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XI.
Justification
Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners,
who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ
has made; not for anything wrought in them or done by them; but on account
of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting
on Him and His righteousness by faith.
XII. Sanctification
Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified by God’s word
and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through
the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing
after a heavenly life in cordial obedience to all Christ’s commands.
XIII. Perseverance of the Saints
Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit,
will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but
shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall through
neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair
their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal
judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance,
and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
XIV.
The Church
The Lord Jesus is the head of the Church, which is composed of all His
true disciples, and in Him is, invested supremely all power for its
government. According to His commandment, Christians are to associate
themselves into particular societies or churches; and to each of these
churches He hath given needful authority for administering that order,
discipline and worship which He hath appointed. The regular officers
of a Church are Bishops or Elders, and Deacons.
XV.
Baptism
Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer,
wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and
resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving himself
up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to
church fellowship, and to participation in the Lord’s Supper.
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