me, hath everlasting life." And upon another occafion, to the Jews, he faid, "For if ye believe not "that I am he, ye fhall die in your fins." It must follow then, that if they did believe him to be the Meffiah, the anointed of God to falvation, "they "should be faved." Moft plain is that answer of the apoftles to the gaoler, when he came trembling to them, and faid, "Sirs, what muft I do to be faved? "Believe, faid they, "on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and "thou shalt be faved." The apostle Paul confirms this in his epistle to the Romans, when he says, "If "thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, " and fhalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised "him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. For with "the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with "the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation: for the "fcripture faith, Whofoever believeth on him, shall "not be afhamed. For there is no difference between "the Jew and the Greek; for the fame Lord over all " is rich unto all that call upon him. For whofo"ever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be "faved." This was the word of faith which they preached; and he teftified that it was "nigh in the heart," as Mofes had done before him. And, faith the apostle John, on this occafion, "Who is a liar, "but he that denieth that Jefus is the Christ ? —Here"by know ye the fpirit of God; every fpirit that con"feffeth (or every one that in heart or fpirit confef"feth) that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is of "God." Again, fays he, "Whofoever shall confefs, "that Jefus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, " and he in God." Yet once more he affirms, "Who"foever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of "God." But this is more than an historical belief; a true, found, and hearty perfuafion: a faith that influenceth the whole man into a fuitable conformity to the f 1 John iv. 2. 15.

d

d Deut. xxx. 14.

f

с 1 John ii. 22.
John v. I.

nature,

nature, example, and doctrine of the object of that

faith.

I will conclude thefe doctrinal teftimonies out of fcripture, with a conclufive paffage the apoftle John ufeth towards the end of his evangelical hiftory of Jefus Christ: "And many other figns truly did Jefus in the prefence of his difciples, which are not written in "this book; but these are written that ye might be"lieve that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and "that believing ye might have life in his name." In which place two things are remarkable: first, that whatever things are written of Jefus, are written to this end, "That we might believe that Jefus is "the Chrift." Secondly, "That those that fin<cerely believe, fhall through him obtain eternal "life." Certainly, then, if this be true, their incharity and prefumption must be great, who have taken other measures, and fet another rule of Christianity, than Jefus and his apoftles gave. This fincere confeffion contented Chrift and his apoftles; but it will not fatisfy thofe that yet pretend to believe them: it was enough then for a miracle and falvation too, but it goes for little or nothing now. A man may fincerely believe this, and be ftigmatized for a fchifmatick, an heretick, an excommunicate: but I may fay, as Chrift did to the Jews in another cafe," From the beginning it was not fo.”

But here I expect to be affaulted with this objection: 'If this be all that is neceffary to be believed to falvation, of what use is the rest of the fcripture ?'

us;

I anfwer, of great ufe, as the apoftle himself teaches hAll fcripture is given by infpiration of God, " and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor"rection, for inftruction in righteoufnefs, that the "man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished " unto all good works." It concerns the whole life

* John xx. 30, 31.

2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.

and

and converfation of a man; but every paffage in it is not therefore fit to be fuch an article of faith, as upon which Christian communion ought, or ought not, to be maintained. For though it be all equally true, it is not all equally important: there is a great difference between the truth and weight of a thing. For example it is as true that Chrift suffered under Pontius Pilate, as that he fuffered; and that he was pierced, as that he died; and that he did eat after his refurrection, as that he rose from the dead at all; but no perfon of common understanding will conclude an equal weight or concernment in thefe things, because they are equally true: the death of Chrift was of much greater value than the manner of it; his refurrection, than any circumstance of his appearance after he was rifen. The queftion is not, whether all the truths contained in fcripture are not to be believed; but whether those truths are equally important? And whether the • lief with the heart, and confeffion with the mouth, that Jefus is the Chrift and Son of God, be not as fufficient now to intitle a man to communion here, and falvation hereafter, as in thofe times?' Against which nothing can be, of weight, objected.

