before he reads, I hope there will not be found many more to obfcure the Senfe. That there are Italicks where there should be none, and that they are wanting where they should be, I own: Those that know the Difficulty of getting any thing printed correct, the Care and Time required for that purpose, well know how to excuse those Mistakes, and others of the like kind; fome of which I fee, and doubt not but they will fee more. I am forry I did not follow the Rev. Mr. Leechman of Glasgow, whofe Sermon on Prayer out-does every thing in point of Printing I ever faw; there is not an Italick in the whole, and Scarcely a Capital but at the Beginning of the Period.

ERRAT A.

PA

34,

Age 1 line 12, read Occurrences. p. 3. line for his r this. P. 4. 1. 14 put a Comma after Morality. P. 7 1. 28. dele the Comma after ox. P. 91. 27 before Law put this. P. 25 1. 12 put a comma after faid. P. 32 1. 34 for a r. an. P. 48 1. 35 for there r. here. P. 55 1. 32 r. Sons Daughters. P. 63 1. 2 dele 2 to and put a Comma. P. 84 1. 2, r. try'd. P. 91 1. 12 for never r. ever. P. 107 1. 11 for 7. 7. P. 80 1. 18 dele the Simicolon after Infidels.

r.

A

CREE D

Founded on Truth, &c.

S

OME Time ago, when a certain D. D.
well known in the learned World, was
at my House, and we talked fome

Points over in a curfory Manner, he made me promise to write to him, that he might more distinctly confider what we then only touch'd on. I should have contented myself with a private Addrefs, had not fome Occurrences fince rendered it neceffary to vindicate myself in a more publick Way; was it only to let fome others know what fort of Herefies those are with which they have infinuated me chargeable.

In doing this, if I can convey my Meaning intelligibly, and juftify what appears to me the naked Truth, I fhall not fear the Scorner's Contempt, nor the Sneer of him who fickens for Want of the Em

THAT the contrary and confufed Accounts gi ven of the facred Texts by the most learned Critics and Commentators; the various Syftems of Divinity, defended with Zeal, void of Reason or Truth; the Prevalence of Infidelity, Atheism, Immorality, &c. the defective Vindications of the Bible, published under the name of Christianity, the Authors of which have oftener expofed the Characters of Mofes and the Prophets, and the Truth of the Divine Records, than juftified either; the Mistakes about the Object of Worship, the State of Man before and after the Fall, about the Means of our Reconciliation, the Law, the Gofpel, &c, the fetting up Morality, Repentance, &c. to fatisfy for Sin; Reafon, the Law of Nature, &c. for our Guides in Matters of Faith and Practice, with many other Things of like Importance, are from the fame Source,

THAT befides this, the not attending to the true Origin of our Ideas has produced Miftakes of another Kind: Hence Men have formed Imaginations of certain logical and metaphyfical Ideas within themselves, without confidering how they came there; hence Imagination has been mistaken for Reason, and romantic Invention for Truth; their Minds all the while ignorant of the Mechanifm and Operations of Nature, tho' it be an univerfal Truth, that from hence all our Ideas are to be taken by the Medium of our Senses; the Reflection of the Mind being not a Source of new Ideas, but a Power to compare and compound a-new fuch as are already in it, in order to come at Ideas of fpiritual Things. That in proportion as this Truth appears to the Mind, fo will the Neceffity of a true natural Philofophy, and alfo the Neceffity of a Divine Revelation.

THAT

THAT there is no Syftem of Philofophy extant which in every Point will account for the Phænomena of Nature, but in the pure Hebrew Scriptures, and that in them there is fuch a Syftem, and the Means of coming at it in our Hands; and that thefe Natural Truths contained in thefe Scriptures, are fo connected with Divinity, that they will admit of no Separation; that notwithstanding, there is no coming at this Connection, no investigating those Truths, but by the Data in Chriftianity.

THAT the Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament are the Revelation of the Mind and Will and Works of the Elahim to us; and being written by the immediate Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are every Word of infallible Certainty and Truth, and contain all that is neceffary for us to know, in order to our Comfort and Happiness here and hereafter.

THIS is not taken for granted; for the prefent Structure of the World, the Frame of the Universe, all the Works of God, not only bear Witnefs to his Greatness, Glory, Goodnefs, &c. but also to the Truth and Divinity of his Revelation; and the more they are examined into, the clearer will their Evidence be, Rom. i. 20. For the invifible Things of him, from the Creation of the World are clearly feen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and God-head. But by the foregoing Verfe, this is, when God hath fhewed it, reveal'd it to them,

THAT in our prefent embodied State we can have no immediate Ideas of fpiritual Things or the invifible World, our Ideas being admitted only through the Inlets of our Senfes; therefore the only Way whereby we can come at any Knowledge

of

of Divine Things, muft be by comparing them with fome Refemblances in the natural World, borrowed from thofe fenfible Objects with which we are converfant.

THAT the Elabim has been graciously pleased to unfold Nature to us in his Word, therein giving us a compleat Syftem of natural Philofophy, defigned not only to direct us to the Ufe and Enjoyment of the Comforts the material World affords, for the Support and Benefit of the animal Frame; but chiefly that by the Knowledge of Nature revealed in the Scriptures, we might be led to the Knowledge of the Elabim; and from the material World there described, might receive the best Information we are capable of, of what the Elabim are, our present depraved Nature, our Reftoration by Chrift, and how we may attain to the Perfection and Felicity of Body and Soul in the Enjoyment of the Elabim.

THAT the Doctrine of a Trinity of Perfons in the Divine Effence revealed in the Bible, was defign'd by the Elahim to be reprefented to us in this System by the three grand Agents of Fire, Light, and Spirit; whofe three-fold Condition and Onenefs of Substance, and their mutual and triune Agency for the Maintainance and Prefervation of the natural World, in its Beauty, Order, and Exiftence, give us the beft Idea we can have of the Perfons in the Effence, as to their Mode of Exiftence; their joint Concurrence in the Support and Government of the spiritual World, and their Union and diftinct oeconomical Actions in the Work of our Redemption.

THAT Letters were not known 'till near 2,600 Years after the Creation, nor then but by Revela