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05 - The Westminster Confession of Faith · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty one of religious worship and the Sabbath Day one,
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  Speaker 1: the light of nature shows that there is a God
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  Speaker 1: who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good and
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  Speaker 1: does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised,
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  Speaker 1: called upon, trusted in, and served with all the heart,
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  Speaker 1: and with all the soul, and with all the might.
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  Speaker 1: But the acceptable way of worshiping the True God is
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  Speaker 1: instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will,
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  Speaker 1: that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations
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  Speaker 1: and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under
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  Speaker 1: any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Scripture. Two. Religious worship is to be given
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  Speaker 1: to God, the Father, Son and Holy God, and to
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  Speaker 1: Him alone, not to angels, saints, or any other creature,
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  Speaker 1: and since the Fall, not without a mediator, nor in
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  Speaker 1: the mediation of any other, but of Christ alone. Three. Prayer,
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  Speaker 1: with thanksgiving being one special part of religious worship, is
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  Speaker 1: by God required of all men, and that it may
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  Speaker 1: be accepted. It is to be made in the name
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  Speaker 1: of the Sun, by the help of his Spirit, according
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  Speaker 1: to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love,
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  Speaker 1: and perseverance, and if vocal in a known tongue. Four.
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  Speaker 1: Prayer is to be made for things lawful and for
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  Speaker 1: all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter,
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  Speaker 1: but not for the dead, nor for those of whom
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  Speaker 1: it may be known that they have sinned the sin
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  Speaker 1: unto death. Five. The reading of the scriptures with godly fear,
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  Speaker 1: the sound, preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word in
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  Speaker 1: obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of
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  Speaker 1: psalms with grace in the heart, as also the due
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  Speaker 1: administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ,
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  Speaker 1: are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God,
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  Speaker 1: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions,
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  Speaker 1: which are in their several times and seasons to be
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  Speaker 1: used in an holy and religious manner. Six. Neither prayer
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  Speaker 1: nor any other part of religious worship is now under
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  Speaker 1: the Gospel, either tied unto or made more acceptable by
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  Speaker 1: any place in which it is performed, or tore which
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  Speaker 1: it is directed. But God is to be worshiped everywhere
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  Speaker 1: in spirit and truth, as in private families daily and
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  Speaker 1: in secret, each one by himself, so more solemnly in
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  Speaker 1: the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to
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  Speaker 1: be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or
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  Speaker 1: providence calls thereunto seven. As it is the law of
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  Speaker 1: nature that in general a due proportion of time be
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  Speaker 1: set apart for the worship of God, so in his word,
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  Speaker 1: by a positive, moral and perpetual commandment binding all men
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  Speaker 1: in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in
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  Speaker 1: seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto Him,
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  Speaker 1: which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection
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  Speaker 1: of Christ was the last day of the week, and
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  Speaker 1: from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first
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  Speaker 1: day of the week, which in scripture is called the
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  Speaker 1: Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end
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  Speaker 1: of the world as the Christian Sabbath. Eight. This sabbath
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  Speaker 1: is to be kept wholly unto the Lord, when men,
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  Speaker 1: after ad preparing of their hearts and ordering of their
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  Speaker 1: common affairs beforehand, do not only observe and holy rests
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  Speaker 1: all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts
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  Speaker 1: about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken
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  Speaker 1: up the whole time, in the public and private exercises
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  Speaker 1: of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and
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  Speaker 1: mercy Chapter twenty two of Lawful Oaths and Vows. One.
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  Speaker 1: A lawful oath is part of religious worship, wherein, upon
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  Speaker 1: just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calls God to witness
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  Speaker 1: what he asserts or promises, and to judge him according
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  Speaker 1: to the truth or falsehood of what he swears. Two.
