to furnish them with the Knowledge of the Sense in which those People to whom the Proposition was first delivered understood those Terms Whosoever doth duly believe that Proposition doth oblige himself to hearken to that is to believe and obey whatsoever this Jesus hath delivered so far as he shall obtain the Knowledge thereof and to endeavour seriously to know what his Mind and Will is Which Faith makes a Man a Christian and hath the Promise of Eternal Life made to it The Proposition doth not comprehend in it an explicite Account of all the Matters of Faith which a Christian is to endeavour to know and believe nor is the explicite Knowledge of them necessary to a Man's believing that Proposition But his believing of it brings him under an Obligation to endeavour to know them all and to believe explicitely whatsoever he shall attain to know Jesus hath taught which is to be the great Work and Business of the Remainder of his Life when he is a Christian. Those Jews and Lewd Fellows of the baser sort at Thessalonica who set themselves against Paul and Silas understood that their preaching that Jesus was the Christ for that was the great Point they opened and alledged in the Synagogue there amounted to this that he was the Person they persuaded the People to receive for their Lord and King For how malicious soever their intent was in accusing them before the Ruler it is most plain from their Accusation that they clearly apprehended that Paul by preaching that Jesus was the Christ did mean that they were to take him for their King saying that there is another King one Iesus Act. 17. 7. Vid. Second Vindic. of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 108 109. For besides saith this Author if every Text of Scripture must be looked upon as sufficient to Salvation upon the Belief of which eternal Life is promised even the very Scripture will hardly be found reconcilable to it self For though in some Places Salvation is promised to those who believe Jesus to be the Messiah yet in others it is declared to be Life Eternal to know the only true God as well as Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Both of which Places if they must be understood in their limited Sense will be almost found contradictory to each other Because the one proposes a larger Faith to Salvation than is required by the other p. 9. Answ. The Propositions here spoken of as they are delivered in the Scripture are in effect the same For it is not possible for a Man to believe that Jesus is the Messiah without believing antecedently in the only True God The Word of Salvation by Christ is not sent to any but those who fear God Act. 13. 26. But I deny that it is any where in Scripture declared to be Eternal Life to know the only True God as well as Jesus Christ whom he hath sent That is either of them separately The Text of Scripture which comes nearest to these Words is Ioh. 17. 3. where the Knowledge of the only True God taken apart from the Knowledge of Jesus Christ as sent by him is not declared to be Eternal Life But the Knowledge of both is declared to be Eternal Life I wave a particular considering what this Author saith p. 9 10. concerning the true Notion of believing in Christ when alone required to make a Man a Christian Because the plain Truth of the Matter we are discoursing of consists in this viz. That the sincere Belief of all those Doctrines Christ hath declared are absolutely necessary to be believed to Salvation is of it self sufficient to Salvation But this is so far from excluding that it doth include a necessity of believing other Doctrines if the Person is allowed space to obtain the Knowledge of more Doctrines which Christ hath revealed and that he hath revealed them Yet if the Person who sincerely believes the aforesaid Doctrines should dye before he could obtain the Knowledge of any other Doctrine Christ hath taught he will receive the Salvation promised to the Belief of those Doctrines he doth believe Christ knows his Sincerity and will not fail to perform the Promise he hath made to him There are many even very many Articles Christ hath revealed which those who are Christians are necessarily obliged to endeavour to know and then explicitely believe and as many of these Doctrines as they do attain to understand whether they be delivered in the Gospels or Acts or Epistles are Fundamental to them But the Explicite Belief of these Doctrines is not absolutely necessary to make Men Christians or to Salvation Our Faith is true and saving when it is such as God by the new Covenant requires it to be But it is not intire and consummate till we explicitely believe all the Truths contained in the Word of God For the whole Revelation of Truth in the Scripture being the proper and entire Object of Faith our Faith cannot be entire and consummate till it be adequate to its proper Object which is the whole Divine Revelation contained in the Scripture Second Vindic. of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 310. This Author p. 11. distinguishes betwixt Truths which are only to be believed upon the general Ground of Faith which is the Veracity of God and those of a higher Nature which have an immediate Tendency to the Salvation of Mankind and the Method by which our Saviour has obtained it for us And these latter sort of Truths he saith are to be explicitely believed by all in order to their Salvation And the Reason he gives for this is because the only End for which he hath revealed these Truths is the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind Answ. This seems to be a Distinction without a Difference for seeing they are all Divine Revelations the Ground and Reason of our believing them is the very same and every Way equal viz. because God hath revealed them If it be revealed that some of these Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians