also speak with Scripture according to the analogy of faith; and, finally, to refrain from all those ways of speaking which go beyond the bounds set for us by the genuine sense of the Holy Scriptures and which could give impertinent sophists a just occasion to scoff at the teaching of the Reformed churches or even to bring false accusations against it.

May God's Son Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God and gives gifts to men, sanctify us in the truth, lead to the truth those who err, silence the mouths of those who lay false accusations against sound teaching, and equip faithful ministers of his Word with a spirit of wisdom and discretion, that all they say may be to the glory of God and the building up of their hearers. Amen.

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 unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, 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 maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.

2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:

Of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Paul's Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I Corinthians II Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I Thessalonians II to Timothy I to Timothy II to Titus to Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first, second, and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation of John.

3. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.

5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth 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.

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 in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: 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.

7. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: 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 the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as, in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal unto them. But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, 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.

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 is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.

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 Spirit speaking in the Scripture.

1. God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.

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.

5. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto 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, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

7. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy, as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.

8. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.

1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

2. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

3. Man, by his fall, having made himself uncapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved, 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. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in Scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.

5. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel: under the law, it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come; which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the old testament.

6. Under the gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper: which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity, and less outward glory, yet, in them, it is held forth in more fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the new testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations.

1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness, by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

3. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's justice in their behalf. Yet, inasmuch 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; 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.

4. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

5. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

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.

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, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

2. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.

3. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.

2. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.

3. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will, and to do, of his good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were 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.

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.

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, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.

6. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's 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 imperfections.

7. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.

1. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

2. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.

3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it: 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 ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone 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 Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.

4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, 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: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, 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; and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.

1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; and, in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also, in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law. But, under the new testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of the 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.

2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to his Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship. So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience: and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.

3. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

4. And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another, they who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity (whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation), or to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against, by the censures of the church.

1. Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church; but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of the world.

2. The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

3. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.

4. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.

5. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it; or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

6. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time.

7. The sacrament of baptism is but once to be administered unto any person.

1. Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in his church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other, as members of his mystical body.

2. In this sacrament, Christ is not offered up to his Father; nor any real sacrifice made at all, for remission of sins of the quick or dead; but only a commemoration of that one offering up of himself, by himself, upon the cross, once for all: and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God, for the same: so that the popish sacrifice of the Mass (as they call it) is most abominably injurious to Christ's one, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of his elect.

3. The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to declare his word of institution to the people; to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants; but to none who are not then present in the congregation.

4. Private Masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other, alone; as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people, worshiping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about, for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.

5. The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that, truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ; albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.

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, but even to common sense, and reason; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament, and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions; yea, of gross idolatries.

7. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive, and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.

8. Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament; yet, they receive not the thing signified thereby; but, by their unworthy coming thereunto, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore, all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table; and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto.

Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?

A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.

Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?

A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

Q. What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Q. How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?

A. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a Mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

Q. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?

A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

Q. What is justifying faith?

A. Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

Q. How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?

A. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness.

Q. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?

A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

Q. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?

A. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Q. Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?

A. Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God's promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

Q. Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?

A. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

Q. What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

A. We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

Q. Unto whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

Q. How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord's Supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein?

A. As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal and carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.

Q. May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's Supper, be kept from it?

A. Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's Supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

Professed and believed by the Protestants within the realm of Scotland. Published by them in Parliament and by the estates thereof. Ratified and approved, as wholesome and sound doctrine grounded upon the infallible truth of God's Word.

And these glad tidings of the kingdom will be preached through the whole world for a witness unto all nations: And then will the end come.

The Estates of Scotland, with the inhabitants of the same, professing Christ Jesus, His holy gospel, to their natural countrymen and to all other realms and nations professing the same Lord Jesus with them, wish grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the spirit of righteous judgment, for salvation.

Long have we thirsted, dear brethren, to have notified unto the world the sum of that doctrine which we profess and for which we have sustained infamy and danger. But such has been the rage of Satan against us and against Christ Jesus His eternal verity, lately borne among us that to this day no time has been granted unto us to clear our consciences, as most gladly we would have done. For how we have been tossed heretofore, the most part of Europe (as we suppose) does understand. But seeing that of the infinite goodness of our God (which never suffers His afflicted utterly to be confounded) above expectation, we have obtained some rest and liberty, [and] we could not but set forth this brief and plain confession of such doctrine as is propounded unto us, and as we believe and profess, partly for satisfaction of our brethren, whose hearts we doubt not have been and yet are wounded by the despiteful railing of such as yet have not learned to speak well: and partly for stopping the mouths of the impudent blasphemers, which boldly damn that which they have neither heard nor yet understood. Not that we judge that the cankered malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession. No, we know that the sweet savor of the gospel is and will be death to the sons of perdition. But we have chief respect to our weak and infirm brethren, to whom we would communicate the bottom of our hearts, lest they be troubled or carried away by [the] diversity of rumors which Satan spreads contrary to us, to the defacing of this our most godly enterprise. Protesting that if any man will note in this our confession any article or sentence repugnant to God's holy Word, that it would please him, of his gentleness and for Christian charity's sake, to admonish us of the same in writing. And we on our honor and fidelity do promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God (that is, from His Holy Scriptures) or else reformation of that which he will prove to be amiss. For God we take to record in our conscience, that from our hearts we abhor all sects of heresy and all teachers of erroneous doctrine, and that with all humility we embrace the purity of Christ's gospel, which is the only food of our souls—and, therefore, so precious unto us, that we are determined to suffer the extremity of worldly danger, rather than that we will suffer our selves to be defrauded of the same. For hereof we are most certainly persuaded, that whosoever denies Christ Jesus or is ashamed of Him in the presence of men, will be denied before the Father, and before His holy angels. And, therefore, by the assistance of the mighty Spirit of the same our Lord Jesus, we firmly purpose to abide to the end in the confession of this our faith, as by the following articles.

By which transgression, commonly called original sin, was the image of God utterly defaced in man. And he and his posterity of nature became enemies to God, slaves to Satan, and servants to sin (Eph. 2; Rom. 5), that death everlasting has had, and insofar will have, power and domination over all that have not been, are not, or will not be regenerated from above (John 3). Which regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 5–6) working in the hearts of the elect of God, an assured faith in the promises of God revealed to us in His Word, by which faith they apprehend Christ Jesus with the graces and benefits promised in Him.

For that same eternal God and Father, who of mere grace elected us in Christ Jesus His Son before the foundation of the world was laid (Eph. 1), appointed Him to be our Head, our brother (Heb. 2), our pastor, and great bishop of our souls (John 10). But because the enmity betwixt the justice of God and our sins was such that no flesh by itself could or might have attained unto God, it behooved that the Son of God should descend unto us and take Himself a body of our body, flesh of our flesh, and bones of our bones: and so become the perfect mediator betwixt God and man, giving power to so many as believe in Him to be the sons of God (John 1). As He Himself does witness, "I pass up to my Father and unto your Father, to my God and unto your God" (John 20). By which most holy fraternity, whatsoever we have lost in Adam is restored to us again. And for this cause are we not afraid to call God our Father, not so much that He has created us (which we have common with the reprobate) as for that, that He has given to us His only Son, to be our brother, and given unto us grace to acknowledge and embrace Him for our only mediator, as before was said. It behooved further the Messiah and Redeemer to be very God and very man because He was to undergo the punishment due for our transgressions (Isa. 53), and to present Himself in the presence of His Father's judgment as in our person to suffer for our transgression and disobedience by death, to overcome him that was author of death. But because the only Godhead could not suffer death, neither yet could the only manhood overcome the same, He joined both together in one person that the weakness of the one should suffer and be subject to death (which we had deserved), and the infinite and invincible power of the other, to wit, of the Godhead, should triumph and purchase to us life, liberty, and perpetual victory. And so we confess and most undoubtedly believe.

We nothing doubt but that the selfsame body which was born of the virgin, was crucified, and buried, and which did rise again, did ascend into the heavens (Acts 1), for the accomplishment of all things where in our names and for our comfort, He has received all power in heaven and earth (Matt. 28), where He sits at the right hand of the Father (1 John 2), inaugurating His kingdom, advocate and only mediator for us (1 Tim. 2; Ps. 110). Which glory, honor, and prerogative, He alone amongst the brethren will possess till all His enemies are made His footstool, as that we undoubtedly believe they will be in the final judgment: to the execution whereof we certainly believe that the same Lord Jesus will visibly return as He was seen to ascend (Acts 1). And then we firmly believe that the time of refreshing and restitution of all things will come (John 19; Acts 3), in so much that those who from the beginning have suffered violence, injury, and wrong for righteousness' sake will inherit that blessed immortality promised from the beginning. But contrariwise the stubborn, disobedient, cruel oppressors, filthy persons, idolaters, and all sorts of unfaithful (Rev. 20; Isa. 66) will be cast in the dungeon of utter darkness, where their worm will not die, neither yet their fire be extinguished. The remembrance of which day and of the judgment to be executed in the same is not only to us a bridle whereby our carnal lusts are restrained, but also such inestimable comfort that neither may the threatening of worldly princes, neither yet the fear of temporal death and present danger move us to renounce and forsake that blessed society which we the members have with our Head and only Mediator, Christ Jesus. Whom we confess and avow to be the Messiah promised, the only Head of His kirk, our just Lawgiver, our only High Priest, Advocate and Mediator (Isa. 7; Col. 1; Heb. 6, 10). In which honors and offices, if man or angel presumes to intrude themselves, we utterly detest and abhor them as blasphemous to our sovereign and supreme governor Christ Jesus.

This our faith and the assurance of the same proceeds not from flesh and blood (Matt. 16), that is to say, from no natural powers within us, but is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (John 14–16), whom we confess God equal with the Father and with the Son, who sanctifies us and brings us in all verity by His own operation, without whom we should remain forever enemies to God and ignorant of His Son, Christ Jesus. For by nature we are so dead, so blind, and so perverse that neither can we feel when we are pricked, see the light when it shines, nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed, unless the Spirit of the Lord Jesus quicken that which is dead, remove the darkness from our minds, and bow our stubborn hearts to the obedience of His blessed will. And so as we confess that God the Father created us when we were not; as His Son our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to Him (Rom. 5); so also do we confess that the Holy Ghost does sanctify and regenerate us without all respect of any merit proceeding from us, be it before or be it after our regeneration. To speak this one thing, yet in more plain words, as we willingly spoil our selves of all honor and glory of our own creation and redemption, so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification, for of our selves we are not sufficient to think any good thought (2 Cor. 7). But He who has begun the good work in us is only He that continues us in the same to the praise and glory of His undeserved grace.

So that the cause of good works we confess to be not our free will, but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus (John 15; Eph. 2), who dwelling in our hearts by true faith brings forth such good works as God has prepared for us to walk in. For this we most boldly affirm, that it is blasphemy to say that Christ Jesus abides in the heart of those in whom is no spirit of sanctification. And, therefore, we fear not to affirm that murderers, oppressors, cruel persecutors, adulterers, whoremongers, filthy persons, idolaters, drunkards, thieves, and all workers of iniquity have neither true faith nor any portion of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus so long as they obstinately continue in their wickedness. For how soon that ever the Spirit of the Lord Jesus (which God's elect children receive by true faith) takes possession in the heart of any man, so soon does He regenerate and renew the same man so that he begins to hate that which before he loved and begins to love that which before he hated. And from thence comes that continual battle which is betwixt the flesh and the spirit in God's children. While flesh and the natural man (according to their own corruption) lusts for things pleasing and delectable unto the self (Gal. 3), grudges in adversity, is lifted up in prosperity, and at every moment is prone and ready to offend the majesty of God. But the Spirit of God, who gives witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God (Rom. 8), makes us to resist the devil, to abhor filthy pleasures, to groan in God's presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption, and finally to triumph over sin that it reign not in our mortal bodies. This battle has not the carnal man being destitute of God's Spirit: but do follow and obey sin with greediness and without repentance, even as the devil and their corrupt lusts do prick them. But the sons of God (as before was said), do fight against sin, do sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted to iniquity; and if they fall, they rise again with earnest and unfeigned repentance, and these things they do not by their own power, but by the power of the Lord Jesus without whom they were able to do nothing (John 15).

We confess and acknowledge that God has given to man His holy law (Ex. 20; Deut. 4–5) in which not only are forbidden all such works as displease and offend His godly majesty, but also are commanded all such as please Him and as He has promised to reward. And these works be of two sorts. The one are done to the honor of God; the other to the profit of our neighbors; and both have the revealed will of God for their assurance. To have one God, to worship and honor Him, to call upon Him in all our troubles, reverence His holy name, to hear His Word, to believe the same, to communicate with His holy sacraments are the works of the first table. To honor father and mother (Eph. 6), princes, rulers and superior powers (Rom. 13; 1 Tim. 2, 6), to love them, to support them, yes to obey their charges (not repugnant to the commandments of God), to save the lives of innocents (Ezek. 22), to repress tyranny (Jer. 22), to defend the oppressed (Isa. 58), to keep our bodies clean and holy (1 Thess. 4), to live in sobriety and temperance (Luke 2), to deal justly with all men both in word and deed, and finally to repress all appetite of our neighbor's hurt, are the good works of the second table which are most pleasing and acceptable unto God as those works that are commanded by Himself. The contrary of which is sin most odious which always displeases Him and provokes Him to anger (Eph. 5). As not to call upon Him alone when we have need, not to hear His Word with reverence, to condemn and despise it, to have or to worship idols, to maintain and defend idolatry, lightly to esteem the revered name of God, to profane, abuse, or condemn the sacraments of Christ Jesus, to disobey or resist any that God has placed in authority (while they pass not over the bounds of their office) (Rom. 13), to murder, to consent thereto, to bear hatred or to suffer innocent blood to be shed, if we may withstand it (Ezek. 22), and finally the transgression of any other commandment in the first or second table, we confess and affirm to be sin by which God's hot displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankful world.

So that good works we affirm to be these only that are done in faith, at God's commandment, who in His law has expressed what are the things that please Him. And evil works we affirm [are] not only those that expressly are done against God's commandment, but those also that in matters of religion and worshipping of God have no other assurance but the invention and opinion of man, which God from the beginning has ever rejected. As by the prophet Isaiah and by our master Christ Jesus, we are taught in these words, "In vain do they worship Me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men" (Isa. 29; Matt. 13).

As we believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, so we must constantly believe that from the beginning there has been, now is and to the end of the world will be (Matt. 28), a kirk, that is to say, one company and multitude of men chosen of God (Eph. 1), who rightly worship and embrace Him by true faith in Christ Jesus, who is the only head of the same kirk, which also is the body and spouse of Christ Jesus (Col. 1; Eph. 5). Which kirk is catholic, that is universal, because it contains the elect of all ages, all realms, nations, and tongues (Rev. 7) be they of the Jews or be they of the Gentiles; who have communion and society with God the Father and with His Son Christ Jesus, through the sanctification of His Holy Spirit, and, therefore, is it called the communion (not of profane persons) but of saints, who as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem (Eph. 2) have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits, to wit, of one God, one Lord Jesus, one faith, and of one baptism, out of which kirk there is neither life nor eternal felicity. And, therefore, we utterly abhor the blasphemy of those that affirm that men, who live according to equity and justice, will be saved whatsoever religion they have professed. For as without Christ Jesus there is neither life nor salvation, so will none be participant thereof, but such as the Father has given unto His Son Christ Jesus (John 5–6), and those in time come unto Him, avow His doctrine and believe in Him (we comprehend the children with the faithful parents). This kirk is invisible, known only to God who alone knows it, whom He has chosen, and comprehends as well (as is said) the elect that be departed (commonly called the kirk triumphant) as those that yet live and fight against sin and Satan as will live hereafter.

Because that Satan from the beginning has labored to deck his pestilent synagogue with the title of the kirk of God and has inflamed the hearts of cruel murderers to persecute, trouble and molest the true kirk and members thereof, as Cain did Abel, Ishmael Isaac, Esau Jacob (Gen. 4, 21, 27), and the whole priesthood of the Jews, Christ Jesus Himself and His apostles after Him (Matt. 23; John 11; Acts 3), it is one thing most requisite that the true kirk be discerned from the filthy synagogue by clear and perfect notes, lest we being deceived receive and embrace to our own condemnation the one for the other. The notes, signs, and assured tokens by which the immaculate spouse of Christ Jesus is known from that horrible harlot, the kirk malignant, we affirm are neither antiquity, title usurped, lineal descent, place appointed, nor multitude of men approving any error. For Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth. Jerusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth, where also were the priests lineally descended from Aaron, and a greater multitude followed the scribes and Pharisees and priests than unfeignedly believed and approved Christ Jesus and His doctrine. And yet as we suppose no man (of whole judgment) will grant that any of the forenamed were the kirk of God. The notes, therefore, of the true kirk of God, we believe, confess and avow to be first, the true preaching of the Word of God, in which God has revealed Himself to us (John 1, 10) as the writings of the prophets and apostles do declare. Secondly, the right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus must be annexed unto the Word and promises of God to seal and confirm the same in our hearts. Last, ecclesiastical discipline (Rom. 4), uprightly ministered as God's Word prescribes whereby vice is reproved and virtue nourished (1 Cor. 5). Wheresoever then these former notes are seen and of any time continue (be the number never so few, about two or three), there without all doubt is the true kirk of Christ, who according to His promise is in the midst of them: not that universal (of which we have before spoken) but particular, such as was in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and other places (Acts 16, 18, etc.; 1 Cor. 1; Acts 20) in which the ministry was planted by Paul and were of himself named the kirks of God. And such kirks we the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland, professors of Christ Jesus, confess ourselves to have in our cities, towns, and places reformed. For the doctrine taught in our kirks is contained in the written Word of God, to wit, in the books of the New and Old Testaments. In those books we mean which of the ancient have been reputed canonical in the which we affirm that all things necessary to be believed for the salvation of mankind is sufficiently expressed (John 21), the interpretation whereof we confess neither appertains to private nor public persons, neither yet to any kirk for any preeminence or prerogative personal or local which one has above another, but appertains to the Spirit of God by which also the Scripture was written.

