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SECT. XVIII.

What is the next Privilege which you be-
lieve does, of Right, belong to those,

who are the Members of Chrift's Church?
A. The Forgiveness of Sins.

Q. What is Sin?

A. It is the Tranfgreffion of God's Law, 1 Jo. 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.

Q. What mean you by the Law of God?

A. The Will of God, how foever made known to Us; whether by the Light of our Own ConSciences, or by the Declarations of his Word; efpecially that which is deliver'd to us, in the Books of the New Testament.

Q. How does God forgive Sin?

I

his li
of 1,2.

PG1.xxxi.

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

Q. What Affurance have we that God will

thus Forgive Us our Sins?

iv.8.

47.

1 Cor.XV.4.

A. The Covenant of the Gofpel is founded Luk.xxiv. upon the Promife of it: So that if we Believe Act.iii.29. that Chrift died for our Sins, we muft alfo Believe xii.38,39. that God, for Chrift's fake, will forgive all 2 Cor.v.21. thofe, who truly Repent of their Sins. Luk. xxiv. 47. Acts v. 31. xiii. 38. xxvi. 18. Eph. iv.32.

Q. 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 Fefus. Acts iv. 12.

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 Christ.

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

A. He has left with his Church a Ministerial Power, to declare forgivenefs of Sins, to all fuch as truly Repent of them, and Believe in him. And when the Minifters of his Word, are called in to the Affiftance of Sick, or Scru pulous 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; because it was erroneoufly, though charitably, Pafs'd upon Them.

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

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A. Yes, it does: Nor is this One of the least Prefumptuous, or leaft Dangerous, of its Errours. They tell Us, that the Sentence of the Prieft, in this Cafe, is not only Declarative, but Judicial. And, which is yet worse, they add, that though a Sinner be not affected with fuch a Sorrow for his Sin, as would Otherwise be fufficient to obtain God's Pardon; yet, by rightly Confeffing to a Prieft, his Sins 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 Frerogative

rogative of God. Mark ii. 7. So do they, by the latter, lay a very. dangerous Stumbling-block in the way of Wicked Men ; whilst they Encourage them to Rely on fuch a Sorrow for the Forgiveness of their Sins, as will certainly fail, and Ruin them in the End.

SECT. XIX.

Q.What is the Third Privilege promised by
God to Chrift's Church?

A. The Refurredion of the Wody.

Q. Shall not All Men whatsoever be Raised again at the laft Day?

A. They fhall.

Q. How then is this a Privilege of those who are the Faithful Members of Christ's Church? ·

Mat.xiii.43.

A. Because though all Men fhall be Raised, yet not All after the fame Manner. The Bodies Phil.iii. 2. of the Faithful fhall be raised in a most Blef- Dan.xii.3. fed, and Glorious State: 1 Cor.xv.42,&c. They fhall be perfected in all their Parts, and Qualities; fhall be render'd an Habitation fit for a Glorified Soul to dwell in; and be prepared for the Enjoyment of an Everlasting Felicity. And thus to Rife; in fuch a State, and for fuch an End, is certainly a very Great Benefit, and the peculiar Privilege of Chrift's Holy Church.

Q. How then fhall the Wicked be Raifed?

Act.xxiv.

A. Their Bodies fhall alfo be Reftored to Jo.v.28. them; and that in fuch a State, as to be capable of Undergoing for Ever those Torments which God has prepared for Them. But their Refurrection fhall be to Shame, and Mifery: And what is the Blefling of the Righteous, F 4 fhall

Dan.xii 2. Ja.v.28.

19.

fhall to the Wicked be a means of Encreasing their Pain, and Enlarging their Punishment.

Q. Shall we Receive the fame Bodies, we now have, at the Refurrection; or shall fome Other Bodies be prepared for Us?

A. The very Nature of a Refurrection does Rom.viii. 11. unanfwerably prove, that we fhall Receive our Cor.vi. Is, Own Bodies; And the End of it confirms it to 2 Cor.v.10. Us: Our Bodies being therefore Raifed, and Restored to Us, that we may be Rewarded, or Punifh'd, in the fame Eftate both of Soul and Body, in which we had done Things Worthy either of Reward, or Punishment.

Q. Shall All Mankind, not only Good, and Bad, but Every Single Perfon, of either kind, be Raifed at the Last Day?

A. All that ever died fhall be Raised: Jo. V.20. 2 Cor.v.10. But many will be found, at the Laft 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 those who being Dead, were Raised from the Dead: And fo be brought, with them, before the Judgment Seat of Chrift: 1 Cor.xv.51. 1 Thef.iv.15.

SECT. XX.

QWHAT fhall follow upon the Resur

rection?

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 Everlafting Punishment, but the Righteous into Life Everlasting. Mat.xxv. 46.

Q. Shall the Wicked, as well as the Righteous, live for Ever?

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 cease to be; nor ever ceafe to be tormented to all Eternity. Mat.x.28. xxv. 41,46. xviii.8. Compare Markix.44.

Q. How then is Everlasting Life a Privilege of the Church of Christ?

A. As the Refurrection of the Body, was before 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 Christ's Church, and of the Faithful Members of it. The Other, is rather an Everlasting Duration ; a State of endless Dying, rather than an Everlasting Life.

Q. 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?

---xviii.8.

A. We must confefs it fo to be, or fay, Mat.xx.41, (which is as Unreasonable, as it would be 46. Wicked) that God will deal Unjustly, and Mark ix 43. Unmercifully with Sinners, at the Laft Day, 44 For certain it is, that this he has declared thall be the Refuit of their Evil-doings.

Q.Why may we not by the Everlasting Death, and Everlasting Punishment, of which the Scriptures fpeak, on this Occation; understand rather the final Destruction of fuch Wicked Per

fons;

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