otherways than by repeating the Scripture; fince we may always atteft with our Hand,what we affirm to be our Opinion with our Mouth. And indeed 'tis fcarce poflible for our Adverfaries themselves, to thun a Contradiction of their Notions in their own Practice, as theNone-fubcribers met at Salters-ball teem to do, at that very time when they must have had that Principle full in their View,and would readily be moft cautious not to counter-act it. I thought itvery pleafant to take Notice,that after all the Clamour raifed against Declarations of Faith in other Words than thofe of Scripture, their Advices to the Exeter People begin with two Articles concerning Church Communion, expreffed in other Words than thofe of the Sacrei Oracles. "We are, lay they, clearly of opinion; First, That there are Errors in Doctrine of that important Nature, as will not only warrant, but even oblige a Chriftian Congregation to withdraw from the Minifter or Minifters that maintain and defend thefe Doctrines. 2dly, That the People have a Right to judge for themselves, what thefe Errors are, and when they are fo taught and propagated, as will juftify them in withdrawing from fuch their Mi

"

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ifter (a). Which two Propofitions are fubfcribed by a great many Hands; by doing which, they in fo far evidently declare their Belief concerning these two Questions of Church-Communion, and private Judgment, as much as if thefe Articles had been ingroffed with a Confelion of Faith,and it fubfcribed by them: Or if there be any terrible Thing in the Name of a Creed which startles them, (though thefe would feem extremely fuperftitious Fears which are begot by a Word) let any Church declare their Opinion as to the other Articles of Religion to the fame Purpofe, as is done with refpect to thefe Two Points, and we shall be fatisfied; being affured that whatever external Denomination may be put upon it, it will be all in Effect that is meant or intended by Confeffions of Faith.

This opinion likewife hath a very unfavourable Afpect towards all Tranflations of the Bible; and feems to make it abfolutely impraticable, for fuch as are unacquainted with the Hebrew or Greek Languages, ever to declare their Faith and give a publick Allent to the Doctrines of the Gospel, tho' it be an evident Command of our Saviour to all Chriftians, upon proper Occafions to confefs him and is Gofpel before Men, and to bear Witness to the Truth.

Every Body muft own that the Bible written in the original Tongues, alone confifts in a Itrict Senfe of thefe Phrafes made. ufe of by the Holy Ghoft, and they only can be called the Words of Divine Revelation; and that no Tranflation, for Example, no Englifh Phrafes whatsoever, can have any Title to that Name, or pretend any Dignity and Authority of Scripture-Expreffions, except only as they are a juft Interpretation of the Hebrew and Greek, and in fo far as their Signification correfponds to and gives the true Senfe. of the Original: And we hope it cannot be denied, that if in ftead of this, anignorant Interpreter or cunning Deceiver, who was refol

(a) Vide, 4dvices and Rules agreed to at Salters-hall,March 10 171.

ved at any Rate to promote his favourite Schemes, fhould tranflate a Paffage of the Greek New Testament, into fuch English Phrafes as did not agree to the Original, nor exprefs the Senfe of the infpired Writer; it were extremely abfurd to call thofe English Phrafes, fcriptural Words, or reckon that a Man who affented to them, affented to the Words of the Holy Ghoft. When therefore a Perfon fubfcribes a Text as it is found in our English Verfion, and defigns to declare his Faith thereby in fcriptural Phrafes, because he thinks thefe only fhould be ufed in fuch Cafes, he must be fuppofed neceffarily, by his Subfcription, to approve of our Verfion of that Text, rather than any other; and do what is virtually a Declaring, that he thinks the true Meaning of the Original expreffed thereby; which is the fame Thing, as to all Intents, as if he fubfcribed the Articles of any particular Church in other Terms than thofe of Scripture, or gave his Affent to the Confeffions of a Party which he liked beft.

To give a clearer Idea hereof,it may not be improper to illuftrate it by one Inftance. A plain English Man that understands nothing befides his native Tongue, makes a Declaration of his Faith in Scrip tare-Expreffions only, and amongst others for that Purpofe, he makes Ufe of the Apostle's Words, Rom. 9. 5. Qvoi Taτépes, xj av ὁ Χρισὸς τὸ κατά σάρκα, ὁ ὧν ἐπὶ παντων Θεὺς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας. Αμήν. Which original Expreflions of the infpired Writer may be rendred two Ways. First, Thus, as our Verfion hath it, Whofe are the Fathers, and of whom, as concerning the Flesh Chrift came, Who is over all God blessed for ever. Or 2dly, Thus, Whofe are the Fathers, and of whom as concern. ing the Flesh Chrift came; God who is over all be blessed for ever. Which two Tranflations are pretty different, by the Words of the First the Deity of Chrift feems to be plainly enough afferted; by thofe of the Second that Truth is not affirmed, because they may be well enough applied to God the Father: Now the Words of both thefe Tranflations can't be denominated fcriptural Phrafes; only he that fubfcribed one of them, did in reality make ufe of Scripture-Language; while he that affented to the other, ufed Words of humane Invention, fince there was no juft Foundation for them in the original Language of the infpired Penman: And confequently when a Perfon makes choice of thofe English Phrafes, which he reckons most agreeable to the Mind of the Holy Ghost, does not he chereby in Effect declare that he thinks the Calvinist or Socinian Tranflation, preferable to the other; and fo, to all Effects and Purpofes, as much determines the Senfe in which he takes that Scripture, as if he had explained it in Words of his own, and fubfcribed them as an Article of his Faith?

