Agreement with the Proteftant Principles, and are not chargeable with the fmalleft Appearance of Difregard to the Honour and Excellency of the Divine Writings.

Every body in the leaft acquainted with the Principles of the Church of Rome, and the State of the Controverfy, muit fee that the only Difpute is, Whether without the Interpofition of the Church and the Help of Tradition, the Scriptures are of themselves a fufficiently full and plain Declaration of the Mind of God, and the Doctrines of Salvation to the whole Body of Chriftians: But not at all, Whether the Phrafes of Scripture are a clear and plain enough Expreffion of the Mind of Men, and of the Opinions of this and the other particular Church or Perfon; nor whether it may not be neceffary for them, upon fome Occafions, to confefs Chrift and give a Reafon of the Hope which is in them in other Words: This is a Queftion the Papifts are not in the leaft concerned in, nor can the Determination of it, have the smallest Influence upon the Controverfy betwixt the Proteftants and them relating to this Point.

It feems then to flow from an entire Miftake of the Question, that our Opinion, concerning the Phrafes and Terms in which humane Confeffions may and ought to be expreffed, is alledged to be a Departure from the Proteftant Principles, and an Approach to the Popish Maxims, and that fo very unconnected and diftant Controverfies as thefe are, fhould be fo unreafonably confounded together,

As a very great Injury is done to all the Reformed Churches who make the fame ufe of Confessions that we do, and they are treated in a Method which hath as little Claim to good Manners and Modefty as to Juftice, when they are fo loudly accufed of Self-contradiction, and of Detraction from the Holy Scriptures; fo an Affront is indeed offered to the Bible, when an imaginary Regard to the Excellency and Perfection of it, is made a Handle to promote the Interefts of a Caufe in which it is no ways concerned, and to influence the Minds of the fober and more religious Perfons, who will, no doubt, be extremely moved by every thing which hath the leaft Appearance of fullying the Glory of Divine Revelation, or contradicting the Sufficiency and Perfection of the Word of God, Nor is any Honour done to the Scriptures to drag them into the Field of Controverfy; and out of their Dignity, Excellency, and Perfpicuity, to busk up a Form of Truth and Godliness, under which Notions of a very different Nature might appear more plaufible, and make deeper Impreffions upon Christians.

AVING fo fully confidered thefe two great Objections a

Hainft Creeds, which contain almoft the whole Strength of our

Adverfaries; and endeavoured to vindicate the Principles and Practice of our Church in this Matter, from the Charge of Tyranny, or any Mixture of Spiritual Ufurpation over the Confciences of Mankind, and the unalienable Right of private Judgment; and from the Imputation of any thing that is dishonourable to the

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faced Writings, or contradictory to the Proteftant Principles: There remains only an Objection or two of leffer Moment to be confidered; and they will be the easier removed, because now in our Reafoning we may proceed upon the Suppofition, That Confeffions are perfectly agreeable to the Liberties of Mankind, and to the Dignity and Perfection of the Word of God.

The Third Kind of Objections which are brought against Confef fons, are founded upon the bad Influence which it is alledged they have on the Interefts both of Learning and Religion. It is faid That the confining Men to the Belief of certain Articles, or at leaft depriving them of worldly Advantages fuch as their Stipends upon their publishing Opinions contrary to the publick Standards, is a mighty Biafs upon their Understandings, ftraitens them in their Inquiries after Truth, prepoffeffes with Prejudices, and prevents great and noble Advances in Knowledge: that hereby Men have a great Argument to become Hyoperites, and fo to be. loft to all Religion, while they are afraid to declare their real Sentiments, and tempted to counterfeit a Belief of Doctrines with which their temporal Fortunes and Conveniencies are fo clofely connected: That in fuch Circumftances, an uncommon Progress in any Part of Theological Learning is fo far from being encouraged; that on the contrary, it feems a Crime to be wiler and more knowing than others, or to difcover Errors and Miftakes in the Opinions of the Church, and the Compofures of fallible Men: That fuch Means of preferving the Purity of the Chriftian Faith, as Creeds are alledged by their Admirers to be, will do at least more Harm to true Religion than Good; becaufe according to our Scheme concerning Confeffions, the fame Methods will be followed by all Societies and Churches of whatever Principles and Party they be and confequently fuch Confeffions will tend as much to the Difadvantage of found Doftrine, and to the Security of Error, as it can do to the Prefervation of Truth, where it is established: And that Paganism, Mahometanifm, and Popery, &c. having got into the Poffeffion of the publick Chairs and Pulpits in the far greatest Number of Countries, Herefy and Darkness will be greater Gainers by this Scheme than Light and Purity.

