which the pure Wow of God is Preached; How can it take in fuch difagreeing Perfwafions? The Notes, fays Dr. Field, lib. 2. cap. 2. that perpetually distinguish the true Catholick Church, from all other Societies of Men, and Profeffions of Religions in the World, are thefe. First, The Entire Profeflion of fupernatural Verities, which God hath reveal'd in Chrift, his Son. Secondly, The Ufe of fuch Holy Ceremonies, and Sacraments, as he hath Instituted and Appointed. Thirdly, An Union, or Connexion of Men in this Profeffion, and use of these Sacraments, under lawful Paftos and Guides, appointed, authorized, and fanctified to direct and lead them, in the happy ways of Eternal Salvation. 5. THE Unity of the Church, fays Mr. L. p. 16, is defcribed, Ephef. 4. ver. 3, 4, 5. by their all having One Lord, One Faith, Dne Baptism, and One Spirit, from which they are called One Body. If fo, more is necessary for the Unity of it, than Profeffing the Apoftles Creed. For, the Creed fays nothing of Baptifm. It is an what the Abridgment of Chriftian Belief, concerning Creed? God, and the Church. And there is no reveal'd Truth harder to be believ'd, than those which it contains. But it does not Express all Truths, All Truths, neceflary for Salvation. First, It fays nothing neceffary to of the Canonical Books, either of the Old or Salvation, are not Ex is New Testament; as of the Books of Mofes, preft in the Fofhua, Fudges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles; of Apostles the Gofpels, of the Acts, of Saint Paul's Epiftles; Creed. or that there are any Scriptures, any Inspired Writings at all. Secondly, It fays nothing of the Precepts of a Chriftian Life; that, we must Love God above all Things; that, we must be content to pardon Injuries, to love our Enemies, to wish all Men as well as our Selves. Both the Belief, F 3 and and Practice of which, is no lefs necessary for Salyation; than is the Belief of the Refurrection of Nor in any our Bodies, which is Part of the Creed. And it of the Anciis Obfervable, that neither thefe Precepts, nor the Canonical Books in Particular, are expreffed in any of the Ancient Creeds. So that none of them mention all Truths, which are neceffary to be known, in order to Salvation. ent Creeds. WHEREBY it Evidently appears, First, That all Fundamentals, are not contain'd in any Ancient Creeds. Secondly, That the Belief of thofe Creeds cannot be a fufficient Unity, of the Faith of the Church. In Effect, muft he not be a Latitudinarian with a witnefs, whoever perfwades himself, that Men, or Nations, may be Members of the Catholick Church, tho' they deny all the Sacraments, with Quakers; the most Sacred Rules of Morality, with Antinomians; the Books of the Old Testament, and Acts of the Apostles, with the Manichecs; or the whole Bible, with the Deifts? Why Sacra- ry pleafant, that, if it had been another Man's, Body, A Body or Life everlasting come into the Creed? Does Mr. L. believe nothing of Baptifm, and our Lord's Supper Or, is there nothing neceffary to be believ'd of them? They are not Abfolutely neceffary, fays he, to Salvation, p. 18. What then? Muft we not believe, what the Scripture fays of them; because in fome Circumstances, by a Faith moved by Charity, we may be faved without them? Can nothing be a neceffary Object of our Faith, but what is a neceffary Seal of it too? They are Means, fays Mr. L. p. 18, of God's Appointment; Therefore to be used, when we can have them: We are tied to this. They must then be believ'd; and used too it feems, when they can be had. But, muft they not be believ'd, tho' they cannot be had? Are we not alfo tied to this? We are far enough from being tied to Circumcifion, yet we must believe what the Scripture fays of it. And, as Baptifm is mention'd in the Second Part 'of the Ecclefiaftical Creed, (which Part was added to that of Nice, by the Council at Conftantinople), Confiteor unum Baptifma, in remiffionem peccatorum; Why might not the Apostles have done fo too, if They pleas'd? Why might they not have mention'd our Lord's Supper; tho' none of the Ancient Creeds fpeak