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  Speaker 1: The name of God only is that by which men
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  Speaker 1: ought to swear, and therein it is to be used
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  Speaker 1: with all holy fear and reverence. Therefore, to swear vainly
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  Speaker 1: or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to
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  Speaker 1: swear at all by any other thing, is sinful and
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  Speaker 1: to be abhorred. Yet, as in matters of weight and moment,
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  Speaker 1: an oath is warranted by the word of God under
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  Speaker 1: the New Testament as well as under the Old. So
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  Speaker 1: a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority in such
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  Speaker 1: matters ought to be taken. Three. Whosoever takes an oath
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  Speaker 1: ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act,
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  Speaker 1: and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully
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  Speaker 1: persuaded is the truth. Neither may any man bind himself
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  Speaker 1: by oath to anything but what is good and just,
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  Speaker 1: and what he believes so to be, and what he
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  Speaker 1: is able and resolved to perform. Yet it is a
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  Speaker 1: sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good
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  Speaker 1: and just being imposed by lawful authority. Four. An oath
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  Speaker 1: is to be taken in the plain and common sense
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  Speaker 1: of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot
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  Speaker 1: oblige to sin, but in anything not sinful being taken,
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  Speaker 1: it binds to performance, although to a man's own hurt.
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  Speaker 1: Not is it to be violated, although made to heretics
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  Speaker 1: or infidels. Five. A vow is of the like nature
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  Speaker 1: with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with
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  Speaker 1: the like religious care, and to be performed with the
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  Speaker 1: like faithful. Six. It is not to be made to
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  Speaker 1: any creature, but to God alone, and that it may
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  Speaker 1: be accepted. It is to be made voluntarily out of
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  Speaker 1: faith and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for
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  Speaker 1: mercy received or for the obtaining of what we want.
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  Speaker 1: Whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties or
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  Speaker 1: to other things. So far and so long as they
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  Speaker 1: may fitly conduce thereunto. Seven, No man may vow to
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  Speaker 1: do anything forbidden in the word of God, or what
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  Speaker 1: would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not
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  Speaker 1: in his own power, and for the performance whereof he
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  Speaker 1: has no promise of ability from God. In which respects
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  Speaker 1: popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and
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  Speaker 1: regular obedience are so far from being degrees of higher
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  Speaker 1: perfection that they are superstitious and sinful snares in which
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  Speaker 1: no Christian may entangle himself. Chapter twenty three of the
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  Speaker 1: Civil Magistrate. One, God, the Supreme Lord and King of
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  Speaker 1: all the world, has ordained civil magistrates to be under
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  Speaker 1: him over the people for his own glory and the
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  Speaker 1: public good, and to this end has armed them with
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  Speaker 1: the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement
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  Speaker 1: of them that are good, and for the punishment of evildoers. Two.
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  Speaker 1: It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the
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  Speaker 1: office of a magistrate when called thereunto, in the managing
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  Speaker 1: whereof as they ought to spare, specially to maintain piety, justice,
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  Speaker 1: and peace according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth.
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  Speaker 1: So for that end they may lawfully now under the
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  Speaker 1: New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasion. Three.
