Jews or Gentiles can be obliged to believe are laid down in the New Testament They are not limited to one particular part of those Sacred Writings And all Christians must endeavour to know as many of them as they can and then believe them But there is not a precise Number of Doctrines set down in any one Part of Scripture as absolutely necessary to be believed by any Christian or beyond which a Christian is not to endeavour to extend his Belief In p. 47. This Author by way of Reply to what he hath quoted out of the First Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 14. where that Author declares the Reason why he did not go through the Epistles to collect the Fundamental Articles of Faith c. propounds certain Questions whereof the principal is this But how are these Fundamental Points to be found in the Gospels and Acts better than in the Epistles Answ. Though I think a very solid strong rational and invincible Answer is given to this and the other Questions in those very Lines this Author hath quoted out of the First Vindic. from which he hath taken occasion to propose these Questions yet because the same Author hath expressed himself more largely concerning this Matter in his Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I shall refer the Reader to p. 141 142. of that Book where I think he may find as compleat Satisfaction to these Queries as can reasonably be desired But since this Author doth here as well as in several other places speak of Truths revealed or delivered or taught in the New Testament Which he saith have no respect to Man's Salvation and which are things indifferent I shall take leave to ask a few Questions For what End were those Truths taught in the New Testament which have no respect to Man's Salvation Which be those Truths Christ hath taught which have no respect to those Peoples Salvation who do believe them purely because they know he-hath taught them Is it indifferent whether Christians believe or do not believe any thing which they know Jesus Christ hath taught Are they to govern themselves in their Submission to and believing of what Christ hath taught by the Apprehensions they or other Men shall be pleased to cherish of the Respect or no Respect his Doctrines have to Man's Salvation Will not such a Notion if it take place make shrewd Work when dexterously managed both with the Truths which are taught and the Rules of Practice which are laid down in the New Testament As for those Truths which have a nearer or more remote Connexion with what is absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians the Reader may advance himself much both in Knowledge and Piety by an attentive serious perusing what the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. hath writ concerning the same in his Second Vindic. of the Reasonab c. p. 74 75. The Terms of Salvation saith this Author are as plainly and clearly set down in the Epistles as in the Gospels p. 47. Answ. Those Doctrines which are absolutely necessary to be believed to Salvation may be as plainly and clearly set down in the Epistles as in the Gospels and yet not be as clearly distinguished in the former as in the latter from other Doctrines which are not absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to Salvation This Author hath I think in his 50th Page overturned all that he hath writ against the Reasonableness of Christianity c. in this First part of his Book especially if he will allow that the Persons he speaks of before he comes to the middle of that Page were Christians before they explicitely believed every particular Truth they were taught during their Lives For if they were the Question will not be how many Articles they did believe in all But what those Articles were the Belief of which made them Christians If they were not Christians till they did explicitely believe the very last Articles which were taught them during their Lives their Belief of those Articles joyn'd to those they had learned before whatever they were made them Christians And if they did not every one happen to learn and believe the very same Article in the last place or one that made each Man's Faith exactly the same the explicite Belief of one Article made one Man a Christian and the explicite Belief of another Article made another Man a Christian which is utterly impossible For no Man can be a Christian without that which is absolutely necessary to make a Man a Christian. Could I meet with a Passage in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. which I could justly think to have a Tendency to impair the Divine Authority of the Epistles or lessen Peoples Esteem for them I hope I should as heartily dislike it and be as ready to caution People against it as another Person notwithstanding I make so great account of the Book it self And though I have writ so many Pages in order to the clearing some Mistakes as I conceive in this First part part of the Animadversions on the Reasonableness of Christianity c. yet I fully concur with the worthy Author of them in what I apprehend was his principal Design There are many very excellent and useful things in this part of his Book He writes very well and like a very good Man and had not his misapprehending the Reasonableness of Christianity c. led him out of his way and somewhat bewildred him his Discourse according to my Judgment would have been without a Blemish unless his using sometimes a greater Latitude in his Expressions than is rigidly justifiable may be reckoned one notwithstanding it is but a keeping Pace with the most Applauded and Learned Writers Our enjoying the Epistles as well as the Gospels and Acts