What We Believe

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures — the Godhead and manhood — were joined together in one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man.

Christ did truly rise again from the dead and took again His body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith He ascended into heaven and there sitteth until He return to judge all men at the last day.

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son — very and eternal God.

The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man.

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us.

We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only is a wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

Although good works, which are the fruits of the faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be so evidently known, as a tree discerned by its fruit.

Voluntary works, besides, over and above God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety.

Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification.

The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshipping and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.

It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the Primitive Church, to have public prayer in the Church or to minister the sacraments in a tongue not understood by the people.

There are two sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel — Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others, but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.

The Supper of the Lord is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.

The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for both the parts of the Lord's supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.

The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world; and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone.

The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of single life or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them to marry at their own discretion.

It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike; they may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word.

The President, the Congress, the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, according to the division of power made to them by the Constitution of the United States and by the constitutions of their respective states.

The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same. Notwithstanding, every man ought liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.

We confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ; but we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit a man from swearing when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and charity.

Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleanseth from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and are enabled through grace to love God with all our hearts and to walk in His holy commandments blameless.

We affirm that Christian marriage is a sacred covenant between one natural born man and one natural born woman, established by God and celebrated in the Church as a lifelong union of love, faithfulness, and mutual support.