174 



CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



the blessed God, for the instruction and edifi- 

 cation of our churches," in March, 1884, sub- 

 mitted to the churches the following: 



STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE. I. We believe in one 

 God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and 

 earth, and of all things, visible and invisible ; 



And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who 

 is of one substance with the Father, by whom all 

 things were made: 



And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, 

 who is sent from the Father and Son, and who, to- 

 gether with the Father and Son, is worshiped and 

 glorified. 



II. We believe that the providence of God, by 

 which he executes his eternal purposes in the govern- 

 ment of the world, is in and over all events ; yet so 

 that the freedom and responsibility of man are not 

 impaired, and sin is the act of the creature alone. 



III. We believe that man was made in the image of 

 God, that he might know, love, and obey God, and 

 enjoy him forever ; that our first parents, by diso- 

 bedience, fell under the righteous condemnation of 

 God ; and that all men are so alienated from God that 

 there is no salvation from the guilt and power of sin, 

 except through God's redeeming grace. 



IV. We believe that God would have all men re- 

 turn to him; and to this end he has made himself 

 known, not only through the works of Nature, the 

 course of his providence, and the consciences of men, 

 but also through supernatural revelations made espe- 

 cially to a chosen people, and above all, when the 

 fullness of time was come, through Jesus Christ his 

 Son. 



V. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and 

 New Testaments are the record of God's revelation of 

 himself in the work of redemption ; that they were 

 written by men under the special guidance of the 

 Holy Spirit; that they are able to make wise unto 

 salvation' and that they constitute the authoritative 

 standard by which religious teaching and human con- 

 duct are to be regulated and judged. 



VI. We believe that the love of God to sinful men 

 has found its highest expression in the redemptive 

 work of his Son; who became man, uniting his 

 divine nature with our human nature in one person ; 

 who was tempted like other men, yet without sin ; 

 who, by his humiliation, his holy obedience, his suf- 

 ferings, his death on the cross, and his resurrection, 

 became a perfect Redeemer : whose sacrifice of him- 

 self for the sins of the world declares the righteousness 

 of God, and is the sole and sufficient ground of for- 

 giveness and of reconciliation with him. 



VII. We believe that Jesus Christ, after he had 

 risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, as 

 the one mediator between God and man, he carries 

 forward his work of saving men ; that he sends the 

 Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, and to lead them 

 to repentance and faith ; and that those who, through 

 renewing grace, turn to righteousness, and trust in 

 Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, receive for his sake 

 the forgiveness of their sins, and are made the chil- 

 dren of God. 



VIII. We believe that those who are thus regener- 

 ated and justified, grow in sanctified character through 

 fellowship with Christ, the indwelling of the Holy 

 Spirit, and obedience to the truth ; that a holy life is 

 the fruit and evidence of saving faith ; and that the 

 believer's hope of continuance in such a life is in the 

 preserving grace of God. 



IX. We believe that Jesus Christ came to establish 

 among men the kingdom of God, the reign of truth 

 and love, righteousness and peace; that to Jesus 

 Christ, the Head of this kingdom, Christians are di- 

 rectly responsible in faith and conduct ; and that to 

 him all have immediate access, without mediatorial or 

 priestly intervention. 



X. We believe that the Church of Christ, invisible 

 and spiritual, comprises all true believers, whose duty 

 it is to associate themselves in churches, for the main- 



tenance of worship, for the promotion of spiritual 

 growth and fellowship, and for the conversion of 

 men; that these churches, under the guidance of the 

 Holy Scriptures, and in fellowship with one another, 

 may determine each for itself their organization, 

 statements of belief, and forms of worship ; may ap- 

 point and set apart their own ministers, and should 

 co-operate in the work which Christ has committed to 

 them for the furtherance of the gospel throughout the 

 world. 



XI. We believe in the observance of the Lord's 

 day, as a day of holy rest and worship ; in the min- 

 istry_ of the Word ; and in the two sacraments, which 

 Christ has appointed for his church : Baptism, to be 

 administered to believers and their children, as the 

 sign of cleansing from sin, of union to Christ, and 

 of the impartation of the Holy Spirit ; and the Lord's 

 Supper, as a symbol of his atoning death, a seal ot 

 his efficacy, and a means whereby he confirms and 

 strengthens the spiritual union and communion of 

 believers with himself. 



XII. We believe in the ultimate prevalence of the 

 kingdom of Christ over all the earth ; in the glorious 

 appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus 

 Christ; in the resurrection of the dead ; and in a final 

 judgment, the issues of which are everlasting punish- 

 ment and everlasting life. 



The commission also submitted for the use 

 of the churches in the admission of members, 

 the following : 



CONFESSION OF FAITH. " What shall I render unto 

 the Lord for all his benefits toward me ? I will take 

 the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the 

 Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the 

 presence of all his people." 



" Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, 

 him will I confess also before my Father, which is in 

 heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, 

 him will 1 also deny before my Father, which is in 

 heaven." 



" For with the heart man believeth unto righteous- 

 ness; and with the mouth confession is made unto 

 salvation." 



Dearly beloved, called of God to be his children, 

 through Jesus Christ our Lord, you are here, that, in 

 the presence of God and his people, you may enter 

 into the fellowship and communion of his Church. 

 You do truly repent of your sins : you heartily re- 

 ceive Jesus Christ as your crucified Saviour and risen 

 Lord ; you consecrate yourselves unto God, and your 

 life to liis service ; you accept his Word as y_our law, 

 and his Spirit as your Comforter and Guide ; and 

 trusting in his grace to confirm and strengthen you in 

 all goodness, you promise to do God's holy will, and 

 to walk with this church in the truth and peace of our 

 Lord Jesus Christ. 



Accepting, according to the measure of your under- 

 standing of it, the system of Christian truth held by 

 the churches of our faith and order, and by this church 

 into whose fellowship you now enter, you join with 

 ancient saints, with the Church throughout the world, 

 and with us, your fellow-believers, in humbly and 

 heartily confessing your faith in the gospel, saying : 



I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of 

 heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only 

 Son, our Lord ; who was conceived by the Holy 

 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; suffered under Pon- 

 tius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried ; the third 

 day he rose from the dead ; he ascended into heaven ; 

 and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Al- 

 mighty ; from thence he shall come to judge the quick 

 and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost ; the holy 

 catholic Church; the communion of saints; the for- 

 giveness of sins ; the resurrection of the body ; and 

 the life everlasting. Amen. 



(Then should baptism be administered to those 

 who have not been baptized. Then should those rise 

 who would unite with the church by letter. To them 

 the minister should say :) 



