of the Father referring to the several hypostases in the one eternal indivisible divine nature and the eternity of the Sons generation and his coeternity and consubstantiality with the Father when he came down from heaven and was incarnate c. for us men peculiarly not for Angels and for our salvation and lastly the perpetuity of his kingdome added in the close all these are assertions equivalent to those which had been before comprised in the antient more simple uncompounded article but were usefull to be thus enlarged and explicated when the Arians opposed the Apostolick tradition and by corrupting detorted the words of scripture to their sense § 6. This is elswhere more largely shewed in the note on 1 Joh. 5.7 And all that will opportunely here be added is onely this that they which according to the Apostles depositum or doctrine in every Church believed the descent and incarnation of the eternal God on purpose to rescue mankinde from all impurities to reveal the whole divine will for the regulating mens lives to attest it by his death and evidence it by his resurrection c. and at last to come to judge the world according to this determinate rule had all those branches of Christian faith which were required to qualifie mankinde to submit to Christ's reformation And 't is the wilfull opposing these more explicite articles the resisting them when they are competently proposed from the definition of the Church and not the not-believing them thus explicitly when either they are not revealed or not with that conviction against which he cannot blamelesly and without pertinacy of his will hold out that will bring danger of ruine on any § 7. That which is added of the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son supposing with the Western Church that the Filióque was found in the first copies and acts of that Councel who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets is in like manner an enlargement and explication of the more brief Apostolick form and the substance thereof was comprised formerly in that uncompounded style fitter then for the belief and memory of all but was afterward prudently enlarged for the repelling and preventing the poyson of heretical invaders the Montanists and Macedonians c. § 8. And so likewise that addition of the one Baptisme prefixt to the Remission of sins was on purpose design'd against the Novatians whose pretensions were considered and condemned in the Councel of Nice The practises of the Churches in receiving those that had fallen into gross sins after baptisme had been somewhat different in some parts milder as in the Church of Rome in others more rigid The Church of Rome had given some liberty for the great offenders murtherers adulterers and such as had fallen to Idol-worship in time of persecution viz that after many years penance they might be restored to the Communion and peace of the Church without any new baptisme such as was used in admitting heathens only by imposition of hands or absolution extending the virtue of baptisme formerly received to the washing away of these sins committed after baptism in case of sincere repentance and forsaking of them This the Novatians disliked and thereupon brake off and made a schisme in the Church And the Councel of Nice taking cognizance of the matter judged against Novatus and his followers that there was place for a second repentance and not only for that first before Baptisme as appears by the Canons of that Councel And this was it that was referred to in this more enlarged passage of their Creed and the use of it thought very considerable for the reducing of lapst Christians as the Apostolical article of remission of sins indefinitely had been for the attracting heathens And this and all the former additions being thus setled by the Vniversal Church were and still are in all reason without disputing to be received and embraced by the present Church and every meek member thereof with that Reverence that is due to Apostolick truths that thankfulness which is our meet tribute to those sacred champions for their seasonable and provident propugning of our faith with such timely and necessary application to practise that the holy Ghost speaking to us now under the times of the New Testament by the Governours of the Christian Churches Christ's mediate successors in the Prophetick Pastoral Episcopal office as he had formerly spoken by the Prophets of the Old Testament sent immediately by him may finde a cheerful audience and receive all uniform submission from us § 9. And this is all that is here necessary to be said of this second Creed CHAP. X. Of the Athanasian Creed § 1. OF the Athanasian Creed as it is usually called two things will be briefly considerable 1. The doctrine of it 2. The curses and damnation denounced against those who doe not entirely maintain it without the corruptions and mixtures of the hereticks § 2. The Doctrine is well-nigh all of it the asserting the Vnity of the Divine nature and the Trinity of hypostases whether subsistences as the Greek Church called it or as the Latine personae persons in it and that in opposition to several novel propositions which had by hereticks been introduced in the Church and so as the vices of men suggest lawes occasioned such explications and enlargements And of these again much more then of the Nicene superadditions it may be reasonably affirmed that being the explications of a Father of the Church and not of a whole Vniversal Councel or of the Church representative they were neither necessary to be explicitly acknowledged before they were convincingly revealed nor simply and absolutely imposeable on any particular man any farther then he was a member of some Church which had actually received Athanasius's explication as it is apparent the Western Churches did