It is known to all thofe who have any Acquaintance with Controverfy, how much all Questions as to the Doctrines of Religion, depend upon the Manner in which the principal Texts relating to them ought to be tranflated; and it is a Defect in Language, that they do not almoft entirely do fo: For could we free our Phrafes of all Ambiguity, and ufe Words in a determinate Signification,

that

that fo we might certainly know what we mean by 'every Expreffion; the chief Controverfy would then be, In what way fuch a Text fhould be tranflated; becaufe by that means it would be known what were Truth and what were Falfhood. And then Confeffions of Faith might be fo framed, that the chief Thing imported by our Subfcribing them, fhould be, That we believe fuch and fuch Texts ought to be fo tranflated; and that the Interpretation given of them by the oppofite Side, is erroneous, and contrary to the Mind of the Holy Ghoft: Or, which is the fame Thing Our Confeffions would confift of thefe determinate Words, whereby one Perfon or Party thought the Original Texts should be Tranflated, and upon that Account called them Scripture-Phrafes.

Would not Confeffions of this kind be attended with all the fuppofed bad Confequences; would they not be invefted with the fame Authority, calculated for the fame Purposes, and built upon the fame Foundations with our prefent Creds? And as the Cafe juft now obtains, (when no Language hath the Advantage to be thus perfectly clear and determinate) with refpect to the Scheme of Decla tions of Faith favoured by our Adverfaries, it is plain that the Words of no Tranflation can be reckoned Scripture-Phrafes, but in fo far as they agree exactly to the Original: That therefore a Man can never be defired to fubfcribe any Paffage of our English Bible, if he fancy that it is not rightly interpreted, more than he can be defired to affent to an Article in Words of humane Compofure; for fo the Words of that Text will appear to him: And that for any Socie ty to expect that he fhould fubfcribe thefe English Phrafes, becaufe they appear to them to be truly fcriptural, is no lefs a humane Impo fition and a humane Decifion in a religious Controverfy, than the Framing for that Purpose an Article of the Weftminster Confeffion.

If then thefe Gentlemens opinion in this Matter were allowed of, there could be no Declarations of Faith of any kind except in Greek and Hebrew, in which alone the very Phrafes written by the infpired Penmen are to be found; and confequently no Perfon who did not understand thefe Languages, could ever perform the undifputed Chriftian Duties, of bearing a Teftimony to the Truth, confelling our Saviour and his Doctrines before Men, and giving a Reason of the Hope which is in us, to them that ask it: Which, befide other Inconveniencies, feems very favourable to the ambitious Claims of the Pontiff, by its tending to deprive the People not only of the Right of private Judgment, but of private Practice alfo.

It might poffibly be fhowed by fome plaufible enough Confiderations, that there were no fmall Difficulties, according to their Scheme, in forming a Confeffion anfwerable to it, even in the Greek and Hebrew: And that therefore no Perfons whatfoever even the moft learned, could ever make Confeffions of their Faith: But it feems needlefs to infift upon this further, fince what hath been obferved on the former Head feems fufficient for the Purpose.

In the next Place, 'tis hoped, upon a fhort View, it will be acknowledged even by our. Adverfaries themfelves, that if Creeds be confined to Scripture-Expreffions, negative Articles of Faith muft be

neceffarly

neceffarly excluded, by which is understood that Part of Confetions whereby Errors and Herefies are difclaimed, and renounced: Of this Nature is our Short Confeffion of Faith afterwards called the National Covenant where all the Abominations of Popery are particularly dif owned,with a juft Abhorrence of them. The Reafon of the Thing, and many Paffages of Scripture; the Regard due to the Truths of the Gofpel,and the Honour of our Saviour's Doctrine; that Opennefs of Mind and conftant Sincerity, which Chriftians fhould manifeft on all Occafions, and efpecially with Relation to the Concerns of their Soul, the Duty incumbent upon all these who maintain the Purity and Unity of Faith, to reject obftinate Hereticks, and feparate themselves from the unclean, together with the facred Caution which every Man ought to have, with refpect to his Integrity and Reputation, all concur in demonftrating that it is both reafonable and neceffary, for Chriftians, upon proper Occafions, to declare their Deteftation of monftrous Herefes, which prevail at any Time in the Church,and to clear themselves of any Ground of Sufpicion that they are infected by the Poifon of them. And this kind of Creeds is especially incumbent upon thofe who forfake a falfe Religion or a heretical Sect, and defire to be received into the Communion of the Church.

