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The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism
1. The catholic or universal church is invisible and consists of all the elect who have been, are, or ever will be gathered into one under Christ, the head. The church is his body and spouse, the fullness of God, who fills all in all.[1]
[1] Eph 1:10, 22-23, 5:23,27,32, Col 1:18.
2. The visible church is also catholic or universal under the gospel, i.e., it is not confined to one nation as previously under the Mosaic Law. It consists of everyone in the world who professes the true religion[2] together with their children.[3] The visible church is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ[4] and the house and family of God,[5] outside of which people cannot ordinarily be saved.[6]
[2] 1 Cor 1:2, 12:12-13, Ps 2:8, Rv 7:9, Rom 15:9-12.
[3] 1 Cor 7:14, Acts 2:39, Ez 16:20-21, Rom 11:16, Gn 3:15, 17:7, Gal 3:7,9,14, Rom 4, Mk 10:13-16.
[4] Mt 13:47, Is 9:7, Col 1:13, Mt 13:31, Ps 72:
[5] Eph 2:19, 3:15, Prv 29:18.
[6] Acts 2:47, Mt 28:19, Acts 2:38, 1 Cor 12:13, Mt 26:26-28,10:32-33.
3. In order to gather and perfect the saints in this life until the end of the world Christ has given the ministry, Scriptures, and ordinances of God to this universal visible church, and by his own presence and Spirit he enables the church to function in this way according to his promise.[7]
[7] 1 Cor 12:23, Eph 4:11-13, Mt 28:19-20, Is 59:21.
4. This universal church has been sometimes more and sometimes less visible.[8] Particular churches, which are members of it, are also more or less pure, depending on how the gospel is accepted and taught, how the ordinances of God are administered, and how public worship is performed.[9]
[8] Rom 11:3-4, Rv 12:6,14, Acts 9:31.
[9] Rv 2 and 3, 1 Cor 5:6-7, Acts 2:41-42.
5. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to impurity and error.[10] Some churches have so degenerated that they are not churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan.[11] Nevertheless, there will always be a church on earth to worship God according to his will.[12]
[10] 1 Cor 5, 13:12, Rv 2 and 3, Mt 13:24-30, 47-48, 1 Cor 1:2.
[11] Rv 18:2, Rom 11:18-22, Rv 2:9.
[12] Mt 16:18, Ps 102:28, Mt 28:19-20, Ps 72, 17:
6. There is no other head of the church than the Lord Jesus Christ.[13]
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