or to Salvation we must believe them to be so and that the Ground or Reason of that Belief is Divine Revelation But if Men will believe them to be absolutely necessary to be explicitely known c. in order to Salvation and God hath not revealed any such thing concerning them their Faith in that case will want a just Foundation or Reason But it 's said These Truths of a higher Nature have an immediate Tendency to the Salvation of Mankind Answ. Christ's observing the Methods appointed him by the Father in order to his obtaining Salvation for Mankind had undoubtedly their appointed Tendency to his obtaining Salvation for Mankind But the Doctrines which relate what those Methods were have not thesame Tendency to the Salvation of Mankind nor can a Person 's believing those Doctrines which declare that Christ hath observed these Methods and thereby obtained Salvation for Mankind be properly said to have
the Collection those who shall believe every one of those Articles which shall be proposed to them will not believe that Jesus is the Messias in the full Sense given of that Term in Scripture and therefore according to this Notion will not be Christians It may further be enquired whether those who shall believe explicitely every one of these Doctrines will be obliged to endeavour to know and believe any more Doctrines If the Answer be No then either these are all Doctrines which are delivered in Scripture or there are some Doctrines taught in the Scripture which Christians are not obliged to endeavour to know though they have Opportunity to understand them or to believe them though they do know them If the Answer be Yes it may be asked how that comes about Perhaps it will be said because amongst the Doctrines before spoken of this is one That Jesus is our King and therefore to testify our Submission and Obedience to him we are to endeavour to know and believe other Doctrines This indeed is a way whereby they may acquire some assurance to themselves and give Evidence and Proof to others that they believe Jesus to be their King but not according to the Notion we are now discoursing of that they believe him to be the Messiah or that they are Christians How comes it to pass that seeing the explicite Belief of every one of the other Doctrines is equally necessary to make them Christians with the Belief of this only a part of that Faith which makes them Christians must oblige and govern them after they are Christians Whence is it that some Doctrines delivered in Scripture must be believed in Obedience to Jesus and others not whilst he is equally the Teacher of them all This Author saith That Though no more is set down Act. 8 37. but that the Eunuch believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God yet no doubt there is more implied For Philip instructed him in the Christian Religion from that Chapter of Isatah viz. which the Eunuch was reading which Doctrines were no doubt required as absolutely necessary to be believed Besides since Philip baptized him no doubt but he did it in that Form which Christ himself enjoined in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and then it will follow that the Belief and Confession of the Three Persons was required p. 77 78. Answ. It is not at all doubted but there is something absolutely necessary to be believed by an Unbeliever in order to his becoming a Christian besides that the due believing whereof doth constitute him a Christian. For a Man cannot believe a Proposition to be true without some Proof and Evidence that it is true Now the enquiry is not what Arguments and Proofs are absolutely necessary to be believed to bring a Man to the due Belief of what is absolutely necessary to be believed to make him a Christian. That is a Question no Man can possibly determine by assigning one in particular or a precise Number For the Arguments Proofs and Evidences are many and various and God has not limited himself to make only one of them effectual nor obliged himself that he will not give forth his Blessing but with a certain Number of them in conjunction He that doth duly believe all that is absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians is a Christian whether he was brought to this Belief by the Belief of more or fewer Arguments There are Truths to be believed antecedently to a Man's believing what is absolutely necessary to be believed to make him a Christian and there are Truths to be believed by him after he is a Christian the due believing of which are Proofs and Evidences that he doth believe what is absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians But it is not the Belief of the one sort or the other sort of these Truths nor of both together which is the Faith that constitutes Men Christians but only the Belief of that to which the Belief of those other Truths hath an Antecedent or Consequential Relation How many Doctrines the Eunuch was instructed in or what those Doctrines were in particular we cannot tell because they are not revealed to us but what it was upon the believing of which he was owned for a Christian and Baptized is expresly declared and we have Reason to believe that if the explicite Belief of more Articles had been required of him as absolutely necessary to make him a Christian they would have been set down and expressed in his Confession I think also it is more than probable that the Eunuch was baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost unless it can be proved that that Form was in those Days confined or appropriated to the Apostles who were intrusted with conferring the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost Whatever Articles the Eunuch did explicitely believe at present he was by believing Iesus to be the Messiah obliged to endeavour to know explicitely and believe as many more as he could both concerning