6. The members of these churches are1 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,2 in professed subjection to the ordinances of the gospel. 3 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 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 4 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 the church, is that he be chosen thereunto by the common 5 suffrage of the church itself; and solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with imposition of hands of the 6 eldership of the church, if there be any before constituted therein and of a deacon 7 that he be chosen by the like suffrage, and set apart by prayer, and the like imposition of hands. 8 10. The work of pastors being constantly to attend the service of Christ, in his churches, in the ministry of the word, and prayer 3 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 1 Rom. i. 7; 1 Cor. i. 2. 2 Acts ii. 41, 42, v. 13, 14; 2 Cor. ix. 13. 3 Matt. xviii. 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 13; 2 Cor. ii. 6-8. 4 Acts xx. 17, v. 28; Phil. i. 1. 5 Acts xiv. 23. See the original. 6 1 Tim. iv. 14. 7 Acts vi. 3, 5, 6. 8 Acts vi. 4; Heb. xiii. 17. 9 1 Tim. v. 17, 18; Gal. vi. 6, 7. cerned, 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 consider1 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 2 to impose their determination on the churches or officers. 3 CHAPTER XXVII. OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 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 3 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 are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, in an orderly way,5 as to conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man. 6 2. Saints by profession, are bound to maintain an 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 7 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 relations wherein they stand, whether in 8 families or 9 churches, yet as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended to all the household of faith, 1 Acts xv. 2, 4, 6, 22, 23, 25. 2 2 Cor. i. 24; i. John iv. 1. 3 1 John i. 3; John i. 16; Phil. iii. 10; Rom. vi. 5, 6. 4 Eph. iv. 15, 16; 1 Corinthians xii. 7, iii. 21-23. 5 1 Thess. v. 11, 14; Rom. i. 12; 1 John iii. 17, 18; Gal. vi. 10. 6 Heb. x. 24, 25, iii. 12, 13. 7 Acts xii. 29, 30. 8 Eph. vi. 4. 91 Cor. xii. 14-27. 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, or1 infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions. CHAPTER XXVIII. OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER. 1. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his church 2 to the end of the world. 2. These holy appointments are to be administered by those only who are qualified, and thereunto called according3 to the commission of Christ. CHAPTER XXIX. 4 OF BAPTISM. 1. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with him in his death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of 5 remission of sins; and of his 6 giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. 2. Those who do actually profess 7 repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. 8 3. The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 4. Immersion, or dipping of the person 9 in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance. CHAPTER XXX. OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 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 of himself in his death,1 confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits thereof, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; 2 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 3 one offering up of himself, by himself, upon the cross, once for all; and a spiritual oblation of all 4 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, 5 and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants. 4. The denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, 6 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 name of the things they represent, to wit, the 7 body and 11 Cor. xv. 23–26. 2 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. 21. 3 Heb. ix. 25, 26, 28. 4 1 Cor. xi. 24; Matt. xxvi. 26, 27. 5 1 Cor. 11, 23–26, etc. 6 Matt. xxvi. 26-28, xv. 9; Exodus xx. 4, 5. 7 1 Cor. xi. 27. blood of Christ, albeit in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only 1 bread and wine, as they were before. 1 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 2 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. 4 3 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 5 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. 6 CHAPTER XXXI. OF THE STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH, AND OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. 1. The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are 1 1 Cor. xi. 26, v 28. 2 Acts iii. 21; Luke xxiv. 6, v. 39. 3 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25. 41 Cor. x. 16, xi. 23–26. 8 5 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. 6 1 Cor. xi. 29; Matt. vii. 6. 7 Gen. iii. 19; Acts xiii. 36. |