Savoy Declaration
The Savoy Declaration (1658), produced by a conference of Congregational churches at the Savoy Palace in London, is a modification of the Westminster Confession for Congregational polity. Drafted by Thomas Goodwin and John Owen, it represents the confessional standard of English Congregationalism.
All Sections
The authority, sufficiency, and perspicuity of Scripture
1.1
Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom and …
1.2
Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the Books of the …
1.3
All which are given by the inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.
1.4
The Books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and …
1.5
The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony …
1.6
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either …
1.7
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are …
1.8
The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old) and the New …
1.9
The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself; and therefore when there is a question about the …
1.10
The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of …
The being, attributes, and persons of the Godhead
2.1
There is but one only living and true God; who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure Spirit, …
2.2
God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in, and of himself; and is alone, in, and unto himself, all-sufficient, not …
2.3
In the unity of the God-head there be three Persons, of one substance, power and eternity. God the Father, God …
God's eternal decrees, including predestination and election
3.1
God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain …
3.2
Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed any …
3.3
By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, …
3.4
These angels and men thus predestinated, and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and …
3.5
Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his …
3.6
As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his …
3.7
The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or …
3.8
The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending …
God's preservation and governing of all creatures
5.1
God the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose and govern all creatures, actions and things from the …
5.2
Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and …
5.3
God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at …
5.4
The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his providence, in that his …
5.5
The most wise, righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations, and …
5.6
As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God as a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden, …
5.7
As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a most special manner it taketh …
The fall and original sin
6.1
God having made a covenant of works and life, thereupon, with our first parents and all their posterity in them, …
6.2
By this sin they, and we in them, fell from original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead …
6.3
They being the root, and by God's appointment standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of …
6.4
From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to …
6.5
This corruption of nature during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ …
6.6
Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth in …
The covenant of works and the covenant of grace
7.1
The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as …
7.2
The first covenant made with man, was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him …
7.3
Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a …
7.4
This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a Testament, in reference to …
7.5
Although this covenant hath been differently and variously administered in respect of ordinances and institutions in the time of the …
The person and offices of Christ as Mediator
8.1
It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son, according to …
8.2
The Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal …
8.3
The Lord Jesus in his human nature, thus united to the divine in the Person of the Son, was sanctified …
8.4
This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that he might discharge, he was made under the law, …
8.5
The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit, once offered up …
8.6
Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ, till after his incarnation; yet the virtue, efficacy and …
8.7
Christ in the work of mediation acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to …
8.8
To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making …
The state of man's will in its various conditions
9.1
God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that it is …
9.2
Man in his state of innocency had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and …
9.3
Man by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good …
9.4
When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage …
9.5
The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only.
God's effectual calling of His elect
10.1
All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time …
10.2
This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, …
10.3
Elect infants dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ, who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth: …
10.4
Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations …
Justification by faith alone
11.1
Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, …
11.2
Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ, and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not …
11.3
Christ by his obedience and death did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified, and did by …
11.4
God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fulness of time die …
11.5
God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the …
11.6
The justification of believers under the Old Testament, was in all these respects one and the same with the justification …
The grace of adoption as children of God
The renewal of the whole man after the image of God
13.1
They that are united to Christ, effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in …
13.2
This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption …
13.3
In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength …
The grace of faith wrought by the Spirit of God
14.1
The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work …
14.2
By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God …
14.3
This faith, although it be different in degrees, and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least …
The evangelical grace of repentance
15.1
Such of the elect as are converted at riper years, having sometime lived in the state of nature, and therein …
15.2
Whereas there is none that doth good, and sinneth not, and the best of men may through the power and …
15.3
This saving repentance is an evangelical grace, whereby a person being by the Holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold …
15.4
As repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, upon the account of the body of …
15.5
Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace, for the preservation of believers …
Good works as the fruit of faith and obedience
16.1
Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word, and not such as without the warrant …
16.2
These good works done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; …
16.3
Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And …
16.4
They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from …
16.5
We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason …
16.6
Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as …
16.7
Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of …
The perseverance of the elect in the state of grace
17.1
They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally …
17.2
This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of …
17.3
And though they may, through the temptation of Satan, and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, …
The assurance of salvation grounded on God's promises
18.1
Although temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes, and carnal presumptions of being in …
18.2
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of …
18.3
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, …
18.4
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving …
The moral law and its uses under the covenant of grace
19.1
God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating …
19.2
This law, so written in the heart, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall of man; …
19.3
Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several …
19.4
To them also he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any …
19.5
The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that …
19.6
Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned; yet …
19.7
Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with …
The gospel of grace and its universal offer
20.1
The covenant of works being broken by sin, and made unprofitable unto life, God was pleased to give unto the …
20.2
This promise of Christ, and salvation by him, is revealed only in and by the Word of God; neither do …
20.3
The revelation of the gospel unto sinners, made in divers times, and by sundry parts, with the addition of promises …
20.4
Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is as such abundantly sufficient …
The liberty purchased by Christ for believers
21.1
The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, …
21.2
God alone is lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which …
21.3
They who upon pretence of Christian liberty do practise any sin, or cherish any lust, as they do thereby pervert …
The regulation of worship and the Sabbath
22.1
The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is just, good, …
22.2
Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to him alone; not to …
22.3
Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of natural worship, is by God required of all men; but that it …
22.4
The reading of the Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, singing of psalms; as also the administration of …
22.5
Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the gospel either tied unto, or made more …
22.6
As it is of the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time by God's appointment be set …
22.7
This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering …
The right use of lawful oaths and vows
23.1
A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness and judgment, solemnly calleth …
23.2
The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used …
23.3
Whosoever taketh an oath, warranted by the Word of God, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an …
23.4
An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. …
23.5
A vow, which is not to be made to any creature, but God alone, is of the like nature with …
23.6
Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher …
The authority and duties of the civil magistrate
24.1
God the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the …
24.2
It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the management …
24.3
Although the magistrate is bound to encourage, promote, and protect the professors and profession of the gospel, and to manage …
24.4
It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honour their persons, to pay them tribute and other …
The institution and regulation of marriage
25.1
Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more …
25.2
Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, …
25.3
It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent. Yet …
25.4
Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the Word; nor can such incestuous …
The visible and invisible Church
26.1
The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, …
26.2
The whole body of men throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel and obedience unto God by Christ …
26.3
The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error, and some have so degenerated as to become …
26.4
There is no other Head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the Pope of Rome in …
26.5
As the Lord in his care and love towards his Church, hath in his infinite wise providence exercised it with …
The nature and efficacy of the sacraments
28.1
Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by Christ, to represent him and his …
28.2
There is in every sacrament a spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified; whence it …
28.3
The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; …
28.4
There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the …
28.5
The Sacraments of the Old Testament, in regard of the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were for substance the …
The sacrament of baptism and its administration
29.1
Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ to be unto the party baptised a sign …
29.2
The outward element to be used in this ordinance, is water, wherewith the party is to be baptised in the …
29.3
Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water …
29.4
Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or …
29.5
Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably …
29.6
The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet notwithstanding, by the …
29.7
Baptism is but once to be administered to any person.
The sacrament of the Lord's Supper
30.1
Our Lord Jesus in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the …
30.2
In this sacrament Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission …
30.3
The Lord Jesus hath in this ordinance appointed his ministers to pray and bless the elements of bread and wine, …
30.4
Private masses, or receiving the sacrament by a priest, or any other, alone; as likewise the denial of the cup …
30.5
The outward elements in this sacrament duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him …
30.6
The doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and …
30.7
Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, …
30.8
All ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ, so are they unworthy of the …
The state of the soul after death and the resurrection
31.1
The bodies of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) …
31.2
At the last day such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed; and all the dead shall …
31.3
The bodies of the unjust shall by the power of Christ be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, …
The appointed day of the last judgment
32.1
God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power …
32.2
The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal …
32.3
As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a judgment, both to deter all men …
Section of the Day
Of Good Works
These good works done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship …
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