Chapter 21: Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience

The Liberty which Christ hath purchased for Believers under the Gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the rigor and curse of the Law, and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a childe-like love and willing minde: All which were common also to Believers under the Law, for the substance of them; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians: is further inlarged in their freedom from the yoak of the Ceremonial Law, the whole Legal administration of the Covenant of Grace, 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, then Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of.

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 rigor and curse of the Law, and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind: All which were common also to Believers under the Law, for the substance of them; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians: is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law, the whole Legal administration of the Covenant of Grace, 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, then Believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of.

God alone is Lord of the Conscience, and hath left it free from the Doctrines and Commandments of men, which are in any thing contrary to his Word, or not contained in it; so that to believe such Doctrines, or to obey such Commands out of conscience, is to betray true Liberty of Conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blinde obedience, is to destroy Liberty of Conscience, and Reason also.

God alone is Lord of the Conscience, 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 it; so that to believe such Doctrines, or to obey such Commands out of conscience, is to betray true Liberty of Conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy Liberty of Conscience, and Reason also.

They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, as they do thereby pervert the main designe of the Grace of the Gospel to their own destruction; so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

They who upon pretense of Christian Liberty do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, as they do thereby pervert the main design of the Grace of the Gospel to their own destruction; so they wholly destroy the end of Christian Liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.