A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and messengers. Licensed and entred according to order.

CHAP. VIII. Of Christ the Mediator.

IT pleased God, in his eternal Pur∣pose, to chuse and ordain the Lord Jesus, his onely begotten Son, according to a Covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator between God and Man; the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Saviour of his Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the World; unto whom he did from all eternity give a People to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

II.

The Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one Substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fulness of

time was come, take upon him Mans Nature, with all the essential Properties and common Infirmities thereof, yet without sin, being conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary of her Substance: So that two whole perfect and distinct Natures, the Godhead and the Man∣hood, were inseparably joyned toge∣ther in one Person, without Conversion, Composition, or Confusion; which Per∣son is very God and very Man, yet one Christ, the onely Mediator between God and Man.

III.

The Lord Jesus in his Humane Na∣ture, thus united to the Divine in the Person of the Son, was sanctified and annointed with the holy Spirit above measure, having in him all the Trea∣sures of Wisdom and Knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell, to the end that

being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of Grace and Truth, he might be through∣ly furnished to execute the Office of a Mediator and Surety; which Office he took not unto himself, but was there∣unto called by his Father, who also put all Power and Judgment into his hand, and gave him Commandment to execute the same.

IV.

This Office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that he might discharge, he was made under the Law, and did perfectly fulfil it, and un∣derwent the Punishment due to us, which we should have borne and suffe∣red, being made Sin and a Curse for us, enduring most grievous Torments immediately from God in his Soul, and most painful Sufferings in his Body, was Crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the Power of Death, yet saw no Corruption, on the Third

day he rose from the Dead with the same Body in which he suffered, with which also he ascended into Heaven, and there fitteth at the Right hand of his Father, making Intercession, and shall return to judge Men and Angels at the end of the World.

V.

The Lord Jesus by his perfect Obe∣dience and Sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the Ju∣stice of God, and purchased not onely Reconciliation, but an everlasting In∣heritance in the Kingdom of Heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.

VI.

Although the Work of Redemption was not actually wrought by Christ, till after his Incarnation; yet the Vertue, Efficacy, and Benefits thereof were com∣municated

to the Elect in all Ages suc∣cessively from the beginning of the World, in and by those Promises, Types and Sacrifices wherein he was revealed and signified to be the Seed of the Wo∣man, which should bruise the Serpent's head, and the Lamb slain from the be∣ginning of the World, being yester∣day and to day the same, and for ever.

VII.

Christ in the Work of Mediation acteth according to both Natures, by each Nature doing that which is pro∣per to it self; yet by reason of the Unity of the Person, that which is pro∣per to one Nature, is sometimes in Scri∣pture attributed to the Person denomi∣nated by the other Nature.

VIII.

To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption, he doth cer∣tainly

and effectually apply and com∣municate the same, making Intercession for them, and revealing unto them in and by the Word, the Mysteries of Sal∣vation, effectually perswading them by his Spirit to believe and obey, and go∣verning their Hearts by his Word and Spirit, overcoming all their Enemies by his Almighty Power and Wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most con∣sonant to his wonderful and unsearch∣able Dispensation.