'Irenicum, or Ecclesiastical Polyty tending to Peace'

Irenicum.

In matters of religion the first & great Commandment hath always been: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all y thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two hang all the Law & the Prophets. Matth. 22.27. And the Gospel is that Iesus is the Christ. |Whoever beleiveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God, & every one y^t loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Iohn 5.1.|

When Christ rose from the dead he appeared to his disciples to prove to them his resurrection, & expounded to them out of Moses & all the Prophets & the Psalms the things concerning himself, viz^t how that the Christ ought to suffer & to rise from the dead the third day & to enter into his glory, & that he was the Christ in whom all those things were fulfilled, & that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst all nations beginning at Ierusalem. (Luke 24.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 44, 45, 46, 47.) He told them also that all power was given him in heaven & in earth & that he would send the promise of his father upon them (viz^t the Holy Ghost) whereby they should be endued with power from on high & that they should then go & teach all nations what he had taught them & baptize them in the name of the father & of the Son and of the Holy Ghost & that he would be with them & their disciples & the disciples of their disciples always unto the end of the world Matt. 28.18, 19, 20. Luke 24.49, 50. And after these things he ascended up into heaven in their sight, & they were told by an Angel that he should come again in the same manner as they saw him ascend. And all this is the Gospel w^ch Christ sent his disciples to teach all nations & which the first Christians were taught in catechising before baptism & communion, |& w^ch we are not to alter; no not so much as in the form of sound words. |

Repentance & remission of sins relates to the transgressions against the two first commandments. We are to forsake the Devil, that is, all fals Gods & all manner of idolatry, this being a breach of the first & great commandment. And we are to forsake the flesh & the world, or as the Apostle Iohn expresseth it, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, & the pride of life, that is, unchastity, covetousness \pride/ & ambition; these things being a breach of the second of the two great commandments. And we are to beleive in one God, the father, almighty in dominion, the maker of heaven & earth & of all things therein; & in one Lord Iesus Christ the son of God, who was born of a Virgn, & sacrificed for us on the cross, & the third day rose again from the dead, & ascended into heaven, & sitteth on the right hand of God in a mystical sense, being next unto him in honour & power, & \who who/ shall come again to judge the quick & the dead raised again to life, & who sent the Holy Ghost to comfort his disciples & assist them in preaching the Gospel. All this was taught from the beginning of the Gospel in Cat{h}|e|chising, that the Catechumen might know before Baptism why & in whose names he was to be washed. \viz^t in the name of one God the father & of one Lord Iesus Christ &c./ And nothing more is now necessary to communion & salvation then {illeg}|wh|at \was/ taught in those days before baptism & admission into communion by laying on of hands. |ffor every thing necessary to communion must be taught before admission into it.|

All this the Apostle Paul calls milk for babes & the \foundation &/ first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. \And these Principles we are not to alter not so much as in the form of sound words. And these Principles we are not to alter/ And those things which are to be lear{t}|n|t after admission into communion he calls strong meats for men of riper years. For in writing to the Hebrews he saith: When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; & are become such as have need of milk & not strong meat. For every one that useth milk, is unexercised in the word of {illeg} righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern \both/ good & evil. Therefore leaving the principles <3> of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, & of [the {illeg}] {illeg}] faith towards God, [comprehended in the Creed] Of the doctrine of Baptisms & of |[admission into communion by]| laying on of hands \[in the name of the father Son & Holy Ghost {illeg}]/ & of the resurrection of the dead & of eternal judgment. Heb. V.12, 13, 14 & VI.1, 2. Here the Apostle under the name of milk for babes comprehends all that was taught before baptism & admission into communion, & under the name of strong meats he comprehends all that was to be learnt afterwards by \men of riper years in/ studying the scriptures or otherwise. And since strong meats are not fit for babes, \but are to be given only to men of riper years/ they were not to be imposed on all men but only to be learnt by such as after admission into communion were able to learn them. And by consequence men were not to damn or excommunicate one another or treat one another as heretiques, or quarrel \or reproach/ one another, or or {sic} hate or despise or censure one another for not knowing them. Every man after admission into communion was to study the scriptures & especially the Prophesies, & to learn as much as he could out of them, & might endeavour to instruct his neighbour in a friendly manner, but not fall out with him for differing in opinion about any thing which was not imposed before baptism & admission into communion. For enmity & discord in things not \imposed by Christ as/ necessary to communion & salvation \tends to schism &/ is contrary to the rule of charity imposed upon all men in the second of the two great commandments \& more especially upon those of the same communion/. And with what judgment w|y|e judge w|y|e shall be judged. See Rom XIV & XV, & 1 Cor. III. |If any thing \s{hould} at any time/ be made necessary to communion w^ch was not so before, it ought thence forward to be taught before admission into communion.|

And as for the Christian worship, we are authorized in scripture to give glory to God & honour to God the father because he hath created all things, & to the Lamb of God because he hath redeemed us with his blood & is our Lord, & to direct our prayers to God the father in the name of Christ for what we want & give him thanks for what we receive, & to wish for Grace & peace from God & Christ & the Holy Ghost & baptize in their name, & to receive the Eucharist in memory of Christs death. And|ll| this was practised by the first Christians in the Apostles days from the time of their admission into Communion, & is included in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, & if any man contend for any other sort of worship which he cannot prove to have been practised in the Apostles days, he {illeg} may use it in his Closet without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.

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The first Principles of the Christian religion are founded, not on disputable conjectures \conclusions or humane sanctions, opinions or conjectures/, but on the express words of Christ & his Apostles; & we are to hold fast the form of sound words. It is not enough that a Proposition be true or in the express words of scripture: it must also appear to have been taught from the beginning \days of the Apostles/ in order to baptism & communion. For the Articles \Laws/ of Communion are unalterable \unchangeable Dan. 7.25./. If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel [as necessary to Communion & Salvation] then that w^ch was \the Apostles/ preached from the beginning] let him be accursed. Gal. 1.8, 9. And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by

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And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining to his Apostles the prophesies in Moses \the Prophets/ & the Psalms concerning himself, & sending them to teach his interpretations to all nations: if any question at any time arise concerning his interpretations, we are to beware of Philosophy & vain deceipt & oppositions of science falsly so called w^ch gender strife, &c to have recourse to the old Testament, & compare the places interpreted with the interpretations thereof in the new. As for instance in learning what is to be understood by calling Iesus \explaining why Iesus is called/ the ^a[1] Christ or Messiah, the ^b[2] Son of Man, the ^c[3] Son of God, the ^d[4] Lamb of God, the ^e[5] Word of God, \☉/ < insertion from p 2 > ☉ the ^f[6] Lord who sitteth on the right hand of God, < text from p 3 resumes > & the f|g|^[7] God who was in the beginning w^th God & by whom all things were made, & ^g[8] Michael, that is, by interpretation, Quis est sicut - Deus. \And by this means the Old Testament will be also better understood./

Irenicum.