When controversy then happens, for the right understanding of any place or sentence of Scripture or for the reformation of any abuse within the kirk of God, we ought not so much to look at what men before us have said or done, as unto that which the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks within the body of the Scriptures, and unto that which Christ Jesus Himself did and commanded to be done (1 Cor. 11). For this is a thing universally granted, that the Spirit of God (which is the spirit of unity) is in nothing contrary unto Himself. If then the interpretation, determination or sentence of any doctor, kirk or council, repugnant to the plain Word of God written in any other place of Scripture, it is a thing most certain that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the Holy Ghost, supposing that councils, realms, and nations have approved and received the same. For we dare not receive nor admit any interpretation which is directly repugnant to any principal point of our faith, to any other plain text of Scripture or yet unto the rule of charity.

As we do not rashly damn that which godly men assembled together in general councils lawfully gathered have propounded unto us, so without just examination dare we not receive whatsoever is forced upon men under the name of general councils. For plain it is that as they were men so have some of them manifestly erred and that in matters of great weight and importance. So far then as the council proves the determination and commandment that it gives by the plain Word of God, so far do we reverence and embrace the same. But if men under the name of a council pretend to forge unto us new articles of our faith or to make constitutions repugnant to the Word of God, then utterly we must refuse the same as the doctrine of devils which draw our souls from the voice of our only God to follow the doctrines and constitutions of men (1 Tim. 4). The cause then why general councils convened was neither to make any perpetual law (which God before had not made) neither yet to forge new articles of our belief, neither to give the Word of God authority, much less to make that to be His Word or yet the true interpretation of the same which was not before by His holy will expressed in His Word. But the cause of councils (we mean of such as merit the name of councils) was partly for confutation of heresies and for giving public confession of their faith to the posterity following which both they did by the authority of God's written Word and not by any opinion or prerogative that they could not err by reason of their general assembly. And this we judge to have been the chief cause of general councils. The other was for good policy and order to be constituted and observed in the kirk, in which (as in the house of God) it becomes all things to be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14). Not that we think that one policy and one order in ceremonies can be appointed for all ages, times, and places: for as ceremonies (such as man has devised) are but temporal so may and ought they to be changed when they rather foster superstition than that they edify the kirk using the same.

As the fathers under the Law (besides the verity of the sacrifices) had two chief sacraments, to wit, circumcision and the Passover, the despisers and contemners whereof were not reputed for God's people (Gen. 17), so we do acknowledge and confess that we now in the time of the gospel have two sacraments only, instituted by the Lord Jesus and commanded to be used of all those that will be reputed members of His body (Matt. 26, 28), to wit, baptism and the Supper or table of the Lord Jesus called the communion of His body and blood. And these sacraments (as well of the Old as of the New Testament) were instituted of God, not only to make a visible difference betwixt His people and those that were without His league, but also to exercise the faith of His children and by participation of the same sacraments to seal in their hearts the assurance of His promises and of that most blessed conjunction, union and society which the elect have with their head, Christ Jesus.

And thus we utterly damn the vanity of those that affirm sacraments to be nothing else but naked and bare signs (Rom. 8). No, we assuredly believe that by baptism we are engrafted in Christ Jesus to be made partakers of His justice by which our sins are covered and remitted (1 Cor. 10). And also that in the Supper rightly used, Christ Jesus is so joined with us (John 6) that He becomes the very nourishment and food of our souls. Not that we imagine any transubstantiation of bread in Christ's natural body and of wine in His natural blood (as the papists have perniciously taught and damnably believe), but this union and conjunction which we have with the body and blood of Christ Jesus in the right use of the sacraments is wrought by operation of the Holy Ghost, who by true faith carries us above all things that are visible, carnal, and earthly, and makes us to feed upon the body and blood of Christ Jesus which was once broken and shed for us which now is in heaven (Heb. 6, 10) and appears in the presence of His Father for us; and yet notwithstanding the far distance of the place which is betwixt His body now glorified in heaven and us now mortal in this earth, yet we most assuredly believe that the bread that we break is the communion of Christ's body (1 Cor. 10), and the cup which we bless is the communion of His blood. So that we confess and undoubtedly believe that the faithful, in the right use of the Lord's table do so eat the body and drink the blood of the Lord Jesus (John 6) that He remains in them and they in Him, yes that they are so made flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones that as the eternal Godhead has given to the flesh of Christ Jesus (which of its own condition and nature was mortal and corruptible) life and immortality (Eph. 5), so does Christ Jesus, His flesh and blood eaten and drunk by us, give to us the same prerogatives (John 6). Which albeit we confess are neither given unto us at that only time neither yet by the proper power and virtue of the sacrament only, yet we affirm that the faithful in the right use of the Lord's table have such conjunction with Christ Jesus as the natural man can not apprehend. Yes and farther we affirm that albeit the faithful oppressed by negligence and manly infirmity do not profit so much as they would in the very instant action of the Supper, yet will it after bring forth fruit as lively seed sown in good ground. For the Holy Spirit (which can never be divided from the right institution of the Lord Jesus) will not frustrate the faithful of the fruit of that mystical action, but all this we say comes by true faith which apprehends Christ Jesus who only makes His sacrament effectual unto us. And, therefore, whosoever slanders us, as that we affirmed or believed sacraments to be only naked and bare signs, do injury unto us and speak against a manifest truth. But this liberally and frankly we must confess, that we make a distinction betwixt Christ Jesus in His natural substance and betwixt the elements in the sacramental signs. So that we will neither worship the signs in place of that which is signified by them, neither yet do we despise and interpret them as unprofitable and vain, but do use them with all reverence, examining ourselves diligently before, that so we do because we are assured by the mouth of the apostle that such as eat of the bread and drink of that cup unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 11).

We confess and acknowledge that baptism appertains as well to the infants of the faithful as unto those that be of age and discretion. And so we damn the error of Anabaptists who deny baptism to appertain to children before they have faith and understanding. But the Supper of the Lord, we confess to appertain to such only as be of the household of faith, can try and examine themselves as well in their faith as in their duty towards their neighbors. Such as eat and drink at that holy table without faith or being at dissension and disunion with their brethren do eat unworthily. And, therefore, it is that in our kirks our ministers take public and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are to be admitted to the table of the Lord Jesus.

Albeit that the Word of God truly preached, the sacraments rightly ministered and discipline executed according to the Word of God, be the certain and infallible signs of the true kirk, yet do we not so mean that every particular person joined with such a company is an elect member of Christ Jesus. For we acknowledge and confess that darnel, cockle, and chaff may be sown, grow and in great abundance lie in the midst of the wheat (Matt. 3, 13), that is, the reprobate may be joined in the society of the elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Word and sacraments; but such being but temporal professors in mouth, but not in heart, do fall back and continue not to the end. And, therefore, have they no fruit of Christ's death, resurrection, nor ascension; but such as whose heart unfeignedly believe (Rom. 10) and whose mouth boldly confess the Lord Jesus (as before we have said) will most assuredly receive these gifts first in this life, remission of sins, and that by only faith in Christ's blood (John 3; Rom. 3–5, 8), in so much that albeit sin remains and continually abides in these our mortal bodies, yet is it not imputed unto us, but is remitted and covered with Christ's justice. Secondarily, in the general judgment there will be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh (Isa. 66; Dan. 12; 1 Cor. 15; Job 19); for the sea will give up her dead, the earth those that therein be enclosed: yes, our eternal God will stretch out His hand upon the dust and the dead will arise incorruptible and that in the substance of the selfsame flesh that every man now bears, to receive according to their works, glory, or punishment (Rom. 2). For such as now dealt in vanity, cruelty, filthiness, superstition, or idolatry will be adjudged to that fire inextinguishable in which they will be committed for ever (Rev. 20–21), as well in their own bodies as in their souls which now they give to serve the devil in all abomination. But such as continue in well doing to the end, boldly professing the Lord Jesus, who constantly believe that they will receive glory, honor, and immortality to reign forever in life everlasting with Christ Jesus, to whose glorified body all His elect will be made like (1 John 5), when He will appear again to judgment and will render up the kingdom to God His Father, who then will be and ever will remain all in all things (1 Cor. 15), God blessed forever. To whom with the Son and with the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory, now and ever.

Finis

Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be confounded, let them flee from Thy presence that hate Thy godly name. Give Thy servants strength to speak Thy word in boldness, and let all nations attain to Thy true knowledge. So be it.

We believe and confess the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the very true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not of men. For God Himself spoke to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and speaks yet unto us by the Holy Scriptures.

And in this Holy Scripture, the universal church of Christ has all things fully expounded, whatsoever belong both to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God: in which respect it is expressly commanded of God that nothing be either put to or taken from the same (Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18–19).

We judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures is to be taken true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also instruction in all duties of piety: and to be short, the confirmation of opinions, and the confutation of errors, with all exhortations; according to that of the apostle: "All Scripture inspired of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof" (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Again, "These things I write unto thee," says the apostle to Timothy, "that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to be conversant in the house of God" (1 Tim. 3:14–15). Again, the self-same apostle to the Thessalonians: "When," says he, "ye received the word from us, ye received not the word of men, but, as it was indeed, the Word of God" (1 Thess. 2:13). For the Lord Himself has said in the gospel, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaketh in you" (Matt. 10:20); therefore, "he that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me" (Luke 10:16).

Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers and received of the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be feigned nor to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word of God which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; who although he may be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abides true and good.

Neither do we think that, therefore, the outward preaching is to be thought as fruitless because the instruction in true religion depends on the inward illumination of the Spirit; or because it is written, "No man shall teach his neighbor; for all men shall know Me" (Jer. 31:34) and "He that watereth or he that planteth is nothing but God who giveth the increase" (1 Cor. 3:7). For albeit, "No man can come to Christ unless he is drawn by the Heavenly Father" (John 6:44) and is inwardly lightened by the Holy Ghost, yet we know undoubtedly that it is the will of God that His Word should be preached even outwardly. God could indeed by His Holy Spirit or by the ministry of an angel without the ministry of St. Peter have taught Cornelius in the Acts; but nevertheless, He refers him to Peter of whom the angel speaking says, "He shall tell thee what thou must do" (Acts 10:6).

For he that illumines inwardly by giving men the Holy Ghost, the self-same, by way of commandment, said unto His disciples. "Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And so Paul preached the Word outwardly to Lydia, a purple-seller among the Philippians: but the Lord inwardly opened the woman's heart (Acts 16:14). And the same Paul, upon an elegant gradation, fitly placed in the tenth chapter to the Romans, at last infers, "Therefore, faith is by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:14–17). We know in the meantime that God can illumine whom and when He will, even without the external ministry, which is a thing pertaining to His power: but we speak of the usual way of instructing men, delivered unto us of God, both in commandment and examples.

We, therefore, detest all the heresies of Artemon, the Manichees, the Valentinians, of Cerdon, and the Marcionites, who denied that the Scriptures proceeded from the Holy Ghost; or else received not, or polished and corrupted some of them.

And yet we do not deny that certain books of the Old Testament were of the ancient authors called apocryphal; and of others, ecclesiastical; to wit, such as they would have to be read in the churches, but not alleged to avouch or confirm the authority of faith by them. As also, Augustine in his De Civitate Dei (Book 18, chapter 38) makes mention that "in the books of the Kings, the names and books of certain prophets are reckoned," but he adds that "they are not in the Canon;" and that "those books which we have, suffice unto godliness."

The apostle Peter has said that "The Holy Scriptures are not of any private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20); therefore, we do not allow all expositions. Whereupon, we do not acknowledge that which they call the meaning of the Church of Rome for the true and natural interpretation of the Scriptures; which the defenders of the Roman Church strive to force all men simply to receive: but we acknowledge that interpretation of Scriptures to be authentic and proper, which being taken from the Scriptures themselves (that is, from the phrase of that tongue in which they were written, they being also weighed according to the circumstances, and expounded according to the proportion of places, either of like or of unlike, also of more and plainer) accords with the rule of faith and charity, and makes notably for God's glory and man's salvation.

Wherefore we do not condemn the holy treatises of the fathers, agreeing with the Scriptures; from whom, notwithstanding, we do modestly dissent, as they are deprehended to set down things merely strange, or altogether contrary to the same. Neither do we think that we do them any wrong in this matter; seeing that they all, with one consent, will not have their writings matched with the canonical Scriptures; but bid us allow of them so far forth as they either agree with them, or disagree, and bid us take those things that agree, and leave those that disagree.

And according to this order we do account of the decrees or canons of councils. Wherefore we suffer not ourselves in controversies about religion or matters of faith, to be pressed with the bare testimonies of fathers, or decrees of councils; much less with received customs, or with the multitude of men being of one judgment, or with prescription of long time. Therefore, in controversies of religion, or matters of faith, we cannot admit any other judge than God Himself, pronouncing by the Holy Scriptures, what is true, what is false, what is to be followed, or what to be avoided. So we do not rest but in the judgments of spiritual men, drawn from the Word of God. Certainly Jeremiah and other prophets vehemently condemned the assemblies of priests, gathered against the law of God: and diligently forewarned us that we should not hear the fathers, or tread in their path, who, walking in their own inventions swerved from the law of God (Ezek. 20:18).

Likewise we reject human traditions which, although they are set out with goodly titles, as though they were divine and apostolic, delivered to the church by the lively voice of the apostles, and as it were, by the hands of apostolic men by means of bishops succeeding in their places yet being compared with the Scriptures, disagree with them and by that disagreement betray themselves in no wise to be apostolic. For as the apostles did not disagree among themselves in doctrine, so the apostles' scholars did not set forth things contrary to the apostles. Nay, it is blasphemous to avow that the apostles by lively voice delivered things contrary to their writings. Paul affirms expressly that he "taught the same things in all churches" (1 Cor. 4:17). And again, "We," says he, "write no other things unto you, than which ye read, or also acknowledge" (2 Cor. 1:13). Also, in another place, he witnesses that he and His disciples, to wit apostolic men, "walked in the same way, and jointly by the same Spirit did all things" (2 Cor. 12:18). The Jews also, in time past, had their traditions of elders; but these traditions were severely confuted by the Lord, showing that the keeping of them hinders God's law, and that "God is in vain worshipped of such" (Matt. 15:9; Mark 7:6–7).

We believe and teach that God is one in essence or nature, subsisting by Himself, all sufficient in Himself, invisible, without a body, infinite, eternal, the Creator of all things both visible and invisible, the chief good, living, quickening and preserving all things, Almighty, and exceeding wise, gentle or merciful, just and true. And we detest the multitude of gods, because it is expressly written, "The Lord thy God is one God" (Deut. 6:4). "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no strange gods before My face" (Ex. 20:2–3). "I am the Lord, and there is none other; beside Me there is no god. Am not I the Lord, and there is none other beside Me alone? a just God, and a Savior, there is none beside Me" (Isa. 45:5, 21). "I the Lord, Jehovah, the merciful God, gracious, and long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6).

We nevertheless believe and teach that the same infinite, one, and indivisible God, is in persons inseparably and without confusion distinguished into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: so as the Father has begotten the Son from everlasting; the Son is begotten by an unspeakable manner; and the Holy Ghost proceeds from them both, and that from everlasting, and is to be worshipped with them both. There are not three Gods, but three persons, consubstantial, co-eternal, and co-equal; distinct, as touching their persons; and, in order, one going before another, yet without any inequality. For as touching their nature or essence, they are so joined together that they are but one God; and the divine essence is common to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

For the Scripture has delivered unto us a manifest distinction of persons: the angel, among other things, saying thus to the blessed virgin, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, and that holy thing which shall be born, shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Also in the baptism of Christ, a voice was heard from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son" (Matt. 3:17). The Holy Ghost also appeared "in the likeness of a dove" (John 1:32). And when the Lord Himself commanded to baptize, He commanded to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). In like sort elsewhere in the gospel He said, "The Father will send the Holy Ghost in My name" (John 14:26). Again He says, "When the Comforter shall come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth from the Father, He shall bear witness of Me" (John 15:26). To be short, we receive the Apostles' Creed because it delivers unto us the true faith.

We, therefore, condemn the Jews and the Mohammedans, and all those that blaspheme the Trinity, which is sacred, and only to be adored. We also condemn all heresies and heretics, which teach that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God only in name; also, that there is in the Trinity something created, and that serves and ministers unto another; finally, that there is in it something unequal, greater or less, corporal or corporally fashioned, in manners or in will divers, either confounded or sole by itself: as if the Son and Holy Ghost were the affections and qualities of one God the Father; as the Monarchists, the Novatians, Praxeas, the Patripassians, Sabellius, Samosatenus, Aetius, Macedonius, Arius, and such like have thought.

We teach men to adore and worship the true God alone. This honor we impart to none, according to the commandment of the Lord, "Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and Him alone shalt thou worship" or "Him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10). Surely all the prophets inveighed earnestly against the people of Israel, whenever they adored and worshipped strange gods, and not the one only true God. But we teach that "God is to be adored and worshipped" as He Himself has taught us to worship Him, to wit, "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24); not with any superstition, but with sincerity, according to His Word, lest at any time He also say unto us, "Who hath required these things at your hands?" (Isa. 1:12). For Paul also says, "God is not worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing" (Acts 17:25).

