The confession teaches that the church is catholic (or universal) and both invisible and visible. [11], Chapter 8 also describes Christ's sacrificial death as satisfying God's justice and attaining both humanity's reconciliation with God and everlasting life for the elect. This is the spiritual union that Christians have with Christ and with one another that allows them to share in the grace, suffering, death, resurrection, and glory of Christ. The Confession still serves as one of the standard texts of the Church of Scotland, and it remains influential within Presbyterian churches across the world. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-1647) with Scripture Proofs In 1660, the Restoration of the British monarchy and Anglican episcopacy resulted in the nullification of these acts of the two parliaments. Yet, it acknowledges that even the purest churches might contain some theological error, while other churches have become so corrupted that they can no longer be called churches of Christ but instead are of Satan. After vigorous debate, the Confession was then in part adopted as the Articles of Christian Religion in 1648, by act of the English parliament, omitting section 4 of chapter 20 (Of Christian Liberty), sections 4–6 of chapter 24 (Of Marriage and Divorce), and chapters 30 and 31 (Of Church Censures and Of Synods and Councils). But there continues a debate, particularly in American Presbyterianism, over the exact role of confessions, specifically the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger … This assurance is based on "the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God". By God's decree, "some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death. The confession states that "the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture" is "the supreme judge" of councils, ancient writers, doctrines, and private revelation. The next year, the Scottish parliament ratified the Confession without amendment. [23], Chapter 21 describes the acceptable parameters of Reformed worship as governed by the regulative principle of worship. God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass:(1) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,(2) nor is violence offered to The confession also teaches that the Holy Spirit enables "the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done. [8] The confession states that the fall and all other sins were foreordained by divine providence; however, the confession also teaches that sin "proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God". In England, the House of Commons returned the document to the Assembly with the requirement to compile a list of proof texts from Scripture. Under the law, the covenant was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances instituted among the Jewish people. The purpose of the Westminster Assembly, in which 121 Puritan clergymen participated, was to provide official documents for the reformation of the Church of England. Westminster Confession of Faith in Tagalog-English 115 . [32], Chapter 30 describes the role of church officers, who are appointed by Christ to govern the church. [13], Chapter 11 covers the doctrine of justification. The Holy Scriptures are said to possess infallible truth and divine authority, containing "all things necessary for [God's] own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life", so that no new revelations or human traditions can be added to it. [29], Chapter 27 summarizes Reformed sacramental theology. The Westminster Confession of Faith Edinburgh Edition Westminster Divines TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. It also outlines a Puritan Sabbatarian position in regards to Christian behavior on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. The effectiveness of a sacrament depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit and the words of institution, which contains a promise of benefit to worthy receivers. The Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. adopted more sweeping revisions of its Confession in 1903. The only grounds for divorce are adultery and willful abandonment by a spouse. In the first covenant, a covenant of works, Adam and his descendants were promised life on the condition of perfect obedience. [26], Chapter 24 covers Reformed teaching on marriage and divorce. 0000002914 00000 n The confession teaches that there is no ordinary possibility of salvation outside of the visible church. Summary of Bible Teaching. In 1643, an assembly was called to Westminster Abbey to address serious matters of doctrine, worship, and government within the church. 0000002990 00000 n It affirms the Reformation doctrines of justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the elect (the Catholic teaching of infused righteousness is specifically rejected). 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