All nations were originally of the Religion {illeg} comprehended in the Precepts of the sons of Noah, the chief of w^ch were to have one God, & not to alienate his worship, nor prophane his name; to abstein from murder, theft, fornication, & all injuries; not to feed on the flesh or drink the blood of a living animal, but to be mercifull even to bruit beasts; & to set up Courts of justice in all cities & societies for putting these laws in execution. In the ancient cities the Iudges usually sat in the Gates of the city & were called the Elders of the city \& judged of causes both sacred & civil/ & the father of every family was the elder of the family subordinate to the Elders of the city. This religion descended to Melchisedec \& Iob/ & to Abraham Isaac Iacob \Moses/ & the Isrel|ae|lites & \to the/ proselites of the Gate. ffor so the Israelites called the strangers \within their Gates/ {illeg} who observed the precepts of the sons of Noah. But the Kings of the nations by degrees causing their dead ancestors to be celebrated with sacrifices praises & invocations, the religion of Noah & his sons passed by degrees into the worship of \into the worship of dead men & the laws of their courts of Iustice into the/ moral Philosophy of the heathens. & the worship of their many Gods. ffor Pythagoras one of the oldest Philosophers in Europe, after he had travelled into among the eastern nations for the sake of knowledge \& conversed with their Priests & Iudges/ & seen their manners, taught taught his scholars that all men should be friends to all men & even to bruit Beasts & should conciliate the friendship of the Gods by piety, & that a friend was another self, & his disciples were celebrated for loving one another. The religion of Noah & his sons was therefore at first the moral law of all nations put in execution by their courts of Iustice untill they corrupted themselves.

Then Moses reformed the Israelites from those corruptions & added many new precepts to y^e Moral law, writing them all down in a book & imposed the whole upon the people of Israel by the covenant of circumcision, & allowed strangers to live of all nations to live within their Gates to enter {illeg} without entring into that covenant, provided they kept the Precepts of the sons of Noah. And for putting this law in execution he commanded that the people of Israel should make Officers & Iudges & Officers in all their Gates. Iu Deut. 16.10. And these courts continued in Iudea till the Babylonian captivity & then were abolished by the Chaldeans (Lament. 5.14) & restored by the Commission of Artaxerxes given to Ezra (Ezra 7.25, 26 & 10.14) & in the reign of the Greeks \were/ called the Sanhedrim & Synagogues of the Iews. And because the Elders (called Presbyters by the Greeks) judged of things both sacred & civil, they had a place of worship adjoyning to the Court where they sat, & before the Babylonian captivity in the reign of idolatrous kings they had \sometimes/ upon the next high hill an altar \for sacrificing/ & a place for eating the sacrifices called the High Place.

When Christ was asked which was the great Commandment of the Law, he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. This is the first & great commandment, & the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets. Mat. 22.36. This was the religion of the sons of <7> Noah established by Moses & Christ & |is| still in force.

Irenicum.

In matters of religion the first & great Commandm^t hath always been: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two hang all the law & the Prophets. Matth. 22.27. And the Gospel is, that Iesus is the Christ. Whoever beleiveth that Iesus is the Christ is born of God, & every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1 Iohn. 5.1.

When Christ rose from the dead he appeared to his disciples to prove to them his resurrection, & expounded to them out of Moses & all the Prophets & the Psalms, the things concerning himself viz^t how that Christ ought to suffer & to rise from the dead the third day, & to enter into his glory, & that he was the Christ in whom all those things were fulfilled, & that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst all nations beginning at Ierusalem (Luke 24.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 44, 45, 46, 47.) He told them also that all power was given him in heaven & in earth & that he would send the promise of his father upon them (viz^t the Holy Ghost) whereby they should be endued with power from on high, & that they should \then/ go & teach all nations what he had taught them, & baptize them in the name of the name of the ffather & of the Son & of the Holy Ghost, & that he would be with them & their disciples & the disciples of their disciples always unto the end of the world (Matth. 28.18, 19, 20. Luke 24.49, 50.) And after these things he ascended up into heaven in their sight, & they were told by an Angel that he should come again in the same manner that they saw him ascend. And all this is the Gospel w^ch Christ sent his disciples to teach all nations, & which the first Christians were taught in catechising before baptism & communion.

Repentance & remission of sins relate to transgressions against the two first \great/ commandments. We are to forsake the Devil, that is all fals Gods & all manner of idolatry this being a breach of the first & great commandment. And we are to forsake the flesh & the World, or as the Apostle Iohn expresseth it, the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life, that is, unchastity, \intemperance, injustice,/ covetousness, pride, & ambition, these things being a breach of the second of the two great commandments. And we are (with the primitive Greek Church) to beleive in one God, the ffather, almighty in dominion, the maker of heaven & earth & of all things therein: and in one Lord Iesus Christ, the son of God, who was born of a Virgin, & sacrificed for us on the cross, & the third day rose again from the dead, & ascended into heaven, & sitteth on the right hand of God in a mystical sense, being next to him in dignity in {sic} honour & power; & who shall come again to judge \& reign over/ the quick & the dead raised again to life; & who sent the Holy Ghost to confort {sic} his disciples & assist them in preaching the Gospel. All \this/ was taught from the beginning of the Gospel in catechising, that the <11> Catechumen might know before baptism why & in whose names he was to be washed, viz^t in the name of one God y^e father & of one Lord Iesus Christ &c \1 Cor. 8.6./. And nothing more is now necessary to communion & salvation then what was taught in those days before baptism & communion, & in order thereunto. For every thing necessary to communion must be taught before admission into it.

All this the Apostle Paul calls milk for babes & the foundation & first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. And those things which are to be learnt after admission into communion he calls strong meats for men of riper years. For in writing to the Hebrews he saith: When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again what be the first principles of the oracles of God & are become such as have need of milk & not strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unexercised in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. Therefore leaving the Principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith towards God; Of the doctrine of Baptisms & of [admission into Communion by] laying on of hands, & of the resurrection of the dead & of eternal judgment. Heb. V.12, 13, 14 & VI.1, 2. Here the Apostle under the name of Milk for Babes comprehends all that was taught before Baptism & admission into Communion, viz^t repentance from \the/ dead works of the world the flesh & the Devil, & the Creed or system of faith here called ffaith towards God & the doctrine of baptism & confirmation founded upon it, including the resurrection & last judgment. And under the name of strong meats he comprehends all that was to be learnt afterwards by men of riper years in studying the scriptures or otherwise. And since strong meats are not fit for babes but are to be given only to men of riper years, they are not to be imposed upon all men as necessary to communion, but only to be learnt by such as after admission into communion are able to learn them. And by consequence Christians after admission into communion are not to damn or excommunicate one another or treat one another as heretiques, or quarrel or reproach one another or hate or despise or censure one another for not knowing them. Every man after chatechizing & admission into communion, is to study the scriptures & especially the prophesies, & to learn as much as he can out of them, & may endeavour to instruct his neighbour in a friendly manner, but not fall out with him for differing in opinion about any thing which was not required before baptism into the remission of sins, & admission into the communion of Christians. Men may be excommunicated for breaking the conditions upon which they were admitted into communion, but not for any thing else: & men of the same communion are to love one another. Enmity & discord in things not necessary to communion tends to schism & is contrary to the {illeg} rule of charity imposed upon all men in the second of the two great Commandments, & more especially upon those of the same communion. The strong in the faith must not despise the weak, \& the weak/ must not judge the strong. ffor with what judgement they judge they shall be judged. See Rom. XIV & XV, & 1 Cor. III.

