一、基督为福音之下的信徒所买赎的自由在于：脱离了罪的罪债、神定罪的忿怒、道德律的咒诅（多2:14；帖前1:10；加3:13）；又把他们从现今这个邪恶的世界、撒但的捆绑、罪恶的辖制（加1:4；西1:13；徒26:18；罗6:14）、苦难的残害、死亡的毒钩、阴间的得胜和永远的定罪中救拔出来（罗8:28；诗119:71；林后4:15-18；林前15:54-57；罗5:9；8:1；帖前1:10）；也使他们得以自由地接近神（罗5:1-2），不是出于奴仆的恐惧顺服祂，而是由于儿女般的爱和愿意的心（罗8:14-15；约壹4:18）。所有这一切也是律法之下的信徒所共有的（加3:8-9,14；罗4:6-8；林前10:3-4；来11:1-40）；但在新约之下，基督徒的自由更加扩大，从犹太教所服从的礼仪律轭下得了自由（加4:1-7；5:1；徒15:10-11），比律法之下的信徒通常所享有的，更加坦然无惧地进到施恩宝座前（来4:14-16；10:19-22）、与神的自由之灵更充分地交通（约7:38-39；徒2:17-18；林后3:8,13,17-18；耶31:31-34）。

The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love, and a willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of.

二、惟独神是良心的主（雅4:12；罗14:4,10；林前10:29），使良心从那些与祂的圣言相悖、或在信仰或敬拜的事上与之对抗、出于人的教义和诫命之下得以自由（徒4:19；5:29；林前7:22-23；太15:1-6；23:8-10；林后1:24；太15:9）。因此，人若违背良心而相信这类教义、或遵守这类诫命，就是背叛良心的真自由（西2:20-23；加1:10；2:4-5；4:9-10；5:1）；要求默从的信心，以及绝对的盲从，就是摧毁良心的自由和理性（罗10:17；赛8:20；徒17:11；约4:22；启13:12,16-17；耶8:9；彼前2:16）。（译注：1、「默从的信心/默信 implicit faith」，指天主教会说什么，心里默默相信就行，不必完全明白。2、束缚良心的例子包括：必须守弥撒才能得救，必须学完某些课程才能得救，必须戒烟才算得救等等。）

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to His Word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship. So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commandments out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.

三、 凡以基督徒的自由为借口犯下任何罪行，或怀有任何恶欲的人，恰恰是破坏基督徒自由的目的；因为我们从仇敌手中被救出来，是为了叫我们可以一生在主面前，坦然无惧地用圣洁、公义来事奉祂（加5:13；彼前2:16；彼后2:19；罗6:15；约8:34；路1:74-75）。

They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty; which is, that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.

四、并且，因为神无意破坏祂所命定的权柄和基督所买赎的自由，而是使二者相互支持、彼此保护；所以若有人以基督徒的自由为借口，反对任何合乎律法的权柄、或合乎律法的执行，无论是民政的还是教会的，都在抗拒神的命令（彼前2:13-14,16；罗13:1-8；来13:17；帖前5:12-13）。并且，因为他们发表这类意见，或坚持这类行为，若违反自然之光，或违反基督教关于信仰、敬拜或言行的已知原则，或违反敬虔的实意，或这类荒谬的意见和行为无论在其本质、还是在发表和坚持的方式上，都有损基督在教会中建立的外在平安与秩序，他们都可以合乎律法地受到教会的追究和谴责（罗1:32；林前5:1,5,11-13；约贰10-11；帖后3:6,14；提前6:3-4；多1:10-11,13-14；3:10；罗16:17；太18:15-17；提前1:19-20；启2:2,14-15,20）。（译注：1、「合法 lawful」在本信条中都是指符合神的律法，而不是符合人的法律，所以译为「合乎律法」。2、nature这个词在十七、十八世纪的用法非常含糊，有时指人的天然本性，有时指自然界，但这并无矛盾，因为当时人们认为这两者都是神造的。3、OPC版对本节有修订。）

And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation; or, to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church.