Be

If it be faid, That this contradicts the judgment and practice of many great and good men ;'

I anfwer, I cannot help that. If they have been tempted, out of their own curiofity, or the corruption of times, to depart from the ancient paths, the footsteps of pureft antiquity and best examples, let their pretences have been what they will, it was prefumption and it was juft with God, that error and confusion should be the confequence of thofe adventures ; nor has it ever failed to follow them.

Laftly, if it be alledged, That this will take in all parties, yea, that fchifmaticks and bereticks will creep in under this general confeffion, fince few of them will refufe to make it :'

I do fay, it would be an happy day. What man, who loves God and Christ, feeks peace and concord,

that

that would not rejoice if all our animofities and vexations about matters of religion were buried in this one confeffion of Jefus, the great Author and Lord of the Christian religion, fo often loft in pretending to contest for it? View the parties on foot in Chriftendom among thofe called Proteftants, obferve their differences well, and how they are generally maintained, and you will tell me, that they are rent and divided about their own comments, confequences and conclufions: not the text, but the meaning; and that too, which perhaps is not in itself effential to falvation; as the difpute betwixt the Lutherans and Calvinifts, the Arminians and Predeftinarians, and the like. not lamentable to think, that those who pretend to be Christians, and reformed ones alfo, fhould divide with the winds, and fight, as pro aris et focis, for fuch things, as either are not exprefly to be found in scripture, or if there, yet never appointed or intended by Chrift or his apostles for articles of communion. Should they then erect their communion on another bottom, or break it for deviating from any other doctrines than what they in fo many words have delivered to us for neceffary?

Is it

If we confider the matter well, I fear it will appear that the occafion of disturbance in the church of Chrift hath in most ages been found to lie on the fide of those who have had the greateft fway in it. Very pertinent to our present purpose is that paffage of J. Hales of Eton, in his tract concerning fchifm: It hath,' said he, been the common difeafe of Chriftians from the beginning, not to content themselves with that measure of faith which God and the fcriptures have exprefly afforded us; but, out of a vain defire to know more than is revealed, they have attempted to discuss things, of which we can have no light, neither from reafon nor revelation. Neither have they

Tract of Schifm, (printed with other things) page 212, 213.

rested

refted here; but, upon pretence of church authority, which is NONE, or tradition, which for the most part is but FIGMENT, they have peremptorily con'cluded, and confidently impofed upon others a necef• fity of entertaining conclufions of that nature; and, to ftrengthen themselves, have broken out into di• vifions and factions, oppofing man to man, fynod to fynod, till the peace of the church vanished, without all poffibility of recall. Hence arose those ancient and many feparations amongst Christians; Arianifm, Eutychianifm, Neftorianifm, Photinian⚫ism, Sabellianifm; and many more, both ancient and in our time.

And as he hath told us one great occafion of the disease, so he offers what follows for the cure:* • And were liturgies,' fays he, and publick forms of fer'vice fo framed, as that they admitted not of particular and private fancies, but contained only fuch things, as in which all Chriftians do agree, fchifms ⚫ on opinion were utterly vanished: whereas to load our publick forms with the private fancies upon which we differ, is the moft fovereign way to perpe<tuate fchifm unto the world's end.-Remove from ⚫ them whatsoever is fcandalous to any party, and leave nothing but what all agree on; and the event < shall be, that the publick service and honour of God 'fhall no ways fuffer. For to charge churches and liturgies with things unneceffary, was the first beginning of all fuperftition.---If the fpiritual guides and fathers of the church would be a little sparing of incumbering churches with fuperfluities, and not overrigid, either in reviving obfolete cuftoms, or impofing new, there were far lefs danger of fchifm or fuperftition.---Mean while, wherefoever false or suspect'ed opinions are made a piece of the church liturgy, he that separates is not a fchifmatick: for it is alike unlawful to make profeffion of known or fufpected fal'fhoods, as to put in practice unlawful or fufpected

Tract of Schifm, page 215, 216, 217, 218.

• actions.'