<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-12-11</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Kate Allen</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist: x *Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x*Review over structure: FRONT,BODY, BACK, DIV or rarely GROUP x*Add DIV TYPEs, make sure that @types makes sense as a navigational aide, and work in the context of the whole text, validate x*Survey book for troublesome formats of all kinds, including lists, illustrations, tables, music, math, end-notes, quasi-tabular arrangments, and marginalia. x*Proof title page(s) x*Examine marginalia. Is it all best tagged as NOTE? x*Observe divtop and divbottom material marking beginnings and ends of divisions, check that they are correctly tagged as HEAD, HEADNOTE, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, DATELINE, BYLINE, TRAILER, etc. x*Check for GAPs
*Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x*Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c., -- x*Check for illustrations and correct usage of FIGURE. Add FIGDESCs if necessary. x*Check q, startq, endq, Q x*Correct excusable and inexcusable errors x*If appropriate, check for yoghs. x*If appropriate, check for Latin problems, e.g. oe and ae digraphs x*If appropriate, check for abbreviation and brevigraph problems. x*If appropriate, check for units of measure, symbols (alchemical, astronomical, etc.) and the like. x*Correct illegibles from proofsheet x*Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
*Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B21327">
<STC T="W">D2051</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocm]10264805</BIBNO>
<VID>204610</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>A SERMON Preached at the Anniver&s;ary Meeting OF THE <HI>Sons of Clergy-men,</HI> In the Church of S. <HI>Mary le Bow,</HI> On Thur&s;day, <HI>Decemb.</HI> 2. 1686.</P>
<P>Printed at the De&s;ire of the Right Wor&s;hipful The Stewards of the Fea&s;t, To whom it is Humbly Pre&s;ented.</P>
<P>By <HI>HENRY DOVE,</HI> D. D. One of his Maje&s;ties Chaplains in Ordinary.</P>
<P><LICENSE LANG="lat">
<P>Imprimatur,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>Dec.</HI> 13. 1686.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Jo. Battely.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LICENSE></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>Benj. Tooke,</HI> at the Ship in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1687.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="2">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL><PB N="1" REF="2">Gen. Ep. of St. <HI>Jude,</HI> v. 3.</BIBL>
<Q>&mdash;That ye &s;hould earne&s;tly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>IF it was needful for the Apo&s;tles to write unto the Churches, and to exhort them to &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s and per&s;everance in the Faith, while the Go&s;pel was yet fre&s;h in their memories; it is certainly more nece&s;&s;ary for us who live at this di&s;tance, if we expect the &s;ame <HI>common Salvation,</HI> to be in|&s;tant, and to urge the like Exhortations, by how much the rea&s;on of their diligence and zeal is far more prevalent in our times.</P>
<P>For unle&s;s the Complaints of all &s;ober men be groundle&s;s, unle&s;s the publick Voice, and our own Experience deceive us, the &s;undry Prophecies of the la&s;t days are fulfilled in ours; and the Mi&s;chiefs that did but creep in the be|ginning of Chri&s;tianity, gather &s;trength and multiply among us, upon whom the Ends of the World are come. Should I read unto you this whole Epi&s;tle of St. <HI>Jude,</HI> or the greate&s;t part of the &s;econd of St. <HI>Peter,</HI> which in mo&s;t
<PB N="2" REF="3"> things agrees with this, your own Ob&s;ervation would pre&s;ently &s;uit each Character; you would point out the Per&s;ons to whom they be|longed, and think it not improbable, that when the Spirit of God did in&s;pire the&s;e holy men, he might do it with an eye to the pre&s;ent Age.</P>
<P>But being I come not hither to cen&s;ure o|thers, but to confirm our &s;elves in the true Faith, and being Errour falls and di&s;appears of it &s;elf, when the Truth is &s;et in a clear light, I &s;hall wave tho&s;e black de&s;criptions both of the Per&s;ons and their Doctrines, which the A|po&s;tle has here expo&s;ed before us, and &s;hall onely u&s;e them as &s;o many Arguments of our care and caution, that if we meet with the men, (as 'tis hard to avoid them) we may not|with&s;tanding &s;hun their Errours; that while we complain of Divi&s;ions on one hand, and Corruptions on another, of Ignorance in &s;ome, Irreligion in others, and Carele&s;ne&s;s in mo&s;t, we may be &s;ure not to contribute to the in|crea&s;e of either; but that we labour for know|ledge and a good Con&s;cience, the lo&s;s of which is enough of it &s;elf to endanger our Faith, though there were none without us to oppo&s;e it; and then that we &s;tudy to be quiet, and as much as lieth in us, and if it be po&s;&s;ible, fol|low
<PB N="3" REF="3"> peace with all men: for the&s;e (we know) are infallible Evidences of a Go&s;pel-temper, and in&s;eparable Concomitants of a meek and &s;incere Chri&s;tian.</P>
<P>Or if it be not po&s;&s;ible for us to compa&s;s peace with all, &s;eeing all men have not Faith, all men are not &s;incere, let not that di&s;cou|rage, but rather whet our diligence in doing our own undoubted duty: Though it exceed our power and skill to make all men of one mind, and we cannot of our &s;elves attain unto it, yet &s;ince we are &s;ure of the mind of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, let us always remember what he revealed, and what they preached, believing the Truth as it is in Je&s;us, continuing in the Truth as 'tis after Godline&s;s, living peaceably, charitably, and unblameably our &s;elves, and praying continually both for our &s;elves and o|thers, and thus <HI>earne&s;tly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints.</HI></P>
<P>The words are a plain, but pathetical Ex|hortation to an indi&s;pen&s;ible and weighty Du|ty, incumbent on every man that hath given up his Name to Chri&s;t, that profe&s;&s;es the true Apo&s;tolick Faith, and hopes to be &s;aved in that Profe&s;&s;ion. And &s;urely (my Brethren) if this be required of every Chri&s;tian, it will highly become us that are here a&s;&s;embled, when we
<PB N="4" REF="4"> reflect on the relation wherein we &s;tand, not meerly as Profe&s;&s;ours, but &s;ome as <HI>Fathers,</HI> many as <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ers,</HI> and all as <HI>Sons</HI> in the com|mon Faith, to be very earne&s;t and zealous for it; that &s;o we may at once credit our Extra|ction, and adorn the Go&s;pel of God our Sa|viour; that we may walk worthy of that good Providence which attended us in our Birth, and ble&s;&s;ed us in our Bapti&s;m, and manife&s;t the ef|ficacy of that primitive and &s;ound Doctrine which both our <HI>Fathers</HI> and our <HI>Church</HI> have taught us.</P>
