because this fixed the time, and carried in it an appeal to records and evidences, that might then have been fearched for. But if this religion went at first far to the eastward, beyond all commerce with the Romans, there is not that reason to think that this fhould have been a part of the fhorteft form of this doctrine; it being enough that it was related in the Gofpel. Thefe forms of the several Churches were preferved with that facred refpect that was due to them: this was esteemed the depofitum or truft of a Church, which was chiefly committed to the keeping of the bishop. In the first ages, in which the bishops or clergy of the feveral Churches could not meet together in fynods to examine the doctrine of every new bishop, the method, upon which the circumftances of those ages put them, was this: the new bishop fent round him, and chiefly to the bishops of the more eminent fees, the profeffion of his faith, according to the form that was fixed in his Church: and when the neighbouring bifhops were fatiffied in this, they held communion with him, and not only owned him for a bishop, but maintained fuch a commerce with him, as the ftate of that time did admit of.

But as fome herefies fprung up, there were enlargements made in feveral Churches, for the condemning thofe, and for excluding fuch as held them, from their communion. The Council of Nice examined many of thofe Creeds, and out of them they put their Creed in a fuller form. The addition made by the Council of Conftantinople was put into the Creeds of fome particular Churches, feveral years before that Council met. So that though it received its authority from that Council, yet they rather confirmed an Article which they found in the Creeds of fome Churches, than made a new one. It had been an invaluable bleffing, if the Chriftian religion had been kept in its firft fimplicity. The Council of Ephefus took care that the Creed, by which men profess their Chriftianity, fhould receive no new additions, but be fixed according to the Conftantinopolitan ftandard; yet they made decrees in points of faith, and the following Councils went on in their steps, adding ftill new decrees, with anathematisms against the contrary doctrines; and declaring the affertors of them to be under an anathema, that is, under a very heavy curfe of being totally excluded from their communion, and even from the communion of Jefus Chrift. And whereas the new bishops had formerly only declared their faith, they were then required, befides that, to declare, that they received fuch councils, and rejected fuch doctrines, together with fuch as favoured

32

voured them; who were fometimes mentioned by name. This increased daily. We have a full account of the fpecial declaration that a bishop was obliged to make, in the firft Canon of that which paffed for the fourth Council of Carthage. But while, by reason of new emergencies, this was fwelling to a vaft bulk, general and more implicit formularies came to be ufed, the bishops declaring that they received and would obferve all the decrees and traditions of holy Councils and Fathers. And the papacy coming afterwards to carry every thing before it, a formal oath, that had many loose and indefinite words in it, which were very large and comprehenfive, was added to all the declarations that had been formerly established. The enlargements of Creeds were at firft occafioned by the prevarications of heretics; who having put fenfes favouring their opinions, to the fimpler terms in which the first Creeds were propofed, therefore it was thought neceffary to add more exprefs words. And this was abfolutely neceffary as to fome points; for it being neceffary to fhew that the Chriftian religion did not bring in that idolatry which it condemned in heathens, it was also neceffary to ftate this matter fo, that it fhould appear that they worshipped no creature; but that the perfon to whom all agreed to pay divine adoration was truly God: and it being found that an equivocation was used in all other words except that of the fame fubftance, they judged it neceffary to fix on it, befides fome other words that they at firit brought in, but which were afterwards corrupted by the gloffes that were put on them. At all times it is very neceffary to free the Chriftian religion from the imputations of idolatry; but this was never fo neceffary, as when Chriftianity was engaged in fuch a ftruggle with Paganism: and fince the main article then in difpute with the heathens was idolatry, and the lawfulness of worthipping any befides the great and eternal God, it was of the laft importance to the Chriftian caufe, to take care that the heathens might have no reason to believe that they worshipped a creature. There was therefore just reafon given to fecure this main point, and to put an end to equivocation, by eftablishing a term, which by the confeffion of all parties did not admit of any. It had been a great bleffing to the Church, if a stop had been put here; and that thofe nice defcantings, that were afterwards fo much purfued, had been more effectually discouraged than they were. But men ever were and ever will be men. Factions were formed, and interefts were fet up. Heretics had fhewed fo much diffimulation

when

when they were low, and fo much cruelty when they prevailed, that it was thought neceffary to fecure the Church from the disturbances that they might give them and thus it grew to be a rule to enlarge the doctrines and decifions of the Church. So that in ftating the doctrines of this Church fo copiously, our reformers followed a method that had been used in a course of many ages.

