3,/i,oS- 
 
 ^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^Jf^ 
 
 Presented b7^o\7BT^:> \)\^ CK<rK\ eXcX^TX:^, 
 
 Division 
 
 BK 
 
THE PEOPLE'S EDITION 
 
 WESTMINSTER 
 CONFESSION OF FAITH 
 
 PRICE THREEPENCE. 
 
 MELBOURNE: 
 
 M. L. HUTCHINSON, PRESBYTERIAN BOOK DEPOT, 
 
 15 COLLINS STREET WEST. 
 
 1881. 
 
THE 
 
 Mcstminsfcr Confession of Jaitlj 
 
 The Confession of Faith, agreed upon by the 
 Assembly of Divines at Westminster : 
 Examined and approved, Anno 1047, by 
 the General Assembly of the Church of 
 Scotland, and ratified by acts of Parlia- 
 ment 1G49 and 1G90. 
 
 Chap. I.— Of the Holt ScRincRE. 
 
 I. Although the light of nature, and the 
 works of creation and Providence, do so far 
 manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of 
 God, as to leave men inexcusable ; yet they 
 are not suflioient 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 re- 
 veal 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 cor- 
 ruption of the llesh, and the malice of Satan 
 and of the world, to commit the same wholly 
 unto writing ; which maketh the Holy Scrip- 
 ture to be most necessary ; those former ways 
 of God's revealing His will unto His people 
 being now ceased. 
 
 II. 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. . 
 
 <3ene8i3 
 
 II. Chronicles 
 
 Daniel 
 
 Exodus 
 
 Ezra 
 
 Hosea 
 
 Leviticua 
 
 Nehemlah 
 
 Joel 
 
 Numbers 
 
 Esther 
 
 Amos 
 
 Deuteronomy 
 
 Job 
 
 Obadlah 
 
 Joshua 
 
 Psalms 
 
 Jonah 
 
 Judges 
 
 Proverbs 
 
 Micah 
 
 Ruth 
 
 Ecclesiastea 
 
 Nahum 
 
 I. Samuel 
 
 The Song of Songs 
 
 Habakkuk 
 
 il. Samuel 
 
 Isaiah 
 
 Zephaniah \ 
 
 I. Kinns 
 
 Jeremiah 
 
 Haegai 
 
 I(. Kings 
 
 Lamentationa 
 
 Zechariah I 
 
 1. Chronicles 
 
 OF TI 
 
 Ezekiel 
 
 IE NEW TESTA\ 
 
 ilalachi. 
 lENT. 
 
 The Gospels ac- 
 
 TI. Corinthians 
 
 The Epistle to the 
 
 cording to 
 
 Galatiana 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 Matthew 
 
 Ephesiana 
 
 The Epistle of 
 
 Mark 
 
 Philippians 
 
 James 
 
 Luke 
 
 Colossiana 
 
 The Ist and •2nd 
 
 John 
 
 I. Thessalonians 
 
 Epistles of Peter j 
 
 The Acta of the 
 
 11. Thessalonians 
 
 The 1st, 2nd, and 
 
 Apostles 
 
 I. To Timothy 
 
 3rd Epistles of ■ 
 
 Paul's Epistlea to 
 
 II. To Timothy 
 
 John 
 
 the Romans 
 
 To Titus 
 
 The Epistle of ! 
 
 1. Corinthians 
 
 To Philemon 
 
 Jude I 
 The RevelaUon. ' 
 
 All which are given by inspiration of God, to 
 be the rule of faith and life. 
 
 III. The bookscommonly called Apochrypha, 
 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. 
 
 IV. 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 there- 
 fore it is to be received, because it is the word 
 of God. 
 
 V. We may be moved and induced by the 
 testimony of the Church to an high and 
 reverend 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. 
 
 VI. 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 neces- 
 sary 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. 
 
 VII. 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 
 
WESTMINSTER COXFESSIOX OF FAITH. 
 
 learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of 
 the ordinary means, may attain unto a suffi- 
 cient understanding of them. 
 
 VIII. ^he 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 com- 
 manded, in the fear of God, to read and 
 search them, therefore they are to be trans- 
 lated 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 Scrip- 
 tures, may have hope. 
 
 IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of 
 Scripture is the Scripture itself ; and, there- 
 fore, 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. 
 
 X. The Supreme Judge, by which all con- 
 troversies 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 Scrip- 
 ture. 
 
 Chap. II.— Of God, and of the Holt 
 Trinity. 
 
 I. There is but one only living and true God, 
 •who is infinite in being and perfection, a 
 most pure spirit, invisible, without body, 
 parts, or passions, immutable, immense, 
 eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most 
 wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, 
 ■working all things according to the counsel 
 of His own immutable and most righteous 
 will, for His own glory ; most loving, 
 gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant 
 in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, 
 transgression, and sin ; the rewarder of 
 them that diligently seek Him ; and withal 
 most just and terrible in His judgments ; 
 hating all sin, and who will by no means 
 clear tbe guilty. 
 
 II. God hath all life, glory, goodness, 
 blessedness, in and of Himself ; and is alone 
 in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not stand- 
 ing in need of any creatures which He hath 
 made, not deriving any glory from them, but 
 only manifesting His own glory, in, by, unto, 
 and upon them : He is the alone fountain of 
 all being, of whom, through whom, and to 
 -whom, are all things ; and hath moat 
 
 sovereign dominion over them, to do by 
 them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever 
 Himself pleaseth. In His sight all things are 
 open and manifest ; His knowledge is in- 
 finite, infallible, and independent upon the 
 creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent 
 or uncertain. He is most holy in all His 
 counsels, in all His works, and in all His 
 commands. To Him is due from angels and 
 men, and every other creature, whatsoever 
 worship, service, or obedience, He is pleased 
 to require of them. 
 
 III. In the unity of the Godhead there be 
 three persons, of one substance, power, and 
 eternity ; God the Father, God the Son, and 
 God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, 
 neither begotten nor proceeding ; the Son is 
 eternally begotten of the Father ; the Holy 
 Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father 
 and the Sou. 
 
 Chap. III.— Of God's Eternal Decree. 
 
 I. 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 con- 
 tingency of second causes taken away, but 
 rather established. 
 
 II. Although God knows whatsoever may 
 or can come to pass upon all supposed con- 
 ditions ; yet hath He not decreed anything 
 because He foresaw it as future, or as that 
 which would come to pass upon such con- 
 ditions. 
 
 III. By the decree of God, for the mani- 
 festation of His glory, some men and angels 
 are predestinated unto everlasting life, and 
 others foreordained to everlasting death. 
 
 IV. These angels and men, thus predesti- 
 nated and foreordained, are particularly and 
 unchangeably designed ; and their number is 
 so certain and definite, that it cannot be 
 either increased or diminished. 
 
