lian, (and fome other ancient, as well as modern criticks) gives us the word Logos: and the divine reason is one in all; that lamp of God, which lights our candle, and enlightens our darkness, and is the measure and teft of our knowledge.

So that whereas fome people excufe their embracing of that religion, by urging the certainty that is in it, I do fay, it is but a prefumption. For a man can never be certain of that, about which he has not the liberty of examining, understanding, or judging: confident, I confefs, he may be; but that's quite another thing than being certain.

Yet I must never deny, but that every Chriftian ought to believe as the church believes, provided the church be true: but the question is, which is that true church? And when that is anfwered, as a man may unlawfully execute a lawful fentence, fo he may falfly believe as the true church believes: for if I believe what fhe believes, only because he believes it, and not becaufe I am convinced in my understanding and confcience of the truth of what the believes, my faith is falfe, though hers be true: I fay, it is not true to me ; I have no evidence of it.

What is this church, or congregation rather (as worthy Tindal every-where tranflates it) but a company of people agreed together in the fincere profeffion and obedience of the gospel of Chrift.' Now look, what inducement they feverally had to believe and embrace the gofpel, and unite into fellowship, that we must have to join with them: for as they made not one another an infallible authority to one another, upon which they first embraced the gofpel, neither are we to ground our belief thereof upon their authority jointly: but as they had a rule to believe and commune, fo muft we have the fame rule to embrace their communion. So that the church cannot properly be the rule of my faith, who have the fame faith, and object for my faith, that he has. I argue thus,

I must believe as the church believes; that is, I must have the same faith the church has: then I must

have the fame rule; because the church can be no more the rule of that faith, than fhe can be that faith of which fome would make her the rule. If then the church has faith, and that faith have a rule, and that she can no more be the rule of her own faith, than she can be that faith itself; it follows fhe cannot be the rule of the faith of her members, because those members have the fame faith, and make up this church. For that which is the rule of the congregation's faith in general, muft reasonably be the rule of every member's faith that makes up that congregation; and, confequently, of every member that may bereafter adhere to it. So that to talk of believing as the church believes, to flourish upon that felf-denial and humility which takes all upon truft, and revile those with the bitterest invectives that are modeftly fcrupulous, and act the Bereans for their fouls (who think that eafinefs of nature and condefcenfion may be better used, and in this occafion is ill placed and dangerous) is to put the knife to the throat of Proteftancy, and, what in them lies, to facrifice it to implicit faith and blind obedience. For it cannot be denied, but that the great foundation of our Proteftant religion is, the Divine authority of the fcriptures from without us, ⚫ and the teftimony and illumination of the holy fpirit 'within us.'

Upon this foot the firft reformers ftood, and made and maintained their feparation from Rome, and freely offered up their innocent lives in confirmation. With good caufe, therefore, it is the general confent of all Jound Proteftant writers, That neither traditions, councils, nor canons of any vifible church, much lefs the edicts of any civil feffions or jurisdiction, but the fcriptures only, interpreted by the holy spirit in us, give the final determination in matters of religion; and that only in the confcience of every • Christian to himself.' Which proteftation, made by the first publick reformers against the imperial edicts of Charles the fifth, impofing church traditions without fcripture authority, gave first beginning to the

name

name of Proteftant, and with that name hath ever been received this doctrine, which prefers the divine authority of the fcripture and spirit, to that of the church and her traditions. And if the church is not fufficient to be implicitly believed, (as we hold it is not) what can there else be named, of more force with us, but the Divine illumination in the confcience, or confcience in the beft fenfe of the word; than which, God only is greater? But if any man fhall pretend that the fcripture judges, according to his conceptions or confcience, for other men, and that they must take their religious measures by the line of his direction; fuch a person makes himself greater than either church, fcripture, or confcience. And, pray, let us confider if in any thing the Pope is by our Proteftant divinity fo juftly refembled to antichrift, as in affuming infallibility over confcience and fcripture, to determine as he thinks fit; and fo, in effect, to give the law to God, fcripture, magiftrates and confcience. To this Proteftants have, without fcruple, applied that to the Theffalonians,* "Sitting in the temple of God, exalting himself above "all that is called God."

