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trary to the established superstitions, the deep-rooted prejudices, and favourite vices, of all mankind) through the whole earth, within a few years, by mere force of miracles, and arguments, and innocence, against all opposition. These things surely are proofs sufficient of our Saviour's coming from God, without saying any thing of the prophecies of the Old Testament, so many of which were so clearly fulfilled in him.

But then, as all the facts hitherto mentioned are ancient ones; it may be asked farther, How can we now be sure of the truth of what is said to have been done so many ages ago? I answer, By all the same means, which can assure us of any other ancient fact. And there are multitudes of much ancienter, which nobody hath the least doubt of: and it would be reckoned madness, if they had. The miracles of Christ and his Apostles are recorded in the New Testament: a book very fully proved, and indeed, acknowledged, to be, the greatest part of it, written by the Apostles themselves; and the rest, in their days, by their direction: and no one material fact of it is, or ever was, so far as we can learn, opposed bý any contrary evidence whatever. Then, that vast numbers of persons were converted to this religion, as they declared, by seeing these miracles, and vast numbers more, by the accounts, which they received of them; and persevered in their faith, against all worldly discouragements, till at length it became the prevailing one; appears partly from the New Testament also, partly from other books of acknowledged authority, written in that age and the following ones, by heathens and Jews, as well as Christians; and indeed is in the main universally owned and notorious.

But supposing the facts, on which our religion is built, to be truly related, yet it may be asked further, How shall we be sure, that its doctrines were so too, in which it is much easier to mistake? I answer again: The doctrines of the Old Testament are attested and confirmed by the New. And for those of the New Testament: we have our Saviour's own discourses, recorded by two of his Apostles, Matthew and John, who heard him constantly, and by two other persons, Mark and Luke, who at least received them from his constant hearers. We have also the discourses of his first disciples after resurrection, recorded in the Acts: we have besides, many letters, written by them, the Epistles, sent on several occasions, for the instruction of several new-planted churches. Now all these agree in the same doctrine. But further, which adds inestimable value to what they have said and written, our Lord himself promised them, that the Spirit of God should teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance, whatever he had said unto them*; should come and abide with them for ever, and guide them into all truth. And accordingly this Spirit did come, and manifest his continual presence with them by his miraculous gifts. We have therefore the fullest evidence that both what they have delivered, as from our Saviour, and what they have said in their own names, is a true representation of his religion.

But another question is, Supposing the Scripture a true revelation, so far as it goes; how shall we know, if it be a full and complete one too, in all things necessary? I answer: Since our Saviour had the Spirit without measure, and the writers of Scripture had as large a measure of it, as their commis

John xiv. 26.

† John xiv. 16. xvi. 13.

sion to instruct the world required, it is impossible, that in so many discourses concerning the terms of salvation, as the New Testament contains, they should all have omitted any one thing necessary to the great end, which they had in view. And what was not necessary when the Scripture was completed, cannot have become so since. For the faith was once for all delivered in it to the saints*: and other foundation can no man lay †, than what was laid then. The sacred penmen themselves could teach no other Gospel than Christ appointed them; and he hath appointed no one since to make additions to it.

In the books of Scripture then the doctrines of our religion are truly and fully conveyed to us: and we cannot be so sure of any other conveyance. It is a confirmation of our faith indeed, that the earliest Christian writers, after those of Scripture, in all material points agree with it. But if they did not, no writers can have equal authority with inspired ones. And no unwritten tradition can long be of any authority at all. For things, delivered by word of mouth, always vary, more or less, in going through but a few hands. And the world hath experienced, that articles of belief, for want of having recourse to the written rule of them, have greatly changed in many churches of Christians: but in few or none more, than that of Rome, which absurdly pretends to be unchangeable and infallible. It is in the Scripture alone then, that we, who live in these later ages, can be sure of finding the Christian faith preserved, complete and undefiled: and there we may be sure of it.

For as to any pretence or fear of these books being corrupted and altered, either by design or mistake; + 1 Cor. iii. 11.

* Jude 3.

had the Old Testament been depraved in any thing essential, our Saviour and his Apostles would have given us notice of it. And for the New, the several parts of it were so immediately spread through the world, and so constantly read in public and private, by all Christians; and so perpetually quoted in all their discourses, and all the disputes of one sect with another, that they could not possibly be changed, by any of them, in any thing considerable. For the rest would have immediately discovered it, and charged them with it, which must put an end to the danger. And indeed it is an agreed point, amongst all who understand these matters, that nothing of this kind either hath happened, or can happen, so as to affect any one article of faith.

But perhaps it will be alledged, that the Bible was written originally in languages, which have long been out of common use, and with which but a small part of Christians now are acquainted: and how shall the rest be sure, that we have them rightly translated into our own? The plain answer is, that all translations made by all parties, agree in most places, and those of the most importance: and where they disagree, moderate consideration and enquiry will enable any persons who live in a country of knowledge and freedom, which, God be thanked, is our case, to judge on some good grounds, as far as they need judge, which is right, and which is wrong; which is clear, and which is doubtful. Nor doth any sect of Christians pretend to accuse our common translation of concealing any necessary truth, or asserting any destructive error.

But supposing all this, yet it may be urged, that many parts of Scripture in our translation, and in the original too, are dark and obscure and how can

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it then be the guide and rule of our faith? I answer: these are few in proportion to such as are clear: and were they more, the Spirit of God, we may be sure, would make all necessary points, in one part or another, sufficiently clear. These therefore the most ignorant may learn from Scripture at least by the help of such explanations, as they are willing to ask and trust in all other cases, and much admirable instruction besides; which if they do but respect and observe as they ought, they may be content to leave for the use of others, what a little modesty will shew them is above their own reach.

But that every person may be enabled the better to distinguish between the necessary doctrines and the rest those, which either Christ or his Apostles expressly taught to be of the former sort, or the nature of the thing plainly shews to be such, have from the earliest times been collected together: and the profession of them hath been particularly required of all persons baptized. These collections or summaries are in Scripture called the form of sound words*, the words of faith, the principles of the doctrine of Christ: but in the present language of Christians, the Creed, that is, the Belief.

The ancient church had many such creeds: some longer, some shorter; differing in expression, but agreeing in method and sense of which that called the Apostles' Creed was one. And it deserves that name, not so much from any certainty that the Apostles drew it up, as because it contains the apostolical doctrines: and was used by a church which, before it corrupted itself, was justly considered as one of the chief apostolical foundations, I mean the Roman.

2 Tim. i. 13.

+ 1 Tim. iv. 6.

Heb. vi. 1.

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