We, in all dangers and casualties of life, call on Him alone, and that by the mediation of the only mediator, and our intercessor, Jesus Christ. For it is expressly commanded us, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Ps. 50:15). Moreover, the Lord has made a very large promise saying, "Whatsoever ye shall ask of My Father, He shall give it you" (John 16:23). And again, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you" (Matt. 11:28). And seeing it is written, "How shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed?" (Rom. 10:14) and we believe in God alone, therefore, we call upon Him only and that through Christ. "There is one God," says the apostle, "and one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). Again, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

Therefore, we do neither adore, worship, nor pray unto the saints in heaven, or to other gods; neither do we acknowledge them for our intercessors or mediators before the Father in heaven. For God and the mediator Christ are sufficient for us, neither do we impart unto others the honor due to God alone and to His Son: because He has plainly said, "I will not give my glory to another" (Isa. 42:8); and because Peter has said, "There is no other name given unto men whereby they must be saved, but the name of Christ" (Acts 4:12). In which, doubtless, they that rest by faith, do not seek anything outside of Christ.

Yet for all that, we do neither despise the saints, nor think basely of them. For we acknowledge them to be the lively members of Christ, the friends of God, who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world. We, therefore, love them as brethren and honor them also; yet not with any worship, but with an honorable opinion of them; and, to conclude, with just praises of them. We also imitate them. For we desire with most earnest affections and prayers, to be followers of their faith and virtues; to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation; to dwell together with them everlastingly with God, and to rejoice with them in Christ. And in this point, we approve that saying of St. Augustine, in his book, De Vera Religione, "Let not the worship of men departed be any religion unto us. For if they have lived holily, they are not so to be esteemed, as that they seek such honors, but they will have us to worship Him, by whose illumination they rejoice that we are fellow servants, as touching the reward. They are, therefore, to be honored for imitation, not to be worshipped for religion's sake."

And we much less believe that the relics of the saints are to be adored and worshipped. Those ancient men seemed sufficiently to have honored their dead, if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth, after the soul was gone up into heaven: and they thought that the most noble relics of their ancestors were their virtues, doctrine, and faith; which as they commended with the praise of the dead, so they did endeavor to express the same so long as they lived upon earth. Those ancient men did not swear but by the name of the Jehovah only, as it is commanded by the law of God. Therefore, as we are forbidden to "swear by the name of strange gods" (Ex. 23:13; Josh. 23:7), so we do not swear by saints, although we are requested to. Therefore, in all these things we reject that doctrine which gives too much unto the saints in heaven.

God has from the beginning freely, and of His mere grace, without any respect of men, predestinated or elected the saints, whom He will save in Christ, according to the saying of the apostle, "And He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4); and again, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given unto us, through Jesus Christ, before the world was, but is now made manifest by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 1:9–10).

Therefore, though not for any merit of ours, yet not without a means, but in Christ, and for Christ, did God choose us; and they who are now engrafted into Christ by faith, the same also were elected. But such as are without Christ were rejected, according to that saying of the apostle, "Prove yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor. 13:5).

To conclude, the saints are chosen in Christ by God unto a sure end, which end the apostle declares, when he says, "He hath chosen us in Him, that we should be holy and without blame before Him through love; who hath predestinated as to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto Himself, for the praise of His glorious grace" (Eph. 1:4–6).

And although God knows who are His, and now and then mention is made of the small number of the elect, yet we must hope well of all and not rashly judge any man to be a reprobate: for Paul says to the Philippians, "I thank my God for you all" (now he speaks of the whole church of the Philippians) "that ye are come into the fellowship of the gospel; and I am persuaded, that He that hath begun this work in you, will perform it, as it becometh me to judge of you all" (Phil. 1:3–7).

And when the Lord was asked whether there were few that should be saved, He does not answer and tell them that few or more should be saved or damned; but rather He exhorts every man to "strive to enter in at the strait gate" (Luke 13:24), as if He should say, It is not for you to rashly inquire of these matters, but rather to endeavor that you may enter into heaven by the straight way.

Wherefore we do not allow of the wicked speeches of some who say, Few are chosen, and seeing I know not whether I am in the number of those few, I will not defraud my nature of her desires. Others there are which say, If I am predestinated and chosen of God, nothing can hinder me from salvation, which is already certainly appointed for me, whatever I do at any time; but if I am in the number of the reprobate, no faith or repentance will help me, seeing the decree of God cannot be changed: therefore, all teachings and admonitions are to no purpose. Now against these men the saying of the apostle makes much, "The servants of God must be apt to teach, instructing them that are contrary minded, proving if God at any time will give them repentance, that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the devil, which are taken of him at his pleasure" (2 Tim. 2:24–26). Beside, Augustine also teaches that "Both the grace of free election and predestination, and also wholesome admonitions and doctrines, are to be preached" (Lib. De Bono Perseverantiae. Chap. 14).

We, therefore, condemn those who seek other than in Christ, whether they are chosen from all eternity, and what God has decreed of them before all beginning. For men must hear the gospel preached and believe it. If you believe and are in Christ, you may undoubtedly reckon that you are elected. For the Father has revealed unto us in Christ His eternal sentence of predestination, as we even now showed out of the apostle in 2 Timothy 1:9–10. This is, therefore, above all to be taught and well weighed, what great love of the Father towards us in Christ is revealed. We must hear what the Lord daily preaches unto us in His gospel, how He calls and says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you" (Matt. 11:28). And, "So God loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son for it, that all which believe in Him should not perish but have life everlasting" (John 3:16). Also, "It is not the will of the Father, that any of these little ones should perish" (Matt. 18:14). Let Christ, therefore, be our looking glass, in whom we may behold our predestination. We shall have a most evident and sure testimony that we are written in the book of life, if we communicate with Christ; and He is ours and we His by a true faith.

Let this comfort us in the temptation touching predestination, than which there is none more dangerous: that the promises of God are general to the faithful, in that He says, "Ask, and ye shall receive; every one that asketh, receiveth" (Luke 11:9–10); and to conclude, in that we pray, with all the church of God, "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9); and for that in baptism we are ingrafted into the body of Christ and are fed in His church, oftentimes with His flesh and blood unto everlasting life. Thereby being strengthened, we are commanded to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" according to that precept of Paul in Philippians 2:12.

Moreover, we believe and teach that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, was from all eternity predestinated and foreordained of the Father to be the Savior of the world. And we believe that He was begotten, not only then, when He took flesh of the virgin Mary, nor yet a little before the foundations of the world were laid, but before all eternity; and that of the Father, after an unspeakable manner. For Isaiah says, "Who can tell His generation?" (53:8). And Micah says, "Whose egress hath been from everlasting" (5:2). And John says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word" (1:1). Therefore, the Son is co-equal and consubstantial with the Father, as touching His divinity: true God, not by name only, or by adoption, or by special favor, but in substance and nature (Phil. 2:6). Even as the apostle says elsewhere, "This is the true God, and life everlasting" (1 John 5:20). Paul also says, "He hath made His Son the heir of all things, by whom also He made the world: the same is the brightness of His glory, and the engraved form of His person, bearing up all things by His mighty word" (Heb. 1:2–3). "Likewise in the gospel the Lord Himself says, "Father, glorify thou Me with Thyself, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). Also elsewhere it is written in the gospel, "The Jews sought how to kill Jesus, because He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18).

We, therefore, abhor the blasphemous doctrine of Arius, and all the Arians, uttered against the Son of God; and especially the blasphemies of Michael Servetus the Spaniard, and of his accomplices, which Satan by them has, as it were, drawn out of hell, and most boldly and impiously spread abroad throughout the world against the Son of God.

We teach also and believe that the eternal Son of the eternal God was made the Son of man, of the seed of Abraham and David (Matt. 1:1–25), not by the means of any man, as Ebion affirmed; but that He was most purely conceived by the Holy Ghost, and was born of Mary, who was always a virgin, even as the history of the gospel declares. And Paul says, "He took in no sort the angels, but the seed of Abraham" (Heb. 2:16). And John the apostle says, "He that believeth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God" (1 John 4:3). The flesh of Christ, therefore, was neither flesh in show only, nor yet flesh brought from heaven, as Valentinus and Marcion dreamed.

Moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ did not have a soul without sense and reason, as Apollinaris thought; nor flesh without a soul, as Eunomius taught: but a soul with its reason and flesh with its senses, by which senses He felt true grief in the time of His passion, even as He Himself witnessed when He said, "My soul is heavy even to death" (Matt. 26:38) and "My soul is troubled" (John 12:27).

We acknowledge, therefore, that there are in one and the same Jesus Christ our Lord two natures, the divine and the human nature; and we say that these two are so conjoined or united that they are not swallowed up, confounded, or mingled together, but rather united or joined together in one person, the properties of each nature being safe and remaining still: so that we worship one Christ our Lord, and not two; I say, one true God and man; as touching His divine nature of the same substance with the Father, and as touching His human nature of the same substance with us and "like unto us in all things, sin only excepted" (Heb. 4:15).

As, therefore, we detest the heresy of Nestorius, which makes two Christs of one, and dissolves the union of the person; so do we curse the madness of Eutyches and of the Monothelites or Monophysites who overthrow the propriety of the human nature.

Therefore, we do not teach that the divine nature in Christ suffered or that Christ according to His human nature is yet in the world, and so in every place. For we do neither think nor teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after His glorification, or that it was deified, and so deified that it put off its properties, as touching body and soul, and became altogether a divine nature and began to be one substance alone: and, therefore, we do not allow or receive the unwitty subtleties, and the intricate, obscure, and inconstant disputations of Schwenkfeld and such other vain janglers about this matter; neither are we Schwenkfeldians.

Moreover, we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ did truly suffer and die for us in the flesh as Peter says (1 Peter 4:1). We abhor the most horrible madness of the Jacobites and all the Turks, which abandon the passion of our Lord. Yet we deny not but that "the Lord of glory (according to the saying of Paul) was crucified for us" (1 Cor. 2:8). For we reverently and religiously receive and use the communication of expressions drawn from Scripture, and used of all antiquity in expounding and reconciling places of Scripture which at first sight seem to disagree one from another.

We believe and teach that the same Lord Jesus Christ, in that true flesh in which He was crucified and died, rose again from the dead; and that He did not rise up another flesh instead of that which was buried, nor took a spirit instead of flesh, but retained a true body: therefore, while His disciples thought that they saw the spirit of their Lord Christ, He showed them His hands and feet, which were marked with the prints of the nails and wounds, saying, "Behold my hands and my feet, for I am He indeed: handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39).

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, in the same flesh, did ascend above all the visible heavens into the very highest heaven, that is to say, the seat of God and of the blessed spirits, unto the right hand of God the Father. Which, although it signifies an equal participation of glory and majesty, yet it is also taken for a certain place of which the Lord, speaking in the gospel, says that "He will go and prepare a place for His" (John 14:2). Also the apostle Peter says, "The heavens must contain Christ, until the time of restoring of all things" (Acts 3:21). And out of heaven the same Christ will return unto judgment, even then, when wickedness shall chiefly reign in the world, and when Antichrist, having corrupted true religion, shall fill all things with superstition and impiety, and shall most cruelly destroy the church with fire and bloodshed. Now Christ shall return to redeem His, and to abolish Antichrist by His coming and to judge the quick and the dead (Acts 17:31). For the dead shall arise and "those which shall be found alive in that day" (which is unknown unto all creatures) "shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:51–52). And all the faithful shall be taken up to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4:17) that thenceforth they may enter with Him into heaven, there to live forever (2 Tim. 2:11), but the unbelievers, or ungodly, shall descend with the devils into hell, there to burn forever, and never to be delivered out of torments (Matt. 25:41).

We, therefore, condemn all those which deny the true resurrection of the flesh, and those which think amiss of the glorified bodies; as did John of Jerusalem, against whom Jerome wrote. We also condemn those which have thought that both the devils and all the wicked shall at length be saved and have an end of their torments: for the Lord Himself has absolutely set it down that, "Their fire is never quenched, and their worm never dieth" (Mark 9:44). Moreover we condemn the Jewish dreams that before the day of judgment there shall be a golden world in the earth; and that the godly shall possess the kingdoms of the world, their wicked enemies being trodden under foot: for the evangelical truth, Matthew 24 and 25, and Luke 21, and the apostolic doctrine in the second epistle to the Thessalonians 2, and in the second epistle to Timothy 3 and 4, are found to teach far otherwise.

Furthermore, by His passion or death, and by all those things which He did and suffered for our sakes from the time of His coming in the flesh, our Lord reconciled His heavenly Father unto all the faithful (Rom. 5:10), purged their sin (Heb. 1:3), spoiled death, broke asunder condemnation and hell, and by His resurrection from the dead, brought again and restored life and immortality (2 Tim. 1:10). For He is our righteousness, life, and resurrection (John 6:44); and, to be short, He is the fullness and perfection, the salvation and most abundant sufficiency of all the faithful. For the apostle says, "So it pleaseth the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him" (Col. 1:19); and "In Him ye are complete" (Col. 2:10).

For we teach and believe that this Jesus Christ our Lord is the only and eternal Savior of mankind, yes, and of the whole world; in whom are saved by faith all that ever were saved before the Law, under the Law, and in the time of the gospel, and so many as shall yet be saved to the end of the world. For the Lord Himself in the gospel says, "He that entereth not in by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, he is a thief and a robber" (John 10:1). "I am the door of the sheep" (v. 7). And also in another place of the same gospel He says, "Abraham saw my day, and rejoiced" (John 8:56). And the apostle Peter says, "Neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ; for among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby they might be saved" (Acts 4:12). We believe, therefore, that through the grace of our Lord Christ we shall be saved, even as our fathers were. For Paul says that "All our fathers did eat the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Cor. 10:3–4). And, therefore, we read that John said that "Christ was that Lamb which was slain from the beginning of the world" (Rev. 13:8) and that John the Baptist witnesses that "Christ is that Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Wherefore we do plainly and openly profess and preach that Jesus Christ the only Redeemer and Savior of the world, the King and High Priest, the true and looked for Messiah, that holy and blessed one (I say) whom all the shadows of the Law, and the prophecies of the prophets, did prefigure and promise; and that God supplied and sent Him unto us so that now we are not to look for any other. And now there remains nothing but that we all should give all glory to Him, believe in Him, and rest in Him only, condemning and rejecting all other aids of our life. For they are fallen from the grace of God, and make Christ of no value unto themselves, whosoever they be that seek salvation in any other things besides Christ alone (Gal. 5:4).

And to speak many things in few words, with a sincere heart we believe, and with liberty of speech we freely profess, whatsoever things are defined out of the Holy Scriptures, and comprehended in the creeds, and in the decrees of those four first and most excellent Councils held at Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, together with blessed Athanasius' Creed, and all other creeds like to these, touching the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ; and we condemn all things contrary to the same. And thus do we retain the Christian, sound, and catholic faith, whole and inviolable, knowing that nothing is contained in the foresaid creeds which is not agreeable to the Word of God, and makes wholly for the sincere declaration of the faith.

We teach that the will of God is set down unto us in the Law of God; to wit, what He would have us to do or not to do, what is good and just, or what is evil and unjust. We, therefore, confess that "The law is good and holy" (Rom. 7:12) and that this Law is by the finger of God, either "written in the hearts of men" (Rom. 2:15) and so is called the law of nature, or engraven in the two tables of stone and more largely expounded in the books of Moses (Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:6–21). For plainness' sake, we divide it into the moral law, which is contained in the commandments, or the two tables expounded in the books of Moses; into the ceremonial, which appoints ceremonies and the worship of God; and into the judicial law, which is occupied about political and domestic affairs.

We believe that the whole will of God, and all necessary precepts for every part of this life, are fully delivered in this Law. For otherwise the Lord would not have forbidden that "any thing should be either added to or taken away from this law" (Deut. 4:2; 12:32); neither would He have commanded us to go straight forward in this and "not to decline out of the way, either to the right hand or to the left" (Josh. 1:7).

We teach that this Law was not given to men that we should be justified by keeping it; but that by the knowledge thereof we might rather acknowledge our infirmity, sin, and condemnation; and so despairing of our own strength, might turn unto Christ by faith. For the apostle says plainly, "The law worketh wrath" (Rom. 4:15) and "By the law cometh the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20) and "If there had been a law given, which could have justified and given us life, surely righteousness should have been by the law: but the scripture (to wit, of the law) hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them which believe" (Gal. 3:21–22). "Therefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (v. 24).

For neither could there ever, nor at this day can any flesh satisfy the law of God, and fulfill it, by reason of the weakness in our flesh, which remains and sticks fast in us, even to our last breath. For the apostle says again, "That which the law could not perform, inasmuch as it was weak through the flesh, that did God perform, sending His own Son in similitude of flesh subject to sin" (Rom. 8:3). Therefore, Christ is the perfecting of the Law, and our fulfilling of it (Rom. 10:4); who as He took away the curse of the Law, when He was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13) so He communicates unto us by faith His fulfilling thereof, and His righteousness and obedience are imputed unto us.

The law of God, therefore, is thus far abrogated; that is, it does not henceforth condemn neither work wrath in us. "For we are under grace, and not under the law" (Rom. 6:14). Moreover, Christ did fulfill all the figures of the Law. Wherefore, the shadow ceased, when the body came; so that, in Christ, we have now all truth and fullness. Yet we do not therefore disdain or reject the Law. We remember the words of the Lord saying, "I came not to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill them" (Matt. 5:17). We know that in the Law are described unto us the kinds of virtues and vices. We know that the Scripture of the Law if it is expounded by the gospel is very profitable to the church, and that, therefore, the reading of it is not to be banished out of the church. For although the countenance of Moses was covered with a veil, yet the apostle affirms that the veil is taken away and abolished by Christ (2 Cor. 3:14). We condemn all things which the old or new heretics have taught against the Law of God.

The gospel indeed is opposed to the Law: for the Law works wrath and denounces a curse; but the gospel preaches grace and blessing. John also says, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Yet notwithstanding, it is most certain that they which were before the Law and under the Law were not altogether destitute of the gospel. For they had notable evangelical promises, such as these: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head" (Gen. 3:15). "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). "The scepter shall not be taken from Judah until Shiloh come" (Gen. 49:10). "The Lord shall raise up a prophet from His own brethren" (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37).