There were, befides this common practice, two particular circumftances in that time, that made this feem to be the more neceffary. One was, that at the breaking out of that light, there fprang up with it many impious and extravagant fects, which broke out into moft violent exceffes. This was no extraordinary thing, for we find the like happened upon the firft fpreading of the Gospel; many deteftable fects grew up with it, which tended not a little to the defaming of Chriftianity, and the obftructing its progrefs. I fhall not examine what influence evil fpirits might have both in the one and the other: but one vifible occafion of it was, that by the firft preaching of the Gospel, as alfo upon the opening the Reformation, an enquiry into the matters of religion being then the fubject of men's ftudies and difcourfes, many men of warm and ill-governed imaginations, prefuming on their own talents, and being defirous to fignalize themselves, and to have a name in the world, went beyond their depth in ftudy, without the neceffary degrees of knowledge, and the yet more neceffary difpofitions of mind for arriving at a right understanding of divine matters. This happening foon after the Reformation was firft fet on foot, thofe whofe corruptions were ftruck at by it, and who both hated and perfecuted it on that account, did not fail to lay hold of and to improve the advantage which these fects gave them. They faid, that the fectaries had only spoke out what the reft thought; and at laft they held to this, that all fects were the natural confequences of the Reformation, and of fhaking off the doctrine of the infallibility of the Church. To top thofe calumnies, the Proteftants in Germany prepared that Confeffion of their Faith which they offered to the diet at Augsburgh, and which carries its name. And, after their example, all the other Churches, which feparated from the Roman communion, published the Confeffions of their Faith, both to declare their doctrine for the inftruction of their own members, and for covering them from the flanders of their adverfaries.

Another reason that the first reformers had for their defcending into so many particulars, and for all these nega

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tives

THE INTRODUCTION.

tives that are in their Confeffions, was this: they had fmarted long under the tyranny of popery, and fo they had reason to secure themselves from it, and from all thofe who were leavened with it. They here in England had feen how many had complied with every alteration both in King Henry and King Edward's reign, who not only declared themfelves to have been all the while papifts, but became bloody perfecutors in Queen Mary's reign: therefore it was neceffary to keep all fuch out of their body, that they might not fecretly undermine and betray it. Now fince the Church of Rome owns all that is pofitive in our doctrine, there could be no difcrimination made, but by condemning the most important of those additions, that they have brought into the Chriftian religion, in exprefs words: and though in matters of fact, or in theories of nature, it is not safe to affirm a negative, because it is feldom poffible to prove it; yet the fundamental article, upon which the whole Reformation and this our Church depends, is this, that the whole doctrines of the Christian religion are contained in the Scripture, and that therefore we are to admit no article as a part of it till it is proved from Scripture. This being laid down, and well made out, it is not at all unreasonable to affirm a negative upon an examination of all thofe places of Scripture that are brought for any doctrine, and that feem to favour it, if they are found not at all to fupport it, but to bear a different, and fometimes a contrary fenfe, to that which is offered to be proved by them. So there is no weight in this cavil, which looks plaufible to fuch as cannot diftinguish common matters from points of faith. This may ferve in general to justify the largenefs and the particularities of this Confeffion of our Faith. There were fome fteps made to it in King Henry's time, in a large book that was then published under the title of The Neceffary Erudition, that was a treatise fet forth to inftruct the nation. Many of the errors of popery were laid open and condemned in it: but none were obliged to affent to it, or to fubfcribe it. After that, the worthip was reformed, as being that which preffed moft; and in that a foundation was laid for the Articles that came quickly after it. How or by whom they were prepared, we do not certainly know; by the remains of that time it appears, that in the alterations that were made, there was great precaution ufed, fuch as matters of that nature required, queftions were framed relating to them, thefe were given about to many bifhops and divines, who gave in their feveral answers, that were collated and examined very ma

turely,

turely, all fides had a free and fair hearing before conclufions were made.

In the fermentation that was working over the whole nation at that time, it was not poffible that a thing of that nature could have paffed by the methods that are more neceffary in regular times: and therefore they could not be offered at firit to fynods or convocations. The corruptions complained of were fo beneficial to the whole body of the clergy, that it is juftly to be wondered at, that fo great a number was prevailed with, to concur in reforming them but without a miracle they could not have been agreed to by the major part. They were prepared, as is molt probable, by Cranmer and Ridley, and published by the regal authority. Not as if our kings had pretended to an authority to judge in points of faith, or to decide controverfies: but as every private man must choose for himself, and believe according to the convictions of his reafon and confcience (which is to be examined and proved in its proper place); fo every prince or legislative power must give the public fanction and authority according to his own perfuafion; this makes indeed fuch a fanction to become a law, but does not alter the nature of things, nor oblige the confciences of the fubjects, unless they come under the fame perfuafions. Such laws have indeed the operation of all other laws; but the doctrines authorized by them have no more truth than they had before, without any fuch publication. Thus the part that our princes bad in the Reformation was only this, that they being fatisfied with the grounds on which it went, received it themselves, and enacted it for their people. And this is fo plain and just a confequence of that liberty which every man has of believing and acting according to his own convictions, that when this is well made out, there can be no colour to queftion the other. It was alfo remarkable, that the law, which stood firft in Juftinian's Code, was an edict of Theodofius's; who, finding the Roman empire under great distractions, by the diverfity of opinions in matter of religion, did appoint that doctrine to be held which was received by Damalus bishop of Rome, and Peter bishop of Alexandria; fuch an edict as that being put in fo confpicuous a part of the law, was a full and foon obferved precedent for our princes to act according to it.

The next thing to be examined is the ufe of the Articles, and the importance of the fubfcriptions of the clergy to them. Some have thought that they are only Articles of Union and Peace; that they are a ftandard of doctrine not to be contradicted, or difputed; that the fons of the

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Church