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And as for the Christian worship, we are authorized in scripture to give glory & honour to God the father because he hath created all things, & to the Lamb of God because he hath redeemed us with his blod|o|d & is our Lord, & to direct our prayers to God the father in the name of Christ for what we want, & to give him thanks for what we receive, & to wish for grace & peace from God & Christ & the Holy Ghost, & baptize in their name, & to receive the Eucharist in memory of Christ's death. All this was practised by the first Christians in the Apostles days from the time of their admission into communion, & is included in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. And if any man contend for any other sort of worship which he cannot prove to have been practised in the Apostles days, he may use it in his Closet without troubling the Churches about it. with his private sentiments.

The first Principles of the Christian religion are founded, not on disputable conclusions opinions or conjectures or |on| humane sanctions, but on the express words of Christ & his Apostles; & we are to hold fast the form of sound words. |2 Tim. \1.13/| And further, it is not enough that a Proposition be true or in the express words of Scripture: it must also appear to have been taught in the express w days of the Apostles in order to baptism & communion. ffor baptism into the remission of sins is of divine institution, & the laws of God are unalterable \by men/. It is the character of his people that they keep his commandments (1 Iohn 2.3, 4 & 5.2, 3 & Apoc. 12.17) & that of their enemies that they change times & laws (Dan. 7.25.) Temporary|ll| laws may be made by men about the changeable circumstances of religion, & temporal Iudges may be appointed to put the laws of both God & the King in execution (Ezra 7.25, 26.) But the Gospel which Christ sent his Apostles to preach is not alterable by humane authority. It is as much the law of God as the Law of Moses was, & as unalterable. The \High Priest & the/ Sanhedrim it self had no power to alter the law of Moses, & if an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel then that w^ch the Apostles preached [imposing it as a law of God necessary to baptism communion & salvation] let him be accursed Gal. 1.8, 9.

And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining to his Apostles the prophesies in Moses the Prophets & the Psalms concerning himself, & sending them to teach his interpretations to all nations: if any question at any time arise concerning his interpretations, we are to have recourse to the old Testament & compare the places interpreted with the interpretations thereof in the new. As for instance, in explaining why Iesus is called the ^a[9] Christ or Messiah, the ^b[10] son of man, the ^c[11] son of God, the ^d[12] Lamb of God, the ^e[13] Word of God, the ^f[14] Lord who sitteth on the right hand of God, & ^g[15] the God who was in the beginning with God, & by whom all things were made \& |or| who was in glory with the father before the world began. & came down from heaven./. And by this means the Old Testament will be also better understood.

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And as the prophesies of the old Testament remained in obscurity till Christs first coming & then were interpreted by Christ & the interpretations became the religion of the Christians: so the prophesies of both Testaments relating to Christs second coming may remain in obscurity till that coming, & then be interpreted by divine authority, & the interpretations become the religion of God's people till Christ \has put all things under his feet in heaven & earth &/ shall deliver up the kingdom to the father. And therefore it is no objection against \the Christian religion that/ the prophesies w^ch relate to Christs second coming that they remain still in obscurity.

3. The Apostle Paul opposed the imposition \preaching/ of the law of Moses to the Gentiles, not because this law {illeg} was fals or evill & called it another Gospel whereby the faith in Christ was made void, not because the Law was evil, (for the Apostle tells us that the Law is good;) but because it was not necessary to salvation & therefore not to be imposed on as an \fundamental / Article of communion. And for the same reason the imposing of any Proposition (true or false) as an Article of Communion w^ch was not an Article of Communion from the first preaching of the Gospel, is preaching \may be an imposing preaching/ another Gospel, & the persecuting of any true Christians for not receiving that Gospel {is} \may be/ persecuting Christ in his mystical members, & the Persecutor in making war upon Christ \may breaks the second & third great commandments & may/ deserves the name of an Antichristian in a literal sense. A Church guilty of this crime is in a state of Apostasy &|f|rom Christ & ought not to be communicated with.

And for the same reas if any Christian Church is \becomes/ guilty of idolatry, she forsakes her god \& goes a whoring after other Gods./ (Deut \Deut. {sic} 18.20 & 29.25, 26. &c/ Iosh. 24.16, 20, 27. Iob. 31.26, 28. Iudg. \2.12 & 13 &/ 10.13. 1 Sam. 8.8, & 12.10. \1 King. 9.9./ 2 King. 22.17. 2 Chron. 34.25. Ier. 5.7, 19 & 16.11. Ier. 3. 8, 9, 20, 21. Ezek. 23.30, 35.) & is no {illeg} becomes a true Synagogue of Satan |by worshipping fals Gods becomes their Church, such a true| Church as in Scripture is called a Synagogue of Satan.

2 Idolatry is a breach of the first & greatest commandment. It is giving to Idols the love honour & worship w^ch is due to the true God alone. It is forsaking the true God to commit whoredome with other lovers. It makes a Church guilty of Apostasy from God \as an Adulteress forsakes her husband./. It makes her guilty of spiritual whoredome with other lovers. It makes her become the Church of the Idols, fals Gods, or Dæmons whom she worships, such a true Church as in Scripture is called a Synagogue of Satan.

Irenicum
or
Ecclesiastical Polyty tending to peace.

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Irenicum

|Religion originally consisted in the Precepts of the sons of Noach w^ch were to worship one God & to abstein from| The oldest religion since the flood \now in force/ is that of the Sons of Noah, viz^t To fear & worship one God supreme God to love \w^ch |It| consists in loving the Lord o^r God w^th all of heart & soul & mind &/ our neighbour as our selves & being merciful even to bruit Beasts. & {illeg} And the love of our neighbour obliges us \this love obliges us to forsake the Devil & his works that is the worship of all false Gods &/ to beware of injuring him \our neighbour/ by covetousness ambition fornication the lust |by unchastity covetousnes or ambition called by Iohn, the lust| of the flesh, the lust of the eye, & the pride of life. This was originally the religion \of Abraham & Melchizedek &/ of all nations till they went a whoring after false Gods & called Dead Devils in Scripture, & began \to give them the worship of the true God &/ to make war upon one another. And from this religion came the Moral Philosophy of the Heathens. \For/ Abraham & Melchis|z|edeck worshipped the God of Noah, \& from Abraham & {illeg} \Isaac & Iacob/ the Israelites had the Precepts of the sons of Noah;/ & after the \rest of the/ nations gave the worship \of the God of Noach/ to other Gods, Pythagoras learnt from some of them \one of the oldest Philosophers in Europe/ taught his disciples to love one another to worship the Gods & love one another. For th taught that all men should be friends to one another \& even to bruit Beasts,/ & conciliate \{illeg}/ the friendship of y^e Gods by piety & worship.

The next religion was that of the \positive/ law of Moses composed of the Moral law & \added to religion of/ the sons of Noah, & given to the nation of Israel alone. |To|And| on the two commandments of loving God & our neighbour hang all the Law, & the Prophets.|

The third was that w^ch Christ after his resurrection sent his Apostles to preach to y^e Genti all nations, without abrogating \either/ the Law of Moses to the Iews or adding enjo the law of \the/ Precepts of the sons of Noach to either Iews or Gentiles. ffor every man was to remain in the state in w^ch he was called If he \was/ called in circumcision he was \to keep his covenant &|w|ith God &/ not become \live/ as one uncircumcised, if he was called in uncircumcision he was not to become circumcised, & Paul himself kept it & ci (Act. 21 24) & circumcised Timothy a Iew but could not by any means be induced to circumcise Titus a Gentile. And the Church of Ierusalem had & were under Iames were all zealous of the Law Act. 21.20 & & {sic} had Bishops of y^e circumcision till Hadrian banished all the Iews out of Iudæa A.C. 136, when Hadrian banished all the Iews \from/ Iudea.

