of what they thought the Defign of all their Inftitutions, and the Voice of their whole Ordinances, fo as to confefs before the World that they were of the Circumcifion, who worshipped God in the Spirit, and bad no Confidence in the Flesh.

It was one great Thing which our Saviour blamed in the Pharifees, that under a pretence of doing Honour to Mofes, and adhering to the Law, they maintained that the Letter of the Law was fufficient; and that if a Man in his Faith or Practice kept up to it, there could be no more required of him: Whereby they ftruck at the Vitals of Religion, and ftifled the Spirit of it. I can't help thinking, that thofe who exclaim fo loudly against humane Compofures; and would receive an Affent to the Letter of the Scriptures, and a Subfcription of the Phrases therein contained, by a Perfon, (tho' we be ignorant of his Meaning, and he refufe to explain the Senfe in which he understands them) as a fufficient Teft of his Orthodoxy, or Measure of Chriftian or minifterial Communion, build their Schemes upon the Maxims of the Scribes, and feem to introduce into the Chriftian Church the old Jewish Pharifaifm.

Thefe are fome of the native Confequences of the Opinions efpoufed by our Adverfaries,and fuch are the Advantages which Religion and Liberty may expect upon their prevailing in the World. Into fuch Inconfiftencies and Abfurdities we can fcarce mifs to falls fo long as Words are regarded more than Things; fo long as that Submillion, Honour and Veneration due to the facred Writings, are paid rather to the Phrafes than to the Truths and Doctrines contained in them; and in ftead of the Purity of Faith and the conviction of the Understanding, empty Sounds are look'd upon as a diftinguishing Mark of Christianity; and an Agreement in Words and Combinations of Letters, a ftrong enough Foundation for Christian Commnuion.

Here are two Paffages in two remarkable Papers lately publiTilted, which fall in naturally upon this Occafion, and it may not be improper to make a very fhort Obfervation upon them. In the 5th of the Reasons for not fubfcribing the Paper offered at Salters-Half March 3, 1718,19, published by the Nonfubfcribers they fay," We have always thought that fuch humane Declarations of Faith,were far from being eligible on their own Account, fince they tend to narrow "the Foundations of Chriftianity, and to restrain that Latitude "of Expreffion in which our great Legiflator has thought fit to deli66 ver his Will to us.

To reduce Chriftianity within ftraiter Bounds than our Saviour hath thought fit, is certainly extremely culpable: To fix narrower Terms of Chriftian Communion, than the Author of our Religion hath appointed; and exclude our Neighbours from the Fellowfhip of the Saints, or the Privileges of the Church, becaufe they refufe to comply with thofe Terms, is both uncharitable to our Brethren, and a prefumptuous Ufurpation upon the Prerogative of our great Mafter. We are far from pretending to alter the Land-marks of Chriftianity, or build upon any other Foundations befides thefe which Chrift and his Apostles have laid; and whether we have

done

done fo or not, muft depend upon an impartial Enquiry into the Doctrines efpoused by us. But it feems not eafie to comprehend what is understood by that Latitude of Expreffion, in which our great Legiflator is fuppofed to have delivered his Will, for indeed properly Ipeaking there may be a Latitude of Things, of Terms of Communion and neceffary Articles of Faith: But there can be no fuch thing as a Latitude of Expreffion; because all Words ought to be of a fixed Meaning, that is, ought to be of a determinate Measure, and can't be ftretched wider according to the Fancy of the Reader; and agreeably hereto the Words of Scripture have but one Meaning, the Holy Ghoft defigns by them to reprefent to us fome determinate Doctrine or Truth, and if that be mifapprehended, whatever become of the Expreffion, we refufe, or neglect to receive that Part of the Gofpel-Revelation.

us,

To imagine that our bleffed Saviour delivered his Will to us in fuch extended and variable Expreffions, that they might fuit the Palate of all Parties, and comprehend every Sect, that they were fo fupple as to bend to the Notions, that this and the other Man fhould take up of the Truth pointed at in them; and were of fuch a Latitude, that Perfons who thought very differently concernning the Doctrines, might fafely enough affent to the Expreffions, and every Man explain them his own Way; is imagining fuch Latitude of Expreffion in the Scriptures, as renders them of no Meaning or Signification that can be depended upon, 'tis forming them into a Nofe of Wax, and fo entirely deftroying their Authority, and counteracting all the valuable Ends for which they were delivered to us. And I am afraid that the Words of the Nonfubfcribers, may be thought by fome to look this way; how distant foever this might be from the Intention of many worthy Perfons of that Number. The Author of the Occafional Paper tells "That where Men "do declare their Affent to all the Expreffions in which thefe Doctrines are delivered in Scripture, tho' they should not receive, ortho' it may be they object to Explications in unfcriptural "Words, they are not to be denied the Communion of the Chrifti an Church, merely on that account (a). It is eafily acknowledged that no Perfon who receives the fundamental Articles of Chriftianity, and difclaims all Errors that ftrike at the Life and Effence of the Gofpel, can be juftly denied the Communion of the Church: But if we abstract from the Doctrines of Religion, what Force or Etficacy can be in an Affent to the Expreffions of the Scripture? There is Reafon to fufpect, that a Perfon means another thing by thefe Phrafes than the Scriptures mean, and really denies the Truth revealed in them: To fuppofe that an Affent to the Expreffions will entitle hia to Church-Communion, is to expose the Bible to the utmost Contempt, and in reality to make them fo many Charms, whereby a Man, without confidering what he believes in his Heart, may be enchanted into Orthodoxy: If the Subscribing these Expreffions do not

