nal Authority be bound to believe any thing to be the Doctrine of Christ, which: at the fame time his best Understanding neceffitates him to believe is not that Doctrine; he is unavoidably under the Abfurdity of being obliged to obey Two contrary Masters, and to follow Two inconfiftent Rules at once. The only Rule of Faith therefore to every Chriftian, is the Doctrine of Chrift; and That Doarine, as applied to him by his own Understanding. In which matter, to preferve his Understanding from erring, he is obliged indeed, at his utmost peril, to lay afide all Vice and all Prejudice, and to make use of the best Affistances he can procure But after he has done all that can be done, he must of neceffity at last understand with his own Understanding, and believe with his own, not anothers, Faith. For (whatever has fometimes been abfurdly pretended to the contrary,) 'tis evidently as impoffible in Nature, that in these things any one person fhould fubmit himself to another, as that one man fhould fee or tafte, fhould live or breathe for another.

"

Wherefore in every Inquiry, Doubt, Question or Controverfy concerning Religion, every man that is follicitous to avoid erring, is obliged to have recourse (accor

(according to the best of his Capacity) to the Rule itself, to the original Revelation. Ufing (as is before faid) all the Helps and Affiftances he can obtain; But ftill taking care to use them, only as Helps and Affiftances; not confounding and blending them with the Rule itself.

Where That Rule is to be found by every fincere Chriftian, is very evident. Whatever our Lord himself taught, (be-. cause his Miracles proved his divine Authority,) was infallibly True, and to Us (in matters of Religion) the Rule of Truth. Whatever his Apoftles preached, (because they were infpired by the fame Spirit, and proved their Commiffion by the like Teftimony of Miracles,) was likewife a part of the Rule of Truth. Whatever the Apostles wrote, (because they wrote under the Direction of the fame Spirit by which they preached, ) was in like manner a part of the Rule of Truth. Now in the Books of Scripture is conveyed down to us the Sum of what our Saviour taught, and of what the Apoftles preached and wrote: And were: there as good evidence, by any certain means of Tradition whatfoever, of any other things taught by Chrift or his Apoftles, as there is for those delivered down to us in thefe Writings; it could not be

denied

denied but that fuch Tradition would be of the fame Authority, and in every respect as much a part of the Rule of Truth, as the Scripture itself. But fince there is no fuch Tradition (and indeed in the nature of things there can be no fuch Tradition) at this distance of Time; therefore the Books of Scripture are to Us Now not only the Rule, but the Whole and the Only Rule of Truth in matters of Religion.

This Notion is well expreffed by Irenæus: We have not (faith he) been taught the Method of our Salvation by any Others, than by Thofe from whom the Gospel itself was delivered to us: Which the Apoftles, at firft, preached; and afterwards, by the Will of God, delivered down to us in Writing, that it might be the Foundation and Pillar

Non enim per alios difpofitionem falutis noftræ cognovimus, quàm per eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nos: Quod quidem Tunc præconiaverunt;pofteà verò per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt, fundamentum & columnam fidei noftræ futurum. Nec enim fas eft dicere, quoniam antè prædicaverunt quàm perfectam haberent

of our Faith. And agnitionem; ficut

it is impious to ima

quidam audent di

cere,

1

gine, that they prea- cere, gloriantes eched before they had mendatores fe effe Perfect Knowledge Apoftolorum. Postof what they were ea enim quàm furreto deliver; as fome, xit Dominus nofter who boast themselves a mortuis, & induto be Amenders of ti funt fupervenienthe Apoftles do- te Spiritu fan&to virEtrine, have pre- tutem ex alto, de fumed to affirm. For omnibus adimpleti after our Lord was funt, & habuerunt rifen from the dead, perfectam agnitioand they were in- nem; [6] exierunt dued by the Holy in fines terræ, ea Ghoft with Power quæ a Deo nobis bofrom on high; they na funt evangelizanwere Fully inftruct- tes, & cæleftem paed, and had Perfect cem hominibus anKnowledge in all nunciantes ; qui quithings; and went dem & omnes pariforth into the ends of ter & finguli eorum, the World, declaring habentes Evangelithe good things which um Dei. Ità MatGod hath provided thæus---Scripturam for us, and preaching edidit Evangelii, Peace from Heaven &c. Lib.3.cap. 1. unto Men; having

All and Each of them the Gospel of God. Thus Matthew fet forth the Gospel in Zme, &c.

Nevertheless, though the Whole Scripture is the Rule of Truth; and whatever

is there delivered, is infallibly True; yet because there is contained in those Writings great Variety of things, and many occafional Doctrines and decifions of controverfies, which though all equally true, yet are not all equally neceffary to be known and understood by all Chriftians of all capacities; therefore the Church from the Beginning, has out of Scripture felected those plain fundamental Doctrines, which were delivered as of neceffity to be known and understood by all Chriftians whatsoever. And Thefe, all perfons were taught in their Baptifmal Creed: Which was therefore ufually called, the Rule of Faith: Not that itself was of any Authority, any otherwife than as it expreffed the Senfe of Scripture; but that it was agreed to be fuch an Extract of the Rule of Truth, as contained all the things immediately, fundamentally, and univerfally neceffary to be understood and believed diftinctly by every Christian.

As in process of time men grew lefs pious, and more contentious; fo in the feveral Churches they inlarged their Creeds, and Confeffions of Faith; and grew more minute, in determining unneceffary Controverfies; and made more and more things explicitly neceffary to be understood; and (under pretence of explaining authoritatively,) imposed things

much