<P>That therefore I may recommend the Duty to your practice, I &s;hall ob&s;erve what is pro|per for our in&s;truction in the words, and handle them in a method that may fairly conduce to each: In order to which, I &s;hall endeavour,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>I. To explain the meaning of this word <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Faith.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>II. To con&s;ider the manner of its convey|ance, and the Per&s;ons that received it, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>delivered to the Saints.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>III. To ob&s;erve the empha&s;is or force of the particle <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The Faith was delivered to the Saints, and that but once.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>IV. To conclude all with the earne&s;t Ex|hortation of St. <HI>Jude,</HI> that upon the&s;e
<PB N="5" REF="4"> and &s;ome other motives I &s;hall offer, we may be effectually per&s;waded, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to contend earne&s;tly for it; i. e.</HI> to de|fend it with our utmo&s;t vigour, to &s;trive together that we lo&s;e it not; not with the fury of a blind mi&s;guided Zeal, which produceth Confu&s;ion and every evil Work; but with the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a &s;ound mind, and with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom, as becometh Saints.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1">I. I need not &s;tay to tell you, that this word <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Faith,</HI> hath as many, and perhaps more &s;ignifications than any &s;ingle word in the whole Scriptures, which are obvious and ea&s;ie to every careful Reader: I &s;hall onely explain the &s;ence of it in this place, as 'tis drawn from the na|ture of Faith. Divine Faith in general is no|thing el&s;e but an a&s;&s;ent to the Truths of God, upon his own Word and Te&s;timony; let it appear that God hath declared it, and there needs no other ground of our Belief: And the Faith of a Chri&s;tian is an a&s;&s;ent to the &s;ame truths, and upon the &s;ame grounds; but as the Church of Chri&s;t now &s;tands, and mu&s;t conti|nue to the end of the World, it admits of this addition, as they are delivered unto us in the Writings of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets. In
<PB N="6" REF="5"> which you may ea&s;ily di&s;tingui&s;h two things; the a&s;&s;ent of the Under&s;tanding, and &s;omething credible; the act of Believing, and the object of Faith. Now although the Faith in the Text doth not exclude, but rather &s;uppo&s;e the for|mer, for how &s;hould we contend for that which we do not believe? yet it principally denotes the latter, <HI>i. e.</HI> the word of Faith, the Doctrine that brings Salvation, the undoubted Principles of our holy Religion, contained at large in the Go&s;pel, and &s;um'd up in the Apo&s;tolical and Primitive Confe&s;&s;ions. And this is evident, 1. from the following word in the Text, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the Faith <HI>delivered;</HI> for as for the Act or Habit of Faith, it is either produced by the or|dinary means of hearing, or el&s;e &s;upernatural|ly infus'd by the Spirit of God: but that which is properly delivered, is the Doctrine it &s;elf, either by word of mouth or by writing. And 2. from many parallel places of Scripture, as <HI>Acts</HI> 13. 8. <Q REND="margQuotes">Where <HI>Elymas</HI> the Sorcerer &s;ought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith, who is afterwards &s;aid, <HI>v.</HI> 12. to be a|&s;toni&s;hed at the Doctrine of the Lord: </Q> and <HI>Acts</HI> 14. 22. <Q REND="margQuotes">When St. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> had preached the Go&s;pel to &s;everal Cities, they confirmed the Souls of the Di&s;ciples, and ex|horted them to continue in the Faith: </Q>nay,
<PB N="7" REF="5"> St. <HI>Paul</HI> tells us of him&s;elf, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 23. <Q REND="margQuotes">That he preached the Faith which once he de&s;troyed; and prophe&s;ies al&s;o of others, That in the lat|ter times &s;ome &s;hall depart from the Faith,</Q> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1. By all which, we are to under&s;tand <HI>the Doctrine of Faith;</HI> that Faith which God revealed by his Son, which Chri&s;t made known to his Apo&s;tles, and the Apo&s;tles preached to the World; at the promulgation of which, the Angels rejoyced, and the Devils trembled, to &s;ee Man &s;o wonderfully redeemed, and them&s;elves irrecoverably left in everla&s;ting chains; which was propagated by Signes and Wonders, and &s;o demon&s;trated by Miracles, that men were ea&s;ily induced to believe the Word of God in their mouths, while they &s;aw the Power of God in every Apo&s;tles hand; by the energy of which the Cripples were cured, the Dead were rai&s;ed, and &s;ome at fir&s;t were deprived of life: That Faith which all the Prophets foretold, which the Evangeli&s;ts pen'd, and the Church receiv'd: That Faith which in one day by the fir&s;t <HI>Penteco&s;t</HI>-Sermon, conver|ted <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 41&punc;</NOTE> about 3000 Souls, and hath crowned ma|ny Millions in &s;ucceeding Ages, with eternal Glory: In a word, That Faith which hath &s;a|ved all the Saints that are already in Heaven, and mu&s;t bring all the re&s;t that are ordained
<PB N="8" REF="6"> to come thither. Which leads me in the next place,</P>
<P N="2">II. To con&s;ider <HI>the manner of its conveyance,</HI> and <HI>the per&s;ons that received it, The Faith deli|vered to the Saints:</HI> I put the&s;e two together, becau&s;e they will help to explain each other. And here if we would take in the whole we contend for, we mu&s;t go back to the beginning, not onely to <HI>the Book of the Generation of Je|&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> but even to the <HI>Epoche of time it &s;elf,</HI> and may trace it down briefly in this &s;uc|ceeding cour&s;e: When God had created man for his own &s;ervice, that is, his glory, he was plea&s;ed to reveal his will to him, becau&s;e what was hid from him could never be the in&s;tance of his duty; and hence to the Law of Nature which he printed on his mind, he added a po|&s;itive command to try the integrity of his obe|dience: and this was the fir&s;t Revelation made to <HI>Adam</HI> in innocence, whereby he was enjoin'd to believe and to obey his Maker. But alas! we all know what <HI>Adam</HI> did, and feel the &s;ad ef|ects of his tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion unto this day: <Q REND="margQuotes">where|fore in the &s;ucceeding Ages he &s;pake unto the Fathers at &s;undry times, and in divers manners,</Q> <HI>Heb.</HI> 1. &s;ometimes by an audible Voice, and &s;ometimes by &s;ecret Illap&s;es, by Dreams and by Vi&s;ions, by the Mini&s;try of Men, and by the
