, cannot separate one soul from Christ.—Romans 8:38, 39.
Death will break all other ties, and separate the soul from the
body, but it cannot dissolve the union between Christ and believers.
Hence they are said to "die in the Lord," and to "sleep in Jesus."
Rev. 14:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

Being thus united to Christ, believers have fellowship with him in
his sufferings and death, and are therefore said to be "crucified
and dead with Christ." Romans 6:6, 8. They have also fellowship with
Christ in his resurrection; for they are "raised up together with
him," and have communion with him in his life.—Ephesians 2:6;
Galatians 2:20. They have fellowship with him in his victories. He
spoiled principalities and powers, overcame the world, destroyed
death, and vanquished the grave for them; and they shall be made
more than conquerors over all these enemies, through him.—Romans
8:37. They have communion with him in all the benefits which he
purchased; hence they are said to be "made partakers of Christ," and
to be "complete in him who is the head of all principality end
power" (Hebrews 3:14; Colossians 2:10);—they have an interest in his
righteousness, by which he fulfilled the law in their room, and are
thus entitled to the blessing of justification;—they are adopted
into the family of Heaven, and made heirs of God, and joint heirs
with his Son Jesus Christ;—they are sanctified in soul, body, and
spirit, being enabled by his grace to die more and more unto sin,
and live unto righteousness;—they now sit in heavenly places with
Christ as their representing head; and, in due time, they shall be
glorified in their own persons together with him.—Ephesians 2:6;
Colossians 2:4. In short, all things are theirs, as the Apostle Paul
asserts; and he bounds their title to all things upon their union to
Christ: "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas,
or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to
come; all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's." 1
Corinthians 3:22, 23.

2. All real saints are united to one another, and have communion
among themselves. They form one body, are all united to Christ as
their common head, and are partakers of one Spirit. They have all
obtained like precious faith; and their faith, as to the leading
doctrines of the gospel, is substantially the same. They are also
united in love, which is called "the bond of perfectness." So
perfectly were the primitive Christians knit together by this bond,
that they were "of one heart and of one soul"—Acts 4:32. There is
nothing which our Savior more earnestly inculcated upon his
followers than mutual love; he represented it as the best proof to
themselves, and the most decisive evidence to others, that they were
his genuine disciples: "A new commandment I give unto you, That you
love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another." John 13:34, 35. As the saints "love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity," so they love all in whom they can
perceive the image of Christ. Being thus united to one another, they
have communion with each other in their gifts and graces. As the
natural body consists of many members—some of superior, and others
of inferior use, and each member is serviceable to its
fellow-members, and contributes to the good of the whole—so the
mystical body of Christ is composed of many members, endured with
different gifts and graces; and the several members ought to be
profitable to each other, and promote the benefit of the whole
Church. They are obliged to the performance of such duties as
conduce to their mutual good. They ought to be "kindly affectioned
one to another, with brotherly love; in honor preferring one
another"—to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ"—to "rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that
weep"—to offer up fervent "supplication for all saints"—and, "as
they have opportunity, do good to all men, especially to them who
are of the household of faith."

