cons, ought to be chosen to their respective offices by a lawful election by the church, with calling upon the name of the Lord, and in that order, which the word of God teacheth. Therefore every one must take heed, not to intrude himself by indecent means, but is bound to wait till it shall please God to call him; that he may have testimony of his calling, and be certain and assured that it is of the Lord. As for the ministers of God's word, they have equally the same power and authority wheresoever they are, as they are all ministers of Christ, the only universal Bishop, and the only head of the church. Moreover, that this holy ordinance of God may not be violated or slighted, we say that every one ought to esteem the ministers of God's word, and the elders of the church, very highly for their work's sake, and be at peace with them without murmuring, strife or contention, as much as possible.

XXXII. Of the order and discipline of the Church.

In the mean time we believe, though it is useful and beneficial, that those, who are rulers of the church, institute and establish certain ordinances among themselves for maintaining the body of the church; yet they ought studiously to take care, that they do not depart from those things, which Christ, our only master, hath instituted. And therefore, we reject all human inventions, and all laws, which man would introduce into the wordship of God, thereby to bind and compel the conscience, in any manner whatever. Therefore we admit only of that, which tends to nourish and preserve concord, and unity, and to keep all men in obedience to God. For this purpose, excommunication or church discipline is requisite, with the several circumstances belonging to it, according to the word of God.

XXXIII. Of the sacraments.

We believe, that our gracions God, on account of our weakness and infirmities, hath ordained the sacraments for us, thereby to seal unto us his promises, and to be pledges of the good will and grace of God toward us, and also to nourish and strengthen our faith; which he hath joined to the word of the gospel, the better to present to our senses, both that, which ho signifies to us by his word, and that which he works inwardly in our hearts, thereby assuring and confirming in us the salvation which he imparts to us. For they are visible signs and seals of an inward and invisible thing, by means whereof, God worketh in us by the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore the signs are not in vain or insignificant, so as to deceive us. For Jesus Christ is the true object presented by them, without whom they would be of no moment. Moreover, we are satisfied with the number of sacraments, which Christ our Lord hath instituted, which are two only, namely, the sacrament of baptism, and the holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ.

XXXIV. Of holy baptism.

We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, who is the end of the law, hath made an end, by the shedding of his blood, of all other sheddings of blood, which men could or would make as a propitiation or satisfaction for sin : and that he, having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, hath instituted the sacrament of baptism instond thereof; by which we are received into the church of God, and separated from all other people and strange religions, that we may wholly belong to him, whose ensign and ban ner we bear: And serves as a testimony unto us, that he will for ever be our gracious God and Father. Therefore he has commanded all those, who are Jis, to be baptized with pure water, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" Thereby signifying to us, that as water washeth away the filth of the body, when poured upon it, and is seen on the body of the baptized, when sprinkled upon him; so doth the blood of Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost, internally sprinkle the soul, cleanse it from its sins, and regenerate us from children of wrath unto children of God. Not that this is effected by the external water, but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God; who is our Red Sea, through

which we must pass, to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh, that is, the devil, and to enter into the spiritual land of Canaan. Therefore, the ministers, on their part, administer the sacrament, and that which is visible, but our Lord giveth that which is signified by the sacrament, namely, the gifts and invisible grace; washing, cleansing and purging our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts, and filling them with all comfort; giving unto us a true assurance of his fatherly goodness; putting on us the new man, and putting off the old man with all his deeds: Therefore, we believe, that every man, who is earnestly studious of obtaining life eternal, ought to be but once baptized with this only baptism. without ever repeat ing the same since we cannot be born twice. Neither doth this baptism only avail us, at the time when the water is poured upon us, and received by us, but also through the whole course of our life; therefore, we detes the error of the anabaptists, who are not content with the one only baptism they have once received, and moreover condemn the baptism of the infants of believers, whom we believe ought to be haptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as the children in Israel fermerly were ci:cumcised upon the same promises, which are made unto our children. And, indeed, Christ shed his blood no less for the washing of the children of the faithful, than for adult persons; and, therefore, they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of that, which Christ hath done for them; as the Lord commanded in the law, that they should be made partakers of the sacrament of Christ's suffering and death, shortly after they were born, by offering for them a lamb, which was a sacrament of Jesus Christ. Moreover, what circumcision was to the Jews, that baptism is to our children. And for this reason, Paul calls baptism the circumcision of Christ,

