This Chapter teaches —

1st. Of the union of Christ and his people.

2d. The fellowship between him and them resulting therefrom.

3d. The union between the true people of Christ growing out of their union with him.

4th. The communion of saints growing out of their union with each other.

5th. The mutual duties of all who profess to be saints with regard to all their fellow-professors.

1st. All saints are united to the Lord Jesus. We need to know what is the foundation and what is the nature of this union, and how it is established.

(1.) As to the foundation of the union subsisting between the true believer and the Lord Jesus, the Scriptures teach that it rests in the eternal purpose of the triune God, expressed in the decree of election (*' We were chosen in him before the foundation of the world,'^ Eph. i. 4), and the eternal covenant of grace formed between the Father and his w^ord as the mediatorial Head of his l)eople, treating with the Head for the members, and with the members in the Head, and providing for their salvation in him. John xvii. 2, 6.

(2.) As to the nature of this union of the believer with Christ, the Scriptures teach — (a.) That it is federal and representative, whereby Christ acts in all things as our federal Head, in our stead and for our benefit. Hence,

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our legal status is determined by his, and his rights, honours, relations, all are made ours in copartnership with him. (b.) That it is a vital and spiritual union. Its actuating source and bond is the Spirit of the Head, who dwells and works in the members. 1 Cor. vi. 17 ; xii. 13; 1 John iii. 24; iv. 13. Hence our spiritual life is derived from him and sustained and determined by his life, which we share. Gal. ii. 20. (c.) It is a union between our entire persons and Christ, and therefore one involving our bodies through our souls. 1 Cor. vi. 15, 19.

(3.) As to the manner in which this union is established, the Scriptures teach that the elect, having been m the divine idea comprehended under the headship of Christ from eternity, are in time actually united to him (a) by the powerful operation of his Spirit, whereby they " are quickened together with Christ/' which Spirit evermore dwells in them as the organ of Christ's presence with them, the infinite medium through which the fulness of his love and life, and all the benefits purchased by his blood, pass over freely from the Head to the members. (6.) By the actings of faith upon their part, whereby they grasp Christ and appropriate him and his grace to themselves, and whereby they ever continue to live in him and to draw their resources from him. Eph. iii. 17.

This union is illustrated in Scripture by the relation subsisting between a foundation and its superstructure (1 Pet. ii. 4-6) ; a tree and its branches (John xv. 5) ; the members of the body and the head (Eph. iv. 15, 16); a husband and wife (Eph. v. 31, 32) ; Adam and his descendants. Rom. v. 12-19.

This union has been called by theologians a " mystical" union, because it never could have been known unless revealed by the Lord himself, and because it is so incomparably intimate and excellent that it transcends all other unions of which we have experience. Nevertheless, it is not mysterious in the sense of involving any confusion between Christ's personality and ours, nor does it make us in any wise partakers of his Godhead or to be equal with him in any respect. It is a union between persons, in which each retains his separate identity, and in which the believer, although immeasurably exalted and blessed, nevertheless is entirely subordinated to and continued dependent upon his Lord.

2d. On the basis of this union a most intimate fellowship or interchange of mutual offices ever continues to be sustained between believers and Christ.

(1.) They have fellowship with Christ (a) in all the covenant merits of his active and passive obedience. Forensically they are " complete in him." His Father, his inheritance, his throne, his crown, are theirs. Av their mediatorial Head he acts as prophet, priest and king. In union with him they are also prophets, priests and kings. 1 John ii. 27 ; 1 Pet. ii. 5 ; Rev. iii. 21 ; v. 10. (6.) They have fellowship with Christ also in the transforming, assimilating power of his life. " Of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace." Thus they have the ''spirit" and "the mind" of Christ, and bear his "likeness" or "image." Rom. viii. 9; Phil, ii. 5 ; 1 John iii. 2. This includes the bodies also, making them temples of the Holy Ghost, and in the resurrection our glorified bodies are to be like his. 1 Cor. XV. 43, 49. (c.) They have fellowship with Christ

440 CONFESSION 01 FAITH.

in all their experiences, inwaro and outward, in their joys and victories, in their labours, sufferings, temptations and death. Rom. viii. 37 ; 2 Cor. xii. 9 ; Gal. vi. 17; Phil. iii. 10; Heb. xii. 3; 1 Pet. iv. 13.

(2.) Christ has fellowship with them. They belong to him as the purchase of his blood. They are devoted to his service. They are co-workers together with him in building up his kingdom. They bear fruit to his praise and shine as stars in his throne. Their hearts, their lives, their possessions, are all consecrated to him, and are held by them in trust for him. Prov. xix. 17; Rom. xiv. 8 ; 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.

3d. Since all true believers are thus intimately united to Christ as the common Head of the whole body, and the Source of a common life, it follows that they must be intimately united together. If they have but one Head and are all members of one body, they must have one common life, and be all members one of another.

The Romish and Ritualistic view is that individuals are united to the Church through the sacraments and through the Church to Christ. The true view is that the individual is united to Christ Jhe Head by the Holy Ghost and by faith, and by being united to Christ he is, ipso fadOy united to all Christ's members, the Church. The holy catholic Church is the product of the Holy Ghost. Wherever the Spirit is, there the Church is. The presence of the Spirit is known by his fruits, which are " love, joy, peace," etc. Gal. v. 22, 23. All believers receiving the same Spirit are by him baptized into '^ one body," and thus they all become, " though many members," but " one body," " the body of Christ" and "members in particular." 1 Cor. xii. 13-27.