A great many things might be obferved upon this Subject were it proper on this occafion to give a full Illuftration of it: But 'tis hoped, the few Confiderations following may be fufficient for the Vindication of Confeffions.

Should we acknowledge that Confeffians of Faith have been fometimes abufed, and been made the Occafion of the Evils complain'd of; That covetous and fearful Perfons have been induc'd to conceal their real Sentiments, by the Profpect of the Difadvantages they might be expos'd to, fhould it be known that they had departed from the receiv'd Doctrine; and that Men of Learning have been in fome places induc'd to fmother ufeful and new Difcoveries, and thereby have loft them to the Republick of Letters: Yet this will be no good Argument against the Ufe of Confeffions, and the Benefits which may be reaped by them; because the best and noblest things in the World have had the fame Fate, and been

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perverted by the Corruptions of Mankind to the moft unworthy Purpofes. The Law of God it felf, as we formerly mentioned, however pure and holy, became an Inftrument of Sin, whereby it wrought Death (a). The moft meek and peaceable Religion that ever appeared in the World, gave rife to the moft furious Animo fities and unnatural Cruelties, it fent Fire and Sword abroad upon the Earth, and put the nearest Relations even Parents and Children, at Variance (b). The Grace of God hath been turned into Lafciviousnefs (c). And the great Foundation of the Gofpel, the Crofs of Chrift, was to the Jews a Stumbling-block, and to the Greeks Foolishness (d). Were therefore all thefe things to be rejected? or could thefe Evils, which fprung from the Depravity and Weakness of Mankind, be juftly attributed to the innocent Occafions of them?

The Temporalities of Church-officers, or the Stipends which any Society may bestow upon their Minifters, and which they can't enjoy but upon condition of their fubfcribing the eftablifh'd Confeffions, and adhering to the Doctrine contain'd in them, are the chief things to be confidered in this Argument; because it is the Apprehenfion of the Lofs of thefe Temporalities, which is the Occafion of the alledged Difadvantages to Religion and Learning: Now let us plainly Itate the Cafe, and fee if the Opinion of our Adverfaries be not incomparably more unreasonable," and exposed to much greater Inconveniencies.

A Society, in order to propagate and increase the Knowledge of what they think the Faith of the Gospel, give fuch an Encouragement to a Minister; That a Perfon may get into this Office,he may be tempted to diffemble his true Opinions, and make a falfe Profeffion of his Faith: Therefore to prevent this, that Society muft beftow the fame Encouragement upon him, whatever Turn of Thought he follow; tho' that fhould lead him neceffarly to deftroy that very Caufe, the promoting of which was the only Reafon why fuch a Benefice was granted to any body.

I have an Efteem and Honour for a Man because of his religi ous Qualities; I value the Purity of his Light and Knowledge, the Probity of his Manners, and the facred Regard to Truth and Piety which give a Luftre to the Whole of his Life: Another, to get into my favourable Thoughts, plays the Hypocrite, puts a Dif guife upon his Opinions which he thinks I would believe Heterodox, and imitates the Appearance of a Devotion which does not warm his Heart and infpire his Affections. Therefore to prevent this I muft remove the Temptation from him, by fhowing an equal Regard to Virtue and Vice, Truth and Error; nor muft I place my Efteem, or beflow Favours more upon the moft excellent Chriftian, than the most profligate Wretch. Thefe are the native Confequences, and fuch is the Life and Spirit which give force to this Objection against Confeffions, which is enough to show the Weakness of it.

An

(a) Rom. 7. 10,--13, (b) Matt. 10.34,35, (c) Fude v. 4. (d) I Cor. 1.23.

An Inconveniency muft always be of lefs Moment than an Ab furdity: Upon one fide it can only be alledged. That by establi thing Confeffions we do a Thing, which however just and neceffary it be in our Opinion, yet is acknowledged by us to be liable to Abule, ard that thro' the Corruptions of Mankind it may have bad Effects; But on the other hand, if this be neglected, we do a Thing which appears directly contrary to our Confciences, and inconfiftent with the Duty of all Chriftian Societies, to make ufe of the neceffary Means of profeffing the Purity of their own Faith, and trying the Qualifications of their Minifters: Which laft is incomparably more forcible, and muft determine us whatever accidental Confequences may accompany it.