the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost even all that was or should be revealed concerning them which I think reaches the whole extent of the New Testament In p. 78 c. This Author undertakes To shew that the Gospels and Acts are directly opposite to our Author's Scheme of Doctrine and this he will do by shewing they do require much more to be believed concerning our Saviour than barely that he was the Messiah Here this Author proves very well and learnedly the Divinity of our Blessed Saviour and on that Account we cannot set too high a value on his Book He also mentions some other Doctrines very clearly delivered in the Gospels and Acts. But the Reason why he offers these things in Opposition to the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I suppose was his mistaking the Design of that Treatise The Author of the Reasonableness c. did not propose to enquire how many Doctrines are delivered in the Gospels and Acts concerning our Saviour but what Christ and his Apostles did require as absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians Reckon up therefore as many Articles as you please which are clearly and expresly taught in the Gospels and Acts yea in all the New Testament this will not affect or make any thing against the Reasonableness of Christianity c. unless withal you prove that Jesus or his Apostles required the explicite Belief of all or some of them which are distinct from this that he is the Messiah whom we are to take for our Lord and King to make Men Christians Whereas this Author saith That the most Learned amongst the Jews did appropriate the Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their expected Messiah and also believed he should be God So that this may be a very good Reason for our Saviour and his Apostles requiring no more to be believed in their preachings amongst the Jews than that Jesus was
an immediate Tendency to the Salvation of Mankind But that which should be proved is this that Christ or his Apostles have revealed that the explicite Belief of all those Doctrines which declare what was necessary on Christ's part in order to his obtaining Salvation for Mankind is absolutely necessary to make a Man a Christian or to a Person 's being entitled to and partaking of the Salvation which was so obtained But 't is said These respect the End for which he has revealed any thing to us and that is only the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind Answ. If this be only the End for which God hath revealed any thing to us and therefore these are absolutely necessary to be believed to Salvation this will bring in all the other Truths to be absolutely necessary to be believed to Salvation and so the general Direction here laid down to distinguish fundamental Truths will be of no use For those Truths being things God hath revealed to us and the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind being the only End for which he hath revealed any thing unto us they must equally respect the same End and consequently be equally necessary to be explicitely believed in order to that End But I fancy the Author's Meaning was thus That the only End for which God revealed those Truths of a higher Nature is the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind That is to bring it home to the present purpose the only End why God revealed those Truths was to make the explicite Belief of them absolutely necessary to Salvation And if this were proved the Controversy would be at an End But I think the great Reason and End why God hath revealed those Doctrines which declare the way and Method how our Saviour did obtain Salvation for Mankind was that Christians might know and believe the way how the Lord Jesus Christ did procure and purchase Salvation for Sinners and that they might make such use and improvement of these Truths as he particularly directs or their own Natures are proper to suggest Some Doctrines may be of greater consequence to be explicitely known and believed by those who are Christians than many others may which are revealed But the Point in discourse is not concerning weighty or important Truths with respect to those who are Christians but concerning Doctrines absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians See Second Vindic. of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 87 88. and 172 c. That the Salvation of Mankind was obtained by Christ's observing such and such Methods we know only by Divine Revelation But notwithstanding our Salvation was obtained in such ways and we are certain of the same from the Testimony of Christ we are not to affirm that the explicite Belief of the Doctrines which declare these Truths is absolutely necessary to make Men Christians or to Salvation without Christ's Warrant The ways and Methods related in these Doctrines were necessary to be observed by Christ in order to his obtaining the Salvation of Mankind and so might several others for ought we know which are not revealed But it will not thence follow that the explicite Belief of every thing which necessarily pertained to Christ in order to his obtaining Salvation for Mankind or of every thing of that Nature which is revealed is absolutely necessary to be believed in order to our receiving from him the Salvation which he hath purchased There is no more absolutely necessary to be believed in order to Mens partaking of that Salvation than what Christ absolutely requires to be believed in order to his dispensing it unto Men. Our believing explicitely the several Steps Jesus was to take for the obtaining of Salvation for Mankind has not the same Relation to our receiving that Salvation from him on the account of what he hath done and suffered as his doing and suffering those things had to his obtaining Salvation for Mankind He has by certain Methods obtained to himself