And we acknowledge that the fathers had two kinds of promises revealed unto them, even as we have. For some of them were of present and transitory things: such as were the promises of the land of Canaan, and of victories; and such as are now-a-days, concerning our daily bread. Some others there were then, and also are now, of heavenly and everlasting things; as of God's favor, remission of sins, and life everlasting through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now the fathers had not only outward or earthly, but spiritual and heavenly promises in Christ. For the apostle Peter says that "The prophets, which prophesied of the grace that should come to us, have searched and inquired of this salvation" (1 Peter 1:10). Whereupon the apostle Paul also says that "The gospel of God, was promised before by the prophets of God in the Holy Scripture" (Rom. 1:1–2). Hereby then it appears evidently that the fathers were not altogether destitute of all the gospel.

And although, after this manner, our fathers had the gospel in the writings of the prophets, by which they attained salvation in Christ through faith, yet the gospel is properly called "glad and happy tidings": wherein, first by John Baptist, then by Christ the Lord Himself, and afterwards by the apostles and their successors, is preached to us in the world, that God has now performed that which He promised from the beginning of the world, and has sent, yes and given unto us, His only Son, and, in Him, reconciliation with the Father, remission of sins, all fullness and everlasting life. The history, therefore, set down by the four evangelists, declaring how these things were done or fulfilled in Christ, and what He taught and did, and that they which believe in Him have all fullness; this, I say, is truly called the gospel. Also the preaching and writings of the apostles, in which they expound unto us how the Son was given us of the Father, and in Him, all things pertaining to life and salvation, is truly called the doctrine of the gospel, so as even at this day it loses not that worthy name, if it is sincere.

The same preaching of the gospel is by the apostle termed the Spirit and "the ministry of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:8) because it lives, and works through faith in the ears, yes in the hearts of the faithful, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. For the letter, which is opposed unto the Spirit, indeed signifies every outward thing, but more especially the doctrine of the Law, which without the Spirit and faith, works wrath, and stirs up sin in the minds of them that do not truly believe. For which cause, it is called by the apostle, "the ministry of death" (2 Cor. 3:7). For hitherto pertains that saying of the apostle, "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life" (v. 6). The false apostles preached the gospel, corrupted by mingling of the Law therewith, as though Christ could not save without the Law. Such also were the Ebionites said to be, which came of Ebion the heretic; and the Nazarites, who formerly were called Mineans. All which we condemn, sincerely preaching the Word, and teaching that believers are justified through the Spirit only, and not through the Law. But of this matter there shall follow a more large discourse under the title of justification.

And although the doctrine of the gospel, compared with the Pharisee's doctrine of the Law, might seem (when it was first preached by Christ) to be a new doctrine (which Jeremiah also prophesied of the New Testament), yet indeed it not only was and as yet is (though the papists call it new, in regard of popish doctrine, which has been received for a long time) an ancient doctrine but also the most ancient in the world. For God from all eternity foreordained to save the world by Christ; and this His predestination and eternal counsel has He opened to the world by the gospel (2 Tim. 1:9–10). Whereby it appears that the evangelical doctrine and religion was the most ancient of all that ever were, are, or ever shall be; wherefore we say that all they err foully, and speak things unworthy of the eternal counsel of God, who term the evangelical doctrine and religion a new startup faith, scarce thirty years old: to whom that saying of Isaiah very well agrees: "Woe unto them that speak good of evil, and evil of good, which put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for sour" (5:20).

The gospel has the doctrine of repentance joined with it: for so said the Lord in the gospel, "In my name must repentance and remission of sins be preached among all nations" (Luke 24:47). By repentance we understand the change of the mind in a sinful man, stirred up by the preaching of the gospel through the Holy Spirit and received by a true faith; by which a sinful man acknowledges his natural corruption and all his sins, convinced of them by the Word of God, and is heartily grieved for them, and not only bewails and freely confesses them before God with shame, but also loathes and abhors them with indignation, thinking seriously of present amendment and of a continual concern for innocence and virtue, wherein to exercise himself in a holy manner all the rest of his life.

And surely this is true repentance, namely, an unfeigned turning unto God and to all goodness, and a serious return from the devil and from all evil. Now we expressly say that this repentance is the mere gift of God, and not the work of our own strength. For the apostle wishes the faithful minister diligently to "instruct those which withstand the truth, if so be at any time the Lord may give them repentance, that they may acknowledge the truth" (2 Tim. 2:25). Also, the sinful woman in the gospel, which washed Christ's feet with her tears; and Peter, which bitterly wept and bewailed his denial of his Master; manifestly show what mind the penitent man should have, to wit, very earnestly lamenting his sins committed. Moreover, the prodigal son, and the publican in the gospel, that are compared with the Pharisee, set forth unto us a most fit pattern of confessing our sins to God. The prodigal son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee: I am not worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants" (Luke 15:18–19). The publican also, not daring to lift up his eyes to heaven, but knocking his breast, cried, "God, be merciful unto me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). And we doubt not but the Lord received them to mercy. For John the apostle says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to purge us from all iniquity. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:9–10).

We believe that this sincere confession which is made to God alone, either privately between God and the sinner, or openly in the church, where that general confession of sins is rehearsed, is sufficient, and that it is not necessary for the obtaining of remission of sins that any man should confess his sins unto the priest, whispering them into his ears, that, the priest laying his hands on his head, he might receive absolution; because we find no commandment nor example thereof in the Holy Scripture. David protests and says, "I made my fault known to thee, and my unrighteousness did I not hide from thee. I said, I will confess my wickedness to the Lord against myself, and thou hast forgiven the heinousness of my sin" (Ps. 32:5). Yes, and the Lord teaching us to pray, and also to confess our sins, said, "So shall ye pray; Our Father, which art in heaven, forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:9, 12). It is requisite, therefore that we should confess our sins unto God, and be reconciled with our neighbor, if we have offended him. And the apostle James speaking generally of confession says, "Confess each of you your sins one to another" (James 5:16). If any man, being overwhelmed with the burden of his sins and troublesome temptations, will privately ask counsel, instruction, or comfort, either of a minister of the church, or of any other brother that is learned in the law of God, we do not dislike it. Also we fully allow that general and public confession, which is wont to be rehearsed in the church, and in holy meetings (whereof we spoke before) being, as it is, agreeable with the Scripture.

Concerning the keys of the kingdom of heaven which the Lord committed to His apostles, they prate many strange things: and of these keys they make swords, spears, scepters, and crowns, and full power over mighty kingdoms, yes, and over men's souls and bodies. But we, judging uprightly according to the Word of God, say that all ministers, truly called, have and exercise the keys or the use of them, when they preach the gospel, that is to say, when they teach, exhort, reprove, and keep in order the people committed to their charge. For so do they open the kingdom of God to the obedient, and shut it against the disobedient. These keys did the Lord promise to the apostles in Matthew 16:19; and delivered them in John 20:23, Mark 16:15–16 and Luke 24:47 when He sent forth His disciples, and commanded them to preach the gospel in all the world, and to remit sins.

The apostle in the epistle to the Corinthians says that the Lord "gave to His ministers the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18). And what this was, he straightway makes plain and says, "The word or doctrine of reconciliation" (v. 19). And yet more plainly expounding his words, he adds that the ministers of Christ, as it were, "go an embassage in Christ's name, as if God Himself should by His ministers exhort the people to be reconciled to God" (v. 20); to wit, by faithful obedience. They use the keys, therefore, when they persuade to faith and repentance. Thus do they reconcile men to God; thus they forgive sins; thus they open the kingdom of heaven, and bring in believers; much differing herein from those of whom the Lord spoke in the gospel, "Woe unto you lawyers, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye have not entered in yourselves, and those that would have entered ye forbade" (Luke 11:52).

Rightly, therefore, and effectually do ministers absolve, when they preach the gospel of Christ, and thereby remission of sins; which is promised to every one that believes, even as every one is baptized; and testify of it that it particularly appertains to all. Neither do we imagine that this absolution is made any whit more effectual for that which is mumbled into some priest's ear, or upon some man's head particularly; yet we judge that men must be taught diligently to seek remission of sins in the blood of Christ, and that everyone is to be put in mind that forgiveness of sins belongs unto Him.

But how diligent and careful every penitent man ought to be in the endeavor of a new life, and in slaying the old man, and raising up the new man, the examples in the gospel teach us. For the Lord says to him whom He had healed of the palsy, "Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14). Likewise to the adulterous woman which was delivered, He said, "Go thy way, and sin no more" (John 8:11). By which words He did not mean that any man could be free from sin, while he lived in this flesh; but He commends unto diligence and an earnest care, that we (I say) should endeavor by all means, and beg of God by prayer, that we may not fall again into sins, out of which we are risen after a manner, and that we may not be overcome of the flesh, the world, or the devil. Zacchaeus, the publican, being received into favor by the Lord, cries out in the gospel, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken from any man any thing by fraud, I restore him fourfold" (Luke 19:8). After the same manner, we preach that restitution and mercy, yes, and giving of alms, are necessary for them which truly repent. And generally out of the apostle's words, we exhort men, saying, "Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it through the lusts thereof. Neither give ye your members, as weapons of unrighteousness, to sin; but give yourselves unto God, as they that are alive from the dead; and give your members, as weapons of righteousness, unto God" (Rom. 6:12–13).

Wherefore, we condemn all the ungodly speeches of certain ones who abuse the preaching of the gospel and say, "To return unto God is very easy, for Christ has purged all our sins: forgiveness of sins is easily obtained: what, therefore, will it hurt to sin?" And, "We need not take any great care for repentance," etc. Notwithstanding, we always teach that an entrance unto God is open for all sinners, and that this God forgives all the sins of the faithful, only that one sin excepted which is committed against the Holy Ghost (Mark 3:28–29). And, therefore, we condemn the old and new Novatians and Catharists, and especially we condemn the pope's lucrative doctrine of penance; and against his simony, and simonaical indulgences, we use that sentence of Simon Peter, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou thoughtest that the gift of God might be bought with money. Thou hast no part or fellowship in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God" (Acts 8:20–21).

We also disapprove of those who think that they themselves by their own satisfactions can make recompense for their sins committed. For we teach that Christ alone, by His death and passion, is the satisfaction, propitiation, and purging of all sins (Isa. 53:4). Nevertheless, we cease not to urge, as was before said, the mortification of the flesh; and yet we add further that it must not be proudly thrust upon God for a satisfaction for our sins (1 Cor. 8:8), but must humbly, as it becomes the sons of God, be performed as a new obedience to show thankful minds for the deliverance and full satisfaction obtained by the death and satisfaction of the Son of God."

To justify, in the apostle's disputation touching justification, signifies to remit sin, to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof, to receive into favor, to pronounce a man just. For the apostle says to the Romans, "God is He that justifieth; who is he that can condemn?" (Rom. 8:33–34) where to justify and to condemn are opposed. And in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostle says, "Through Christ is preached unto you forgiveness of sins; and from all things (from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses) by Him, every one that believeth is justified" (Acts 13:38–39). For in the Law also and in the prophets, we read that "If a controversy were risen amongst any, and they came to judgment, the judge should judge them; that is, justify the righteous, and make wicked, or condemn, the wicked" (Deut. 25:1). And in Isaiah, "Woe to them which justify the wicked for rewards" (5:23).

Now it is most certain that we are all by nature sinners, and before the judgment seat of God convicted of ungodliness and guilty of death. But we are justified, that is, acquitted from sin and death by God the Judge through the grace of Christ alone, and not by any respect or merit of ours. For what is more plain than that which Paul says? "All have sinned, and are destitute of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:23–24). For Christ took upon Himself and bare the sins of the world and satisfied the justice of God. God, therefore, is merciful unto our sins, for Christ alone, that suffered and rose again, and does not impute them unto us. But He imputes the righteousness of Christ unto us for our own: so that now we are not only cleansed from sin, and purged, and holy, but also endued with the righteousness of Christ; yes, and acquitted from sin, death, and condemnation (2 Cor. 5:19–21); finally, we are righteous and heirs of eternal life. To speak properly, then, it is God alone that justifies us, and that only for Christ by not imputing unto us our sins, but imputing Christ's righteousness unto us (Rom. 4:23–25).

But because we receive this justification, not by any works, but by faith in the mercy of God, and in Christ; therefore, we teach and believe with the apostle that sinful man is justified only by faith in Christ, not by the Law, or by any works. For the apostle says, "We conclude that man is justified by faith, without the works of the law" (Rom. 3:28). "If Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to boast; but not with God: for what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, but to him that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:2–3, 5; Gen. 15:6). And again; "Ye are saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works lest any might have cause to boast" (Eph. 2:8–9). Therefore, because faith apprehends Christ our righteousness and attributes all to the praise of God in Christ, in this respect justification is attributed to faith, chiefly because of Christ whom it receives, and not because it is a work of ours; for it is the gift of God.

Now that we do receive Christ by faith, the Lord shows at large (John 6:27, 33, 35, 48–58) where He puts eating for believing, and believing for eating. For as by eating we receive meat, so by believing we are made partakers of Christ. Therefore, we do not part the benefit of justification, giving part to the grace of God or to Christ, and part to ourselves, our charity, works or merit; but we attribute it wholly to the praise of God in Christ, and that through faith. Moreover, our charity and our works cannot please God, if they are done of such as are not just; wherefore, we must first be just before we can love or do any just works. We are made just (as we have said) through faith in Christ, by the mere grace of God; who does not impute unto us our sins, but imputes unto us the righteousness of Christ; yes, and our faith in Christ He imputes for righteousness unto us. Moreover, the apostle plainly derives love from faith, saying, "The end of the commandment is love, proceeding from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. 1:5).

Wherefore, in this matter we speak not of a feigned, vain, or dead faith, but of a lively and quickening faith; which, for Christ (who is life, and gives life) whom it apprehends, both is indeed, and is so called, a lively faith, and proves itself to be lively, by lively works. And, therefore, James does not speak contrary to our doctrine, for he speaks of a vain and dead faith, which certain bragged of but did not have Christ living within them by faith. And James also says that works do justify (2:14–16); yet he is not contrary to Paul (for then he would be rejected), but he shows that Abraham declared his lively and justifying faith by works. And so do all the godly, who yet trust in Christ alone, not to their own works. For the apostle said again, "I live, howbeit not I, but Christ liveth in me. But the life which now I live, in the flesh, I live through the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. I do not despise the grace of God, for if righteousness is by the law, then Christ died in vain" (Gal. 2:20–21).

Christian faith is not an opinion or human persuasion, but a sure trust and an evident and steadfast assent of the mind; to be most brief, a most sure comprehension of the truth of God set forth in the Scriptures and in the Apostles' Creed; yes and of God Himself, the chief blessedness; and especially of God's promise, and of Christ, who is the consummation of all the promises. And this faith is the mere gift of God because God alone of His power gives it to His elect according to measure; and that when, to whom, and how much He will; and that by His Holy Spirit, through the means of preaching the gospel and of faithful prayer. This faith has also her increases; which unless they were likewise given of God, the apostles would never have said, "Lord, increase, our faith" (Luke 17:5).

Now all these things which we have said before of faith, the apostles taught them before us, even as we set them down. For Paul says, "Faith is the ground," or sure subsistence, "of things hoped for, and the evidence," or clear and certain comprehension, "of things which are not seen" (Heb. 11:1). And again he says that "All the promises of God in Christ are Yea, and in Christ are Amen" (2 Cor. 1:20). And the same apostle says to the Philippians that "it was given them to believe in Christ" (Phil. 1:29). And also, "God doth distribute unto every man a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). And again, "All men have not faith" (2 Thess. 3:2); and "All do not obey the gospel" (2 Thess. 1:8). Besides, Luke witnesses and says, "As many as were ordained to life, believed" (Acts 13:48). And, therefore, Paul also calls faith, "the faith of God's elect" (Titus 1:1). And again, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). And in other places he often wishes men to pray for faith. And the same also calls faith "powerful, and that showeth itself by love" (Gal. 5:6).

This faith pacifies the conscience and opens to us a free access unto God; that with confidence we may come unto Him and may obtain at His hands whatsoever is profitable and necessary. The same faith keeps us in our duty which we owe to God and to our neighbor and fortifies our patience in adversity: it frames and makes a true confession, and (in a word) it brings forth good fruit of all sorts; and good works (which are good indeed) proceed from a lively faith, by the Holy Ghost, and are done of the faithful according to the will or rule of God's Word. For Peter the apostle says, "Therefore, giving all diligence thereunto, join moreover virtue with your faith, and with virtue knowledge, and with knowledge temperance" (2 Peter 1:5–6).

It was said before that the law of God, which is the will of God, prescribes unto us the pattern of good works. And the apostle says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from all uncleanness, and that no man oppress or deceive his brother in any matter" (1 Thess. 4:3, 6). But as for such works and worship of God as are taken up upon our own liking, which St. Paul calls "will-worship" (Col. 2:23), they are not allowed nor liked of God. Of such the Lord says in the gospel, "They worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrine the precepts of men" (Matt. 15:9).

We, therefore, disallow all such manner of works, and we approve and urge men unto such as are according to the will and commandment of God. Yes, and these same works that are agreeable to God's will must be done, not to the end to merit eternal life by them; for "life everlasting," as the apostle says, "is the gift of God" (Rom. 6:23), nor for ostentation's sake, which the Lord rejects (Matt. 6:1, 5, 16), nor for lucre, which also He dislikes (Matt. 23:23), but to the glory of God to commend and set forth our calling and to yield thankfulness unto God, and also for the profit of our neighbors. For the Lord says again in the gospel, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Likewise the apostle Paul says, "Walk worthy of your calling" (Eph. 4:1). Also, "Whatsoever ye do," he says, "either in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him" (Col. 3:17). "Let no man seek his own his own, but every man his brother's" (Phil. 2:4). And, "Let ours also learn to show forth good works for necessary uses; that they be not unprofitable" (Titus 3:14).

