i 8 The L1 Eo/the L. 1B.á. perly our Fundamentals : and theWords no further than as they areneedful to ex- press that Sense to others, or reprefent it to our own Conception i that the Word [ Fundamentals] being Metaphorical and Ambiguous, the Word [ Efentials] is much fitter it being nothing but what is Effential, or Conflitütive Of true Religion, which is underfood by us ufually when we (peak of Fundamentals :. that quad rem there is-no more Effential or Fundamental in Religion, but what is contained in our Baptifmal Covenant, [ I believe in God the Father, Son 'and Holy Ghaft, and giveup my felf in Cevenanlro him, renouncing the HO, 'the World and the Devil.] He that Both this truly shall belated; or ellèfncere Covenanting could not entitle' 'Us to the Blef frngs of the Covenant : Arid therefore it is that the Ancient Church held that all that are Baptized duly are in a Juftified State of Life ; becau£e all that fincerely give up themfelves in Covenant to God, as our God and Father, our Redeemer and Saviour, our Sandifier and Comforter, have right to theBleflîngs of the Ce- tenant. Andquoad verba, I fùppofe that no particular Words in the World are Elentials of our Religion : Otherwifeno Man could be fated without the Language which thofe Words belong to : He that underftandeth not Credo in Deum, may be ravedifhe believe in Gad : Alto I fuppofe that no particular Formula of Words in any or all Languages is Effential to our Religion : for he that expreffeth his Faith in another form of words, of the time importance, profeffeth a Saving Faith. And as to the Ufe ofa Farm of Words to exprefs our Belief of the Effential, it is various, and therefore theForm accordingly is variable. If it be to reach another what is the Effence of Religion, a dull hearer mutt have many Words, when a quick intelligent Perfon by fewWords can underhand the fame thing. (I believe in God the Father, Son, andHoly Gh/t,] expreffeth all theEffénrial intelligibly, to him that bath learned truly to underhand the meaning of there Words : But to an ignorant Man a -large plain Catechifm is fhort enough to exprefs the fame things. But as ro the Life of PrsblickProfefansof Faith, to farùfie the Church for the Admittance of Members,, or to fatisfie other Churches to hold Communion with any particular Church, a Form of Wordswhich is neither obfcure by too much Conci(ènets, not Tedious or Tautological by a needlefs Multiplication of Words, I take to be the fittefL To which ends, and besaufe the Ancient Churches had once a happy U- nion on thole Terms; I think that this is all that fhould be required of any Church or Member ( ordinarily) to be profeffed, [ In General I do believe all that is con- tained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures, and particularly I believe all explicitly centained in the Ancient Creed, and I deftre all that is contained in the Lords Prayer, and I reflve upon Obedience to the Ten Commandments, and whatever self I can learn of the Will of God.] And for -all other Points, it is enough to preferve both Truth and Peace, that Men protnife not topreach again/l them, or contradill them, though they Sub Icribe them nor. § la. Therefore I would have had the Brethren to have offered the Parliament the Creed, Lord's Prayer, andDecalogue alone as- our Effentials or Fundamentals ; which at leaf contain all that is neceffary to Salvation , and bath been by all the Ancient Churches taken for the Sum of their Religion. And whereas they fill Paid, [ A Socinian or a Papifl will Subfcribe all this ] I anfwered them, So much the better, and lò much the fitter it is to be the Matter of our Concord : But if you are afraid of Communion with Papifls and Soeiniane, it'mull not be avoided by making a new Rule or Tell of Faith which they will not Subfcribe to, or by for- cing others to Subfcribe to more than they can do, but by calling them to account wheneverin Preaching or Writing they contradict or abufe the Truth to which they have Subfcribed. This isthe Work of Government r And we mull not think to niake Laws ferve infead of'udgmenr and Execution ; nor mull we make new Late, as oft as Heretickswill mifinterpret and fubfcribethe old r for when youhave put in all the Words you can devife, fame Hereticks will put their own Senn on them, and Subfcribe them : And we mutt not blame God for not making a Law that no Man can mifinterpret or break, and think to make fuels a one our felves, be- caufe God could not or would not. Thele Prefumptions and Errours have divi- ded and dihra&ed the Chrifian Churches, and one would think Experience fhouldlive us from them. § 53. But the Brethren refolved that they would hold on the way which they had begun : And though they were honer and competently judicious Men, yet thofe that managed the Bufinefs, did want the Judgment and Accuratenefswhich fach a Wotk required, ( though they would think any Man lupercilious that (hould tell - hero fo ): And the tinéture of Faltion fuck fo upon their Minds, that it hindered theirjudgment. The great doer of all that- worded the Articles was Dr. Owen e Mr.
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