When Christ rose from the dea

Religion originally \All nations were originally \of/ one religion & this religion/ consisted of \in/ the Precepts of the Sons of Noah, the heads of w^ch were, To have one God,|&| not to speake evil of him \to alienate his worship nor prophane his name;/; to abstein from murder, theft, & fornication \& all injuries/; \&/ to be merciful even to bruit Beasts & as \particularl{y}/ not to feed on their flesh or drink their blood of a living animal, & to set up courts of Iustice in all cities & societies for putting these laws in execution. \✝/ < insertion from higher up p 27 > ✝ The Iudges \usually/ sat in the Gates of the ancient cities & are in Scripture called the elders of the cities, \And having a judicial authority in things both sacred & civil were both Priests & Princes/ And in every family the father of the family was both Prince & Priest \Elder of the family/ subordinate to y^e Elders of the city, & therefore \{therefore}/ was to be honoured as the Elder of the family was to be honoured by his children] < text from lower down p 27 resumes > This was the \& \the/ moral Law &/ religion of all nations till the days of Melchizedek & Abraham \descended to Melchizedek & Abraham & the Proselytes of the Gate/ & was propagated down by Isaac Iacob & Moses to the Israelites & \at length/ after various corruptions gave occasion to \it passed into the worship of dead Kings & into/ the moral Philosophy of the heathen|s.| Philosophers. ffor Pythagoras one of the oldest Philosophers \& s/ in Europe after he had travelled among the eastern nations for y^e sake of knowledge \& seen their manners/, taught his scholars that all men should be friends to all men & \& even to bruit Beasts & should/ conciliate y^e friendship of y^e Gods by piety, & & his disciples were celebrated for loving one another. |This religion may be therefore called the Law of Nations & the Moral Law of all nations|

To this religion Moses added many new Precepts \writing them down in a Book/ & imposed the whole upon the Iews I people of Israel by the covenant of circumcision; but all & \but yet/ allowed strangers who were not |un|circumcised to live within their Gates \with/ provided they kept the Precepts of the sons of Noah: from whence \&/ those that were proselyted to these Precepts were called Proselytes of the Gate. [In this religion the two great Commandments were to love the Lord our God with all our heart & soul & strength \mind/ & our neighbour as our selves. On these two hung all the Law & the Prophets (Matt. 22.27,) & therefore the {Mora} Law of Moses was founded upon the moral Law of the Sons of Noah] And for putting this Law in execution Moses also commanded |that the people of Israel should make Iudges & Officers in all their Gates \Iud 4.16, 18/ These judges sat in the Gates of the cities & were called the elders of the cities both by Ie the Gen|

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At length the Philistines subduing \conquering & wasting/ Israel, & \taking the Ark &/ returning the Ark \it back/ without the Book of the Laws: Samuel in the reign of Saul recollected the scattered records of \Books o/ his nation & out of the [writings of Moses composed the Pentateuch \in the form now extant/ intermixing the Law & the history \of Israel/ together] Book of the generations of the generations of Adam & the generations of the sons of Noah \& those of Esau/ & the Wa book of the wars of the Lord, \& the Book of the Law/ & the |perhaps some other| writings of Moses composed \& the Patriarchs copied/ the Pentateuch in the form \& order of it/ now extant. ffor the Author of this Book set down the \Dukes &/ kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any king over Israel & therefore wrote it when \after/ there was a king in Israel & when tho|e|se last of those kings of Edom reigned, & by consequence before David conquered Edom. This is that Book of the Law which the Princes of Iudah in the third year of Iehosaphat cam had with them when they went throughout all the cities of Iudah & taught the people (2 Chron. 17.) & w^ch was lost in the rubbish of the Temple in the \wicked/ reign of Manassah|s| & found again in the \pious/ reign of his Son Iosiah, \& which Ezra read to the people, & w^ch Antiochus Epiphanes commanded to be burnt wherever it should be found./ If I mistake not Samuel composed also the Books of Ioshua Iudges & Ruth out of ancient Records. For the history of the Pentateuch is continued in these books, [& the Iews have a tradition that the Book of Ruth was writ by Samuel in honour of David;] \to the days of Samuel & David,/ & by several passages in the books of the Iu it appears that y^e Book of Ioshuah was writ after his death & that the books of the Iudges & Ruth were writ presently after the days of y^e Iudges when \& as soon as/ there was a king in Israel, & the Iews have a tradition that the Book of Ruth was writ by Samuel in honour of David.

The government by Courts of Elders continued in Iudea till the Babylonian captivty & then was abolished by the Chaldeans (Lament. 5.14) & at length restored by the Commission of Artaxerxes given to Ezra (Ezra 7.25, 26) & 10.14) & [these Courts were afterwards called the Sanhedrim & Synagogues of the Iews] \then at that time/ Nehemiah founding a Library gathered together the \scattered/ Acts of the Kings & the Prophets & of David & the Epistles of the Epistles of the Kings concerning the holy gifts. \[2 Maccab. 2.13/ & {illeg} out of these w^ch had been dispersed by the captivity, & out of these \Books Records/ did Ezra \being a ready Scribe/ copy|ied| the Books of Samuel Kings & Chronicles, composing the \two/ books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah & the \two/ books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel out of the Acts of those Kings, written by the Prophets, & copied in due order of time & drawing composing the 2 books of the Kings of Israel & Iudah out of those books of Chronicles, & adding the history of his own times to the \second/ books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah. |in due order of things we now extant \time/. ffor the Books of the Kings & Chronicles cite one another & therefore were written at one & the same time & the book transcribed in due order of time of Ezra was originally a part of the book of Chronicles, & this \now/ ending abruptly with the words with which the other begins.| And the Psalms & Prophets he reduced also into due order. And in the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes when the Iudas gathered together those things that were lost by lost by {sic} reason of the war \& left them in the order now extant./ 2 Macc. 2.14.] & the Book of Chronicles cites also the Book of Samuel the Seer, & the Book of Nathan the Prophet, & the book of Gad the Seer, & the book \Prophesy/ of Ahijah the Shilonite, & the Book of Shemajah the Prophet, & the {boo Comm} history of Iddo the Seer, &|the| book of Iehu the son of Hanani, & in the Prophesies of Isaiah, & therefore was copied out of these books & perhaps some others.