Notwithstanding, therefore, that we teach, with the apostle, that a man is justified by faith in Christ and not by any good works (Rom. 3:28), yet we do not lightly esteem or condemn good works: because we know that a man is not created or regenerated through faith that he should be idle, but rather that without ceasing he should do those things which are good and profitable. For in the gospel the Lord says, "A good tree bringeth forth good fruit" (Matt. 12:33); and again, "Whosoever abideth in Me, bringeth forth much fruit" (John 15:5). And lastly, the apostle says, "We are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). And again, "Who gave Himself for us, that He might deliver us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people to Himself, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). We, therefore, condemn all those which do condemn good works, and do babble that they are needless and not to be regarded. Nevertheless, as was said before, we do not think that we are saved by good works, or that they are so necessary to salvation that no man was ever saved without them. For we are saved by grace and by the benefit of Christ alone. Works do necessarily proceed from faith: but salvation is improperly attributed to them, which is most properly ascribed to grace. That sentence of the apostle is very notable: "If by grace, then not of works; for then grace were no more grace: but if of works, then is it not of grace; for then works were no more works" (Rom. 11:6).

Now the works which we do are accepted and allowed of God through faith because they which do them please God by faith in Christ, and also the works themselves are done by the grace of God through His Holy Spirit. For St. Peter says that "Of every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:35). And Paul also, "We cease not to pray for you, that ye may walk worthy of the Lord, and in all things please Him, being fruitful in very good work" (Col. 1:9–10).

Here, therefore, we diligently teach, not false and philosophical, but true virtues, true good works, and the true duties of a Christian man. And this we do with all the diligence and earnestness that we can inculcate and beat into men's minds; sharply reproving the slothfulness and hypocrisy of all those who with their mouths praise and profess the gospel, and yet with their shameful life do dishonor the same; setting before their eyes, in this case, God's horrible threatening, large promises, and bountiful rewards, and that by exhorting, comforting, and rebuking.

For we teach that God bestows great rewards on them that do good, according to that saying of the prophet, "Refrain thy voice from weeping, because thy work shall have a reward" (Jer. 31:16). In the gospel also the Lord said, "Rejoice, and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens" (Matt. 5:12). And, "He that shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward" (Matt. 10:42). Yet we do not attribute this reward, which God gives, to the merit of the man that receives it, but to the goodness, or liberality, and truth of God, which promises and gives it: who although He owes nothing unto any, yet He has promised to give a reward to those that faithfully worship Him, notwithstanding that He also gives them grace to worship Him. Besides, there are many things unworthy of the majesty of God, and many imperfect things are found in the works even of the saints; and yet because God receives into favor and embraces those who work them for Christ's sake, therefore, He performs unto them the promised reward. For otherwise, our righteousnesses are compared to a menstruous cloth (Isa. 64:6); yes, and the Lord in the gospel says, "When ye have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; that which we ought to do, we have done" (Luke 17:10).

So that though we teach that God gives a reward to our good deeds, yet withal we teach with Augustine that "God doth crown in us, not our deserts, but His own gifts." And, therefore, whatsoever reward we receive, we say that it is a grace, and rather a grace than a reward: because those good things which we do, we do them rather by God than by ourselves; and because Paul says, "What hast thou that thou hast not received? but if thou hast received it, why dost thou boast, as though thou hadst not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Which thing also the blessed martyr Cyprian gathers out of this place, that "we must not boast of anything, seeing nothing is our own." We, therefore, condemn those who defend the merits of men that they may frustrate the grace of God.

Forasmuch as God from the beginning would have men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), therefore, it is necessary that there always should have been, and should be at this day, and to the end of the world, a church: that is, a company of the faithful, called and gathered out of the world; that is, a company (I say) of all saints, that is, of them who do truly know, and rightly worship and serve, the true God, in Jesus Christ the Savior by the Word and the Holy Spirit, and who by faith are partakers of all those good graces which are freely offered through Christ. These all are citizens of one and the same city living under one Lord, under the same laws, and in the same fellowship of all good things: for so the apostle calls them "fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (Eph. 2:19), terming the faithful upon the earth saints (1 Cor. 6:11) who are sanctified by the blood of the Son of God. Of these is that article of our Creed wholly to be understood: "I believe the catholic church, the communion of saints."

And seeing that there is always but "one God, and one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ" (1 Tim. 2:5); also, one shepherd of the whole flock, one head of this body, and to conclude one Spirit, one salvation, one faith, one testament or covenant, it follows necessarily that there is but one church: which we, therefore, call catholic because it is universal, spread abroad through all the parts and quarters of the world, and reaches unto all times, and is not limited within the compass either of time or place. Here, therefore, we must condemn the Donatists who pinned up the church within the corners of Africa; neither do we allow of the Roman clergy, who vaunt that the Church of Rome alone is in a manner catholic.

The church is divided by some into divers parts or sorts: not that it is rent and divided from itself, but rather distinguished in respect of the diversity of the members that are in it. One part thereof they make to be the church militant, the other the church triumphant. The militant wars still on the earth and fights against the flesh, the world, the prince of the world, the devil, against sin, and against death. The other, being already set at liberty, is now in heaven and triumphs over all those things overcome, and continually rejoices before the Lord. Yet these two churches have notwithstanding a communion and fellowship among themselves.

Moreover, the church militant upon the earth has evermore had in it many particular churches, which must all notwithstanding be referred to the unity of the catholic church. This militant church was otherwise ordered and governed before the Law, among the patriarchs; otherwise under Moses, by the Law; and otherwise of Christ, by the gospel. There are but two sorts of people for the most part mentioned, to wit, the Israelites and the Gentiles; or they which, of the Jews and Gentiles, were gathered to make a church. There are also two testaments, the old and the new. Yet both these sorts of people have had, and still have, one fellowship, one salvation, in one and the same Messiah; in whom, as members of one body, they are all joined together under one head, and by one faith are all partakers of one and the same spiritual meat and drink. Yet here we do acknowledge a diversity of times, and a diversity in the pledges and signs of Christ promised and exhibited; and that now the ceremonies being abolished, the light shines unto us more clearly, our gifts and graces are more abundant and our liberty is more full and ample.

This holy church of God is called "the house of the living God" (2 Cor. 6:16), "builded of living and spiritual stones" (1 Peter 2:5) "founded upon a rock" (Matt. 16:18) "that cannot be removed" (Heb. 12:28) "upon a foundation, besides which none can be laid" (1 Cor. 3:11). Whereupon it is called "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15) that does not err, so long as it relies upon the rock Christ, and upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles. And no marvel if it does err, as often as it forsakes Him who alone is the truth. This church is also called "a virgin" (2 Cor. 11:2) and "the spouse of Christ" (Song 4:8) and "his only beloved" (Song 5:16). For the apostle says, "I have joined you unto one husband, that I might present you a chaste virgin unto Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). The church is called "a flock of sheep under one shepherd" even Christ (Ezek. 34:22–23 and John 10:16) also, "the body of Christ" (Col. 1:24) because the faithful are the lively members of Christ, having Him for their head.

It is the head which has the preeminence in the body, and from whence the whole body receives life; by whose spirit it is governed in all things, of whom also it receives increase that it may grow up. Also there is but one head of the body which has agreement with the body; and, therefore, the church cannot have any other head beside Christ. For as the church is a spiritual body, so must it have a spiritual head like unto itself. Neither can it be governed by any other spirit than by the Spirit of Christ. Wherefore Paul says, "And He is the head of His body the church, who is the beginning, the first born of the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18). And in another place, "Christ (he says) is the head of the church, and the same is the Savior of His body" (Eph. 5:23). And again, "Who is the head of the church, which is His body, even the fullness of Him, which filleth all in all things" (Eph. 1:22–23). Again, "Let us in all things grow up into Him which is the head, that is Christ; by whom all the body being knit together, receiveth increase" (Eph. 4:15–16). And, therefore, we do not allow of the doctrine of the Roman prelates, who would make the pope the general pastor and supreme head of the church of Christ militant here on earth, and the very vicar of Christ, who has (as they say) all fullness of power and sovereign authority in the church. For we hold and teach, that Christ our Lord is, and remains still the only universal pastor, and highest bishop, before God His Father; and that in the church He performs all the duties of a pastor or bishop, even to the world's end: and, therefore, does not stand in need of any other to supply His place. For he is said to have a substitute, who is absent: but Christ is present in His church, and is the head that gives life thereunto. He did straitly forbid His apostles and their successors all superiority or dominion in the church. They, therefore, that by gainsaying set themselves against so manifest a truth and bring another kind of government into the church; see not that they are to be counted in the number of them of whom the apostles of Christ prophesied as Peter (2 Peter 2:1) and Paul (Acts 20:29; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Thess. 2:8–9) and in many other places.

Now by taking away the Roman head, we do not bring any confusion or disorder into the church. For we teach that the government of the church which the apostles set down, is sufficient to keep the church in due order; which, from the beginning, while as yet it wanted such a Roman head as is now pretended to keep it in order, was not disordered or full of confusion. The Roman head indeed maintains his tyranny and corruption which have been brought into the church: but in the meantime he hinders, resists, and, with all the might he can make, cuts off the right and lawful reformation of the church.

They object to us that there have been great strifes and dissensions in our churches, since they did sever themselves from the Church of Rome; and that, therefore, they cannot be true churches. As though there were never in the Church of Rome any sects, any contentions and quarrels; and that in matters of religion, maintained not so much in the schools as in the holy chairs, even in the audience of the people. We know that the apostle said, "God is not the author of dissension, but of peace" (1 Cor. 14:33); and, "Seeing there is amongst you emulation and contention, are ye not carnal?" (1 Cor. 3:3–4). Yet may we not deny but that God was in that church planted by the apostle, and that the apostolic church was a true church, howsoever there were strifes and dissensions in it. The apostle Paul reprehended Peter, an apostle (Gal. 2:11), and Barnabas fell at variance with Paul (Acts 15:39). Great contention arose in the church of Antioch, between them that preached one and the same Christ, as Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles (15:2). And there have at all times been great contentions in the church, and the most excellent doctors of the church have about no small matters differed in opinion: yet so as in the meantime the church ceased not to be the church for all these contentions. For thus it pleases God to use the dissensions that arise in the church to the glory of His name, to the setting forth of the truth, and to the end that such as are not approved might be manifest (1 Cor. 11:19).

Now, as we acknowledge no other head of the church than Christ, so we do not acknowledge every church to be the true church which vaunts herself so to be: but we teach that to be the true church indeed in which the marks and tokens of the true church are to be found. First and chiefly, the lawful or sincere preaching of the Word of God, as it is left unto us in the writings of the prophets and apostles, which all seem to lead us unto Christ, who in the gospel has said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life. A stranger they do not hear, but flee from him, because they know not his voice" (John 10:5, 27–28). And they that are such in the church of God have all but one faith and one Spirit; and, therefore, they worship but one God: and Him alone they serve in spirit and in truth, loving Him with all their hearts and with all their strength, praying unto Him alone through Jesus Christ the only mediator and intercessor; and they seek not life or justice but only in Christ, and by faith in Him: because they acknowledge Christ the only head and foundation of His church, and, being surely founded on Him, daily repair themselves by repentance and with patience bear the cross laid upon them; and besides, by unfeigned love joining themselves to all the members of Christ, they declare themselves to be the disciples of Christ, by continuing in the bond of peace and holy unity. They do withal communicate in the sacraments ordained by Christ and delivered to us by His apostles, using them in no other manner than as they received them from the Lord Himself. That saying of the apostle Paul is well known to all, "I received from the Lord that which I delivered unto you" (1 Cor. 11:23). For which cause we condemn all such churches as strangers from the true church of Christ, who are not such as we have heard they ought to be; howsoever, in the meantime, they brag of the succession of bishops, of unity, and of antiquity. Moreover we have in charge from the apostles of Christ "to shun idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:14; 1 John 5:21) and "to come out of Babylon, and to have no fellowship with her, unless we mean to be partakers with her of all God's plagues laid upon her" (Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor. 6:17).

But as for communicating with the true church of Christ, we so highly esteem of it, that we say plainly that none can live before God which do not communicate with the true church of God, but separate themselves from the same. For as without the ark of Noah there was no escaping when the world perished in the flood; even so do we believe that without Christ, who in the church offers Himself to be enjoyed of the elect, there can be no certain salvation: and, therefore, we teach that such as would be saved must not separate themselves from the true church of Christ.

But yet we do not so strictly shut up the church within those marks before mentioned, as thereby to exclude all those out of the church which either do not communicate in the sacraments (not willingly, nor upon contempt, but who, being constrained by necessity, against their will abstain from them, or else do want them); or in whom faith sometimes fails, though not quite decay, nor altogether die: or in whom some slips and errors of infirmity may be found. For we know that God had some friends in the world that were not of the commonwealth of Israel. We know what befell the people of God in the captivity of Babylon, where they wanted their sacrifices seventy years. We know what happened to St. Peter, who denied his Master, and what is wont daily to fall out among the faithful and chosen of God, which go astray and are full of infirmities. We know moreover what manner of churches the churches at Galatia and Corinth were in the apostles' times: in which the apostle Paul condemns divers great and heinous crimes; yet he calls them the holy churches of Christ (1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2).

Yes, and it falls out sometimes that God in His just judgment suffers the truth of His Word and the catholic faith and His own true worship to be so obscured and defaced, that the church seems almost quite razed out, and not so much as a face of a church remains; as we see fell out in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 19:10, 14) and at other times. And yet, in the meantime, the Lord has in this world, even in this darkness, His true worshippers, and those not a few, but even seven thousand (v. 18) and more (Rev. 7:4). For the apostle cries, "The foundation of the Lord standeth sure, and hath this seal, The Lord knoweth who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19). Whereupon the church of God may be termed invisible: not that the men whereof it consists are invisible; but because, being hidden from our sight, and known only unto God, it cannot be discerned by the judgment of man.

Again not all that are reckoned in the number of the church are saints, and lively and true members of the church. For there are many hypocrites which outwardly hear the Word of God and publicly receive the sacraments, and seem to pray unto God alone through Christ, to confess Christ to be their only righteousness, and to worship God, and to exercise the duties of charity to the brethren, and for a while through patience to endure in troubles and calamities. And yet they are altogether destitute of the inward illumination of the Spirit of God, of faith and sincerity of heart, and of perseverance or continuance to the end. And these men are for the most part at the length laid open what they are. For the apostle John says, "They went out from among us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would have tarried with us" (1 John 2:19). Yet these men, while they pretend religion, are accounted to be in the church, however indeed they are not of the church. Even as traitors in a commonwealth, before they are detected are counted in the number of good citizens; and as the cockle and darnel and chaff are found among the wheat; and as tumors and swellings are in a perfect body, when they are rather diseases and deformities than true members of the body. And, therefore, the church is very well compared to a dragnet which draws up fish of all sorts, and to a field wherein is found both darnel and good corn (Matt. 13:25–26). We are to have a special regard that we judge not rashly before the time, nor go about to exclude and cast off or cut away those whom the Lord would not have excluded nor cut off, or whom, without some damage to the church, we cannot separate from it. Again, we must be very vigilant lest the godly falling fast asleep, the wicked grow stronger and do some mischief to the church.

Furthermore we teach, that it is carefully to be marked wherein especially the truth and unity of the church consists, lest we either rashly breed or nourish schisms in the church. It consists not in outward rites and ceremonies, but rather in the truth and unity of the catholic faith. This catholic faith is not taught us by the ordinances or laws of men, but by the Holy Scriptures, a compendious and short sum whereof is the Apostles' Creed. And, therefore, we read in the ancient writers that there were manifold diversities of ceremonies, but that those were always free; neither did any man think that the unity of the church was thereby broken or dissolved. We say then that the true unity of the church consists in several points of doctrine: in the true and uniform preaching of the gospel, and in such rites as the Lord Himself has expressly set down; and here we urge that saying of the apostle very earnestly, "As many of us, therefore, as are perfect, let us be thus minded. If any man think otherwise, the Lord shall reveal the same unto him. And yet in that whereunto we have attained, let us follow one direction, and all of us be like affected one towards another" (Phil. 3:15–16).

God has always used His ministers, for the gathering or erecting of a church to Himself, and for the governing and preservation of the same; and still He does and always will use them, so long as the church remains on the earth. Therefore, the first beginning, institution, and office of the ministers, is a most ancient ordinance of God Himself, not a new device appointed by men. It is true that God can by His power, without any means, take unto Himself a church from among men, but He had rather deal with men by the ministry of men. Therefore, ministers are to be considered not as ministers by themselves alone, but as the ministers of God, even such as by whose means God works the salvation of mankind.

For which cause we give counsel to beware that we do not so attribute the things that appertain to our conversion and instruction unto the secret virtue of the Holy Ghost, that we frustrate the ecclesiastical ministry. For it behooves us always to have in mind the words of the apostle, "How shall they believe in Him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Therefore, faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:14, 17). And that also which the Lord says in the gospel, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth those that I shall send receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him who sent Me" (John 13:20). Likewise what a man of Macedonia, appearing in a vision to Paul, being then in Asia, said unto him: "Come into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9). And in another place the same apostle says, "We together are God's laborers; and ye are His husbandry, and His building" (1 Cor. 3:9).

Yet, on the other side, we must take heed that we do not attribute too much to the ministers and ministry, herein remembering also the words of our Lord in the gospel, "No man cometh to Me, except the Father, which hath sent Me, draw him" (John 6:44); and the words of the apostle, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos; but the ministers by whom ye believed; and as the Lord gave unto every one? Therefore, neither is he that planteth anything, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase" (1 Cor. 3:5, 7). Therefore, let us believe that God teaches us by His Word outwardly through His ministers, and inwardly moves and persuades the hearts of His elect unto belief by His Holy Spirit: and that, therefore, we ought to render all the glory of this whole benefit unto God. But we have spoken of this matter in the first chapter of our declaration.