<PB N="9" REF="6"> Me&s;&s;age of Angels: And when the fulne&s;s of time was come, he &s;pake unto us once for all, <HI>by his onely begotten Son;</HI> who being from all eternity in the bo&s;om of the Father, was a|ble to know; and undertaking this errand of his infinite compa&s;&s;ion, and his own accord, was willing to impart whatever was nece&s;&s;ary for us to receive: In order to which, he took our Nature upon him, conver&s;ed among us, unfol|ding the My&s;tery which was before kept &s;ecret, and &s;o became <HI>the Author of this Faith.</HI> And as his Mercy was great in his Advent, &s;o he &s;hew'd his Wi&s;dom in the choice of the Per&s;ons to whom he delivered this Will; for he did not propound it at all adventures, and expo&s;e it to the uncertain Multitude, or commit it to the hands of the prejudiced Rabbies, not unto the Rich and Noble, or the Wi&s;e and Learn|ed of the Age; but unto a &s;elected company of illiterate <HI>Galileans,</HI> twelve men of mean qua|lity, and from an ob&s;cure corner, without the advantages of Birth or Breeding, that by the weakne&s;s of the In&s;truments, and the impro|bability of the means, the Power of God might appear &s;tronger. The&s;e were they, de&s;pi&s;ed indeed by men, but highly favoured of God, and cho&s;en by Chri&s;t to be Witne&s;&s;es of all that he began both to do, and teach, and &s;uf|fer:
<PB N="10" REF="7"> Who being always <HI>&agrave; latere</HI> to their Lord and Ma&s;ter, and enjoying the acce&s;s of Favou|rites, and the freedom of Friends, had the e|vidence of their outward Sen&s;es to confirm the inward per&s;wa&s;ion of their Minds, whereby they were as infallibly a&s;&s;ured that he knew all things, and that he came forth from God, as that they heard him &s;peak, or &s;aw him work a Miracle: And thus St. <HI>John</HI> the familiar Di&s;ci|ple te&s;tifieth of him&s;elf and the re&s;t of the A|po&s;tles, 1 <HI>Ep.</HI> 1. 1. <Q REND="margQuotes">That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have &s;een with our eyes, which we have look|ed upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; that which we have &s;een and heard declare we unto you.</Q></P>
<P>And as they were Witne&s;&s;es of all his Di|vine Speeches, and mighty Works, and bitter. Sufferings, and above all, of his glorious Re|&s;urrection <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 1. 22.</NOTE> from the dead, even of all that had pa&s;&s;ed from the Bapti&s;m of <HI>John,</HI> until the day of his A&s;&s;umption; &s;o after his A&s;cen&s;ion, he confirmed their Minds, and increa&s;ed their Faith, and emboldened their Faces, by the punctual performance of the Promi&s;e he made them on Earth in &s;ending the Spirit from Hea|ven: That good Spirit that enlightened their Under&s;tandings, furni&s;hed their Memories, and
<PB N="11" REF="7"> guided them into all Truth; that in&s;pired them with the gift of Tongues and of Prophe|cy, endued them with a power of working Miracles al&s;o, in &s;ome re&s;pects greater than tho&s;e he had wrought him&s;elf, and brought all things fre&s;h to their remembrance what&s;oever they had &s;een or heard before, or were now to publi&s;h. By which they were fully in&s;tru|cted and animated, and perfectly enabled to di&s;charge their tru&s;t, maugre all the oppo&s;ition that malice, or rage, or wit, or power could make again&s;t them; for by one &s;hort Sermon (as I &s;aid) which you read in the &s;econd of the <HI>Acts,</HI> they augmented the former number of 120 with the addition of about 3000 Souls, and by the next, (recorded in the third) of <Q REND="margQuotes">near 5000 more: &s;o mightily grew the Word <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 4. 4.</NOTE> of God, and prevailed, and Believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, </Q><HI>Act.</HI> 5. 14.</P>
<P>The&s;e were the Per&s;ons to whom the Faith was at fir&s;t delivered, and the&s;e the means of its fir&s;t conveyance: That which Chri&s;t recei|ved of his Father, he delivered unto the Apo|&s;tles; that which the Apo&s;tles received of Chri&s;t, they delivered to the Saints, who were called &s;o to be, being converted by their prea|ching: And thus the Faith was planted, and
<PB N="12" REF="8"> the Church of Chri&s;t was founded. That Primitive, Holy, and Uniform Church which began at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and was the Mother of all true Churches in after Ages; which con&s;i&s;ted of a company of faithful, and obedient, and devout People, profe&s;&s;ing the &s;ame Doctrine, communicating in the &s;ame Sacraments, and pre&s;enting the &s;ame Prayers: As ye find them de&s;crib'd, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 41, 42. <Q REND="margQuotes">Then they that glad|ly received his word, were baptized, and the &s;ame day there were added unto them about 3000 Souls; and they continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles Doctrine and Fellow&s;hip, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers.</Q> I be|&s;eech you, con&s;ult the place, and ponder the words well, becau&s;e they contain all the ne|ce&s;&s;ary Notes, and e&s;&s;ential Ingredients of a true Church: They were <HI>all baptized,</HI> there's the entrance by Bapti&s;m; they &s;tedfa&s;tly retained the <HI>Apo&s;tles Doctrine,</HI> there's the unity of the Faith; they continued in the <HI>Apo&s;tles Fellow|&s;hip,</HI> there's their union and adherence to their Governours; they received the ble&s;&s;ed Eu|chari&s;t, expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>breaking of bread,</HI> and con|&s;ented in the u&s;e of the common <HI>Prayers,</HI> there's the Uniformity of their Wor&s;hip. The&s;e were the Saints of the fir&s;t Church, built upon the Faith which the Apo&s;tles then prea|ched,
<PB N="13" REF="8"> made capable of a continual increa&s;e, and an uninterrupted &s;ucce&s;&s;ion: <Q REND="margQuotes">for the Lord added daily then &s;uch as &s;hould be &s;aved,</Q> and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 47.</NOTE> hath ever &s;ince added more, and will &s;till per|&s;evere to adde, even unto the end of the World, till he &s;hall have compleated the num|ber of his Elect, <Q REND="margQuotes">and pre&s;ented unto him&s;elf a glorious Church, without &s;pot or wrinkle, in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 5. 27.</NOTE> Heaven.</Q> So much for <HI>the manner of its fir&s;t con|veyance,</HI>and <HI>the Per&s;ons that fir&s;t received it.</HI></P>
<P>But here ari&s;eth a material que&s;tion that concerns all the &s;ucceeding Ages, and is of great moment to us now living; for that the Faith was at fir&s;t revealed by Chri&s;t, and publi&s;hed by his Apo&s;tles, is confe&s;&s;ed by all Chri&s;tians, however they be otherwi&s;e divided in their o|pinions or judgments: but where this Faith is now to be found, and how it is derived down|wards unto us, who live at the di&s;tance of 1600 years and upwards, is a controver&s;ie that at this very hour di&s;turbs Chri&s;tendom.</P>