a Right to dispence Salvation to those who shall unfeignedly take him for their Lord and King But his Right to bestow Salvation on Persons doth not depend on nor is limited to their explicite believing every Doctrine which relates any of the Steps he was indispensably obliged to take and observe in order to his obtaining and being invested with that Right In Matters of revealed Religion Revelation is the Ground or Reason of our Faith let the Matter revealed be what it will of greater or less importance And where the Reason of our Assent is the same the Act must be the same I agree with this Author p. 13. That the Design of Miracles was not immediately to give Authority to particular Doctrines but to testify in general that those who wrought them had such a Commission from God as they professed And in my Judgment this is no contemptible Argument to prove that the due believing Jesus to be Christ doth make Men Christians His Miracles did not immediately and directly but only consequentially prove the particular Doctrines he taught But they did most eminently prove he was the Messiah and they were wrought for this purpose to induce People to become his Disciples or Christians or to own and acknowledge him to be the Messiah If those Persons whose Faith did answer the Intendment of the Miracles were Christians I think it cannot handsomly be denied that the Faith which made them Christians was a Belief that Jesus was the Messiah Yet if it shall be clearly proved that the Explicite Belief of any one Article distinct from this That Iesus is the Messiah is required in any part of the New Testament as absolutely necessary to make a Man who acknowledges and believes in the True and Living God a Christian I will acknowledge that something absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian is omitted in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. and I have Reason from that Author's Books to believe that he will do the same But as that Doctrine must be known before it can be proved to be absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian so I must know what it is before I can be satisfied that it is such a Doctrine And it may very reasonably be desired of them who affirm that there are more Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians that they would draw out a just Scheme of them No saith this Author It will be sufficient to our present purpose if we can produce any Doctrines that are absolutely enjoyned to be believed by all Christians c. p. 16. Answ. This is quite from the present purpose for the enquiry is not what Doctrines are enjoyed absolutely to be believed by all Christians but what Doctrines are declared by Christ and his Apostles to be absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians Yet I do not think it an easy Task to prove a certain Number of Articles absolutely
not sincere in their Profession as they give of the Mistake of their Judgment in the present Point This Author certifies he will endeavour hereafter to shew there are Some Doctrines in the Epistles distinct from those contained in the Gospels or Acts which are of that Nature without the Belief of which though we may grant Men might be saved before they were known yet when they were divulged they could no more be stiled true Christians without the Belief of them than if they had not at all believed p. 17. Answ. When our belief of a Doctrine is grounded purely upon the Nature of the Doctrine we believe it only as we are rational Creatures and do imploy our Reason about the Doctrine it self considering it's Nature and not as Christians for the only Ground of our Belief as Christians is Divine supernatural Revelation And let the Nature of the Doctrine be what it will Revelation is the Ground and Reason of our believing it If you will therefore produce Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians because of the Nature of them you must fetch them from Natural Religion and they are to be judged of as to their Nature and the Reason of our believing them by Natural Reason without any regard to Revelation which is a Notion that will do Christianity I doubt but little Service Hitherto it hath done no inconsiderable Hurt The divulging of more Doctrines to be believed by Christians as they should attain the Knowledge of them did not make more Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians than were asolutely necessary to that purpose before they were divulged For if it did every new Doctrine when it was divulged became a new Condition to be explicitely consented to in order to any Man's admission into the Covenant of Grace and consequently there were so many New Covenants Yet these other Doctrines when they were divulged were necessarily to be believed by those particular Christians who did understand and know them and so they are now not to make them Christians but by Virtue or Reason of that Obligation they are under by being Christians to believe whatsoever they shall know their Lord hath revealed The Difference between those who were Christians before these Doctrines were divulged and those who become Christians since is this They were obliged by their being Christians or believing Jesus to be Messiah to believe whatsoever he had or should reveal when they should know the same now his Revelation is compleated those who believe him heartily to be the Messiah are thereby obliged to believe whatsoever he hath Revealed as they attain the Knowledge thereof For a more clear and full understanding of these things see Second Vindicat. of the Reasonableness c. p. 82 83 252 c. 337 c. 343 344. Whereas this Author saith p. 17. It will be necessary to consider an Objection or rather an Evasion of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. since it intimates that he believes as much of the Epistles and in as true a Sense as