God has used for His ministers even from the beginning of the world, the best and most eminent men in the world (for divers of them were but simple for worldly wisdom or philosophy; yet surely in true divinity they were most excellent), namely, the patriarchs, to whom He spoke very often by His angels. For the patriarchs were the prophets or teachers of their age whom God for this purpose would have to live many years, that they might be as it were fathers and lights of the world. After them followed Moses, together with the prophets, that were most famous throughout the whole world. Then, after all these, our heavenly Father sent His only-begotten Son, the most absolute and perfect teacher of the world; in whom is hidden the wisdom of God, and from Him derived unto us by that most holy, perfect, and pure of all doctrine. For He chose unto Himself disciples whom He made apostles, and they going out into the whole world gathered together churches in all places by the preaching of the gospel. And afterward they ordained pastors and teachers in all churches by the commandment of Christ, who by such as succeeded them have taught and governed the church unto this day. Therefore, as God gave unto His ancient people the patriarchs, together with Moses and the prophets, so also to His people under the new covenant He has sent His only-begotten Son, and, with Him, the apostles and teachers of the church.

Furthermore, the ministers of the new covenant are termed by divers names; for they are called apostles, prophets, evangelists, bishops, elders, pastors, and teachers (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). The apostles remained in no certain place, but gathered together divers churches throughout the whole world: which churches when they were once established, there ceased to be any more apostles, and in their places were particular pastors appointed in every church. The prophets in old time did foresee and foretell things to come; and besides did interpret the Scriptures: and such are found some among us at this day. They were called evangelists, which were the authors of the history of the gospel, and were also preachers of the gospel of Christ; as the apostle Paul gives in charge unto Timothy "to fulfill the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). Bishops are the overseers and the watchmen of the church, which distribute food and other necessities to the church. The elders are the ancients, and as it were the senators and fathers of the church, governing it with wholesome counsel. The pastors both keep the Lord's flock and also provide things necessary for it. The teachers do instruct, and teach the true faith and godliness.

Therefore, the church ministers that now are may be called bishops, elders, pastors, and teachers. But in process of time there were many more names of ministers brought into the church. For some were created patriarchs, others archbishops, others suffragans: also metropolitans, archdeacons, deacons, subdeacons, acolytes, exorcists, choristers, porters, and I know not what a rabble besides; cardinals, provosts, and priors; abbots, greater and lesser; orders, higher and lower. But touching all these, we little heed what they have been in time past, or what they are now; it is sufficient for us that, so much as concerns ministers, we have the doctrine of the apostles.

We, therefore, knowing certainly that monks and the orders or sects of them are instituted neither of Christ nor of His apostles, teach that they are so far from being profitable, that they are pernicious and hurtful unto the church of God. For although in former times they were somewhat tolerable (when they lived solitarily, getting their livings with their own hands, and were burdensome to none, but did in all places obey their pastors, even as laymen), yet what kind of men they are now, all the world sees and perceives. They pretend I know not what vows; but they lead a life altogether disagreeing with their vows: so that the very best of them may justly be numbered among those of whom the apostle speaks; "We hear say that there be some among you which walk inordinately, and work not at all, but are busy bodies" (2 Thess. 3:11). Therefore, we have no such in our churches: and besides we teach that they should not be allowed in the churches of Christ.

Furthermore, no man ought to usurp the honor of the ecclesiastical ministry; that is to say, greedily to pluck it to himself by bribes or any evil shifts or of his own accord. But let the ministers of the church be called and chosen by a lawful and ecclesiastical election and vocation: that is to say, let them be chosen religiously of the church, or of those which are appointed thereunto by the church, and that in due order, without any tumult, seditions, or contention. But we must have an eye to this, that not every one that will should be elected, but such men as are fit and have sufficient learning, especially in the Scriptures, and godly eloquence and wise simplicity; to conclude, such men as are of good report for a moderation and honesty of life, according to that apostolic rule, which St. Paul gives in the first epistle to Timothy (3:2–7) and to Titus (1:7–9).

And those which are chosen, let them be ordained of the elders with public prayer and laying on of hands. We here, therefore, condemn all those which run of their own accord, being neither chosen, sent, nor ordained. We do also utterly disallow unfit ministers, and such as are not furnished with gifts requisite for a pastor. In the meantime, we are not ignorant that the innocent simplicity of certain pastors in the primitive church did sometimes more profit the church, than the manifold, exquisite, and nice learning of some others that were over-lofty and high minded. And for this cause we also at this day do not reject the honest simplicity of certain men who yet are not destitute of all knowledge and learning.

The apostles of Christ do term all those which believe in Christ priests, but not in regard of their ministry, but because all the faithful, being made kings and priests, may through Christ, offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God (Ex. 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6). The ministry, then, and the priesthood are things far different one from the other. For the priesthood, as we said even now, is common to all Christians; so is not the ministry. And we have not taken away the ministry of the church because we have thrust the popish priesthood out of the church of Christ. For surely in the new covenant of Christ, there is no longer any such priesthood, as was in the ancient church of the Jews; which had an external anointing, holy garments, and very many ceremonies which were figures and types of Christ: who by His coming fulfilled and abolished them (Heb. 9:10–11). And He Himself remains the only priest forever: and we do not communicate the name of priest to any of the ministers, lest we should detract any thing from Christ. For the Lord Himself has not appointed in the church any priests of the New Testament who, having received authority from the suffragan, may offer up the host every day, that is, the very flesh and the very blood of our Savior, for the quick and the dead; but ministers, which may teach and administer the sacraments.

Paul declares plainly and shortly what we are to think of the ministers of the New Testament, or of the church of Christ, and what we must attribute unto them; "Let a man," says he, "thus account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1). So that the apostle's mind is that we should esteem ministers, as ministers. Now the apostle calls them υπηρετας, as it were, "under-rowers," which have an eye only to their pilot; that is to say, men that live not unto themselves, nor according to their own will, but for others; to wit, their masters, at whose beck and commandment they ought to be. For the minister of the church is commanded wholly, and in all parts of his duty not to please himself, but to execute that only which he has received in commandment from his Lord. And in this same place, it is expressly declared who is our master, even Christ; to whom the ministers are in subjection in all the functions of their ministry.

And to the end that he might the more fully declare their ministry, he adds further that the ministers of the church are "stewards, and dispensers of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1). Now the mysteries of God, Paul in many places and especially in Eph. 3:4, calls "the gospel of Christ." And the sacraments of Christ are also called mysteries by the ancient writers. Therefore, for this purpose are the ministers called, namely to preach the gospel of Christ unto the faithful, and to administer the sacraments. We read also in another place in the gospel of "the faithful and wise servant" that "his Lord set him over his family, to give food unto it in due season" (Luke 12:42). Again, in another place of the gospel, a man goes into a strange country, and, leaving his house, gives unto his servants authority therein, commits to them his substance, and appoints every man his work (Matt. 25:14).

This is now a fit place to speak somewhat also of the power and office of the ministers of the church. And concerning their power some have disputed over busily, and would bring all things, even the very greatest, under their jurisdiction; and that against the commandment of God who forbade unto His disciples all dominion, and highly commended humility (Luke 22:26; Matt. 18:3). Indeed there is one kind of power, which is a mere and absolute power, called the power of right. According to this power, all things in the whole world are subject unto Christ, who is Lord of all: even as He Himself witnesses saying, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18); and again, "I am the first, and the last, and behold I live forever, and I have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:17–18); also "He hath the key of David, which openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth" (Rev. 3:7).

This power the Lord reserves to Himself and does not transfer it to any other, that He might sit idly by and look on His ministers while they wrought. For Isaiah says, "I will put the key of the house of David upon His shoulder" (Isa. 22:22); and again, "Whose government shall be upon His shoulders" (Isa. 9:6). For He does not lay the government on other men's shoulders, but still keeps and uses His own power, thereby governing all things.

Furthermore, there is another power—that of office; or ministerial power, limited by Him, who has full and absolute power and authority. And this is more like a service than a dominion. For we see that a master gives unto the steward of his house authority and power over his house, and for that cause delivers to him his keys that he may admit or exclude such as his master will have admitted or excluded. According to this power the minister does, by his office, that which the Lord has commanded him to do: and the Lord ratifies and confirms that which he does, and will have the deeds of His ministers acknowledged and esteemed as His own deeds. Unto which end are those speeches in the gospel: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou bindest, or loosest in earth, shall be bound, or loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Again "Whose sins soever ye remit, they shall be remitted: and whose sins soever ye retain, they shall be retained" (John 20:23). But if the minister deals not in all things as his Lord has commanded him, but passes the limits and bounds of faith, then the Lord makes void that which he does. Wherefore the ecclesiastical power of the ministers of the church is that function whereby they do indeed govern the church of God; but yet so do all things in the church, as He has prescribed in His Word: which thing being so done, the faithful esteem them as done of the Lord Himself. But touching the keys, we have spoken somewhat before.

Now the power or function that is given to the ministers of the church is the same and alike in all. Certainly, in the beginning, the bishops or elders did, with a common consent and labor, govern the church; no man lifted up himself above another, none usurped greater power or authority over his fellow bishops. For they remembered the words of the Lord, "He which will be the chiefest among you, let him be your servant" (Luke 22:26); they kept in themselves by humility, and did mutually aid one another in the government and preservation of the church.

Notwithstanding, for order's sake, some one of the ministers called the assembly together, propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted, gathered together the voices or sentences of the rest, and, to be brief, as much as lay in him, provided that there might arise no confusion. So did St. Peter, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (11:4–18), who yet, for all that, neither was above the rest nor had greater authority than the rest. Very true, therefore, is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr, in his book De Simplicitate Clericorum: "The same doubtless were the rest of the apostles that Peter was, having an equal fellowship with him both in honor and power: but the beginning hereof proceeds from unity, to signify unto us that there is but one church."

St. Jerome also, in his Commentary upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus, has a saying not much unlike this: "Before that, by the instinct of the devil, there arose parties in religion, the churches were governed by the common advice of the elders: but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptized were his own and not Christ's, it was decreed that one of the elders should be chosen and set over the rest, who should have the care of the whole church laid upon him, and by whose means all schisms should be removed." Yet Jerome does not avow this as an order set down of God: for straightway after he adds, "Even as the elders knew, by the continual custom of the church, that they were subject to him that is set over them: so the bishops must know that they are above the elders, rather by custom, than by the prescript rule of God's truth, and that they ought to have the government of the church in common with them." Thus far Jerome. Now, therefore, no man can forbid by any right that we may return to the old appointment of God; and rather receive that than the custom devised by men.

The offices of the ministers are divers: yet notwithstanding most men restrain them to two in which all the rest are comprehended; to the teaching of the gospel of Christ, and to the lawful administration of the sacraments. For it is the duty of the ministers to gather together a holy assembly, therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the general doctrine to the state and use of the church; to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithful. The minister's duty I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort, yes and to urge them to go forward in the way of the Lord, who stand still or linger and go slowly on; moreover, to comfort and to strengthen those which are fainthearted and to arm them against the manifold temptations of Satan; to rebuke offenders; to bring them home that go astray; to raise them up that are fallen; to convince the gainsayer; to chase away the wolf from the Lord's flock; to rebuke wickedness and wicked men, wisely and severely; not to wink at, nor to pass over great wickedness. And besides, to administer the sacraments, and to commend the right use of them, and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them; to keep together all the faithful in an holy unity; and to encounter schisms. To conclude, to catechize the ignorant, to commend the necessity of the poor to the church, to visit and instruct those that are sick or entangled with divers temptations, and so to keep them in the way of life. Besides all this, to provide diligently that there be public prayers and supplications made in time of necessity, together with fasting, that is, a holy abstinence; and most carefully to look to those things which belong to the tranquility, peace, and safety of the church.

And to the end that the minister may perform all these things the better, and with more ease, it is required in him that he is one that fears God, prays diligently, gives himself much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times, is watchful and shows forth a good example unto all men of holiness of life. And seeing there must necessarily be discipline in the church, and that, among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use, and there were ecclesiastical judgments among the people of God, wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men; it belongs also to the minister's duty, for the edifying of the church, to moderate this discipline, according to the condition of the time and public estate, and according to necessity. Wherein this rule is always to be held, that "all things ought to be done to edification, decently, and honestly" (1 Cor. 14:40) without any oppression or tumult. For the apostle witnesses that "power was given to him of God, to edify and not to destroy" (2 Cor. 10:8). And the Lord Himself forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lord's field because there would be danger lest the wheat also should be plucked up with it (Matt. 13:29).

But as for the error of the Donatists, we do here utterly detest it; who esteem the doctrine and administration of the sacraments to be either effectual or not effectual according to the good or evil life of the ministers. For we know that the voice of Christ is to be heard, though it is out of the mouths of evil ministers; forasmuch as the Lord Himself said, "Do as they command you, but according to their works do ye not" (Matt. 23:3). We know that the sacraments are sanctified by the institution and through the word of Christ; and that they are effectual to the godly, although they are administered by ungodly ministers. Of which matter Augustine, that blessed servant of God, did reason diversely out of the Scriptures against the Donatists.

Yet notwithstanding there ought to be a straight discipline among the ministers: for there should be diligent inquiry in the synods touching the life and doctrine of the ministers: those that offend should be rebuked of the elders and be brought into the way, if they are not past recovery; or else be deposed, and, as wolves, be driven from the Lord's flock by the true pastors, if they are incurable. For if they are false teachers, they are not to be tolerated. Neither do we disapprove of general councils, if they are taken up according to the example of the apostles, to the salvation of the church, and not to the destruction thereof.

The faithful ministers also are worthy (as good workmen) of their reward; neither do they offend when they receive stipends, and all things that are necessary for themselves and their family. For the apostle shows that these things are for just cause offered by the church, and received of the ministers in 1 Cor. 9:14 and in 1 Tim. 5:17–18 and in other places also. The Anabaptists likewise are confuted by this apostolic doctrine, who condemn and rail upon those ministers which live upon the ministry.

God, even from the beginning, added unto the preaching of the Word His sacraments, or sacramental signs, in His church. And this the Holy Scripture plainly testifies. Sacraments are mystical symbols, or holy rites, or sacred actions, ordained of God Himself, consisting of His Word, of outward signs, and of things signified; whereby He keeps in continual memory, and recalls to mind in His church His great benefits bestowed upon man; and whereby He seals up His promises and outwardly represents, and, as it were, offers unto our sight, those things which inwardly He performs unto us, and therewith strengthens and increases our faith through the working of God's Spirit in our hearts; lastly, whereby He separates us from all other people and religions and consecrates and binds us wholly unto Himself, and gives us to understand what He requires of us.

These sacraments are either of the old church or of the new. The sacraments of the old were circumcision and the Pascal Lamb, which was offered up; under which name, reference is made to the sacrifices which were in use from the beginning of the world. The sacraments of the new church are baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Some there are which reckon seven sacraments of the new church, of which number we grant that repentance, matrimony, and the ordination of ministers (we mean not the popish, but the apostolic ordination) are very profitable ordinances of God, but not sacraments. As for confirmation and extreme unction, they are mere devices of men which the church may very well want, without any damage or discommodity at all: and, therefore, we do not have them in our churches because there are certain things in them which we can by no means permit. As for that merchandise which the Roman prelates use in ministering their sacraments, we utterly abhor it.

The author and institutor of all sacraments is not any man, but God alone: for men can by no means ordain sacraments because they belong to the worship of God, and it is not for man to appoint and prescribe a service of God, but to embrace and retain that which is taught unto him by the Lord. Besides the sacramental signs have God's promises annexed to them, which necessarily require faith: now faith rests itself only upon the Word of God; and the Word of God is resembled to writings or letters, the sacraments to seals which the Lord alone sets to His own letters.

And as the Lord is the author of the sacraments, so He continually works in that church, where they are rightly used; so that the faithful, when they receive them of the ministers, do know that the Lord works in His own ordinance, and, therefore, they receive them as from the hand of God: and the minister's faults (if there be any notorious in them) cannot hurt them, seeing they acknowledge the goodness of the sacraments to depend upon the ordinance of the Lord. For which cause they put a difference in the administration of the sacraments, between the Lord Himself and His minister; confessing that the substance of the sacraments is given them of the Lord, and the outward signs by the ministers of the Lord.

But the principal thing which in all the sacraments is offered of the Lord, and chiefly regarded of the godly of all ages (which some have called the substance and matter of the sacraments) is Christ our Savior: that only sacrifice (Heb. 10:12), and that Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world (Rev. 13:8), that rock also, of which all our fathers drank (1 Cor. 10:4) by whom all the elect are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands through the Holy Spirit (Col. 2:11–12) and are washed from all their sins (Rev. 1:5), and are nourished with the very body and blood of Christ unto eternal life (John 6:54).

Now, in respect of that which is the chief thing, and the very matter and substance of the sacraments, the sacraments of both the Testaments are equal. For Christ, the only Mediator and Savior of the faithful, is the chief thing and substance in them both: one and the same God is author of them both: they were given unto both churches as signs and seals of the grace and promises of God; which should call to mind and renew the memory of God's great benefits to them, and should distinguish the faithful from all the religions in the world; lastly, which should be received spiritually by faith, and should bind the receivers unto the church and admonish them of their duty. In these, I say, and such like things, the sacraments of both churches are not unequal, although in the outward signs they are diverse.

And indeed we do yet put a greater difference between them: for ours are more firm and durable as those which are not to be changed to the end of the world. Again, ours testify that the substance and promise is already fulfilled and performed in Christ, whereas the other did only signify that they should be fulfilled. And again ours are more simple and not so painful, not so sumptuous, nor so full of ceremonies. Moreover they belong to a greater people that is dispersed through the face of the whole earth: and because they are more excellent and do by the Spirit of God stir up in us a greater measure of faith, therefore, a more plentiful measure of the Spirit follows them.