<P>That 'tis pre&s;erved in the Scriptures as a perfect Rule of Gods revealed Will, is the Do|ctrine of ours, and all reformed Churches: That the Scriptures are not a &s;ufficient Rule of Faith, but want a &s;upply from Tradition, is the known Doctrine of the Church of <HI>Rome.</HI> By the meer mention of which, you cannot
<PB N="14" REF="9"> but &s;ee the nece&s;&s;ity of a Re&s;olution, for &s;et|ling our Judgments, for guiding our Con&s;ci|ences, and building us up in our mo&s;t holy Faith: In order to which, I crave leave to pre|mi&s;e &s;ome few preliminaries, that may at once give us light, and prevent cavils in this En|quiry.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is confe&s;&s;ed, that as our Saviour writ <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15.</NOTE> nothing him&s;elf, &s;o the commi&s;&s;ion he gave his Apo&s;tles was not to write, but to teach and preach.</P>
<P N="2">2. But then it is no le&s;s certain, that the A|po&s;tles taught the Churches by writing, as well <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s;. 2. 2. &amp; 5. 1 Cor. 11. 2.</NOTE> as by preaching; and that the Faith was pro|pagated by both, by preaching to the Saints pre&s;ent, by writing to tho&s;e ab&s;ent.</P>
<P N="3">3. Whatever the Apo&s;tles delivered by word of mouth, or committed to writing, is of equal authority, becau&s;e in both they were in&s;pired by the Holy Gho&s;t: If therefore it appear, that what is delivered, be the Word and Will of God, whether it be written or unwritten, 'tis &s;ufficient ground of a Chri&s;tians Faith.</P>
<P N="4">4. But then fourthly, &s;ince it is impo&s;&s;ible to make it appear, that after the Scriptures were written, and the Canon was compleat, there remained &s;ome Articles of Faith pre&s;er|ved
<PB N="15" REF="9"> onely by Tradition, and not delivered in the Scriptures, it will naturally follow, that the written Word of God is a &s;ufficient Rule of divine Faith.</P>
<P>I confe&s;s at the fir&s;t, when Chri&s;tianity was confin'd to a narrow compa&s;s, and the number of Believers was but &s;mall, their zeal and con|cern for the Faith was &s;uch, that there was no danger of letting any thing &s;lip which they had received as a nece&s;&s;ary Doctrine; and then <HI>O|ral Tradition</HI> was a proper conveyance of the divine Will, e&s;pecially con&s;idering that then the gifts of the Spirit were plentifully &s;hed, not onely on the Apo&s;tles, but on every true Be|liever al&s;o: But when the Word of God grew and multiplied, and the Religion of Je&s;us gain|ed ground in the World, when it &s;pread it &s;elf far and near, and pa&s;&s;ed through many hands into divers remote Countries, the &s;ame Spirit that moved the Apo&s;tles to teach and preach, moved &s;ome of them to write what they had preached, and other holy men to write what they had &s;een and heard, le&s;t in proce&s;s of time their Doctrine might be forgotten by the carele&s;ne&s;s of luke-warm Profe&s;&s;ours, or cor|rupted by the contrivance of crafty Hereticks, or de&s;troyed by the malice of the Devil.</P>
<P>And truly, though the Writings of any one
<PB N="16" REF="10"> Apo&s;tle appointed for this purpo&s;e had been &s;ufficient to pre&s;erve the Faith entire, parti|cularly had we onely the Go&s;pel of St. <HI>John,</HI> affirming of him&s;elf, that though he had omit|ted many things that Je&s;us did, yet he had written all things nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation, <HI>Joh.</HI> 20. 30, 31. <Q REND="margQuotes">And many other &s;ignes tru|ly did Je&s;us in the pre&s;ence of his Di&s;ciples, which are not written in this Book: </Q><HI>But the&s;e are written,</HI> why? <HI>that ye might believe;</HI> written that ye might believe what? <HI>that Je|&s;us is the Chri&s;t, the Son of God;</HI> and what of that? <HI>and that believing,</HI> (this, as the great foundation of all the re&s;t, which the belief of this is apt to produce in your hearts and lives) <HI>ye might have life through his Name.</HI> I &s;ay, though the Te&s;timony of one in this manner had been &s;ufficient, yet &s;uch is the Providence of God, and his abundant care of his Church, which mu&s;t continue to the end of the World, that he ratifies his Will by a joynt te&s;timony, and con&s;ignes the Rule of our Faith by the hands of &s;everal Witne&s;&s;es, differing perhaps in &s;tile and method, and other circum&s;tances, but a|greeing in the &s;ub&s;tance of all things nece&s;&s;a|ry, as the water is the &s;ame, though it be con|veyed through &s;undry pipes and channels.</P>
<P>From what hath been premi&s;ed, we may
<PB N="17" REF="10"> thus argue: If to pre&s;erve a thing from obli|vion or corruption, be the main end of wri|ting it, then all that is nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation was al&s;o written, becau&s;e 'tis mo&s;t requi&s;ite to pre&s;erve what is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary. Or if you plea&s;e, thus: If it was nece&s;&s;ary for the Apo|&s;tles to write at all, le&s;t what they had deli|vered might be lo&s;t, it was requi&s;ite they &s;hould write all that was nece&s;&s;ary, le&s;t the de|&s;igne of the whole might be fru&s;trated. For when God of his infinite goodne&s;s had reveal|ed his Will for the &s;alvation of man, and in his own due time in&s;pired tho&s;e holy men that writ it, had they with-held or &s;uppre&s;&s;ed any part of it, the drift of the whole had been rendered ineffectual, our Faith had been lame, and the means of our &s;alvation imperfect: Which can never con&s;i&s;t with the integrity of &s;uch as are &s;uppo&s;ed to write by in&s;piration, nor with the goodne&s;s of God that in&s;pired them in order to the &s;alvation of mankind.</P>
<P>But if this general Argument be le&s;s per&s;wa|&s;ive, give me leave to enforce it with a mat|ter of fact, which admits of no exception. And here, for the Authority of the Old Te&s;ta|ment, we have the references and quotations of our Saviour and his Apo&s;tles, for the perfection of the New, the concurrent te&s;timony of the
<PB N="18" REF="11"> Antients; and for the &s;ufficiency of both, the con&s;tant appeals of the Church of God.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is manife&s;t, that though our Saviour &s;ometimes proved the truth of his Doctrine by Miracles and mighty Works, yet general|ly he appeal'd to the Scriptures as to the prin|cipal te&s;t of the greate&s;t truths: for thus he confuted the Sadducees in that fundamental Article of the Re&s;urrection, <HI>Mat.</HI> 22. 29. <Q REND="margQuotes">Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures.</Q> To them he referred the Jews when he prov'd him&s;elf the Me&s;&s;ias, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 39. <Q REND="margQuotes">Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have e|ternal life, and they are they that te&s;tifie of me.</Q> By them he confirmed his Di&s;ciples, when he was ri&s;en from the dead: for, <Q REND="margQuotes">be|ginning at <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning him&s;elf, </Q><HI>Luke</HI> 24. 27. And hence St. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;eems to prefer the Pro|phecies of old time, before an immediate <Q REND="margQuotes">voice from Heaven; for though we heard the voice in the holy Mount, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 18. yet he pre|&s;ently adds, we have al&s;o a more &s;ure word of Prophe&s;ie, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that &s;hineth in a dark place.</Q> Thus St. <HI>Paul</HI> commends <HI>Timo|thy,</HI> that from a child he had <Q REND="margQuotes"> known the ho|ly
