Articles of Faith

ARTICLES OF FAITH

OLD NEW GARDEN CHURCH

ADOPTED 1824

1. WE BELIEVE IN THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD, IN WHOM THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR RECORD IN HEAVEN, THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST, AND THESE THREE ARE ONE GOD.

2. WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE BEGINNING GOD MADE ALL THINGS GOOD ACCORDING TO DIVINE PURPOSE, AND THAT MAN SINNED AND MADE HIMSELF A TRANSGRESSOR, AND THEREBY BROUGHT DEATH UPON HIMSELF AND ALL HIS POSTERITY, AND BY REASON OF SIN HE IS SUBJECT TO DEATH TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL.

3. WE BELIEVE THAT NOTWITHSTANDING MAN HAS SINNED, GOD HAS PURPOSED IN HIMSELF TO SAVE A REMNANT ACCORDING TO THE ELECTION OF GRACE.

4. WE BELIEVE THAT MAN BY NATURE HAS NEITHER WILL NOR ABILITY TO SAVE HIMSELF FROM THE CONDEMNED STATE THAT HE IS IN BY NATURE.

5.  WE BELIEVE THAT THE ELECT OF GOD WILL BE FINALLY SAVED IN CHRIST, AND NOT ONE OF THEM BE LOST.

6. WE BELIEVE THAT SINNERS ARE ONLY JUSTIFIED BY THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, AND THAT GOOD WORKS ARE AN EVIDENCE OF JUSTIFICATION.

7. WE BELIEVE THAT THE SCRIPTURES OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT TRANSLATED BY THE AUTHORITY OF KING JAMES, IS OF DIVINE ORIGIN, AND THE ONLY INFALLIBLE RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE.

8. WE BELIEVE THAT CHRIST HAS ESTABLISHED A GOSPEL KINGDOM HERE ON EARTH AND THE SUBJECTS THEREOF ARE SPIRITUAL, AND THAT CHRIST IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER FOR THAT KINGDOM, FROM WHICH THERE IS NO APPEAL.

9. WE BELIEVE THAT BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER ARE ORDINANCES OF THE GOSPEL KINGDOM, AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED IN THE CHURCH UNTIL THE COMING OF CHRIST.

10. WE BELIEVE THAT NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO ADMINISTER THOSE ORDINANCES ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REGULARLY CALLED, AND SET APART BY THE CHURCH, AND COME UNDER THE IMPOSITION OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS BY THE PRESBYTERY BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH.

11. WE BELIEVE THAT NO PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO PARTAKE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER ONLY BELIEVERS THAT HAVE BEEN REGULARLY BAPTIZED.

12. WE BELIEVE THAT BAPTISM BY IMMERSION IS THE ONLY GOSPEL MODE, AND BELIEVERS THE ONLY GOSPEL SUBJECTS.

13. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF THE MEMBERS OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM TO BE OBEDIENT TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF THIS WORLD WHEREVER THEIR LOT MAY BE IN ALL THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST, IN WHICH WE SHOULD CALL NO MAN OUR MASTER ON EARTH.

14. WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODIES, BOTH OF THE JUST AND UNJUST, WHEN THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE ETERNAL, AND THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED WILL BE EVERLASTING.