or then it appeared concordant with the more authentick Vniversal Confessions as every doctrinal proposition of it will be found to doe § 3. As for the Censures annext 1. in the beginning that except a man keep the Catholick faith of which this is set down not as the entire form but an explication or interpretation of some parts of it whole and undefiled he shall doubtless perish everlastingly 2dly in the middle he that will be saved must thus think and it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly in the incarnation c. and 3dly in the end this is the Catholick Faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved I suppose they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had invaded the Church which were acts of carnality in them that broached and maintained them against the Apostolick Doctrine and contradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of Christ and were therefore to be anathematized after
superstructing good life on this is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being carried to perfection and again in yet plainer words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Faith is the beginning and the foundation and that without which nothing shall or will be firmly built still making the Faith or belief of the Articles the foundation in respect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellent Christian life which was by the Apostles and Christ designed to be built on it CHAP. II. The Division of the discourse into four parts What are Fundamental in General § 1. THe notion of the word being now explained that which is yet behinde will be regularly reducible to these four heads First What those things are in General and then in particular to which this notion of Fundamentals belongeth and withall what propriety all and each of these have toward the supporting this superstructure the planting a Church of Christian livers 2dly What are the particular branches of this superstructure 3dly What Doctrines there are infused among Christians which are most apt to obstruct or intercept the superstructing of Christian life where the foundation is laid 4dly What things are necessary to the erecting of this superstructure on this foundation already laid whether in a particular Christian or especially in a Church or society of such § 2. The General way of defining what these fundamentals are must in reason be taken from the practise of the Apostles as the interpreter of God's appointment and judgment in this matter For it being certain that the Apostles which had a commission from Christ to preach and admit disciples over all the world to bring impenitent Jewes and Idolatrous Gentiles to the obedience of Christ were by him also directed in their way counselled in the choice of the fittest means of performing so great a work the argument will be infallibly conclusive on both sides positively and negatively that whatever the Apostles joyntly agreed on at their entrance on their several Provinces to be the subject of their first Sermons in all their travails that was by them and consequently by God himself deemed fundamental in our present sense and whatever was not by them thought thus necessary must not by us be obtruded on or forced into that Catalogue § 3. For the clearing of this it is first evident that there was in the A-Apostles times such a foundation laid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church as in that of Corinth 1 Cor. 3.11 styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 a good depositum or trust which Timothie had received from the Apostles for the direction of his ministerie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 3. the faith once or at once delivered to the saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 a form or breviate or summarie of wholsome words or sound doctrine which he had heard from S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one faith Eph. 4.5 in proportion to which followeth there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one baptisme wherein there was made profession of that Faith and to which none of years and knowledge was ever admitted who had not been sufficiently instructed by the Catechist in every part of this foundation which to that end the Catechist received from the Bishop with his short exposition of it see S. Ambrose Ep 35. l. 5. and being so instructed made open Confession of it and moreover by vow obliged himself there to superstruct all Christian practise upon it § 4. Secondly that this was approved of by them in common upon consultation and so seemed good to the holy Ghost and to them in order to their end the bringing of Jewes and Gentiles to repentance and accordingly was left behinde them delivered down to the Bishops of all Churches of their plantation not only as a rule of faith but as a symbolum or badge of the Apostles having planted Christianity among them All which is clearly testified by Tertullian Irenaeus and other the first writers See Irenaeus l 1. c. 11. 