<PB N="19" REF="11"> Scriptures, which were able to make him wi&s;e unto &s;alvation, through Faith which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, </Q> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 15. And to name no more, <Q REND="margQuotes">The <HI>Beraeans</HI> are &s;aid to be more noble than they of <HI>The&s;&s;alonica,</HI> becau&s;e they &s;earched the Scriptures daily, whether the&s;e things were &s;o, </Q><HI>Acts</HI> 17. 11.</P>
<P>But you'll &s;ay, the te&s;timonies hitherto pro|duced, concern onely the Old Te&s;tament; what's all this to the New, which was not writ|ten while our Saviour was on Earth, but after the de&s;cent of the Holy Gho&s;t, and that at &s;ome di&s;tance of time, and by degrees, as the Spirit moved the Apo&s;tles and other holy men to write? For the perfection therefore and &s;uffi|ciency of the New we have the practice of the Church in the pure&s;t times, and the unanimous con&s;ent of the Fathers who appealed to the Scriptures in all their que&s;tions that concerned Faith or Manners, and confuted all Here&s;ies by them. An Argument, I confe&s;s, from hu|mane te&s;timony, but yet of undoubted autho|rity, &s;uch as no prudent man has rea&s;on to di|&s;tru&s;t, and &s;uch as the matter is capable of. I know they did &s;ometimes alledge Traditions, e&s;pecially when they di&s;puted with tho&s;e that denied the Scriptures; but this does not at all infer the in&s;ufficiency of the Scriptures, becau&s;e
<PB N="20" REF="12"> the Traditions they urged, were of &s;uch things as were &s;et down in the Scriptures. Nay, they did rather hereby confirm their authority, by &s;hewing the great agreement there was be|tween &s;uch as were true Traditions, and the holy Scriptures: For it ought to be remem|bred, that the Fathers were to encounter two &s;ort of Adver&s;aries; &s;ome few that denied the Scriptures, and others that received them: Where the Scriptures were denied, they al|ledg'd onely Traditions; where the Scriptures were allowed, they alledg'd the Scriptures in the fir&s;t place, and Traditions for the true &s;ence and interpretation of the Scriptures. But it does not appear that they ever did al|ledge Traditions for any one Article of Faith which is not plainly expre&s;&s;ed in the Scri|ptures.</P>
<P>I &s;hall not here detain you with a cloud of Quotations which are collected to my hands by a great many learned Pens, but onely with a few that are plain and po&s;itive: for I think I may &s;afely affirm, that if there be one Tradi|tion which runs through the Writings of the Antients as a common Principle, it is this; That the Scriptures contain the perfect Rule of Faith.</P>
<PB N="21" REF="12">
<P><HI>Irenaeus.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">The Scriptures are perfect, for <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lib. 1. cap. 47. Lib. 3. cap. 1.</NOTE> they are the Word of God, and were dicta|ted by the Spirit of God. <HI>Again,</HI> We have known the method of our &s;alvation by no o|ther but tho&s;e that brought us the Go&s;pel, which at fir&s;t indeed they preach'd, but af|terwards by the Will of God they delivered it unto us in the Scriptures, to be the Foun|dation and Pillar of our Faith in time to come.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Clem. Alexandr.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">They that look for the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Strom.</HI> 7. vid.&punc; three pages near the end.</NOTE> truth, mu&s;t non de&s;i&s;t till they have found it in the holy Scriptures: for the Writings of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets are the onely cer|tain principle of the Chri&s;tian Doctrine, the onely <HI>demon&s;tration</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> in matter of Faith.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Origen.</HI><Q REND="margQuotes">For the confirmation of all our <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hom. 25. in&punc; S. Mat.</NOTE> words which we deliver as Doctrine, we mu&s;t produce the &s;ence of the Scriptures: for as no gold was &s;anctified without the Temple, &s;o no Opinion without the Scri|ptures is holy.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Athana&s;ius.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">If ye are the Di&s;ciples of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">De Incarnat Chri&s;ti.</NOTE> Go&s;pel, &s;peak not wickedly again&s;t God, but walk by the Scriptures: for if ye di&s;cour&s;e without them, why do ye contend with us, who dare not &s;peak nor hear what is foreign to them?</Q></P>
<PB N="22" REF="13">
<P><HI>Chry&s;o&s;t.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">If we &s;peak without the warrant <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hom. in P&s;. 95.</NOTE> of Scripture, the thoughts of our hearers are uncertain; now they a&s;&s;ent, anon they doubt, &s;ometimes they reject our di&s;cour&s;e as frivolous, at the be&s;t they receive it onely as probable; but when we produce the te|&s;timony of the voice of God from the Scri|pture, it gives authority to the &s;peech of the Preacher, and confirms the mind of the Hearer.</Q></P>
<P>And to the &s;ame effect &s;peak St. <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> St. <HI>Cyril Hiero&s;. Dama&s;cen, Theophylact, Theoph. Alexandr.</HI> and &s;undry other of the Greeks.</P>
<P>Give me leave to &s;ubjoyn &s;ome few of the Latins, that by two &s;orts of Witne&s;&s;es we may learn the Truth, and &s;ilence Gain-&s;ay|ers.</P>
<P><HI>Tertullian.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">The Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t puts an end <NOTE PLACE="marg">Adv. Hermog. c. 22. De Prae&s;cr. adv. Haeret.</NOTE> to all our curio&s;ity and enquiry; when once we believe that, we expect nothing further: for this we believe fir&s;t, that we are to believe nothing further. <HI>Again,</HI> I adore the fulne&s;s of the Scriptures. Let <HI>Hermogenes</HI> &s;hew that 'tis written; if not, let him expect the woe denounced again&s;t them that add or de|tract any thing.</Q></P>
<P>St. <HI>Cyprian.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">If it be commanded in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ep. 74. ad Pompeium.</NOTE> Go&s;pel, or contained in the Epi&s;tles or Acts
<PB N="23" REF="13"> of the Apo&s;tles, then let us ob&s;erve it as a divine and holy Tradition. And el&s;ewhere having reckoned up the Canonical Books, The&s;e are they (&s;ays he) that make up the Rule from whence we draw all the a&s;&s;ertions of our Faith.</Q></P>
