plainly sig but yet neither of them deprived man of his native liberty, whereby he had a power of obeying or disobeying God, as is evident from experience; for there were always good and bad, though the divine laws prescribed virtue, and prohibited vice equally to all. That this would be so amongst Christians, Christ has nified in two parables, the one of the tares which the enemy sowed, after the wheat was sown; the other of the net, which took good and bad fish alike; by which he signified, that there would always be in the church a mixture of good and bad Christians; whence it follows, that he very well saw the evils that would always be in the Christian church. Moreover, Paul tells the Christians, that there must be sects amongst Christians, that they who are approved may be made manifest. And indeed, unless there had been differences among Christians concerning doctrine, there had been no room left for choice, and for that sort of virtue, by which truth is preferred to all other things. Therefore even in this particular also, the divine wisdom shines bright; which caused an excellent virtue to flourish out of the midst of the vices of men. If any one should object here, as some do, that it were better there were no such kind of virtue, than that there should be vices contrary to it, from whence so many horrid crimes, so many calamities, and so great miseries should befal mankind, and such heavy punishment attend them after this life; to this we answer, that these evils were not of such a consideration with God, that upon their account, he should not give an instance of his power in creating free agents. Unless this had been done, no creature would have believed, that it could have been done before. Nay, God himself would not have been thought to be free, unless he himself had planted this opinion of himself by his omnipotence in the minds of men, which otherwise they never could have conceived from his works. Nor could he have been worshipped, if he had been thought to do, or to have done all things, not out of his free goodness, but by a certain fatal necessity; unless by a fatal worship also, and such an one as is not at all free. The vices and calamities of this or the other life, are not comparable to so great an evil, as the supposing God to be ignorant of anything; for if we find any difficulty about them, we ought to consider that God is most good, just, powerful, and wise, and will not act otherwise than agreeable to his perfections; and will easily find a way to go in it, whereby to clear those things which seem to us to be entangled; and to show to all intelligent creatures, that nothing was done by him, which ought not to have been done. In the mean time, till that day spring, in which all the clouds of our ignorance shall be dispersed, he hath given us such experience of himself, and such instances of his perfections, on the account of which, we may and ought entirely to confide in him, and patiently to wait for what he will More might be said on this matter, but that it would divert us from that end we are tending to, and carry us to what does not belong to this place. have come to pass. SECTION IX. They profess and teach the Christian Doctrine in the purest Manner of all, who propose Those things only as necessary to be believed, practised, or hoped for, which Christians are agreed in. To pass by these things, therefore, and return to the choice of our opinion amongst the different sects of Christians; nothing seems possible to be done more safe and wise, in this state of affairs, than for us to join ourselves with that sect of Christians, which acknowledges the New Testament only for the rule of their faith, without any mixture of human decrees; and who think it sufficient, that every one should learn their from of faith from thence conform their lives to its precepts, and expect the promises which are there made. Which, if it be done sincerely, and without any dissimulation, the end of such a search will be that very form of sound words, which we have made appear to have remained the same, amidst so many and so great storms of errors and dissensions, during the passing of so many ages, and the changes of kingdoms and cities. In it are contained all things, that are necessary to faith and practice; to which, if any one would have any other things added, it may lawfully be done, according to the circumstances of time and place; provided they be not imposed as necessary, which belongs only to the supreme Lawgiver, nor contrary doctrines to those obtruded. Christians disposed in the manner we have been speaking of, ought not to submit their neck to the yoke of human opinions, nor to profess they believe what they do not believe; nor to do that which they cannot approve in their own minds, because they think it contrary to the precepts of Christ. Therefore, wherever that Christian liberty, which I have now mentioned, is not allowed, they must of necessity depart thence; not as if they condemned all that are of a different opinion from themselves, but because every one is absolutely obliged to follow the light of his own mind, and not that of another's; and to do that which he judges best to be done, and to avoid that which he thinks to be evil. SECTION X. All prudent Persons ought to Partake of the Sacrament with those, who require Nothing else of Christians, but what every one finds in the Books of the New Testament. Since Christ has appointed two signs or symbols of Christianity, Baptism and the Lord's Supper; it was not indeed in our power to receive baptism, where we judged the Christian religion to be most pure, because we were baptized very young; but since we do not come tot he other sacrament, till we are of riper age, we may distinguish that society of Christians, in which we are willing to be partakers of it; which if we have not already done, we ought to do it now. There are some who make the sacrament, (which, according to Christ's institution, is a token of that peace and love which is between Christians,) a mark of distinction; and exclude from it all those, who do not think it safe to submit to any yoke, but what Christ has laid upon them; or to receive any things as necessary to be believed, practised, or hoped for, but those which they are verily persuaded are contained in the books of the New Testament; and who are therefore very cautious of admitting any other forms of faith, besides that which we have mentioned. It is but just and reasonable indeed, that we should maintain peace with such men as these; but for receiving the sacrament upon this condition, that we should embrace any other rule of faith and practice, besides the books of the New Testament, and think all those excluded the church, who will not admit them; this a religious and prudent man will think very wicked. But all they, who are true lovers of the Gospel, safely may and ought to approach the sacramental table of them, who know no other laws of obtaining eternal salvation, but those laid down by Christ and his Apostles in the books of the Gospel covenant, as every one can understand them. For whoever acknowledges the books of the New Testament for the only rule of faith and practice; who sincerely conform their lives to that rule; in a word, who allow of no idola |