It is not the differing opinions, that is the cause of the present ruptures, but want of charity; it is not the variety of understandings, but the disunion of wills and affections; it is not the several principles, but the several ends that cause our miseries; our opinions commence, and are upheld, according as our turns are served and our interests are preserved, and there is no cure for us, but piety and charity. A holy life will make our belief holy, if we consult not humanity and its imperfections in the choice of our religion, but search for truth without designs, save only of acquiring heaven, and then be as careful to preserve charity, as we were to get a point of faith; I am much persuaded we should find out more truths by this means or however, which is the main of all, we shall be secured though we miss them; and then we are well enough.

For if it be evinced, that one heaven shall hold men of several opinions, if the unity of faith be not destroyed by that which men call differing religions, and if a unity of charity be the duty of us all, even towards persons who are not persuaded of every proposition we believe, then I would fain know to what purpose are all those stirs, and great noises in Christendom; those names of faction, the several names of churches not distinguished by the division of kingdoms, as the church obeys the government, ut Ecclesia sequatur Imperium, which was the primitive rule* and canon, but distin

* Optat. lib. 3,

guished by name of sects and men? These are all become instruments of hatred, thence come schisms and parting of communions, and then persecutions, and then wars and rebellion, and then the dissolutions of all friendships and societies.

All the mischiefs proceed not from this, that all men are not of one mind, for that is neither necessary nor possible, but that every opinion is made an article of faith, every article is a ground of a quarrel, every quarrel makes a faction, every faction is zealous, and all zeal pretends for God, and whatsoever is for God cannot be too much; we by this time are come to that pass, we think we love not God except we hate our brother, and we have not the virtue of religion, unless we persecute all religions but our own; for lukewarmness is so odious to God and man, that we proceeding furiously upon these mistakes, by supposing we preserve the body, we destroy the soul of religion, or by being zealous for faith, or which is all one, for that which we mistake for faith, we are cold in charity, and so lose the reward of both.

THE

NATURE AND EXTENT

OF

CHRISTIAN FAITH.

FROM THE LIBERTY OF PROPHESYING.

By Bisering Taylor

It is of great concernment to know the nature and integrity of faith; for there begins our first and great mistake; for faith, although it be of great excellency, yet when it is taken for a habit intellectual, it hath so little room and so narrow a capacity, that it cannot lodge thousands of those opinions, which pretend to be of her family.

For although it be necessary for us to believe whatsoever we know to be revealed of God; and so every man does, that believes there is a God; yet it is not necessary, concerning many things, to know that God hath revealed them; that is, we may be ignorant of, or doubt concerning the propositions, and indifferently maintain either part, when the question is not concerning God's veracity, but whether God hath said so or no. That which is of the foundation of faith, that

only is necessary; and the knowing or not knowing of that, the believing or disbelieving it, is that only which, as to the nature of the things to be believed, is an immediate and necessary order to salvation or damnation.

Now all the reason and demonstration of the world convinces us, that this foundation of faith, or the great adequate object of the faith that saves us, is that great mysteriousness of Christianity, which Christ taught with so much diligence, for the credibility of which he wrought so many miracles; for the testimony of which the Apostles endured persecutions; that which was a folly to the Gentiles, and a scandal to the Jews, this is that which is the object of a Christian's faith; all other things are implicitly in the belief of the articles of God's veracity, and are not necessary in respect of the constitution of faith to be drawn out, but may there lie in the bowels of the great articles, without danger to any thing or any person, unless some other accident or circumstance makes them necessary. Now the great object, which I speak of, is Jesus Christ crucified. "I have determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified;" so said St Paul to the Church of Corinth; this is the article upon the confession of which Christ built his Church, viz. only upon St Peter's creed, which was no more but this simple enunciation, "We believe and are sure that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God," Matt. xvi, 19; and to this salvation particularly is promised, as in the case of Martha's creed, John, xi, 27. To this the

Scripture gives the greatest testimony, and to all then that confess it; "For every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God;" and "Whoever confesseth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God;" John iv, 2. 15. The believing this article is the end of writing the four Gospels; "For all these things are written, that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God," John xx, 31; and then that this is sufficient follows," and that believing," viz. this article, (for this was only instanced in,) "ye might have life through his name." This is that great Article, which as to the nature of the things to be believed, is sufficient disposition to prepare a catechumen to baptism, as appears in the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch, whose creed was only this, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," and upon this confession, saith the story, they both went into the water, and the Ethiop was washed, and became as white as snow.

In these particular instantes, there is no variety of Articles, save only that in the annexes of the several expressions, such things are expressed, as besides that Christ is come, they tell from whence, and to what purpose; and whatsoever is expressed, or is to these purposes implied, is made articulate and explicate, in the short and admirable mysterious creed of St Paul, Rom. x, 8. "This is the word of faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God