2. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass (Acts ii. 23) immutably and infallibly; so that there is not any thing befalls any (Prov. xvi. 33) by chance, or without his providence; yet by the same providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either (Gen. viii. 22) necessarily, freely, or contingently.

3. God in his ordinary providence (Acts xxvii. 31, 44; Isa. Iv. 10, 11) maketh use of means; yet is free (Hos. i. 7) to work without, (Rom. iv. 19, 20, 21) above, and (Dan. iii. 27) against them at his pleasure.

4. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his providence, that his determinate counsel (Rom. xi. 32, 33, 34; 2 Sam. xxiv. 1; 1 Chron. xxi. 1) extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions1, both of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, which also he most wisely and powerfully (2 Kings xix. 28; Psa. lxxvi. 10,) boundeth, and otherwise ordereth, and governeth, in a manifold dispensation to his most holy (Gen. 1. 20; Isa. x. 6, 7, 12) ends: yet so, as the sinfulness of their acts proceedeth only from the creatures, and not from God; who being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or (Psa. 1. 21; 1 Joh. ii. 16,) approver of sin.

5. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own heart, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts (2) Chron. xxxii. 25, 26, 31; Sam. xxiv. 1; 2 Cor. xii. 7-9,) that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself; and

["Other sins: "-West. and Savoy Conf.]

to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for other just and holy ends.

So that whatsoever befalls any of his elect is by his appointment, for his glory (Rom. viii. 28) and their good.2

6. As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge, for former sin doth (Rom. i. 24, 26, 28; xi. 7, 8) blind and harden; from them he not only withholdeth his (Deut. xxix. 4) grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth (Matt. xiii. 12) the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such (Deut. ii. 30; 2 Kings viii. 12, 13) objects as their corruptions make occasion of sin; and withal (Psa. lxxxi. 11, 12; 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12) gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they (Exod. viii. 15, 32; Isai. vi. 9, 10; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8) harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.

7. As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special manner it taketh care of his (1 Tim. iv. 10; Amos ix. 8, 9; Isai. xliii. 3, 4, 5) church, and disposeth of all things to the good thereof.

CHAP. VI.

Of the fall of man, of sin, and of the punishment thereof.

1. Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it (Gen. ii. 16, 17), and threatened death upon the breach thereof, yet he did not long abide in this honour (Gen. iii. 12, x. 13; 2 Cor. i. 1, 3); Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to seduce Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who without any

[2 The last sentence is not found in the West. and Sav. Confessions.]

any compulsion, did wilfully transgress the law of their creation and the command given unto them, in eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased according to his wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.8

2. Our first parents by this sin fell from their (Rom. iii. 23) original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all (Rom. v. 12, &c.); all becoming dead in sin and wholly defiled (Tit. i. 15; Gen. vi. 5; Jer. xvii. 9; Rom. iii. 10-19,) in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.

3. They being the (Rom. v. 12-19; 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22, 45, 49) root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation, being now (Psa. li. 5; Job xiv. 4) conceived in sin and by nature children (Eph. ii. 3) of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects (Rom. vi. 20, v. 12) of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus (Heb. ii. 14; 1 Thess, i. 10) set them free.1

4. From this original corruption, whereby we are (Rom. viii. 7; Col. i. 21) utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do (James i. 14, 15; Matt. xv. 19) proceed all actual transgressions.

3 [Westminster Conf. "1. Our first parents being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory." Savoy Conf. "1. God having made a covenant of

works, and life thereupon, with our first parents, and all their posterity in them, they being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan did, wilfully, transgress the law of their creation, and break the covenant, in eating the forbidden fruit."]

[ "Being now," &c.; not in West. or Sav. Conf."]

5. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth (Rom. vii. 18, 23; Eccles. vii. 20; 1 John i. 8) remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned, and mortified, yet both itself, and the first motions thereof, are truly and properly (Rom. vii. 24, 25; Gal. v. 17) sin.

CHAP. VII.

Of God's covenant.

1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life, but by some (Luke xvii. 10; Job xxxv. 7, 8) voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express, by way of covenant.5

2. Moreover, man having brought himself (Gen. ii. 17; Gal. iii. 10; Rom. iii. 20, 21) under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace, wherein he freely offereth unto sinners (Rom. viii. 3; Mark xvi. 15, 16; John iii. 16) life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and (Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27; John vi. 44, 45; Psa. cx. 3) promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.

3. This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the (Gen. iii. 15) seed

S [The West. and Savoy Conf. add the following: "2. The first covenant made with man was a 'covenant of works,' wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience."]

6

[This paragraph is substituted for two others in the West. and Savoy Conf. The Confession of Savoy also departing from that of the Westminster divines.]

of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full (Heb. i. 1) discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament; and it is founded in that (2 Tim. i. 9; Tit. i. 2) eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son, about the redemption of the elect; and it is alone by the grace of this covenant, that all of the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever were (Heb. ii. 6, 13; Rom. iv. 1, 2, &c.; Acts iv. 12; John viii. 56) saved, did obtain life and a blessed immortality; man being now utterly uncapable of acceptance with God upon those terms, on which Adam stood in his state of innocence."

CHAP. VIII.

Of Christ the Mediator.

1. It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both (Isa. xlii. 1; 1 Pet. xix. 20), to be the mediator between God and man; the (Acts iii. 22) prophet, (Heb. v. 5, 6) priest and (Psal. ii. 6; Luke i. 33; Eph. i. 23; Heb. i. 2; Acts xvii. 31) king; head and Saviour of his church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world: unto whom he did from all eternity (Isa. liii. 10; John xvii. 6; Rom. viii. 30) give a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

2. The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with him: who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things he hath made;