To check this exorbitancy the apostle Paul demands," "Who art thou that judgeth another's fer"vant? To his own Lord he ftands or falls?" Which fhoweth with great evidence, that Chriftians of all fizes, great and fmall, are but brethren; and, confequently, all fuperiority, lordship and impofition are excluded: but if there be a difference, it is in this, that, as Christ taught, "he that is greatest is to be " fervant to the reft:" but what is more opposite to a fervant than a lord; and to service, than injunction and impofition, and that on penalties too? Here it is that Chrift is Lord and law-giver, who is only king of this inward kingdom of the foul. And it is to be noted, that the apoftle did not write this to a private brother, or in fome special cafe, but to the church, as a general and standing truth; and therefore now as authentick + 2 Theff. ii. 4. ■ Rom. xiv. 4.

I John iii, 20.

and

and proper as then. And if this be true, I cannot fee how any, or even the most part of the church, that are ftill but brethren to the reft, of one voluntary communion and profeffion, can with any fhew of reafon impose upon them, and escape the reproof of this fcripture: for all focieties are to govern themselves according to their inftitution, and first principles of union. Where there is violence upon this part, tyranny, and not order, is introduced. Now fince perfuafion and conviction began all true Chriftian focieties, they must uphold themselves upon the fame free bottom, or they turn anti-chriftians. I befeech you, here, let us examine ourselves faithfully, and I am perfuaded that fomething of this will yet appear among fome of us, who fhew great reverence to that free name.

But to make good their unreasonable conceit of church-authority, they object Chrift's words; "Go "tell the church;" that is, fay they, The church is 'the rule and guide of faith; whatever the church agrees upon, and requireth your affent to and faith in, that you muft neceffarily believe and fubmit to." But though, as before, it is confeffed, in a fense, we must believe as the true church believes; yet not because she fo believes, but for the fame reafons that she herself did and does fo believe; in that none can truly believe as he believes, but must do fo upon the fame principles and motives, for which they believed that first made up that Chriftian church. To talk of being the rule and guide in point of faith, is to contradict fcripture, and juftle Chrift out of his office, which is peculiar to him. He is given to his church an bead, that is, a counsellor, a ruler, a judge, and is called a lawgiver; and, fays the apoftle, "If any "man have not the fpirit of Chrift, he is none of his ;" and the children of God are led by the spirit of God.". And he was wisdom and righteoufnefs" to the church apoftolick, and is fo to his own church all the world over. Befides, it is absurd that the church can

Ifa. ix. 6. Rom. viii. 9. 14.

be

be the rule and guide of faith; for, as fuch, fhe must be her own rule and guide; the faith of the members being that of the church; which cannot be.

But what then can be the meaning of Chrift's words, "Go tell the church?" Very well. I answer, it is not about faith, but injury, that Chrift fpeaks; and the place explains itself, which is this:Moreover, "if thy brother fhall trefpafs against thee, go and tell "him his fault, between thee and him alone." Here is wrong, not religion; injuftice, not faith or confcience concerned; as fome would have it, to maintain their church-power. "If he fhall hear thee, thou haft "gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, "then take with thee one or two more, that in the "mouth of two or three witneffes, every word may be " established; and if he shall neglect to hear them, "tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the "church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and "a publican. Verily I fay unto you, Verily I fay unto you, whatsoever ye "fhall bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven; and "whatsoever ye fhall loofe on earth, shall be loofed "in heaven," &c. The matter and manner of which paffage, delivered by Chrift, fhews that he intended not to fet up Church power about faith and worship,' anto which all must bow, even without, if not against, conviction. The words trefpafs and fault, prove abundantly that he meant private and perfonal injuries; and that not only from the common and undeniable fignification and ufe of the words trefpafs and fault, but from the way Chrift directs and commands for accommodation, viz. That the person wronged, speak to him that commits an injury alone: if that ⚫ will not do, that he take one or two with him:' but no man can think that if it related to faith and worfhip, I ought to receive the judgment of one, or two, or three, for a fufficient rule. This has not been the practice, at least not the principle, of the moft degenerated church fince the primitive times; for moft, if not all, agree, "That nothing lower than the church

* Mat, xviii. 15, 16, 17, 18.

can