Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and conquering all his and our enemies.- Wesleyan Catechism. Sec. 1. CONFESSION OF INDEPENDENT DIS- The congregational churches believe that God, having, before the foundation of the world, designed to redeem fallen man, made disclosures of his mercy, which were the grounds of faith from the earliest ages. womb of the Virgin-holy, and without | cile us to God, and in making continual partaking of her corruption. A body was intercession for us. ordained unto him by the Father, and formed by the Holy Spirit of the substance of the Virgin, without the least degree of defilement, and his body he took into union with his own person; therefore, a Divine person, and a human nature, have been inseparably united in one Mediator, changing neither the nature of the Divine person, nor the humanity, nor yet blending the one with the other. But the Divine person, Christ Jesus, is a true God and a true man-yet one Mediator between God and man, Emmanuel. It was necessary that the Mediator should be God-man, for it was requisite that the surety should go under the law in our stead, to obey perfectly, to suffer its curse, and to die for those whom he represented, which he could not have done were he not a man; it was necessary that virtue and infinite value should be in his obedience, in his sufferings, and in his death, which would have been impossible, were he not a God. But being a God-man, he magnified the law, he satisfied justice, and honoured all the attributes and government of God. Through his perfect obedience, and his sacrifice, he made reconciliation. He who was in the form of God, was to take upon him the form of a servant-he who knew no sin, to be made (i. e., "bear the punishment of") sin for sinners.-Chaps. 15-17. CONFESSION OF WESLEYAN METHODISTS. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, and the second person in the glorious Trinity, became man. . . and was born of the Virgin Mary, yet without sin . . and so was, and continueth to be, God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever.... He became man that he might be an example of perfect holiness; teach us his heavenly doctrine; and suffer and die in our room and stead. By that means he offered a full satisfaction and atonement to Divine justice, for the sins of the whole world. Our sins deserved death, but Christ, being both God and man, and perfectly righteous, there was an infinite value and merit in his death, which, being undergone for our sakes, and in our stead, Almighty God exercises his mercy in the forgiveness of sins, consistently with his justice and holi That God revealed more fully to Abraham, the covenant of his grace, and having promised that from his descendants should arise the Deliverer and Redeemer of mankind, set that patriarch and his posterity apart, as a race specially favoured and separated to his service-a peculiar church, formed, and carefully preserved, under the Divine sanction and government, until the birth of the promised Messiah. That in the fulness of the time, the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, being born of the Virgin Mary, but conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; and that our Lord Jesus Christ was both the Son of man, and the Son of God-partaking fully and truly of human nature, though without sin-equal with the Father, and "the express image of his person." That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, revealed, either personally in his own ministry, or by the Holy Spirit in the ministry of his Apostles, the whole mind of God, for our salvation; and that, by his obedience to the Divine law while he lived, and by his sufferings unto death, he meritoriously "obtained eternal redemption for us;" having thereby vindicated and illustrated Divine justice, "magnified the law," and "brought in everlasting righteousness." That after his death and resurrection, he ascended up into heaven, where, as the Mediator, he "ever liveth" to rule over all, and to "make intercession for them that come unto God by him.-Declaration of Faith. Sec. 7-10. CONFESSION OF THE CHURCH CF ENGLAND. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only Son of the eternal Father (as long before it was determined, before all beginnings), when the fulness of time was come, did take of that blessed and pure virgin, both flesh and all the nature of man, that he might declare to the world the secret and hidden will of his Father (which will had been laid up from before all ages and generations); and that he might finish in his human body the mystery of our redemption.-Doctrine of the Church of England, Art. 2, Jewel's Apology. The Son, which is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took man's nature of the blessed Virgin's substanceso that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.-39 Art. 2. CATENA PATRUM. ARTICLE VI.-OF OBTAINING SALVATION BY CHRIST. "Neither is there salvation in any other; there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."-Acts iv. 12. CONFESSION OF SAXONY. MELANCTHON. There is no greater virtue, no comfort more effectual, than true invocation. They therefore must needs be reproved, who either neglect true invocation or corrupt it. And there be divers corruptions. whereby the custom of those that call upon men departed out of this life is defended, and help or intercession is sought for at their hands. Such invocation swerveth from God, and giveth unto creatures virtue, help, or intercession. For they that speak modestly, speak of intercession alone; but human superstition goeth on farther, and giveth virtue to them. salvation, and travail together with us, as Paul speaketh. But as the worship or invocation of creatures is not to be instituted upon their groanings, so upon the prayer of saints in heaven we may not allow the invocation of saints. For, touching the invocating of them, there is no commandment nor example in the Holy Scriptures. For seeing all hope of our salvation is to be put, not in the saints, but in our Lord God alone, through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, it is clear, that not the saints, but God alone is to be prayed unto. But we, say they, worship not the saints, but only desire to be holpen before God by their prayers. But so to desire, as the service of Litanies showeth, and is commonly used, is nothing else but to call upon and worship saints: for such desiring requireth, that he is who is desired, be everywhere present, and hear the petition. But this majesty agreeth to God alone; and if it be given to the creature, the creature is worshipped.