 V. Those of mankind that are predesti- 
 nated 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 per- 
 severance 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. 
 
 VI. 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. 
 
WESTMINSTEK CONFESSION OF FAITII. 
 
 Neither are any oth:r redeemed by Christ, 
 «tlectually called, jiiatiQed, adopted, sancti- 
 fied, and saved, but the elect only. 
 
 VII. The rest of mankind, God was pleased, 
 acoordiiiK to the unsearchable counsel of Ilia 
 own will, whereby lie extendeth or with- 
 holdeth mercy as He vdeaseth, for the glory of 
 Hia sovereign power over Ilia creatures, to 
 pasa by and to ordain them to dishonour and 
 wrath for their sin, to the praise of Ilia 
 glorioua justice, 
 
 VIII. The doctrine of thia high mystery of 
 predestination is to be handled with special ' 
 prudence and care, that men attending the I 
 will of God revealed in Hia word, and yielding 
 •obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty | 
 of their etTectual 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 abun- 
 dant consolation, to all that sincerely obey 
 the Gospel. 
 
 Chap. IV.— Of Creation. 
 
 I. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of 
 His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in 
 the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, 
 the world, and all things therein, whether 
 visible or invisible, in the space of six days, 
 and all very good. 
 
 II. AfterGod had made all other creatures. 
 He created man, male and female, with 
 reasonable and immortal souls, endued with 
 knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, 
 after His own image, having the law of God 
 written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it ; 
 and yet, under a possibility of transgressing, 
 being left to the liberty of their own will, 
 which waa subject unto change. Beside this 
 law written in their hearts, they received a 
 command not to eat of the tree of knowledge 
 of good and evil ; which while they kept they 
 were happy in their communion with God, 
 and had dominion over the creatures. 
 
 Chap. V.— Of Pkovidexce. 
 
 I. God, the great Creator of all things, doth 
 uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all 
 creatures, actions, and things, from the 
 greatest even to the least, by His most wise 
 and holy providence, according to Hia in- 
 fallible foreknowledge, and the free and 
 immutable counsel of His own will, to the 
 praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, 
 justice, goodness, and mercy. 
 
 II. Although, in relation to the foreknow- 
 ledge and decree of God, the first cause, all 
 things come to pass immutably and infallibly ; 
 yet, by the same providence, he ordereth 
 them to fall out according to the nature of 
 second causes, either necessarily, freely, or 
 contingently. 
 
 III. God in His ordinaryprovidence maketh 
 use of means, yet is free to work without, 
 •above, and against them, at His pleasure. 
 
 IV.— The Almighty power, unsearchable 
 wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so 
 far manifest themtielves in His providence, 
 that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, 
 and all other signs of angela and men, and 
 that not by a bare permission, but such as 
 hath joined with it a most wise and powerful 
 bounding, and otherwise ordering and go- 
 verning of them, in a manifold dispensation, 
 to His own holy ends ; yet so as the siii ful- 
 ness thereof proceedeth only from the crea- 
 ture, and not from God ; who, being most 
 holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the 
 author or approver of sin. 
 
 V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious 
 God doth oftentimes leave for a season Hia 
 own children to manifold temptations, and 
 the corruption of their own hearts, to 
 chastise them for their former sins, or to dis- 
 cover unto them the hidden strength of cor- 
 ruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, 
 that they may be humbled ; and to raise 
 them to a more close and constant depend- 
 ence for their support upon Himself, and to 
 make them more watchful against all future 
 occasions of sin, and for sundry other just 
 and holy ends. 
 
 VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men, 
 whom God as a righteous judge, for former 
 sins, doth blind and harden, from them He 
 not only withholdeth His grace, whereby 
 they might have been enlightened in their 
 understandings, and wrouaht upon in their 
 hearts ; but sometimes also withdraweth the 
 gifts which they had, and exposeth them to 
 such objects as their corruption makes occa- 
 sion of sin.; and withal, gives them over to 
 their own lusts, the temptations of the world, 
 and the power of Satan :' whereby it comes to 
 pass that they harden themselves, even 
 under those means which God useth for the 
 softening of others. 
 
 VII.— As the providence of God doth, in 
 general, reach to all creatures ; so, after a 
 most special manner, it taketh care of Hia 
 Church, and disposeth all things to the good 
 thereof. 
 
 Chap. VI.— Of the Fall of Man*, of Siy, 
 and of the Punishment thereof. 
 
 I. Our first parents being seduced by the 
 subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned ia 
 eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin 
 God waa pleased, according to His wise and 
 holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to 
 order it to Hia own glory. 
 
 II. By thia sin they fell from their original 
 righteousness and communion with God, 
 and so became dead in sin, and wholly 
 defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul 
 and body. 
 
 III. They bei'ng the root of all mankind, 
 the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the 
 same death in sin and corrupted nature con.- 
 veyed to all their posterity, descending from 
 them by ordinary generation. 
 
6 
 
 WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 IV. From this original corruption, whereby 
 we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made 
 opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to 
 all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. 
 
 V. This corruption of nature, during this 
 life, doth remain in those that are regene- 
 rated : and although it be through Christ 
 pardoned and mortified, yet both itself and 
 all the motions thereof are truly and properly 
 sin. 
 
 VI. Every sin, both original and actual, 
 being a transgression of the righteous law of 
 God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own 
 nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby 
 he is bound over to the Mrath of God, and 
 curse of the law, and so made subject to 
 death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, 
 and eternal. 
 
 Chap. VII.— Of God's Covenant with Man. 
 
 I. The distance between God and the crea- 
 ture 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. 
 
 II. The first covenant made with man was 
 a covenant of works, wherein life was pro- 
 mised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, 
 upon condition of perfect and personal obe- 
 dience. 
 
 III. Man by his fall having made himself 
 incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord 
 was pleased to make a second, commonly 
 called the Covenant of Grace : whereby He 
 freely ofi'ereth 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 
 life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing 
 and able to believe. 
 
 IV. This covenant of grace is frequently 
 set forth in the Scripture by the name of a 
 Testament, in reference to the death of Jesus 
 Christ the testator, and to the everlasting in- 
 heritance, with all things belonging to it, 
 therein bequeathed. 
 
 V. This covenant was differently ad 
 ministered in the time of the law, and in the 
 time of the Gospel ; under the law it was ad- 
 ministered by promises, prophecies, sacri- 
 fices, 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 salva- 
 tion ; and is called the Old Testament. 
 
