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with God in the Beginning, and by whom God created all Things; who being fent into the World by his Father, came down from Heaven, and was by the Power of the Holy Ghoft conceived and born of the Virgin Mary; who glorified his Father here on Earth, revealing unto Men the Divine Will; and confirming his Doctrine by many mighty Works, which he did by the Power of God; and humbling Himfelf and becoming obedient to the Death of the Cross, that He might redeem Mankind, and reconcile them unto God; who afcended into Heaven, and is fet down with his Father in his Throne; being on the Account of his Humility and Obedience exalted far above all Principality and Power, and Might and Dominion; and having a Name given unto him, which is above every Name; that at his Name every Knce fhould bow, of Things in Heaven, and Things in Earth, and Things under the Earth; and that every Tongue should confess that he is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father; thro' whom, as being

the

the Mediator between God and Men, Men are to offer up their Prayers and Praifes unto God, and God bestoweth upon Men all good Gifts and Bleffings.

3. THAT there is one Holy Spirit of God, who fpake by the Prophets; who influenced and conducted our Lord during the State of his Humiliation; who was fent by the Father and by the Son to guide the Apostles into all Truth, to endow them with miraculous Gifts and Graces, and to direct them in the Work of their Ministry; who fanctifieth and comforteth the Members of Chrift's Church, and, in a Word, worketh all fpiritual Gifts, both ordinary and extraordinary.

I APPEAL to all who have been converfant in the Scriptures, whether this be not that Doctrine of the Trinity which is every where taught in the New Teftament. And is there any Thing abfurd, or difficult to be understood in all this?

MEN indeed in treating of the Doctrines of Christianity have affected to use many hard Words and puzzling Diftinc

tions,

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tions, no where found in Scripture, nor ever heard of in the Chriftian Church till feveral Ages after Chrift; and which (we may reasonably prefume) were never thoroughly understood by those who have made ufe of them. But no unintelligible Discourses or Forms of human Compofition are Gospel Myfteries; nor hath any Man or Company of Men, Authority to oblige Chriftians to receive them as fuch. Chriftians are not bound to affent to any Propofition concerning Matters of Revelation upon any other than one of thefe two Accounts; either because the Propofition is formally and in fo many Words exprefs'd in Scripture; or elfe because the Meaning of it is agreeable to Scripture. But now how fhall Men be fure that the Meaning of any Propofition exprefs'd in unfcriptural Terms is agreeable to Scripture, unless they firft know what the Meaning of it is? Wherefore all unfcriptural Expreffions, the Signification of which is not diftin&tly underftood, ought for ever to be banished out of Divinity.

4

THE

THE Holy Scriptures are the perfect and the only Rule of a Chriftian's Faith ; and the Truths which are therein made. known unto us by God, are the Christian Myfteries; the Belief of which, as they are delivered by the Infpired Penmen with all Plainness and Simplicity, is fufficient to denominate a Man an Orthodox Chriftian.

PEOPLE may, if they are so minded, call Jargon by the Name of Mystery; as not only the Romanifts, but several other forts of Hereticks and Enthufiafts both antient and modern have done, as well in our own Country as Abroad; but I am fure that it is no Mystery of Godliness, no Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven; and that a Man may with→ hold his Affent from it without being an Heretick.

I HAD Reason to say thus much against wrong Notions of Myfteries, fince they may be of bad Confequence to Chriftians, and to the Chriftian Caufe. To Chrif trans, because they tend to discourage Men from enquiring into the Doctrines

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of

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of Christianity, and endeavouring to get a clear and distinct Knowledge of them; And to the Chriftian Caufe, because they are apt to bring a Reproach upon it, and furnish its Adverfaries with fome fhrewd Objections against it; for which there would be no Room, if Chriftians would fpeak of Myfteries as the Scriptures fpeak of them. If a Man had a Design to dif parage Christianity, he could not do it more effectually, than by reprefenting it as a Religion, the fundamental Principles of which cannot be cleared from the Charge of Inconfiftency; or cannot be understood; no not by those who make it their Bufinefs to ftudy the Writings in which they are taught. The

SECOND Thing I propos'd to do was to fhew, what a mighty Privilege it is to be admitted to the Knowledge of the Chriftian Mysteries.

THE Value of any fort of Knowledge is to be estimated chiefly by the Ufefulnefs of it. Now the Knowledge of the Truths reveal'd to us by Chrift and his Apofties, is of the greatest Ufe and Importance