298 `.I"he twelfth Sign PART III. Becaufe thefe Rules were given us only to judge of profefling Chrif- tians : Fruits muff be join'd with open Flowers ; Bells and Pome- granates go together. But here will naturally arife this Enquiry, viz. when a Man may be faid to profefs Chriftianity, or what Profeffion may properly be called a Profeflion of Chriftianity ?. I anfwer in two Things ; t. In order to a Man's being properly laid to make a Profeflion of Chriffianity, there rnuft undoubtedly be a Profeflion of all that is ne- ceflary to his being a Chriffian, or of fo much as belongs to the Ef- fenceof Chriftianity. Whatfoever is effential in Chriftianity it Pelf, the Profeflion of that is effential in the Profeffion of Chriftianity. The Profeflion muff be of the Thing profeffed. For a Man to pro- fefs Chriftianity, is for him to declare that he has it. And therefore fo much as belongs to a Thing, fo as to be neceflàry in order to its being truly denominated that Thing ; fo much is effential to the De- claration of that Thing, in order to its being truly denominated a Declaration of that Thing. If we take only a Part of Chriftianity, and leave out a Part that is of ential to it, what we take is not Chrif- tianity ; becaufe fomething that is ,of the Efhence of it is wanting, So if we profefs only a Part, and leave out a Part that is eflential, that which we profefs is notChriffianity. Thus in order to a Profeffion of Chriftianity,we muff profefs that we believe that 7efus is theMefah for this Reafon, becaufe fuck a Belief is effential to Chriftianity. And fo we muff profefs,'either exprefly or implicitly, that7efus fatisfied for our Sins, and other efrential Do&rines of the Gofpel ; becaufe a Be- lief of thefe Things alto are effential to Chriffianity. But there are other Things as effential to Religion, as an orthodox Belief; which it is therefore as neceffary that we fhould profefs, in order to our being truly faid to profefs Chriftianity. Thus it is effential to Chriftianity that we repent of our Sins, that we be convinced of our own Sinful- nefs, and that we are fenfible we have juffly expofed our felves to God's Wrath, and that our Hearts do renounce all Sin, and that we do with our wholeHearts embraceChriff as our onlySaviour,& that we love him above all, and are willing for his Sake to forfake all, and that we do give up our (elves to be entirely and forever his,&c. Such Things as thefe do as much belong to the Effence of Chriftianity, as the Belief of any of the Doctrines of the Gofpel And therefore the Profeffion of them does as much belong to a chriftian Profeffion. Not that in order to a being profeffing Chriftians, 'tis necefí'ary that there fhould be an explicit Profeffion of every individual Thing that belongs to chriftian Grace or Vertue : But certainly, there muff be a Profeffion, either exprefs or implicit, of what is of the Hence of Religion. And as to thofe Things that Chriffians fhould express in ClteirPsofeion,we ought to be guided by thePrecepts of God's Word, er
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=