3. Saints by profession are also united in one body, and bound to
maintain a holy fellowship and communion with each other. Professed
saints compose the Church considered as visible; and of this society
unity is an essential attribute. This union is not confined to those
who live together, and can assemble in one place for the observance
of religious ordinances; but extends to "all that in every place
call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."
The visible bonds of this unity are specified by the Apostle Paul:
"There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one
hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
Ephesians 4:4–6. Our Confession mentions three things in which
professed saints are bound to hold fellowship and communion with one
another: First, They ought to assemble together for joining in the
public worship of God. This species of communion was assiduously
maintained the early Christians: "They continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers." Acts 2:42. When some, at a later period, had become
negligent in cultivating this communion, the apostle warned them
against "forsaking the assembling of themselves together, as the
manner of some is." "The institutions of the gospel were intended as
a bond of union among Christians; and by the joint celebration of
them communion is maintained and expressed. 'By one Spirit we are
all baptized into one body;' and 'being many, we are one bread and
one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread' in the
sacramental communion.—1 Corinthians 10:17, 12:13. It is not
necessary to this unity that Christians should all meet for worship
in the same place—this is physically impossible; nor are we to
conceive of Church communion as local. It consists in their
celebrating the some holy ordinances—in their performing acts of
worship the same in kind, wherever they assemble; and in their being
disposed and ready to embrace every proper occurring opportunity to
join with all 'those who in every place call on the name of Jesus
Christ the Lord, both theirs and ours.' Thus it was in the primitive
Church; and thus it would still be if catholic unity were preserved,
and if the institutions of Christ, along with the faith to which
they relate, were everywhere preserved pure and entire." Secondly,
Professed saints ought to perform such other spiritual services as
tend to their mutual edification. They are enjoined to "follow after
the things with which one may edify another." Romans 14:19. Among
the "services which tend to mutual edification," may be mentioned
mutual prayer; spiritual conference; admonishing, exhorting, and
provoking one another to love and good works; comforting the
feeble-minded, supporting the weak, visiting and encouraging the
afflicted.—Malachi 3:16; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14;
Hebrews 10:24. Thirdly, Professed saints ought to relieve each other
in outward things, according to their several abilities and
opportunities. Not a few who are "rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom which God has promised to them that love him," are poor in
this world.—James 2:5. Their Christian brethren, who have "this
world's good," ought to sympathize with them, and minister to their
necessities.—1 John 3:17. Sometimes Christians in one country suffer
"the spoiling of their goods," and are reduced to great straits,
through the violence of persecution; in such cases, their brethren
in other places ought to contribute liberally for their relief. This
duty was nobly exemplified by the primitive Christians: "It pleased
them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the
poor saints which were at Jerusalem." Romans 15:25–26. If professing
Christians in one district are unable of themselves to provide for
the regular dispensation of public religious ordinances among them,
it is no less the duty of their brethren who are placed in more
favorable circumstances to afford them financial aid. Thus the
strong should support the weak, that the abundance of the one may be
a supply for the want of the other, that there may be equality.
Ministering to the saints is expressly called "fellowship." 2
Corinthians 8:4. To this kind of communion the concluding sentence
of this section of our Confession may, perhaps, more especially
refer: "Which communion, as God offers opportunity, is to be
extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of
the Lord Jesus." This sentence is closely connected with the clause
immediately preceding, which relates to "relieving each other in
outward things;" and the whole of the Scripture proofs adduced refer
either to the Church of Jerusalem—which "had all things common"—or
to the saints in one place "sending relief" to those in distant
places who were impoverished by persecution. It will be admitted,
however; that Christian communion of a more extensive nature,
including all those services which tend to mutual edification, ought
to be maintained with all that call on the name of the Lord Jesus,
as opportunity permits; nay, were the visible catholic Church what
it ought to be, according to the rule of God's Word, one in
professions the members of this or that particular Church would be
entitled to enjoy, and bound to hold, Church communion wherever
Providence might order their lot. If professed Christians throughout
the world, instead of being divided into diverse and opposing
sections, were cemented into one holy brotherhood, then, whoever was
admitted into the fellowship of the Church in one place, would be
recognized as a member of the catholic Church, and would be entitled
to claim the privilege of communion in any particular Church where
his lot was cast. On the other hand, whoever was laid under censure
in a particular Church, would be considered under the same in all
others; and would not be receded into communion until the sentence
were reversed by the same power, or by a still higher authority.
Thus it ought to be; and thus it would be, were that unity which
should characterize the visible Church, fully realized. But in the
present state of the Church, divided and subdivided as it is into an
almost countless number of sections, all of them contending for some
peculiar principle or practice which they deem important, and by
which they are not only distinguished from, but opposed to, other
denominations, such extended Church communion cannot be consistently
maintained. It will scarcely be questioned that separation from
corrupt Churches becomes, in certain cases, warrantable and
necessary; but "where communion is lawful, it will not be easy to
vindicate separation from the charge of schism." If a particular
Church is organized for the special purpose of vindicating the sole
headship of Christ and the spiritual independence of his Church—were
the members of that Church to join in all the intimacies of
communion with another Church which had either avowedly or
practically surrendered these distinguishing principles, they would
virtually declare that they have no scriptural and conscientious
grounds for separation, and expose themselves to the charge of
unnecessarily rending that body which Christ so fervently prayed
might be "one."

SECTION 3. This communion which the saints have with Christ does not
make them in any wise partakers of the substance of his Godhead, or
to be equal with Christ in any respect: either of which to affirm is
impious and blasphemous. Nor does their communion one with another,
as saints, take away or infringe the title or property which each
man has in his goods and possessions.

Exposition of 26.3

This section guards against two heretical opinions—the one relating
to the saints' communion with Christ; the other, to their communion
with one another. Certain mystics have employed impious and
blasphemous terms in reference to the saints' union and communion
with Christ, as if they were deified or christified. They have not
scrupled to use the phrases of being "godded in God," and "christed
in Christ," and other expressions equally wild. In the beginning of
the sixteenth century, the Anabaptists of Germany, among other
absurd and dangerous tenets, contended for the necessity of a
community of goods among Christians. This doctrine never made much
progress in this country, and modern Anabaptists entirely reject it.
In opposition to these extravagant notions, our Confession teaches—

1. That the saints' communion with Christ does not involve a
participation of the substance of his Godhead, nor constitute an
equality between him and them in any respect. The union that exists
between Christ and believers leaves them distinct persons; and the
communion which believers have with Christ does not raise them to an
equality with him in dignity. They cannot participate in his divine
excellencies, which are incommunicable; neither can they share with
him in the glory of his mediatory work. He had none to co-operate
with him in that arduous work, and he alone must bear the glory; as
the saints are not deified, neither are they exalted to be mediators
and saviors in conjunction with Christ.

2. That the saints' communion with one another does not take away or
infringe upon the rights of private property. The perpetual
obligation of the eighth commandment, the admonitions of the New
Testament to charity and hospitality, the particular precepts
addressed to the high and to the low, to the rich and to the
poor—all plainly prove that, under the gospel, each man retains a
property in his goods and possessions. We are told, indeed, that in
the primitive Church "all that believed had all things common, and
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as
every man had need." Acts 2:44, 45. From this "it has been supposed
that there was a real community of goods among the Christians of
Jerusalem; or that every man, renouncing all right in his property,
delivered it over to a public stock, to which all had an equal
claim. It appears, however, from the story of Ananias and Sapphira
(Acts 5:4), that the disciples were under no obligation, or bound by
no positive law, to dispose of their property for the benefit of the
Church; and that, after it was sold, they could retain the whole, or
any part of the price, provided that they did not, like those
unhappy persons, practice dissimulation and deceit; and it is
further evident, from the passage we have quoted, that although in
many instances they laid down the price at the apostles' feet,
entrusting them with the distribution, yet they sometimes reserved
it in their own hands, and gave it to the indigent, according to
their own ideas of their need. These considerations seem to prove,
that there was not an actual community of goods in the primitive
Church; but that, in consequence of the fervent charity which united
their hearts and interests, 'no man,' as Luke informs us in the
fourth chapter, 'said that ought of the things which