is a Mercy for which we can never be sufficiently thankful May we all set a just Value on them read them attentively study them diligently and make that Improvement we ought of our being favoured with so inestimable a Blessing then we shall reap singular Benefit from them and one End aimed at in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. will be greatly advanced Observations on the Reason of Christ's coming into the World THE Title this Author hath given to the Second Part of his Animadversions is Of the Reason of Christ's coming into the World I will pass over this Part very briefly because this Author seems to find fault with some Passages in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. on purpose to take Occasion to discourse of Christ's Satisfaction whereas the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath laid down very good Reasons I think why he did not think it proper for him to insist on that point in his Book I do not find that the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath declared it was his Design to discourse of the Reason of Christ's coming into the World
in the Pages this Author hath chosen to Animadvert on in this part of his Book The true Reason of Christ's coming into the World I think was the Father's Appointment A very true and excellent Account is given in the Reasonableness c. of the great End for which Christ came into the World though not in the Pages to which this Author doth here confine himself In these Pages the Author of the Reasonableness c. takes notice of the Occasion of Christ's coming into the World and of what Men are restored to by Iesus Christ. These Benefits may perhaps be properly enough called collateral or concomitant Ends of his coming into the World because particularly intended but they comprehend not the whole End of his coming into the World It is agreed on both sides that Bliss and Immortality were lost by Adam 's Fall Immortality the Author of the Reasonableness c. saith is restored by Christ to all Men but Eternal Bliss is not restored by Christ absolutely to any Man I meddle not with the Case of those who dy in their Infancy and what is absolutely necessary in order to any Man 's obtaining by Christ a claim of Right to Eternal Bliss is the Subject of a great part of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. The Obedience and Sufferings of Christ cannot I conceive be properly called the Reason of his coming into the World nor the End thereof any otherwise than a Means is called a Subordinate End But though I said Christ's restoring Immortality to Man was agreed on both sides yet this Author seems to be dissatisfied with the Account the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath given of it and if I apprehend him aright because he doth not include Bliss in his Notion of Immortality Now this I think is the Truth of the Case Immortality as lost by Adam's Transgression is restored to all Men by Christ in that he will raise them all from Death And he hath purchased Eternal Bliss for them on the Terms the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath given a large and full Account of from the Testimony of Christ and his Apostles That is that all who heartily take Jesus for their Lord and Faithfully obey and follow him shall at the Resurrection be everlastingly blessed The great and famous Athanasius who was never reputed an Enemy that I know of to Christ's Satisfaction hath more than once declared it was his Judgment that Christ came into the World to purchase Immortality for Mankind I have not his Works by me and therefore can neither relate his Words nor refer particularly to the Places but I think I may depend upon it that my Memory doth not fail me as to his Notion But without laying any stress upon his Authority I ask what can be pretended for Mens being Immortal any other way than by Christ by those who acknowledge that Sin hath brought Death upon all Men If the Resurrection be the Fruit of Christ's Undertaking and Performance how could it have been possible for guilty Man to suffer after he was dead if Christ had not come The Discourse is concerning Men not concerning separate Spirits This Author p. 57. makes the Reasons of Christ's coming into the world and the End of his coming to be the same and saith It was to make Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World and to restore Mankind to the Favour of God by suffering in our stead and being made Sin for us Satisfaction it self was not the ultimate End of his coming into the World His Sufferings and Death were parts of the way and means by which he was to obtain what was the End of his coming into the World His Death and his Resurrection too had a Relation to a further End viz. his being Lord both of the Dead and Living Rom. 14. 9. In his Sufferings and dying he had an Eye and Regard to what was the great End of his Undertaking Heb. 12. 2. that his Death had a Relation to this is most evident from Phil. 2. 7 to the 12th He hath purchased Immortality for Mankind absolutely But he hath not purchased Pardon and Bliss for Men absolutely but upon certain Conditions viz. their believing in the True God and in him as sent by him so as to take him unfeignedly for their Lord and King So that the true End of Christ's coming into the World was to obtain to himself a Kingdom or to be a King and to have a Right to dispence and confer Pardon and Eternal Blessedness on those who should become his sincere Subjects which I think is as plain as can be if we will take his own Word for a Proof of it Pilate therefore said unto him art thou a King then Iesus answered thou sayest that I am a King to this End was I born and for this Cause came I into the World that I should bear Witness unto the Truth every one that is of the Truth heareth my Voice Th. 18. 