in the Gospel: Which Doctrine, for memories fake, is briefly fummed up in the Apoftles Creed. Obedience is, his keeping the Commandments of God: Which Commandments are rehearsed in the Catechism, and are distinctly and largely explained by our Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount,

THE Reason why This Faith, or Believing the Doctrines of the Gospel, is ranked here in the Second place, between Repentance and Obedience; between forfaking the Works of the Devil, and obeying the Commandments of God; is evident. Because by Repentance we are led to Faith, and by Faith to Obedience. A man must first lay aside the Prejudices of Errour and Wickedness, before he can be difpofed to receive the Truth: And he must first know and believe what is Right, before he can practise it. He that cometh Heb. xi. 6. to God, must believe that he Is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. He that cometh to Chrift, must first renounce the Evil One, that is, reject

the

the Falfe Doctrines of Atheism, Idolatry, and Superftition; he must in the next place ftudy to be inftructed in the True Doctrine of Chrift; and then he will be qualified to obey his Commandments.

FAITH then being thus neceffary, in order to Obedience; the Queftion will be, What are the Doctrines to be believed, or What are the Articles of our Chriftian Faith, and upon What Authority to be received? The Catechism tells us, that the Articles of our Belief are the Apostles Greed; And the Authority upon which the Creed is to be received, is the Revelation of God. But fince the Apostles Creed is not fo much as pretended to have been compofed by the Apostles themselves, or to have been inspired of God into those who did compile it; upon What Authority is it, that we are to believe it contains fo Authentick an Account of the Articles of our Christian Faith ?

Now

Now Here arifes the Great and Fundamental Difference between the Church of Rome and the religion of Proteftants. The Church of Rome teaches, (and 'tis the Foundation and Support of all their Errours and of all their Impieties,) that whatever Creeds or Doctrines they fhall think fit to impose, are to be received and believed upon the Authority of the Church, without any further Inquiry. Which if it were true, it would be impoffible for any reasonable man ever to know what was required of him to be believed. For, what They call The Church, has fometimes taught one thing, and fometimes another; and Creeds have been made contrary to Creeds; and Councils have determined one against another; and Great and Learned men have difagreed among themfelves, and been altogether inconfiftent with each other. If therefore the Authority of Man, or of any Number of Men, how great, how learned foever, were in this cafe the Foundation and Ground of Belief; our Religion must be taken up merely by Chance, according to the Place

we

Pet. iii.

15.

we lived in, or the Perfons we happened to converse with. And, among fo many Inconfiftencies, Who could know with any certainty What to believe? For not only fingle Men, but one Church also has taught contrary to another, and fometimes contrary to itself: And the Church of Rome, has in different Ages, made different Creeds, and different Articles of Faith. Here therefore is nothing but Darkness, and the utmoft Confufion: A groundless and inconfiftent Profeffing to believe, whatever shall at any time happen to be the prevailing Doctrine.

THE Doctrine of the Proteftant Religion in this matter, of those who profess to be ready always to give an Answer to every man that asketh them a Reafon of the Hope that is in them; is,

on the other

hand, very clear and plain. Our Saviour, by undeniable Miracles, proved himself to be fent of God; and confequently that, whatever be taught, was of neceffity to be believed. The Apoftles in like manner proved Their commission, by undeniable Evidences:

13.

vidences: And confequently, whatever They preached, was likewife to be believed, as the Preaching of Him that Sent them. And because the fame Spirit was continually with them, to guide them into all Joh. xvi: Truth; therefore what they Wrote, was of the fame Authority as what they Preached. Now these Writings of theirs, are contained in the Books of the New Teftament. These Books therefore, with the Writings of the Prophets in the Old Teftament, to which they continually refer; are the only Rule of Truth, in matters of Revealed Religion: And nothing can be required as of neceffity to be believed by any Christian, that is not clearly contained therein. The only remaining difficulty then is, concerning the Sense and Meaning of thefe Scriptures. And here, because God has made This the only additional Rule, (befides the universal Light of natural Reafon and Confcience,) by which every man is to be judged; therefore in things fundamental, in things required as of neceffity to eternal Salvation, 'tis evident this Rule ought to be fo Plain,

that