But now it is abfolutely impoffible that fuch a Confeffion can be compofed in Scripture-Phrafes, because the Herefies to be renounced had not then fprung up; and therefore there could be no Place for any Thing, in exprefs Terms, concerning them with the facred Writers. How can the Blafphemies of the Manichees and Valentinians, the Dreams of the German Anabaptifts and other Fanaticks the fuperftitious idolatrous Practices, and the tyrannical abfurd Principles of the Church of Rome, concerning Tranfubftantiation, Purgatory, the Authority and Infallibility of the Pope, &c. or any other extravagant Notion that may creep into the Minds of deluded Men, and obtain in the World, be renounced, and our Faith concerning thefe Points in Oppofition to them be expreffed in Scripture-Phrafes only, when all thefe deformed Monsters are but of modern Growth; and both the Things themselves, and the Words whereby they are fignified, were invented after a finishing Hand was put to the Writing of the Divine Oracles? But if in order to evade this Objection, it be owned, that it is allowable to exprefs the negative Part of a Confeffion in other Words than thofe ufed by the Jacred Writers; befides that they will hereby depart from their general Principle, they feem to yeild the whole Caufe, fince it would be very cafie to give fuch a Turn to a Creed, that the Whole of it may confift of negative Articles, fo framed as to comprehend and enforce the fame Things, which are affirmed by the pofitive Parts of a Confefion.

Ν

IN the laft place, That Creeds ought not to be confined to the Phrafes of the Holy Scriptures, but that other Words may be lawfully ufed, appears from this Confideration, namely, That 'tis fimply impoffible to declare our Beliet of Scripture Confequences, however.

neceffary

neceffary and momentuous they be, in the precife Terms of the Bible: And fo by this Scheme it might be rendred impracticable for a Church, to own her Belief of, and profefs her Respect for fome divine Truths of the higheft Importance; or to make Confeffion of fome of the chief Articles of our Religion, which feems alone to be a pretty great Abfurdity, and enough of it felf to overthrow any Scheme which is juftly loaded with it.

It would be improper to enter at this time upon Queftions that have of late been agitated, and upon the Determination of which fome feem to lay no little Weight, viz. How far Scripture-Confequences are binding upon a Man who does not fee them, if they have in any Cafe the fame Authority over our Faith with the Words of the Sacred Oracles and we be no lefs obliged to receive them. And laftly, how far God will charge home upon any Man, the Disbelief or Neglect of thofe Confequences which he does not perceive. For tho' perhaps it would be no laborious Task to return an Anfwer to them, and thew the Miftakes which fome Writers have fallen into upon this Head: Yet the doing of it would take up too much place in this Work, and it is acknowledged upon all Hands, that there may be Scripture-Confequences of a very high Nature, that Truths of this Kind may be very important and ufeful in themfelves, and that they may be fuch as claim a fteady Adherence to them, and a warm Zeal and Honour from all who perceive them. I hall only therefore obferve that the Refurrection of the Dead, which our Saviour demonftrates in this way to the Sadducees; the principal Things relating to the Immortality of the Soul of Man, and the State of Happinefs and Mifery; the fpiritual Kingdom of the Meffiah, and the eternal Salvation from Sin and all its fatal Attendants to be purchafed by him; the whole Defign of the Jewish Ceremonies and Sacrifices, and all the great Truths of Religion which God intended to lead them to the Knowledge of by the Help of thefe external Ordinances, in a Word, the whole Reafoning of the Apostle in that excellent Epiftle to the Hebrews, and the Doctrine contained in the great original Promife, That the Seed of the Woman should bruife the Serpent's Head, which was for fo many Ages the Hope and Joy of the Church, were all Scripture-Confequences: And fo the Ifraelites could not have profeffed their Faith of thefe Articles had they been tied down to the very Phrases of the infpired Writers, which, as to the external Form of them, were evidently calculated for a legal carnal Difpenfation, that is, they could not have profelled the Jewish Religion at all. They might indeed by adhering to the Letter of the Law, have profeffed themfelves the carnal Seed of Abraham, and showed that they were of the Concifion: But then they must go no farther, they must beware of confeffing that they were of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham and Children of the Promife, no, the Scribes might juftly have accufed them of fetting up new Rules of Faith, and contradicting the Perfection, Sufficiency and Perfpicuity of the facred Writings, had they pretended to diftinguish themfelves from them, by another Profeffion of their Faith, and by expreffing their Belief

of