of himself a sacrifice for sin, by which he hath fully finished and suffered all things God required for the salvation of his elect, and removed all rites and shadows, &c. and is now entered within the vail into the Holy of Holies, which is the presence of God. Also, he makes his people a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through him. Neither doth the Father accept, or Christ offer to the Father, any other worship or worshippers.

ARTICLE XVIII.

This priesthood was not legal or temporary, but according to the order of Melchisedeck, and is stable and perfect, not for a time, but for ever, which is suitable to Jesus Christ, as to him that ever liveth. Christ was the Priest, sacrifice, and altar; he was a Priest according to both natures: he was a sacrifice according to his human nature; whence in scripture it is attributed to his body, to his blood; yet the effectualness of this sacrifice did depend upon his divine nature; therefore it is called the blood of God. He was the altar according to his divine nature, it belonging to the altar to sanctify that which is offered upon it, and so it ought to be of greater dignity than the sacrifice itself.

ARTICLE XIX.

Concerning his kingly office, Christ being risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and having all power in heaven and earth, he doth spiritually govern his Church, and doth exercise his power over all, angels and men, good and bad, to the preservation and salvation of the elect, and to the overruling and destruction of his enemies. By this kingly power he applieth the benefits, virtue, and fruits of his prophecy and priesthood to his elect, subduing their sins, preserving and strengthening them in all their conflicts against Satan, the world, and the flesh, keeping their hearts in faith and filial fear by his Spirit: by this his mighty power he ruleth the vessels of wrath, using, limiting, and restraining them, as it seems good to his infinite wisdom.

ARTICLE XX.

This his kingly power shall be more fully manifested when he shall come into glory to reign among his saints, when he

shall put down all rule and authority under his feet, that the glory of the Father may be perfectly manifested in his Son, and the glory of the Father and the Son in all his members.

ARTICLE XXI.

Jesus Christ by his death did purchase salvation for the elect that God gave unto him: these only have interest in him, and fellowship with him, for whom he makes intercession to his Father in their behalf, and to them alone doth God by his Spirit apply this redemption; as also the free gift of eternal life is given to them and none else.

THE WELCH CALVINISTIC METHODISTS' CONFESSION. OF THE NATURE AND OFFICES OF CHRIST.

The divine person, Christ Jesus, is a true God and a true man; yet one Mediator between God and man,-Emmanuel. Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man; he is the Mediator of the new covenant, (or Testament ;) a Saviour, a Deliverer, and a Shepherd; of a divine and covenanted appointment and approbation; and having in himself every fulness, and glorious suitability on account of the greatness of his person, of his eternal appointment, and of his being anointed with the Holy Spirit in his graces and gifts beyond measure. And he fills this extensive office as a Prophet, by bringing God to view with his counsel, and all his will in the holy scriptures, through the instruments which he has employed, and his own personal ministry in the days of his incarnation and the continuing work of the Spirit, by the means which he has ordained, savingly to enlighten the Church in the things which are necessary to be known, in order to ensure salvation.

As a Priest, in his humiliated condition, in the place of his people, and under the imputation of their sins, through the whole of his active and passive obedience, he gave a sacrifice, an offering, and a perfect, unblemished propitiation to God for his whole Church. In his exalted state, he intercedes in heaven for all the transgressors which were given him, and which were redeemed with his precious blood. He will continue to intercede, till he shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied.

As a King, he is Head over all things to the Church, ordering every thing with a view to its benefit,continuance, and increase;

gathering and humbling sinners to become his subjects; graciously reigning in their souls; preserving, protecting, and thoroughly delivering all his redeemed, and rewarding them in another world.

As the law was magnified, justice satisfied, the divine government honored, every attribute glorified by the life and death of Christ, so also the Church was fully redeemed from earth, from among men, from the curse, and from every sin, unto God, for a price, through a ransom, and by the precious blood of Christ. The unspeakable love and favor of the Trinity was the original cause of redemption. In a decree and an eternal counsel between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, relating to the redemption of sinners, the Son was chosen to be a Redeemer; it was ordained that He should be possessed of a human nature, that he might be a kinsman, and having a right to redeem his brethren. It was decreed that his person should be placed in the stead of those persons (and of those only) which were given him to redeem. In the fulness of time, he was made of a woman, under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law; and all the sins of those who were given to him, were imputed to him. Is. liii. 5, 6, 11, 12. "And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," and he bare the sin of many." 2 Cor. v. 21. "He hath made him (by imputation) to be sin for us, who knew no sin," (through natural corruption, thought, or action.) John x. 15. "I give (saith Christ) my life for the sheep." He bare in his own person, the chastisement which the sins imputed to him deserved.

"Christ once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us (for whom he suffered) to God." Thus he redeemed a numberless throng, by giving a complete satisfaction for all their sins. Grace, glory, and every other good thing, accrues to them through the Redeemer, and through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; therefore redemption ensures their being called, their justification, their sanctification, their perseverance, and their glorification. Though it would be improper to say, that he purchased the Holy Ghost for his people, yet on account of the redemption, and the satisfaction which Christ made for our sins, the Holy Spirit and every good gift pertaining to salvation, is bestowed them. Redemption has removed all difficulties, and established communion between heaven and earth. Thus, thro' this ransom, (the blood of Christ,) they shall be delivered from sin and its results, and they shall be brought into eternal glory.

upon

OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA.

OF THE LAW OF GOD.

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, and that this law is by the finger of God either written in the hearts of men, and is so called the law of nature, or engraven in the two tables of stone, and more largely expounded in the books of Moses. For plainness' sake, we divide it unto the moral law, which is contained in the commandments or the two tables expounded in the books of Moses, and into the ceremonial, which doth appoint 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 is fully delivered in this law. For otherwise the Lord would not have forbidden, "that any thing should be either added or taken away from this law." 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."

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 saith plainly, Rom. iii. 4. "The law worketh wrath, and by the law cometh knowledge of sin." And, Gal. iii. "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 spirit (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. Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." For neither could there ever, neither at this day can any flesh satisfy the law of God, and fulfil it, by reason of the weakness of our flesh, which re

maineth and sticketh fast in us, even to our last breath. For the apostle saith again, Rom. viii. "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." Therefore Christ is the perfecter of the law, and our fulfilling of it, who as he took away the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for us, so doth he communicate unto us by faith his fulfilling thereof, and his righteousness and obedience is imputed unto us.

The law

doth not "For we

of God therefore is thus far abrogated, as that it henceforth condemn us, neither work wrath in us. are under grace, and not under the law." Moreover Christ - did fulfil all the figures of the law. Wherefore the shadow Iceased, when the body came: so that in Christ we have now all truth and fulness. 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 fulfil them." 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 be 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 vail, yet the apostle affirmeth that "the vail is taken away and abolished by Christ." We condemn all things which the old or new heretics have taught against the law of God.

OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, AND ALSO OF PROMISES: OF THE SPIRIT AND OF THE LETTER.

The gospel indeed is opposed to the law: for the law worketh wrath, and doth denounce a curse: but the gospel doth = preach grace and a blessing, John saith also, John i. "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." 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 are: Gen. iii. "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Gen. xxii. "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. xlix. "The sceptre shall not be taken from Judah, until Shiloh come." Deut. xviii. "The Lord shall raise up a Prophet from among his own brethren," &c. And we acknowledge that the fathers had two kind of promises revealed unto