19. l. 3. c. 4. Tertullian de virgin veland in the beginning de Praescription throughout § 5. Thirdly that all that was necessary in order to that end the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discipling all nations was comprehended in this form or summary it being certain that what God did not deem necessary was not necessary and that nothing which was so deem'd by God was omitted or left behinde by them whose office and care it was to declare the whole will of God and to lead others as themselves had been led into all necessary truth § 6. Fourthly that what we thus affirm of the necessity of these things to the superstructing of Christian practise must not so be understood that the hearing and believing of each of them be thought absolutely necessary in every single Jew or heathen that he may repent and convert and live a Christian life or without which he cannot but necessary to the discharge of the Apostolical office which was to reap whole fields to bring in whole cities and nations to Christ § 7. They that were to plant a Church were to deal with men of several and distant affections and tempers and interests an heterogeneous body made up of a multitude of various inclinations and of different habits of sin and degrees of radication of those habits and to each of these some proper application was to be made by those that came on Christ's errand to cure their souls as Hippocrates advises his Physitian to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollifying preparations for all turns and to carry them about with him and so a whole Dispensatorie was little enough to meet with and suffice to all their wants or at least some Catholicon of a transcendent virtue proportionable to the obstinacy of any the most desperate maladie But this confusion of diseases and rapsodie of difficulties was not to be supposed in each single sinner and consequently there was not the same necessity of the whole tale of Fundamentals for the converting or reducing of him § 8. There is no doubt but there were reformed Jewes before Christ's time whom the pedagogie and rudiments and imperfect documents of the Law with those influences and assistances of God which were then afforded brought home unto God and among them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull men which had arrived to the abundance of goodness as they style it And of this kinde were the Esseni who though they be not ordinarily conceived to have been Christians yet are described by Philo under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so very like Christians that there is no reason to doubt but that Christian piety might be infused into some without the explicite knowledge of all and every of those articles which yet in general speaking or as it was to be planted through the
all that shall deprive themselves of that honourable remedy to invite the rashest or the worst of men into that state of continual temptations which hath caused the shipwrack of so many § 15. Fiftly Contentedness is most eminently one of these specialties and that both as it is opposed to ambition covetousness injustice uncontentedness each of which is a most unchristian sin and also as it is the maintaining and establishing of Propriety in the world which though it be not of any huge importance in respect of any considerable advantages that wealth and honour can help a Christian to who is or ought to be raised by Christ to a contempt and superiority over such mean empty acquisitions as these yet as the disturbances which questions of right never fail to bring along with them are very unhappy and innumerable and endless so the inestimable benefit of peace and quiet and vacation for piety and the instrumentalness of riches to works of charity even above that more perfect way of absolute despising of wealth which by giving all at once disables for many thousand future charities have rendred it very politick and necessary in every Christian Common-wealth by Laws to settle and secure Propriety which he that hath learnt with S. Paul to be content in whatsoever estate will never attempt to invade or violate § 16. Many other branches of this superstructure there are which it cannot be necessary to mention here but above all the taking up of the Cross and following Christ with it on our shoulders And the vigorous indevour to cast it off from our own shoulders to fasten it on other mens and to shake the foundations of Government in order to any such attempt is most diametrally contrary to the true Christian temper an enmitie to the cross of Christ CHAP. XII Of the Doctrines that hinder the superstructing of good life on the Christian belief first among the Romanists a Catalogue of them especially that of the Infallibility of the Church 2. Among others 1. that of the Solifidian § 1. I Come now to consider what Doctrines there are infused discernibly among Christians which are most apt to frustrate the forementioned method to obstruct or intercept the cordial superstructing of Christian life or Renovation where the Foundation is duly laid For supposing the Articles of our Christian Faith to be completely taught and undoubtedly believed and so the foundation to be purely laid according to the Apostles platform And supposing farther that the several forementioned branches of the superstructure be so farre taught and believed also as that they are not doubted to be the virtues prescribed and preached to men by Christ It is yet possible that after all this some other Doctrines may inconveniently interpose and intercept the uses and aimes to which God hath designed the Faith and at once obstruct the superstructing of all Christian life upon it § 2. Of this sort the Catalogue is or soon may be farre larger then will be fitly inserted in this place For upon this occasion we might be engaged to enter on the examinati of the Romish doctrines 1. of Penances 2. of Indulgences 3. of the Treasury of the Church made up beside the blood of Christ of the supererogating merits of some and applied to the benefit and pardon of others 4. of the Improvableness of Attrition into Contrition by the Priests ayde without the sinners change of life 5. of Purgatory 6. of Dispensableness of Oathes 7. of Arts of Equivocation 8. of Cessation of Allegiance in subjects to an heretical Prince and some others the like but especially of the Infallibility and inerrableness which is assumed and inclosed by the Romish Church without any inerrable ground to build it on and being taken for an unquestinable Principle is by the security it brings along with it apt to betray men