IV. PMatth. xii. 25. And Jesus

knew their thoughts, and said un- to them. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desola- tion ; and every city or house di- vided-against itself shall not stand. 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake : whether it be to the king, as supreme; Ver. M. Or un- to governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. Ver. 16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. [Rom. xiii. 1. t9 the "^th Ver::."] Heb. xiii. 1 7. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for tliey watch for your souls, as they that must give account : that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.
F *iRoni.
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The Confession of Faith Chap. XX,
ed to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church ''5 and by the power of the civil magistrate ^
CHAP.
^ Rom. i. 32. Who knowings the judgment of God, (that they which cominit such things are worthy of death,) not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. With 1 Cor. v. 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. Ver. 5. to deliver such an one un- to Satan for the destruction of the ■flesh, that the spirit may he sav- ed in the day of the Lord Jesus. Ver. 11. But now I have written unto you, not to keep conipany, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. Ver. IS. Bi.'t them that are without God judg- eth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked per- son. 2 John, ver. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. Ver. 11. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. And 2 Thess. ill. 14. And if any man obey not t»ur word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. And 1 Tim. vi. 3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words 6f our Lord Jesus Christ, and to tlie doctrine which is according to godliness; Ver. 4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words.
whereof cometh envy, strife, rail- ings, evil surmisings, Ver. 5. Per- verse di:putings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness ; from such withdraw thyself. And Tit. i. 10. For there are marry un- ruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision : Ver. 11. Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they oughl not, for filthy lucre's sake. Ver. 13 'I'his -witness is true: wherefore re. buke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. And Titi iii. 10. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admoni. tion, reject. With Matth. xviii. \5 Moreover, if thy brother shal trespass against thee, go and tel him his fault between thee an him alone: if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brotlier Ver. 16. But if he will not hea thee, then take with thee one o two more, that in the mouth c two or three witnesses every w'or may be established. Ver. 17. An^ if he shall neglect to hear then- tell it unto the church : but he neglect to hear the church, \t him be unto thee as an heathe man, and a publican. 1 Tim. i Holding faith and a good coi science ; which some having y, away, concerning faith have mat shipwreck : Ver. 20. Of whom Hymeneus and Alexander ; who I have delivered unto Satan, tli they may learn not to blasphem Rev. ii. 2. 1 know thy works, ar thy labour, and thy patience, ar how thou canst not bear the: whi{
Gliap. XXI. The Confession of Faith,
125
IcHAP. XXI. Of Religious Worship, and the Salhath^day,
THE li^'ht of nature sheweth that there is a God, who hath lordsliip and sovereignty over all ; is good, and doeth
good
which are evil -. and thou hast tried tliem which say they are apostles, and are not, and hiist found them '■ ' Ver. 11. But I have a few , against thee, becau-ie thou there theni that hold the doc- trine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before tl»e children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to com- fornication. Ver. 15. So hast also them that hold the doc- of the Kicolaitanes, which I hate. Ver. MO. Notwith- iiig, I have a few things .t thee, because thou sufFerest woman Jezebel, which calleth i a prophetess, to teach and Juce my servants to commit uion, and to eat things «acri- unto idols. Rev. iii. 9. Be- , I will make them of the -ogue of Satan, which say they Jews, and are not, but do lie ; b»*hold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
[Deut. xiii. 6. to the 1'2///.] Rom. xiiL 3. For rtilers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power ? do that which is good, and thou shdt have praise of the* same; Ver. 4. For he is the niinistef of God to tlue for good. Bi.t if thou do that vbich is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth not the «w>rd in vain : for he is the mini- ster of Ciod, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. With 2 John, verses 10, 11. [See in ii;ttr%] Ezra vii. 2:^. Whatso-
ever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven : for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons ? Ver. 25. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hind, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond tlie river, all such as know the laws of thy God ; and teach ye them that know them not. Ver. 26. And whoso- ever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily up- on him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to con6sca- tion of goods, or to imprisonment. Ver. 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the JLord which is in Jerusalem : Ver. 28. And hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the kii.g's nnghty princes ; and I was strengthened, a$ the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me. Rev xvii. 12. And the ten horns ^shich thou sawest are ten kii gs, wh.ch have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. Ver. 16. And the ten horns which thou s;4west upon the beast, these shall hate the wh.ore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. Ver. 17. For God hath F3 put
lu
The Confession of Faith. Chap. XXI,
good unto all ; and is therefore to be feared, loved, prais- ed, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart,
and
put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and to give their "kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Neh. xiii. 15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses ; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all man- ner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day : and I testified against them in the day tvherein they sold victuals. Ver. 1 7. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them. What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath-day? Ver. 21. Then I testified against them, and said unto them. Why lodge ye about the wall ? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more en the sabbath. Ver. 22. i\nd I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, con- cerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. Ver. 2S. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off ■their hair, and made them swear by God, saying. Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Ver. 30. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, end appointed the wards of .the priests and the Levites, every one in his business. 2 Kings xxiii. 5. And ke put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah
had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Je- rusalem ; them also that burnt in- cense unto Baal, to the .sun^ and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. Ver. 6. And he brought out the grove from the house of the I-ord, without Jerusalem, imto the brook Kidron, and burnt it at the brook ICidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. Ver. 9. Nevertheless, the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the Lord in Je- rusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their bre- thren. Ver. 20. And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burnt men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem. Ver, 21. And the king commanded all the people, saying. Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. 2 Chron. xxxiv. 33. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the I^ord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. 2 Chron. xv. 12. And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fa thers with all their heart, and with all their soul; Ver. IS. That who- soever would not seek the Lore God of Israel should be put tc death, whether small or great, whe- thei
thap. XXI. The Confession of Faith. 125
and with all tlie soul, and with all tlie might ^ But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that lie may not be worsliipped according to the imaginations ^fc and
ther man or woman. Ver. 16. And also concerning Maachah, the mo- ther of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove : and Asa cut down lier i3ol, and stamp- ed it, and burnt it at the brook Kldron. Dan. iii. 29. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abediiego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dungliill ; because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort. 1 Tim. ii. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority ; tlut we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Isa. xlix. 23. And kings shall be thy nursing- fathers, and their queens thy nurs- ing-mothers} they shall bow down to thee witli tlieir face toward the earth, .-ind lick up the dust of thy feet, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord : for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Zcch. xiii. 2. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered : and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. Ver. 3. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him Fhall say unto him. Thou shalt not live ; for thou speakcst lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and
his mother that begat him shall thrust him through whea he pro- phesieth.