that no boneft and careful mind, even of mean capacity, to whom the Sermons of Chrift and his Apostles have ever been difinetly rehearsed, can be in any danger of mistaking. Repentance from dead works, and Faith towards God; the hope of Reconciliation through Chrift, upon the terms of real Amendment and Reformation of Manners: the Refurrection from the Dead, and Eternal Judgment; are Principles of Doctrine, Fundamental Principles, which no honeft Mind, even of the lowest. capacity, can poffibly mifunderstand. And more than This, they who want capacity, cannot be bound to underftand or receive; cannot be bound, either to understand explicitly without Abilities, or to receive implicitly without Understanding. For the explication of things more difficult, and to affift in the more perfect understanding of the plain ones, God has appointed the Minifters of the Gospel: Who are to teach, to instruct, to exhort, to reprove. Not that any thing is to be received upon Trust on Their Authority, (which is the Effence of

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Popish

Popish Superftition and Tyranny ;) But Their Learning and Study is to be imployed in inftructing the people fo, that the People themselves may, with the Help of That inftruction, fee and understand, with their own Understandings, the doctrine of the Gospel.

Now as Preaching and larger Inftructions are very useful for explaining of Scripture, and for exhorting men to the Practife of their Duty; and yet are of no other Authority, than as they are agreeable to Scripture; fo brief Summaries or Heads of the Chriftian doctrine, are useful for Memory, to keep in mind by few words the most important Principles of religion. Of This fort, is the Apoftles Creed. And its Authority therefore is not as being a Creed, but as being a True Summary of Apoftolical doctrine, or as containing the chief Heads of the doctrine of Chrift delivered authoritatively in Scripture. In like manner as the Contents of the several Chapters in the Bible, are neither infpired, nor of Any direct authority,

and

and yet may be very useful to affift the Memory in Thofe Particulars; fo the Apoftles Creed, though not of inspired Authority like the Writings of the Apoftles themselves, yet is a very useful Help to the memory, as being the Sum or Contents of the Scripture-doctrine in general. I mean, of That Evangelical Doctrine concerning the Method of bringing men to Salvation, which is inculcated through the Whole Scripture, and which is most univerfally necessary to be understood and remembred. For there are also many other Hiftorical, and there are fome Philofophical parts of Scripture; which, not being of equal importance to be underftood by All, are therefore not taken notice of in This Creed. Concerning some of these things, there have been made in the ignorant and contentious Ages of the Church, and during the Growth of Popery, Creeds contrary one to another; and when they have not been contrary, yet much more obfcure and difficult to be understood than the Whole Scripture itself. Into the Form of Baptifm, and into the Catechifm,

I

Catechifm, and into the Order for the Vifitation of the Sick, the Apoftles Creed only has very wifely been put; as being eafy and clear and intelligible to All, and not mixt with any matters of doubtful Difpu

tation.

ARTIC. I. believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.

To" believe in God, is to believe that there is a Being Eternal and Infinite, Perfect and Self-fufficient, All-powerful and All-wife, Juft and Righteous, Holy, Merciful and Good. A Being, whose Duration no Time can exhauft, from whofe Prefence no Swiftness can flee, whofe Power no Force can refit, from whofe Knowledge no Secret can be concealed, from whofe Justice no Art can escape, by whofe Goodness all things are fuftained. A Being, who is every where present, whose Power causes and directs every thing, and his Kingdom ruleth over All. This is the God of Nature; and Nature it

Self (of which ignorant men often speak as of a real Being or Agent) is nothing else but the universal and perpetual Efficacioufness of His Will and Laws.

THE Grounds upon which we believe fuch a Being, are numberless. For, indeed, every thing proves the Being of God. The Imperfection of all other things, and their abfolute incapacity to be the Cause or neceffary Reason of their own Being. The natural Confcience, and univerfal Apprehenfions of all Mankind. The ftrictest Searches and Inquiries of the Learned, and the most obvious and unavoidable Obfervations of the Unlearned. The Greatness, the Variety, the Motions, the Beauty, the Order and Harmony of the World. The Fitness of every thing to its proper End. The Growth of Plants, the Sagacity of Animals; the Structure of the Body, and the Faculties and Activity of the Soul of Man. Whatever we obferve in Nature, in the Heavens and upon the Earth; and whatever is Supernatural, as Miracles and Prophefies. All these