—Chap. 23. CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA, As touching holy men, it is taught, first, that no man from the beginning of the world unto this time either was, or now is, or can be henceforth unto the end, sanctified by his works or holy actions. And the Holy Scriptures plainly witnesseth throughout all the books thereof that all men, even from their births, are, by nature, sinners, and that there neither is, nor hath been, any one, who, of himself, and by himself, was righteous and holy; but "all have gone aside from God, and are become unprofitable and of no account at all." And whereas some are made holy and acceptable unto God, that is purchased unto them without any worthiness or merit of theirs, by him who alone is holy. We remember that Luther often said, "in the Old Testament it is a clear testimony of Messiah his Godhead, which affirmeth that he is to be invocated, and by this So it is by no means to be suffered, that property is the Messiah there distinguished the honour of the Lamb, Christ our Lord, from other prophets;" and he complained and things belonging to him, and due to that that most weighty testimony was ob-him alone, and appertaining to the proper scured and weakened by transferring prayer to other men.-Art. 22. CONFESSION OF WIRTEMBERG. By prayer God is invocated, and true invocation is a work of faith, and cannot be done without faith. Now faith doth behold Christ, and rely upon his merits only. Wherefore, except thou shalt apply unto thyself the merit of Christ by faith, prayer will stand thee in no stead before God.-Art. 16. We confess also, that the saints in heaven do, after their certain manner, pray for us before God, as the angels also are careful for us; and all the creatures do, after a certain heavenly manner, groan for our and true priesthood of his nature, should be transferred to them: that is, lest of them, and those torments which they suffered, we should make redeemers or merits in this life, or else advocates, intercessors, and mediators in heaven, or that we should invocate them; and not them only, but not so much as the holy angels, seeing they are not God. For there is one only Redeemer, there is one only Advocate, the most merciful Lord of us all.. Whereof we have many testimonies in the Scripture. Holy Peter, before the whole council at Jerusalem, doth prove by sound arguments, that "salvation is not to be found in any other, than in Christ Jesus alone; and that, under this large cope of heaven, there is no CONFESSION OF BELGIA. We believe that the Holy Spirit doth bestow upon us true faith, which doth embrace Jesus Christ with all his merits, doth challenge him unto himself as proper and peculiar, and doth seek for nothing besides him. For it is necessary that either all those things which are required unto our salvation be not in Christ, or, if all be in him, that then he which by faith possesseth Jesus Christ hath also perfect salvation. Therefore it is an horrible blasphemy against God to affirm that Christ is not sufficient, but that we have need of other means besides him. For thereupon it should follow, that Christ is only in part our Saviour.-Art. 22. before us one only Mediator" who both loveth us more entirely, and can by authority do more with the Father, than any other, they rightly think, that this only intercessor and advocate ought to suffice us.-Art. 11. FORMER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA. In the whole Evangelical doctrine, this ought first and chiefly to be urged, that we are saved by the only mercy and grace of God, and by Christ his merits; whereof that men may know how much they stand in need, their sins must be very clearly laid open unto them by the law, and Christ his death.—Art. 12. LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA. Because God is an invisible spirit, and an incomprehensible essence, he cannot, therefore, by any act or image be expressed. For this cause we fear not, with the Scripture, to term the images of God mere lies. We do, therefore, reject not only the idols of the Gentiles, but also the images of Christians. We, in all dangers and casualities of life, call on God alone, and that by the mediation of the only mediator and our intercessor, Jesus Christ. Neither do we acknowledge the saints for our intercessors or mediators, before the Father in heaven. We also believe that we have no access to God, but by one only mediator and advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous; who was, therefore, made man (uniting the human to the Divine nature), that there might Yet for all that, we do neither despise be an entrance made for us miserable men the saints, nor think basely of them. For to the majesty of God, which had other-we acknowledge them to be the living wise been shut up against us for ever.Art. 26. CONFESSION OF FRANCE. We believe, because Jesus Christ is the only advocate given unto us, who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name, that it is not lawful for us to make our prayers in any other form, but in that which God hath set us down in his Word; and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of saints departed, is nothing but the deceits and sleights of Satan, that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying. We also reject all other means, whatsoever men have devised, to exempt themselves from the wrath of God. So much as is given unto them, so much is derogated from the sacrifice and death of Christ.-Art. 24. CONFESSION OF SUEVELAND. By the commandment of Christ the Saviour, that heavenly Father alone is by the same Christ in the Holy Spirit to be prayed unto, as he who hath promised that he will never deny us any of those things which we, by a true faith, ask him through his Son. And seeing the Scripture setteth members of Christ, the friends of God, who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world. We, therefore, love them as brethren, and honour them also; yet not with any worship, but with an honourable opinion of them, and with just praises of them. We also do imitate them. For we desire, with most earnest affections and prayers, to be followers of their faith and virtues; to be partakers also with them of everlasting salvation; to dwell together with them everlastingly with God, and to rejoice with them in Christ. And we much less believe that the relics of saints are to be adored or worshipped. Those ancient holy men seemed sufficiently to have honoured their dead, if they had honestly committed their bodies to the earth, after that the soul was gone up into heaven; and they thought that the most noble relics of their ancestors were their virtues, doctrine, and faith.-Chap. 4 and 5. CONFESSION OF AUGSBURG. Invocation is an honour which is to be given only to God Almighty; that is, to the eternal Father, and to his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. And God hath proposed his Son Jesus Christ for a mediator and High Priest that | ing inheritance, with all things belonging maketh intercession for us. He testifieth, to it, therein bequeathed. that for him alone our prayers are heard and accepted. Therefore we condemn the whole custom of invocating saints departed, and think it is to be avoided. Notwithstanding it profiteth to recite the true histories of holy men, because their examples do profitably instruct, if they be rightly propounded. When we hear that David's fall was forgiven him, faith is confirmed in us also. The constancy of the ancient martyrs doth now likewise strengthen the minds of the godly. For this use it is profitable to recite their histories; but yet there had need be discretion in applying their examples.