XXXV. Of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe and confess that our Saviour Jesus Christ did ordain and institute the sacrament of the holy supper, to nourish and support those whom he hath already regenerated and incorporated into his family, which is his church.-Now those, who are regenerated, have in them a two-fold life, the one corporal and temporal, which they have from the first birth, and is common to all men; the other spiritual and heavenly, which is given them in their second birth, which is effected by the word of the gospel, in the communion of the body of Christ; and this life is not common, but is peculiar to God's elect. In like manner God hath given us, for the support of the bodily and earthly life, earthly and common bread, which is subservient thereto, and is common to all men, even as life itself. But for the sup port of the spiritual and heavenly life, which believers have, he hath sent a living bread, which descended from heaven, namely. Jesus Christ, who nourishes and strengthens the spiritual life of believers, when they eat him, that is to say, when they apply and receive him by faith in the spirit Christ, that he might represent unto us this spiritual and heavenly bread, hath instituted an earthly and visible bread, as a sacrament of his body, and wine as a sacrament of his blood, to testify by them unto us, that, as certainly as we receive and hold this sacrament' in ́our hands, and eat and drink the same with our mouths, by which our life is afterwards nourished, we also do as certainly receive by faith (which is the hand and mouth of our soul) the true body and blood of Christ our only Saviour in our souls, for the support of our spiritual life. Now, as it is certain and beyond all doubt, that Jesus Christ hath not enjuined to us the use of his sacraments in vain, so he works in us all that he represents to us by those holy signs, though the manner surpasses our understanding, and cannot be comprehended by us, as the operations of the Holy Ghost are hidden and incomprehensible. In the meantime we err not, when we say, that what is eater and drunk by us is the proper and natural body, and the proper blood of Christ. But the manner of our partaking of the same, is not by the mouth, but by the spirit through faith. Thus then, though Christ always sits at the right hand of his Father in the heavens, yet doth he not, therefèro, cease to make us par takers of himself by faith. This feast is a spiritual table, at which: Chris! communicates himself with all his benefits to us, and gives us there to enjoy both himself, and the merits of his sufferings and death, nourishing,

strengthening and comforting our poor comfortless souls, by the eating of his flesh. quickening and refreshing them by the drinking of his blood. Further, though the sacraments are connected with the thing signified, nevertheless both are not received by all men: the ungodly indeed receives the sacrament to his condemnation, but he doth not receive the truth of the #acrament. As Judas and Simon the sorcerer, both indeed received the sacrament, but not Christ, who was signified by it, of whom believers only are made partakers. Lastly, we receive this holy sacrament in the assem bly of the people of God, with humility and reverence, keeping up amongst its a holy remembrance of the death of Christ our Saviour, with thanks. piving: making there confession of our faith, and of the Christian religion. Therefore, no one ought to come to this table, without having previously rightly examined himself; lest by eating of this bread and drinking of this emp, he eat and drink judgment to himself. In a word, we are excited by the use of this holy sacrament, to a fervent love towards God, and oar neighbour. Therefore, we reject all mixtures and damnable inventions, which men have added unto, and blended with the sacraments, as profaHations of them and affirm that we ought to rest satisfied with the ordinance, which Christ and his apostles have taught us, and that we must speak of them in the same manner as they have spoken.

XXXVI. Of Magistrates.

We believe that our gracious God, because of the depravity of mankind, hath appointed kings, princes, and magistrates, willing that the world should be governed by certain laws and policies; to the end that the dissoluteness of men might be restrained, and all things carried on among them with good order and decency. For this purpose he hath invested the magistracy with the sword, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the protection of them that do well. And their office is, not only to have regard into and watch for the welfare, of the civil state; but also that they protect the sacred ministry; and thus may remove and prevent all idolatry and false worship; that the kingdom of antichrist may be thus destroyed, and the kingdom of Christ promoted. They must therefore countenance the preaching of the word of the gospel every where, that God may be honoured and worshipped by every one, as he commands in his word. Moreover, it is the bounden duty of every one, of what state, quality, or condition soever he may be, to subject himself to the magistrates; to pay tribute, to show due honour and respect to them, and to obey them in all things which are not repugnant to the word of God; to supplicate for them in their prayers, that God may rule and guide them in all their ways, and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Wherefore we detest the anabaptists and other seditions people, and in general all those, who reject the higher powers and magistrates, and would subvert justice, introduce a community of goods, and confound that decency and good order,, which God hath established among men.

