Q. 2. What is the church of Christ?

d

a

A. The whole company of God's12345 elect, called 'of God, by the Word and Spirit, out of their natural condition, to the dignity of his children, and united unto Christ their head, by faith, in the. bond of the Spirit.— Acts ii. 47; 1 Tim. v. 21; Heb. xii. 22–24.Rom. i. 5, 6, ix. 11, 24; 1 Cor. iv. 15; 2 Tim. i. 9.- Acts xvi. 14; John iii. 8; 1 Cor. iv. 15; 1 Pet. i. 23; Heb. viii. 10.-Eph. ii. 11-13; Col. i. 13; Heb. ii. Eph. ii. 18-22.

b

14, 15; 1 Pet. ii. 9.- John xvii. 21;

Q. 3. Is this whole church always in the same state?

A. No; one part of it is militant, the other triumphant.

Q. 4. What is the church militant?

A. That portion of God's elect which, in their generation, cleaveth unto Christ by faith, and fighteth against the world, flesh, and devil. -Eph. vi. 11, 12; Heb. xi. 13, 14, xii. 1, 4.

Q. 5. What is the church triumphant?

A. That portion of God's people who, having fought their fight and kept the faith, are now in heaven, resting from their labours.— Eph. v. 27; Rev. iii. 21, xiv. 13.

Q. 6. Are not the church of the Jews before the birth of Christ, and the church of the Christians since, two churches?

A. No; essentially they are but one, differing only in some outward administrations.-Eph. ii. 11-16; 1 Cor. x. 3; Gal. iv. 26, 27; Heb. xi. 16, 26, 40.

Q. 7. Can this church be wholly overthrown on the earth?

A. No; unless the decree of God may be changed, and the promise of Christ fail.-Matt. xvi. 18, xxviii. 20; John xiv. 16, xvii.; 1 Tim. iii. 15; 2 Tim. ii. 19.

CHAP. XVII.-OF FAITH.

Q. 1. By what means do we become actual members of this church of God?

A. By a lively justifying faith,' whereby we are united unto Christ,

1 The elect angels belong to this church.

2 No distance of time or place breaks the unity of this church: heaven and earth, from the beginning of the world unto the end, are comprised in it.

3 No mention in Scripture of any church in purgatory.

This is the catholic church;-though that term be not to be found in the Word in this sense, the thing itself is obvious.

5 The pope, challenging unto himself the title of the head of the catholic church, is blasphemously rebellious against Jesus Christ.

This is that ark out of which whosoever is shall surely perish.

Of this faith the Holy Spirit is the efficient cause, the Word, the instrumental;— the Law indirectly, by discovering our misery; the Gospel immediately, by holding forth a Saviour.

the head thereof.-Acts ii. 47, xiii. 48; Heb. xi. 6, xii. 22, 23, iv. 2; Rom. v. 1, 2; Eph. ii. 13, 14.

Q. 2. What is a justifying faith?

A. A gracious resting upon the free promises of God in Jesus Christ for mercy, with a firm persuasion of heart that God is a reconciled Father unto us in the Son of his love.-1 Tim. i. 16; Job xiii. 15, xix. 25; Rom. iv. 5.- Heb. iv. 16; Rom. viii. 38, 39; Gal. ii. 20; 2 Cor. v. 20, 21.

Q. 3. Have all this faith?

A. None but the elect of God.-Tit. i. 1; John x. 26; Matt. xiii. 11; Acts xiii. 48; Rom. viii. 30.

Q. 4. Do not, then, others believe that make profession?

A. Yes; with, first, historical faith, or a persuasion that the things written in the Word are true, James ii. 19; secondly, temporary faith, which hath some joy of the affections, upon unspiritual grounds, in the things believed.-Matt. xiii. 20; Mark vi. 20; John ii. 23, 24; Acts viii. 13.

CHAP. XVIII.—OF OUR VOCATION, or God's Calling us.

Q. 1. How come we to have this saving faith?

A. It is freely bestowed upon us and wrought in us by the Spirit of God, in our vocation or calling.-John vi. 29, 44; Eph. ii. 8, 9; Phil. i. 29; 2 Thess. i. 11.

Q. 2. What is our vocation, or this calling of God?

23

A. The free, gracious act of Almighty God, whereby in Jesus Christ he calleth and translateth us from the state of nature, sin, wrath, and corruption, into the state of grace and union with Christ, by the mighty, effectual working of his Spirit in the preaching of the Word.-Col. i. 12, 13; 2 Tim. i. 9; Deut. xxx. 6; Ezek. xxxvi. 26; Matt. xi. 25, 26; John i. 13, iii. 3, 8; Eph. i. 19; Col. ii. 12; 1 Cor. iv. 7; James i. 18; 2 Pet. ii. 20; Acts xvi. 14. Q. 3. What do we ourselves perform in this change, or work of our conversion?

