2 LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION 1689
57 upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life346; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God347. 21. Of Christian Liberty And Liberty Of Conscience 1. The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the severity and curse of the law348, and in their being delivered from this present evil world349, bondage to Satan350, and dominion of sin351, from the evil of afflictions352,5 the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave353, and everlasting damnation354: as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear355, but a child-like love and willing mind356. All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance of them357; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of a ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected, and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of358. 2. God alone is Lord of the conscience359,12 and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it360. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience361; and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also362. 3. They who upon pretence of Christian liberty do practice any sin, or cherish any sinful lust, as they do thereby pervert the main design of the grace of the gospel to their own destruction363, so they wholly destroy the 346 Ps. 110:3; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 1:19,20 347 John 6:44; 2 Cor. 4:4,6 348 Gal. 3:13 349 Gal. 1:4 350 Acts 26:18 351 Rom. 8:3 352 Rom. 8:28 353 1 Cor. 15:54-57 7 2 Thess. 1:10 354 2 Thess. 1:10 355 Rom. 8:15; 356 Luke 1:73-75; 1 John 4:18 357 Gal. 3;9,14 358 John 7:38,39; Heb. 10:19-21 359 James 4:12; Rom. 14:4 360 Acts 4:19,29; 1 Cor. 7:23; Matt. 15:9 361 Col. 2:20,22,23 362 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 1:24 363 Rom. 6:1,2
