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THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
enter into the Kingdom of God. In this change they receive a god-like temper and' disposition of mind, by which they be come th e children and heirs of God. This renovation of heart, th e S pirit of God effects th ru the instrum entality of the- preaehed Gospel begetting them by the word of tru th . 7. T h at the justification of the chil dren of God, is exclusively, by the R ight eousness of Christ, imputed to them, and apprehended by th a t faith , which they re ceive by hearing the word of God; even th a t Righteousness of his, which h e . brought in b y his obedience to th e Law, in dying as an atoning Sacrifice, to answer its righteous penalty. And, by v irtu e of th is atonement, he has ordered' his Gospel of salvation to be preached to every crea tu re; and has promised th a t all who be lieve shall be i saved. 8. A ll those who are the children of God by fa ith in the Lord Jesus Christ be ing bom of his Sp irit w ill persevere in the way of Holiness and well doing, from one degree of grace to another, th ru life; a t Death be made p erfect in Christ Jesus, and a t la st be glorified in heaven. This w ill be effected by th e Sp irit and power of Christ. 9. A New Testam ent church is different from th e old testam ent or Jew ish church which was N ational,- and consisted of the n atu ral seed of Abraham (both parents and th eir children) w hether believers or unbelievers; bu t a Gospel church is con- 'gregational, and only of th e members of Christ, or spiritual seed of Abraham ; con sisting of a number of people called out from the love and fellowship of th e un godly world by th e S pirit of God, and mutually covenanted together to keep up and .promote the public worship of God, to w alk in his ordinances and institutions, and to execute the Laws and Discipline of H is House. As a Gospel church is thus a body in corporate she has full power and law ful authority to govern herself by the word of God, which is h er only Charter and Con stitution, therefore, she is independent,
ommend to fa ith fu l pastors th a t sim ilar definitions be adopted by th e individual churches. ' T h e C reed 1. The Scriptures of th e Old and New Testaments are the word of God, being given by divine inspiration, and are th ere fore, the only Rule of F aith and practice. 2. There is one and b u t one God, the F ather, Son and Holy Ghost. 3. Before th e creation of th e world, God, did of his own free grace,- elect in Christ, a certain number of -that human race th a t he was determ ined to bring into existence, to grace and good works in time and to glory in etern ity and put them into the hand and made them the care and charge of Christ. 4. God created th e first man, Adam, male and female, in his own image and likeness, an upright, holy, intelligent crea tu re; a subject of his Moral Government; capable of keeping th e Law he gave him. But he did not continue in th a t state of Rectitude bu t voluntarily transgressed the Law of his Creation, by eating the fo r bidden fru it. And all his offspring sinned in him and fell w ith him, in this, his first transgression—and descending from him by ordinary generation, have all derived a nature which is wholly sinful and de praved; and on this account both he and all-his posterity are justly under the con demnation of the divine law ; and exposed to endless m isery; from all which there can be no deliverance, b u t by Christ, the Second Adam. 5. T h at th e same Jesus Christ, was set up from everlasting as the M ediator of th e everlasting Covenant of grace and be came the security of his people; and did, in the fulness of time, assume human na ture, in which natu re he really suffered death for transgressors, the ju st for the unjust, th a t he m ight bring believing sin ners to God. And has also, thereby made way fo r all those blessings of Grace and glory to flow to them which were given to them in him, before the world began. 6. I t is essentially necessary th a t sinners are born of the Spirit of God, in order to
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