 VI. 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 adminiatra- i 
 
 tioa of the sacraments of Baptism and the 
 Lord's Supper, which, though fewer ini 
 number, and administered with more sim- 
 plicity and less outward glory, yet in them it 
 is held forth in more fulness, evidence, and 
 spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews 
 and Gentiles, and is called the New Testa- 
 ment. There are not, therefore, two covenants 
 of grace differing in substance, but one and 
 the same under various dispensations. 
 
 Chap. VIII.— Of Chkist the Mediator. 
 
 I. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to 
 chose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only 
 begotten Son, to be the Mediator between 
 God and man ; the Prophet, Priest, and 
 King ; the Head and Saviour of His Church ; 
 the Heir of all things ; and Judge of the 
 world ; unto whom He did from all eternity 
 give a people to be His seed, and to be by 
 Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanc» 
 tified, and glorified. 
 
 II. The Son of God, the second person in 
 the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of 
 one substance, and equal with the Father, 
 did, when the fulness of time was come, take 
 upon him man's nature, with all the essential 
 properties and common infirmities thereof, 
 yet without sin ; being conceived by the 
 power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the 
 Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that 
 two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the 
 Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably 
 joined together in one person, without con- 
 version, composition, or confusion. Which 
 person is very God and very man, yet one 
 Christ, the only Mediator between God and 
 man. 
 
 III. The Lord Jesus, in His human nature 
 thus united to the Diviiie, was sanctified and 
 anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure ; 
 having in Him all the treasures of wisdom 
 and knowledge ; in whom it pleased the 
 Father that all fulness should dwell : to the 
 end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, 
 and full of grace and truth. He might b& 
 thoroughly furnished to execute the office of 
 a mediator and surety. Which office He took 
 not unto himself, but was thereunto called 
 by His Father ; who put all power and judg- 
 ment into His hand, and gave Him com- 
 mandment to execute the same. 
 
 IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most 
 willingly undertake ; which that He might 
 discharge. He was made under the law, and 
 did perfectly fulfil it ; endured most grievous 
 torments immediately in His soul, and most 
 painful sufferings in his body ; was crucified, 
 and died ; was buried, and remained under 
 the power of death, yet saw no corruption. 
 On the third day He arose from the dead, 
 with the same body in which He suffered ; 
 with which also He ascended into Heaven, 
 and there sitteth at the right hand of His 
 Father, making intercession ; and shall re- 
 turn to judge men and angels at the end of 
 the world. 
 
WESTSHNSTER CONFESSION OF FAITFI. 
 
 V. The Lord Jesus, by Hia perfect obe- j 
 dience and sacrifice of Himself, which lie I 
 throuj;h the Eternal Spirit once otYered up ! 
 unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of j 
 His Father ; and purchased not only recon- | 
 ciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in i 
 the Kingdom of Heaven for all those whom ' 
 the Father hath given unto him, ! 
 
 VI. Although the work of redemption was 
 not actually wrought by Christ till after His 
 incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and 
 benefits thereof were communicated u"nto the 
 elect in all ages successively from the begin- 
 ning of the world, in and by these promises, 
 types, and sacrifices, wherein he was revealed 
 and signified to be the seed of the woman, . 
 which should bruise the serpent's head, and 
 the Lamb slain from the beginning of the 
 world, being yesterday and to-day the same, 
 and for ever. 
 
 VII. Christ in the work of mediation, 
 acteth according to both natures ; by each 
 nature doing that which is proper to itself ; 
 yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that 
 which is proper to one nature is sometimes in 
 Scripture attributed to the person denomi- 
 nated by the other nature. 
 
 VIII. To all those for whom Christ hath 
 purchased redemption. He doth certainly and 
 efi'ectually apply and communicate the same ; 
 making intercession for them ; and revealing 
 unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries 
 of salvation ; effectually persuading them by 
 His Spirit to believe and obey ; and govern- 
 ing their hearts by His word and Spirit ; over- 
 coming all their enemies by His almighty 
 power and wisdom, in such manner and ways 
 as are most consonant to His wonderful and 
 unsearchable dispensation. 
 
 Chap. IX.— Of Free WilC. 
 
 I. God hath endued the will of man with 
 that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, 
 nor by any absolute necessity of nature deter- 
 mined, to good or evil. 
 
 II. Man, in his state of innocency, had 
 freedom and power to will and to do that 
 which is good and well-pleasing to God ; 
 but yet mutably, so that he might fall from 
 it. 
 
 IIL Man, by his fall into a state of sin, 
 hath wholly lost all ability of will to any 
 spiritual good accompanying salvation ; so as 
 a natural man, being altogether averse from 
 that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his 
 own strength to convert himself, or to prepare 
 himself thereunto. 
 
 IV. When God converts a sinner, and 
 translates him into the state of grace, He 
 freeth him from his natural bondage under 
 sin, and by His grace alone enables him freely 
 to will and to do that which is spiritually 
 good ; yet so as that, by reason of his remain- 
 ing corruption, he doth not perfectly nor 
 only wiU that which is good, but doth also 
 will that which is evil. 
 
 V. The will of man is made perfectly and 
 immutably free to do good alone in the state 
 of glory only. 
 
 Chap. X,— Of Effectual Callixg. 
 
 I. All those whom God hath predestinated 
 unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His 
 appointed and accepted time, effectually to 
 call, by His word and Spirit, out of that state 
 of sin and death in which they are by nature, 
 to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ ; en- 
 lightening their minds spiritually and 
 savingly to understand the things of God ; 
 taking away their heart of stone, and giving 
 unto them an heart of llesh ; renewing their 
 wills, and by His almighty power deter- 
 mining them to that which is. good ; and 
 effectually drawing them to JeJus Christ ; 
 yet so as they come most freely, being made 
 willing by His grace. 
 
 II. This eft'ectual call is of God's free and 
 special grace alone, not from anything at all 
 foreseen in man ; who is altogether passive 
 therein, until, being quickened and renewed 
 by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to 
 answer this call, and to embrace the grace 
 offered and conveyed in it. 
 
 III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are 
 regenerated and saved by Chriat through the 
 Spirit, who worketh when and where and 
 how he pleaseth. So also are also all other 
 elect persons, who are incapable of being out* 
 wardly called by the ministry of the word. 
 
 IV. Others not elected, although they may 
 be called by the ministry of the word, and 
 may have some common operations of the 
 Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, 
 and therefore cannot be saved: much less 
 can men not professing the Christian reli- 
 gion be saved in any other way whatsoever, 
 be they ever so diligent to frame their lives 
 according to the light of nature, and the law 
 of that religion they do profess ; and to 
 assert and maintain that they may is very 
 pernicious, and to be detested. 
 
 Chap. XL— Of Justification-. 
 
 I. Those whom God effectually calleth he 
 also freely justifieth ; not by infusing right- 
 eousness 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 evan- 
 gelical obedience, to them as their righteous- 
 ness ; but bv imputing the obedience and 
 satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiv- 
 ing and resting on Him and Ilis righteousness 
 by faith : which faith they have not of them- 
 selves ; it is the gift of God. 
 