-Art. 21. CONFESSION OF IRELAND. 1615. Christ fulfilled the law for us perfectly: for our sakes he endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body. He was crucified, and died, to reconcile his Father unto us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all our actual transgressions.-Art. 6. They are to be condemned that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.-Art. 7. CONFESSION OF WESTMINSTER. 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 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. 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. 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 offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requireth of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and promiseth to give unto all those that are ordained unto life his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the Gospel: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the Pascal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-signifying 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 salvation; and is called the Old Testament. 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 administration of the sacrament of baptism and the Lord's Supper; which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity 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 Testament: there are not, therefore, two covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and the same under various dispensations.-Chap. 7. CONFESSION OF ENGLISH AND WELSH 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 retained the reward of life, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express, by way of covenant. Moreover, man having brought himself 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, 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 eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe. This covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament; and it is founded in that 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 saved, did obtain life and a blessed immortality— 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 the everlast ness. man being now utterly incapable of ac- | sins, consistently with his justice and holiceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.-Chap. 7. CONFESSION OF THE WELSH METHODISTS. 1823. Christ, according to the decree and the eternal covenant, was appointed to be a mediator, and he executed that office from the period "the seed of the woman was promised, until his incarnation. He was to perform his mediatorial offices in two states-that of his humiliation and that of his exaltation. In his state of humiliation he was a true God, who came to take upon him the nature of man-to be a real man, partaking of flesh and blood: he who was in the form of God, was to take upon him the form of a servant: he who knew no sin, to be made sin for sinners; assuming his manhood in the womb of a poor virgin; laid in a manger when he was born; persecuted; brought up in poverty; the subject of calumny, falsehood, and reproach; bearing the greatest contempt and sufferings in his body and soul from men and from devils, and even from God himself, as from a righteous judge. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. In his condescension, his sufferings, and his death, he magnified the law, satisfied justice, glorified all the attributes of God, overcame the devil, and destroyed death. The chastisement of sin was placed upon him to the utmost; he gave a sufficient and unblemished sacrifice, and satisfaction, so that he blotted out sins through offering himself; he redeemed his church, brought in everlasting righteousness for it, and opened a fountain to cleanse it thoroughly. Christ administered all his mediatorial offices in his humiliation; he taught the multitudes, but more particularly his disciples. He overcame men, unclean spirits, the elements, diseases, and even death. He protected and governed his people. By sacrificing himself, he rendered every other sacrifice unnecessary; he interceded for transgressors and blessed the people. Art. 17. CONFESSION OF WESLEYAN METHODISTS. By that means (of Christ's death upon the cross for our redemption) he offered a full satisfaction and atonement to Divine justice for the sins of the whole world. Our sins deserved death: but Christ being both God and man, and perfectly righteous, there was an infinite value and merit in his death, which being undergone for our sakes, and in our stead, Almighty God exercises his mercy, in the forgiveness of (Thus) I learn the infinite evil of sin in the sight of God, who could not suffer it to go unpunished. I learn that God is love; for "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," (St. John iii. 16.) I learn also that God is a being of awful justice; and that in the death of our Lord Jesus, both his love and justice are harmonised and glorified. Let us then devoutly say, with St. Paul, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift;" and with St. John, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."-Catechism 2. Sec. 7-11. CONFESSION OF THE CHURCH OF Neither have we any other mediator and intercessor, by whom we may have access to God the Father, than Jesus Christ, in whose only name all things are obtained at his Father's hand. But it is a shameful part, and full of infidelity, that we see everywhere used in the churches of our adversaries, not only in that they will have innumerable sorts of mediators, and that utterly without the authority of God's Word; but besides this also, in that they do not only wickedly, but also shamefully, call upon the blessed Virgin, Christ's mother, to have her remember that she is the mother, and to command her Son, and to use a mother's authority over him.Doctrine of the Church of England, published by authority of Queen Elizabeth.-Art. 4. Jewel's Apology. Min. The Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all them that put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and evermore thy defence; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, thou mayest receive health and salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Resp. O Saviour of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed me, save me, and help me, O Lord, I humbly beseech thee.- Visitation Office. Altered.* tion, making the minister speak first and the [* The alteration is only a judicious transposisick man respond. The words are verbatim as in the Prayer-book, but in an inverse order. |