acted the utmost farthing of the reckoning from his old paftor; firft began the fray: which as it became the perplexity of church and state for fome ages, so it raged to blood; and those that had been perfecuted like fheep by the heathen not long before, turned wolves against each other, and made sport for the infidels, doing their work to their own deftruction. Nay, fo much more Christian was Themiftius the philofopher, that he, in his oration, called coNSUL, commended the emperor Jovianus for his moderation, and advised him to give that liberty of confcience, which profeffed Chriftians refufed to allow each other; who feemed to think they never did God better fervice, than in facrificing one another for religion, even as foon as ever they had escaped the heathen's fhambles.

Did we duly reflect upon the unnatural heats, divifions, and excommunications among them, the many councils that were called, the ftrong and tedious debates held, the tranflations of fees, the anathemas, the banishments, wars, fackings, fires and bloodshed that followed this unnatural divifion, that fprang from. fo nice a controverfy, one would verily believe no less, than that religion itself had been in the utmost hazard; that Judaifim or Paganifm were over-running Chriftianity; and not that all this ftir had been made about an Iota. For the whole queftion was, whether Homoufia, or Homoioufia, fhould be received for faith? In which the difference is but the fingle letter I: certainly, we must do violence to our understanding, if we can think that these men were followers of that Jefus that "loved his enemies, and gave his blood for the "world," who hated their brethren, and shed one another's blood for opinions: the heathen philofophers never were fo barbarous to one another, but maintained a better understanding and behaviour in their differences.

But how eafily might all these confufions have been prevented, if their faith about Chrift had been delivered in the words of the fcripture; fince all fides pretend to believe the text? and why should any man pre

fume

fume to be wifer, or plainer in matters of faith, than the Holy Ghoft? It is ftrange, that God and Christ fhould be wanting to exprefs or difcover their own mind; or that the words used by the Holy Ghost should have that shortnefs, ambiguity, or obliquity in them, that our frail capacities fhould be needed to make them more eafy, proper and intelligible. But that we fhould fcarcely deliver any one article of faith in fcripture-terms, and yet make fuch acts the Rule and

bond of Chriftian communion,' is, in my judgment, an offence heinous against God and holy fcripture, and very injurious to Chriftian charity and fellowship. Who can exprefs any man's mind fo fully, as himself? And fhall we allow that liberty to ourselves, and refuse it to God?" The fcriptures came not in old time," faid the apostle Peter, "by the will of man; but holy "men of God fpake, as they were moved by the "Holy Ghoft." Who can speak better, or express the mind of the Holy Ghoft plainer, than the Holy Ghof? The fcripture is the great record of truth, that which all these parties in controverfy agree to be the declared mind and will of God,' and they unanimously fay, it ought to be believed and profeffed as fuch. If this be true, in what language can we fo fafely and properly declare our belief of thofe truths, as in the very language of the fcripture?

And I cannot fee how thofe perfons can be excused in the day of God's judgment, who make men heterodox or heretical, for refusing to subscribe their articles of faith that are not in fcripture-terms, who in the fame time offer to declare their belief of God, Chrift, fpirit, man's lapfe or fall, repentance, fanctification, juftification, falvation, refurrection, and eternal recompenfe, in the language of holy fcripture? I must say it is prepofterous, and a contradiction, that those who defire to deliver their faith of truth, in the language of truth, shall not be reputed true believers, nor their faith admitted. This were to say, that therefore their faith is not to be received, because it is declared in the language of that very truth, which is the object of that

E 3

faith,

faith, for which it ought to be received, and which is, on all hands, concluded to be our duty to believe.' It seems then, we must not exprefs our belief of God in his words, but our own; nor is the scripture a creed plain or proper enough to declare a true believer, or an orthodox Chriftian, without our gloffes.

