The Preface. 3. It is certain that the ApofIles and Paffors laboured to make men underffandwhat they did, and would not delude them by takingthe bare laying of thefe three words. 4. And it is certain that the Paftors altered not the Chriffian faith, but taught the fame for fubftance to all that were baptized. g. And it is certain that fhould menhave taken much liber- ty to ufe newwords or forms at Baptifm, in opening the faith, it might eafily have corrupted the faith and introduced a new do6trine. 6. And it is certain by Church Hiftory that ( though fome variety of little words was ufed, yet) this fame Creed for fuh(lance ( except the two or threeclaufes men- tionedby ttfher and Trofius) was commonly ufed at Baptifm from the dayes of theApoffles. q. Andwefind yet that this Creed is nothing elfebut the explicationof the threeBapti f- mal Articles ; of which fee Sandford and Parker (two Learn- ed Non conforn its) in their very LearnedTreat. de Defcenfu Chr /i at large. 8. And it is certain that if the Apoftles did take this courfe fomanyyears before they wrote any of the NewTef}ament, they did this ( as well as that ) by the Holy Ghofl: and fo that the HolyGhofl feconding Chriflsown Baptifmal Law, or Inftituted teft, did make the Creed to be the fummaryof the,Lhriflian Belief, twelve years before we had any Book of theNew Teftament, and about fixty fix as is faid beforewe had themall. And then it will appear what is Gods appointed teft of Chrillianity, Communion and fecial Love. All which confidered, though I think it is the truth which I long ago wrote againft a Treatife of a Learned man (Mr. f ,well) in theAppend. to the fecondEditionof my 12e. formed Paflor, yet I publifh my Repentance that ever Iwrote it, as fearing left it accafioned the turning of mens minds from this great truth which he and I agreed in, and which I find few confider asit deferveth. But the Gnoflicks began the corrupting game, and by pre- tences of higher knowledge, fpoiled men by vain Philofophy, which engaged the Apoffles to cry them down, and to warn all Chriflians to take heedof being fo fpoiled, and to vilifìe arbitrary Philofophical notions, tricks and vain janglings, as likely to draw them from the fimplicity of ChriPianity. And the certain truth is, that he knoweth neither the Inte- reft nor the Ignorance and weakneßof man, nor thenature of Knowledge, who doth not know, that the frailty and employ. meats
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