N01348:16
A treatise I. Of faith. II. Twelve fundamental articles of Christian religion. III. A…
A treatise I. Of faith. II. Twelve fundamental articles of Christian religion. III. A doctrinal conclusion. IV. Questions and answers upon church-government. Taken from written copies long since delivered by the late Reverend Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston, in New-England.
Boston: printed by Bartholemew Green?, 1713
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 2: Mr. John Cotton, of Boston in New-England, his twelve Fundamental Articles of Christian…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. A Fifth Article is, That for our own part, we have not so Worshipped God, from the Fall of our First Parents. We and our Fathers before us, we have all Sinned, and were Born in Sin from our Mothers Womb. If any man say, he hath no Sin (saith the Apostle) there is no truth in him. We have not kept the Ordinances and Statutes of the Lord, and so have deceived our selves of that Reward which the Lord hath promised to them that diligently seek him, Rom. 3.10, 11, 23 And instead of being under a Reward of Blessing, we are under the Curse.
6. The Sixth Article which a man must know; or he cannot be saved, (and if he hold against it, and know what he holds, it is impossible there should be any true Grace in him) is, that we of our selves are utterly unable to rescue our selves from this Misery, by any strength of our own; but we are utterly unable to help our selves; It's that which the Prophet Hosea speaks to, Hos. 13.9. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy self, but in me is thy help And as we have fallen in our First Parents, so in falling, we are only fit to fall: Where is then our help? It is in God. We were Born not of Blood, nor of the will of the Flesh, nor of the will of Man, but of God; not of Blood, that is, our Conversion to God, comes not by the Blood of our Ancestors▪ Nor by the Will of the Flesh, ⟨p. 7⟩not the Will of Corrupt Nature; Nor by the Will of man, that is, of our most holy Parents, or Ministers, or other Good men.