But now, since Christ the true Messiah is exhibited unto us and the abundance of grace is poured forth upon the people of the New Testament, the sacraments of the Old Law are surely abrogated and ceased; and in their stead the sacraments of the New Testament are placed: namely, for circumcision, baptism, and for the Pascal Lamb and sacrifices, the Supper of the Lord.

And as in the old church the sacraments consisted of the Word, the sign and the thing signified, so even at this day they are composed, as it were, of the same parts. For the Word of God makes them sacraments, which before were not: for they are consecrated by the Word and declared to be sanctified by Him who first ordained them. To sanctify or consecrate a thing is to dedicate it unto God and unto holy uses; that is, to take it from the common and ordinary use and to appoint it to some holy use. For the signs that are in the sacraments are drawn from common use; things external and visible. As in baptism, the outward sign is the element of water, and that visible washing which is done by the minister. But the thing signified is regeneration and the cleansing from sins. Likewise in the Lord's Supper, the outward sign is bread and wine, taken from things commonly used for meat and drink. But the thing signified is the body of Christ which was given, and His blood which was shed for us, and the communion of the body and blood of the Lord.

Wherefore the water, bread, and wine, considered in their own nature, and out of this holy use and institution of the Lord, are only that which they are called and which we find them to be. But let the Word of God be added to them together with invocation upon His holy name, and the renewing of their first institution and sanctification, and then these signs are consecrated and declared to be sanctified by Christ. For Christ's first institution and consecration of the sacraments stands yet in force in the church of God, in such sort that they which celebrate the sacraments no otherwise than the Lord Himself from the beginning has appointed, have still even to this day, the use and benefit of that first and most excellent consecration. And for this cause in the administration of the sacraments, the very words of Christ are repeated.

And forasmuch as we learn out of the Word of God that these signs were appointed unto another end and use than commonly they are used, therefore, we teach that they now, in this their holy use, take upon them the names of things signified, and are not still called bare water, bread, or wine: but that the water is called "regeneration, and washing of the new birth" (Titus 3:5), and the bread and wine "the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 10:16), or the pledges and sacraments of His body and blood. Not that the signs are turned into the things signified, or cease to be that which in their own nature they are (for then they could not be sacraments which should consist only of the thing signified and have no signs); but, therefore, do the signs bear the names of the things because they are mystical tokens of holy things, and because the signs and the things signified are sacramentally joined together: joined together I say, or united by a mystical signification, and by the purpose and will of Him who first instituted them. For the water, bread, and wine are not common, but holy signs. And He that instituted water in baptism did not institute it with that mind and purpose, that the faithful should only be dipped in the water of baptism; and He which commanded the bread to be eaten and the wine to be drunk in the Supper did not mean that the faithful should only receive bread and wine without any further mystery, as they eat bread at home in their own houses: but that they should spiritually be partakers of the things signified and by faith be truly purged from their sins and be partakers of Christ also.

And, therefore, we cannot allow of them which attribute the consecration of the sacraments to I know not what syllables; to the rehearsal of certain words pronounced by him that is consecrated, and that has an intent of consecrating; or to some other accidental things, which are not left unto us either by the word or by the example of Christ or His apostles. We also dislike the doctrine of those that speak no otherwise of the sacraments than of common signs, not sanctified, nor effectual. We condemn them also, who, because of the invisible things despise the visible and think the signs superfluous because they already enjoy the things themselves: such were the Messalians, as it is recorded. We disapprove their doctrine also who teach that grace and the things signified are to be so tied to and included in the signs, that whosoever outwardly receives the signs must necessarily inwardly participate in the grace and in the things signified, whatever manner of men they may be.

Notwithstanding, as we esteem not the goodness of the sacraments by the worthiness or unworthiness of the ministers, so likewise we do not weigh them by the condition of the recipients. For we know that the goodness of the sacraments depends upon the faithfulness or truth and the mere goodness of God. For even as God's Word remains the true Word of God, wherein not only bare words are uttered when it is preached, but there withal the things signified by the words are offered of God, although the wicked and unbelievers hear and understand the words, yet do not enjoy the things signified because they receive them not by a true faith: even so, the sacraments consisting of the Word, the signs, and the things signified, continue true and perfect sacraments not only because they are holy things, but also that God also offers the things signified; however unbelievers do not receive the things which are offered. This comes to pass not by any fault in God, the author and offerer of them; but by the fault of men, who receive them without faith and unlawfully: "whose unbelief cannot make the truth of God of none effect" (Rom. 3:3).

Now forasmuch as in the beginning, where we showed what the sacraments were, we did also by the way set down to what end they were ordained, it will not be necessary to trouble ourselves with repeating anything which has been already handled. Next, therefore, in order, it remains to speak severally of the sacraments of the new church.

Baptism was instituted and consecrated by God; and the first that baptized was John who dipped Christ in the water in Jordan. From Him it came to the apostles, who also baptized with water. The Lord in plain words commanded them "to preach the gospel, and to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). And Peter also, when divers demanded of him what they ought to do, said to them in the Acts, "Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (2:38). Whereupon baptism is called of some a sign of initiation for God's people, as that whereby the elected of God are consecrated unto God.

There is but one baptism in the church of God: for it is sufficient to be once baptized or consecrated unto God. For baptism once received continues all a man's life and is a perpetual sealing of our adoption unto us. For to be baptized in the name of Christ is to be enrolled, entered, and received into the covenant and family, and so into the inheritance of the sons of God; yes and in this life to be called after the name of God, that is to say, to be called a son of God; to be purged also from the filthiness of sins and to be endued with the manifold grace of God, to lead a new and innocent life. Baptism, therefore, calls to mind and keeps in remembrance the great benefit of God performed to mankind. For we are all born in the pollution of sin and are the sons of wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, freely purges us from our sins by the blood of His Son, and in Him adopts us to be His sons, and by a holy covenant joins us to Himself, and enriches us with divers gifts, that we might live a new life. All these things are sealed unto us in baptism. For inwardly we are regenerated, purified, and renewed of God through the Holy Spirit: and outwardly we receive the sealing of most notable gifts by the water; by which also those great benefits are represented, and, as it were, set before our eyes to be looked upon. And, therefore, are we baptized, that is, washed and sprinkled with visible water. For the water makes clean that which is filthy, and refreshes and cools the bodies that are frail and faint. And the grace of God deals in like manner with the soul; and that invisibly and spiritually.

Moreover by the sacrament of baptism, God separates us from all other religions and nations, and consecrates us a peculiar people to Himself. We, therefore, by being baptized, confess our faith and are bound to give unto God obedience, mortification of the flesh, and newness of life; yes, and we are enlisted as soldiers for the holy warfare of Christ, that all our life long we should fight against the world, Satan, and our own flesh. Moreover, we are baptized into one body of the church that we may well agree with all the members of the church in the same religion and mutual duties.

We believe that is, of all others, the most perfect form of baptism, wherein Christ was baptized, and which the rest of the apostles used in baptism. Those things, therefore, which by man's device were added afterwards and used in the church, we think unnecessary to the perfection of baptism. Of which kind is exorcism and the use of lights, oil, salt, spittle and such other things; as namely, that baptism is twice every year consecrated with divers ceremonies. For we believe that the baptism of the church, which is but one, was sanctified in God's first institution of it, and is consecrated by the Word, and is now of full force, by and for the first blessing of God upon it.

We teach that baptism should not be ministered in the church by women or midwives. For Paul excludes women from ecclesiastical callings: but baptism belongs to ecclesiastical offices. We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that young infants, born of faithful parents, are to be baptized. For according to the doctrine of the gospel "theirs is the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16); and they are written in the covenant of God (Acts 3:25). Why then should not the sign of the covenant be given to them? Why should they not be consecrated by holy baptism who are God's peculiar people and in the church of God? We condemn also the Anabaptists in the rest of their opinions which they peculiarly hold against the Word of God. We, therefore, are not Anabaptists, neither do we agree with them in any point that is theirs.

The Supper of the Lord (which is also called the Lord's Table, and the Eucharist, that is, a thanksgiving) is, therefore, commonly called a Supper because it was instituted of Christ in His last Supper, and as yet represents the same, and in it the faithful are spiritually fed and nourished. For the author of the Supper of the Lord is not an angel or man, but the very Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who first of all consecrated it to His church. And the same blessing and consecration still remains among all those who celebrate no other but that very Supper which the Lord instituted; and at that recite the words of the Supper of the Lord, and in all things look unto Christ only by a true faith; at whose hands, as it were, they receive that which they do receive by the ministry of the ministers of the church. The Lord by this sacred rite would have that great benefit to be kept in fresh remembrance which He performed for mankind; to wit, that by giving up His body to death and shedding His blood, He has forgiven us all our sins and redeemed us from eternal death and the power of the devil, and now feeds us with His flesh, and gives us His blood to drink: which things, being apprehended spiritually by a true faith, nourish us to life everlasting. And this so great a benefit is renewed so oft as the Supper is celebrated. For the Lord said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

By this holy Supper also it is sealed unto us that the very body of Christ was truly given up for us and His blood shed for the remission of our sins, lest our faith might somewhat waver. And this is outwardly represented unto us by the minister in the sacrament after a visible manner, and, as it were, laid before our eyes to be seen, which is inwardly in the soul invisibly performed by the Holy Ghost. Outwardly bread is offered by the minister and the words of the Lord are heard: "Receive, eat, this is my body; take it, and divide it amongst you: drink ye all of this, this is my blood" (Matt. 26:26–28; Luke 22:17–20). Therefore, the faithful receive that which is given by the minister of the Lord and eat the bread of the Lord, and drink of the Lord's cup. But yet, by the working of Christ, through the Holy Ghost, they receive also the flesh and blood of the Lord and feed on them to life everlasting. For the flesh and blood of Christ is true meat and drink unto everlasting life: yes Christ Himself, in that He was delivered for us, and is our Savior, is that special thing and substance of the Supper; and, therefore, we suffer nothing to be put in His place.

But that it may the better and more plainly be understood how the flesh and blood of Christ are the meat and drink of the faithful, and are received by the faithful to life everlasting, we will add moreover these four things.

Eating is of divers sorts: for there is a corporal eating, whereby meat is taken into a man's mouth, chewed with the teeth, and swallowed down into the belly. After this manner did the Capernaites in times past think that they should eat the flesh of the Lord: but they are confuted by Him (John 6:30–63). For as the flesh of Christ cannot be eaten bodily without great wickedness and cruelty, so is it not meat for the belly, as all men do confess. We, therefore, disapprove that canon in the pope's decrees, Ego Berengarius (De Consecrat., dist. 2). For neither did godly antiquity believe, neither yet do we believe that the body of Christ can be eaten corporally and essentially with a bodily mouth.

There is also a spiritual eating of Christ's body; not such a one whereby it may be thought that the very meat is changed into the spirit, but whereby (the Lord's body and blood remaining in their own essence and property) those things are spiritually communicated unto us, not after a corporal, but after a spiritual manner, through the Holy Ghost, who applies and bestows upon us those things (to wit, remission of sins, deliverance and life everlasting) which are prepared for us by the flesh and blood of our Lord, given for us: so that Christ now lives in us and we live in Him; and causes us to apprehend Him by true faith to this end, that He may become unto us such a spiritual meat and drink, that is to say, our life. For even as corporal meat and drink not only refresh and strengthen our bodies, but also keep them in life; even so the flesh of Christ delivered for us and His blood shed for us, do not only refresh and strengthen our souls, but also preserves them alive, not so far as they are corporally eaten and drunken, but so far as they are communicated unto us spiritually by the Spirit of God: the Lord saying, "The bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51); also "The flesh (to wit, corporally eaten) profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit which giveth life: and the words which I speak to you, are Spirit and life" (John 6:63).

And as we must by eating receive the meat into our bodies to the end that it may work in us and show its efficacy in us (because, while it is without us, it profits us not at all); even so it is necessary that we receive Christ by faith, that He may be made ours and that He may live in us and we in Him. For He says, "I am the bread of life; He that cometh to me shall not hunger, and He that believeth in me, shall not thirst any more" (John 6:35); and also, "He that eateth me, shall live through me; and He abideth in me, and I in him" (John 6:56).

By all which it appears manifestly that by spiritual meat we do not mean any imaginary thing, but the very body of our Lord Jesus given to us; which yet is received of the faithful not corporally, but spiritually by faith: in which point we do wholly follow the doctrine of our Lord and Savior Christ in the 6th of John. And this eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood of the Lord is so necessary to salvation that without it no man can be saved. This spiritual eating and drinking is also without the Supper of the Lord; even so often as and where ever a man believes in Christ. To which purpose that sentence of St. Augustine happily belongs: "Why dost thou prepare thy teeth and belly? Believe, and thou hast eaten."

Besides that former spiritual eating, there is a sacramental eating of the body of the Lord; whereby the faithful man not only is partaker spiritually and internally of the true body and blood of the Lord; but also by coming to the Table of the Lord outwardly receives the visible sacraments of the body and blood of the Lord. It is true that the faithful man, by believing, before received the food that gives life, and still receives the same, but yet, when he receives the sacrament, he receives something more. For he goes on in continual communication of the body and blood of the Lord, and his faith is daily more and more kindled, more strengthened and refreshed by the spiritual nourishment. For while we live, faith has continual increasings: and he that outwardly receives the sacraments with a true faith, the same not only receives the sign, but also enjoys (as we have said) the thing itself. Moreover the same man obeys the Lord's institution and commandment, and with a joyful mind gives thanks for his and the redemption of all mankind; and makes a faithful remembrance of the Lord's death, and witnesses the same before the church, of which body he is a member. This also is sealed to those which receive the sacrament, that the body of the Lord was given and His blood shed, not only for men in general, but particularly for every faithful communicant whose meat and drink He is, to life everlasting.

But as for him that without faith comes to this holy Table of the Lord, he is made partaker of the sacrament only; but the matter of the sacrament from whence comes life and salvation, he receives not at all and such men do unworthily eat of the Lord's Table. "Now they which do unworthily eat of the Lord's bread and drink of the Lord's cup, they are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and they eat and drink it to their judgment" (1 Cor. 11:26–29). For as they do not approach with true faith, they do despite unto the death of Christ, and, therefore, eat and drink condemnation to themselves.

We do not, therefore, so join the body of the Lord and His blood with the bread and wine, as though we thought that the bread is the body of Christ more than after a sacramental manner; or that the body of Christ lies hidden corporally under the bread, so as it ought to be worshipped under the form of bread; or yet that whoever he is which receives the sign, he receives the thing itself. The body of Christ is in the heavens, at the right hand of His Father: and, therefore, our hearts are to be lifted up on high, and not to be fixed on the bread, neither is the Lord to be worshipped in the bread; though notwithstanding the Lord is not absent from His church when they celebrate the Supper. The sun, being absent from us in the heavens, is yet notwithstanding present among us effectually: how much more Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, though in body He is absent from us in the heavens, yet is present among us, not corporally, but spiritually, by His lively operation; and so as He Himself promised in His last Supper, to be present among us (John 14–16). Whereupon it follows that we have not the Supper without Christ, and yet that we have meanwhile an unbloody and mystical Supper, even as all antiquity called it.

Moreover, we are admonished in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord to be mindful of the body whereof we are made members; and that, therefore, we are at concord with all our brethren that we live holily and not pollute ourselves with wickedness and strange religions; but persevering in the true faith to the end of our life give diligence to excel in holiness of life.

It is, therefore, very requisite that, purposing to come to the Supper of the Lord, we do try ourselves according to the commandment of the apostle: first, with what faith we are endued, whether we believe that Christ is come to save sinners and to call them to repentance, and whether each man believes that he is in the number of them that, being delivered by Christ, are saved; and whether he has purposed to change his wicked life, to live holily, and persevere through God's assistance in true religion and in concord with his brethren, and to give worthy thanks to God for his delivery.

We think that rite, manner, or form of the Supper to be the most simple and excellent which comes nearest to the first institution of the Lord and to the apostles' doctrine: which consists in declaring the Word of God, in godly prayers, in the action itself that the Lord used, and the repeating of it; in the eating of the Lord's body and drinking of His blood; in the wholesome remembrance of the Lord's death and faithful giving of thanks; and in a holy fellowship in the union of the body of the church.

We, therefore, disapprove them which have taken from the faithful one part of the sacrament, to wit, the Lord's cup. For these do very grievously offend against the institution of the Lord, who says, "Drink all of you of this" (Matt. 26:27), which He did not so plainly say of the bread. What manner of mass it was that the fathers used, whether it were tolerable, or intolerable, we do not now dispute. But this we say freely, that the Mass which is now used throughout the Roman Church, which, for brevity's sake, we will not now particularly recite, for many and most just causes is quite abolished out of our churches. Truly we could not like it because of a most wholesome action, they have made a vain spectacle; also because it is made a meritorious matter and is said for money; likewise because in it the priest is said to make the very body of the Lord, and to offer the same really, even for the remission of the sins of the quick and the dead. Add this also; that they do it for the honor, worship, and reverence of the saints in heaven.

The Lord enjoined His ancient people to take great care and diligence in instructing the youth well, even from their infancy; and moreover commanded expressly in His law that they should teach them and declare the mystery of the sacraments unto them. Now, forasmuch as it is evident by the writings of the evangelists and apostles that God has no less care of the youth of His new people (seeing He says, "Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven," Matt. 19:14); therefore, the pastors act very wisely, which diligently and regularly catechize their youth, laying the first grounds of faith and faithfully teaching the rudiments of our religion by expounding the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the doctrine of the sacraments with other like principles and chief heads of our religion. And here let the church perform her faithfulness and diligence in bringing the children to be catechized, as being desirous and glad to have her children well instructed.