37. In p. 60. This Author hath these Words concerning Christ's satisfying for our Sins We do not mean that Christ suffered the same Punishment which we should have done but only that the Dignity of his Person made his Sufferings equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners Answ. Christ's Satisfaction is a very great and weighty Point But either I or many who have writ concerning it are under some Mistakes with Reference to it I conceive Christ did not satisfy the Law for Sinners which they had broken For had he suffered the same Punishment which they should have suffered that would not have satisfied it because it required Personal Punishment alone and did not run that the Offender or another should suffer it And Equivalent Sufferings could not satisfy it because there was no such Proviso in the Law Christ's Satisfaction I conceive did not consist in his Sufferings being equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners by reason of the Dignity of his Person For if the Dignity of his Person made his Sufferings equivalent to the Eternal Punishment of a whole World of Sinners the Degrees of his Sufferings could not signify any thing to his making Satisfaction the Dignity of his Person was the same whether his Sufferings were greater or less and could confer the same Vertue to one as to many Degrees The laying the whole Stress of Christ's Satisfaction on the Dignity of his Person I suppose was that from whence some took occasion to vent that ungrounded dangerous Notion which still infects too many That one Drop of Christ's Blood was sufficient to save many Worlds of Sinners Which makes the greatest parts of Christ's Sufferings utterly useless as to Satisfaction and in the natural and just Consequences of it throws most horrid Aspersions both on God and Christ. I conceive the Satisfaction of Christ consisted in his perfect fulfilling the Law that pertained to him as Mediator here upon Earth antecedently to his
that Writer by Your Faithful Servant S. BOLD OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON THE Reasonableness of Christianity c. Observations on the Preface IT cannot be denied but that a wrong Construction may be put upon a very good and useful Book And that what it discourses of may be represented quite contrary to what the Author designed and hath delivered in most intelligible apposite and plain Expressions Now if a Person who pretending to write against a Book he does not rightly understand or mis-represents doth propose any thing that is pertenent in opposition to that Book it is very rational to suppose his doing so is rather to be attributed to Chance than to the Exactness of his Iudgment and his certain Intention For it is hardly to be conceived that a Rational Person will deliberately and advisedly write any thing but what he conceives hath a clear Connection with what he directly and immediately proposeth to be the Subject of his Discourse And though at some distance he aims at the Book he talks of yet he mainly designs to confirm the Propositions he lays down as he conceives directly contrary to those delivered in that Book But if the Propositions on both sides are in Truth very well consistent though he doth not apprehend so he can hardly offer any Considerations to weaken the Force or expose the Truth of the Propositions advanced by the Author he professeth to oppose but those very Considerations will as certainly wound his own Propositions and reflect as unluckily on them as they can on the other which it will not be allowed to suppose a wise and prudent Writer could design Whilst he mistakes the Author he in Words opposeth let him confirm and establish his own Assertions ever so strongly he does not at all distress what that Author hath indeed Published One Man affirms that all the Doctrines which are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians or to Salvation are laid down in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles Another professeth to oppose this and therefore lays down and elaborately endeavours to prove this Proposition That the Epistles are part of the Rule of Saving Faith Now both these Propositions are very true and consistent and whatever Arguments can be produced to prove the latter comport very well with the Truth of the former and cannot at all invalidate but may very much confirm it But if he who undertakes to prove the latter do let fall Passages which reflect on the former Proposition those Passages have really the same ill Aspect with relation to his own Proposition they have to the other The whole amounts to no more than if one should declare that all that is absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian or to Salvation is delivered in the Epistles And another out of a sort of Zeal for the Gospels and the Acts should professedly oppose that Proposition and publish a Book to prove that the Gospels and Acts are part of the Rule of Saving Faith But when the Question is this seeing the Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians are laid down both in the Gospels and Acts and in the Epistles In what parts of the New Testament may it be best discerned which be the Doctrines that are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians Then certain Reasons may be assigned why they may be better discerned by consulting the Gospels and Acts than the Epistles Peoples misrepresenting a good Book may be derived from various Originals as Wilfulness