(a) Occafional Paper Vol. III, N. XI. p. 8.

involve

involve a Belief of the Truth, and fignify fomething that is pla and determinate, it becomes an airy Phantom, and in a literal Senfe, only a Form of found Words without the Subftance.

In the Confeffions of our Faith, we must profess Things and not Words; and Expreffions affented to, are to be regarded only upon the account of what is fignified by them: This is the account which the Apostle feems to give us of this Matter. Hold fast, fays he to Timothy, the Form of found Words, which thou haft beard of me, in FAITH and Love which is in Chrift Jefus ; THAT GOOD THING which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us (a), It was, real Faith, and that good Thing, which put Life into the Form of found Words, and made them what they were, and had he let go that good Thing, and departed from the Faith, his form of found Words, and the loudeft Aflent to Scripture expreffions, would have neither fecured to him the Dignity of his Office, nor the Communion of Saints; But they would have had the fame Influence on the Affenter to thefe Expreffions, that the Gift of Tongues hath on a Man who wants Charity, have made him a founding Brass and a tinkling Cymbal.

HUS we have endeavoured, in feveral Inftances, to lay open Tthe abfurd Confequences, which feem to demonftrate the

Falfhood of their Opinion who would confine all Confeffions of Faith to the precife Words and Phrases of the Holy Scriptures; and that it is highly reafonable and neceffary for Chriftians, upon fome Occafions, to diftinguish themfelves from Hereticks; and profefs the Purity of the Faith in other Words and Phrafes. It remains, that we fhow more directly, that Confeffions framed in fuch a Method, are not in the leaft injurious to the Dignity and Excellency of the Holy Scriptures and are no ways inconfiftent with the Proteftant Principles of the abfolute Perfection, Fulness and Perfpicuity of the Sacred Oracles, with respect to all the Concerns of Faith and Salvation: And feeing what hath been already advanced, may be eafily applied by any to this purpose, we' fhall but very briefly mention two or three Confiderations, each of which we hope may by it felf prove a fatisfying Answer to the Objection.

That the Expreffions of the Scripture are not fufficient for all the Ends of Confeffions of Faith, does not in the leaft flow from themfelves, nor depend upon any fuppofed Defect in the Holy Oracles, which needs to be fupplied: But is entirely owing to the Ignorance and Wickedness of vain and cunning Hereticks, who pervert their Meaning, and impofe a Senfe upon them directly contrary to the Will and Mind of our great Legiflator. And confequently the Neceffity of other Phrafes, in order to our giving or receiving from others, a fincere and undifguifed Account of the Faith that is embraced, in an Age where fuch Corruptions prevail, does not bear the fmalleft Reflection upon the Word of God: But must be imputed wholly to the Errors and Deceits of Mankind.

(a) 2 Tim. I. 13, 14,

Phrafes

Phrafes which have no determinate Signification affixed to them, are of no manner of Ufe,and give no Inftruction to the Hearers: And Words which in the Mouth of the Speaker are of an ambiguous Interpretation, and when pronounced by different Perfons may fignity different and contradictory Doctrines; methinks can by no Man, who deals ingenuouffy, be depended upon as a fufficient Teft of a Man's Orthodoxy, or received as a tolerable Argument of his true Opinions. And to fay that the Words of Ser pture are often expofed to this Fate, and meet with fuch Treatment in the World; is to fay no more, than what we have daily Experience of, and what is affirmed in direct Terms by the Apoftie, 2. Pet. 3. 16: here he tells us, That there are many Things in the Epiftles of Paul which they that are unlearned and unstable wreft, as they do alfo the other Scriptures unto their own Destruction.