of it? Why not the Scripture? Is the Authority of Canonical Books, either in general or in particular, no Article of Christian Faith? Why not the Precepts, of Chriftian Duties? If Man is to work his Salvation, by his Obedience to the Will of God, as Mr. L. tells us, p. 37. Is not both the Practice, and the Belief why many of Moral Precepts, as Neceffary to Salvation, as Neceffary the Belief of other Articles of the Creed? Points of Chriftian Why then did they not mention them? Perhaps, because they are more Easy to be Believed: Exprest in Or the Creed s F 4 Belief, not or because the Creed had directed us to that Church, which was commiffion'd to inftruct us in all things neceffary to Salvation. The 4 last. 7. THE firft Eight Articles teach us, what we Articles mult believe of GOD; The Four laft, feem to bebelong to long to the Church. For,if the visible Church,be,as the Church. it truly is,the Communion of Saints; not that all are Saints in it; but that on Earth there are none out of it, (I mean,when they are out ofit Obftinately, or by a Criminal Neglect it follows,that there is noForgivencfs of Sins, no happy Refurrection, no Everla fting Life, but only for Thofe, who are Members of the Visible Church of Chrift, either in Effect or in Defire,and the unfeigned Difpofition of their Hearts. 1 8. SEVERE Criticks may be apt to fuppofe, Mr. L. had no mind to give his Gentleman the Character of a thorow-paced Divine. I confess,fome Inftances look that way. As his Asking, p. 17, What Article in the Apostles Creed, does Tranfubftantiation explain? Which, in the next Edition of Profound Livinity,may be Enter'd with thefe; What Article of the Creed, does Noah's Ark explain? Or Balaam's Afs? Or Jacob's Staff? Or, our B. Saviour's Changing Water into Wine? Or, his Laft Supper? Or, Mr. L's Figurative and Symbolical Reprefentation of his Body and Blood, P. 145? 9. HOWEVER it be, his Method of reconcifem con- ling Churches by the Apoftles Creed,is fo far from demns all doing them any Kindness, that it flatly conChurches. demns them all, for making Un-neceffary Terms Mr. L's Sy of their Communion. He thinks it contains all Fundamental Articles of our Belief, that no other Profeffion of Faith was required of Chriftians in the first Three Centuries (as if they were not to own in general, whatever the Scriptures contain, and the Apoftles taught) and that the Church of Rome Rome her felf, muft ftill think it fufficient for Salvation; becaufe fhe requires, (if you believe him) no other Profeffion of Faith in Baptifm. If fo, ought not all Churches, both in Reafon and Charity, to fubmit to Use it,as a Teft ftrict enough for Chriftian Communion, without Clogging it either with Confubftantiality, or any other Unnecessary Articles against Socinians, Antinomians, Quakers, Independents, Deists? Is not Peace and Concord better than Anathema's? Why then should not a Common Liturgy be model'd in General Terms, that all might be prefent at it, in one Communion; Arians, Socinians, Nestorians, Eutychians, Pelagians, Proteftants; with Allowances for fuch, as would not use any Common Prayer at all? And fince they have all Terms of their Communion, inconfiftent with this Project; it follows, that Mr. L's Syftem condemns both his own, and all other Churches in Chriftendom. 10. H feems indeed, pag. 20, 21, not Unwilling to Join in a Common Liturgy with the Greek Church, with the Churches of S. Thomas, the Jacobites, and others in the East of Afia; with the Abyffines, the Cophtes, and other Churches in Africa; with the great Church of Ruffia in Europe, &c. And why not with Socinians under the fame Condition, if nothing Sinful be required of him, as a Condition of Communion, nor New Creeds impofed? With thefe (I believe) he may Communicate when he pleases. But, I fear, the Churches, he mentions, will not admit him to their Communion, unless he hold Tranfubftantiation: which yet he seems not much inclined to. Befides, to Communicate with the Greeks and the great Church of Ruffia, he must Abjure the 5th of the 39 Articles, concerning the Proceffion of the H. Ghoft. And |