 II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on 
 Christ and His righteousness, is the alone in- 
 strument of justification ; yet is it not alone 
 in the person justified, I'ut is ever accom- 
 panied with all other saving graces, and is no 
 
 ', dead faith, but worketh by love. 
 
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 III. Chriat, by Hia 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. 
 
 IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to 
 justify all the elect ; and Christ did, in the 
 fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise 
 again for their justification : nevertheless, 
 they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit j 
 doth in due time actually apply Christ unto 
 them. 
 
 V. God doth continue to forgive the sins 
 of those that are justified : and altuough 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. 
 
 VI. The justification of believers under the 
 Old Testament was, in all these respects, one 
 and the same with the justification of be- 
 lievers under the New Testament. 
 
 Chap. XII.— Of Adoption. 
 
 I. All those that are justified, God vouch' 
 safeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, i 
 to make partakers of the grace of adoption : ' 
 by which they are taken into the number, 
 and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the 
 children of God ; have His name put upon 
 them, receive the Spirit of adoption ; have 
 access to the throne of grace with boldness ; 
 are enabled to cry Abba, Father ; are pitied, 
 protected, provided for, and chastened by 
 Him as by a father ; yet never cast off, but 
 sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit 
 the promises, as heira of everlasting salva- 
 tion. 
 
 Chap. XIII.— Of Sanctification. 
 
 I. They who are effectually called and re- 
 generated, having a new heart and a new 
 spirit created in them, are further sanctified 
 really and personally, through the virtue of 
 Christ's death and resurrection, by His word 
 and Spirit dwelling in them ; the dominion of 
 the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the 
 several lusts thereof are more and more 
 weakened and mortified, and they more and 
 more quickened and strengthened in all saving 
 graces, to the practice of true holiness, with- 
 out which no man shall see the Lord. 
 
 II. This sanctification is throughout in the 
 whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there 
 abideth still some remnants of corruption in 
 every part : whence ariseth a continual and 
 
 irreconcilable war ; the flesh lusting against 
 the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. 
 
 III. In which war, although the remain- 
 ing corruption for a time may much prevail, 
 yet through the continual supply of strength 
 from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the re- 
 generate part doth overcome : and so the 
 saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in 
 the fear of God. 
 
 Chap, XIV.— Of Saving Faith. 
 
 I. 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. 
 
 II. 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 con- 
 taineth ; 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 acta of 
 saving faith are, accepting, receiving, and 
 resting upon Christ alone for justification, 
 sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of 
 the covenant of grace. 
 
 III. This faith is difi'erent in degrees, 
 weak or strong ; may be often and in many 
 ways assailed and weakened, but gets the 
 victory ; growing up in many to the attain- 
 ment of a full assurance through Christ, who 
 is both the author and finisher of our faith. 
 
 Chap. XV.— Of Repentance unto Life, 
 
 I. Repentance unto life is an evangelical 
 grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached 
 by every minister of the Gospel, as well as 
 that of faith in Christ. 
 
 II. By it a sinner, out of the sight and 
 sense, not only of the danger, but also of the 
 filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as con- 
 trary to the holy nature and righteous law of 
 God, and upon the apprehension of His 
 mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so 
 grieves for and hates his sins, as to turn from 
 them all unto God, purposing and endeavour- 
 ing to walk with Him in all the ways of His 
 commandments. 
 
 III. Although repentance be not to be 
 rested in as any satisfaction for sin, or any 
 cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act 
 of God's free grace in Christ ; yet is it of such 
 necessity to all sinners, that none may ex- 
 pect pardon without it. 
 
 IV. As there is no sin so small but deserves 
 damnation ; so there is no sin so great, that 
 it can bring damnation upon those who truly 
 repent. 
 
 V. Men ought not to content themselves 
 with a general repentance, but it is every man's 
 
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 9 
 
 duty to endeavour to repent of his particular I 
 8iu9 particularly. I 
 
 VI. As every man i3 bound to make private 
 confession of his sins to God, praying; for the 
 pardon thereof ; upon which, and the for- 
 saking of them, he shall find mercy ; so he 
 that scandaliseth his brother, or the church 
 of Christ, on^^ht to be willing, by a private or 
 public confession and sorrow for his sin, to 
 declare his repentance to those that are 
 oflended ; who are thereupon to be reconciled 
 to him, and in love to receive him. 
 
 Chap. XVI.— Of Good AVorks. 
 
 I. 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 pretence 
 of good intention. 
 
 II. 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. 
 
 III. 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 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 per- 
 form 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. 
 
 IV. They who in their obedience attain to 
 the greatest height which is possible in this 
 life, are so far from being able to superego- 
 gate, and to do more than God requires, as 
 that they fall short of much which in duty 
 they are bound to do. 
 
 V. "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 lietween 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 the Spirit ; and as they are wrought by us, 
 they are defiled and mixed with so ruuch 
 ■weakness and imperfection, that they cannot 
 endure the severity of God's judgment. 
 
 VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persona of 
 
 believers being accepted through Christ, their 
 good works also are accepted in Him ; not aa 
 though they were in this life wholly unblame- 
 able and unreprovable in God's sight ; but 
 that He, looking upon tliem in His Son, is 
 pleased to accept and reward that which ia 
 sincere, although accompanied with many 
 weaknesses and imperfections. 
 VII. M'orks done by unregenerate men. 
 ' although, for the matter of them, they may 
 j be things which God commands, and of good 
 I use both to themselves and others ; yet, 
 loecause they proceed not from an heart puri- 
 1 fied by faith ; nor are done in a right 
 manner, according to the word ; nor to a 
 right end, the glory of God ; they are there- 
 fore sinful, and cannot please God or make a 
 man meet to receive grace from God. And 
 ' yet their neglect of them ia more sinful, and 
 displeasing unto God. 
 
 Chap. XVII.— Of the Pekseverance of the 
 
 Saixts. 
 
 I. They whom God hath accepted in Hia 
 Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by 
 His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall 
 : away from the state of grace ; but shall cer- 
 tainly persevere therein to the end, and be 
 eternally saved. 
 1 II. This perseverance of the saints dependa 
 not upon their own free will, but upon the 
 immutability of the decree of election, liowing 
 from the free and unchangeable love of God 
 the Father ; upon the elficacy of the merit 
 and intercession of Jesus Christ ; the abid- 
 ing of the Spirit and of the seed of God 
 ' within them ; and the nature of the covenant 
 of grace : from all which ariseth also the 
 I certainty and infallibility thereof. 
 i III. Nevertheless they may, through the 
 i temptations of Satan and of the world, the 
 i prevalency of corruption remaining in them, 
 j and the neglect of the means of their preser- 
 vation, fall into grievous sins ; and for a time 
 continue therein : whereby they incur God'a 
 displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit ; 
 come to be deprived of some measure of their 
 graces and comforts ; have their hearts 
 j hardened, and their consciences wounded ; 
 hurt and scandalise others, and bring tem- 
 poral judgments upon themselves. 
 
 j Chap. XVIII.— Of Assurance of Ghace 
 I AND Salvation. 
 