<P><HI>Hieronymus.</HI> <Q REND="margQuotes">The Church of Chri&s;t po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;es <NOTE PLACE="marg">In Mich. c. 1.</NOTE> A&s;&s;emblies in all the World, being joyn'd by the Unity of the Spirit; and hath Cities founded on the Law and the Prophets, the Go&s;pel and the Apo&s;tles. She departs not out of her own bounds, that is, from the Scriptures, but retains her fir&s;t po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion.</Q></P>
<P>The time will not permit me to quote e|very Father, nor all of each; I &s;hall onely adde the words of St. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> di&s;puting with <HI>Maximinus,</HI> and tho&s;e of <HI>Optatus</HI> again&s;t the Donati&s;ts, becau&s;e they are near akin, and highly u&s;eful to put an end to this and all o|ther Controver&s;ies. <Q REND="margQuotes">Neither ought I to al|ledge <NOTE PLACE="marg">S. Aug. contra Maximin. l. 3j c. 14.</NOTE> now the Council of <HI>Nice,</HI> nor thou that of <HI>Ariminum,</HI> as prejudging the que&s;ti|on on either &s;ide; for neither am I bound to the authority of the one, nor thou of the other: let us both conte&s;t with authorities of Scriptures, which are Witne&s;&s;es common
<PB N="24" REF="14"> to us both. <HI>Optat.</HI> You &s;ay 'tis lawful, we <NOTE PLACE="marg">Optat. l. 5. con|tra Parmen.</NOTE> &s;ay 'tis not; and between both, the people are in &s;u&s;pence: let them not believe ei|ther, for perhaps we are both contentious; but let us be tryed by Judges: If they be Chri&s;tians, both &s;ides will not afford &s;uch, <HI>(viz.</HI> &s;uch as are impartial;) if they be Heathens, they are altogether ignorant; if they be Jews, they are utter Enemies. See|ing therefore we can find no competent Judges on Earth, we mu&s;t have recour&s;e to Heaven: But ala&s;s! what can we expect from Heaven, while we have the la&s;t Will and Te&s;tament of our Saviour in the Go|&s;pel?</Q></P>
<P>He compares the Scriptures to the Will of a Te&s;tatour: if any Controver&s;ie ari&s;e among the Kindred after his death, and one affirms this, another that; they don't run to his Grave, but peru&s;e the Writings, and &s;o learn his mind as though he were &s;till among them. Our Saviour therefore, who is now in Hea|ven, fore&s;eeing &s;trifes after his death, hath left us his Will in <HI>the la&s;ting Tables</HI> of the Go&s;pel: And &s;urely the&s;e are &s;ufficient to teach us his mind, the&s;e alone mu&s;t decide all our differences that concern Faith or Man|ners.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="14">
<P>From hence alone we derive whatever we believe with our hearts, or confe&s;s with our mouths, as of nece&s;&s;ity to &s;alvation, becau&s;e by the&s;e we &s;hall be judged at the la&s;t day: <Q REND="margQuotes">For God (&s;ays St. <HI>Paul)</HI> &s;hall judge the &s;ecrets of men by Je&s;us Chri&s;t according to my Go&s;pel, </Q> <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 16. The&s;e thingswe teach and exhort, as the &s;ure ground of our Faith and Practice, and venture our Souls upon them: <Q REND="margQuotes">And if any man teach other|wi&s;e, (for I doubt not to apply the words of St. <HI>Paul</HI> again, 1 <HI>Tim. 6. 3. &amp;c.)</HI> and con&s;ent not to whol&s;ome words, even the words of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to the Doctrine which is according <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">o Godline&s;s;</Q> he is <HI>proud,</HI> he <HI>knows nothing,</HI> he <HI>doats;</HI> They are not mine, but the words of the Apo&s;tle, with many more as &s;evere as the&s;e: <Q REND="margQuotes">And from &s;uch (&s;aith he to <HI>Timothy</HI> his own Son in the Faith) withdraw thy &s;elf, </Q><HI>v.</HI> 5. What|ever any man would alledge or obtrude upon you, which is not con&s;onant to the whol&s;ome words of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, which make up the whole Doctrine according to Godli|ne&s;s, reject and di&s;claim it as alien from the Faith; for unle&s;s ye can have new Scriptures, ye can never have new Articles of your Faith.
<PB N="26" REF="15"> To the&s;e alone we appeal as the immoveable Rule of our Doctrines; and if any doubt ari&s;e in the interpretation of them, we refer our &s;elves gladly to the fir&s;t and pure&s;t Antiqui|ty: To Chri&s;t alone as the great Author and Fini&s;her of our Faith; to the Apo&s;tles and Evangeli&s;ts, as the fir&s;t Preachers and Pub|li&s;hers; to the Primitive Fathers and Coun|cils, as the be&s;t Helpers and Interpreters. Let no man therefore deceive you with vain words, nor beat you off from this hold and fortre&s;s; whatever is nece&s;&s;ary to eternal life, is fully contained in the holy Scriptures; whatever is not there, can never be a part of the Chri&s;tian Faith. I conclude this point with the words and appeal of the Prophet, which is back'd with an excellent rea&s;on, <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 8. 20. <Q REND="margQuotes">To the Law and to the Te&s;ti|mony; if they &s;peak not according to this word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in them.</Q></P>
<P N="3">III. I &s;hould now proceed in the third place to ob&s;erve the empha&s;is and force of the Particle <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>The Faith was delivered to the Saints, and that but once:</HI> Which little word is of great weight, and carries with it &s;uffi|cient matter to conclude and determine tho&s;e
<PB N="27" REF="15"> that &s;eek it, and to &s;ettle and &s;ecure tho&s;e that hold it. But that which I chiefly de&s;igne, (&s;ince the time forbids me to enlarge upon it) is the <HI>Immutability of this Faith,</HI> which is the proper importance of the word <HI>Once.</HI></P>
<P>That which Chri&s;t received of his Father, he communicated to his Apo&s;tles; &s;o he te&s;tifies him&s;elf, when he prayed for them, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 8. <Q REND="margQuotes">I have given them the words which thou gave&s;t me, and they have re|ceived them: </Q> The &s;ame that they received of Chri&s;t, they delivered to the Saints. So St. <HI>Peter</HI> declares, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 16. <Q REND="margQuotes">We have not followed cunningly devi&s;ed Fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but were eye-witne&s;&s;es of his Maje&s;ty.</Q> Nay, St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of <HI>his Go&s;pel</HI> and the <HI>preach|ing of Je&s;us Christ,</HI> as one and the &s;ame thing, <HI>Rom.</HI> 16. 25. which he there interprets once for all to be, <Q REND="margQuotes">The Revelation of the My|&s;tery which was kept &s;ecret &s;ince the World began, but now is made manife&s;t, and <HI>by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commandment of the everla&s;ting God,</HI> [mark that again, I pray!] made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith.</Q></P>
<PB N="28" REF="16">