& out of these book \records/ Ezra being a ready scribe copied the Books of Samuel Kings & Chron Ezra in due c \Chronicles/ puting the Acts extracts together in due order of time. ffor the Book of Chronicles cites the book of Samuel \the Seer/ & the book of Kings, & the book of Nathan the Prophed {sic} & the book of Gad the Seer, & the Prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite & the book of Shemajah the Prophet & the Book history of Iddo the Seer & the book of Iehu the son of Hanani & the prophesies of Isaiah & therefore was extracted out of all these books. And the Book of Chro Kings mutually cites the books of the Chronicles, & therefore both these books were written at one & the same time. And the history of is|n| both these books is <29> continued down to the Babylonian captivity & that of the |in| the book of Chronicles to the return of the captivity under Cyrus & \therefore/ they were written in that captivity. And the book of Ezra was originally a part of the book of Chronicles & therefore they were written by Ezra. ffor the book of Chronicles now breaks off abruptly, & the book of Ezra begins with the la two last verses of the book of Chronicles & carries on the history. And the first book of Ezdras begins with the two last chapters of the book of Chronicles & carries on the history. ffor in the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes the holy books were scattered, & then Iudas Maccabæus gathered together those things that were lost by reason of the war 2 Macc. 2.14 And at that time the book of Ezra being broke of from the end of the book of Chronicles, was recollected by two different hands & reduced into y^e \two/ forms now extant in the books of Ezra & the first book of Esdras, & the story of the three young men \was/ inserted into y^e latter out of some other writing. For if that story be omitted the {forms} \books/ agree. And \at/ the same time a part of the Prophesies of Isaiah was scattered from y^e rest & added to y^e end of the Prophesy of Zechary \& the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel was lost/. Now that Ezra did not write the books of the Kings & Chronicles in his own stile but copied them out of former records I gather from hence, that where the books of the kings & Chronicles agree in sence they agree in words & \that/ the words of Isaiah are copied in both those books. And the Pentatech {sic} & books of Ioshua Iudges & Ruth seem to have been copied out of ancient Records by Samuel after the same manner. Samuel not using his own stile but keeping to the words of Moses & the Records, & only connecting what he transcribed out of several books.

When Christ was asked w^ch was the great commandm^t of the Lew {sic} he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God w^th all thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy stre mind. This is the first & great Commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law & the prophets. Mat. 22.36. For these two comprehend the moral religion of all nations. \this was the religion of the sons of Noah, Law established by Moses & the Prophets & is still in force. And/ The God here spoken of is the God of Noach \& the Patriarchs/, \②/ the God of whom Moses \creator of {illeg} who heaven & earth who/ said in the first Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods but me & in the fourth that he made heaven & earth & the sea & all that in them is. & |①| The God whom Moses the Israelites & the Prophets called the God of Gods Deut 10.17 Ios 22.22. Deu Psal. 136.2 Dan 4.7 & 11.36 \④/ The God of whom the Apostle Paul said, \There is none other God but one:/ For though the {sic} be that are called Gods \whether in heaven or in earth/ as there are Gods many & Lords many, yet to us there is but one God \the father/ of whom {illeg} are all things & we of \in/ him [& one Lord Iesus Christ & by whom are all things & we by him.] \1 Cor. 8.6/ \④/ The God of whom it was said \to the Catechumeni/ in all the Creeds of the primitive Greek Church, I beleive in one God, the father, \the/ almighty governour \in dominion/ the maker of heaven and earth & \of/ all things therein [& in one Lord Iesus Christ.] & in] And [this \one God/ is the foundation of all true religion,] the setting up of fals \other strange/ Gods being \is/ in scripture called a forsaking \& forgetting/ of the \one/ true God to go a whoring after other Gods \Deut. 6.12. & 7.4 & 8.14, {18} ‡ |‡ Deut. 29.18 & 31.16| Exod. 34.15, 16./, a \a forsaking &/ denying of the true God (Iob Iosh. 24.\20,/ 27 Iob 21.38. \Iude 4 &/ a denying of the father 1 Iohn 2.22), {illeg} w^ch is as \implies/ much as to say that it \Idolatry/ tends to Atheism & \therefore/ is in scripture accounted |w^ch language make it| a step towards atheism.

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When there was \arose/ a question about imposing the Law \of Moses/ upon the Gentiles & a Council \of the Apostles & Elders/ was called at Ierusalem to consider of this matter, the Council Iames the President of the Council or Bishop of the Church of Ierusalem {illeg} said My sentence is that we trouble not them who from among the Gentiles GENTILES are turned unto God: but that we write unto them that they abstein |[the| Gentiles] abstein from pollutions of Idols & from fornication & from things strangled & from blood. For [as for the Iews] Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every sabbath day. \Act 15.19, 20, 21. & 21.24, 25./ Which is as much as to say, that about about the Iews observation of the Law of Moses in the Synagogues of the coverted \by the/ Iews there is no dispute, {illeg} but as for those who from among the Gentiles are converted unto God \& Christ/, they are to \be/ looked upon {illeg}|as| Proselites of the Gate & nothing more is to be imposed upon them out of the Law then the Precepts of the sons of Noah. Circumcision is Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become [as one] uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision, let him not become circumcised. Circumcision is nothing & uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. Let every man abide in the same calling \[whether of circumcision or uncircumcision] bondsman, marriage or or freeman &c]/ wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7. ffor \Accordingly/ all the Church of Ierusalem kept the Law \Act. 21.20/ & so did Paul himself Act \18.18 &/ 21.22, 24. And because Timothy was born of a Iewish parent Paul circumcised him (Act 16.1, 3.) but would not suffer Titus a Greek to be circumcised because he was a Greek Gal. 2.3. And the Church of Ierusalem had Bishops of the circumcision till the Emperor Adrian, A.C. 135, banished all the Iews out of Iudea upon pain of death. And this disting|c|tion between the Churches of the circumcision & uncircumcision remained till the days of Irenæus who tells us

The Christian religion therefore among the Gentiles is nothing else then the Religion of the sons o the ancient religion of the sons of Noah with this addition that we are to beleive that Iesus is the Christ whom the I the son of God \or Messiah/ whom the Iews expected.

When Christ rose from the dead, he appeared - - - & communion.

Repentance & remission of sins relate to transgressions against the \moral/ Religion of the sons of Noah, compr or moral law \or moral Law of all nations/ comprehended by Christ in the two great commandments. We are to forsake - - - - - let him be accursed Gal 1.8, 9. They \Iudges or Elders/ that are to put the laws of God in execution, may explain them \to y^e ignorant people/ according to the best of their skill, (Ezra 7.25.) but if they impose their explications as a \divine/ law in any other words then those w^ch of the Law in w^ch the Law was at first delivered by divine authority, they sit in the throne of God shewing themselves that they are Gods \& act not only as Iudges \according to the law of God/ but also as &|l|egislators in matters of religions & the r conjunction with him God/ & if they err they change times & laws, & by repealing|e| the laws of God, & by changing times & la become apostates from tho|i|s|e| law|s| & magnify \oppose & exalt/ themselves above every God. |We are to keep to the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13. Titus 1.9, 14. & 2.8. & 1 Tim 6.3. to contend for the faith w^ch was once delivered to the saints Iude. 3. to teach no other doctrine 1 Tim. 1.3.|

Now since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining to his disciples Apostles the prophesies in Moses the Prophets & the Psalms concern {sic} himself & sending his|them| disciples to teach his interpretations to all nations:

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In matters of Religion before \untill before/ the coming of Christ, the first & great commandment was, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul & w heart & with all thy soul & with all thy strength mind. And the second i|wa|s like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets. Mat. 22.37.

To become a Christian was to repent from dead works & bel receive what was taught in {illeg} the beginning of Christianity in chatechizing in order to Baptism & Communion & to be baptized. A

Repentance from dead works was upon convention t before baptism was repentance from the breach of these

To become a christian was to receive what was taught \in Catechising/ in the beginning of Christianity in order to Baptism & Communion in order to Baptism & to be baptized & admitted into communion \thereupon/. And nothing more was to be imposed afterwards upon condition of communion. Other things were to be taught \after Baptism/ but not imposed as necessary to communion.

