the admonition, according to the rule of Christ; that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
XIII. And, because it is not given to every one to speak a word in season to a wearied or distressed confcience, it is expedient, that a person (in that cafe) finding no ease, after the use of all ordinary means, private and publick, have their address to their own paftor, or fome experienced Christian : but if the person troubled in confcience be of that condition or of that fex, that difcretion, modesty, or fear of scandal, requireth a godly, grave, and secret friend to be present with them in their said address, it is expedient that fuch a friend be present.
XIV. When persons of diverse families are brought together by divine Providence, being abroad upon their particular vocations, or any necessary occafions; as they would have the Lord their God with them whithersoever they go, they ought to walk with God, and not neglect the duties of prayer and thanksgiving, but take care that the fame be performed by such as the company shall judge fittest. And that they likewife take heed that no corrupt communication proceed out of their mouths, but that which is good, to the use of edi. fying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.
The drift and scope of all these Directions is no other, but that, upon the one part, the power and practice of godliness amongit all the ministers and members of this kirk, according to their several places and vocations, may be cherished and advanced; and all impiety and mocking of religious exercises suppressed: and, upon the other part, that, under the name and pretext of religious exercises, no such meetings or practices be allowed as are apt to breed error, scandal, fchifm, contempt, or misregard of the publick ordinances and ministers, or neglect of the duties of partiuclar callings, or such other evils as are the works, not of the Spirit, but of the flesh, and are contrary to truth and peace.
Of the chief Matters contained in the CONFESSION
of FAITH and LARGER CATECHISM.
Con. signifies the Confeffion of Faith. The first number de-
notes the Chapter, the following figures denote the
Paragraphs.
Cat. fignifies the Larger Catechism, and the figures denote
the numbers of the Questions.
Admonition of the church, Con.
Adoption, the nature and privi-
leges of it, Con. xii. Cat. 74.
Adultery, ajust ground of divorce,
Con. xxiv. 5, 6.
Aggravations of fin, Cat. 151.
Amen, the meaning of it, Cat.196.
Angels, God's decree concerning
them, Con. iii. 3, 4. Cat. 13.
How created, Cat. 16. God's
providence towards them, Cat.
19. They are all employed at
his pleasure in the administra-
tions of his power, mercy, and
justice, ib. Not to be worship-
ped, Con. xxi. 2. Cat. 105.
Antichrist, what, Con. xxv. 6. The
Pope is Antichrift, ib.
Antiquity, no pretence for ufing
the devices of men in the wor.
ship of God, Cat. 109..
Anxiety about the things of this
life, finful, Cat. 105, 136, 142.
The Apocrypha, not being of di-
vine inspiration, is of no autho-
rity in the church, Con. i. 3.
Immodest Appel, forbidden, Cat.
139.
Afcenfion of Christ, Con. viii. 4.
Cat. 53. Affembly. See Councils.
Publick Affemblies for the worship
of God not to be carelessly or
wiifully neglected, Con. xxi. 6,
Cc
Affurance
Affurance of grace and salvation,
attainable in this life, Con. xviii.
1, 2. Cat. 80. Without extraor-
dinary revelation, Con. xviii. 3.
Cat.80. Upon what it is founded,
Con. iii. 8. xviii. 2. Cat. 80. It
is ftrengthened by good works,
Con. xvi. 2. Believers may want
it, Con. xviii. 3. Cat. 80, 172.
They may have it diminished
and intermitted; and be depri-
ved of comfort, and the light of
God's countenance, Con. xi. 5.
xvii. 3. xviii. 4. Cat. 61. But
they are never utterly deftitute
of that feed of God, and life of
faith and love, &c. out of which
affurance may, by the Spirit,
be in due time revived, Con.
xviii. 4. Cat. 81. And by which,
in the mean time, they are sup-
ported from utter defpair, ib.
It is the duty of all to endeavour
after affurance, Con. xviii. 3.
And to pray for it, Cat. 194.
The fruits of it, it inclines not
to looseness, Con. xviii. 3.
Atheisin, the denying or not ha-
ving a God, Cat. 105.
Attributes of God, Gon. ii. 1, 2.
Cat. 7, 8, 101.
Baptifm, what, Con. xxvi
Cat. 165. To continue to the
end of the world, Con. xxviii. 1.
Cat. 176. But once to be ad-
ministered to any perfon, Con.
xxviii. 7. Cat. 177. By whom,
Con. xxvii. 4. xxvii. 2. Cat.
