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DOCT. IV. That we cannot be united unto Christ, unlesse he do first unite himself unto us.
SEeing then the participation of true righteousnesse, salvation, and life, depends wholly upon the most necessarie communion of us with Christ: and hereunto both the preach∣ing of the Gospell, & the administra∣tion of the Sacraments, and all the Ecclesiasticall ministerie is referred: For this cause, what our faith and belief is concerning this matter, briefely and plainly, as near as we can, we thought good to declare and testifie unto all the Church of Christ, in certain Theses, or Positions here following. And first we believe, that, asa 1.1 we love Christ, as Iohn speaketh, because he first loved us; and there∣fore we come unto him with our Spi∣rit, because he first came unto us by his; and therefore we embrace him by faith, because he first embraced us by the virtue of his Spirit and be∣gate faith in us: So neither can we be joyned & united unto him, unless