any Man whatsoever And then relating some Passages in p. 299. of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. afterwards saith They do not seem altogether unexceptionable p. 18. I shall observe that the Author of the Reasonableness c. doth in p. 298. begin his Answer to an Objection concerning the Epistles or to this Question Whether the Truths delivered in the Epistles may be believed or disbelieved by a Christian without any Danger To which he answers That the Law of Faith being a Covenant of Free Grace God alone can appoint what shall be necessarily believed by every one whom he will justify what is the Faith which he will accept and account for Righteousness depends wholly on his good Pleasure For it is of Grace and not Right that this Faith is accepted and therefore he alone can set the Measures of it Where we have the most Rational Evidence for that Point that I think Words can express Afterwards in p. 299. he answers directly to the Question affirming that the other Parts of Divine Revelation are Objects of Faith and are so to be received they are Truths whereof none that is once known to be such may or ought to be disbelieved c. Yet notwithstanding he affirms the Doctrines in the Epistles are Divine Truths very weighty to us now and which no Christians who know them may disbelieve This Author Saith these Passages are not altogether unexceptionable For though these allow the Truths contained in the Epistles to be Objects of our Faith yet they do not suppose them or any Parts of them to be more so than any other Places of Scripture which have no Relation to the Salvation of Mankind and which we are only bound to believe to be true upon the Veracity of God that revealed them p. 18. Answ. The Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. teacheth That the Truths contained in the Epistles are Objects of our Faith because they are Divine Revelations or Divine Truths And this Author p. 11. teacheth That the only End for which God hath revealed any thing to us is the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind The Author of the Reasonableness c. doth not detract from the Honour due to any part of Divine Revelation But asserts That as they are all equally Divine Revelations so they are all equally Objects of our Faith when known and have all a Relation to the Salvation of Mankind But how this Author will reconcile his teaching That the only End for which God hath revealed any thing to us is the Eternal Benefit and Happiness of Mankind with his saying That some Places of Scripture have no Relation to the Salvation of Mankind I cannot tell without a very singular Account of what is meant by Doctrines having a Relation to the Salvation of Mankind Some Doctrines acquaint us with the Gracious Purpose of God towards Sinners and with the Ways and Methods how Jesus Christ obtained Salvation for Mankind which may be said to have an Historical Relation to the Salvation of Mankind Some Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make and constitute Men Christians and entitle them to that Salvation Which Doctrines may be said to have a Conditional Relation to our Salvation There are Doctrines which those who are Christians must endeavour to understand and explicitely believe as they attain to know them Such are those which belong to the First Head and a great many more delivered in the New Testament These have not an Immediate Relation to our Salvation But they may be said to have a Consequential and Obediential Relation to our Salvation The Doctrines we are now discoursing of are those which pertain to the Second Head And if any Man think there are Doctrines in the Epistles distinct from those laid down by the Author of the Reasonableness c. that are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed
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
Ghost was not given to the Apostles to empower them to make a New Covenant with People by making more Articles absolutely necessary to be believed to Make Men Christians than Christ himself had made so though they were to produce more Proof and Evidence of what he had made absolutely necessary to be believed than was given before and were to furnish Christians with a more compleat Body of the Laws of that Kingdom they were Members of than was before published See Second Vindic. of the Reasonab p. 89 90 325 330. It may therefore with great Truth and I think for that Reason without any absurdity be affirmed that all things which are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to Salvation are fully and clearly contained in the Gospels See Second Vindic. of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 73. In p. 30. This Author discourses concerning the Apostles Creed and saith That The Articles of that Creed are not to be looked on as the only Fundamentals unless we also firmly believe the natural Consequences and Conclusions from them and the frequent Explanations of them which are set down in the other Parts of Revelation That is those Explanations of them which are set in the Epistles distinct from what is said of them in the Gospels and Acts. Answ. I will wave taking Notice of several things which might be observed here from the Generality and Extensiveness of the Expressions here used And shall only put this Author in mind that the Question he should peremptorily answer to is this Whether all that is absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed by Christ's and his Apostles Appointment to make Men Christians be contained in that Creed If those who answer this Question Negatively be in the Right let them talk what they please of the great Esteem and Veneration they have for this Creed and the Church of England there is no help for it but both the one and the other must unavoidably fall under a very ugly Reflection for the more full clearing