A. Nothing at all, being merely wrought upon by the free grace and Spirit of God, when in ourselves we have no ability to any thing that is spiritually good.-Matt. vii. 18, x. 20; John i. 13,

Faith is in the understanding, in respect of its being and subsistence,—in the will and heart, in respect of its effectual working.

Our effectual calling is the first effect of our everlasting election.

3 We have no actual interest in nor right unto Christ, until we are thus called. They who so boast of the strength of free-will in the work of our conversion, are themselves an example what it is being given up to so vile an error,—destitute of the grace of God.

xv. 5; 1 Cor. xii. 3, ii. 5; 2 Cor. iii. 5; Eph. ii. 1, 8; Rom. viii. 26; Phil. i. 6.

Q. 4. Doth God thus call all and every one?

A. All within the pale of the church are outwardly called by the Word, none effectually but the elect.-Matt. xxii. 14; Rom. viii. 30.

CHAP. XIX.-OF JUSTIFICATION.

Q. 1. Are we accounted righteous and saved for our faith, when we are thus freely called?

A. No, but merely by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith; for which alone the Lord accepts us as holy and righteous.-Isa. xliii. 25; Rom. iii. 23-26, iv. 5.

Q. 2. What, then, is our justification or righteousness before God? A. The gracious, free act1 of God, imputing the righteousness of Christ to a believing sinner, and for that speaking peace unto his conscience, in the pardon of his sin,-pronouncing him to be just and accepted before him.-Gen. xv. 6; Acts xiii. 38, 39; Luke xviii. 14; Rom. iii. 24, 26, 28, iv. 4-8; Gal. ii. 16.

Q. 3. Are we not, then, righteous before God by our own works? A. No; for of themselves they can neither satisfy his justice, fulfil his law, nor endure his trial.-Ps. cxxx. 3, 4, cxliii. 2; Isa. lxiv. 6; Luke xvii. 10.

CHAP. XX.-OF SANCTIFICATION.

a

Acts

Q. 1. Is there nothing, then, required of us but faith only? A. Yes; repentance, and holiness or new obedience. xx. 21; Matt. iii. 2; Luke xiii. 3.—2 Tim. ii. 19; 1 Thess. iv. 7; Heb. xii. 14.

Q. 2. What is repentance?

A. Godly "sorrow for every known" sin committed against God,

1 Legal and evangelical justification differ; first, on the part of the persons to be justified, the one requiring a person legally and perfectly righteous, the other a believing sinner; secondly, on the part of God, who in the one is a severe, righteous judge, in the other, a merciful, reconciled Father; thirdly, in the sentence, which in the one acquitteth, as having done nothing amiss,-in the other, as having all amiss pardoned.

2

Repentance includeth, first, alteration of the mind into a hatred of sin, before loved; secondly, sorrow of the affections for sin committed; thirdly, change of the actions arising from both.

3 Repentance is either legal, servile, and terrifying, from the spirit of bondage; or evangelical, filial, and comforting, from the spirit of free grace and liberty, which only is available.

b

with a firm purpose of heart to cleave unto him for the future, in the killing of sin, the quickening of all graces, to walk before him in newness of life.-2 Cor. vii. 9-11; Acts ii. 37; Ps. li. 17.-Ps. xxxiv. 14; Isa. i. 16, 17; Ezek. xviii. 27, 28; Acts xiv. 15.- Eph. iv. 21-24; Rom. vi. 12, 13, 18, 19, viii. 1; 2 Cor. v. 17; Gal. vi. 15. Q. 3. Can we do this of ourselves?

A. No; it is a special gift and grace of God, which he bestoweth on whom he pleaseth.-Lev. xx. 8; Deut. xxx. 6; Ezek. xi. 19, 20; 2 Tim. ii. 25; Acts xi. 18.

Q. 4. Wherein doth the being of true repentance consist, without which it is not acceptable?

A. In its' performance according to the Gospel rule, with faith and assured hope of divine mercy.-Ps. li.; 1 John ii. 1, 2; 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11; Acts ii. 38; Matt. xxvi. 75.