Inadvertence Weakness Prepossession c. I will not suspect that the Author of the Animadversions lately Printed at Oxford on the Reasonableness of Christianity as delivered in the Scriputers hath misrepresented that excellent Treatise through an Indulgence to any thing for which he may be justly blamed because he writes for the most part with so much Temper and hath made a Profession in the Close of his Preface so every way becoming a worthy and good Christian. But if I understand the true Meaning of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. as expressed in that Treatise it is mightily misrepresented in those Animadversions how innocent and harmless soever the Author may be in what he has done That I may do both these Authors all the Right I am able I will observe all along wherein they do agree and give as true impartial and distinct an Account of the Sense of the Reasonableness of Christianity as I can in those Points treated of especially in the First and Third Parts of these Animadversions and take some notice of what this Author hath offered against what he hath alledged out of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. And that I may proceed the more orderly I will begin my Observations where the Author of the Animadversions begins his viz. P. 1. of his Preface Where he declares his Agreement with the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. That the most Rational Means of silencing all Religious Controversies is to take the Scriptures for the only Rule of Faith This I apprehend is a true Account of the Judgment of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity concerning this Matter And I conceive he agrees with the Author of the Animadversions in the main of that Reason which he hath annexed to that Proposition Though to express what I apprehend a more clear and full Account of the Sense of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I will take the Liberty to word it in some Places otherwise than this Author hath done and to add one Passage or Clause he hath not inserted For there might be some probable Grounds to hope for a happy Conclusion of all Disputes in Religion if all Parties would joyn issue in this that no Christian ought to be required to believe any thing but what is injoyned by the clear and express Declarations of Scripture nor any thing so injoyned till it be made appear to him that it is so injoyned and that no Christian may reject or with-hold his assent from any Article which appears to him to be plainly delivered in the Holy Scriptures The Clause I shall add is this That nothing ought to be required to be believed as absolutely necessary to make Men Christians but what is injoyned by the clear and express Declaration of Scripture to be believed for that purpose And I add this Clause for this Reason amongst others because whoever imposeth on People certain Doctrines though the Doctrines are really Christ's Doctrines as absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians which Christ and his Apostles have not declared to be absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians doth as really advance a Foreign Authority and set it up equally with Christ's as he doth who imposeth any thing as a necessary part of the Christian Religion which Christ and his Apostles never made a part of it For notwithstanding the
very material in these Papers which has not been observed before in the Writings of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I shall not account that a just Prejudice against them For if the Answers here propounded be very material to what is alledged against the Reasonableness of Christianity c. it cannot reasonably be supposed that the Objections insisted on should be of any great weight with me And my deriving the Answers from that Authors Writings I hope may pass with Persons of Candor Reason and Discernment for some justification of the Value I set on the Reasonableness of Christianity c. Observations on the Vindication of the Epistles THIS Author begins his Animadversions with that Part to which he gives this Title A Vindication of the Epistles And he enters on this Part with assigning Two Reasons why the Reasonableness of Christianity doth not as he saith give such Satisfaction to an inquisitive Mind as might prevent all Exception against it whether it was designed for the Benefit of those who were not throughly and firmly Christians or to be a general Rule of Faith to all sorts of Men Answ. That Author's Design was to give a clear and distinct Account of what Articles or Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians And the Treatise gives me full Satisfaction concerning this Matter because it lays down all that Jesus Christ and his Apostles have declared to be thus necessary and nothing but what they have declared to be so And his giving so full and large Proof that Christ and his Apostles did require the Belief of the Articles he hath laid down and did not require the Belief of any other Article as absolutely necessary to make Men Christians redered his Treatise very proper to be published for the Benefit of those who were not throughly and firmly Christians For nothing can tend more to the Benenefit of such Persons than a clear distinct full and true Information of what is absolutely necessary to be believed by them in order to their being Christians What this Author understands by a General Rule of Faith to all sorts of Men I do not know The whole New Testament is the General Rule of Faith to all Christians as the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. hath declared And the Doctrines he hath insisted on are the Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed by those who are not Christians to make them Christians The First Reason this Author gives why the Reasonableness of Christianity c. does not seem to give Satisfaction to an inquisitive Mind is because it introduces a new Scheme of Belief in Opposition to the anciently received Doctrine of the Church Answ. Here I must observe it is not opposite to the most anciently received Doctrine of the Church Because it is the very same Scheme Jesus Christ introduced and his Apostles constantly kept to in admitting of Unbelievers into the Church His Second Reason is Because it doth not answer the full Sense and Intent of Revelation which is the only Reason and Measure of our Faith Answ. Here I must observe it doth answer the full Sense and Intent of Revelation as to what the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity was inquiring after Because it delivers all that Revelation requires to be believed as absolutely necessary to make Men Christians and we are not to insist on any thing as absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians but what Revelation the only Reason and Measure of our Faith in this Case doth declare is absolutely necessary to be believed to that end Whoever affirms any Doctrine though the Doctrine it self is revealed is absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian which Revelation doth not declare to be so affirms it without Reason according to this Authors own Arguing because Revelation is the only Reason why we are to affirm any Doctrine is absolutely necessary to be believed to this purpose and so he goes beyond the only Measure of our Faith in this Matter The Reason why we are to insist on such or such Doctrines as absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians is because Revelation requires the Belief of them as absolutely necessary to make Men Christians not barely because the Doctrines are revealed for then every Doctrine which is revealed must be absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make a Man a Christian because the Reason assigned for the Particulars we are minded to insist on extends to every particular which is revealed and obliges as much to every one as to any one For make your Catalogue as large as you will if you leave out any one Doctrine or any Branch of it that is revealed your Catalogue cannot possibly answer the full Sense and Intent of Revelation unless a defective partial Scheme of Faith can answer the full Sense and Intent of Revelation or some parts of Revelation have no Sense and were revealed for no purpose or Intent Both which are equally uncapable of Proof and altogether unreasonable to suppose This Author declares p. 4. what it is he undertakes to prove in this First part of his Book His Words are these It shall be my business in the First Place to prove that there are Doctrines in the Epistles distinct from those delivered in the Gospels or Acts which are as absolutely necessary to be believed and to be made Fundamental Articles of Faith as any other Parts of Revelation That is in short that there are Doctrines in the Epistles distinct from any delivered in the Gospels and Acts which are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians The Argument he makes use of to prove what he hath undertaken is this to word it so as that it may reach the Point he hath undertaken to prove Some of the Doctrines set down in the Epistles which are distinct from any delivered in the Gospels and Acts have been confest viz. by the Church from the very First Ages of Christianity to be altogether as necessary to be actually or explicitely believed unto Salvation as any whatsoever Here I shall observe that before this Argument can do the Business for which it is brought the Author must 1. Relate what he means or understands by the Term Church 2. He must prove clearly that whatsoever the Church in the Sense in which he understands that Term hath from the first Ages of Christianity confest to be absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians is so and that the Confession or Testimony of that Church is the sole or ultimate Rule by which the Question concerning what is absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians or to Salvation is to be resolved and determined That is That we are not to be determined in this Matter by the Testimony of Christ and his Apostles but by the Churches Testimony at least that it is thus as to the Doctrines which are
this that Jesus is the Messiah But First of all the fullest Proof imaginable of every one of these Points will not in the least confirm the Proposition or Argument they are immediately designed to confirm viz. That all those Doctrines delivered in the Epistles which are distinct from any that are taught in the Gospels and Acts which the Church from the first Ages of Christianity hath confest to be absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians For there is not any Connection between the Truth of any or all of these Five Points and the Churches Authority by her continual Confession to make any Doctrines which are only to be found in the Epistles absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians If it shall be said that it is not pretended that the Churches Confession makes them absolutely necessary to be believed but discovers and proves that they are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians I answer 1. The Proof of the forementioned Points is no Proof at all of the Churches Confession but must be supposed and is Antecedent to the Churches Confession 2. That the Churches Confession doth not