One of the things taught in Catechising was repentance from dead works, that is, from the bre\a/ches of the said two great commandm^ts. And this repentance is called forsaking the World the flesh & the Devil. To forsake the Devil is to forsake all false Gods, the worship of w^ch is a breach of the first & great commandment. To forsake the World [& the Flesh is to fo\r/sake all covetousness of riches & honours repent of covetousness & ambition so as to relinqui & unlawful lusts, so as to forsake them, that {is} & these \& these things occasion trangressions against the {illeg} second commandment & are/ by the Apostle Iohn called thus|e| lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye & the pride of life & said to be the law of the world & not of God , &.] is to abandon the love of the things {illeg} \of this world/ called by the Apostle Iohn the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life, that is, the inordinate desire of weomen riches & honour, \or lust |or effeminacy covetousness & ambition|/ which are the root of all evil against your \our/ neighbour, & the fountains of uncharitableness.

Another thing taught in cha\a/techising was faith towards God. When we Proselytes were to be baptized in the name of the father son & Holy Ghost & in order thereunto they were to be taught who were the father son & holy Ghost. In And the summa\r/y of this doctrine is called the Creed, & by the Apostle Paul, ffaith in \towards/ God. And all that was taught in cathechising is by him called Milk for Babes & the first Principles of the doctrine of X^t Oracles of God & of the doctrine of Christ. When, saith he, for the time \[since your conversion]/ ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one \[cathechize you &]/ teach you again [in Catechizing] which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God, & are become such as have need of Milk & not of strong meat. ffor every one that useth milk is a babe \[unexperienced &]/ unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe: but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even to those who by rease {sic} of use have have {sic} their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. Therefore leaving the Principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection, not laying

And as for the Christian worship, we may \are authorized in Scripture to/ give glory & honour to God - - of Christs death. All this is {con} was practised by the Christians in the Apostles days from the time of their admission into communion, {illeg} \&/ is included in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, & is sufficient to salvation. And if any one contend for any other worsh sort of worship which he cannot prove to have \been taught & practised/ practised in the Apostles days, he may use it in his closet without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.

Since Christ after his resurrection taught his disciples out of Moses & the Prophets & Psalms what he sent them to teach all nations, & the Apocalyps (a Prophesy given by himself) is full of references to the prophesies of the old Testament for explaining them: We are in studying the scriptures to com < insertion from p 33 > compare the old Testament with the new, wherever & explain \each of/ them by the relation they have to one another, {illeg} [& to beware of [old wives fables & oppositions of science falsly so called & endless genealogies, \& profane & vain bablings & perverse disputes/] philophy {sic} & vain deceipt after the tradition of men & [such as were in the Cabala of the Pharisees & Metaphysical Theologies of the Egyptians Chaldeans \Persians/ & Greeks.] & old wives fables opp endles \old wives fables &/ oppositions of science falsly so called & endless genealogies: [such as are \were/ in the Cabala of the Pharisees & Metaphysical Theologies of the \heathens in/ Egyptians Chaldeans Persiaans & Greeks & Greece, & w whence arose the old wives fables & prophane & vain bablings & perverse disputes of the] And by this means we shall understand that Iesus is called the Christ or Messiah to signify that he is called the Christ or Messiah to signify {sic} - - - - with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked. And so in the prophesy of Hosea God saith that he hath hewed Ephraim & Iudah by his prophets & slain them by the words of his mouth Hosea 6.5. And <34> And the Gospel was \is/ that Iesus the son of Mary is the Christ the son of God & rose was crucified \& was sacrificed for us upon the Cross/, \&/ the third day rose again from the dead |&| ascended into heaven \&/ sitteth on the right hand of God \is said to sit on the right hand of God to express his/ being next to him in dignity & dominion, & shall come again to judge \& reign over/ the quick & the dead raised again to life, & that upon his resurrection \ascention/ he sent the Holy Ghost to comfort his disciples, & assist them in preaching this Gospel to all nations.

< text from p 31 resumes > <32>

Here the Apostle under the name of milk for babes comprehends all that was to be taught before baptism & admission into communion, & all under the name of strong meats \he comprehends/ all that was {illeg} to be learnt afterwards. & compreh \by studying the Scriptures or {hearing} their teachers otherwise./ \And/ since strong meats are not fit for babes, it is certain that they were not to be imposed on all men, but only to be learnt by such as \after admission into communion/ were able to learn them. And by consequence men were not to damn or excommunicate one another or treat one another as heretiques & \or/ quarrel one another {sic} \or hate one another or despise or censure one another/ for not knowing them. Every man after admission into communion was to study the scriptures, & especially the Prophesies & to learn as \much as/ he could out {sic} them, & to \might/ instruct his neighbour in a friendly \manner/ but not to fall out with him for differing in opinion about any thing w^ch was not imposed before baptism & admission into communion. For this \sort of enmity/ is contrary to the rule of Charity imposed upon all men in the second of the two great commandm^ts.

All Christians agree that we may ② invoke God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus X^t for what we want, & ① give honour & glory to him & thanks to him \him/ |God y^e F| for creating all things & giving \us/ our daily bread & to the Lamb of God who was slain for us & hath redeemed us with his blood, & \that we may/ wish for grace & peace from God & the Lam Christ & the Holy Ghost, & receive the Eucharist in memory of Christs death. And all this \worship/ is included in the first principles of the Oracles \doctrine/ of God \Christ/, & is sufficient for salvation. And if any man hath a mind to add to this worship, he may do it in his chamb closet without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.

All Christians agree that we may inv give glory & honour to God the father because he hath created all things & to the Lamb of God because he hath redeemed us with his blood, & that we may invoke the f \pray to/ God the father in the name of Christ for what we want & give him thanks for what we receive & wish for grace & peace in the name of \from/ God & Christ & the Holy Ghost, & baptize in their name, & receive the Eucharist in memory of Christs death. And all this worship \& practise/ is included in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ & is sufficient for salvation And if any man hath a mind to add to this worship, he may do it in his closet without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.

If you would know the meaning of the several names given to Christ in preaching the Gospel, you are not to have recourse \not/ to Meth|a|physicks & Philosophy but to y^e scriptures of the old Testament. ffor Christ sent not his disciples to pre\a/ch Metaphysicks & Philoso to y^e common people & to their wives & children, but instructed the expounded to them the scriptures of the \out of Moses &/ the Prophets \& Psalms/ the things concerning himself & opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures & then sent them to teach all nations what he had taught them. And the Apostle bids us beware of vain philosophy. If you would therefore know why Christ \Iesus/ is called the Christ, the son of God, the son of man, the Lamb of God, the Word of God, &c you must have recourse to the old Testament, & there you will find that he is called the Christ or Messiah to signify that he is the Messiah who was spoken of in Daniels Prophesy of the 70 weeks,|.| t|T|he son of man to signify that he is the person of whom Daniel writes in saying, I saw \Behold/ one like {sic} son of man came with the clouds of heaven: & there was given him dominion & glory & a kingdom that all people nations & languages should serve & obey him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion. &c. The son of God to signify that he is the person spoken of in the second Psalm in these words: The Lord hath said unto me Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee Ask of me & I will give the heathen for thine inheritance & the ends of the earth for thy possession: thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, & thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel. The Lamb of God to signify that he was prefigured in the Paschal Lamb ordeined by Moses The Word of God.