Thefe Phrafes of the facred Writers, as they ly in the Holy Scriptures, might be perfpicuous enough, and fufficiently expreffive of the Doctrines of Religion: But furely if we confider them as ufed by thefe unftable Perfons, trefted and perverted, they could not por fibly be a fatisfying Evidence of the Purity of their Faith. The Apoftle informs us that the beft and pureft Things may be perverted to the worft Purposes, fo that the holy Law of the bleiled God himfelf, is made an Engine of Sin to advance its Dominion, But Sin, fays he, taking Occafion by the Commandment, wrought in me all Manner of Concupifcence. And Sin, that it might appear Sin, working Death in me by that which is good (a).

Can it then be justly reckoned any Difefteem of the Sacred Writings, to alledge that the Words of them may be shaped into a Difguife, defigned to give falfe Ornaments and a deceitful Beauty to the most deformed Monsters of Infidelity, and under a fair Appearance to conceal the Poifon and Malignity of Error. And when thefe Phrafes, in themselves fo good and innocent, are formed into a Covert, under which Heretciks fcreen themfelves; and a Retreat from which they make Excurfions into the Regions of Light and Truth, and whither, when attacked by the strongest Arguments, they flee back for Shelter: Is it a Crime to detect them, to pull off the falfe Face; and by a prudent Caution,to preferve our felves from the Danger of Infection from a lurking Plague, and the Guilt of partaking of other Mens Sins, and entertaining Communication with the Works of Darkness and Error? So that to affirm that it may be neceffary, in the publick Creeds, to make Ufe of Phrases that are not to be found in the Scriptures, is not in the leaft to alledge that the Scriptures are deficient, or the Expreffions of them not full and clear; But only that there are Men in the World who wreft them; and that cunning Hereticks ufe them in a Senfe quite different from their genuine Meaning, and fo only make a Pretence of them, to lead aftray unwary Souls by their fair Speeches, affuming the Form, while they have no Remains of the Power of Truth and Light.

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In

In the next Place, tho' it should be afferted, that the Truthe revealed in fome Paffages of Scripture, may be expreífed in plainer Terms, and fuch as are not fo liable to be wrefted by Hereticks; and that Words may be found out, not fo much expofed to the Difadvantage of an ambiguous indeterminate Meaning, and under which it may be more difficult to conceal a falfe and dangerous Opinion: Yet this would not be the leaft Reflection upon the Perfection and Sufficiency of the Scriptures; and to think otherwife muft proceed from very mistaken Notions hereof, and from a falfe Idea of the protestant Principles.

The Excellency of any Compofure, confifts in all the Parts of it being exactly fuited to the Ends for which they are defigned; and agreeably hereto the abfolute Perfection of the Holy Scriptures lies in their having all their Parts, every Word, every Phrafe, proportio ned in the wifeft and beft Manner to the Purposes of the great Legiflator, and fo contrived that they are both fufficient for all the Ends of divine Revelation; and that they gain thefe Ends in the most admirable and excellent Manner: And it were highly injurious to the Glory of him whofe Understanding is infinite, and to the Dignity and Honour of the Bible, to fuppofe that any Words of ours can be fitter,or in a better Manner expreffive of Gofpel-truths. But then it is affirmed without Proof, that in Order to the Perfection of any Part of the Bible, the Doctrine contained in it fhould be reprefented in the moft clear and plain Manner, that could be thought of: For how valuable foever aQuality this might be thought, if taken feparately, yet if we confider any Text in all its Circumftances, and with a Relation to the other Parts of the Bible, and the complex Defign of divine Revelation; perhaps a greater Degree of Perfpicuity would diminish its Luftre, and leffen the Excellency of the whole. God may have wife and good Purposes to accomplish by the Scripture,which will make it neceffary that all the Parts of it be not equally clear, nor the Phrafes fo perfpicuous as they might have been. And that this hath obtained in Fact is very evident. Can any Body queftion whether thefe Places of the Old Teftament, by which the Immortality of the Soul, the Refurrection of the just, the End and Meaning of the whole ceremonial Law, with many other fundamental Articles of their Faith, which were revealed to the Fervish Church might have been made much clearer, and plainer Expreffions of them found out: They were revealed indeed by their Scriptures, but fo far were thefe Scriptures from being expreffed with the utmoft Perfpicuity, that long after them, Life and Immortality are Jaid to be brought to Light by the Gospel.

Is it not evident,that there are Phrafes which would express thofe Truths with more Clearnefs, than our Saviour's Parables, tho' they were levelled principally at the plaineft Things in Religion, the Practice of it. His Difciples did not understand the Meaning of them till they were explained in more perfpicuous Terms; and yet these Parables, as delivered in the publick Aflemblies, were a Part of the Holy Oracles. Our Saviour himself gives us this Reason of his Conduct, Mark 4. II. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to

know