 I I. Although hypocrites and other unre- 
 I generate men may vainly deceive themselves 
 with false hopes and carnal presumptions of 
 being in the favour of God and estate of sal- 
 vation ; which hope of theirs shall perish ; 
 yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, 
 and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to 
 walk in all good conscience before Him, may 
 in this life be certainly assured that they 
 are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in 
 
10 
 
 WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 the hope of the glory of God, which hope 
 ehall never make them ashamed. 
 
 II. Thia 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 adop- 
 tion 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. 
 
 III. 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 there- 
 unto. 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 
 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. 
 
 IV. True believers may have the assujrance 
 of their salvation divers ways shaken, 
 diminished, and intermitted ; as, by negli- 
 gence in preserving of it ; by falling into 
 some special sin, which woundeth the con- 
 science 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 j 
 God and life of faith, that love of Christ and ' 
 the brethren, that sincerity of heart and con- ! 
 science of duty, out of which, by the opera- 
 tion of the Spirit, this assurance may in due 
 time be revived, and by the which, in the 
 meantime, they are supported from utter de- 
 spair. 
 
 Chap. XIX.— Of the Law of God. 
 
 I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant 
 of works, by which He bound him and all 
 his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and 
 perpetual obedience ; promised life upon the 
 fulfilling, and threatened death upon the 
 breach of it ; and endued him with power 
 and ability to keep it. 
 
 II. This law, after his fall, continued to be 
 a perfect rule of righteousness ; and, as such, 
 was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in 
 ten commandments, and written in two 
 tables ; the first four commandments con- 
 taining our duty towards God, and the other 
 six our duty to man. 
 
 III. Besides thia law, commonly called 
 moral, God was pleased to give to the people 
 
 of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial 
 laws containing several typical ordinances ;. 
 partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, Hia 
 graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits ; and 
 partly holding forth divers mstructiona of 
 moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are 
 now abrogated under the New Testament. 
 
 IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave 
 sundry judicial laws, which expired together 
 with the state of that people, not obliging 
 any other now, further than the general 
 equity thereof may require. 
 
 V. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as 
 well justified persons as others, to the obe- 
 dience thereof ; and that not only in regard 
 of the matter contained in it, but also in re- 
 spect of the authority of God, the Creator, 
 who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the 
 Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthens 
 thia obligation. 
 
 VI. Although true believers be not under 
 the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby 
 justified or condemned ; yet it is of great use 
 to them as well as to others ; in that, as a 
 rule of life, informing them of the will of God 
 and their duty, it directa and binds them to 
 walk accordingly ; discovering also the sinful 
 pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives ; 
 so as, examining themselves thereby, they 
 may come to further conviction of, humilia- 
 tion for, and hatred against sin ; together 
 with a clearer sight of the need they have 
 of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience. 
 It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to 
 restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids 
 sin ; and the threatenings of it serve to show 
 what even their sins deserve, and what afiiic- 
 tiona in thia life they may expect for them, 
 although freed from the curse thereof threat- 
 ened in the law. The promises of it, in like 
 manner, show them God'a approbation of 
 obedience, and what blessings they may 
 expect upon the performance thereof, al- 
 though not as due to them by the law as a 
 covenant of works : so as a man's doing good 
 and refraining from evil, because the law en- 
 courageth to the one and deterreth from the 
 other, is no evidence of his being under the 
 law and not under grace. 
 
 VII. Neither are the foremen tioned uses of 
 the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, 
 but do aweetly comply with it ; the Spirit of 
 Christ subduing and enabling the will of man 
 to do that freely and cheerfully which the 
 will of God revealed in the law requireth to 
 be done. 
 
 Chap. XX.— Of Christian Libeety, and 
 Liberty of Conscience. 
 
 I. The liberty which Christ hath pur- 
 chased for believers under the Gospel, con- 
 sists 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 ot 
 
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 11 
 
 alllictioiis, 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 Ilim, not out of 
 slavish tear, but a child-like love and willing 
 mind. All which were common also to 
 believers under the law ; but under the New 
 Testament, the liberty of Christians is fur- 
 ther enlarged in their freedom from the yoke 
 of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish 
 Church was subjected, and in greater bold- 
 ness of access to the throne of grace, and in 
 fuller communications of the free Spirit of 
 God than believers under the law did ordi- 
 narily partake of. 
 
 II. God alone is lord of the conscience, 
 and hath left it free from the doctrines and 
 commandments of men which are in any- 
 thing contrary to His word, or beside it, in 
 matters of faith or worship. So that to be- 
 lieve such doctrines, or to obey such com- 
 mandments out of conscience, is to betray 
 true liberty of conscience : and the re- 
 quiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute 
 and blind obedience is to destroy liberty of 
 conscience, and reason also. 
 
 III. They who, upon pretence of Christian 
 liberty, do practise any sin, or cherish any 
 lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian 
 liberty ; which ia, 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. 
 
 IV. 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 pretence of 
 Christian 1 berty, shall oppose any lawful 
 power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it 
 foe 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 er- 
 roneous opinions or practices, as either in 
 their own nature, or in the manner of pub- 
 lishing 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, and 
 by the power of the civil magistrate. 
 
 CHAr. XXL— Of Religious Wokship and 
 THE Sabbath Day. 
 
 I. The light of nature showeth that there 
 is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty 
 over all ; is good and doeth good unto all ; 
 and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, 
 called upon, trusted in, and served, with all 
 the heart, and with all the soul, and with all 
 
 the might. But the acceptable way of wor- 
 shipping the true God is instituted by Him- 
 self, and so limited by His own revealed will, 
 that He may not be worshipped according to 
 the imaginations and devices of men or the 
 suggestions of Satan, under any visible repre- 
 sentation, or any other way not prescribed 
 in the Holy Scripture. 
 II. Religious worship is to be given to God, 
 
 , the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; and to 
 llira alone : not to angels, saints, or any 
 other creature : and, since the fall, not with- 
 out a Mediator ; nor in the mediation of any 
 
 j other, but of Christ alone. 
 
