that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”* And should a man be well established in these two principles, and the things which are plainly connected with them, and sincerely endeavour to know the will of God, and to put in practice what he did know; I very much question whether such a one could remain ignorant of any principle, which can be proved necessary from the light of nature. But revelation goes further, and enjoins some points to be believed as things necessary to salvation, and dissuades us from believing others upon pain of damnation. It tells us, that eternal life is placed in the knowledge of certain truths; that he who believes them, does please God, is blessed, and shall be saved; but he, who does not believe them, shall be damned, cannot please God, is yet in his sins, and the wrath of God abides upon him; from which places we may conclude, that these are fundamental articles, and necessary to be known of all, to whom the gospel is preached, and who are endued with sufficient faculties to receive it. 3. But besides those points, which are expressly, and in so many words, declared to be necessary; Those things likewise which flow from these principles, by plain and necessary consequence, must be added to the catalogue of Fundamentals, or things necessary. For plain and necessary consequences are of the same * Heb. xi. 6. nature with their principles; they are to be ranked with them, and allowed to be of equal importance; nay, they are, as it were, contained in them, and properly speaking do not differ from them. Thus, upon granting the being of God, the chief attributes of the deity do so plainly and necessarily result from it, that they cannot but be thought to be of equal moment with the principle itself. But let it be observed, that we speak only of plain and necessary consequences; for it would be very unreasonable to rank doubtful, or obscure, or remote consequences, with the principles themselves, and to show an equal regard to them; for at this rate, all things would be put upon the same bottom, and there would be no end of fundamental articles. And this seems to us the true and only way, by which we may clearly and safely distinguish fundamental articles from others, namely, by the discovery of the divine will, and the declarations of God himself, either in express words, or by plain and necessary consequence; for, as has been already observed, who shall pretend to settle the terms of salvation and damnation? Who shall pretend to make laws concerning these things, but he, and he alone, who has power to save, and power to destroy? And, therefore, they who impose upon christians, things as fundamental, which God has not revealed, or which are doubtful and obscure, as the church of Rome does, and others who follow her steps; these, whoever they are, act tyrannically, and arrogantly claim that authority to themselves, which belongs to God only. But though this be the chief, if not the only mark of fundamental articles, yet, that we may more easily and certainly distinguish them, we shall subjoin some other principles. 4. Fundamentals are plain, adapted to common capacities, and free from all the subtile and intricate distinctions of the schools. The reason is evident; for since religion does equally concern all men, and is no less designed for common people than for the learned, yea, it may be more; whatever therefore does exceed the capacity of the vulgar, is upon that account not to be reckoned fundamental, or necessary. Religion certainly differs from scholastic niceties as much as any thing; the scripture was given by poor plain men, and it is given to such. Christ gives thanks, that "these things were hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes ;" and St. Paul tells us, that there were not many wise" among the Corinthians; by which he diligently admonishes us to distinguish carefully the doctrines of heaven from the wisdom of the world. So that, to use the words of Hilary, "the faith lies in great plainness of speech; for God does not call us to happiness by difficult and knotty questions, nor does he persuade us by various turns of oratory and eloquence. Eternity lies in a plain and narrow com 66 pass; to believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and to confess that he is Lord."* This 5. Fundamentals are few in number. principle is founded upon the same reason as the former; for the minds of common people would be as much confounded by a multitude, as by the difficulty of articles. Therefore it has pleased divine goodness to comprise them in a narrow compass; that, as St. Austin says, "The plainness of them might suit the simplicity of the hearers; that the shortness of them might be accommodated to their memories, and that the fulness of them might make amends for their want of learning." And so Casaubon, in the name of king James I. of Great Britain, writes thus, "The king thinks it very right, in the explication of things simply necessary to salvation, to say, that the number of them is not great."+ 6. Fundamentals are very often and various ways repeated and inculcated in scripture. This is a rule that we infer from the goodness and condescension of God; for since scripture is given for this end only, to make us wise to salvation, it cannot be doubted but those things, that chiefly tend hereunto, are frequently proposed in scripture, and strongly urged upon us. In any other sciences, honest and skilful masters do not use to pass over slightly and hastily the first principles; but frequently repeat * Hilarius de Trinitate, L. 10. in fin. and inculcate them, till they find they are clearly understood, and have taken fast root in the minds of their scholars. And who can doubt but God, the supreme and infinitely wise instructer of men, does use the like caution and prudence in giving them his heavenly precepts ? 7. Fundamentals are principles of piety; that is, they do not only not contradict the practice of godliness, but, on the contrary, are useful, and even necessary to promote it. And, truly, the end of religion is nothing else but to make us holy. This is the design of the whole gospel; herein the mysteries, the precepts, the promises, and threatnings of it do all centre; upon which account the gospel is called, "The mystery of godliness, a doctrine which is according to godliness ;" and we are assured that nothing else will avail us but the new creature, or obedience to the commandments of God. Hence then it follows, that whatsoever is of no use to promote godliness, for that very reason is not a fundamental truth; and on the other hand, that whatever destroys godliness, or is inconsistent therewith, is a fundamental error. But let it be observed, we do not say, that whatever may conduce to godliness, is therefore a fundamental; for there are many things which may be pious, or at least have the appearance of piety, that are not at all essential to christianity ; nay, and if thoroughly examined into, some of them would not be found true, of which sort are the many |