of which and answer to what this Author hath further writ on this Subject I shall refer to the Second Vindic. of the Reasonab p. 74 c. 77 163 169 c. In p. 31 and 32. This Author offers considerations in answer to a Passage he quotes out of p. 297. of the Reasonab of Christianity c. I shall here only observe First That these Considerations are grounded upon Two great Mistakes 1. A Supposition that the Force of the Argument he opposeth depends upon the time when the Gospels and Acts and when the Epistles were writ viz. which were writ first Whereas the Force of the Argument lies in this That those Truths delivered in the Epistles cannot be absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians which were not revealed till after the Decease of many who were Christians By the Epistles we understand what Doctrines the Apostles were intrusted to instruct Christians in but supposing the Acts and every one of the Gospels had been writ after all the Epistles they acquaint us most clearly and distinctly what were the Doctrines which Christ and his Apostles proposed as absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed by Unbelievers to make them Christians 2. A Supposition that the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. rejects the Epistles from being part of that Rule of Faith that Christ hath given to Christians for which I cannot perceive the least Ground Secondly that this Passage this Author pretends to answer hath the full Evidence of Demonstration with respect to the Words immediately before it Having declared that the Authors of the Epistles were inspired from above and writ nothing but Truth and in most Places very weighty Truths to us c. He adds But yet every Sentence of theirs must not be taken up and looked on as a Fundamental Article necessary to Salvation without an explicite Belief whereof no Body could be a Member of Christ's Church here nor be admitted into his Eternal Kingdom hereafter Where we see what he means by Fundamental Articles in the very next Sentence which is the Passage reflected on by this Author and delivered in these Words If all or most of the Truths declared in the Epistles were to be received and believed as Fundamental Articles what then became of those Christians who were fallen asleep as St. Paul witnesses in his First to the Corinthians many were before these things in the Epistles were revealed to them To this Passage in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 294. The Epistles being all written to those who were Believers and Christians the Occasion and End of writing them could not be to instruct them in that which was necessary to make them Christians This Author replies in these Words This seems rather to strengthen than lessen the Force of the Argument That the Apostles had taught those same Doctrines for Fundamentals before which they afterwards communicated as sacred Depositums of their Faith p. 33. Answ. Supposing they had taught the very same Doctrines before to the Christians or Churches they afterwards writ to and so they were Fundamentals to those Christians who had been instructed in them yet there is no force in the Argument that these Doctrines are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians or were so to them till it be proved that they had propounded these Doctrines to be explicitely believed to make them Christians In answer to another Passage quoted out of the same Page of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. this Author propounds this Question How can it be proved that all those the Epistles were written to understood all the Fundamentals of Religion Answ. The Question is whether they were Christians though they did not understand all those Doctrines you call Fundamentals here If they were Christians then those you call Fundamentals were not absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make them Christians If any shall say they were not Christians to whom the Apostles writ their Epistles they may if they please excuse my want of Complaisance in declaring I shall chuse to believe the Apostles rather than them Again saith this Author May there not be supposed to be some less knowing amongst them In answer to which I ask Were those less knowing Persons Christians if not how came they to be concerned in the Epistle or how came they to be Members of the Church to which the Epistle was writ The latter part of the Question And some who would not throughly believe several Doctrines of Christianity without such an Authority the Apostles had c. seems not to bear a propitious Aspect to what this Author formerly advanced as the way to distinguish Fundamental Truths from other Parts of Divine Revelation What this Author further saith on this Subject is no more than what I think is sufficiently answered in my Animadversions p. 26 27. But I do not perceive how it will follow from what
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
Resurrection All the Instances and Degrees of which Obedience and Sufferings were appointed by his Father with infinite Wisdom and for most good and wise Reasons That his Obedience and Sufferings had the Virtue and Efficacy of making Satisfaction for Sinners provided they should comply with the Terms he should propose to them was from the Father's appointing and accepting them for that Purpose as well as for several other Purposes they had by the same Appointment a Relation to both with respect to Christ himself and those who should believe in him not to say any thing of the respect they had to all Mankind and the Benefits that redound therefrom to all Men. Observations on the Third Part. THE Title given to this Part is What we are to believe concerning Christ. This Author saith p. 65. That The Author of the Reasonableness c. and Mr. Hobs agree so exactly concerning the necessity of believing this