there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil. There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest, named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth; and they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Gen. 6. 9.-Job 1. 8.-Luke 1. 5, 6.

Q. That proves sufficiently as to particular persons; but what doth the scripture intimate of this, even of considerable numbers?

A. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he hath loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins: these are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth: These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Eph. 2. 4, 5, 6.—Heb. 12. 22, 23.-Rev. 14. 1, 4. -Rev. 5. 14.

CHAPTER VIII.

Concerning Perseverance, and falling from Grace.

Q. Is it enough for a believer, to be sure that he hath once received true grace? or is there any further certainty requisite ?

A. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to

make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. 2 Pet. 1. 10.

Q. May one that hath received true grace, have ground to fear; or suppose he can fall?

A. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. 1 Cor. 9. 27.

Q. That greatly contradicteth the doctrine of such as say, once in grace, ever in grace: But doth the apostle Paul express this only out of an humble esteem of himself or doth he judge or suppose the like of other saints?

A. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day ; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For it is impossi ble for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby many be destroyed. Heb. 3. 12, 13.— 4. 11.-6. 4, 5, 6.-12. 15.

Q. Doth he speak this only by supposition, or doth he assert it not only possible, but certain?

A. For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Tim. 4. 3, 4.

Q. Doth the apostle even judge it necessary to guard such an one, as his beloved son Timothy, against this hazard?

A. This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare, holding faith

and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. And their word will eat as doth a canker; of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying, that the resurrection is passed already; and overthrow the faith of 1 Tim. 1. 18, 19.-6. 10.-2 Tim. 2. 17, 18.

some.

Q. Doth the apostle any where express his fears of this, as a thing that may happen to any number of people, who once truly received the faith of Christ?

A. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, &c. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. Rom. 11. 20.—1 Tim. 4. 1.-1 Thes. 3. 5.

Q. What is the apostle Peter's mind; does he judge that such as have known the right way, may forsake it?

A. Cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity; the dumb ass speaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water; clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning: for it had been better for them, not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his vomit again, and the

sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Pet. 2. 14 to 22.

Q. Gives he any cautions to them that stand, as supposing they may fall?

A. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 2 Pet.

3. 17.

Q. May a man be truly a branch in Christ, or a real member of his body, and afterwards be cut off?

A. If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. John 15. 16.

Q. May a righteous man then depart from his righteousness?

A. But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done, he shall die. Ezek. 18. 26. and 33. 13.

Q. May a believer come to such a condition in this life, from which he cannot fall away?

A. Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. Rev. 3. 12.

Q. May such an one come to be assured that he is in this condition?

A. For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come: nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8: 38, 39.

CHAPTER IX.

Concerning the Church and Ministry.

Q. What is the church?

A. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou

oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Tim. 3, 15.

Q. Who is the head of the church?

A. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: And he is the head of the body, the church, from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Col. 1. 13. and 2. 19.

Q. What kind of persons make the church?

A. Them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. 1 Cor.

1.2.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2. 47.

Q. Hath not Christ appointed officers in the church, for the work of the ministry?

And

A. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Eph. 4. 8, 11, 12.

Q. What kind of men should such as are teachers and overseers of the church be?

A. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach, and the snare of the devil. 1 Tim. 3. 2 to 7.

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God: not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospi tality, a lover of good men; sober, just, holy, temperate;