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He is \also/ called Michael to signify that \in/ Apoc 12), to signify \& this/ with reference to y^e same name in Daniel chap \10 &/ 12, to signify that he is that Michael \the great Prince/ who in the end of the world shall stand up for the children of Daniels people & who in the days of Daniel helped the Angel Gabriel against the Prince of the kingdom of Persia & who alone held with \& assisted/ the Angel Gabriel in matters of prophesy & is there called the Prince of Daniels people, & by consequence is the Prince of the Host & the Prince of Princes spoken of in Daniels prophesy of the Ram & He Goat. And \from/ the last horn of Daniels the He Goat w^ch stands up against the|is| Prince of Princes, is the {antiChrist} \name/ Antichrist hath been taken. But these difficulter points are to be referred \recconed/ rather to among the stronger meats then to be among the first principles of the doctrine of Christ.

And so the name of Antichrist has been taken from the old Testament & has relation to the last horn of the He Goat w^ch stood up against the {illeg} magnified it self against |y^e| Prince of the Host & stood up against the Prince of Princes. Dan. 8. But these difficulter points are to be recconed among the strong meats \for men of riper years/ rather then among the first Principles of the doctrine of Christ.

On the contrary we are to bear with one anothers infirmities, & to beware of offending our weak brethren in \doing/ things w^ch in themselves are lawfull but through their weakness give them offence & the weak must be also tender in judging their brethren in things of whose lawfulness they themselves are not \yet/ satisfied. ffor we are all the servants of God & Christ & have no authority to judge one another. See Rom. XIV & XV & I. Cor. III.

|The strong in faith knowledge must not despise the weak & the weak must not judge y^e strong| We are all the servants of Christ & have no authority to judge anothe one another who art thou that judgest another mans servant? t|T|o his own master he standeth or falleth. The \If thou beleivest that/ flesh & wine & a holy day \&c to/ be \are/ lawfull yet \but yet/ if thy brother thinks otherwise it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor \to impose or/ do any thing else whereby thy thy weak brother stumbleth or is made weak offended or made weak. Hast thou faith {on} in things not fundamental? have it to thy self. [See Rom XIV & XV, & I Cor. III.] For they that are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weak & not to please their selves. Rom. XIV & XV, & I Cor. III.

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¹ The true religion consists in three principal duties our duty towards God towards our neigbour \our duty towards o^r neighbour/ & \our duty/ towards Iesus Christ. // ² Our duty towards God beleif of a God & our duty towards him consists in t is the foundation of all religion. We are to beleive that there is one everliving omnipresent omnipotent omniscient \invisible/ {illeg} God whom {we} the creator of heaven & earth & \of/ all things therein. ³ \That/ He is by the n what he is by the necessity of nature & |y^t| all other things are what they are by the power of his will. He is \7 We are to consider him as/ invisibly present to us at all times & in all places & that he knows all that we say or do: for in him we live & move & have o^r being. He \&/ N|W|e are not to name him ras\h/ly & upon light occasions nor to speak of him but with all respect & veneration \nor to ascribe any thing absurd or contradictious to his nature or actions: for this is making {c)}/. ⁴ We are to beleive \conceive/ him void of shape external shape, \or bounds, a being/ intangible incorporeall \&/ invisible & therefore incorporeal for whom no eye hath seen or can see, a bein & therefore also incorporeal. ⁵ A being immoveable [because necessarily in all places so y^t no place can be without him] \& indivisible/ & the first cause of motion in all other things ffor he is necesarily in all places alike so that no place can be \subsist/ without him or be emptier or fuller of him then it is by the necessity of nature. A To this God & to him alone we are bound to give glor {sic} in gr ⁶ A being whose wisdom \& power/ is manifested in the frame contrivance & frame of the world & the things therein & particularly \in that/ of the bodies of animals. ¹⁰ To this God \& to him alone/ we are bound in duty \gratitude/ to give prais & honour & glory & thanks \morning & evening/ for creating all things & for giving us our daily bread & \such/ other blessings \w^ch |as| we receive/ & delivering us from |y^e| evil|s| \w^ch we escape/. ¹¹ To this God & to him alone we are to pray for what we want, even without {his} seeing him without his appearing \tho he does not appear to us/ to us {sic} because he is always present without ever appearing: to other beings w^ch move from place to place & sometimes {illeg} appear we may \safely speak/ whenever they appear. |The worship wchich {sic} is due to this God we are to give to no other nor to ascribe any thing absurd or contradictious to his nature or actions least we be found to blaspheme him or to deny him or to make a step towards atheism or irreligion| {& those} This God we are to love with all our heart & with all our soul & with all our strength mind: This is the first & great commandment:

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. Vpon these two hang all the T {sic} Law & the Prophets. The|se| two commandments always have & always will be be the duty of all nations |&| The coming of Iesus Christ has made no alteration in them. & \For/ a|A|s often as manking|d| have|s| swerved from them God has made a reformation. When y^e sons of Adam erred & the thoughts of their heart became evil continually God selected Noah to people a new world & when y^e posterity of Noah transgressed & began to give invoke & sacrifice to dead men God selected Abraham & his posterity & when they transgressed in Egypt God reformed them by Moses & when they the Prophets & when they relapsed to idolatry & immorality God sent Prophets to reform them & punished them by the Bablonian {sic} captivity & when they that returned from captivity mixed human inventions w^th the law of Moses under the name of traditions & laid the stress of religion not upon the acts of the mind but upon outward acts & ceremonies God sent Christ to reform them & when the nation received him not God called the Gentiles, & now the Gentiles have corrupted themselves we may expect that God in due time will make a new reformation. And in all the reformations \of religion/ hitherto made the religion in respect of God & our neighbour is one & the same & {this} \religion/ (barring ceremonies & forms of government w^ch are of a changeable nature) so that this is the oldest religion in the world & All other religions have been set on foot for politiqꝫ ends, this is of a contrary natur{e.} The heathens out of flattery worshipped the ancestors of their kings & the Mahometans the founder of their Empire \such religions men are prone to/: but Abraham fled his country for \the sake of/ his religion & Christ & his disciples suffered death persecutions even unto death for 300 years together for the sake of theirs.

