our Brother; but we are particularly directed to them that are of the Houfhold of Faith. And as there is a general reafon calling for our mercy and kindness unto all Men, fo there is a more fpecial reafon urging those who are truly fanctified by the Spirit of God to do good unto fuch as appear to be led by the fame Spirit; for if they communicate with them in the everlasting mercies of God, it is fit they fhould partake of the bowels of man's compaffion; (1) if they communicate with them in things fpiritual and eternal, can it be much that they should partake with them of fuch things as are temporal and carnal? To conclude, Every one may learn from hence what he is to understand by this part of the Article, in which he profeffeth to believe the Communion of Saints; for thereby he is conceived to express thus much I am fully perfuaded of this as of a neceffary and infallible truth, that fuch perfons as are truly fanctified in the Church of Chrift, while they live among the crooked generations of men, and ftruggle with all the miferies of this world, have fellowship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoft, as dwelling with them, and taking up their habitations in them: that they partake of the care and kindness of the bleffed Angels, who take delight in the miniftration for their benefit: that befide the external fellowship which they have in the Word and Sacraments with all the members of the Church, they have an intimate union and conjunction with all the Saints on earth as the living members of 'Chrift; nor is this union feparated by the death of any; but as Chrift in whom they live, is the Lamb flain from the foundation of the world, fo have they fellowship with all the Saints which from the death of Abel have ever departed in the true faith and fear of God, and now enjoy the prefence of the Father, and follow the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth. And thus I believe the Communion of Saints. ARTICLE T ARTICLE X. The Forgiveness of Sins. HIS Article hath (m) always been exprefsly contained and acknowledged in the Creed, as being a moft neceffary part of our Chriftian profeffion and for fome ages it immediately followed the belief of the (n) Holy Church, and was therefore added immediately after it, to fhew that Remiffion of Sins was to be obtained in the (0) Church of Chrift. For being the Creed at firft was made to be used as a confeffion of fuch as were to be baptized, declaring their faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, in whofe name baptifm was administered; they propounded unto them the Holy Church, into which by Baptifm they were to be admitted, and the Forgiveness of Sins, which by the fame Baptifin was to be obtained; and therefore in fome Creeds it was particularly expreffed, (p) I believe one Baptifm for the Forgiveness of Sins. Looking thus upon this Article, with this relation, we find the sense of it must be this, that we believe Forgiveness of Sins is to be obtained in the Church of Christ. For the explication whereof it will be neceffary, first, to declare what is the nature of Remiffion of Sins, in what that action doth confift; fecondly, to fhew how fo great a privilege is propounded in the Church, and how it may be procured by the Members of the Church. That we may understand the notion of Forgiveness of Sins, three confiderations are required; firft, What is the nature of Sin, which is to be forgiven; fecondly, What is the guilt or obligation of Sin, which wanteth forgiveness; thirdly, What is the remiffion itfelf, or the loofing of that obligation. As the power of Sin is revealed only in the Scriptures, fo the nature of it is beft understood from thence. And though the writings of the Apostles give us few definitions, yet we may find even in them a proper definition of Sin. Whofoever committeth fin 1 Johniii. 4 tranfgreffeth alfo the law, faith St. John, and then rendereth this reason of that universal affertion, for fin is the tranfgreffion of the law. Which is an argument drawn from the definition of Sin; for he faith not, Every fin is the tranfgreffion of the law, which had been neceffary, if he had fpoken by way of propofition only, to have proved the univerfality of his affertion, but produceth it indefinitely, Sin is the tranfgreffion of the law, which is fufficient, fpeaking it by way of (q) definition. And it is elsewhere moft evident that every fin is fomething prohibited by fome Law, and deviating from the fame. For the Apostle affirming, that the law worketh wrath, Rom.iv.15. that is, a punishment from God, giveth this as a reafon or proof of his affirmation, for where no law is, there is no tranfgreffion. The Law of God is the rule of the actions of men, and any aberration from that rule