We believe that the dead rising again by the ministry of the angels, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, they which shall then be remaining alive, they shall not indeed die, but they shall in a moment be changed into the same state with the dead that are risen. And then Christ, being come down from Heaven even in the clouds, there shall judge all men and from thence give sentence on them, shall show Himself apparently to all; and that all the godly being taken up from the earth, even into the clouds shall go to meet Him, attended on by the angels, and appearing in His great majesty and glory, as also He Himself and His apostles have taught and left in writing (1 Thes. 5; Matt. 24:3; 25:31).

II. Christ shall visibly return from one place to another, and that with a body visible, local, and determinate.

We therefore believe Christ shall so return visibly as He before in the apostles' sight ascended into heaven, and shall come even out of that heaven where He now is; and therefore, from that which is far distant from earth and from the clouds unto which He shall descend. And we believe He shall so descend with His natural body that it must needs be granted that the same is local and finite, and consequently, not existing everywhere. Seeing also the Holy Ghost describeth such a descending unto simple people, which He showeth cannot be made without change of places.

III. The faithless reprobates shall not come up to Christ sitting in the clouds, but remaining on the earth, shall hear the sentence of the Judge.

But seeing the Scriptures do pronounce only of the godly that they shall be caught up into the clouds, and shall meet Christ in the air, we believe that the ungodly shall not come up unto Christ, but remaining under His feet upon the earth, shall hear that sentence of the Judge, go "ye cursed, into everlasting fire," when all the saints which shall be aloft with Christ shall approve the same sentence of the Judge. According as the apostle thinketh, "The saints shall judge the world," yea and the angels (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

IV. For what causes that general judgment was appointed.

And we believe that for two causes principally, this judgment was appointed, wherein Christ shall sit as Judge in the sight of all men. The first is that such things as are now hidden unto men, as well innocency, faith, and the good consciences of the godly, as the hypocrite, and vile deeds of the wicked, may be openly known to all the world, and thereby be manifestly seen how just the judgments of God were ever from the first to the last. Whereupon also the apostle called that day the day of declaration (Rom. 2:5). The other cause is that the reward, which was promised as well to the good for their good works as to the bad for their evil deeds, should be fully paid and restored. As the apostle saith, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). Whereupon also the same apostle calleth it the day of the just judgment (Rom. 2:5).

V. An eternal life which shall be given to the elect is called, and is, a reward yet due unto us only upon favor, and not but for Christ's sake.

For albeit it be a mere gift of God which the elect shall receive, and purchased by the merits of Christ alone, yet we doubt not but it is named, and that it is truly a reward, since the Lord Jesus vouchsafed to call it so, namely a free reward. Seeing also that the good works themselves of the godly, and all the causes wherefrom the same do proceed, are free gifts of God: free election, free redemption, free calling, faith, justification, regeneration, forgiveness of sins, and lastly a free pardon of all wants and imperfections wherewith our good works are infected, and a free imputation of Christ's perfect obedience wherewith our imperfect obedience is clothed and made acceptable to God. And consequently, to speak properly is a reward not due unto us for our own works considered in themselves, but for the merits of Christ imputed to us.

VI. After the judgment given, the godly shall be presently with Christ in heaven, but the ungodly in hell with the devil and his angels.

Furthermore, we believe that presently after the same judgment, the godly shall follow Christ into heaven, but the wicked shall be thrust down with the devils into hell, Christ saying to the first, "Come, ye blessed of My Father," but to the other, go, "ye cursed, into everlasting fire."

VII. That day shall be to the godly most joyful, and is therefore to be wished for; to the wicked most heavy, and is therefore even in the only hearing intolerable.

So do we believe that this last day shall be unto them which are grafted into Christ most happy and joyful, and therefore loved and wished of them, and ought to be loved and wished for of us (1 Tim. 4:8). And to the wicked, the most accursed and woeful day that ever was, and therefore no marvel though they hate that day, and cannot abide the mention of it.

VIII. Errors.

We condemn whosoever shall deny that Christ shall truly and in very deed descend in His human body from heaven into the clouds, and then return with His chosen into heaven again, and would prove that it shall all be without any change of places, only by appearance (as they call it) and a certain likeness; to the which the angels do affirm the contrary unto the apostles, as ye have seen Him ascend into heaven, so shall He come again (Acts 1:11). We disallow also, those which teach that the works of piety considered in themselves are the true cause for which eternal life is given, and are the true merits thereof, against which the apostle also saith, "The gift of God is eternal life" (Rom. 6:23). Neither do we approve the opinion of the Chiliasts(?) concerning the thousand years wherein Christ with His elect should remain here in the earth after the latter judgment, and that they should here live in the delights, yet honest delights of the flesh, and should procreate children, but saints, and so at last be translated up into heaven. And we condemn and detest their error which stand in contention that the fire whereinto the wicked shall be thrown shall at the length be quenched so that all, even the devils themselves, shall live blessedly in the kingdom of God, flat against the plain words of Christ, go "ye...into everlasting fire" (Matt. 25:41).