<P>Here then we are &s;ure of the whole immu|table coun&s;el of God for the Faith and Obe|dience of all Nations, which the &s;ucceeding Church is to preach and receive as from the beginning, not to enlarge or &s;horten, not to alter or corrupt by any mixtures or ad|ditions of their own devi&s;ing: For though when Chri&s;t founded his Church, he made that indeed capable of a continual addition, even till the full period of his coming a|gain to Judgment; yet the foundation of Faith upon which he built it, is like him&s;elf, <HI>the &s;ame ye&s;terday, and to day, and for ever;</HI> it &s;tands as a Rock, firm and unalterable, never to be changed by Man or Angel. For though <Q REND="margQuotes">We (&s;ays St. <HI>Paul, Gal.</HI> 1. 8.) or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Go&s;pel unto you, that that which we have preached unto you, let him be accur&s;ed.</Q> A dreadful &s;entence at fir&s;t hearing! but that we may not take it for a &s;udden tran&s;|port, we have the &s;ame re&s;ult from his &s;e|cond thoughts <HI>(v.</HI> 9.) <Q REND="margQuotes">As we &s;aid before &s;o &s;ay I now again, If any man preach any other Go&s;pel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accur&s;ed. </Q>And what need I &s;ay more? If an Apo&s;tle or an Angel
<PB N="29" REF="16"> may not attempt a change in the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, under pain of a Cur&s;e, what &s;hall be the doom of any other? If Chri&s;t knew the mind of his Father, and the Apo|&s;tles his, what words can expre&s;s the heinou&s;|ne&s;s of that guilt, where men pre&s;ume to make additions to it? I &s;hall add but one Rule which may &s;erve to e&s;tabli&s;h us in this Faith again&s;t all &s;ort of innovations, and 'tis that of <HI>Tertullian</HI>'s, where he pleads Pre&s;cri|ption for the Truth: <HI>Id dominicum &amp; ve|rum quod prius traditum, id extraneum &amp; fal|&s;um, quod po&s;terius immi&s;&s;um.</HI> Whatever is truly a part of the Chri&s;tian Doctrine, was once at fir&s;t delivered; whatever bears any latter date, can never be a point of the true Faith.</P>
<P N="4">IV. And now methinks the Application of the whole is &s;o ea&s;ie and obvious, that it makes it &s;elf: For if the Faith of the Go&s;pel be &s;o certain, and has been &s;o fully eviden|ced and made known to us, if it be a Do|ctrine of &s;o great and pretious importance, even the Doctrine that brings Salvation; A Doctrine that comes from God by his onely begotten Son, and &s;hews us the onely way to him, on which the eternal welfare of our
<PB N="30" REF="17"> Souls depends, and without which we had &s;till remained what we were before, chil|dren of wrath: Surely then 'tis worthy of our Chri&s;tian Re&s;olution and Zeal, not one|ly to love and obey it from the heart, but to confe&s;s and maintain and propagate in the World with our earne&s;t endeavours, and per&s;evering diligence; <HI>Then</HI> we cannot but &s;ee what rea&s;on we have, <Q REND="margQuotes">to &s;tand fa&s;t in one Spirit, with one mind, &s;triving toge|ther for the Faith of the Go&s;pel, </Q>as St. <HI>Paul</HI> exhorts, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1. 27. or as St. <HI>Jude</HI> here in the Text, <HI>To contend earne&s;tly for it, as 'twas once delivered to the Saints.</HI></P>
<P>There is a Zeal (I know) in the World which tends to de&s;troy what it &s;eems to con|tend for, which is full of bitterne&s;s and wrath, and clamours, and evil &s;peakings; a Zeal that commonly rageth and is confident, becau&s;e it proceeds from ignorance, and knows not whereon to bottom: There is a Zeal that &s;ets on fire the cour&s;e of Na|ture, and is &s;et on fire of Hell; nay, that would call for fire from Heaven to con&s;ume tho&s;e that oppo&s;e it, &s;uch as once betray'd it &s;elf in two of the Di&s;ciples, before they <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 9. 54, 55.</NOTE> well under&s;tood the Go&s;pel-Spirit. But
<PB N="31" REF="17"> (ble&s;&s;ed be God for his Grace) we have not &s;o learned Chri&s;t; no, the Zeal which the true Faith requires, and works in all its &s;incere Followers, is founded on knowledge and a &s;ound mind; it is innocent, and pa|tient, and holy; it is always tempered with meekne&s;s, and guided by the wi&s;dom that is from above; <Q REND="margQuotes">which is fir&s;t pure, then <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 3. 17.</NOTE> peaceable, gentle, and ea&s;ie to be entrea|ted, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocri&s;ie. </Q>Where|fore while we &s;trive together for the Faith of the Go&s;pel, let us &s;trictly keep to the Laws, and walk by the Rules which the Go|&s;pel pre&s;cribes to us; always remembring that Apo&s;tolical Caution, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 5. <Q REND="margQuotes">If a man &s;trive for Ma&s;teries, yet he is not crown|ed, except he &s;trive lawfully.</Q></P>
<P>As for you (my Brethren and Friends) whom I take to be grounded in this Faith, and long &s;ince &s;tabli&s;hed in the love of it, it is needle&s;s (I hope) to load you with Per|&s;wa&s;ions to &s;tand for it, or indeed to conti|nue and per&s;evere in it: It is but the effect of that happy Education which your Parents at fir&s;t be&s;towed upon you; and 'tis but
<PB N="32" REF="18"> rea&s;onable to expect that the Seed of God which was then &s;own in your hearts, &s;hould grow up daily to perfection, and bring forth &s;uitable fruit: For any man to draw back or de&s;ert the ways of Religion, argues ei|ther ignorance of its grounds, or great vani|ty and lightne&s;s of mind; but for Us who are de&s;cended from the Tribe of <HI>Levi,</HI> and cannot be &s;uppo&s;ed to want in&s;truction, to for&s;ake, or waver, or even to doubt of our mo&s;t Holy Faith, what is it el&s;e, but to ca&s;t the highe&s;t reflection upon the honour of Religion, to &s;tain the care and piety of our Fathers, to reproach and vilifie that Do|ctrine which they &s;o faithfully di&s;pen&s;ed, and &s;o effectually recommended to the World? Wherefore, <Q REND="margQuotes">Remember them who <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 7.</NOTE> had the Rule over you, who have &s;poken unto you the Word of God; who&s;e Faith follow, con&s;idering the end of their Con|ver&s;ation. </Q>Remember them (I &s;ay) who were your <HI>Parents</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;tours</HI> too, and be not back-&s;liding Children.</P>
<P>And as the be&s;t means to maintain this Per&s;everance, let us all be mo&s;t earne&s;tly ex|horted to joyn in an hearty Union and Com|pliance
<PB N="33" REF="18"> with the Doctrine, and Di&s;cipline, and Liturgy of this Excellent and Apo&s;toli|cal Church, whereof we are Members: A Church that comes neare&s;t the Pattern in the Mount; to that I mean which be|gan at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and went forth from <HI>Sion,</HI> which was once for all founded by our Lord, built up by his Apo&s;tles, and continued pure and uncorrupt in all the fir&s;t and be&s;t A|ges of Religion.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing you are now di&s;per&s;ed and di&s;tributed into &s;everal Callings, and a great diver&s;ity of Conditions, how&s;oever God hath di&s;po&s;ed of you, &s;ee that you carry the Reputation of your Family and Extra|ction along with you; let it appear by your walking in Chri&s;t, as you have received him, that the Principles of the Chri&s;tian Religion have their efficacy in every Pro|fe&s;&s;ion; &s;hew that you have been taught from your infancy to live &s;oberly, righte|ou&s;ly, and godly in this pre&s;ent World: &s;o &s;hall ye adorn the Go&s;pel which your Fathers preached, and prove your &s;incerity in the Faith, &s;o &s;hall it be manife&s;t to your &s;elves and others, that ye do not re&s;t merely