 I III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one 
 special part of religious worship, is by God 
 required of all men ; and, that it may be ac- 
 cepted, it is to be made in the name of the 
 Son, by the help of His Spirit, according to 
 His will, with understanding, reverence, 
 humility, fervency, faith, love, and perae* 
 
 : verance ; and, if vocal, in a known tongue. 
 IV. 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 
 
 j those of whom it may be known that they 
 have sinned the sin unto death. 
 
 j V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly 
 fear ; the sound preaching and conscionable 
 hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, 
 with understanding, faith, and reverence ; 
 singing of psalms with grace in the heart ; aa 
 also the due administration and worthy re- 
 ceivingof the sacraments instituted by Christ, 
 
 ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship 
 of God : besides religious oaths and vows, 
 solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon 
 
 ; special occasions, which are, in their several 
 times and seasons, to be used in a holy and 
 religious manner. 
 
 I VI. Neither prayer nor any other part of 
 
 ; religious worship is now under the gospel, 
 either 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 wor- 
 shipped everywhere in spirit and in truth ; a3 
 in private families daily, and in secret each one 
 by himself ; so more solemnly in the public 
 assemblies, which are not carelessly or wil- 
 fully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, 
 by His word or providence, calleth there- 
 unto. 
 
 ! VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in 
 general, a due proportion of time be set 
 
 1 apart for the worship of God ; so, in His 
 
 i word, by 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 
 
 I Him : which, from the beginning of the 
 world to the resurrection of Christ, was the 
 last day of the week ; and, from the resurrec- 
 tion of Christ, was changed into the first day 
 of the week, which in Scripture is called the 
 Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the 
 end of the world as the Christian Sabbath. 
 
12 
 
 AVESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 VIII. Thia Sabbath ia then kept holy unto 
 the Lord, when mea, after a due preparing of 
 their hearts, and ordering of their common 
 affairs beforehand, do not only observe an 
 holy rest all the day from their own works, 
 words, and thoughts about their worldly 
 employments and recreations ; but also are 
 taken up the whole time in the public and 
 private exercises of His worship, and in the 
 duties of and mercy. 
 
 Chap. XXII.— Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. 
 
 I. A lawful oath is a part of religious wor- 
 ship, wherein upon just occasion the person 
 swearing solemnly calleth God to witness 
 what he asserteth or promiseth ; and to judge 
 him according to the truth or falsehood of 
 what he sweareth. 
 
 II. The name of God only is that by which 
 men ought to awear, and therein it is to be 
 used with all holy fear and reverence ; there- 
 fore to swear vainly or rashly by that 
 glorious and dreadful name, or to awear at 
 all by any other thing, ia sinful and to be 
 abhorred. Yet as, in matters of weight and 
 moment, an oath ia warranted by the Word 
 of God under the New Testament, as well as 
 under the Old ; ao a lawful oath, being im- 
 posed by lawful authority, in such me^ttera, 
 -ought to be taken. 
 
 III. Whosoever taketh an oath, ought duly 
 to consider the weightiness of so solemn an 
 act, and therein to avouch nothing but what 
 he is fully persuaded is the truth. Neither 
 may any man bind himself by oath to any- 
 thing but what ia good and juat, and what he 
 believeth ao to be, and what he ia able and 
 resolved to perform. Yet it is a sin to refuse 
 an oath touching anything that is good and 
 juat, being imposed by lawful authority. 
 
 IV. An oath ia to be taken in the plain and 
 common aenae of the words, without equivo- 
 cation or mental reservation. It cannot 
 oblige to sin ; but in anything not sinful, being 
 taken, it binds to performance, although to 
 a man's own hurt ; nor is it to be violated, 
 although made to heretics or infidela. 
 
 V. A vow is of the like nature with a pro- 
 missory oath, and ought to be made with the 
 like religious care, and to be performed with 
 the same faithfulness. 
 
 VI. It is not to be made to any creature, 
 but to God alone : and that it may be ac- 
 cepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of 
 faith, and conscience of duty, in way of 
 thankfulneaa for mercy received, or for the 
 obtaining of what we want ; whereby we 
 snore strictly bind ourselves to necessary 
 duties, or to other things, ao far and ao long 
 as they may fitly conduce thereunto. 
 
 VII. No man may vow to do anything for- 
 bidden in the Word of God, or what would 
 binder any duty therein commanded, or 
 which ia not in his power, and for the per- 
 formance whereof he hath no promise of 
 
 ability from God. In which respects Popish 
 monastical vowa of perpetual single life, pro- 
 feased poverty, and regular obedience, are so 
 far from being degreea of higher perfection, 
 that they are superstitious and sinful snares, 
 in which no Christian may entangle him- 
 self. 
 
 Chap. XXIII.— Of the Civil Magistrate. 
 
 I. God, the supreme Lord and King of all 
 the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to 
 be under Him over the people, for His own 
 glory, and the public good ; and to this end 
 hath armed them with the power of the 
 sword for the defence and encouragement of 
 them that are good, and for the punishment 
 of evil-doers. 
 
 II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and 
 execute the office of a magistrate when called 
 thereunto : in the managing whereof, aa 
 they ought especially to maintain piety, 
 justice, and peace, according to the whole- 
 some laws of each commonwealth ; so, for 
 that end, they may lawfully, now under the 
 New Testament, wage war upon just and 
 necessary occasions. 
 
 III. The civil magistrate may not assume 
 to himself the administration of the word and 
 sacraments, or the power of the keys of the 
 kingdom of heaven : yet he hath authority, 
 and it is his duty, to take order, that unity 
 and peace be preserved in the church, that 
 the truth of God be kept pure and entire, 
 that all blasphemies and heresies be sup- 
 pressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship 
 and discipline prevented or reformed, and all 
 the ordinances of God duly settled, adminis- 
 tered, and observed. For the better effecting 
 whereof, he hath power to call aynods, to be 
 present at them, and to provide that what- 
 soever is transacted in them be according to 
 the mind of God. 
 
 IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magis- 
 trates, to honour their persons, to pay them 
 tribute and other dues, to obey their lawful 
 commands.andtobe subject to their authority, 
 for conscience sake. Infidelity, or difference 
 in religion, doth not make void the magis- 
 trate's just and legal authority, nor free the 
 people from their due obedience to him : 
 from which ecclesiastical persons are not 
 exempted; much less hath the Pope any 
 power or juriadiction over them in their 
 dominiona, or over any of their people ; and 
 least of all to deprive them of their dominiona 
 or lives, if he shall judge them to be hereticSj 
 or upon any other pretence whataoever. 
 
 Chap. XXIV.— Of Maeriage and Ditokce, 
 
 I. Marriage ia to be between one man and 
 one woman : neither ia it lawful for any man 
 to have more than one wife, nor for any 
 woman to have more than one husband, at 
 the same time. 
 
