+ Rev. xiii. 8.

the Voice of it was only, Do this and live. To fome greater Sins the immediate and irreversible Sentence of Death was annex'd. Smaller Offences were expiated by the appointed Sacrifices. Whatever we read farther of Sins forgiven under the Law, was of fome fpecial Divine Indulgence, more than was promis'd by Mofes, tho' not more than might be gather'd from the Name and Nature of GOD, so far as fomething of the Gospel was mingled with the Law. Now as the Atonement made by Sacrifices bore a manifet relation to the Death of the Meffias, fo all Atonements whatsoever were effectual only thro' his Blood, who is the Lamb flain from the foundation of the World†: Therefore was his Name called Fefus, becaufe He was to fave his People from their Sins Therefore John the Baptift, who went before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, gave knowledge of Salvation to his People in the remiffion of their Sins . Therefore when our Lord fent his Apostles to gather a Church, He foretold, that Repentance and remiffion of Sins fhould be preached in his Name, among all Nations, beginning at Ferufalemt: + Luk. xxiv. 47. Therefore, the Invitation of the Apostles to thofe who were to come into the Church, ran thus, Repent and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out ; and, Be it known unto you, that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the Law of Acts xiii. 38. Mofes ‡.

Mat. i. 21.

+ Luk. i. 76, 77.

A& iii. 29.

† Mark i. 4. Acts xix. 4:

*

(g) It is certain that Forgiveness of Sins was promifed to all who were baptized in the Name of Chrift: And it cannot be doubted, but that all Per fons who did worthily receive the Ordinance of Baptifm, did likewife receive this happy Effect and Benefit of that Ordinance. John did baptize in the Wilderness, and preach the Baptifm of Repentance for the remiffion of Sins, through Faith in Him that was to come t. And St. Peter made this the Exhortation of his firft Sermon, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion

of

of Sinst. In vain does Socinus endeavour to eva- + Acts ii. 38. cuate the force of this Scripture; attributing the Remiffion either to Repentance without confideration. of Baptifm, or elfe to the publick Profeffion of Faith made in Baptifm; afcribing, at moft, to Baptifm itself, nothing but a Declaration of fuch Re-` miffion. For thefe Evafions will not hold against thofe Places which speak of Baptifm without exprefs mention of Repentance, and Confeffion of Faith as when Ananias fays to Paul, Arife and be baptized, and wash away thy Sins ; and when + A&ts xxii. 16. St. Paul teaches us concerning the Church, that Chrift doth fanctifie and cleanfe it with the laver

of Regeneration *. Which Efficacy cannot there- Ephef. v. 26. fore be denied to this Sacrament, when received with all neceffary Qualifications of the Perfon accepting, and conferr'd with all neceffary performances of the Party adminiftring.

(b) Chrift, who has left us a Pattern of Prayer, has thereby taught us for ever to implore and beg the Forgiveness of our Sins; that as thro' the Frailty of our Nature we are ever prone to of fend, fo we fhould always exercife the Acts of Re-pentance, and for ever feek the Favour of GOD. And this is the Comfort of the Gospel, that as it discovers Sin within us, fo it propounds to us a conftant Remedy; while applying our felves to GOD by Repentance, we are renew'd by his Grace, and pardon'd by his Mercy. To affert that Repentance was not available after Baptifm, and confequently to deny the Power of Abfolution in the Church, was the Herely of Novatianus and Novatus, and feems rather to have taken its Rife and Origine from the former, than the latter.

(i) The Belief of this Article is neceffary,

I. For our Chriftian Confolation; because without it, having all finn'd, and fallen fhort of the Glory of GODt, there remain'd nothing to us but a fear- † Rom. iii. 23. ful looking for of Fudgment *.

M 4

Heb. x. 27.

II. For

II. For our right apprehenfion of GOD's Goodnefs, and our own Happiness. Glorious is the Goodness of GOD, who dispenseth with his Law, who taketh off the Guilt, who imputeth not the Sin. And great is the Happiness of Man, on whom that BlefJednefs cometh, defcrib'd by the Pfalmift; Blessed is he whofe Tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe Sin is cover'd; bleffed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth no Plal, xxxi. 1. 2. Iniquity t. The Year of Jubilee was a time of publick Joy, as being the Year of Release: And there is no Voice like that, Thy Sins are forgiven thee.

III. To inflame us with the Love of GOD Upon the Cafe of the two Debtors in the Gospel, both forgiven by the Creditor, our Saviour makes this Luk. vii. 41,42. Queftion, Which of them will love him most* ? hereby declaring, not only that Love does naturally flow from a fenfe of Forgiveness; but likewife that the degrees of Love rife in proportion to the Greatnes of the Debt forgiven.

IV. To teach us what we owe to Chrift. Through A&t xiii. 38. Him is preached unto us forgiveness of Sins. He ren der'd GOD propitious to our Perfons, by giving Himfelf a Satisfaction for our Sins: And taking off our Obligation to Punishment, laid on us a new Ob ligation of Love and Obedience.

V. To remind us of the Condition requir'd on our part, by this Covenant of Mercy. We have feen that Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins are always join'd together; and therefore if we look for what is promis'd, we muft perform what is commanded.

A R.

I

ARTICLE XI.

The Refurrection of the Body.

Am fully perfuaded of this, as of a most necessary and infallible Truth, that as it is appointed for all Men once to die, fo it is alfo determin'd, that all Men fhall rise from Death; that the Souls feparated from our Bodies are in the hand: of GOD, and live; that the Bodies diffolv'd into Duft, or fcatter'd into Ashes, fhall be recollected in themselves, and reunited to their Souls (a); that the fame Flesh which liv'd before fhall be revived, that the fame numerical Bodies which did fall fhall rise (b); that this Resuscitation fhall be univerfal, no Man excepted, no Flesh left in the Grave; that all the Just hall be rais'd to a Resurrection of Life, and all the Unjust to a Resurrection of Damnation (c); and that this fhall be perform'd at the last Day, when the Trump fhall found (d).

(a) For

(a) For the more eafie and regular proceeding in this fo highly concerning Truth, we may ule the following Method:

To prove,

I. That fuch a Refurrection is not in its felf impoffible.

II. That it is, upon general Confiderations, highly probable.

III. That, upon Chriftian Principles, it is infallibly certain.

+ Particularly Pliny in that known Paffage Imperfectæ verò in homine naturæ præcipua folatia funt, ne Deum quidem poffe omnia: Nam neque fibi poteft mortem confcifcere fi velit, nec mortales æternitate donare,

nec revocare defunctos. N. H. L. H. Co 7.

Pía.l cxxxix.
Is, 16.

1. Such a Refurrection is not, in its felf, impoffible; and therefore no Man can abfolutely deny it. Many of the learned Heathens affirm'd the Refurrection of the Body to be impoffible to the Divine Power it felft. But here they proceeded upon the fame falfe ground as in their denial of a Creation; looking barely on the constant Works of Nature, in which they could never obferve any Action or Operation, that did, or could, produce fuch an effect. But, not to measure things poffible, or impoffible, by fo imperfect a Standard, the Fact in queftion, if impoffible, must be fo either on account of Inability in the Agent, or Incapacity in the Patient. Inability in the Agent, muft refpect either his Knowledge, or his Power. But the Knowledge of GOD is Infinite. Our Subftance was not bid from Him, when we were made in fecret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth. His Eyes did fee our Subftance, yet being imperfect, and in his Book were all our Members written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them ‡. He knoweth whereof we are made; from what Duft we came, and into what Duft we shall return. He, by whom

phe