USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > Articles of faith and covenant adopted by the First Church in Dedham, March 8, 1821, with a list of the members > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
For God hath not appointed us to wrath. 1 Thess. 5. 9. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ? 2 Cor. 13. 5. What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ? Rom. 9. 22.
ARTICLE XI.
They, in whom a work of grace is begun, are kept from final apostasy, and made to persevere in holy obedience to the end of life.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1. 6. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4. )S. The righteous shall hold on his way ; and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. Job 17. 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thess. 5. 9. Elect according to the fore- knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ : who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. 1 Peter 1. 2, 5. Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with ex- ceeding joy. Jude 24. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son ; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have received the atonement. Rom. 5. 9-11. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called : and whom he called. them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to
2
14
these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Ile that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth : Who is he that condenmeth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or distiess or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 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. 23-39.
ARTICLE XII.
Any number of believers, duly associated, constitute a church of Christ, whose special ordinances are baptismn and the Lord's supper. Adult believers and their children are proper subjects of baptism, and all who are truly penitent for sin and vitally united to Christ in faith and love are proper candidates for the Lord's supper.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Matt. 18. 17. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2. 47. As for Saul, hc made havoc of the church. Acts 8. 3. Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. Acts 12. 1. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. Acts 15. 41. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev. 2. 7.
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28. 19.
And he took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you : this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you.
:
.
15
Luke 22. 19, 20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it and said. Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you : this do in remembrance of ine. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood : this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye cat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. 1 Cor. 11. 20, 23-26.
And the eunuch said. See here is water ; What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. Acts 8. 36. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added to them about 3,000 souls. Aets 2. 41. And was baptized, he and all his, straightway. Acts 16. 33. She was baptized and her household. Acts 16. 15. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas. 1 Cor. 1. 16.
Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 1 Cor. 11. 27-29. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers : for what fellowship hath righteousness with unright- eousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living God : as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you and be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Alnighty. 2 Cor. 6. 14-18.
ARTICLE XIII.
There will be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5. 28, 20. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead ? Acts 26. 8. I have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection
16
of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Acts 24. 15. There- fore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms. and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Heb. 6. 1, 2. They that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Dan. 12. 2 .- 1 Cor. 15. 12-57.
ARTICLE XIV.
At the end of the world, there will be a general judgment, when the Lord Jesus Christ will assemble all intelligent creatures together and make retributions just and final : the righteous will be received to heaven and the wicked banished to hell.
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Ile hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteous- ness by that man whom he hath ordained. Acts 17. 31. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. John 5. 21-23. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8. 38. So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be waiting and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the snn in the kingdom of their Father. Matt. 13. 40-43.
The angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Jude 6, 15. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them
17
down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment ;- the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. 2 Pet. 2. 4, 9.
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Eccl. 12. 14. We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man ac- cording to his deeds : to them who, by patient continuance in well- doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile : for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law ; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. Rom. 2. 2-12. 16. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with God, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fie taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in bis saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day. 2 Thess. 1. 6 --- 10.
Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. John 17. 24. So shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4. 17.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 10. 31. The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, shall have their part in the lake winch burneth with fire and brimstone : which is the second death Rev. 21. c. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of these things which were written in the books according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast isto the lake of fire. Rev. 20. 12, 15. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he si upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, even as a shopleend divideth his sheep from the goats : And he shall set the sheep on his right hand 2 *
18
but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world .- For I was au hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me in : Naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me. ve cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels : For I was an hungered. and ye gave me no meat : I was thirsty. and ye gave me no drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ve visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger. or naked, or sick. or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ?- Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ve did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Matt. 25. 31-46.
You do thus profess and believe. You will now enter into covenant with God and with this church.
tl t( a d t
--
r
.
COVENANT.
God, angels, and this assembly, witness these solemn transactions and bear testimony to your vows.
