204. Ile LIFE of the Limitation or Reftri&ion; no not fo much as to [ ordinary ] means, nor reftrain- ing it to means [ fi feient to Salvation]. 2. That you deny them ro be [coordinate] abfblutely alto, without any diftinaion, exception or limitation. 3. I defire it may be oblérvedl, that I am not my fell impofing any Terms on you, or offering the Terms [fabardinate ] or any other to be put into the Arricle , but only giving a Reafon why I cannot fubfcribe it as it is ; which I 1611 now render, having pre- mired thefe Obfervations: r.The word [co-ordinate] being comprehenfrve. andam- biguous, I conceive doth among others contain there leverai Senses following : I. As the Species isfubordinate to to theGravo. z. As the nearerCasks in the fame rank are fubordinate to the higher and remote, and all to the fief Caufe : as in Generation the nearer Parents to the remote. 3. As the Means are f rbordinate to the End, in order thereto. 4. As the lefs worthy is fubordinate to the more wor- thy, in degrees of Comparifon. Many other common Sencos I now pals. There being (at lean the three firft ) common, and the oppofed Co-ordination-univer- fally denied, I fee no Evidence to warrant the denial. a. In the firft refpe&, I conceive that DivineRevelation being the GOsse, by word , and by writing, are diftin&Species : And as the delivery of the thing revealed is the Gents, fo the deli- very of the perfe& word in Scripture, and of the Sum of the matter in Sacra- ments and other Meansforementioned, arediftin& Species. z. In order of Effici- ency I conceive that fame Means are Supra-ordinate to Scripture, and fame Co- ordinate and Subordinate in feveral Refpe&s, and fame Subordinate only : of which I (hall give Inftances anon. 3.Inorder to the nearerEnd ; thofe Means are fubordinate to Scripture,which are fupra.ordinate in Efficiency ; and fame of thole which ab angine are co-ordinate r when yet in order to the more remote End they are co-ordinate. 4. In order of Dignity, fame Means are above Scripture, fome below it. For Initances in thefe Cafes: 1. Jens Chrift himfelf, both as the great Prophet of his Church, inditing the Scriptures by his Spirit, and lirnding the A- poltles, and Bill fending M'tnifters, and owning his own Word, is one Means of Revealing himfelf to Mankind And he is in order of Efficiency and of Dignity, above the Scripture, but fubordinate as to the End which is near, but not as to the ultimate End. z. TheHoly Ghoft infpiring the ApoBlesis a Means of Revelation fupra-ordinate to the Scripture in Efficiency, and Dignity: And the Holy Ghofi as enabling and fending forth Paltors, is co-ordinate in Efficiency, and fubordinate as to one of the nearer Ends : The Holy Ghoft as Illuminating and foRevealing by the Inftrumentalityof the Word, is in Efficiency and Dignity above the Word. ;. The Apoltles themfelves were in order ofEfficiency, above the Writing or Let- ter of the Word, though in order of Dignity the Scripture is above them. 4. The Miniltry and Teaching of Parents, is as to the Original bothfubordinate to Scrip- ture, as commanded by it, andco ordinate, as initittued and enjoyned before it by verbal Precept; and cloth Bill acknowledge this double obligation. But it is fub- ordinate to Scripture in Dignity, and as to the nearer End. ç. The fame is true of Baptifm and other Ordinances mentioned already. 6. The delivery of the Scriptures down toour hands, r. As to acquaint us with the Canonical Books; z. And that there are all; 3. And that they are uncorrupted in Matters ofmoment, is in efficiency a co- ordinateMeans of Revelation - for it is not out of Scripture only that it receivech its force : but as to theEnd] and the Dignity, it is fubordi- nate to the Scripture. There things teeming thus to my apprehenfion, I cannot yet acknowledge it a Truth, that no Means of Revealing Chrift is coordinate with theScriptures. I need to fay no more to the Neceffity and Fundamentality than I faid in my lafPaper. I earnefly crave that the offeringof there Reafons, as my Diferir, may not be offenfive to you ; feeing I apprehend the Cafe to impute on mea Neceffity ; there being no Means in the World ( that I remember ) more like ro be an Engine to tear in piecesthe Church, than an unfound compofure of Fundamentals ; 1 mean, an Impaling of chofeThings as Fundamental which are not found; whereby the moli delervingmay be ejefted from theMiniftry, and cenfrred to Damnation. We are gaming a Means of Union, and not of Divilion. And though it grieves me to be offenfive to my Brethren, yet had I rather fuffer any thing in tie World, than be guilty of putting among our Fundamentals one word that is not true. The Chi iftianFaith pathbeen ever the fame rime the Apoltles days: and I find not that ever the Churches Fundamentals contained filch an Article as this. The Scripture, nor the Affembly'sConfefion , have none filch that I know of. The word [Co-ordinate] is fv ambiguous, that it is unfit to lay fo great a Brefs upon it, L I B. 1,
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