to the foulest whether sins or errors whensoever this pretended Infallible guide shall propose them And seeing it is just with God to permit those which thinke they stand so surely to fall most dangerously and because what some witty and subtile men of this and former ages have been experimented to fall into may in the future possibly become the Romanists case and because the Assuming of Infallibility is by way of interpretation the presuming and affirming every thing to be infallibly true and good which they shall ever believe or teach de fide or pronounce to be duty and there is nothing so false or sacrilegious but it is possible they may thus teach or pronounce of it for these reasons I say it will be impossible to free this Doctrine of theirs which hath so vast and comprehensive an influence on the opinions and actions of all who have espoused it from the guilt of which now we speak that of hindring the superstructing of Christian life and the several branches thereof on the Foundation § 3. And if as the Jesuites define this Infallibility of the Church be supposed to be seated in the persons or chair or succession of Popes 't is presently obvious and clear that as Almain and Ocham have not thought it irreverent to averre that any such person is deviabilis haereticabilis Apostatabilis damnabilis liable to errour heresie Apostasie damnation it self So they that believe him an infallible guide must in consequence to their opinion if they pursue it follow him to all these dangers And when Pope Steven hath been by S. Cyprian accused of heresie Pope Liberius by S. Athanasius Pope Honorius by all Christians when the chairs of those Bishops which have not secured their persons from notorious impiety of liliving that fouler guilt then heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a species of Atheisme as Nilus truly saith on this occasion can with no more pretence or colour of proof secure them from defining of errors or tolerating of sins and when the writers of their lives Onufrius and Platina who have told us how much more then possible the former is relating the incests witchcrafts cruelties of Alexander the sixt the Idolatrous sacrifices of Marcellinus Coelestins applications to the devil in pursuit of the Papacy and his disclaiming his part in heaven so he might obtain that earthy dignity have given us reason to foresee the possibility also and all the ill consequences and aboads of the latter It cannot be temerarious or unreasonable to affirm that what hath been may be and in like manner that the doctrines of any antient heretick may in some new shape be imbibed by a Cardinal and being so may not forsake him when he is made Pope but beget a desire very consequent to his belief an appetite of propagating his perswasions and so that Practises may be allowed and Articles taught by the Pope most contrary to the design of this foundation and the Church that hath imposed on her sons the belief of her Infallibility draw all that understand it in this sense for I see another is now
are not yet come to this assurance that they are of that number and they that under any anguish of minde are returned to affrightments or doubtings whether they have not been hypocrites and so reprobates all this while And as these two sorts according to their doctrine comprehend a great and considerable number of the very elect of whom very few are arrived to that pitch of constant uninterrupted assurance of their election so Gratitude by being unuseful to them that are not thus assured must be acknowledged unuseful to those who have the greatest want of it and by being confined to the few which have this assurance quick and undisturbed within them is concluded to have a very narrow and slender province to work on a very small number of a very small number a remnant of a remnant being acknowledged to be unappliable and so consequently ineffectual to all others § 13. 2dly Because one other doctrine there is which constantly accompanies the doctrine of irrespective decrees which supersedes all farther dispute in this matter the doctrine of the irresistibility of grace in working whatsoever it works which if it be once acknowledged there is nothing to be affixt to Gratitude or to any thing else in me which whatsoever it works at any time works by way of perswasion not violence and cannot be said so much as to contribute to the working of that which is supposed to be irresistibly wrought by the Spirit of God § 14. 3dly If these two arguments which are only ad homines and consider the Elect only in these mens notion of the word had no kinde of force in them yet still this of Gratitude which is the one pretended reserve must needs be impertinently pretended in this matter § 15. First because the good life to which the foundation was laid by the Apostles preaching is not that of a few persons chosen out of the masse but of all that receive the Christian profession of which number there being a large proportion which according to the tenure of this doctrine must be supposed to be non-elect there will not be that matter of thanksgiving to any of them nor consequently any account upon which they can be perswaded to make those kinde returns to God which the Elect were more probably supposed to have engagement to doe § 16. And secondly it being Christ's errand and business into the world to call not the righteous or the justified but the unreformed or sinners to repentance to change them who need a change and who if they are by this doctrine supposeable to be already from all eternity elected are not yet before their calling or conversion affirmed to be actually justified or received into God's favour any more then Saul was in the time of his journey to Damascus when he breathed out threatnings and slaughters against the Church the conclusion