2 'flJe Pe;jon of ClJrift the only rJ\!jck. fent, and therefore could have no Vicar, feeing he ,prefided in his ow~ perfon. All the claim they lay unto the neceffity of fuch a vif1ble Head of the Church on the Earth, as may deter– mine Articles of Faith, is from the Abfence ofChrifl fince his Afcenfion into Heaven. But that he fhould alfo have a Sub– jlitute whilfr he was prefent is fomewhat uncouth. And whiHl: they live they fhall never make the Pope Preficlent where Chrifl is prejent. The truth is, he cloth not p~opofe unto his Difciples the framing of an Art.icle ofiruth; but enquires af– ter their own Faith which they exprelTed in tbis Confeffion. Such things as thefe will prejudice carnal Interefr, and the prepolTeffi.on of .the minds of men with corrupt imagina-– tions, caufe them to adventure on, to the fcandal, yea ruine of Religion. This fhort, but illufirious confeffion of Peter, comprizeth eminently the whole Truth concerning the Terfon and Ofjice ofChrifr. Of his Perfon, in that although he was the Son of Man, under which Appellation he made his enquiry, (whom do men fay that I the Son of Man am?) yet was he not only fo, but the eternal Son of the livingGod. Of his Office, that he was the Chri./1, he whom God had anointed to be the Sa– viour of the Church, in the difcharge of his Kingly, Priefl:ly , and Prophetical Power. Infrances of the like brief Confef · fions we have elfewhere in the Scripture, Rom.-Io. 9· If thou }halt confefl with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, qnd)halt bdie,ve in thy heart t/Jgt God raifed him from the dead, thou )halt !Je faved. I Joh. 4.2. Every Jpirit that conj~[[eth that Jefw Chrifl is come in the fiefh , is of God. And every fpiri t that conf~[[eth not that Jefi"s,Chrifl is come in the flefo, is not ofGod. And it is manifefi that all Divine Truths, have fuch a concatenation a– mong themfelves, and do all of them fo center in the Perfon ofChrijl, as vefied with his Offices towards the Church, that they are all virtually comprized in this·confeilion. And they will be fo accounted unto all who ceftroy them not by con· traty
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