The 'Preface. fpeeches were noted to be engines to deceive the hearts ofthe frple, Rom. 6. 17. And whereas the objeEtion Teemed unanfwerable, How can they 10 agree, who are offeveral judgements about Good and Evil ? Paul often warneth themto hold [aft the formoffound word, and fummeth up ( as t Cor. 15. I, 2,;, 4:) the frticles of their faith, and chargeth them that fo far as they had át= tanned, they fhould walk by the fame rule, and mind thefame things; and if in any thing they were otherwfe minded, flay till God re .vealed the matter to them, Phil.;. He oft chargeth them CO be of one mindand judgement ( thus far) and to live in Love andPeace, and to donothing by firife and rtiain glory, but in 'honour to preferr others to thernfelves ; ánd not to ftrive `about words that profit not, nor about unneceffary Quefti- otis, feeing Inchdifputings and ftrivings gender to ungodli- nefs, and fret like a Canker, andpervert the hearers minds : Yea he direéteth the Paflors to edifie fouls; rather by aTeach= ing than a difputing way, and to convince gainfa.yers, by meek irJruEling oppofers, to fee if thusGod will give them repen tance to the acknowledgement of thetruth: for theMinifler orfér.. rvant of the Lord mutt not ftrive; Love is their work to beeffea- ed in others, and Love muftbe their Principle, andLove muff be their mode and means, even Loving others as themfelves Oft are they calledby Chrift and his Apoftles from Malterly opinions, afpirings and endeavours, and to be as little Children,.. and the fervants of all, and as ¡tabards of Gods myfteries and help.. ers, notLords of the Churches faiths and not to domineer over thé flock of Chr f, but to overfee them not by confiraint but rt.olun tardy : And what cannot bedone by LightandLove, isnot to be done by them at all : TheMagiftrate andnot they, mull ufe the Sword ; but not to make men believers (for he cannot. ) And though Voßius and others have rendred Reafons enough to perfwade us that the ffory ofthe twelve Apoflles making each one an Article of the Creed, is not credible, nor that they fhaped it in every word to the prefent form, yet it is to me a certainty, that the Apoffles made and ufed the Creed for fenfe and fubffance as the very fummary and tell of Chriftianity, long before anyBook of the NewTe- flamentwas written ( about twelve years, and almoft fixty fix before the whole.) For i. It is certain that all Chriftiá ans were Baptized 2. Ít iscertain that they then profeffed toBelieve in Godthe Father,Son, andHoly Ghofi, and to. Cove- nant accordingly, renouncing theAlb, the world and the Devil. (c a) 3. It
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