QUESTION X. 97 Those that assert the affirmative in this question, are of two sorts ; either persons that have entertained some sentiments in the important points of christianity different from thecommon faith of the churches, and would shelter those opinions under the express words of scripture, though they explain them in their own sense : or they are persons that heartily maintain the common faith,, but through an unlimited excess of charity are afraid of narrowing the terms of christian communion, lest they should exclude some sincere christians out of the church ; they are jealous of losing their christian liberty, and are afraid of having conscience oppressed by an imposition of any confessions of faith, or articles of communion, drawn up in the words of fallible men. Those that hold the negative in this question are also of two sorts ; either such as have a narrow and uncharitable spirit, and refuse their communion to all christians that will not assent, con- sent, or subscribe to every word and expression contained in their articles, confessions, and human forms; or they are such as maintain a just and reasonable charity towards all that they can hope to be sincere christians, and dare not exclude any per- sons duly qualified from the holy communion : They would also secure christian liberty in the full extent that Christ has given it to his people; but they are zealous for the faith mice delivered to the scants, for the purity of the gospel, for the honour. of Christ in his churches, and the true profit and pleasure of christian communion in holy ordinances ; nor would they wil jingly indulge such an excessive complaisance instead of charity, and such a licentious freedom of opinions in their community, as would tend to the destruction of all that is valuable in the communion of the churches of Christ. I must confess myself at present to stand on the negative side, and I hope I may rank myself among the latter sort of them. I cannot yet persuade myself that a mere assent to the words of scripture, without any explication, is a sufficient rule by which churches should judge of their communicant',s know- ledge; and the reasons that influence and constrain me to be of this mind, I shall lay down at large in the following sections; yet I shall endeavour to shew in the end of my discourse, how a just liberty may be secured, both to single christians and to churches, and the sacred bonds of charity maintained, without a licentious indulgence of all sort of heresies and errors in the same church. SECT. II. The first argument against the confinement of churches, to express words of scripture in judging of the knowledge of their communicants, is this, "that the greatest and best end that has ever been aimed at in this method, can never be attained by it." The greatest and best design of Vox.. tv. G
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