4tli. Hence true believers, all being united in one living body, sustain many intimate relations, and discharge many important offices for one another, which are summarily expressed by the general phrase "the communion of the saints."

(1.) They have a common Head, and common duties with respect to him, a common profession, a common system of faith to maintain, a common gospel to preach, a common worship and service to maintain.

(2.) They have a common life, and one Holy Ghost dwelling in and binding together in one the whole body. Hence they are involved in the ties of sympathy and identity of interest. One cannot prosper without all prospering with him — one cannot suffer without all suffering with him.

(3.) As they constitute one body in the eyes of the world, they have a common reputation, and are all severally and collectively honoured or dishonoured with each other. Hence all schisms in the body, injurious controversies, malignant misrepresentations of Christian by Christian, are self-defaming as well as wicked.

(4.) The body of saints is like the natural body in this also, that, altliough one body, each several member is an organ of the Holy Ghost for a special function, and has his own individual difference of qualification, and consequently of duty. Hence, in the economy of the body, each member is to contribute his special function and his special grace or beauty, and has in his turn fellowship in the gifts and complementary graces of all the rest. Eph. iv. 11-16 ; 1 Cor. xii. 4-21. This shall be perfectly realized in heaven. John x. 16 ; xvii. 22.

5th. Since this is the union of all true believers with

442 CONFESSION OF FAriH.

the Lord and with each other, and since, consequently, a "communion of saints" so intimate necessarily flourishes among true believers in proportion to their intelligence and their advancement in grace, it follows that all branches of the visible Church, and all the individual members thereof, should do all within their power to act upon the principles of the "communion of saints" in their intercourse with all who profess the true religion. If the Church is one, the churches are one. If all saints are one, and are embraced in this holy "communion,'' then all who profess to be saints should regard and treat all their fellow-professors on the presumption that they are saints and " heirs together with them of the grace of life." Think of it ! In spite of all controversies and jealousies, one in the eternal electing love of God ! — one in the purchase of Christ's sacrificial blood ! — one in the beautifying indwelling of the Holy Ghost ! — one in the eternal inheritance of glory ! Surely, we should be also one in all the charities, sympathies and helpful offices possible in these short and evil days of earthly pilgrimage. These mutual duties are, of course, some of them public — as between different evangelical churches — and many of them private and personal. Many of them relate to the souls, and many also to the bodies of the saints. The rule is the law of love in the heart, and the principles and examples of saints recorded in Scripture applied to the special circumstances of every individual case. But while these mutual relations and offices of the saints sanctify, they are not designed to supersede the fundamental principles of human society, as the rights of property and the family tie.

This section guards against two heretical opinions — the one relating to the saints' communion with Christ; the other, to their communion with one another. Certain mystics have employed impious and blasphemous terms in reference to the saints' union and communion with Christ, as if they were deified or christified. They have not scrupled to use the phrases of being " godded in God," and " christed in Christ," and other expressions equally wild. In the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Anabaptists of Germany, among other absurd and dangerous tenets, contended for the necessity of a community of goods among Christians. This doctrine never * M'Crie oi» tha Uuitv of the Church, p. 95.

278 CONFESSION OF FAITH. |^CHAP. XXVI.

made much progress in this country, and modem Anabaptists entirely reject it. In opposition to these extravagant notions, our Confession teaches : —

1. That the saints' communion with Christ does not involve a participation of the substance of his Godhead, nor constitute an equality between him and them in any respect. The union that subsists between Christ and believers leaves them distinct persons; and the communion which believers have with Christ does not raise them to an equality with him in dignity. They cannot participate in his divine excellences, which are incommunicable; neither can they share with him in the glory of his mediatory work. He had none to cooperate with him in that arduous work, and he alone must bear the glory; as the saints are not deified, neither are they exalted to be mediators and saviours in conjunction with Christ.

2. That the saints' communion with one another does not take away or infringe upon the rights of private property. The perpetual obligation of the eighth commandment, the admonitions of the New Testament to charity and hospitality, the particular precepts addressed to the high and to the low, to the rich and to the poor — all plainly prove that, under the gospel, each man retains a property in his goods and possessions. We are told, indeed, that in the primitive Church " all that believed had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." — Acts ii. 44, 45. From this "it has been supposed that there was a real community of goods among the Christians of Jerusalem ; or that every man, renouncing all right in his property, delivered it over to a public stock, to which all had an equal claim. It appears, however, from the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts v. 4), that the disciples were under no obligation, or bound by no positive law, to dispose of their property for the benefit of the Church ; and that, after it was sold, they could retain the whole, or any part of the price, provided that they did not, like those unhappy persons, practise dissimulation and deceit; and it is further evident, from the passage we have quoted, that although in many instances they laid down the price at the apostles' feet, intrusting them with the distribution, yet they sometimes reserved it in their own hands, and gave it to the indigent, according to their own ideas of their need. These considerations seem to prove, that there vzas not an actual community of goods in the primitive Church; but that, in consequence of the fervent charity which united their hearts and interests, * no man,' as Luke informs

OF THE SACRAMENTS.

US in the fourth chapter, * said that ought of the things which he possessed was his own,' or appropriated them to his own use, but readily parted with them for the supply of his brethren. There is no evidence that the conduct of the Church of Jerusalem was followed by any other Church, even in the apostolic age ; but as far as it is an example of generous love triumphing over the selfish aflPections, and exciting men to pursue the welfare of others as their own, it is worthy to be imitated to the end of the world." *