104 Á CHRISTIAN CHURCIH. punishment of sinners, and fancy the devils themselves shall at last be saved. I might further reckon up a long train of wild and unaccountable opinions which have no settled name, yet all arise from various senses, that the lusts, or the fancies, or humours, or mistakes of men, have put on the express words of scripture. But these are sufficient in this place. I would not be understood here to intend that every person, to whom any of these naines maybe affixed by men, believes or professes all the doctrines that are ranged-under any of these heads: All that I mean by this catalogue is this, that under these several names in our general andcommon discourse, all these princi- ples or propositions are usually comprehended and understood. Note, I have not mentioned the papists, because theyallow not the bible to be aperfect rule, but build part of their religion on human traditions, and thepretended infallible authority of their church. But so many of all those sects of christians that I have mentioned, as are found in our day, do all take the bible for theirperfect rule of faith and practice, and each of themwill subscribe thewhole bible, at least in their own translation of it, and profess to believe all the express words of scripture : Now if any confession of express words of scripture, be a sufficient test of christian faith,' all these persons bave this qualification, and cannot be denied christian communion in any church to which they propose themselves, for want of true christian knowledge. And now I would ask, what a wretched sort of commu- nion is it, that could be maintained in such a church, of such widely different opinions ? What fellowship could they have in hearing the same sermons, in joining in the same prayers, and in all sacred offices? What holy harmony, what order, what peace or christian unity, can be carried on in such a mixed and disagreeing multitude ? But I insist no longer on this at present. SECT. VI. 'In the prosecution of the fourth argument, I come therefore in the next place to consider,' what will be the inconveniences of making such a large and wide door to the church, and of encouraging such a promiscuous communion : For though all these can never walk and worship together hi any peace or order, yet all may be admitted on this foundation. 9ne great inconvenience is this, viz. Some persons that deny necessary fundamental truths and duties, without which a man cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, may enter into a church on earth, ana claim christian communion by this rule of admis- sion : For it may perhaps be doubted, whether all necessary particular articles, as well as general ones, are found in ex- press words in the bible, which I shalrafterwards have occasion to enquire into. But if all necessary articles were found there
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