must be that any such unreformed sinner will not be capable of being wrought on by any such consideration of gratitude and so Christ notwithstanding this only reserve shall be wholly unsuccessful in his aime toward those who were the principal designed persons to whom he came and predestined the benefits of his coming § 17. Thirdly this of Gratitude being by those that maintain this doctrine supposed to follow faith or assurance of their salvation 't is thereby acknowledged to have no force on those who have not this faith though they doe believe all the articles of their Creed and so it can be no proper expedient to remove the hindrances which the beliefe of the irrespective decrees hath been said to interpose in the matter in hand or to adapt good life to be superstructed on this whatsoever it is imaginable to be on any other Foundation CHAP. XVI Of the Predetermination of all things § 1. AND as the absolute predestination of the persons is able to evacuate all the force of these fundamentals designed by God as motives of great energie to induce good life so certainly is the opinion of God's predetermining and preordaining the means as well as the end i. e. all the acts of man's will the evil as well as the good and so all the most enormous sins that are or ever shall be committed most abundantly sufficient to doe it § 2. I say not the doctrine of God's predisposing or preordering or of his predetermining or decreeing that he will so dispose and order all things that come to passe whether good or bad for that looks on the things as done which are so disposed and consequently includes not any influence or causality in the production of thē and so God that brings light out of darkness can dispose of the worst things the foulest sins the very crucifying of Christ so as to bring health and salvation out of them § 3. But betwixt this and predetermining that which is so disposed the difference is wide as much as betwixt a bloody designers suborning his instrument to take away such a man's life and the Confessors representing the horridness of the fact and by that means bringing him to repentance And though Ordinare in Latine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek be equivocal and capable of both these notions yet ordaining and decreeing in our English use is not thus liable to be mistaken § 4. Secondly I say not the doctrine of God's predetermining his own will but his predetermining the acts of our will or our volitions Great difference there is betwixt these two as much as betwixt my willing a lawfull thing my self and my inducing another man to doe that which is unlawful § 5. For God doth predetermine his own will as oft as he decrees to doe this or that which he might not have decreed to have done or have decreed to have done the contrary for when God's will is free to two things to make or not to make a world or such a world and the like his decreeing to make it and to make it such is the determining of his will Thus when before all time God might have created man a necessary agent to will and to doe every thing that he wills and doth after the same manner as the fire burneth i. e. so as he could not doe otherwise yet 't is evident that God chose to create him after the image of his own liberty a voluntary free agent that might deliberate and choose and either doe or not doe or doe this or the contrary to it And so in like manner God may determine his own will not to hinder but permit what he sees man inclinable to doe when he might on the other side have chosen to hinder or not to permit And thus he did when he decreed to permit the malice of the Jewes the covetousness of Judas the popularity of Pilate to joyn all together in the crucifying of Christ upon which it is said that his hand and his counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did predetermine this to be done i. e. Christ to be
warring against the law of the minde v. 23. and upon the same account even to be carnal and sold under sin v. 14. all which must equally belong to the person which is there represented of whom equally in the first person they are all affirm'd § 4. That that chapter is really a representation of one which hath only the knowledge not practise of his duty and consequently to the sinnes which he commits hath the aggravation superadded of committing them against knowledge against conscience against sight of the contrary law is manifest from the context and hath elsewhere more seasonably been evidenced And of this I need not many words to declare how farr it is from being so much as any part of Repentance any one of the ingredients in it being indeed no more then either the work of natural conscience or farther of the minde instructed by the Law of Moses but that not of force to work the least obedience in the man but supposed in that text to be joyn'd with all customary disobedience and captivity to sin and consequently that if this be mistaken for that which it is so farre removed from being natural or legal knowledge of duty despised and transgrest for sincere obedience to all the commandments of God and the former of these by so absurd irrational a concession be deemed sufficient to render his estate safe whosoever hath arrived to this this must needs annull and cassate all the force of all the Articles of the Creed although never so firmly and explicitly believed toward bringing forth good life i. e. Repentance truly understood this supposititious no-repentance being once contentedly received and espoused in exchange for it § 5. For who will ever take the pains to maintain a painful ungrateful perhaps bloody fight against the Law of sin that is in his members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the works of the penitentiary on neglect of which the valiantest combatant may prove a