A DECLARATION, ETC.

WE believe and confess:

1.

That there are three which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit; and these three are one God, in all equality: by whom all things are created and preserved, in heaven and in earth. 1 Jno. v. 7; Phil. ii. 5, 6; Gen. i.

2.

That this God in the beginning created all things of nothing, and made man of the dust of the earth, in his own image, in righteousness and true holiness; yet being tempted, fell by disobedience. Through whose disobedience, all men sinned his sin being imputed unto all; and so death went over all men. Gen. i. 1; ii. 7; i. 27; Eph. iv. 24; iii. 1, 7; Rom. v. 12, 19.

3.

That by the promised seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, [and by] his obedience, all are made righteous, all are made alive: his righteousness being imputed unto all. Rom. v. 19; 1 Cor. xv 22.

4.

That notwithstanding this, men are by nature the children of wrath, born in iniquity, and in sin conceived; wise to all evil, but to good they have no knowledge. Eph. ii. 3; Psa.

receiveth not the things And therefore man is But that as man, in his

li. 5; Jer. iv. 22. The natural man of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. ii. 14. not restored unto his former estate. estate of innocency, having in himself all disposition unto good, and no disposition unto evil, yet being tempted might yield, or might resist; even so now being fallen, and having all disposition unto evil, and no disposition or will unto any good, yet God giving grace, man may receive grace, or may reject grace, according to that saying; I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. Deut. xxx. 19.

5.

That God before the foundation of the world hath predestinated that all that believe in him shall be saved, and all that believe not shall be damned; all which he knew before. And this is the election and reprobation spoken of in the scriptures, concerning salvation, and condemnation; and not that God hath predestinated men to be wicked, and so to be damned, but that men being wicked shall be damned. Eph. i. 4, 12; Mark xvi. 16; Rom. viii. 29. For God would have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, and would have no man to perish, but would have all men come to repentance, and willeth not the death of him that dieth. 1 Tim. ii. 4; 2 Pet. iii. 9; Ezek. xviii. 32. And therefore God is the author of no man's condemnation, according to the saying of the prophet; Thy destruction, O Israel, is of thyself; but thy help is of me. Hos. xiii. 9.

6.

That man is justified only by the righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith; yet faith without works is dead. Rom. iii. 28; Gal. ii. 16; Jas. ii. 17.

7.

be

That men may fall away from the grace of God, and from the truth, which they have received and acknowledged, after they have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come; and after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world, may entangled again therein, and overcome. Heb. xii. 15; x. 26; vi. 4, 5; 2 Pet. ii. 20. That a righteous man may forsake his righteousness, and perish. Ezek. xviii. 24, 26. And therefore let no man presume to think, that because he hath, or had once grace, therefore he shall always have grace. But let all men have assurance, that if they continue unto the end, they shall be saved. Let no man then presume; but let all work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

8.

That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second Person or subsistence in the Trinity, in the fulness of time was manifested in the flesh, being the seed of David, and of the Israelites, according to the flesh, the Son of Mary the Virgin, made of her substance, by the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowing her; and being thus true man, was like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, being one person in two distinct natures, true God, and true Man. Rom. i. 3; ix. 5; Gal. iv. 4; Luke i. 35; Heb. iv. 15.

9.

That Jesus Christ is mediator of the new testament

between God and man, having all power in heaven and in earth given unto him, being the only King, Priest, and Prophet of his church. He also being the only Lawgiver, hath in his Testament set down an absolute and perfect rule of direction, for all persons, at all times, to be observed; which no prince, nor any whosoever, may add to, or diminish from, as they will avoid the fearful judgments denounced against them that shall so do. 1 Tim. ii. 5; Matt. xxviii. 18; Luke i. 33; Heb. vii. 24; Acts iii. 22; Rev. xxii. 18, 19.

10.

That the church of Christ is a company of faithful people, separated from the world by the word and Spirit of God, being knit unto the Lord, and one unto another, by baptism, upon their own confession of the faith, and sins. 1 Cor. i. 2; Eph. i. 1; 2 Cor. vi. 17; 1 Cor. xii. 13; Acts viii. 37; Matt. iii. 6.

11.

That though in respect of Christ the church be one, yet it consisteth of divers particular congregations, even so many as there shall be in the world; every of which congregation, though they be but two or three, have Christ given them, with all the means of their salvation; are the body of Christ, and a whole church; and therefore may, and ought, when they are come together, to pray, prophesy, break bread, and administer in all the holy ordinances, although as yet they have no officers, or that their officers should be in prison, sick, or by any other means hindered from the church. Eph. iv. 4; Matt. xviii. 20; Rom. viii. 32; 1 Cor. iii. 22; xii. 27; xiv. 23; 1 Pet. iv. 10; ii. 5.

12.

That as one congregation hath Christ, so hath all. And that the word of God cometh not out from any one, neither

to any one congregation in particular, but unto every particular church, as it doth unto all the world. And therefore no church ought to challenge any prerogative over any other. 2 Cor. x. 7; 1 Cor. xiv. 36; Col. i. 5, 6.

13.

That every church is to receive in all their members by baptism, upon the confession of their faith and sins, wrought by the preaching of the gospel, according to the primitive institution and practice. And therefore churches constituted after any other manner, or of any other persons, are not according to Christ's testament. Matt. xxviii. 19; Acts ii. 41.

14.

That baptism, or washing with water, is the outward manifestation of dying unto sin, and walking in newness of life; and therefore in nowise appertaineth to infants. Rom. vi. 2, 3, 4.

15.

That the Lord's supper is the outward manifestation of the spiritual communion between Christ and the faithful, mutually to declare his death until he come. 1 Cor. x. 16,

17; xi. 26.

16.

That the members of every church or congregation ought to know one another, that so they may perform all the duties of love one towards another, both to soul and body. Matt. xviii. 15; 1 Thess. v. 14; 1 Cor. xii. 25. And especially the elders ought to know the whole flock, whereof the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers. And therefore a church ought not to consist of such a multitude, as cannot have particular knowledge one of another. Acts xx. 28; 1 Pet. v. 2, 3.