one Article only viz. that Jesus is the Christ and in the Method they have taken for the Proof of it by citing several Texts from the Preaching of our Saviour and his Apostles in the Acts and no further that they only differ so much as a Copy does from an Original Yet this Author is so ingenuous he grants This can be no good Reason for rejecting what the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. hath asserted if his Doctrine be otherwise found agreeable to the whole Tenour of Scripture Answ. I desire no more but that these Words may be added so far as it discourses concerning what the Author of the Reasonableness c. was enquiring after viz. what Articles are absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed by one who acknowledges the true God to make him a Christian. A few Days ago I accidentally met with a Book entituled Hobs's Tripos and perceiving that one part of it was entituled De Corpore Politico I was so curious as to read that Part to see whether he did there treat of Religion and what he did say concerning it In the Sixth Chapter of the Second Part of it I found him discoursing very agreeably to what this Author quotes out of the Eighteenth Chapter of his Book De Cive Mr. Hobs doth proceed in this Book I speak of further than the Acts citing several Texts out of the Epistles And if I reach his Sense and Design Mr. Hobs's Notion is vastly different from that laid down in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. Mr. Hobs's Notion seems to be this That one who is a Christian cannot be necessarily obliged to believe any more Articles than this that Iesus is the Messiah That one who is a Christian is necessarily obliged to believe as many Articles as he can attain to know are taught in the Holy Scriptures is the Notion of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I think Mr. Hobs's Discourse is neither consistent with it self nor with that he intended it should support His Expressions are many times so general they comprehend enough to overthrow all he aims at He seems willing that several Distinct Articles should be absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to Salvation though how his bringing in the Belief of the Scriptures amongst them can be consistent with what he principally designed is above my Reach But when he comes to prove his Fundamentals as he calls them he produceth no Scriptures but what particularly teach this Doctrine that Iesus is the Christ and therefore at last concludes this is the only Fundamental Point of Faith But if he would have spoken exactly and truly he should have said The only Point absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed by those who acknowledge the only True and Living God Though other Points saith he may be true they are not so necessary to be believed as that a Man may not be saved though he believe them not As to the former Part of this Assertion I shall take Notice that he only saith They may be true But the Author of the Reasonableness c. saith They are Divine Truths and that they must be received with stedfast Faith c. As to the latter part of Mr. Hobs's Assertion I shall observe that the Point is not whether a Man may not be saved though he believe them not But 1. Whether the Belief of them is not necessary to Salvation in him who doth know they are taught in the Holy Scriptures 2. Whether a Christian subject may without hazard of his Salvation do Actions in Obedience to his Sovereign which imply a Denial of them notwithstanding he knows they are revealed in the Scripture Mr. Hobs declares for the affirmative p. 214. Mr. Hobs saith the Belief of that Point viz. That Jesus is the Christ is sufficient for the Salvation of any Man whosoever he be p. 208. That is let a Man know ever so many Doctrines delivered in the New Testament and that they are taught there he is not obliged to believe them Nothing saith he is truly a point of Faith but that Iesus is the Christ p. 110. The Author of the Reasonableness c. delivers the direct contrary Truths And these are Notions which cannot possibly consist with a Person 's believing Jesus to be the Christ so as to take him heartily for his Lord and King Yet Mr. Hobs saith Christian Faith consisteth in acknowledging our Saviour Christ to be King of Heaven and therefore we must endeavour to obey his Laws p. 211. But it seems believing what our Saviour hath taught was not with Mr. Hobs any part of our Obedience to him The contradictory of this is what the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath delivered most justly for the Truth Mr. Hobs seems to lay much stress on this that the Controversies of Religion amongst Christians are about Points unnecessary to Salvation by which I conceive he means unnecessary for Christians to believe But a Points being controverted doth not make the Belief of it unnecessary Men may raise and maintain Controversies about what Points they please but I am obliged to believe what I do know Jesus Christ hath taught and to endeavour to know as many more Doctrines which he hath taught as I can and to believe explicitely as many as I shall attain an explicite Knowledge of let other People dispute and make as many Controversies about them as they please Controversy may occasion and engage Christians to enquire more accurately whether Christ hath said any thing concerning the Points and what he hath taught concerning it And what a Christian understands Christ hath taught concerning it he is necessarily to believe let those who controvert it say what they will I find Mr. Hobs was for a Publick Conscience and for Peoples transferring their Right of Iudging in matters of Religion to another Which Notion agrees well enough with that of a great many Persons in the World He differs from them in this That he is for having the Right transferred to the Civil Magistrate