reprobate 1 Cor. 9.27 if so much lesse then a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or beating the aire v. 26. a bare dislike or displeasure of the law of the minde without ever coming into the field will serve the turn to secure him of the crown § 6. So again they that like the popular Prince are unwilling to dismisse any man without his request and therefore when they finde not a man penitent if they can but obtain of him to wish that he were penitent or to grieve that he cannot ascend so high as that wish are content to accept that wish or that grief for that Repentance which alone is the condition required by Christ to rescue from perishing What doe these again but wilfully mistake that for Repentance nay is by them that affirm it is presumed and supposed not to be For if there had been any thing that could have approved it self to be Repentance they had never descended to those low enquiries after the wish and the grief Nay the wish they had Repentance is founded in the presumption they have it not and the grief that they have not the wish is again a concession that they have not so much as that And if they may be capable of comfort who are so farre from being true penitents reform'd new livers that the utmost they are arrived to toward it is but an empty ineffectual wish that they were such without considering the price that must be payd the pleasant espoused sins that must be parted with if their wish were granted then what need all that Christian life those many years of severe devotion and profitable service that the Apostles meant and all Ministers endevour to superstruct on this foundation § 7. So that frequent practise though not doctrine of the many of secure spending in sin the youth and riper age and even all the remainder till the forerunners of death and hell make their close approaches to them and never doubt but the whole condition required by Christ the Repentance he came to preach will in that last scene of their last act immediatly before the exit be as opportunely and acceptably performed as at any other point of their lives What doe these but evacuate the whole force of the Christian faith and absolutely resolve against building of Christian life upon it § 8. The unreasonableness and presumption the danger and desperate insecurity of those that thus project and in stead of that whole age of vital actions which are all little enough be they never so liberally dispensed and never so duly perform'd vastly disproportionable to that eternal Crown which we know is adjudged a reward to every man according to his works have not so much as a thought or designe all their lives long nor till those last fearful summons extort it from them to advance so farre as attrition and contrition sorrow and resolution of amendment and then have no means to secure them of the truth and sincerity of these The unreasonableness I say and danger of these is elsewhere largely insisted on but never sufficiently lamented being that which is the debauching all parts of the world a presumption that ingages in all sin and ruine ascertains the life to be wholly unprofitable and hath the luck among all professions of Christians to have aides and officers diligent to offer it some encouragements The Romanists have many formerly named and their extreme Vnction administred as the dying mans viaticum which S. James mention'd as the ceremony of his recovery may be added to the Catalogue And others of severall perswasions have made them other tenders of kindnesse and being unwilling to discourage such cunctators alwaies keep them up in good hope that if they are not yet called for that is the style to expresse any impenitent obdurate sinner they may yet with the thief be brought in at the last hour and so to omit the desperate gulf they are by these vain hopes if God shew not miracle most sadly plunged in are ascertain'd never to superstruct any vital action on that Divine foundation so fitly prepared for it § 9. If there be any that mistake sorrow for sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it is very ordinary to finde in those who carry it to hell with them and which continues in that state of woe as Charity doth in heaven and confound it with repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is never lesse then a conversion and change of minde these by obtruding an unsufficient part for the whole the beginning of a change for the entire work of new life will fall under the former guilt of obstructing this superstructure and so in a word will all they that either through indulgence to others or fondness to any sinne in themselves substitute for Repentance any thing that is lesse then a sincere uniform Resolution of New obedience attended with faithful endevour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet proportionable worthy fruits of
of bringing down that most sacred name whereby we should be saved to be the vilest instrument of all carnality and by the power of thy convincing Spirit Lord humble and subdue all that exalts it self against the obedience of Christ And when thou hast cast out so many evil spirits be pleased thy self to possesse and inrich our souls to plant and root and confirm and secure in us all those pretious fruits of piety and faith and obedience and zeal toward thee of purity and meekness and simplicity and contentedness and sobriety in our selves of justice and charity and peaceableness and bowels of mercy and compassion toward all others that having seriously and industriously as our holy vocation ingages us used all diligence to adde unto our faith virtue and to virtue patience and perseverance in all Christian practise we may adorn that profession which we have so long depraved and having had our fruit unto holiness we may obtain our end everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Contents CHAP. I. THe Notation of the word Fundamental Page 1 CHAP. II. The Division of the discourse into four parts What are Fundamental in general Page 15 CHAP. III. A particular view of Fundamentals Jesus Christ indefinitely Page 24 CHAP. IV. Jesus Christ Crucified Page 35 CHAP. V. Jesus Christ raised c. Page 38 CHAP. VI. Other Articles of Belief in Christ Page 42 CHAP. VII The Faith in Baptisme Page 56 CHAP. VIII Of the Creeds in general and first of the Apostles Creed Page 58 CHAP. IX Of the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds together and severally of the Nicene Page 82 CHAP. X. Of the Athanasian Creed Page 91 CHAP. XI Of the Superstructure and the particular branches thereof Page 94 CHAP. XII Of the Doctrines that hinder the superstructing of good life on the Christian belief first among the Romanists a Catalogue of them especially that of the Infallibility of the Church 2. Among others 1. that of the Solifidian Page 108 CHAP. XIII Of the Fiduciarie Page 120 CHAP. XIV Of Christ's dying for none but the Elect Page 130 CHAP. XV. Of the irrespective decrees of Election and Reprobation Page 145 CHAP. XVI Of the Predetermination of all things Page 156 CHAP. XVII Of the Spirits acting all things within the man Page 192 CHAP. XVIII Of the Mistakes concerning Repentance Page 202 CHAP. XIX Of the necessaries to the superstructing of good life on this Foundation Page 211 A Prayer Page 240 THE END ERRATA PAge 51. line 12. re Christ p. 60. § 4 l. 9. re Eutychen p. 77. l. 1. after omitted adde p. 90. l. 25. after practise adde p. 95. l. 17. after the adde most p. 110. marg the note subditos-with that next following it Valdi belong to p. 111. l. 7. and the word guilt p. 111. the note Summorum belongs to lin 19. and the word deviabilis p. 111. the note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongs to p. 112. l. 16. and the word secure p. 114. l. 19. after principle for put l. 20. after falshoods for put l. 21. after practises adde l. 23. after bread adde of l. 24. after God adde p. 128. l. 4. after not re but be reasonable p. 172. l. 19. after nature adde and p. 178. l. 10. dele was p. 189. l. 20. re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 198. l. 17. re § 11. p. 200. l. 5. for if re of p. 204. l. 27. after being adde l. 30. after God adde p. 206. lin 9. after Repentance adde which is not repentance p. 213. l. 17. after § 6. re First p. 219. l. 3. for in re of p. 223. l. 7. for service re sacrifice p. 229. l. 26. re diffused Foundation is a relative and figurative word The relation of it to superstructure Building on the sand and on a rock The difference between them The Superstructure to which Foundation here relates Two sorts of Superstructures Heaven The Church Heaven cannot be it for two Reasons The first The second Fundamental to a Church to Piety and Christian life This notion of Fundamental confirmed by S. Athanasius Edifying Four branches of discourse proposed The General way of defining Fundamentals by what the Apostles taught every where The foundation laid 1 Cor. 3.11 1 Tim. 6.20 Jude 3. 2 Tim. 1.13 Eph. 4.5 Approved in common by the Apostles Comprehensive of all necessaries to the planting of a Church not to the conversion of every particular person Some Jews reduced to good life without this foundation Synesius a Bishop before he believed the Resurrection Jesus Christ the Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 The Christian foundation compared with the Natural with the Judaical with the heathen and Mahomedan Christ crucified the Foundation What propriety the Crosse hath to this Christ's resurrection the Foundation an Argument of the greatest conviction A pawn of our Resurrection Corporal and Spiritual An example of new life to us The Mysterie of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 God made manifest by the Flesh The Arians doctrines against it De Fide p. 53. God justified by the Spirit God seen of Angels Preached among the Gentiles Believed on among men the Jewes the Gentiles Received up into glory The Father Son and holy Ghost The Apostles Creed Proved to be the Apostles †Ecclesia per universum orbem usque ad sines terrae seminata ab Apostolis à discipulis corum accepit eam fidem quae est in unuÌ„ DeuÌ„ patreÌ„ omnipotenteÌ„ c. Iren l. 1. c. 2. * Quid si neque Apostoli quidem scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat Ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt iis quibus constituebant Ecclesias Cui ordinationi assentiunt mullae gentes barbarorum quorum qui in Christum credunt sine chartâ atramento scriptum habentes in cordibus suis salutare veterem eruditionem diligenter custodientes in unum Deum credentes c. Iren l. 3. c. 4. The articles thereof fundamental to good life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The article of God the Father Of God the Son Of God the holy Ghost Of the Holy Catholick Church Of the Communion of Saints The forgiveness of sins Misinterpreted Rightly understood The want of this to Renovation in a first a second a third respect The necessity of it The belief of the Resurrection of the Body Fundamental to Renovation The want of it very hurtful The perswasion gainfull Everlasting life The necessity of the belief of that The design of â—â—â—er Creeds Defined Of the Nicene One God Of all things visible and invisible One Lord Jesus Christ c. The H. Ghost the Lord and giver of life c. One baptisme for the Remission of sins The Doctrine of the Athanasian Creed The Censures The generall nature of the Superstruction in five particulars The specialties of it Piety in opposition to Idolatrie Piety in opposition to Formality To Hypocrisie To Sacrilege To Profaneness Obedience to Superiors Charitie e. Puritie Contentedness· Taking up the Crosse