According to the Principles of our Confeffion, every Man fhould fearch after the Truth with the utmoft Impartiality; attend to the Voice of Divine Revelation, tho' it may found very differently in his Ears from the publick Standard of any fallible Church; and not fuffer his Confcience to be bribed by his Intereft, or the Light of the Gofpel to be overclouded by the Mifts and Vapours of tem poral Eafe and Felicity: It is bafe and inglorious for any Perfon to diffemble the Truth when he difcovers it, or neglect any proper Means of fpreading it in the World, because thereby he may dif oblige the Majority and lofe their Favours. But if notwithstand ing thefe Confiderations, any fhould be found of fo defpicable a Spirit, as to be bribed by thefe Temporalities, and preter them to Truth and Confcience; the whole Blame ought to be laid upon himfelf, and it can never be fuppofed, that to prevent it, all So sieties and Churches must be deprived of their undisputed Rights and forced to act directly contrary to their Judgments, with refpect to the doctrinal Qualifications of their Miters.

This Way of Reafoning made Ufe of by the Adverfaries of Confeffions, if it were pushed as far as it might, would pull up the Roots of all Religion, and enervate the plaineft Duties of Chrifti anity: And indeed Perfons of Libertine Principles, and those who ufurp the Name, they have fo little juft Claim to, of Free thinkers, improve it for this very Purpose.

They obferve that Education gives a mighty Biafs to the Underftandings of Mankind, and hath a great Influence in forming their Principles: That the far greatest Part of the World lies buried in Ignorance, and embraces a falfe Religion; and confequently Education, with the greatest Number, gives them an early Prejudice againft Truth, and prepoffeffes their tender Minds in Favours of Error and Idolatry. From this difadvantageous Influence, which Education is alledged to have upon Religion, they'll conclude, That there ought to be no fuch Thing practifed by Parents, that Children fhould not be trained up in the Belief of a Set of Principles, but left entirely to their own Judgment when they advance in Years.

But is not this to contradict the exprefs Commands of our great Legislator, Train up a Child in the Way be fhould go, and when be is old he

will not depart from it (a): And ye Fathers provoke not your Children t Wrath, but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord (b) o The Judgment which God makes of Abraham is recorded to his Honour, I know him, that he will command his Children and his Hofhold after him, and they shall keep the Way of the Lord, to do Justice and Judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath fpoken of him (c): And the fatal Confequence of a Neglect of this Duty, is laid before us by the wife Man, The Rod and Reproof give Wisdom; but a Child left to himself, bringeth his Mother to Shame (d): And is it not to difobey the Voice of Nature, with refpect to the common Principles of Religion which are difcoverable by its Light. Yea it might be eafily proved, That, according to this Way of Reafoning, Parents fhould beftow no Care upon their Children, in Order to form their Minds to Virtue and Knowledge; nor give them any Part of a polite Education: Which were to debafe Mankind into the Condition of Brutes; and in order to prevent Prejudices and Prepoffeffions, deftroy Thought and extinguish Reafon.

So that our Adverfaries who make this Objection against Confeffions, feem to imitate the Method of the Stoicks: As thefe did not regulate the Paffions, and render them ufeful, but endeavoured to root them up; fo they, in order to fecure an impartial Judgment, and prevent the Inconviencies which Christianity might fuffer, from the vaft Superiority of Numbers on the Side of its Enemies, were this Ufe of Creeds and Articles of Faith allowed to Mankind would perfwade us into Measures which overturn all Religion, and make the plaineft Duties of it of none Effect.

There are fuch Things as Truth and Orthodoxy in the World; and it were extremely abfurd to fancy, that fuch Societies as may have embraced them, fhould be deprived of the juft and neceffary Means of preferving them pure and uncorrupted, and robbed of what we have proved to be the natural Right of all Churches, and upon the Exercife of which they may think the Succefs and Defign of the Ministry do in a great Meafure depend; becaufe thofe who have erred from the Truth, they abufe fuch Compofures as Confeffions are, to bad Purposes, and a corrupt Church may therefore endeavour to maintain the Mistakes and Herefies which they have fallen into.

It is extremely hard fometimes, to determine which is the most prudent and ready Way to promote Religion, and bring over a People who are Strangers to the Common-wealth of Ifrael; and what Meatures will prove leaft hazardous to the Intereft of Chriftianity: But this methinks may be received as a Maxim, That Prudence, and Dexterity, and Politicks can only find Place in Things which are otherwife indifferent, they can never furnih Objections against the Dictates of Confcience, and the Reafon of the Thing: Whatever Church

(a) Prov. 22. 6. (b) Ephef. 6. 4. (c) Genef. 18. 19. (d) Prov 9. 15.