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 13 
 
 II. Marriage •wag ordained for the mutual 
 help of husband and wife ; for the increase of 
 mankind with a leKitiniate issue, and of the 
 churcli with a holy seed ; and for preventing 
 of uncleanneas. 
 
 III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to 
 marry who are able with judgment to give 
 their consent : yet it is the duty of Christians 
 to marry only in the Lord. And therefore 
 siicli as profess the true reformed religion 
 should not marry with inlidels, Papists, or 
 other idolaters : neither should such as are 
 godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with 
 such as are notoriously wicked in their life, 
 or maintain damnable heresies. 
 
 IV. Marriage ought not to be within the 
 degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden 
 in the word ; nor can such incestuous mar- 
 riages ever be made lawful by any law of man, 
 or consent of parties, so as those persons may 
 live together as man and wife. The man 
 may not marry any of his wife's kindred 
 nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor 
 the woman of her husband's kindred nearer 
 in blood than of her own. 
 
 V. Adultery or fornication committed after 
 a contract, being detected before marriage, 
 giveth just occasion to the innocent party to 
 dissolve that contract. In the case of adul- 
 tery after marriage, it is lawful for the inno- 
 cent party to sue out a divorce, and, after the 
 divorce, to marry another, as if the offending 
 party were dead. 
 
 VI. Although the corruption of man be 
 such as is apt to study arguments, unduly 
 to put asunder those whom God hath joined 
 together in marriage ; yet nothing but adul- 
 tery, or such wilful desertion as can no way 
 be remedied by the church or civil magis- 
 trate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the 
 bond of marriage : wherein a public and 
 orderly course of proceeding is to be ob- 
 served, and the persons concerned in it not 
 left to their own wills and discretion in their 
 own case. 
 
 Chap. XXV.— Of the Church. 
 
 I. The catholick or universal church, which 
 is 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 ful- 
 ness of Ilim that filleth all in all. 
 
 II. The visible church, which is also 
 catholick or universal under the Gospel (not 
 confined to one nation, as before under the 
 law), consists of all those throughout the 
 world that profess the true religion, together 
 with their children ; and is the kingdom of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family 
 of God, out of which there is no ordinary 
 possibility of salvation. 
 
 III. Unto this catholic visible church Christ 
 hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordi- 
 nances of God, for the gathering and perfect- 
 
 ing of the saints in thia life, to the end of 
 the world ; and doth by His own presence 
 and Spirit according to His promise, make 
 them effectual thereunto. 
 
 IV. This catholic church hath been some- 
 times more, sometimes less visible. And par- 
 ticular churches, which are members thereof, 
 are more or less pure, according' ;is the doc- 
 trine of the gospel is taught and enil^raced, 
 ordinances administered, and public worship 
 performed more or less purely in them. 
 
 V. The purest churches under heaven are 
 subject both to mixture and error ; and some 
 have so degenerated as to become no churches 
 of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Never- 
 theless, there shall be always a church on 
 earth to worship God according to His will. 
 
 VI. There is no other Head of the church 
 but the Lord Jesus Christ : nor can the Pope 
 of Rome in any sense be head thereof ; but is 
 that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of 
 perdition, that exalteth himself in the church 
 against Christ, and all that ia called God. 
 
 Chap. XXVI.— Of Communion of Saints. 
 
 I. All saints that are united to Jesua 
 Christ their head by His Spirit, and by faith, 
 have fellowship with Him 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, pubHc and private, as do con- 
 duce to their mutual good, both in the in- 
 ward and outward man. 
 
 II. 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 outward things, according to 
 their several abilities and necessities. Which 
 communion, as God off'ereth opportunity, ia 
 to be extended unto all those who in every 
 place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 III. This communion which the saints 
 have with Christ does not make them in any 
 wise partakers of the substance of His God- 
 head, or to be equal with Christ in any 
 respect : either of which to affirm is impious 
 and blasphemous. Nor doth their com- 
 munion one with another as saints take away 
 or infringe the title or property which each 
 man hath in his goods and possessions. 
 
 Chap, XXVII.— Of the Sacraments. 
 
 I.— Sacraments are holy signs and seals of 
 the covenant of grace, immediately instituted 
 by God, to represent Christ and His benefits, 
 and to confirm our interest in Him ; as also 
 to put a visible difference between those that 
 belong unto the church and the rest of the 
 world ; and solemnly to engage them to the 
 
14. 
 
 WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 service of God in Christ, according to His 
 word. 
 
 II. There is in every sacrament a spiritual 
 lelation, or sacramental union, between the 
 sign and the thing signified ; whence it 
 comes to pass, that the names and effects of 
 the one are attributed to the other. 
 
 III. The grace which ia exhibited in or by 
 the sacraments, rightly used, ia not conferred 
 by any power in them ; neither doth the effi- 
 cacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or 
 intention of him that doth administer it, but 
 upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of 
 institution ; which contains, together with a 
 precept authorising the use thereof, a pro- 
 mise of benefit to worthy receivers. 
 
 IV. There be only two sacraments ordained 
 by Christ our Lord in the Gospel— that is to 
 say. Baptism and the Supper of the Lord ; 
 neither of which may be dispensed by any 
 but by a minister of the word, lawfully or- 
 dained. 
 
 V. The sacraments of the Old Testament, 
 in regard of the spiritual things thereby signi- 
 fied and exhibited, were, for substance, the 
 same with those of the New. 
 
 Chap. XXVIII.— Of Baptism. 
 
 I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Tes- 
 tament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only 
 for the solemn admission of the party 
 baptised 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 re- 
 generation, 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 con- 
 tinued in His church until the end of the 
 world. 
 
 II. The outward element to be used in this 
 sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to 
 be baptised in the name of the Father, and 
 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a 
 minister of the Gospel, lawfully called there- 
 unto. 
 
 III. Dipping of the person into the water 
 i-a not necessary ; but baptism is rightly ad- 
 ministered by pouring or sprinkling water 
 apon the person. 
 
 IV. Not only those that do actually profess 
 ^iaith in and obedience unto Christ, but also 
 the infants of one or both believing parents 
 are to be baptised. 
 
 V. Although it be a great sin to contemn 
 or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salva- 
 tion are not so inseparably annexed unto it, 
 as that no person can be ijegenerated or 
 saved without it, or that all that are baptised 
 are undoubtedly regenerated. 
 
 VI. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to 
 that moment of time wherein it is adminis- 
 -tered ; yet notwithstanding, by the right use 
 
 of this ordinance, the grace promised is not 
 only offered, but really exhibited and con- 
 ferred 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. 
 
 VII. — The sacrament of baptism is but 
 once to be administered to any person. 
 
 Chap. XXIX.— Of the Lokd's Sdppee. 
 
