Promises granted by Christ to his Church, Matt. 18. must belong to this Church, which is so truly Christian. And I am so far from slighting or despising its Authority, because it doth not so imperiously Curse its Enemies, or doth not pretend to inflict Temporal Punish ments on Delinquents, that I revere it the more on this very account. For God will be never the less severe against a Rebellious Son, because the Father did only with Pity and Tenderness rebuke him, and desire to reclaim him. And it hath been of old observed, that where, and when the Church had less secular aid, there God did in a more special manner vindicate it himself.

As to the other subordinate parts of our Government under the Bishops, such as ArchDeacons, Deans and Chapters, and the several Ecclesiastical Courts, I think none can deny, but either these very Orders, or somewhat like them, is necessary to the good of the whole, and the regular Administration of affairs under the Bishop; and these very Orders have been so long among us that they can plead the Prescription of so very many hundred years, and are so interwoven with our Laws, and the frame of our Government, and we have been so long used to them, that they have every way a firm, and settled Right among us; and nothing in this Life can be stable, nor right certain, if, to other Ar

guments,

guments, a Prescription of so many hundred years shall not be valid; for it is an Ancienter Right than any man can shew for his Estate: and for these Reasons do I fully approve of them. And whatever fault is in any of them, I must needs ascribe it to the Persons, and Abuses, rather than to the Nature of the Office. Much less can the Church be charged with blame, which, I am sure, by her Canons, designs the Preventing of all those abuses committed; and if the times at present will allow of no better, let every man bear his own burthen.

CHAP.

7

A

CHAP. II.

Of Christian Belief.

ND as I find this Church thus rightly con

stituted, and under a Government the most truly agreeable to the Apostolical pattern, and the Practice of all Ages: So I cannot but admire it more, if possible, for the soundness of its Faith and Doctrine.

For as it makes a true Faith necessary, as well as Practice; so it resolves this Faith into the true Author, and Object of it, God; It being most agreeable, that we should learn from Him, what to Believe of Him, and by what actions to please Him.

Now He hath, in his Goodness, ordered certain Books to be written, by Men inspired by Him, that do contain all that God would have us know, as from him, in order to our Salvation. And these Books all together we call the Bible, or Holy Scriptures. And this Book I am by the Church of England taught, to look on, as a compleat Rule of Faith and Manners; And that neither a Man's own private Spirit, or Reason,

nor

nor the Authority and Commands of any Mefi, ought to be listened or attended to, in opposition to it.

I reckon also that this Scripture is clear enough, as to all necessary points, to them that will make it their Business, without Prejudice, to consider, and understand it; And whatever hath been said against it, I find none, but only seeming Contradictions and Oppositions in it, which do allow of a very favourable Interpretation, and Reconciliation; And that even these seeming Difficulties, and Contradictions, as well as the divers Translations of Scripture, and the various Readings, are chiefly or only in small and indifferent cases, which concern not the Essence of our Religion. And to reconcile these seeming Oppositions, and to explain the whole, is a great part of the Office, and duty of the Clergy, the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, who are bound to instruct the People out of this Book, and to convince the Gainsayers.

And though, as St. Peter says, many do wrest the Scripture to their own destruction; yet I look on it as very fit and necessary, that this Scripture should be in the Vulgar Language, and often read by the People; That so, they themselves may see, and know the Law, by which they must be judged; that they may be satisfied the Clergy do not impose on them, and

teach

teach them, a Religion of their own invention; and seeing every man must be judged at the last day severally by himself, and according to what he himself hath done; it seems necessary, that he should now first judge for himself, whatever help or assistance he may have from another, to make a right judgment.

And this sufficiency, and clearness of the Scripture, is the reason why I do not depend on the Authority or Credit of the Priest that expounds it, or preacheth from it, but on the Scripture it self; he being always bound to bring some clear passage of Scripture for the proof of what he saith. And therefore I do not look on any thing that he saith as infallible, any further than it is consonant to Scripture; nor do I reckon any infallible Interpreter, at all to be given to the Church. For if there were any infallible Interpreter of the Word, and Will of God, doubtless it would of all things, have been the most plainly said, and the most frequently referred to in Scripture, because of the Infinite use of knowing it, and the Danger of being Ignorant of it; and God in his wisdom and goodness, would never have put so many particulars into the Scripture, which there is no such need we should know.

And though it is true, that the Church did convey down to us the Books of Scripture, and