mation: And ftill thofe in more Danger who have lived among those of the Reformed Church, and fo were in a better Capacity of being convinc'd of the Errors of their Way, But, moft of all, do I think the Condition of those to be dangerous, or rather defperate, who being Learned know their Errors; or as Priefts, are called to inftruct the People in the Purity of Chriff's Religion. The Sincere, and Ignorant, who either want Capacity, or want Opportunity, to know the Truth, and for that Reason are either feduced from it, or continue Ignorant of it, I hope God, who knows the Hearts of all Men, will forgive: The Careless, the Prejudiced; but most of all, the obftinately Blind and Hypocritical among them, I cannot acquit; but muft leave them to the Judgment of God, who will render to every one according to bis Defervings.

16.

PART II.

Of the ARTICLES of our FAITH.

1.2.

SECT. V.

CHAT was the fecond thing
which your Godfathers, and
Godmothers promifed in your
Name?

W

Christian Faith.

A. Chat Chould Be= liebe all the articles of the

2.2. Where are thofe Articles to be found? A. In the Holy Scriptures; and particularly in thofe of the New Teftament.

3.2. What mean you by the Holy Scriptures? A. I mean thofe Books, which thro' the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit, were written by Mofes, Tim. iii, and the Prophets under the Law; and by the Apoftles and Evangelifts of Chrift, fince the publifhing of the Gospel; to direct us in the Knowledge of God, and of the Duty which He requires of Us.

2 Pet. i. 21.

4. 2. How do you know what Books were written by thefe Perfons, in order to thefe Ends?

A. By the Conftant, Univerfal, and Undeniable Testimony both of the Jewish and Chrif tian Church: From the former of which, we have received the Scriptures of the Old; from the latter, thofe of the New Testament.

5. 2. How do you know that these Books were written by the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit? A. 1. 1

---XX. 24. *

2

A. 1. By the Authors who wrote them; who Luke i. 1, 2. were doubtless no lefs infpired in what they Wrote, Jo. xix. 35. than in what they Taught, of the Gospel of Chrift. 2 Pet. i. 15, 2. By the Defign of God in ftirring up thofe 16. Holy Men to the compofing of them; which was Jo. xx. 31. to leave thereby a Conftant, Infallible Rule of t Luke i. 4. Faith to the Church in all Ages of it. 3. By the 15, 16, 17. Opinion which all Chriftians from the time that they were published, and received by Them, have had of Them; and the Deference which, upon that account, they have paid to Them. And, laftly, By the Subject matter of Them, and those internal Marks of Divine Wisdom, and Piety, which are fo confpicuous in all the Parts of Them.

*

6. 2. Do you look upon these Scriptures, as the Only, Prefent Rule of your Faith?

A. I do: Nor is there any Other certain Foundation on which to build it.

7. 2. What think you of the Tradition of the Church?

A. Could I be fure that any thing not contain'd in the Scriptures, came down by a certain, uninterrupted Tradition, from the Apoftles, I fhould not except against it: Nay, I do therefore receive the Holy Scriptures, as the Rule of my Faith, 2 Theff. i. because they have fuch a Tradition to warrant 15+ me fo to do. But because there is no fuch Tradition for any thing that is not Written, therefore neither do I build my Faith upon it: But on the contrary, do fuppofe, that, by the Providence of God, the Holy Scriptures were purpofely written, to prevent thofe Doubts, thofe Miftakes, and indeed thofe Forgeries and Deceits, which his Infinite Wisdom forefaw, an Oral Tradition would always have been liable

unto.

8. 2. Can the Holy Scriptures alone make your Faith perfect?

A. They

2 Tim. iii. 27.

Pfal. cxix. 105.

Jo. v. 39.

---XX. 31.

A. They can: Nor ought I to believe any thing as an Article of my Faith, which either is not contained in them, or cannot plainly be proved by them.

9. 2. What do you think of the Churches Definitions?

A. That I ought to fubmit to them in whatfoever they define agreeably to the Word of God: But if in any thing they require me to believe what is contrary to the Word of God, or cannot be Proved thereby; I ought abfolutely to Reject the One, and am under no Obligation to Receive the Other.

10. 2. But is not this to make yourself wifer than the Church?

A. No, by no means; but only to make the Word of God, of more Authority with me than the Word of Man: Whilft I choofe rather to Regulate my Faith by what God has Deliver'd, than by what Man Defines.

11. 2. Are the Holy Scriptures fo Plain, and Eafy to be Underftood, that Every One may be Able to judge for Himself what he ought to Believe?

A. In Matters of neceffary Belief, they are very plain, even to the most ordinary Christian: Yet we do not deny but that every Man ought to hear the Church; and to attend to the InRom. xv. 4. ftructions of thofe who are the Paftors of it. Only, we fay, that neither the Church, nor its Paftors, ought to teach any thing as an Article of Faith; or require any Man's Affent to it, as fuch; that cannot be fhewn to have been either exprefly deliver❜d in the Word of God; or, by a plain and neceffary Confequence, be Proved thereby.

12. 2. But how shall the Unlearned be able to know what the Scriptures propofe; feeing they

are

are written in a Language which fuch Perfons do not understand?

A. By Reading them in their own Vulgar Tongue, into which every Church has, or ought to have them faithfully. Tranflated, for the Benefit of Those who do not understand the Languages in which they were Compofed.

13. 2. Do you then think that the People ought to be fuffered promiscuously to Read the Holy Scriptures?

Acts xvii. 2,

A. Who fhall forbid Them to Read what was Mat. xxii. purpofely defigned by God for their Inftruction? 29. The Scriptures are as much the Voice of the John v. 39. Apoftles, and Evangelifts, to Us of these Times, II. as their Preaching was to thofe of the Age in which they lived. And it may, with as good Reason, be ask'd, Whether we think the People ought to have been promifcuously Suffer'd heretofore to hear the Apostles Preach; as whether they ought to be Suffer'd promifcuously to Read their Writings Now.

14. 2. But amidst fo many Things as the Holy Scriptures deliver, how fhall the People be able to judge what is neceffary to be Believed by Them?

A. Let them Believe All they meet with there, and then, to be fure, they will Believe all that is neceffary. But for the fake of thofe who either want Ability to Read, or Capacity to Judge, what is moft neceffary (in Point of Faith,) to be known, and profefs'd by Them; the Church has Acts viii. from the beginning collected it into a fhort 36, 37: Summary; which every Perfon of Old, was required both to know and affent to, before he was admitted into the Communion of it.

15. 2. What is that Summary of which you fpeak, and which you account to comprehend all the moft Neceffary Articles of our Christian Faith?

2 Tim.i. 13.