Q. 5. What is that holiness which is required of us?

c

A. That universal,23 sincere obedience to the whole will of God, in our hearts, minds, wills, and actions, whereby we are in some measure made conformable to Christ, our head.—a Ps. cxix. 9; 1 Sam. xv. 22; John xiv. 15; Rom. vi. 19; Heb. xii. 14; Tit. ii. 12; 2 Pet. i. 5-7; Isa. i. 16, 17.-1 Chron. xxviii. 9; Deut. vi. 5; Matt. xxii. 37.- Rom. viii. 29; 1 Cor. xi. 1; Eph. ii. 21; Col. iii. 1-3; 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.

Q. 6. Is this holiness or obedience in us perfect?

b

A. Yes, in respect of all the parts of it, but not in respect of the degrees wherein God requires it.—2 Kings xx. 3; Job i. 1; Matt. v. 48; Luke i. 6; 2 Cor. vii. 1; Eph. iv. 24; Tit. ii. 12.-'Isa. lxiv. 6; Ps. cxxx. 3; Exod. xxviii. 38; Phil. iii. 12.

Q. 7. Will God accept of that obedience which falls so short of what he requireth?

5

A. Yes, from them whose persons he accepteth and justifieth freely in Jesus Christ.-Rom. xii. 1; Phil. iv. 18; Heb. xiii. 16; 1 John iii. 22; Eph. i. 6.

b

Q. 8. What are the parts of this holiness?

a

A. *Internal, in the quickening of all graces, purging all sins; and external, in fervent and frequent prayers, alms, and all manner of righteousness. Heb. ix. 14; Eph. iii. 16, 17; Rom. ii. 29, vi. 12. -Matt. v. 20; Rom. viii. 1, 2; Eph. iv. 22, 23; Tit. ii. 12. Particular precepts are innumerable.

'Every part of Popish repentance-viz., contrition, confession, and satisfaction-was performed by Judas.

All faith and profession, without this holiness, is vain and of no effect.

3 True faith can no more be without true holiness than true fire without heat. Merit of works in unprofitable servants, no way able to do their duty, is a Popish miracle.

In Christ are our persons accepted freely, and for him our obedience.

Q. 9. May not others perform these duties acceptably, as well as those that believe?

A. No;' all their performances in this kind are but abominable sins before the Lord.-Prov. xv. 8; John ix. 31; Tit. i. 15; Heb. xi. 6.

CHAP. XXI.—OF THE PRIVILEGES OF BELIEVERS.

Q. 1. What are the privileges of those that thus believe and repent?

A. First, union with Christ; secondly, adoption of children; thirdly, Christian liberty; fourthly, a spiritual, holy right to the seals of the new covenant; fifthly, communion with all saints; sixthly, resurrection of the body unto life eternal.

Q. 2. What is our union with Christ?

23

A. An holy, spiritual conjunction unto him, as our head, husband, and foundation, whereby we are made partakers of the same Spirit with him, 'and derive all good things from him.-1 Cor. -xii. 12; John xv. 1, 2, 5–7, xvii. 23.—Eph. iv. 15, v. 23; Col. i. 18. - 2 Cor. xi. 2; Eph. v. 25-27; Rev. xxi. 9.- Matt. xvi. 18; Eph. ii. 20-22; 1 Pet. ii. 4-7.- Rom. viii. 9, 11; Gal. iv. 6; Phil. i. 19. —'John i. 12, 16; Eph. i. 3.

Q. 3. What is our adoption?

d

A. Our gracious reception into the family of God, as his children, and co-heirs with Christ.-John i. 12; Rom. viii. 15, 17; Gal. iv. 5; Eph. i. 5.

Q. 4. How come we to know this?

A. By the especial working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, sealing unto us the promises of God, and raising up our souls to an assured expectation of the promised inheritance.-Rom. viii. 15, 17; Eph. iv. 30; 1 John iii. 1; Rom. viii. 19, 23; Tit. ii. 13.

C

Q. 5. What is our Christian liberty?

b

A. An3 holy and spiritual freedom from the slavery of sin, the bondage of death and hell, the "curse of the

f

e

law, Jewish cere

monies, and thraldom of conscience, purchased for us by Jesus

1 The best duties of unbelievers are but white sins.

2 By virtue of this union, Christ suffereth in our afflictions; and we fill up in our bodies what remaineth as his.

3 From Christ, as head of the church, we have spiritual life, sense, and motion, or growth in grace; secondly, as the husband of the church, love and redemption; thirdly, as the foundation thereof, stability and perseverance.

This is that great honour and dignity of believers, which exalts them to a despising all earthly thrones.

Our liberty is our inheritance here below, which we ought to contend for, against all opposers.