quickened, or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual, irresistible work of the Holy Ghost upon the whole soul, for the producing in them [of] a new spiritual life, without which no other means are sufficient for their conversion unto God.

In the chapter on 'Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience' slight modifications are made in two sections, as follows:

SAVOY DECLARATION.

CHAP. XXI.

WESTMINSTER CONFESSION.

CHAP. XX.

II. God alone is Lord of the con

II. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from science, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in any thing of men, which are in any thing contrary to his Word, or not con- contrary to his Word, or beside tained in it; so that to believe it, in matters of faith or worsuch doctrines, or to obey such ship; so that to believe such doccommands out of conscience, is to trines, or to obey such commandbetray true liberty of conscience; ments out of conscience, is to beand the requiring of an implicit tray true liberty of conscience; faith and an absolute and blind and the requiring of an implicit obedience is to destroy liberty of faith and an absolute and blind conscience, and reason also. obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.

III. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty; which is, that being deliv ered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord with

III. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, as they do thereby pervert the main design of the grace of the gospel to their own destruction; so they wholly destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being out fear, in holiness and righteous-, delivered out of the hands of our ness before him all the days of our enemies, we might serve the Lord life.

without fear, in holiness and right

eousness before him all the days

of our life.

The fourth and last section of Chap. XX. of the Westminster Confession, which gives the civil magistrate the power of punishing heresy, is entirely omitted. The American Revision of the Westminster Confession omits only the last clause (which is really the only objectionable feature), ‘and by the power of the civil magistrate.'

SAVOY DECLARATION.

WESTMINSTER CONFES

SION.

AMER. PRESB. REVISION
OF THE WESTM. CONF.

CHAP. XXIV. Of the Civil CHAP. XXIII.—Of the Civil CHAP. XXIII.— Of the Civil

istrate is bound to encour- may not assume to him- not assume to themselves age, promote, and protect self the administration of the administration of the the professors and profes- the Word and Sacraments, Word and Sacraments; or sion of the gospel, and to or the power of the keys the power of the keys of manage and order, civil of the kingdom of heav- the kingdom of heaven; administrations in a due en: yet he hath author- or, in the least, interfere subserviency to the inter- ity, and it is his duty to in matters of faith. Yet est of Christ in the world, take order, that unity and as nursing fathers, it is the and to that end to take peace be preserved in the duty of civil magistrates care that men of corrupt Church, that the truth of to protect the Church of minds and conversations God be kept pure and our common Lord, withdo not licentiously pub-entire, that all blasphe- out giving the preference lish and divulge blasphe- mies and heresies be sup- to any denomination of my and errors, in their pressed, all corruptions Christians above the rest, own nature subverting the and abuses in worship in such a manner that all faith and inevitably de- and discipline prevented ecclesiastical persons whatstroying the souls of them or reformed, and all the ever shall enjoy the full, that receive them; yet in ordinances of God duly free, and unquestioned libsuch differences about the settled, administered, and erty of discharging every doctrines of the gospel, or observed. For the better part of their sacred funcways of the worship of effecting whereof he hath tions, without violence or God, as may befall men power to call synods, to danger. And, as Jesus exercising a good con- be present at them, and Christ hath appointed a science, manifesting it in to provide that whatso- regular government and their conversation, and ever is transacted in them discipline in his Church, holding the foundation, be according to the mind no law of any commonnot disturbing others in of God.

their ways or worship that differ from them, there is no warrant for the magistrate under the gospel to abridge them of their liberty.

wealth should interfere with, let, or hinder the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief.

AMER. PRESB. REVISION OF THE WESTM. CONF. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance.

In Chap. XXV., 'Of Marriage,' the Savoy Declaration omits sections 5 and 6, and the last clause of section 4, Chap. XXIV., of the Westminster Confession.

SAVOY DECLARATION.

WESTMINSTER CONFESSION.

CHAP. XXV.-Of the Church. I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be

CHAP. XXVI. Of the Church. I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, gathered into one, under Christ the the Head thereof; and is the Head thereof; and is the spouse, spouse, the body, the fullness of the body, the fullness of him that him that filleth all in all. filleth all in all.

II. The whole body of men II. The visible Church, which is throughout the world, professing also catholic or universal under the faith of the gospel, and obe- the gospel (not confined to one dience unto God by Christ ac- nation as before under the law), cording unto it, not destroying consists of all those, throughout their own profession by any er- the world, that profess the true rors everting the foundation, or religion, and of their children; unholiness of conversation, are and is the kingdom of the Lord and may be called the visible Jesus Christ, the house and fam

catholic Church of Christ, al-ily of God, out of which there is though as such it is not intrusted no ordinary possibility of salvawith the administration of any tion.

ordinances, or hath any officers

to rule or govern in or over the whole body.

III. The purest churches under

III. Unto this catholic visible Church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto.

IV. This catholic Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.

V. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture heaven are subject both to mixtand error, and some have so degen- ure and error; and some have erated as to become no churches so degenerated as to become no of Christ, but synagogues of Sa-churches of Christ, but synatan. Nevertheless, Christ always gogues of Satan. Nevertheless, hath had, and ever shall have a there shall be always a Church visible kingdom in this world, to on earth to worship God accordthe end thereof, of such as believe ing to his will. in him, and make profession of his

name.

IV. There is no other head of VI. There is no other head of the the Church but the Lord Jesus Church but the Lord Jesus Christ: nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that

Christ; nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof; but it [he] is that Antichrist, that man Antichrist, that man of sin and son of sin and son of perdition that of perdition that exalteth himself exalteth himself in the Church in the Church against Christ, and against Christ, and all that is all that is called God.

called God, whom the Lord shall

destroy with the brightness of his coming.

V. As the Lord is in care and love towards his Church, hath in his infinite wise providence exercised it with great variety in all ages, for the good of them that love him, and his own glory; so, according to his promise, we expect that in the latter days, Antichrist being destroyed, the Jews called, and the adversaries of the kingdom of his dear Son broken, the churches of Christ being enlarged and edified through a free and plentiful communication of light and grace, shall enjoy in this world a more quiet, peaceable, and glorious condition than they have enjoyed.

These Savoy modifications and changes of the Westminster Confession were approved and adopted by American Congregationalists in the Synod of Boston, 1680, and in the Synod at Saybrook, 1708.