or in holiness; and since there will be a general judgment, there must needs be a general resurrection ". The resurrection of Christ proves the resurrection of the saints. He rose as their firstfruits. He redeemed the whole man, body and soul. The whole person of the believer, as well as the true church, is united to him. In virtue of their union 5 with Christ, and of his resurrection, as their Head, all believers will be raised in power, glory, and incorruption, fashioned like unto his glorious body. The bodies of all the wicked also will be raised by Christ, as a righteous and powerful Judge, to everlasting shame, contempt, and torments. To the natural man, the resurrection of the dead seems im- 10 probable, if not impossible. But they that believe the word of God, believe that the dead shall be raised; yea, the doctrine is most important and full of comfort to the children of God. The denial of it casts contempt upon the truth and power of God, and subverts the hope of the saints.

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e. Dan. 12, 2. 20

God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained. The justice of God demands the appointment of such a day; the accusations of natural con- 25 science witness to it; the relation subsisting between God and his creatures shows its necessity; the ascension of Christ and the positive testi monies of Scripture certainly prove it and place the doctrine beyond all doubt or question b. God appointed a day of judgment to manifest the glory of his love and grace in the salvation of his church, the 30 glory of his justice and power in the condemnation of impenitent sinners, and the equity of his government over all men, in all things, throughout all ages. God has appointed Jesus Christ to be the Judge of the world in order that he, who, at his first appearance, humbled himself, obscured his glory, and endured the shame, may appear to all 35 in infinite greatness and glory. Christ, therefore, will be the Judge, and men and fallen angels will be judged. The rule of the judgment. will be the books that shall be opened; and the time of the judgment will be the day appointed for that purpose. This judgment will, it is certain, be a general, righteous, and final judgment on all things for 40 ever and ever.

Christ desired to declare the certainty of a day of judgment, to deter men from presumptuous sin, and to comfort the godly in their afflictions h But, though a day is appointed in which he will judge the world, he did not wish it known when the day would come, that men might not 45 be careless, but ever watchful and ready.

a.

Acts 10, 42. 17, 31.

John 5, 22. 27.

b. 2. Thess. 1, 6-10.

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13, 35-37. Luke 12, 35. 36. 2. Pet. 3, 11. Rev. 22, 20.

44. Of the eternal state of the wicked and the Godly.

At the general judgment, the wicked and the godly will be fixed in their eternal habitations, and their place, state, and condition will never be changed". By the power of the sentence pronounced by the Judge at the great day upon the wicked on his left hand, „Depart from me, ye cursed", etc. b, they ,,shall go away into everlasting punish15 ment"; and their punishment will certainly be righteous, because it proceeds from the Omniscient, who sees all secret things, the Judge of all the earth, the essentially righteous God, for whom it is impossible to subvert a man in his cause ". Their punishment involves the total loss of all happiness, all consolation, and all hope of being ever saved. 20 It involves also unutterable torment, for they ,,shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power"d; and Scripture says,,that their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched", that they shall be cast into,,the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone", and into outer darkness, bound 25 hand and foot: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; and their punishment will be everlasting.

But as to the godly, they shall go, at the gracious call of the Judge, into life eternal. This will be a life perfectly free from sin and all its consequences; and it will bring with it the full fruition of all happiness, 30 glory, and consolation that human nature made perfect is capable of enjoying 1. This glory will essentially consist in beholding the glory of the Lord shining in all the perfections of his nature, in enjoying his peace without ceasing, in admiring and loving him, rejoicing in him, serving him and becoming like him; and its endless duration will be the 35 crown of its excellence g. Various expressions are used in Scripture to set forth the eternal glory of the saints; such as,,,entering into the joy of their Lord";,,the eternal weight of glory";,,being satisfied with the likeness of God";,,reigning with the Lord", and that without ceasing and for ever h.

The Congregational Churches in England and Wales, frequently called Independents, hold the following Doctrines, as of Divine authority, and as the foundation of christian faith and practice.

stated.

They are also formed and governed according to the principles hereinafter

Preliminary Notes.

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1. It is not designed, in the following summary, to do more than to state the leading doctrines of faith and order maintained by Congregational Churches 15 in general.

2. It is not proposed to offer any proofs, reasons, or arguments, in support of the doctrines herein stated, but simply to declare what the denomination believes to be taught by the pen of inspiration.

3. It is not intended to present a scholastic or critical confession of faith, 20 but merely such a statement as any intelligent member of the body might offer, as containing its leading principles.

4. It is not intended that the following statement should be put forth with any authority, or as a standard to which assent should be required.