176. To whom, Con. xxviii. 4.
Cat. 166. Dipping not necef-
sary in baptifm; but it may be
rightly adminiftered by sprink-
ling, Con. xxviii. 3. Baptifm
not neceffary to falvation, yet
it is a fin to neglect it, Con.
xxviii. 5. The efficacy of it,
Con. xxviii. 6. How to be im-
proved, Cat. 167. Wherein it
agrees with the Lord's supper,
Cat. 176. And wherein they
differ, Cat. 177.
Believers. See Faith, Juftification,
Acceptance, Adoption, Sanctifi
cation, Union, Communion, Li-
berty, Works, Perfeverance, Affu-
Benefits which the members of the
invisible church enjoy by Chrift,
Cat. 65. The benefits of Chrift's
mediation, Cat. 57, 58.
The Body of Chrift, how present
in the facrament, Con. xxix. 7
Cat. 170.
The mystical Body of Christ. True
believersaremembers of Chrift's
myftical body, Gon. xxix. 1.
Cat. 168. Which is the whole
number of the elect that have
been, are, or shall be united to
Christastheir head, Con. xxv..
What that union is, Cat. 66.
See Communion.
The bodies of the elect after death,
and at the refurrection, Con.
Cat. 86, 86, 87. 87. Of the
xxxii. 2, 3.
wicked, ib.
Lafcivious Books not to be read,
Cat. 139.
Calling. See Effectual Calling
To have a lawful calling, and
to be dingent in it, is a duty,
Cat. 141.
Vows of Celibacy unlawful, Con.
xxii. 7. Cat. 139.
Censures of the church, what,
Con. xxx. 2, 4. Their ufe, Con.
xxx. 3. Who are to be proceed-
ed againft by the cenfures of the
church, Con. XX. 4. xxix. 8.
xxx. 2. They are to be mana-
ged according to the nature of
the crime, and the demerit of
the person, Con. xxx. 4. Peni-
tent finners are to be abfolved
from cenfures, Con. xxx. 2.
Cenfuring. Rash, harsh, and par-
tial cenfuring, finful, Cat. 145.
Ceremonial law. See Laqw.
Charity towards our neighbour,
wherein it contists, Cat.135,141,
144, 147. What contrary to it,
Cat. 136, 142, 145, 148. Giving
and lending freely according to
ourability, and the neceflities of
others, is a duty, Con. xxvi. 2.
Cat. 141.
Charms, unlawful, Cat. 113.
Chastity, Cat. 138.
Children that die in infaney, how
faved, Con. x. 3. The children of
fuch as profess the true religion
are members of the visible
church, Con. xxv. 2. Cat. 62..
And are to be baptized, Con.
xxviii. 4. Cat. 166.
Christ, why so called, Cat. 42.
Is the only Mediator between
God and man, Con. viii. 1.
Cat. 36. Who being very God,
of one fubftance, and equal with
the Father, Con. viii. 2. Cat.
11,36. In the fulness of time
became man, Con. vii. 2. Cat.
36, 37. The neceffity of his
being God and man, Cat. 38,
39, 40. He was ordained by
God frem eternity to be Medi-
ator, Con. viii. r. He was fanc-
tified and anointed with the
Holy Spirit to execute the of-
fice of Mediator, Con. viii. 3.
Cat. 42. To which he was
called by the Father, Con. viii..
And willingly undertook and
difcharged it, Con, iv. 8. By
his perfect obedience and facri-
fice of himself he purchased re-
conciliation and eternal life for
all the elect, Con. viii. 5. Cat.
38. To whom, in all ages, the
benefits of his mediation are ef-
fectually applied, Con. viii. 6, 8.
Chrift's offices of prophet, prieft,
king, Cat. 43, 44, 45. See Ac-
ceptance, Access, Body of Christ,
Church, Death of Christ, Ex-
altation, Expiation, Humiliation.
Imputation, Interceffion, Judge,
Merit, Meffiab, Name of Christ,
Personal Union, Propitiation,
Reconciliation, Redemption, Re-
furrection, Righteousness,
crifice, Salvation, Satisfaction,
Surety.
Chriftian Chr liberty. See Liberty.
The Church is the object of God's
special providence, Con. v. 7.