Are not things come to a fad pafs, that to refufe any other terms than thofe the Holy Ghoft has given us, and which are confeffed to be the rule or form of 'found words,' is to expofe a man to the cenfure of being unfound in the faith, and unfit for Chriftian communion? Will nothing do but man's comment inftead of God's text? His confequences and conclufions, in the room of facred revelation? I cannot fee how any man can be obliged to receive, or believe, revealed truths in any other language than that of the revelation itself; efpecially if thofe, that vary the expreffion, have not the fame spirit to lead them in doing fo, or that it appears not to me that they have the guidance of that holy fpirit. If the Holy Ghoft had left doubts in fcripture, which is yet irreverent to believe, I fee not how men can refolve them; it is the work of that fpirit. And fince men are fo apt to err, doubts are better left in fcripture, than made or left by us. But it is to cross that order of prudence and wifdom among men, who chufe to conform their expreffions to the thing they believe. If an honeft man hath related a story to me, of fomething he hath feen, and I am to declare my faith about it, if I believe the fact, I will chuse to deliver it in the terms of the relator, as being nearest to the truth.

Suppofe a father, dying, makes his left will and teftament, and, as he thinks, fo plain, that there can be no mistake made by the executors, but what is wilful if they, instead of proving this will, and acting according to the plainnefs of it, turn commentators, make more difficulties than they find, and perplex the whole matter, to the children and legatees, and fend them to the law for right; will we not esteem fuch executors ill men, and justify those perfons concerned

a

in their refufal of their paraphrafe? "God hath, at "fundry times, and in diverfe manners," by his prophets, his beloved Son, and his apoftles, delivered to the world a declaration of his bleffed will; but fome have claimed, and taken to themfelves, the keeping, explanation, and use of it, fo as those that chufe to be concluded by the letter and text of Chrift's teftament, in its most important points, expofe themselves to great prejudice for fo doing; for they are excommunicated from all other share in it, than the punishment of the breakers of it; which is part of their anathema, who, of all others, are moft guilty of adding, or diminishing, by undertaking to determine, for others as well as themselves, the mind and intention of the Holy Ghoft in it.

But if it be true, as true it is, that few have writ of the divine authority of fcripture, who do not affirm that the very penmen of it were not only infpired by the Holy Ghost, but fo extraordinarily acted by him, as that they were wholly asleep to their own will, defires or affections, like people taken out of themselves, and purely paffive," as clay in the hands of the pot"ter," to the revelation, will, and motion of the fpirit; and for this end, that nothing, delivered by them, might have the leaft poffibility of mistake, error, or imperfection, but be a "complete declaration of the " will of God to men;" I cannot fee which way fuch men excuse themselves from great prefumption, that will, notwithstanding, have the wording of creeds of communion, and reject that declaration of faith as infufficient, which is delivered in the very terms of the Holy Ghoft; and deny those perfons to be members of Christ's church, that in confcience refuse to subscribe any other draught than that the Lord has given them.

Two things oppose themselves to this practice: the glory of God, and the honour of the fcripture," in that it naturally draws people from the regard due

• Heb. i. 1.

to God and the fcripture, and begets too much refpect for men and their tradition. This was the difficulty Chrift met with, and complained of, in his time; they had set up so many rabbies to teach them religion, that the Lord of the true religion could hardly find place amongst them. And what did they do? They taught for doctrines the traditions of men:" they gave their own and their predeceffors apprehenfions, conftructions, and paraphrafes upon fcripture, for the mind and will of God, the rule of the people's faith. They were near at this pass in the church of Corinth, when they cried out, "I am for Paul, I am "for Apollos, and I am for Cephas," though they had not the fame temptation.

And that which followed then, ever will follow in the like cafe, and that is, distraction; which is the contrary to the second thing that oppofeth itself to this practice, and that is, the concord of Chriftians. For the fake of peace confider it: Lo here, and lo there, ⚫ always followed; one of this mind, and another of that as many fects, as great men to make and head them.' This was the cafe of the Jews; and yet I do not hear that they devoured one another about their opinions and commentaries upon fcripture; but the Christians have done both; divided and perfecuted too. First, they have divided, and that mostly upon the score of opinions about religion. They have not been contented with the expreffions of the Holy Ghost; they liked their own better. And when they were fet up, in the room of fcripture, and in the name of fcripture, fubmiffion was required, upon pain of worldly punishments. This diffatisfied curiofity, this unwarrantable,-what fhall I fay? This wanton fearch, has cost Christendom dear, and poor England dearest any part of it.

of

I defign not to grate upon any, or to revive old ftories, or fearch old wounds, or give the least just occafion of displeasure to thofe that are in present power; yet I must needs fay, that opinion, on one fide or the other, has been the cause of much of that.

difcord,