Seeing that men do never lie open to more grievous temptations than when they are exercised with infirmities or else are sick and brought low with diseases, it behooves the pastors of the churches to be never more vigilant and careful for the safety of the flock than in such diseases and infirmities. Therefore, let them visit the sick frequently and let them be quickly sent for by the sick, if the matter shall so require: let them comfort and confirm them in the true faith: finally, let them strengthen them against the dangerous suggestions of Satan. In like manner let them pray with the sick person at home in his house; and, if need be let them make prayers for the sick in the public meeting: and let them be careful that they may have a happy passage out of this life. As for popish visiting with the extreme unction, we have said before that we do not like it because it has many absurd things in it and such as are not approved by the canonical Scriptures.

The Scripture wills that the bodies of the faithful, as being temples of the Holy Ghost, which we truly believe shall rise again at the last day, should be honestly, without any superstition, committed to the earth; and besides, that we should make honorable mention of the godly which have died in the Lord, and perform all duties of love to such as they leave behind them, as their widows and fatherless children. Other care to be taken for the dead, we teach none. Therefore, we do greatly dislike the Cynics, who neglected the bodies of the dead, or did very carelessly and disdainfully cast them into the earth, never speak so much as a good word of the deceased, nor any whit regarded those whom they left behind them. Again, we condemn those which are too much and preposterously officious toward the dead; who like Ethnics, do greatly lament and bewail their dead (we do not despise that moderate mourning which the apostle allows, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, but judge it an unnatural thing to be touched with no sorrow); and do sacrifice for the dead, and mumble certain prayers, not without their penny for their pains, thinking by these duties to deliver their friends from torments, wherein being wrapped by death, they suppose they may be rid of them again by such lamentable songs. For we believe that the faithful, after bodily death, go directly unto Christ, and, therefore, do not stand in need of helps or prayers for the dead or any other such duty of them which are alive. In like manner, we believe that the unbelievers are cast headlong directly into hell, from whence there is no return opened to the wicked by any duties of those which live.

But as touching that which some teach concerning the fire of purgatory, it is flat contrary to the Christian faith ("I believe the remission of sins, and life everlasting") and to the absolute purgation of sins made by Christ, and to these sayings of Christ our Lord: "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth in Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but hath passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Again, "He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean" (John 13:10).

Now that which is recorded of the spirits or souls of the dead sometimes appearing to them that are alive, and craving certain duties of them whereby they may be set free: we count those apparitions among the delusions, crafts, and deceits of the devil, who, as he can transform himself into an angel of light so he labors tooth and nail either to overthrow the true faith or else to call it into doubt. The Lord, in the Old Testament, forbade to enquire the truth of the dead and to have anything to do with spirits (Deut. 18:10–11). And to the glutton, being bound in torments, as the truth of the gospel declares, is denied any return to his brethren: the oracle of God pronouncing and saying, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one shall arise from the dead" (Luke 16:29, 31).

Unto the ancient people were given in old time certain ceremonies, as a kind of schooling to those which were kept under the Law, as under a schoolmaster or tutor. But Christ the deliverer, being once come and the Law taken away, we which believe are no more under the Law (Rom. 6:14) and the ceremonies have vanished out of use. And the apostles were so far from retaining them or restoring them in the church of Christ that they witnessed plainly that they would not lay any burden upon the church (Acts 15:28). Wherefore we should seem to bring in and set up Judaism again, if we should multiply ceremonies or rites in the church according to the manner of the old church. And thus we are not of their judgment who would have the church of Christ kept in with many and divers rites as it were with a certain schooling. For if the apostles would not thrust upon the Christian people the ceremonies and rites which were appointed by God, who is there, I pray you, that is well in his wits, that will thrust upon it the inventions devised by man? The greater the heap of ceremonies is in the church, so much the more is taken not only from Christian liberty but also from Christ and from faith in Him; while the people seek those things in ceremonies which they should seek in the only Son of God, Jesus Christ, through faith. Wherefore a few moderate and simple rites that are not contrary to the Word of God are sufficient for the godly.

And in that there is found diversity of rites in the churches, let no man say, therefore, that the churches do not agree. Socrates says, "It is not possible to set down in writing all the ceremonies of the churches, which are throughout cities and countries. No religion doth keep everywhere the same ceremonies, although they admit and receive one and the selfsame doctrine touching them for even they which have one and the selfsame faith, do disagree among themselves about ceremonies." Thus much says Socrates; and we at this day having diversities in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and in certain other things in our churches, yet we do not disagree in doctrine and faith, neither is the unity and society of our churches rent asunder. For the churches have always used their liberty in such rites as being things indifferent, which we also do at this day.

But yet, notwithstanding, we admonish men to take heed that they count not among things indifferent such as indeed are not indifferent; as some count the mass and the use of images in the church for things indifferent. "That is indifferent (said Jerome to Augustine) which is neither good nor evil, so that whether you do it, or do it not, you are never the more just, or unjust thereby." Therefore, when things indifferent are wrested to the confession of faith, they cease to be free: as Paul shows that it is lawful for a man to eat flesh, if no man admonishes him that it was offered to idols (1 Cor. 10:27–28), for then it is unlawful because he that eats it seems to approve idolatry by eating it.

Such as have the gift of chastity given unto them from above, so as they can with the heart or whole mind be pure and continent and not be grievously burned with lust, let them serve the Lord in that calling, as long as they shall feel themselves endued with that heavenly gift: and let them not lift up themselves above others, but let them serve the Lord daily in simplicity and humility. For such are more apt for doing of heavenly things than they which are distracted with the private affairs of a family. But if again the gift is taken away and they feel a continual burning, let them call to mind the words of the apostle, "It is better to marry, than to burn" (1 Cor. 7:9).

For wedlock (which is the medicine of incontinency and continency itself) was ordained by the Lord God Himself, who blessed it most bountifully, and willed man and woman to cleave one to the other inseparably and to live together in great love and concord (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5–6). Whereupon we know the apostle said, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled" (Heb. 13:4). And again, "If a virgin marry, she sinneth not" (1 Cor. 7:28). We, therefore, condemn polygamy and those which condemn second marriages.

We teach that marriages ought to be made lawfully in the fear of the Lord and not against the laws which forbid certain degrees to join in matrimony, lest the marriages should be incestuous. Let marriages be made with consent of the parents or such as are in the place of parents; and for that end especially for which the Lord ordained marriages: and let them be confirmed publicly in the church with prayer and blessing. Moreover, let them be kept holy, with peace, faithfulness, dutifulness, love, and also purity of the persons coupled together. Therefore, let them take heed of brawlings, debates, lusts, and adulteries. Let lawful judgments and holy judges be established in the church, which may maintain marriages and may repress all dishonesty and shamefulness, and before whom controversies in matrimony may be decided and ended.

Let children also be brought up of the parents in the fear of the Lord; and let parents provide for their children, remembering the saying of the apostle, "He that provideth not for his own hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8). But specially let them teach their children honest sciences whereby they may maintain themselves: let them withdraw them from idleness and plant in them a true confidence in God in all these things; lest they, through distrust, or overmuch careless security or filthy covetousness, wax loose and in the end come to no good.

Now it is most certain that those works which parents do in a true faith, by the duties of marriage and government of their families, are, before God, holy and good works indeed, and please God no less than prayers, fasting, and alms deeds. For so the apostle has taught in his epistles, especially in those to Timothy and Titus. And with the same apostle we account the doctrine of such as forbid marriage, or do openly dispraise or secretly discredit it as not holy or clean, among the "doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1). And we do detest unclean single life, licentious lusts, and fornications, both open and close, and the continency of dissembling hypocrites, whenas they are of all men most incontinent. All that be such, God will judge. We do not disapprove of riches and rich men, if they are godly, and use their riches well; but we reprove the sect of the Apostolicals, etc.

The magistracy, of whatever sort it is, is ordained of God Himself for the peace and quietness of mankind; and so he ought to have the chiefest place in the world. If he is an adversary to the church, he may hinder and disturb it very much, but if he is a friend and so a member of the church, he is a most useful and excellent member thereof, which may profit it very much, and finally may help and further it very excellently. His chief duty is to procure and maintain peace and public tranquility, which doubtless he shall never do more happily than when he shall be truly seasoned with the fear of God and true religion; namely, when he shall, after the example of the most holy kings and princes of the people of the Lord, advance the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith, and shall root out lies and all superstition, with all impiety and idolatry, and shall defend the church of God. For indeed we teach that the care of religion chiefly pertains to the holy magistrate.

Let him, therefore, hold the Word of God in his hands and see to it that nothing is taught contrary thereunto. In like manner let him govern the people committed to him of God with good laws, made according to the Word of God. Let him hold them in discipline and in duty and in obedience: let him exercise judgment by judging uprightly: let him not accept any man's person or receive bribes: let him deliver widows, fatherless children, and those that are afflicted from wrong: let him repress, yes, and cut off such as are unjust, whether in deceit or by violence. "For he hath not received the sword of God in vain" (Rom. 13:4).

Therefore, let him draw forth this sword of God against all malefactors, seditious persons, thieves or murderers, oppressors, blasphemers, perjured persons, and all those whom God has commanded him to punish or even to execute. Let him suppress stubborn heretics (which are heretics indeed), who cease not to blaspheme the majesty of God, and to trouble the church, yes, and finally to destroy it. But if it is necessary to preserve the safety of the people by war, let him do it in the name of God, provided he has first sought peace by all means possible and can save his subjects in no way but by war. And while the magistrate does these things in faith, he serves God with those works, as with such as are good and shall receive a blessing from the Lord.

We condemn the Anabaptists, who, as they deny that a Christian man should bear the office of a magistrate, so also they deny that any man can justly be put to death by the magistrate, or that the magistrate may make war, or that oaths should be performed to the magistrate, and such like things. For as God will work the safety of His people by the magistrate, whom He has given to be, as it were, a father of the world; so all subjects are commanded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the magistrate. Therefore, let them honor and reverence the magistrate as the minister of God; let them love him, favor him, and pray for him as their father; and let them obey all his just and equal commandments. Finally, let them pay all customs and tributes and all other duties of the like sort, faithfully and willingly. And if the common safety of the country and justice require it, and the magistrate of necessity makes war, let them even lay down their life and spend their blood for the common safety and defense of the magistrate; and that in the name of God, willingly, valiantly and cheerfully. For he that opposes himself against the magistrate procures the wrath of God against him. We condemn, therefore, all condemners of magistrates, rebels, enemies of the commonwealth, seditious villains, and, in a word, all such as do either openly or closely refuse to perform those duties which they owe.

We beseech God, our most merciful Father in heaven, that He will bless the princes of the people, and us, and His whole people, through Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Savior, to whom be praise and thanksgiving, both now and forever. Amen.

1. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience: 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 unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterward for the better preserving, and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.

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, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Paul's Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I Corinthians II Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I Thessalonians II to Timothy I to Timothy II to Titus to Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first, second, and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation of John.

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.

4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth 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.

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 doth 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.

6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, 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.

7. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; 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.

8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal to them. 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 and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation, unto which they come, 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.

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 is not manifold but one), it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly.

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.

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; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin, nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty, or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.

2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may, or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet hath he not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of his glorious justice.

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.

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; without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto.

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto, wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation; neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination, is to be handled with special prudence and care; that men attending the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election; so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation, to all that sincerely obey the gospel.

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.

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, wherein he freely offereth unto sinners, life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

3. This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament; and it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction, that was between the Father and the Son, about the redemption of the elect; and it is alone by the grace of this covenant, that all 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.

1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting, and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness, they receiving, and resting on him, and his righteousness, by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God.

2. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ, and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

3. Christ, by his obedience, and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did by the sacrifice of himself, in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead, the penalty due unto them: make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf: 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; 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.

4. God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit, doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them.

5. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified, and although they can never fall from the state of justification; yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure; and in that condition, they have not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith, and repentance.

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.

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; and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; 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.

2. By this faith a Christian believeth to be true, whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself; and also apprehendeth an excellency therein, above all other writings; and all things in the world: 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 thus believed; and also acteth differently, upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God, for this life, and that which is to come: but the principal 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.

3. This faith although it be in different degrees, and may be weak, or strong; 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; and therefore though it may be many times assailed, and weakened; yet it gets the victory; growing up in many, to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

1. Such of the elect that are converted at riper years, having for sometimes lived in the state of nature, and therein served divers lusts and pleasures, God in their effectual calling giveth them repentance unto life.

2. Whereas there is none that doth good, and sinneth not, and the best of men may, through the power, and deceitfulness of their corruption dwelling in them, with the prevalency of temptation, fall into great sins and provocations; God hath in the covenant of grace, mercifully provided that believers so sinning and falling, be renewed through repentance unto salvation.

3. This saving repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby a person, being by the Holy Spirit made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin, doth, by faith in Christ, humble himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrency, praying for pardon and strength of grace, with a purpose and endeavor by supplies of the Spirit, to walk before God unto all well pleasing in all things.

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 man's duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly.

5. Such is the provision which God hath 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; yet there is no sin so great, that it shall bring damnation on them that repent; which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.

1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his Holy Word; and not such as without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intentions.

2. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits, and evidences of a true and lively faith; and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life.

3. Their ability to do good works, is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ; 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; yet they are not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were 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.

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.

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; but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants; and because as they are good they proceed from his Spirit, and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.

6. Yet notwithstanding the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's 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 imperfections.

7. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use, both to themselves and others; yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith, nor are done in a right manner according to the Word, nor to a right end, the glory of God; they are therefore sinful and cannot please God; nor make a man meet to receive grace from God; and yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing to God.

1. Those whom God hath 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 (whence he still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality); 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, 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 engraven upon the palms of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.

2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will; but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercessions of Jesus Christ and union with him, the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

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; whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve his Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves: yet they shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.

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; yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace; and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

2. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the gospel; and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made, and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God; and as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy.

3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer, may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it; 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: 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; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.

4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, 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; yet are they never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith, 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: and by the which in the meantime they are preserved from utter despair.

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; in this promise, the gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed, and therein effectual, for the conversion and salvation of sinners.

2. This promise of Christ, and salvation by him, is revealed only by the Word of God; neither do the works of creation, or providence, with the light of nature, make discovery of Christ, or of grace by him; so much as in a general, or obscure way; 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.

3. The revelation of the gospel unto 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; not being annexed by virtue of any promise, to the due improvement of men's natural abilities, by virtue of common light received without it; which none ever did make, or can do so: and therefore in all ages the preaching of the gospel hath 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.

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; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God.

1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased, for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the rigor and curse of the law; and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; from the evil of afflictions; the fear, and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation: as also in their free access to God; and their yielding obedience unto him not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance of them; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the 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.

2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or not contained in it. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, and absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.

3. They who upon pretense 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; 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 righteousness before him, all the days of our lives.

1. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good, and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God, is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations, and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way, not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.

2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creatures; and since the fall, not without a Mediator, nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.

3. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of natural worship, is by God required of all men. But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.

4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.

5. The reading of the Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as also the administration of baptism, and the Lord's Supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.

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 worshiped everywhere in spirit, and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself; so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly nor willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God by his word, or providence calleth thereunto.

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 hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath to be kept holy unto him, which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day; and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath; the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.

8. The Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs aforehand, do not only observe a holy rest all the day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations, 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.

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 fullness of him that filleth all in all.

2. All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ, according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.

3. The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath 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.

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; 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.

5. In the execution of this power wherewith he is so entrusted, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto himself, through the ministry of his Word, by his Spirit, those that are given unto him by his Father; that they may walk before him in all the ways of obedience, which he prescribeth to them in his Word. Those thus called, he commandeth to walk together in particular societies, or churches, for their mutual edification; and the due performance of that public worship, which he requireth of them in the world.

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; 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.

7. To each of these churches thus gathered, according to his mind, declared in his Word, he hath given all that power and authority, which is in any way needful, for their carrying on that order in worship, and discipline, which he hath instituted for them to observe; with commands, and rules for the due and right exerting, and executing of that power.

8. A particular church, gathered and completely organized, according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers, and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered) for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power, or duty, which he entrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders and deacons.

9. The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person, fitted, and gifted by the Holy Spirit, unto the office of bishop or elder, in a church, is, that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the church itself; 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; and of a deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage, and set apart by prayer, and the like imposition of hands.

10. The work of pastors being constantly to attend the service of Christ, in his churches, in the ministry of the Word, and prayer, with watching for their souls, as they that must give an account to him; it is incumbent on the churches to whom they minister, not only to give them all due respect, but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability, so as they may have a comfortable supply, without being themselves entangled in secular affairs; and may also be capable of exercising hospitality towards others; and this is required by the law of nature, and by the express order of our Lord Jesus, who hath ordained that they that preach the gospel, should live of the gospel.

11. Although it be incumbent on the bishops or pastors of the churches to be instant in preaching the Word, by way of office; yet the work of preaching the Word, is not so peculiarly confined to them; but that others also gifted, and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it, and approved, and called by the church, may and ought to perform it.

12. As all believers are bound to 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.

13. No church members, upon any offense 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 offense at any of their fellow members, but to wait upon Christ, in the further proceeding of the church.

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, in all places; and upon all occasions to further it (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.

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; howbeit these messengers assembled, are not entrusted 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.

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; and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other's gifts, and graces; and 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.

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; as also in relieving each other in outward things according to their several abilities, and necessities; 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, or churches; yet as God offereth 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, doth not take away or infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions.

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 forth the sacrifice in his death, 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. 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; and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same; so that the popish sacrifice of the Mass (as they call it) is most abominable, injurious to Christ's own only sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.

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 an holy use, and to take and break the bread; to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants.

4. The denial of the cup to the people, worshiping 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.

5. The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the uses 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, to wit, the body and blood of Christ; albeit, in substance, and nature, they still remain truly, and only bread, and wine, as they were before.

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, but even to common sense and reason; overthroweth the nature of the ordinance, and hath been, and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.

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.

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: yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.