<PB N="34" REF="19"> in any external Priviledges, but that you live over the Doctrines you profe&s;s, and practi&s;e <HI>the Truth which is after Godli|ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>And becau&s;e the great demon&s;tration of your Faith is to be &s;een in your Works, e|&s;pecially the works of Mercy and Charity, <HI>Put on therefore (as the Elect of God, holy, and beloved) Bowels of mercies, kindne&s;s,</HI> and a benign temper of mind; <HI>and above all the&s;e things, put on Charity, which is the bond of perfectne&s;s,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle again exhorts, <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 12. You cannot want Objects to move your compa&s;&s;ion, nor Motives to con|&s;train it: Here is a large Field before you, of the <HI>Widows</HI> and the <HI>Fatherle&s;s,</HI> who&s;e Relation and Birth mu&s;t needs endear this duty to you: Some of their Widows are &s;till alive, who &s;uffered much for their con|&s;tancy to the Faith, and their fidelity to the Crown (two in&s;eparable Notes of a ge|nuine Son of the Church of <HI>England)</HI> du|ring the times of the <HI>Great Rebellion;</HI> and many are the Children that can &s;carce &s;peak for them&s;elvs, who through the narrow Pro|vi&s;ion that is made for the CLERGY in
<PB N="35" REF="19"> too many places of this Kingdom, be&s;peak your a&s;&s;i&s;tance by my mouth.</P>
<P>'Tis the command you know of the Apo|&s;tle, <Q REND="margQuotes">That whil&s;t ye have opportunity, ye <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6. 10.</NOTE> &s;hould do good unto all men, but e&s;pe|cially to them that are of the Hou&s;hold of Faith: </Q>What &s;hould be accounted the Hou&s;hold of Faith, rather than the Families of them that preach it? And what opportunity can ye have of doing good, that exceeds this?</P>
<P>And con&s;ider (I be&s;eech you) <HI>You</HI> that are Rich among the Brotherhood, who it is that hath put &s;uch a difference between you and them; was it purely your own Indu&s;try, or Parts, or Studies, that got you this Wealth; or is it not rather the Ble&s;|&s;ing of God, who hath given you all things richly to enjoy? What has any among&s;t you which he did not receive? Now if you did receive it, look up to God your great Be|nefactor with thankful hearts, and look down upon the Widows and the Fatherle&s;s with Pity and Compa&s;&s;ion.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="20">
<P>Depo&s;ite that Tribute which you owe unto God for their u&s;e, and what you leave with <HI>the Stewards of the Fea&s;t</HI> to day, let it be but an Earne&s;t-Penny of what you de|&s;igne for <HI>the Trea&s;urers of the Corporation</HI> from time to time: Think it not enough to &s;prinkle a little now, but lay by &s;omething for them out of your con&s;tant Income; and when you make Provi&s;ion for your own Families, let <HI>the Hou&s;hold of Faith</HI> have &s;ome &s;hare and portion, even in your la&s;t Wills and Te&s;taments.</P>
<P>Re&s;olve to do it, before you go hence; Vow it here in the Church before the Lord your God, from the ground of the heart, and make him &s;ome chearful and &s;uitable acknowledgement for his di&s;tingui&s;hing Pro|vidence towards you and yours: So &s;hall the re&s;t of your &s;ub&s;tance be ble&s;&s;ed and in|crea&s;ed, and the Prayers of the De&s;titute &s;hall be heard in your behalf; &s;o &s;hall your own Po&s;terity thrive the better, nay, the Chil|dren of others, and the Generations to come &s;hall call ye ble&s;&s;ed, and your great reward is with the Lord; for I am warranted to a&s;|&s;ure you, <Q REND="margQuotes">That God is not unrighteous to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6. 10.</NOTE>
<PB N="37" REF="20"> forget your work and labour of Love, which ye have &s;hewed towards his Name, in that ye have mini&s;tred unto the Saints, and yet do mini&s;ter.</Q></P>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q REND="margQuotes"><P>Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to pre&s;ent you faultle&s;s be|fore the pre&s;ence of his glory with excee|ding <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude 24. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> joy,</P>
<P>To the onely wi&s;e God our Saviour, be glory and maje&s;ty, dominion and power, now and ever. <HI>Amen.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="financial report">
<PB N="38" REF="21" MS="y">
<HEAD><HI>A true Report of the S&V;MS Di&s;tributed for the Relief of the Widows and Children of</HI> Clergy-men, <HI>in the Years</HI> 1684, 85, 86.</HEAD>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD><HI>By the</HI> Corporation.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"><HI>l.</HI></CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"><HI>s.</HI></CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"><HI>d.</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL ROWS="3"><HI>A.</HI> 1684</CELL>
<CELL>To 28 Seque&s;tred Mini&s;ters Widows</CELL>
<CELL>084</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>To 68 other Mini&s;ters Widows</CELL>
<CELL>101</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>For Binding out Children Ap|prentices</CELL>
<CELL>100</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>285</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL ROWS="2"><HI>A.</HI> 1685</CELL>
<CELL>To 34 Seque&s;t. Mini&s;ters Wid.</CELL>
<CELL>099</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>To 98 other Mini&s;ters Widows</CELL>
<CELL>129</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>228</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL ROWS="3"><HI>A.</HI> 1686</CELL>
<CELL>To 45 Seque&s;t. Mini&s;ters Wid.</CELL>
<CELL>135</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>To 112 other Mini&s;ters Wid.</CELL>
<CELL>179</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>For decea&s;ed Mini&s;ters Children</CELL>
<CELL>020</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>334</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>847</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><TABLE>
<HEAD><HI>By the</HI> Stewards <HI>of the Fea&s;ts.</HI></HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL>For Relief of poor Mini&s;ters Widows, and Binding out Children, for the &s;aid three years, about</CELL>
<CELL>360</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Tot.&mdash;</CELL>
<CELL>1207</CELL>
<CELL>10</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