Finally we believe, according to the word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven, corporally and visibly, as he ascended, with great glory and majesty to declare himself judge of the quick and the dead; burning this old world with fire and flame, to cleanse it. And then all men will personally appear before this great judge, both men and women and children, that have been from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, being summoned by the voice of the archangel, and by the sound of the trumpet of God. For all the dead shall be raised out of the earth, and their souls joined and united with their proper bodies in which they formerly lived. As for those, who shall that be living, they shall not die as the others, but he changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from corruptible, become incorruptible. Then the 'books (that is to say the consciences) shall be opened, and the dead judged According to what they shall have done in this world, whether it be good or evil. Nay, all men shall give an account of every idle word they have

spoken, which the world only counts amusement and jest; and then the secrets and hypocrisy of men shall be disclosed and laid open before all And therefore the consideration of this judgment, is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and the elect: because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labour and trouble, which they have borne. Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed, and tormented them in this world; and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in that everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honour; and the Son of God will confess their names before God his Father, and his elect angels; all tears shall be wiped from their eyes; and their cause, which is now condemned by many judges and magistrates, as heretical and impious, will then be known jo be the cause of the Son of God. And for a gracious reward, the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory, as never entered into the heart of man to conceive. Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire, to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Rev. xxii. 20,

1

CANONS,

RATIFIED IN THE NATIONAL SYNOD OF THE

REFORMED CHURCH,

HELD AT DORDRECHT, IN THE YEARS 1618 AND 1618

FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE,

Of Divine Predestination.

Article I. As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curse, and are obnoxious to eternal death, God would have done no injustice by leaving them all to perish, and delivering them over to condemnation on account of sin, according to the words of the apostle. Rom. iii. 19, "that every month may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." And verse 23, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And Rom. vi. 23, for the wages of sin is death."

Art. II. But in this the love of God was manifested, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 1 John iv. 9. John iii. 16.

Art. III. And that men may be brought to believe, God mercifully sends the messengers of these most joyful tidings, to whom he will, and at what time he pleaseth; by whose ministry men are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Rom. x. 14, 15. How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher! And how shall they preach except they be sent ?”

Art. IV. The wrath of God abideth upon those who believe not this gospel. But such as receive it, and embrace Jesus the Saviour by a true and living faith, are by him delivered from the wrath of God, and from destruction, and have the gift of eternal life conferred upon them.

Art. V. The cause or guilt of this unbelief as well as of all other sins, is no wise in God but in man himself; whereas faith in Jesus Christ, and

salvation through him is the free gift of God, as it is written, "By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8. * And unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him," &c. Phil. i. 29.

Art. VI. That some receive the gift of faith, from God, and others do not receive it, proceeds from God's eternal decree, "For known unto God Are all his works from the beginning of the world." Acts xv. 18. Eph. Y. 11. According to which decree, he graciously softens the hearts of the elect, nowever obstinate, and inclines them to believe; while he leaves the nonelect his just judgment to their own wickedness and obduracy. And herein is especially displayed the profound, the merciful, and at the same time the righteous discrimination between men, equally involved in ruin; or that decree of election and reprobation, revealed in the word of God, which thongh men of perverse, impure and unstable minds, wrest to their awn destruction, yet to holy and pious souls affords unspeakable consolation CME aids i

Art, VII. Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, he hath, ont of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons”, to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator and head of the elect, and the foundation of Salvation.

This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually to call and draw them to his communion by his word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved then in the fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of the riches of his glorious grace; as it is written, According as he hath chosen is in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Eph. i. 4, 5, 6. And elsewhere, « Whont he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Rom. viii. 30.

Art. VIII. There are not various decrees of election, but one and the same decree respecting all those, who shall be saved, both under the old and new testament: since the scripture declares the good pleasure, purpose and counsel of the divine will to be one, according to which he hath chosen us from eternity, both to grace and to glory, to salvation and the way of salvation, which he hath ordained that we should walk therein. Am J when bute boars,azeri

Art. IX. This election was not founded upon foreseen faith, and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition in man, as the pre-roquisite, cause or condition on which it depended; but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, &c. therefore elec tion is the fountain of every saving good; from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to that of the apostle, "He hath chosen us thot because we were) but that we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love." Eph. i. 4.

Art. X. The good pleasure of God is the sole cause of this gracious election; which doth not consist berein, that God foreseeing all possible quali ties of human actions, elected certain of these as a condition of salvation, but that he was pleased out of the common mass of sinners to adopt some certain persons as a peculiar people to himself, as it is written, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil," &c "it was said (namely to Rebecca) the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written. Jacob have I loved, but Esan have I hated." Rom. ix. 11, 12, And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts xiii. 48.

13.