God is the first and chiefest being.

Everyone ought to believe there is a God; and it is their great sin and folly who do not.

The light of nature in man, and the works of God, plainly declare there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only do it fully and effectually for the salvation of sinners.

The holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.

The holy Scriptures are a perfect rule of faith and practice, as they were given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

There is but one only, the living and true God.

There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.

The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

God executeth His decrees in the works of creation and providence.

The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.

God created man, male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.

When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.

Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created was their eating the forbidden fruit.

The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.

God, having out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.

The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continues to be, God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.

Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.

Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by His Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Christ executeth the office of a priest, in His once offering up of Himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God; and in making continual intercession for us.

Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies.

Christ’s humiliation consisted in His being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Christ’s exaltation consisteth in His rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.

We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by His Holy Spirit.

The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.

They that are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

The souls of the wicked shall, at their death, be cast into the torments of hell; and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

At the day of judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.

The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to His revealed will.

The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.

The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.

The sum of the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.

The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words: I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments.

The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.

The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due to Him alone.

The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in His Word.

The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in His Word.

The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.

The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of any thing whereby God maketh Himself known.

The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.

The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as He hath appointed in His Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to Himself.

From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.

The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor of, and performing the duties belonging to, everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.

The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any thing against the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.

The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.

The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.

The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.

The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.

The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor’s, wealth or outward estate.

The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness bearing.

The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbor’s good name.

The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor and all that is his.

The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is his.

No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.

To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.

Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the gospel.

Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.

That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love; lay it up in our hearts; and practice it in our lives.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of His Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remission of sins; and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.

The proper subjects of Baptism are those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ; and of none other.

The want of Baptism is not to be lightly regarded; yet, in cases of necessity, God’s grace is not absolutely tied to outward ordinances. Those only who receive Baptism with faith and repentance are saved; not all who receive the outward sign.

Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution, and the practice of the apostles, and not by sprinkling or pouring of water.

The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to His appointment, His death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.

It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves, of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon Him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.

The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught His disciples, commonly called The Lord’s Prayer.

The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

In the first petition, which is Hallowed be Thy name, we pray that God would enable us, and others, to glorify Him in all that whereby He maketh Himself known; and that He would dispose all things to His own glory.

In the second petition, which is Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

In the third petition, which is Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, we pray that God, by His grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.

In the fourth petition, which is Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessing with them.

In the fifth petition, which is And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

In the sixth petition, which is And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen, teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him; and in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say Amen.

A church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word.

The Body of Christ being united together under the rule of Christ as its head, all members have equal standing and participation in its sacred community; yet some are specially set apart for the office of ministry, and others are set apart to serve as deacons.

The officers of a church are pastors or elders, and deacons.

A pastor or elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, given to hospitality, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence; not a novice, and having a good reputation among those who are outside.

Deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money; holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience; blameless, the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

By the keys of the kingdom is meant the authority given by Christ to His church to receive into, or exclude from, its communion those who are to be received as members, or to be rejected and censured, according to the laws of Christ.

Church discipline is the faithful application of Christ’s laws for the government of His church, for the reclaiming of offenders, and the maintaining of the purity, peace, and order of the church.

Church discipline is to be exercised by admonition and rebuke; and, in cases of gross offense or obstinate persistence in sin, by exclusion from the communion of the church.

This question does not admit of a general answer applicable to all circumstances, as the principles and practice of churches differ; yet a believer ought to seek and enjoy the ordinances of Christ where they are most fully and clearly administered according to His Word.

The last duty required of a Christian is, when the hour of death approaches, to commit his soul into the hands of God as a faithful Creator.