discover or prove that those Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians it discovers or proves no more but that the Church did think those Doctrines were absolutely necessary to be believed explicitely to make Men Christians Now when the Question is whether the Church hath thought right concerning this Matter that Question must be determined if she have not Authority to make at least revealed Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians by ascending higher and seeing what Jesus Christ and his Apostles have declared is absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians which is the way the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. took to discover what Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be believed to the aforesaid purpose without making any Hubbub concerning the Church in the matter The Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. hath not writ one Word that I can find that hath any Tendency to the Disadvantage of the Christian Church but very much that would contribute greatly to her Honour and Interest were People generally of the Mind to attend her greatest Concernments heartily without suffering themselves to be swayed by their own petty Interests and peevish Humours which they sacrilegiously dignify with her Name She might enjoy a profound Rest and become daily more and more truly Glorious would other People let her be quiet and not disturb her Repose by a rude abusing her Name to justify their espousing and talking for Matters both Scripture and Reason do disclaim Secondly The exactest Proof of the Four First Points will not afford any Proof of what this Author declares shall be his Business to prove in this First Part of his Book viz. That there are Doctrines in the Epistles distinct from those which are delivered in the Gospels and Acts which are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians The Truth of the Four First Points is agreed on on both Sides especially some allowance being made for that Latitude of Expression in which the third is laid down So that it is only the Fifth and Last Point on which the Controversy doth depend It will therefore be needless to make any Observations on what this Author offers for the Proof of his Four First Points unless he happens to mistake any thing in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. which he brings in under these Heads or misapplies what he hath to say on these Points to that Treatise or some Passages in it This Author bestows his Seventh Page in setting down an Objection that hath some Relation to his Two First Points I think the Objection is not accurately expressed but that I shall pass over and only take notice of his speaking of Doctrines proposed to be believed upon the Absolute Promise of Salvation This is a Passage I confess I do not well understand I know there are at this time many amongst us who make a great Noise in affirming That Salvation is absolutely promised to some Persons and the Stir they have made about or with that Notion I apprehend was an occasion of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. applying himself to search with particular exactness into the Holy Scriptures to find out in what Manner Salvation is there promised But I do not conceive that this Author of the Animadversions is one of that Party Now I think there is not an absolute Promise of Salvation in all the Scripture And that if there were such a Promise there could not be any thing absolutely necessary to be believed unto Salvation For an Answer to this viz. Objection spoken of before it will saith this Author be material to examine First whether nothing is absolutely necessary to be believed to salvation but what is declared to be so or whether any Doctrine upon which Salvation is proposed is singly of it self sufficient for it P. 8. He immediately adds This seems to be a Query of no small Importance Here I will 1. Propound some Reasons why it may be justly affirmed that a due believing Jesus to be the Christ or Messiah doth constitute and make Men Christians 2. I will consider what this Author propounds to be examined 3. I will take Notice of what this Author hath here writ upon this Point First I will lay down some Reasons why it may be justly affirmed that a due believing that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ doth constitute and make a Man a Christian. As 1. Because Jesus Christ and his Apostles did admit Persons to be his Disciples and owned them for Christians upon their believing this Doctrine without requiring the Belief of any other Doctrine to this purpose provided they did believe in the True and Living God as every where appears in the Accounts given of their admitting Disciples 2. Because they have promised salvatition to the due Belief of this Doctrine without requiring the explicite Belief of any other Gospel-Doctrines together with this as absolutely necessary to Salvation 3. Because Salvation is not promised to the Belief of any one or Number of Doctrines separately from this Doctrine 4. Because no other Doctrine Christ or his Apostles have taught can be believed aright but by virtue of the Persons believing this Doctrine Let a Man believe all the Doctrines delivered in the New Testament upon Considerations purely distinct from this that they are Doctrines taught by Jesus Christ whom he hath received for his Lord he does not believe them as a Christian ought to believe them nor will his Belief of them on those Accounts at all avail him as to Salvation by virtue of any Promise in the Gospel He that believes any of these Doctrines with the Faith of a Christian or