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Of the Forgiveness of Sins; and

SECT. XVIII.

the Power of 12 WHAT is the next Privilege which

the Church in

you believe does, of Right, bethat bebalf. long to thofe who are the Members of Chrifl's

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Church?

A. The Forgivenels of Sins.

2. 2. What is Sin?

A. It is the Tranfgreffion of God's Law, 1Joh. iii. 4. Whether by our Omitting to do what that Required us to have done; Or by our Doing any Thing contrary to its Commands.

3. 2. What mean you by the Law of God? A. The Will of God, howfoever made known to Us; whether by the Light of our Own Confciences, or by the Declarations of his Word; efpecially that which is deliver'd to us, in the Books of the New Teftament.

4. 2. How does God forgive Sin?

A. He washes away the ftain of it by his Sanctifying Grace; and Remits the Punishment of it; for the Sake, and through the Merits, and Medration of Jefus Chrift, our Saviour.

5. 2. What Affurance have we that God will thus Forgive us our Sins?

A. The Covenant of the Gospel is founded upon the Promife of fuch Forgivenefs: So that if We Believe that Chrift died for our Sins, we must alfo Believe that God, for Chrift's Sake, will forgive all thofe, who truly repent of their Sins. Luke xxiv. 47. Acts v. 31. xxvi. 18. Eph. iv. 32.

6. 2. Is this the peculiar Privilege of the Church of Chrift?

A. So the Scriptures tell us: There being no Other Name under Heaven given among Men, by which we must be Saved, but only that of the Lord Jefus. Acts iv. 12.

7. 2. From whom is this Forgiveness to be Sought?

A. Who hath Power to forgive Sins but God only? Mark ii. 7, Of Him therefore it must be fought in the Name of Jefus Chrift.

8. 2. But has not Chrift left a Power with his Church to forgive Sins?

A. He has left with his Church a Minifterial Power, to declare Forgiveness of Sins to all fuch as truly Repent of them, and believe in Him. When therefore the Ministers of his Word, are called in to the Affiftance of Sick or Scrupulous Perfons; they may, upon the Suppofition of a true Repentance, pronounce in God's Name, the Pardon of their Sins to them. But in this they only deliver the Sentence of God; which, if the Sinner be truly penitent, God will infallibly make Good: Otherwife it will be of no ufe to them; becaufe, it was erroneously, though charitably pafs'd upon them.

9.2. But does not the Church of Rome afcribe much more to the Abfolution of the Priest, than this?

A. Yes, it does: Nor is this one of the leaft Prefumptuous, or leaft Dangerous of its Errors. They tell us, that the Sentence of the Priest, in this Cafe, is not only Declarative, but Judicial. And, which is yet worse, they add; That tho' a Sinner be not affected with fuch a Sorrow for his Sins, as would Otherwife be fufficient to obtain God's Pardon; yet by rightly Confeffing them to a Prieft, They fhall be forgiven; and an Entrance Opened into Heaven, by the Power of the Keys, in Abfolution. By the former of which, as they ufurp upon the Prerogative of God; Mark ii. 7. So do they, by the latter, lay a very dangerous Stumbling-block in the way of wicked Men; whilft they Encourage

them

them to Rely on fuch a Sorrow for the Forgiveness of their Sins, as will certainly fail, and Ruin them in the End.

Of the General Refurrectign.

Phil. iii. 21.

SECT. XIX.

WHAT is the Third Privilege, pro

1.2; W

mifed by God to Chrift's Church?

A. The Refurrection of the Body.

2. 2. Shall not All Men whatfoever, be Raifed again at the laft Day?

A. They fhall.

3.2. How then is this a Privilege of thofe who are the Faithful Members of Christ's Church?

A. Because though all Men fhall be Raifed, yet not All after the fame Manner. The Bodies of the Faithful fhall be raised in a moft Bleffed, Mat. xiii.43. and Glorious State: Cor. xv. 42, &c. They Dan. xii. 3. fhall be perfected in all their Parts, and Quali ties; fhall be render'd an Habitation fit for a Glorify'd Soul to dwell in; and be prepared for the Enjoyment of an Everlafting Felicity. And thus to rife; in such a State, and for fuch an End, is certainly a very great Benefit, and the peculiar Privilege of Christ's Holy Church: Luke xiv. 14. xx. 35, 36, 37. John v.