is (r) fin: the Law of God is pure, and whatsoever is contrary to that Law is impure. Whatfoever therefore is done by Man, or is in Man, having any contrariety or oppofition to the Law of CGod, is fin. Every action, every word, every thought against the Law is a fin of commiffion, as it is terminated to an object diffonant from, and contrary to the prohibition of the Law, or a negative precept. Every omiffion of a duty required of us is a fin, as being contrary to the commanding part of the Law, or an affirmative precept. Every evil habit contracted in the foul of Man by actions committed against the Law of God, is a fin conftituting a Man truly a finner, even then when he actually finneth not. Any corruption and inclination in the Soul, to do that which God forbiddeth, and to omit that which God commandeth, VOL. I. Nn howfoever howfoever fuch corruption and evil inclination came into that foul, whether by an act of his own will, or by an act of the will of another, is a fin, as being fomething diffonant and repugnant to the Law of God. And this I conceive fufficient to declare the nature of fin. The fecond particular to be confidered is the obligation of fin, which must be presupposed to the folution or remiffion of it. Now every fin doth caufe a guilt, and every finner, by being fo, becomes a guilty perfon; which guilt confifteth in a debt or obligation to fuffer a punishment proportionable to the iniquity of the fin. It is the nature of Laws in general to be attended with these two, Punishments and Rewards; the one propounded for the obfervation of them, the other threatened upon the deviation from them. And although there were no threats or penal denunciations accompanying the Laws of God, yet the tranfgreffion of them would neverthelefs make the perfon tranfgreffing worthy of, and liable unto, whatsoever punishment can in justice be inflicted for that fin committed. Sins of commiffion pafs away in the acting or performing of them; fo that he which acteth againft a negative Precept, after the act is paffed, cannot properly be faid to fin. Sins of omiffion, when the time is paffed in which the affirmative Precept did oblige unto performance, pafs away, fo that he which did then omit his duty when it was required, and in omitting finned, after that time cannot be truly faid to fin. But though the fin itself do pafs away together with the time in which it was committed, yet the guilt thereof doth never pafs which by committing was contracted. He which but once committeth adultery, at that one time finneth, and at no time after can be faid to commit that fin; but the guilt of that fin remaineth on him ftill, and he may be for ever faid to be guilty of adultery, becaufe, he is for ever subject to to the wrath of God, and (s) obliged to fuffer the punishment due unto adultery. This debt or obligation to punishment is not only neceffarily refulting from the nature of sin, as it is a breach of the Law, nor only generally delivered in the Scriptures revealing the wrath of God unto all unrighteoufnefs, but it is yet more particularly represented in the Word, which teacheth us, if we do ill, how fin lieth at the door. Our bleffed Saviour thus taught his Disciples, (t) Whosoever is angry with Matt. v. 22. his brother without a caufe, fhall be liable (obnoxious, or bound over) to the judgement; and whosoever shall fay to his brother, Raca, fhall be liable (obnoxious, or bound over) to the council; but whosoever shall fay, Thou fool, fhall be liable (obnoxious, or bound over) to hell fire. So faith our Saviour again, All fins fhall be Mark iii. forgiven unto the fons of men, and blafphemies where- 28, 29. withfoever they shall blafpheme: But he that fhall blafpheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgivenefs, but is liable (obnoxious, or bound over) to eternal damnation. Whence appeareth clearly the guilt of fin and obligation to eternal punishment, if there remiffion or forgiveness of it; and the taking off that liablenefs, obnoxiousness, or obligation unto death, if there be any fuch remiffion or forgiveness all which is evident by the oppofition, much to be oblerved, in our Saviour's expreffion, He hath never forgiveness, but is liable to eternal death. be no : God, who hath the fovereign power and abfolute dominion over all men, hath made a Law to be a perpetual and univerfal rule of human actions; which Law who foever doth violate, or tranfgrefs, and thereby fin (for by fin we understand nothing clie but the tranfgreffion of the Law), is thereby obliged in all equity to fuffer the punishment due to that obliquity. And after the act of fin is committed and paffed over, this guilt refulting from that act, remaineth; that is, the perfon who committed it Nn 2 continueth |