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  Speaker 1: Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of
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  Speaker 1: the Word and sacraments, or the power of the keys
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  Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet he has authority, and
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  Speaker 1: it is his duty to take order that unity and
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  Speaker 1: peace be preserved in the Church, that the truth of
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  Speaker 1: God be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemies and
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  Speaker 1: heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and
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  Speaker 1: discipline prevented or reformed, and all the ordainances of God
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  Speaker 1: duly settled, administrated and observed for the better affecting whereof
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  Speaker 1: He has power to cause synods to be present at them,
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  Speaker 1: and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be
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  Speaker 1: according to the mind of God. Four. It is the
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  Speaker 1: duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons,
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  Speaker 1: to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their
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  Speaker 1: lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority for
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  Speaker 1: conscience sake. Infidelity or difference in religion does not make
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  Speaker 1: void the magistrates just and legal authority, nor free the
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  Speaker 1: people from their due obedience to them, from which ecclesiastical
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  Speaker 1: persons are not exempted. Much less has the Pope any
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  Speaker 1: power and jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over
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  Speaker 1: any of their peace people, and least of all, to
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  Speaker 1: deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he shall
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  Speaker 1: judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretense whatsoever.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four of Marriage and Divorce. One marriage is
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  Speaker 1: to be between one man and one woman. Neither is
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  Speaker 1: it lawful for any man to have more than one wife,
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  Speaker 1: nor for any woman to have more than one husband
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  Speaker 1: at the same time. Two. Marriage was ordained for the
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  Speaker 1: mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of
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  Speaker 1: mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with
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  Speaker 1: an holy seed, and for preventing of uncleanness. Three it
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  Speaker 1: is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who
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  Speaker 1: are able, with judgeudg to give their consent. Yet it
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  Speaker 1: is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: And therefore such as profess the true Reformed religion should
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  Speaker 1: not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters. Neither should
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  Speaker 1: such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with
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  Speaker 1: such as are notoriously wicked in their life or maintain
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  Speaker 1: damnable heresies. Four. Marriage ought not to be within the
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  Speaker 1: degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the word. Nor
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  Speaker 1: can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any
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  Speaker 1: law of man or consent of parties, so as those
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  Speaker 1: persons may live together as man and wife. The man
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  Speaker 1: may not marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in
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  Speaker 1: blood than he may of his own, nor the woman
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  Speaker 1: of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own. Five.
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  Speaker 1: Adultery or fornication committed after the contract being detected before
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  Speaker 1: marriage gives just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve
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  Speaker 1: that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it
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  Speaker 1: is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce,
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  Speaker 1: and after the divorce to marry another, as if the
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  Speaker 1: offending party were dead. Six. Although the corruption of man
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  Speaker 1: be such as is apt to study arguments unduly to
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  Speaker 1: put as under those whom God has joined together in marriage,
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  Speaker 1: Yet nothing but adultery or such wilful desertion as can
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  Speaker 1: no way be remedied by the Church or civil magistrate
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  Speaker 1: is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage, wherein
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  Speaker 1: a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed,
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  Speaker 1: and the person's concern in it not left to their
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  Speaker 1: own wills and discretion in their own case. Chapter twenty
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  Speaker 1: five of the Church. One, the Catholic or universal Church,
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  Speaker 1: which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the
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  Speaker 1: elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into
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  Speaker 1: one under Christ, the head thereof and is the spouse,
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  Speaker 1: the body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all. Two.
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  Speaker 1: The Visible Church, which is also Catholic or universal under
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  Speaker 1: the Gospel, not confined to one nation as before under
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  Speaker 1: the law, consists of all those throughout the world that
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  Speaker 1: profess the true religion and of their children, and is
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the House and
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  Speaker 1: family of God, out of which there is no or
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  Speaker 1: ordinary possibility of salvation. Three. Unto this Catholic visible Church,
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  Speaker 1: Christ has given the ministry, oracles and ordinances of God
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  Speaker 1: for the gathering and perfecting of the saints in this
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  Speaker 1: life to the end of the world, and does, by
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  Speaker 1: his own presence and spirit, according to his promise, make
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  Speaker 1: them effectual thereunto four, this Catholic Church has been sometimes
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  Speaker 1: more sometimes less visible, and particular churches which are members
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  Speaker 1: thereof are more or less pure according as the doctrine
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  Speaker 1: of the Gospel as taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and
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  Speaker 1: public worship performed more or less purely in them. Five.
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  Speaker 1: The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture
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  Speaker 1: and error, and some have so degenerated as to become
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  Speaker 1: no churches of Christ but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there
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  Speaker 1: shall be always a church on earth to worship God
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  Speaker 1: according to his will. Six. There is no other head
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  Speaker 1: of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor can
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  Speaker 1: the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof.
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  Speaker 1: But is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son
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  Speaker 1: of perdition, that exalts himself in the Church against Christ
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  Speaker 1: and all that is called God. End of Chapter twenty five.