| Paras | |
| 1-4 | I. The universal church |
| 1-2 | A. Its Identity |
| 1 | 1. As invisible |
| 2 | 2. As visible |
| 3 | B. Its perpetuity |
| 1. Its seeming improbability | |
| 2. Its actual certainty | |
| 4 | C. Its authority |
| 1. The true head of the church, the Christ | |
| 2. The false head of the church, the Antichrist | |
| 5-15 | II. The local church |
| 5 | A. Its originating mandate |
| 1. The foundation of the mandate | |
| 2. The substance of the mandate | |
| 6 | B. Its defined membership |
| 1. Evangelical | |
| 2. Volitional | |
| 3. Covenantal | |
| 7 | C. Its authoritative power |
| 1. Its defined recipients | |
| 2. Its complete sufficiency | |
| 3. Its reiterated origin | |
| 4. Its specified purpose | |
| 5. Its regulated execution | |
| 8-13 | D. Its appointed government |
| 8 | 1. The identity of its government |
| 9 | 2. The appointment of its government |
| 10-11 | 3. The cornerstone of its government: the ministry of the Word |
| 10 | The official ministry of the Word by pastors |
| Its heavy responsibilities | |
| Its proper honouring | |
| 11 | The auxiliary ministry of the Word by others |
| 12-13 | 4. The extent of its government |
| 12 | It extends to all its members |
| 13 | It extends to all its problems |
| The situation envisaged | |
| The prohibition issued | |
| The direction required | |
| 14-15 | E. Its fraternal relations: the communion of local churches |
| 14(a) | 1. Its divine warrant |
| 14(b) | 2. Its providential limitations |
| 14(c) | 3. Its spiritual benefits |
| 15 | 4. Its special advantage: advisory meetings |
| Their possible reasons | |
| Their biblical basis | |
| Their strict limitations | |
From: Samuel E. Waldron, A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, (Evangelical Press, 1989), p309-311. Used by permission.