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29.

4.2. How then shall the Wicked be Raised? A. Their Bodies fhall also be Reftored to them; and that in fuch a State, as to be capable of undergoing for Ever thofe Torments which God has prepared for Them. But their Refurrection fhall be to Shame and Mifery: And what is the Bleffing of the Righteous, fhall to the Wicked be a means of Increafing their Pain, and Enlarging their Punishment.

5. 2. Shall we Receive the fame Badies, we now have, at the Refurrection; or fhall fome Other Bodies be prepared for us?

A. The

29.

A. The very Nature of a Refurrection does Dan. xii. 2. unanswerably prove, that we fhall Receive the John v. 28, fame Bodies; and the End of it confirms it to Rom. viii. us: Our Bodies being therefore Raifed, and Re- 11. ftored to Us, that we may be Rewarded, or 1 Cor. vi. Punished, in the fame Eftate both of Soul and 13. 14 Body, in which we had done Things Worthy either of Reward or Punishment.

6.2. Shall All Mankind, not only Good, and Bad, but Every Single Perfon of either kind, be Raised at the Laft Day!

A. All that ever died fhall be Raifed: John V. 20. 2 Cor. v. 10. But many will be found at the Last Day Alive on the Earth. Now they fhall not die, nor, by Confequence, Rife from the Dead. But they fhall be Changed: That is to fay, the Men of that Age, (whether Good or Bad) fhall, by the mighty Power of God, be put into the fame State with Thofe,. who being Dead, were Raifed from the Dead: And fo be brought with them before the Judgment-Seat of Chrift: 1 Cor. xv. 51. 1 Theff. iv. 15.

2 Cor. v. 10.

SECT. XX.

Of the Future
State; of

1.2. WHAT fhall follow upon the Re- Heaven, itex.

furrection?

A. The Laft, and general Judgment of Mankind; which being pafs'd, and the Sentence pronounced upon Every One, according to his Works; It fhall immediately be put in Execution: The Wicked fhall Go into Everlasting Punifhment, but the Righteous into Life Everlasting. Mat. xxv. 46.

2. 2. Shall the Wicked, as well as the Righteous, live for ever?

E

A. They

Comp. Rev.

xiv. 11. xxxi. 8.

A. They fhall, if fuch a State of inexpreffible Mifery, as they fhall be condemn'd to, may be called Living. For they fhall never ceafe to be ; nor ever cease to be tormented to all Eternity: Mat. x. 28. xxv. 41, 46. xviii. 8. Compare Mark ix. 44, 45, 46, 47.

3.2. How then is Everlasting Life a Privilege of the Church of Chrift?

A. As the Refurrection of the Body, was beføre faid to be. That Life which alone deferves to be fo called; that Happy and Glorious Life, which God has prepared for the Faithful in his Kingdom, that is the Singular Privilege of Chrift's Church, and of the Faithful Members of it. The other, is rather an Everlasting Duration; a State of endless Dying, than an Everlasting Life.

4.2. But can it be confiftent with the Justice and Mercy of God, to punish the temporary, and tranfient Sins of Men, with an Everlasting State of Mifery and Sufferings?

A. We must confefs it fo to be, or fay, (which is as Unreafonable, as it would be Wicked) that God will deal Unjuftly, and Unmercifully with Sinners, at the laft Day. For certain it is, that this he has declared fhall be the Refult of their Evil-doings.

5. 2. Why may we not by the Everlasting Death, and Everlasting Punishment, of which the Scriptures fpeak, on this Occafion; underftand rather the final Deftruction of fuch Wicked Perfons, than an Eternal Continuance of Them in Pain and Mifery?

A. Because the Scriptures have plainly declared, were Men willing to underfland it, that by Everlasting Punishment is meant Everlasting TorThat their Worm fhall not die, nor their Fire be quenched; but they fhall dwell in Everlafting Burnings: Mark ix. 44. Ifa. lxvi. 24.

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