nounces on all, who difbelieve them. Now the Doctrines are undeniably the fame with those, that are contained in the Articles of our Church, in the Beginning of our Litany, in the Conclufions of many of our Collects, in the Nicene Creed, and, as we conceive, in that of the Apostles, in the Doxology, in the Form of Baptifm, in numerous Paffages of both Teftaments: only here they are somewhat more distinctly set forth, to prevent Equivocations. Any one, who examines into the Matter, will eafily fee it to be fo. Accordingly our Diffenting Brethren, after they had long objected to other Parts of our Liturgy, confented readily to fubfcribe this Creed: the Articles of which are the common Faith of the Catholic Church, or by immediate Confequence deducible from it; and little or nothing more. There are indeed several Things in them, beyond our Comprehenfion, as to the Manner: but the Scripture hath the fame. There are Expreffions, which may feem liable to Exception: but it must be for Want of understanding them, or admitting fair Interpretations of them. The Affertion, that there is one Father, not three Fathers, and so on, may appear to the Ignorant, needlefs and trifling: but was levelled against Herefies, then in Being,

That

which took away all Distinction between the three Perfons. That none is before or after other, means, (as the following Words, but the whole three Perfons are coeternal, prove,) that none is fo in Point of Time, not that none is fo in the Order of our Conceptions: for the Scripture directs us to confider the Father, as first. none is greater or less than another, is reconciled to our Saviour's Affertion, The Father is greater, than I", by what follows in the Creed, Equal as touching his Godhead, inferior as touching his Manhood. That he is one, altogether, not by Confufion of Subftance, but by Unity of Perfon, means, (for fo the next Words explain it,) that as each of Us is one Man, not at all by blending the Soul and Body into one Substance, for they are still diftinct, but altogether, by a myfterious Union of the two: fo he is one Christ, not at all by blending the Divine and Human Nature into one Subftance, but altogether, intirely and folely, by an Union of Them, yet more mysterious than the former is.

The Condemnation, contained in two or three Claufes of this Creed, belongs, (as the most zealous Defenders of our Faith in the holy Trinity agree, and as every one, who reads it conJohn xiv. 28.

fiderately,

fiderately, will foon perceive,) not to all, who cannot understand, or cannot approve, every Expreffion in it; but only to fuch, as deny in general the Trinity in Unity, or three Perfons, who are one God. This alone is faid to be the Catholic Faith. The Words, that follow after, For there is one Perfon of the Father, and so on, are defigned only to fet this forth more particularly. And the Conclufion from the whole is, not that in all Things, which are aforefaid, by the Use of every Term above mentioned, but in all Things, AS IS aforefaid, the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped: meaning, that as at firft it was faid, that in all Acts of Faith we are to believe in each Perfon, fo here it is added, that in all Acts of Worship we are to adore each: never confidering one, even while addressed diftinctly, as feparated or feparable from the other two. Now this Trinity in Unity we apprehend to have been, ever fince it was fully revealed, a fundamental Article of the Chriftian Faith. And yet thofe, who believe not even fo much, the Creed no otherwife teaches cannot be faved, or fall without Doubt perish, than as our Saviour teaches concerning the whole of the Gofpel: He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved: but he, that believeth not, fhall VOL. VI. a

be

be damned. Our Condemnation is no more hard and uncharitable, than His. And neither is fo: because both are to be interpreted with due Exceptions and Abatements. Suppofe a Collection of Chriftian Duties had been drawn up; and it had been faid, in the Beginning or at the End of it, This is the Catholic Practice, which except a Man observe faithfully, he cannot be faved: would not every one understand, that Allowance must be made for fuch Things, as a Man through involuntary Ignorance mistook, or through mere Infirmity failed in, or was truly forry for, as far as he knew he had Cause? Why then are not the fame Allowances to be underftood, in fpeaking of Doctrines? For when the Creed fays, that Whoever will be faved, before all Things it is necessary that he hold the Gatholic Faith; it doth not mean, that true Faith is more neceffary,, than right Practice: but that naturally it precedes it, and is to be first learnt in order to it. The Intention therefore of the Creed, as well as of our Lord in the Gospel, is only to fay, that whoever rejects the Doctrine of it, from prefumptuous Self-Opinion, or wil ful Negligence; and doth not afterwards repent of thefe Faults; particularly, if he is made

Mark xvi. 16.

fenfible

fenfible of them; or if not, at least in general, amongst his unknown Sins; the Cafe of fuch a one is defperate. But if Want of Information, Weakness of Apprehenfion, or even excufable Wrongness of Difpofition, should make him doubt or difbelieve any or the main Part of this Creed; nay, which is vaftly a worfe Cafe, the whole Revelation of Christianity: though we pafs Judgement on his Errors without Referve; and, in general, on all who maintain them; yet perfonally and fingly we prefume not to judge of his Condition in the next World. To bis own Mafter he ftandeth or falleth. Much lefs would we think unfavourably of any one, who takes these condemning Claufes in too rigorous. a Sense, and therefore only is afraid, from a Spirit of Charity and Humility, to join in them. Indeed, for the Sake of fuch, it may feem Pity, but either they had been originally omitted; (fince though defenfible, they are not neceffary to be inferted in a Profeffion of Faith;) or the Limitations, with which they are to be underfood, had been fignified in two or three comprehenfive Words.

After our Creed, we go on to our Petitions. In thefe, the Minifter and People firft recom