needeth, both friends and enemies, accounting it more excellent to give than to receive. Also we confess that we know but in part, and that we are ignorant of many things which we desire and seek to know; and if any shall do us that friendly part to show us from the word of God that we see not, we shall have cause to be thankful to God and them. But if any man shall impose upon us anything that we see not to be commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, we should in his strength rather embrace all reproaches and tortures of men, to be stripped of all outward comforts, and if it were possible, to die a thousand deaths, rather than to do anything against the least tittle of the truth of God, or against the light of our own consciences. And if any shall call what we have said heresy, then do we with the apostle acknowledge, that after the way they call heresy, worship we the God of our fathers, disclaiming all heresies (rightly so called) because they are against Christ, and to be stedfast and immovable, always abounding in obedience to Christ, as knowing our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

PSAL. LXXIV. 21, 22.

Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily.

Oh, let not the oppressed return ashamed, but let the poor and needy praise thy name.

Come, Lord Jesus! come quickly.

FINIS.

AN

APPENDIX

TO A

CONFESSION OF FAITH;

OR,

A MORE FULL DECLARATION OF THE FAITH AND JUDGEMENT OF BAPTIZED BELEEVERS.

OCCASIONED BY THE INQUIRY OF SOME WELL-AFFECTED AND GODLY
PERSONS IN THE COUNTRY.

Written by BENJAMIN COX, a Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Published for the further clearing of the Truth, and discovery of their mistake who have imagined a dissent in fundamentals where there is none.

Matth. x. 27, 28.

What I tel you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what yee hear in the ear, that preach yee upon the house-tops.

And fear not, &c.

(Novemb. 30.)

LONDON, Printed in the year 1646.

E

A MORE FULL

DECLARATION

OF THE

FAITH AND JUDGEMENT

OF

BAPTIZED BELEEVERS:

Be ready always, saith the apostle Peter, to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, 1 Pet. iii. 15. It is therefore our duty, in meekness and love, to give an answer to those godly persons which desire to be fully informed of our judgment concerning religion and the ways of our God. To those, therefore, that have expressed a desire to be so informed, I thus answer :

In a book lately reprinted, entitled, "A Confession of Faith of Seven Congregations or Churches of Christ in London," &c., is a plain and sincere expression of our judgment in the things therein spoken of, in 52 Articles: and if our judgment touching some particulars, wherein we seem or are supposed to dissent from some others, do not appear clearly enough in that confession, I hope the same shall somewhat more clearly appear in this ensuing Appendix.'

I.

We believe that the punishment due to Adam for his first rebellion, and due to all men for their sin in Adam, and for all their sins against the law, was not a laying of the whole person of man in the dust, or grave, eternally without life or sense; for then the punishment of man that sinned, should not have differed from the punishment of the brute beast that sinned not. But the punishment due to man, as aforesaid,

[Mr. Cox's name is subscribed to the Confession of 1646. spelt Benjamin Cockes.]

It is there

was indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, and that eternal: and consequently the redemption which we have by Christ from the curse of the law, is a redemption from eternal misery and torment. This we learn from these places of Scripture compared together; Rom. ii. 8, 9; Jude 7; Gal. iii. 13; Heb. ix. 12.

II.

We believe that the eternity of the punishment of the vessels of wrath is an absolute eternity, knowing no end; as well as the eternity of the life of the saints: Matt. xxv. 46. This we maintain against those that affirm "that all men shall be saved at the last."

III.

Although all the power of the creature to act be from the Creator, and there is a providence of God always extended to every creature and to every action of the creature; yet we judge that the sinful corruption of the creature, and the sinfulness of the creature's action, is from the creature, and not from God; and that it is a great sin to say that God is the author of sin: Eccl. vii. 29; Habak. i. 13; Jas. i. 13, 14, 15; 1 Cor. xiv. 33; 1 John ii. 16. As touching that place which is here objected against us, viz., Amos iii. 6, Shall there be evil in a city, &c.—we conceive that it is either to be rendered according to the last translation in the margin; Shall there be evil in a city, and shall not the Lord do somewhat? Or else that it is to be understood only of the evil of punishment, and not of the evil of sin.

IV.

We teach that they only do or can believe in Jesus Christ, to whom it is given to believe in him by a special, gracious, and powerful work of his Spirit; and that this is (and shall be) given to the elect in the time appointed of God for their