A. The main idea of this article is that it is the duty of every one to join himself to the true church.
1. It ought to be noticed first of all that the article speaks of the church as institute.
a. This is denied by some who hold that the reference is to the church as organism. This is meant also to explain the difficult phrase “and that out of it there is no salvation”.
b. But that the reference is to the church as institute is plain from the fact that no man can of himself either separate himself from or join himself to the organism of the church which is the body of Christ, while it is entirely possible to sever relations with and join the church as institute.
2. The article evidently conceives of the fact that there is in the world at any given time only one true church institute.
a. This institute is the assembly of those that are saved.
b. Outside of this institute there is no salvation.
3. It is the duty of every man to join himself to this institute of the church wherever it is established.
a. That this is the duty of every man follows from the fact that the institute of the church is the God-ordained means of salvation, for through the institute of the church the means of grace are dispensed.
b. This obligation which rests upon all men also follows from the truth that all men are under the obligation to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ.
c. And the article itself mentions that the institute of the church may in other denominations be corrupted, and it falls upon believers to sever their relationship with such a corrupt institute and join that institute which is pure and holy.
d. If men do not do this they act contrary to the ordinance of God. And, it may be added, that they will reap the harvest of their error in themselves and their generations.
4. One becomes a member of the church institute either by baptism or by confession of faith.
B. The article also speaks of the demands which rest upon the members of the church.
1. Believers must maintain the unity of the church. They may not commit the sin of schism nor may they neglect to strive for this unity of the church in the world.
2. Believers must submit themselves to the doctrine and discipline of the church but only by bowing under the yoke of Christ. Christ is the Chief and Only Officebearer of His church. Yet He has appointed elders and deacons to function in their offices and to represent His office. By submitting to Christ the believers submit to the officebearers in the church.
3. Believers must “as mutual members of the same body, (serve) to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.” No man in the church has received gifts for his own selfish interests, but is given these gifts graciously of God in order that with them he may serve the welfare of the church of Jesus Christ and the cause of the Kingdom of Heaven.
H. All this is necessary, along with the obligation to join the true church regardless of the consequences; “even though the magistrates and edicts of princes were against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment.” This was emphatically true at the time the confession was written, and will be true again in the not too distant future.