Cat. 63. Chrift the only head
of it, Con. viii. 1. xxv. 6. The
catholick church invisible, what,
Con. XXV. L. Cat. 64. Given
to Chrift from all eternity, Con.
viii. 1. The benefits which the
members of it enjoy by Chrift,
Cat. 65, 66, 69, 82, 83, 86, 90.
The catholick church wifible,
what, Con. xxv. 2. Cat. 62. Out
of it no ordinary possibility of
falvation, Con. xxv. 2. Its pri-
vileges, Con. xxv. 3. Cat. 63.
Particular churches more or lets
pure, Con. xxv. 4. The pureft
fubject to mixture and error,
Con. xxv.5. There shall always
be a church on earth to worship
God according to his will, ib.
Church-cenfures. See Genfures.
Church-government, appointed by
the Lord Jefus in the hand of
church - officers, diftinct from
the civil magistrate, Con.xxx.Ι.
Cat. 45, 108. But they are not
exempted from obedience to the
magistrate, Con. xxiii. 4. They
have the power of the keyscom-
mitted to them, Con. xxx. 2.
What that power is, and its ufe,
Con. xxx. 2, 3, 4. They are not
to be opposed in the lawful ex-
ercife of their powers upon pre-
tence of Chriftian liberty, Con.
xx. 4. See Councils. There are
fome circumstances concerning
church-government, which are
to be ordered by the light of
nature and Christian prudence,
according to the g general rules
of the word, Con. i.
The Ten Commandments are the
fum of the moral law, Can.
xix. 2. Cat. 98. They are a per-
fect rule of righteoufness, Corn.
xix. 2. Rules for understand-
ing them, Cat. 99. The preface
explained, Cat. 101. The first
commandment, Cat.103,-106.
Circumcifion, one of the ordinan
ces by which the covenant of
grace was adminiftered under
the law, Con. vii. 5. Cat. 34.
Civil magiftrate, or civil powers.
See Magiftrate.
this life, Cat. 69, 83. Immedi
ately after death, Cat. 86. At
the refurrection and day of judg-
ment, Cat. 87, 90. It is a con-
sequence of their union with
him, Con. xxvi. 1. It doth
not make them partakers of
his Godhead, nor equal with
him, Con. xxvi. 3. It is con-
firmed in the Lord's fupper,
Cat. 168.
Unchafte Company not to be kept,
Cat. 139. Nor corrupt commu.
nications to be used or liftened
to, ib.
The ninth, Cat. 143,-145.
The tenth, Cat. 146,-148.
The fum of the first four com-
mandments, which contain our
duty to God, Cat.102. The fum
of the other fix, which contain
our duty to man, Cat. 122. No
manisable tokeepthe command-
ments of God perfectly, Cat.149.
The Communion. See The Lord's
Supper.
Communion of saints, wherein it
confifts, Con. xxvi. 1, 2. The
enjoyment of it is one of the
privileges of the vifible church,
Cat. 63. In the Lord's fupper
communicants testify their mu-
tual love and fellowship each
with other, Cat. 168. That fa-
crament being abond and pledge
of believers' communion with
Chrift, and with each other, as
members of his mystical body,
Con. xxix. 1. The communion
of saints doth not infringe a
man's property in his goods and
poffeflions, Con. xxvi. 3.
Communion which the elect have
with Chrift, Con. xxvi. 1. In
Condition. Perfect, personal, and
perpetual obedience, the condi-
tion of the covenant of works,
Con. vii. 2. xix. 1. Cat. 10.
God requires faith as the con-
dition to interest sinners in the
Mediator of the covenant of
grace, Cat. 32.
Confeffion of fin always to be made
in private to God, Con. xv. 6.
And is to be joined with prayer,
Cat. 178. When to be made
to men, Con. xv. 6. Upon con-
feffion the offending brother is
to be received in love, ib.
Conscience. See Liberty of Con-
Science. Peace of confcience a
fruit of the sense of God's love,
Con. xviii. 1, 3. Cat. 83. Re-
lievers may fall into fins which
wound the confcience, Con
xvii. 3. xviii. 4. The wicked
are punished with horror of
confcience, Cat. 28, 83.
Contentment. Submiflion to God
is our duty, Cat. 104. Difcon-
tent at his difpenfations is fin-
ful, Cat. 105. A full content,
ment with our condition is our
duty, Cat. 147. Discontentment
with our own estate a fin, Cat.
148.
Controverfies. It belongs to sy-
nods and councils ministerially
to determine controverfies of
|