the admonition, according to the rule of Chrift; that in the mouth of two or three witneffes every word may be eftablifhed.
XIII. And, because it is not given to every one to speak a word in season to a wearied or diftreffed 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 perfon troubled in confcience be of that condition or of that fex, that discretion, modefty, or fear of scandal, requireth a godly, grave, and fecret friend to be prefent with them in their faid addrefs, it is expedient that fuch a friend be present.
XIV. When perfons of diverse fainilies are brought together by divine Providence, being abroad upon their particu lar vocations, or any neceffary occafions; as they would have the Lord their God with them whitherfoever 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 fuch as the company fhall 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 minifter grace to the hearers.
The drift and fcope of all these Directions is no other, but that, upon the one part, the power and practice of godliness amongst all the minifters and members of this kirk, according to their feveral places and vocations, may be cherished and advanced; and all impiety and mocking of religious exercifes fuppreffed: and, upon the other part, that, under the name and pretext of religious exercifes, no fuch meetings or practices be allowed as are apt to breed error, fcandal, fchifm, contempt, or mifregard of the publick ordinances and minifters, or neglect of the duties of partiuclar callings, or fuch 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. fignifies the Confeffion of Faith. The firft number de- notes the Chapter, the following figures denote the Paragraphs.
Cat. fignifies the Larger Catechifm, and the figures denote. the numbers of the Queftions.
Admonition of the church, Con.
Adoption, the nature and privi-
leges of it, Can. 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 pleafure in the administra- tions of his power, mercy, and juftice, ib. Not to be worship- ped, Con. xxi. 2. Cat. 105. Antichrift, what, Con. xxv. 6. The Pope is Antichrift, ib. Antiquity, no pretence for ufing the devices of men in the wor fhip of God, Cat. 109.. Anxiety about the things of this
life, finful, Cat. 105, 136, 142. The Apocrypha, not being of di-
vine infpiration, is of no autho- rity in the church, Con. i. 3. Immodeft Appach, forbidden,Cat. 139.
Afcenfion of Christ, Con. viii. 4.
Gat. 53. Affembly. See Councils. Publick Affemblies for the worship of God not to be carelefsly or wilfully neglected, Con. xxi. 6. Cc Affurance
Affurance of grace and falvation, attainable in this life, Con. xviii. 1,2. Cat. 80. Without extract 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 wart 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. 81. 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 fup- 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 loofenefs, Con. xviii. 3. Atheism, the denying or not ha- ving a God, Cat. 105. Attributes of God, Con. ii. 1g 2. Cat. 7, 8, 101.
Bios. To continue to the Aptifm,what, Con. xxviii. 1, 2.
end of the world, Con. xxviii. 1. Cat. 176. But once to be ad- miniftered to any perfon, Con. xxviii. 7. Cat. 177. By whom, Con. xxvii. 4. xxviii. 2. Cat. 176. To whom, Con. xxviii. 4. Cat. 166. Dipping not necef- fary in baptifm; but it may be rightly adminiftered by sprink ling, Con. xxviii. 3. Baptism 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 fupper,
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 invifible church enjoy by Chrift, Cat. 65. The benefits of Chrift's mediation, Cat. 57, 58. The Body of Chrift, how prefent in the facrament, Con. xxix. 7. Cat. 170.
Themyftical Body of Chrift. True believers are members of Chrift's myftical body, Con. xxix. 1. Cat. 168. Which is the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or fhall be united to Chrift astheir head, Con. xxv. 4. What that union is, Cat. 66. See Communion.
The bodies of the elect after death, and at the refurrection, Con. xxxii. 2, 3. Eat. 86, 87. Of the wicked, ib.
Lafcivious Books not to be read, Cat. 139
.C. Alling. See Effectual Calling. To have a lawful calling, and to be diligent in it, is a duty, Cat. 141.
Vows of Celibacy unlawful, Con. xxii. 7. Cat. 139.
