tended he was revealed in the Spirit, or in the Confcience, or in the Gospel; but he faith, Come in the Flesh, in the Affump tion of a true Humane Nature; those who deny this, are not of God. And,

Secondly, For the Denying of his Divine Nature, that alfo is in it felf damnable; 1 John 2. 22. He is Antichrift that denieth the Father, and the Son. And certainly, if it be fo damnable an Herefy to deny the Humanity of Chrift, much more then his Divinity; for it was his Divine Nature that put Worth and Value into all the Actions and Sufferings of his Humane, and made them truly meritorious therefore, if there be no Salvation attainable, but through Faith in the Merits of Jefus Chrift they are utterly excluded from all Poffibility of being faved, who deftroy the very Belief of those Merits through which alone they can be faved: That is therefore another fundamental Truth of the Gospel..

And

Thirdly, Juftification in a free gratui tous Way, in Oppofition to the Works of the Law, is a fundamental Article of our Faith: And in confirming this, the Apoftle spends Eleven whole Chapters in his Epiftle to the Romans. The Denying this Doctrine, is utterly inconfiftent with a State of Salvation. See for this, Gal. 5. 4.

WhoLo

Whofoever of you are justified by the Law, Chrift is become of none effect to you; you are fallen from Grace. Indeed, many learned Men are at Variance concerning the Manner of obtaining Juftification by the Righteousness of Chrift; fome taking one Way, and fome another; and it is no eafy Matter to reconcile, and accommodate them: But as long as they hold this Foundation, that none can be accepted of God, but only through the Merits and Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift; though fome may build Hay or Stubble upon this Foundation, they may be fafe, though they fuffer Lofs in their Superftructure. Only to me, that feems the best and safest Way which makes most for the Honour of our Lord Chrift; for we cannot eafily err in afcribing too much unto him, who is the Author of our Salvation: And therefore certainly, to make the Merits and Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift the very Matter of our Juftification, and the Imputation of them to us the formal Caufe of it, feems more honourable to him, and, I think, more confonant unto Scripture, than only to make it a remote procatarctical Cause, moving God to accept of our Faith and Obedience, as our Righteousness, and thereupon to justify us.

Fourthly, The Doctrine of Sanctification, and of the abfolute Neceffity of a thorough Change and Renovation of our Natures; is a fundamental Truth, without the acknowledging of which, we can never be faved: For our Saviour hath told us, John 3.6. Except a Man be born again of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. And certainly, if our undergoing fuch a thorough and univerfal Change be of fuch absolute Neceffity, the knowing and believing of it must needs be; for if we believe it not neceffary, we shall never be engaged heartily to endeavour it. And therefore,

Fifthly, The Doctrine of our Fall, the Knowledge of our loft Estate and Condition, is of indifpenfable Neceffity to eternal Salvation. Our Saviour tells us, that he came to feek and to fave those that are loft, Luke 19. 10. And unless we are conscious of our Sin, and Mifery by reason of Sin, that we stand forfeited to the Divine Juftice, liable to his feverest Wrath, expofed to all the dreadful Curfes of the Law, we shall never fubmit to the Methods of our Phyfician, when we are not sensible of our Disease.

Sixthly, The Doctrines of the Refurrection, Judgment to come, Heaven and Hell, and eternal Rewards approportioned

to

to our present Works; these are fundamental Articles, and of abfolute Neceffity to be believed: For he that shall deny these, destroys all Hopes and Fears, and turns himself loose to follow his own Lufts, without any Check or Controul, He cannot be in a Poffibility of Salvation, that believeth none; that expects nothing at God's Hands, whether Rewards or Punishments. For fuch a damnable Doctrine as this, will neceffarily engage him in a wicked and profligate Life. It is impoffible in this our corrupt Estate, wherein we are so naturally prone to Sin, it is impoffible that Men should be holy gratis. Befides, it plucks up all Religion by the very Roots; and the whole Do&rine of Chrift falls to the Ground,if the Immortality of the Soul, future Judgment, and eternal Rewards, be once denied For both our Religion, and all Religions in the World, are founded upon these Principles. Thus you fee some of those fundamental Truths, that are neceffary to Salvation: And therefore, tho Heresy look not fo fowl and ugly, as fome vile and scandalous Impieties in Life and Practice, and we are apt to have good Opinions of Men whatsoever they hold if fo be we see them juft and honeft in their Dealings, fober and temperate in

their Converse; though we think it no great Matter what their Notions and Tenets be, fo long as their Lives are blamelefs and inoffenfive; yet believe it, Herefy is altogether as damnable as Profanenefs ; those Poisons are as deadly that work upon the Head, as thofe that work upon the Heart; and we ought as much to fhun an Heretick, and to refuse Converse with him, as a wicked Monster; as we ought to fhun a Murderer, a Thief, a Drunkard, an unclean Senfualift, or the vilest Sinner that can be named. Yes, and rather more, inasmuch as there is more Danger of being corrupted by the fair Speeches of erroneous Perfons, than there is of being inticed by the lewd and hateful Actions of notorious and debauched Wretches. And therefore St. John gives us this Command in his 2d Epistle, Ver. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not into your Houfe, nor bid him God Speed: For he that biddeth him God Speed, is Partaker of his evil Deeds. And thus much for Doctrinal Principles. But then,

Secondly, There are Practical Principles of Truth, whofe immediate Influence is only to guide the Life and Conversation, Many fuch there are, which I shall only

reckon