That we will cheerfully contribute of our property, accord- ing as God has prospered us, for the maintenance of a faith- f nl and evangelical ministry among us, for the support of the poor, and to spread the Gospel over the earth :
That v.* will in all conditions, even till death, strive to live to the glory of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
"And may the Cod of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in us that which is well pleading in his sight, through Je.-us Chri.-t; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Cjnfession of Faith of Baptist Churches (Southern).
1. Holy Scripture.— The holy Scripture is the only snffi. cient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience; the supreme judge by which all con- troversies i)f r, ligion arc to be di ter mined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest.
2. God the Trinttv The Lord our Clod is but one only liv- ing and true Cod, infinite i:i being and perfection. In this divine and infinite being there are three snbsisteneies, the Lather, the Word (or Son), and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity.
3 God's Decree.— Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, Cod, before the foundation of the world was laid, ac- cording to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret Counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chose in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any other tliing in I he creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto. As Cod bath appointed the
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•t the I ather. and Son, and Holy
nd beautiful emblem our
a Saviour, with its effect
irrectlon to a new life; that it is
te to the privilege* ,,f „ ,.,,„,,.,, lv,;lti,„,_ „„,, ,,, „|(.
upper, lii «h eh the members of the church by the ..-■! use of bread and wine, are to commemorate together
lore thev who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Chris,, are effectually called unto faith by Christ, by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation.
4 The Fall of Man and Sin, — Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave to him a righteous law, yet he did not long abide In this honor, but did Wilfully transgress the command given unto him in eating the forbidden fruit; which God was pleased, aceordiiig to hi- wise and holy ,-ounscl, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. I Irr first parents, by this »j>, fell from their original righteous- ness and communion wi h God, whereby death came upon all;
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nil becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the facul- ties and parts of .soul and body. They being the root, cor- rupted nature was conveyed to all thi ir posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath.
5. God's Covenant. — .Man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to reveal the Covenant of Grac •, wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him that they might be saved ; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal lite his Holy Spirit, to make them trilling and able to believe.
0. Christ the. Mediator.— The Son of Cod, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the bright- ness of the Father's glory, of one substance, and equal with him, who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things he hath made, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon him man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin — so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.
7. Redemption.— The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of God, procured reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.
To all those for whom Christ hath obtained eternal redemp- tion he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same ; making intercession for them ; uniting them to himself by his Spirit ; revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mystery of salvation; persuading them to believe and obey; governing their hearts by his word and Spirit, and overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation, and all of free and absolute grace, without any condition foreseen in them to procure it.