You profess a true repentance for sin and a cordial trust in Christ. You have made diligent inquiry by a study of the sacred Scriptures and by a careful examination of the heart to ascertain your qualifications to attend the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And it is in the fear of God and with a sincere desire to obey the precepts and honor the institutions of the gospel that you request an admission into this church.
[Vote of the Church is taken. Baptism is administered to those who were not baptized in infancy.]
You are now members of this church of Christ purchased with the price of his blood. You do seriously, deliberately and forever, in the presence of God, angels, and this as-
20
sembly, give up yourselves in faith and love and holy obedience to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost-accepting the Lord Jehovah to be your God, Jesus Christ to be your prophet and priest and king, and the Holy Ghost to be your sanctifier and com- forter and guide. You promise by the aids of divine grace to come out from the world and be separate from its snares and pollutions, to receive in love the pure doctrines of the gospel, to walk in the statutes and ordinances of the Lord blameless, and to do honor to your high and holy vocation. You submit to the inspection and discipline of this church.
You engage to sanctify the Lord's day, to read with diligence the word of God, and to worship him with reverence in the closet and in the family and in the congregation of his people.
This you promise and engage to do, with humble trust in the grace of God, and with an affecting belief that your vows are recorded on high and will be reviewed in the day of final judgment.
[The members of the Church rise to acknowledge the reciprocal obligation of the Covenant.]
We then, the members of this church, do joyfully receive you into our holy communion,
21
and give thanks to God who has inclined your heart to fear his name. We promise to treat you with affection, to watch over you with tenderness, and to offer our prayers to the Great Head of the church that you may be enabled to fulfil this solemn covenant.
The Lord bless you and keep you : the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you : the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. The God of peace, who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the ever- lasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. Now unto Him who is able to establish and keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Numb. 6. 24. Ileb. 13. 20, 21. 1 Peter 5, 10. Jude 24, 25.
V 3 f
C f
C
I 1
APPENDIX.
Form of Corenant adopted at the organization of the Church in Dedham, Nov. 8, 1633.
We, whose names are subscribed, having found by woful expe- rience, the unsteadfastness of our hearts with God and proneness to go astray from his ways, for which we desire to abase and humble ourselves in his presence, and desiring to be joined forever to the Lord, and to cleave together in spiritual love and communion, according to his holy institutions, that we might enjoy in his name such holy helps as the Lord Jesus in wisdom and compassion hath ordained in his gospel for his people, thereby to let out himself unto them, and to build them up in faith and holiness, till he have prepared them for everlasting communion with himself :
We do therefore, in the name and presence of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, and before his people here assembled, solemnly enter into covenant with the Lord our God, professing and ac- knowledging the Lord Jesus, our blessed Redeemer, to be the only priest, prophet, and king of his church, and (through the help of - his grace) his only merit we rest upon for our pardon and peace with the Father; his only teaching and righteous government, with all the blessed ordinances of his kingdom ; we do embrace and submit unto in all things, as the only rule of our lives. renouncing all our own righteousness, with all the doctrines, devices, and command- ments of men, not agreeing with his holy word ; especially all the superstitious and tyrannous commands of Anti-christ, and his adhe- rents, wherein we have in any kind been entangled ; professing and promising, through the help of his rich and free grace, hence- forth not to live unto ourselves, but unto the Lord Jesus, who hath bought us with hus blood, avoiding carefully all such things as be offensive to his Majesty, and dishonorable to our profession of his name, with all such dangerous temptations as our sinful hearts aro
23
wont to be drawn aside withal, in special, the inordinate cares of, and entanglements in, the affairs of this life : Promising and pro- fessing also, through the help of the Lord, to live together in this our holy fellowship, according to the rule of love, in all holy wateli- fulness over each other, and faithful mutual helpfulness in the ways of God, for the spiritual and temporal comfort and good of one another in the Lord; and all to the setting forth of the praise of his rich grace in Christ, who hath called us in his abundant mercy to this holy fellowship with his Majesty and one with another.