 I. Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He 
 was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of Hia 
 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 Hia death, the 
 sealing all benefits thereof unto true be- 
 lievers, 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 com- 
 munion with Him, and with each other, as 
 members of His mystical body. 
 
 II. 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 propitia- 
 tion for all the sins of the elect. 
 
 III. The Lord Jesus hath in this ordinance 
 appointed Hia 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 
 a holy use ; and to take and break the bread, 
 to take the cup, and (they communicating 
 also themselves) to give both to the commu- 
 nicants ; but to none who are not then pre- 
 sent in the congregation. 
 
 IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacra- 
 ment by a priest or any other alone ; as like- 
 wise the denial of the cup to the people ; 
 worshipping 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. 
 
 V. The outward elements in this sacra- 
 ment, 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. 
 
 VI. 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 con- 
 
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 15 
 
 eecration 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 bath been and 
 is the cause of manifold auperatitiona, yea, of 
 gross idolatries. 
 
 VII. Worthy receivers, outwardly partakinR 
 of the viailile elements in this sacrament, do 
 then also inwardly by faith, really and in- 
 deed, 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 cor- 
 porally or carnally in, with, or under the 
 bread and wine : yet as really, but spiritually, 
 present to the faith of believers in that ordi- 
 nance, as the elements themselves are to 
 their outward senses. 
 
 VIII. Although ignorant and wicked men 
 receive the outward elements in this sacra- 
 ment, 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 there 
 unto. 
 
 Chap. XXX.— Of Church Censures. 
 
 I. The Lord Jesus, as king and head 
 of his church, hath therein appointed a 
 government in the hand of church officers, 
 distinct from the civil magistrate. 
 
 II. To these officers the keys of the king- 
 dom of heaven are committed, by virtue 
 whereof they have nower respectively to re- 
 tain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom 
 against the impenitent, both by the word and 
 censures ; and to open it unto penitent 
 sinners, by the ministry of the gospel, and by 
 absolution from censures, as occasion shall 
 require. 
 
 III. Church censures are necessary for the 
 reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren ; 
 for deterring of others from the like offences ; 
 for purging out of that leaven which might 
 infect the whole lump ; for vindicating the 
 honour of Christ, and the holy profession of 
 the Gospel ; and for preventing the wrath of 
 God, which might justly fall upon the church, 
 if they should suffer his covenant, and the 
 seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious 
 and obstinate offenders. 
 
 IV. For the better attaining of these ends, 
 the officers of the church are to proceed by 
 admonition, suspension from the sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper for a season, and by 
 excommunication from the church, according 
 to the nature of the crime and demerit of the 
 peraoD, 
 
 Chap. XXXI.— Of Synods and Councils. 
 
 I. For the better government and further 
 edification of the church, there ought to be 
 such asaembliea aa are commonly called 
 synods or councils. 
 
 II. Aa magistrates may lawfully call a 
 synod of ministers and other fit persona, to 
 consult and advise with about mattera of 
 religion ; so if magistrates be open enemies 
 to the church, the ministers of Christ, of 
 themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, 
 with other fit persons upon delegation from 
 their churches, may meet together in such 
 assemblies. 
 
 III. It belongeth to synods and councils 
 ministerially to determine controversies of 
 faith, and cases of conscience ; to set down 
 rules and directions for the better ordering of 
 the public worship of God, and government 
 of His church ; to receive complaints in cases 
 of mal-administration, and authoritatively to 
 determine the same : which decrees and de- 
 terminations, if consonant to the word of 
 God, are to be received with reverence and 
 submission, not only for their agreement 
 with the word, but also for the power whereby 
 they are made, as being an ordinance of God, 
 appointed thereunto in His word. 
 
 IV. All synods or councils since the 
 apostles' times, whether general or particular, 
 may err, and many have erred ; therefore they 
 are not to be made the rule of faith or prac- 
 tice, but to be used as an help in both. 
 
 V. Synods and councils are to handle or 
 conclude nothing but that which is eccle- 
 siastical ; and are not to intermeddle with 
 civil affairs, which concern the common- 
 wealth, unless by way of humble petition, in 
 cases extraordinary ; or by way of advice for 
 satisfaction of conscience, if they be there- 
 unto required by the civil magistrate. 
 
 Chap. XXXII.— Of the State of Men after 
 Death, and of the Kesurrection of the 
 Dead. 
 
 I. The bodies of men after death return to 
 dust, and see corruption ; but their souls 
 (which neither die nor sleep), having an im- 
 mortal subsistence, immediately return to 
 God who gave them. The souls of the 
 righteous, being then made perfect in holi- 
 ness, are received into the highest heavens, 
 where they behold the face of God in light 
 and glory, waiting for the full redemption of 
 their bodies ; and the souls of the wicked 
 are cast into hell, where they remain in tor- 
 ments and utter darkness, reserved to the 
 judgment of the great day. Besides these 
 two places for souls separated from their 
 bodies, the scripture acknowledgeth none. 
 
 II. At the last day, auch as are found alive 
 shall not die, but be changed ; and all the 
 
16 
 
 WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 dead shall be raised up with the self-same 
 bodies, and none other, although with dif- 
 ferent qiialities, which shall be united again to 
 their souls for ever. 
 
 III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the 
 power of Christ, be raised to dishonour ; the 
 bodies of the just, by Hia Spirit, unto 
 honour, and be made conformable to His 
 own glorious body. 
 
 Chap. XXXIIL— Of the Last Judgment. 
 
 I. God hath appointed a day whecein he 
 will judge the world in righteousness by 
 Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judg- 
 ment is given of the Father. In which day, 
 not only the apostate angels shall be judged, 
 but likewise all persons that have lived upon 
 earth shall appear before the tribunal of 
 Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, 
 words, and deeds, and to receive according 
 to what they have done in the body, whether 
 good or evil. 
 
 II. The end of God's appointing this day 
 is for the manifestation of the glory of Hi* 
 mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect, 
 and of his justice in the damnation of the 
 reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. 
 For then shall the righteous go into everlast- 
 ing life, and receive that fulness of joy and 
 refreshing which shall come from the pre- 
 sence of the Lord ; but the wicked, who know 
 not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus 
 Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, 
 and be punished with everlasting destruction 
 from the presence of the Lord, and from the 
 glory of hia power. 
 
 III. As Christ would have us to be cer- 
 tainly persuaded that there shall be a day of 
 judgment, both to deter all men from sin, 
 and for the greater consolation of the godly 
 in their adversity ; so will He have that day 
 unknown to men, that they may shake off all 
 carnal security, and be always watchful, 
 because they know not at what hour the 
 Lord will come ; and may be ever prepared 
 to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. 
 Amen. 
 
 SIILiWELIi AND CO., PEINTEKS, COLilNS SIREEI EASI. 
 
:on Theological Seminary-Speer 
 
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