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Article of the Chriflian Faith; any more then the poor Indian, who was fent with a Prefent of feveral things, and a Letter with them, knew how thofe Letters could defcribe Things, or that what he carried, and what he purloined was defcribed in the Letter; nor that he should be called to an account for what he had purloined, and thofe Writings produced against him, as the.Letter was against the Indian: nor to fuch Banters as Chriftianity in Philo—not myserious as Old as the Creationfounded on fudaifm; nor to the ftupid Affertions, of the Difciples of Chrift being the Primitive or first Chriftians, nor to thofe taken from the Apoftates and Heathens and palm'd upon us for Scripture Do&trine'; much lefs fhall I mention the Scheme which by Concert, and under Pretence of defending it, (a Word not to be named among Christans) bath produced no elder nor better Evidence for it, than the Enemies produced against it, made it a Point infinitely difputable, and fo loft it: fo that Chriftians are not only at War with the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, but in continual difpute about their Title, Reward, &c. Nor fhall I weary you with fenfelefs Wrangles about what, Words, fuppofed by thefe Difputants to have been concerned in this Affair,

fignify, which are the Words of Apoftates, or Heathens, or Moderns, or of their own forming, and no way conformable to the Original Words in Scripture, nor as usua', with fixing Senfes to fuch Words, and drawing Conclufions from them, either for the Proof, or Difproof of the Articles in it, nor with the Difputes which have been between the feveral Parties, which are, cr pretend to be Chriftians, because none of them knew what they were about, nor were any of them able to produce decifive Evidence. The foolish Notions, and falfe Af fertions of Apoftates to Heathenifm, to Deifm, to Herefies, the Doubts of thofe wavering &c. obliged the Aleim, (if I may fo Say) by the Prophets &c. for the benefit of Believers, to anfwer, difprove, and convince them; thence I am furnished with Store to anfwer, and fet afide, any Objection that any Oppofer can now make. I need no other Evidence for Christianity but that, which first established, and all along fupported it, and lately gave the Authority for Separating this Church from the Church of Rome, and which only can fupport, even the Laws then, or fince made by, or in the Church, that which Chrift directed us to fearch for Evidence of him, the Scriptures. There is no Direction from the Prophets, from A 3

Chrift

Chrift, or his Apoftles, or the other infpir'd Writers, to fudy any Books, other than to Search the Hebrew Scriptures, nor any Promifes by Chrift, but that the Holy Ghost should bring the Difcourfes or what was spoken and the Tranfactions of what was done by him, in completion of the Predictions of him, to their Remembrance, to record them, and to put Words into their Mouths to preach him, and to direct them in recording them. The Prohibitions were to keep clear of the Leaven of the Jews their Traditions &c. to avoid vain Philofophy &c. as you may fee by the Tenor of the New Teftament. The Scriptures shew all who have varied from them to be Hereticks, or &c. and will do the fame now, if any thing remain which contradicts them: for though it has been thought necessary to have Tefts in point of Faith, yet now, as that which is right, keeps not out fuch as believe nothing, and will fubfcribe to any thing, or have Difpenfations to fubfcribe, or &c. As thefe Telts were worded by Men, and might fuffer in their Tranflations, if there be any thing, which is not properly worded, it may keep out fuch as understand or believe the Scriptures, and think themfelves bound by Subfcription. If fearching the Scriptures difcover any Error in word

ing any Article, and how to rectify, and understand it, fo as to make it agreeable to all the other Articles, 'tis for the benefit of Believers. Chriftianity is a Term upon which the Salvation or Reprobation of every Man depends; therefore it highly behoves every one, who is capable, to understand it, and every Man who pretends to teach it, to explain it to thofe under bis Care. I am more than fufficiently convinced from what I have publifhed and confidered, that to offer at explaining the whole Manifeftation or Difpenfation of the Miftery of Christianity contained in the original Scriptures, (confidering that the Knowledge of all things concerning Antiquity is loft, and the Notions Men have had of these things, and the Pains one must be forced to take about every Article, to recover and convey that Knowledge, and to free them from fuch Notions &c.) in the Time which remains of the Life of Man, (which Miftery is to be the Employment and Happiness of those who embrace it for Eternity) would be undertaking an infinite Tafk, in the time one is allowed to continue here; yet as we are allowed, nay commanded, to fearch into what is revealed to us here, without Limitation, tho' I fee clearly that not one Propofition can be laid down in Writing about any Point in it,

in a Small Tract, which will fufficiently express what, for the Reafons aforefaid, is neceffary to be expressed by it, without a vast number of Explanations, and Limitations; I fhall endeavour in short, tho' imperfectly or infufficiently, to explain a few Points which are perverted by the Malice and Subtilty of its Enemies the apoftate Jews, and by thofe who have called themfelves Chrifti. ans, but have followed them; and I shall attempt to lay down fome Obfervations upon fome Points of Scripture they have perverted, which if I have not Opportunity to finish, I hope will affift others to proceed.

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