Form of Covenant adopted May 23, 1683, when the Church solemnly renewed their Covenant .*
We, who through the exceeding riches of the grace and patience of God do yet continue members of this church, being now as- sembled in the holy presence of God and in the name of the Lord Jesus,-after humble confession of our manifold breaches of Cove- nant before the Lord our God and earnest supplication for pardoning mercy through the blood of Christ, and due acknowledgment of our great unworthiness to be owned as the Lord's covenant-people,- also acknowledging our inability to keep covenant with God, or to perform any spiritual duty, unless the Lord Jesus enable us thereunto, by his spirit dwelling in us,-and being awfully sensible that it is a dreadful thing for sinful dust and ashes, personally to transact with the infinitely glorious Majesty of heaven and earth,- We do in humble confidence of his gracious assistance and ac- ceptance through Christ, each of us for ourselves and jointly as a church of the living God, explicitly renew our covenant with God and one with another, in manner and form following :- viz.
" We do in the name and presence of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and before his people here assembled, solemnly enter into covenant with the Lord our God .- professing and acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ our beloved Redeemer, to be the only Priest, Prophet and King of his church,-And (through the help of his grace) his merit only we rest upon for our pardon and peace with the Father,-his only teaching and righteous government. with all the blessed ordinances of his kingdom, we do embrace and submit to in all things, as the only rule of our lives,-renouncing all our own righteousness, with all the doctrines, devices and command- ments of men, not agreeing with his holy word, especially all the superstitious and tyrannous commands of Anti-christ and his ad- herents, wherein we have been in any kind entangled,-professing and promising (through the help of his free and rich grace) hence- forth not to live to ourselves, but unto the Lord Jesus who hath bought us with his blood,-avoiding all such things as be offensive
* On March 4, 1742, with special fasting and prayer, the Church solemnly renewed their Covenant in this form of words.
.
24
to his Majesty and dishonorable to our profession of his name, with all such dangerons temptations, as our sinful hearts are wont to be drawn aside withal,-in special, the inordinate cares of and en- tanglements in the affairs of this life,-promising and professing also by the help of the Lord to live together in this our holy fel- lowship, according to the rule of love in all holy watchfulness over each other, and faithful mutual helpfulness in the ways of God for the spiritual and temporal comfort and good one of another in the Lord-and all to the setting forth the praise of his rich grace in Christ, who hath called us in huis abundant mercy to this holy fellowship with his Majesty and one with another."
And whereas there are many evils grown too common in this land, so far as we or any of us have been guilty of them, we desire from our hearts to bewail it before the Lord and humbly to entreat for pardoning mercy, for the sake of the blood of the everlasting covenant-And as an expedient unto reformation of whatever evils have provoked the eyes of God's glory amongst us, we do subjoin to our Church Covenant a further engagement, whereby we do as in the presence of God promise-
That we will (by the help of Christ) endeavor every one of us to reform his own heart and life, by seeking to mortify all our sins, and endeavoring to walk closely with God,-to uphold the power of godliness,-(to keep holy the Lord's day, and reverently and carefully to attend upon the dispensation of the word and ordi- nances of Christ, and all parts of Ins worship, whether public or private,) according as in the word of God, it is required of us to do.
We promise also, by the help of Christ, to walk before God in our houses with an upright heart, taking care that God be con- stantly called upon by prayer. and that the Scriptures be frequently read in them, and that we will endeavor to perform all duty re- quired of us toward our children for their spiritual good, both by example, instruction, government and prayer for them.
We do further engage, the Lord helping of us, to endeavor that we may be pure from the sins of the times, such as neglect or pro- fanation of the worsinp or institutions of Christ, Sabbath-breaking, vain and sinful company-keeping. misspending of time, excessive drinking, wanton and loose behavior. failing in truth, uncharitable and unrighteous censurings, sinful tale-bearing, corrupt communi- cation, pride, covetousness and the hke: And in our places to endeavor the suppression of them: And that we will make con- science to walk so. as that we may not give occasion to others to sin, or to speak evil of our holy profession.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.