5. Disallowing the utility of Creeds and Articles of religion as a bond of 25 union, and protesting against subscription to any human formularies, as a term of communion, Congregationalists are yet willing to declare, for general information, what is commonly believed among them; reserving to every one the most perfect liberty of conscience.

6. Upon some minor points of doctrine and practice, they, differing among 30 themselves, allow to each other the right to form an unbiassed judgment of the . word of God.

7. They wish it to be observed, that, notwithstanding their jealousy of subscription to Creeds and Articles, and their disapproval of the imposition of any human standard, whether of faith or discipline, they are far more agreed in 35 their doctrines and practices than any church which enjoins subscription, and enforces a human standard of orthodoxy; and they believe that there is no

minister and no church among them that would deny the substance of any one of the following doctrines of religions; though each might prefer to state his sentiments in his own way.

Principles of Religion.

5 I. The Scriptures of the Old Testament, as received by the Jews, and the books of the New Testament, as received by the Primitive Christians from the Evangelists and Apostles, Congregational Churches believe to be divinaly inspired, and of supreme authority. These writings, in the languages in which they were originally composed, are to be 10 consulted, by the aids of sound criticism, as a final appeal in all controversies; but the common version they consider to be adequate to the ordinary purposes of Christian instruction and edification.

II. They believe in one God, essentially wise, holy, just, and good; eternal, infinite, and immutable, in all natural and moral perfections; the 15 Creator, Supporter, and Governor of all beings, and of all things.

III. They believe that God is revealed in the Scriptures, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that to each are attributed the same divine properties and perfections. The doctrine of the Divine existence, as above stated, they cordially believe without attempting fully 20 to explain.

IV. They believe that man was created after the divine image, sinless, and in his kind perfect.

V. They believe that the first man disobeyed the divine command, fell from his state of innocence and purity, and involved all his posterity 25 in the consequences of that fall.

VI. They believe that therefore all mankind are born is sin, and that a fatal inclination to moral evil, utterly incurable by human means, is inherent in every descendant of Adam.

VII. They believe that God having, before the foundation of the 30 world, designed to redeem fallen man, made disclosures of his mercy, which were the grounds of faith and hope from the earliest ages.

VIII. They believe 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 35 and his posterity apart, as a race specially favored 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.

IX. They believe that, in the fulness of the time, the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, being born of the Virgin Mary, but con40 ceived 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".

X. They believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, revealed, either 45 personally in his own ministry, or be 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".

XI. They believe 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".

XII. They believe that the Holy Spirit is given in consequence of Christ's mediation, tho quicken and renew the hearts of men; and that his influence is indispensably necessary to bring a sinner to true repentance, to produce saving faith, to regenerate the heart, and to perfect our sanctification.

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XIII. They believe that we are justified through faith in Christ; as,,the Lord our righteousness", and not ,,by the works of the Law". XIV. They believe that all who will be saved were the objects of Gods eternal and electing love, and were given by an act of divine sovereignty to the Son of God; which in no way interferes with the 15 system of means, nor with the grounds of human responsibility, being wholly unrevealed as to its objects, and therefore incapable of becoming a rule of human duty.

XV. They believe that the Scriptures teach the final perseverance of all true believers to a state of eternal blessedness; which they are 20 appointed to obtain through constant faith in Christ, and uniform obedience to his commands.

XVI. They believe that a holy life will be the necessary effect of a true faith, and that good works are the certain fruits of a vital union to Christ.

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XVII. They believe that the sanctification of true Christians, or their growth in the graces of the Spirit, and meetness for heaven, is gradually carried on through the whole period, during which it pleases God to continue them in the present life; and that, at death, their souls, perfectly freed from all remains of evil, are immediately received into 30 the presence of Christ.

XVIII. They believe in the perpetual obligation of Baptism, and the Lord's Supper: the formen to be administered to all converts to Christianity and their children, by the application of water to the subject, ,,in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"; 35 and the latter to be celebrated by Christian churches as a token of faith in the Saviour, and of brotherly love.

XIX. They believe that Christ will finally come to judge the whole human race according to their works; that the bodies of the dead will be raised again; and that as the Supreme Judge, he will divide the 40 righteous from the wicked, will receive the righteous into,,life everlasting", but send the wicked into,,everlasting punishment".

XX. They believe that Jesus Christ directed his followers to live together in christian fellowship, and to maintain the communion of saints; and that, for this purpose, they are jointly to observe all divine ordinances, 45 and maintain that church-order and discipline which is either expressly enjoined by inspired institution, or sanctionad by the undoubted example of the apostles and of apostolic churches.