Cenfures of the church, what, Con. xxx. 2, 4. Their ufe, Con. XXX. 3. Who are to be proceed. ed against 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 perfon, Con. xxx. 4. Peni tent finners are to be abfolved from cenfures, Con. xxx. 2. Cenfuring, Rafh, harth, and par tial cenfuring, finful, Cat. 145. Ceremonial law. See Law.
Charity towards our neighbour, wherein it confifts, 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 infancy, how faved, Con. x. 3. The children of fuch as profefs the true religion are members of the vilible @hurch, Con. xxv. 2. Cat. 62. And are to be baptized, Con. xxviii. 4. Cat. 166. Chrift, why fo called, Cat. 42. Is the only Mediator between God and man, Con. viii. 1. Cat. 36. Who being very God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, Con. viii. 2. Cat. 11, 35. In the fulness of time became man, Con. vii. z. Cat. 36, 37. The neceflity of his being God and man, Cat. 38, 39, 40. He was ordained by "God from eternity to be Medi- ator, Con. viii. . 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 purchafed 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 Chrift, Church, Death of Chrift, Ex- altation, Expiation, Humiliation, Imputation, Interceffion, Judge,
Merit, Meffiah, Name of Chrift, Perfonal Union, Propitiation, Reconciliation, Redemption, Re- furrection, Righteousness, Sa- crifice, Salvation, Satisfaction, Surety.
Chriftian liberty. See Liberty. The Church is the object of God's fpecial providence, Con. v. 7. Cat. 63. Chrift the only head of it, Con. viii. 1. xxv. 6. The catholick church invifible, what, Con. xxv. 1. 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 visible, what, Con. xxv. 2. Cat. 62. Out of it no ordinary poffibility of falvation, Con. xxv. 2. Its pri- vileges, Con. xxv. 3. Cat. 63. Particular churches more or leis pure, Con. xxv. 4. The pureft fubject to mixture and error, Con. xxv. 3. 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 magiftrate, Con.xxx.I. Cat. 45, 108. But they are not exempted from obedience to the magiftrate, 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 oppofed 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 general rules of the word, Con. i. 6.
Cea Circumcifior
Circumcifion, one of the ordinan- ces by which the covenant of grace was administered under the law, Con. vii. 5. Cat. 34. Civil magiftrate, or civil powers. See Magiftrate.
The Ten Commandments are the fum of the moral law, Can. xix. 2. Cat. 98. They are a per- fect rule of righteoufnefs, Con. xix. 2. Rules for underftand- ing them, Cat. 99. The preface explained, Cat. 101. The first commandment, Cat. 103,—106. The fecond, Cat. 107,-110. The third, Cat. 111-114. The fourth, Cat. 115,-121. Cat. 123-133. Cat. 134, 136.
The feventh, Cat. 137,-139. The eighth, Cat. 140,-142. 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 tokeepthecommand- ments of God perfectly, Cat.149. The Communion. See The Lord's Supper.
Communion of faints, 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 teftify their mu- tual love and fellowship each with other, Cat. 168. That fa- crament being a bond and pledge of believers' communion with Christ, and with each other, as members of his myftical body, Con. xxix. 1. The communion of faints doth not infringe a man's property in his goods and poffeffions, Con. xxvi. 3. Communion which the elect have with Chrift, Con. xxvi. 1. In
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. fequence 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.
Condition. Perfect, perfonal, and
perpetual obedience, the condi- tion of the covenant of works, Con. vii. 4. xix. 1. Cat. 10. God requires faith as the con- dition to intereft finners in the Mediator of the covenant of grace, Cat. 32.
Confeffion of finalways to be made in private to God, Gon. xv. 6. And is to be joined with prayer, Cat. 178. When to be made to men, Gen. xv. 6. Upon con- feffion the offending brother is to be received in love, ib. Confcience. See Liberty of Con fcience. Peace of confcience a fruit of the fenfe 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 eftate a fin, Cat. 148. Controverfies. It belongs to fy- nods and councils ministerially to determine controverfies of
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