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Now to this ancient religion there was added a new duty upon the death & resurrection of Iesus Christ a new duty that w^ch relates to Gods government of y^e world, namely that we should beleive that God \hath/ raised Iesus Christ from y^e dead [& will at length rais exalted him above all men & made him their Iudge & king] & will at length raise all men from y^e dead to be judged by him & rewarded according to their deeds & that God hath given Iesus Christ a kingdom to be selected out of the best of those men who rise from the dead, whose sins shall be remitted at the request of Iesus Christ by God almighty at the request of Iesus Christ. For all men \except Christ/ are sinners & can might in justice be punished for their sinns:|.| b|B|ut as it is Christ has merited by his obedience to God & particularly by his submitting to God's \will/ even to dye an ignominious & painful death upon the Cross as an example to teach us \absolute/ obedience in all things to God's will, has so far pleased God as to merit of him a kingdom & that God should forgive the sins of all those whom he shall chuse to be his subjects & {illeg} therefore he is said to have made an attonement for us & to have \satisfied Gods wrath &/ merited our pardon & to have washed away our sins in his blood & made us kings & Priests. For a man to forgive his enemies even \injuries/ without satisfaction \made to him/ is no injustice. It's an act of mercy & more commendable then to forgive o^r Enemies \injuries/ upon satisfaction made. Its our duty to do so as duti & God has \in effect/ commanded us d|t|o do it if we expect to have our sins forgiven. And that w^ch is an act of mercy, a duty a \commanded a commendable/ meritorious act in us cannot be injustice in God. If we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us & the meaning of the prayer is that we as God would forgive us as we forgive others without a legal satisfaction the done to us by way of justice the meaning that God would be merciful to us as we are merciful to others & forgive us as we forgive others {illeg} without insisting upon justice. {illeg} Certainly God is as able as we are |it is as for \lawful for God as for us/| to forgive injuries without satisfaction of justice. Our forgiving a malefactor may If we may forgive notwithstanding a malefactor tho we do not know but that it may redound to the injury of another by the \future/ misdemeanours of that malefactor, much more may God forgive malefactors who for\e/knows the consequence of all things. when\ever/ he foreknows that it will be of no ill consequence. If a favorite of a king by sev serving his|m| Prince has gained his favour, & by interceding with the king \him/ for an offender who has deserved death, \make a reconciliation &/ obteins the a pardon for the offender, this is satisfying the kings wrath appeasing the kings wrath, satisfying his justice, meriting the offenders pardon, & making an attonem^t & \reconciliation/ for him: then without paying a debt by way of equity: \&/ why may not Christ have done all this without paying a debt for us by way of an equivalent. If Christ by his death has merited a kingdom & without his merit no such kingdom would have been erected we may tis certain that without his merit no such kingdom would have been erected, & we must have been content w^th such a state as would have fallen to o^r lot without the erecting of such a kingdom. And therefore whatever advantage we hope to receive in his kingdom is owing to his merits.

Now upon account of the benenefit {sic} we are in hopes to receive by Christs deathe we are in gratitude to love him to honour him to \& honour him/ & to behave our selves towards him as our lord & king. For tho there be gods many & Lords many yet to us there is but one God the <37> father of whom are all things & one Lord Iesus Chr we by by in him & one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things & we by him.

Now our duty to Christ is in point of gratitude \is/ to love him as he loved us, to direct our prayer to god in his name & to give him glory & honour & thanks because he \hath/ redeemed us with his \as he is the great High Priest wh Lamb of God & the great High Priest who hath offered himself a sacrifice for us to his ffa God & redeemed us with his blood/ blood {sic} & to to beleive all things that that he is the great Prophet to whom alone God reveales himself immediately \& whose testimony is the spirit of prophesy/ & who is therefore called the Word of God, to beleive that he is the great High Priest who offers up our prayers to God & in whose name we are to direct all our prayers to the father, to beleive that he is the great king, the king of kings & lords of lords & on that account to ✝ obey \all/ his commands & to give him glory & honour

Now our duty to Christ in point o to love him as he loved us, to

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9 This God is called by several names in several respects, as ² Iehova, {illeg} Iah, He that is & was & is to come, in respect of his ever living: ³ Elohim, El, {illeg} God & Lord \& King/ in respect of his dominion & power over us who in y^e same respect are {illeg} called his|the| servants \of God/: ffa ¹ Creator & ffather in respect of his being the first \cause &/ author & {cause} of all things. ¹⁰ To this God &c. ¹¹ To this God & to him alone we are to pray for what we want: And this is his privilege that we above all other beings that we may speak to m{illeg}|ay| pray to him without his appearing to us, \& we are to do it/ by way of acknowledgement that he & he alone is always present \without ever appearing/ & hears & sees & knows all we say or do without ever apearing without ever being heard or seen. To other beings w^ch move from place to place & sometimes appear we may safely speak when ever they appear to us. But the worship w^ch is due to the God of Abraham we are to give to no other \{being}/ least we make a stept {sic} towards idolatry & atheism. ffor all idolatry tends to atheism. And for the same reason we are to ascribe nothing to his nat \impossible/ contradictious absurd indecent or foolish to his nature or actions. This God we are to love with all our heart & with all our soul & with all our mind. This the first & great commandment

2 And the second is like unto it

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In matters of Religion in all ages the first & great commandment is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. And the second is like und|t|o it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour of as thy self. On these two hung all the Law & the Prophets. Mat 22.27.

When Christ rose from the dead he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning his disciples \appeared to his disciples to prove to them his resurrection & expounded to them/ out of Moses & all the Prophets & the Psalms & the Psalms the things concerning himself, viz^t how that y^e Christ ought to suffer & to rise from y^e dead y^e 3^d day & to enter into his his {sic} glory, & that he was the Christ in whom all these things were fulfilled & that repentance & remission of Sins \(committed that is against the two great commandm^ts)/ should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Ierusalem. Luke 24.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 44, 45, 46, 47. \& that he would send the promise of his father upon them, the Holy Spirit whereby they should be/ And that upon his resurrection from the dead all power was given him in heaven & in earth, & he would send the promise of his father upon \them/ (viz^t the Holy Ghost) whereby they should be endued with power from on high, & should then go & teach all nations what he had \now/ taught them, & \should/ baptize them in the name of the father & of the son & of the Holy Ghost, & {God}|{y^t}| he would be with them & their disciples & the disciples of their disciples always unto the end of the world. \And after these things he ascended up into heaven from whence he shall come to judge the {sic} in their sight & they were told by an Angel that he should come again in the same manner as they saw him ascend. And all this is the Gospel./ Mat 28.18, 19, 20. Luke 24.49, 50. And all this is the Gospel which Christ taught his disciples after his resurrection, & sent them to teach all nations, & w^ch the first Christians were taught in catechising them before baptism.

Repentance & remission of sins relates to the transgressions against the two first commandments. We are to forsake the Devil that is all fals Gods & all manner of Idolatry this being a breach of the first & great commandment. And we are to forsake \the flesh &/ the world & the flesh, or as S^r {sic} Iohn expresses it, c|C|ovetousness & Idolatry the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life; that is unlawfull unchastity covetousness & amp|b|ition; these things being a breach of the second C great of the two great Commandments. And we are to beleive in one God the father almighty in dominion, the maker of heaven & earth & in one Lord Iesus Christ the son of God, born of a Vir who was born of a Virgin crucified, & \& sacrificed for us on the Cross &/ the third day rose again from the dead, \&/ ascended into heaven, sitteth \&/ \is said to sit sitteth/ on the right hand of God, \to expr signify his/ being next to him in honour & power, & shall come again to judge the quick & the dead \raised again to life/, & who \so/ before his ascention sen sent the Holy Ghost to comfort his disciples. \and to assist them in teaching all/ This repentance f & \this/ faith was taught in catechising \from the beginning in the eastern churches/ & was sufficient for baptism communion & salvation. [And to damn or exclude from communion such men as beleive & practise all this \would be/ an act of uncharitableness.

This repentance & \this/ faith with \&/ Baptism & admission into communion by imposition of hands, \is by/ the Apostle calls|ed| milk for Babbes & the first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. Those things w^ch are to be learnt after admission into communion he calls stronge meats for men of riper years. Heb. 5.12, 13, 14 & 6.1, 2. / And strong meats are not fit for Babes & therefore are not to be imposed on all Christians including Babes. Every man is to be fed with milk untill he be baptized & admitted into <40> T|A|nd Pausanias tells us that the Belus at Babylon had his name from Belus an Egyptian, the son of Libya. <41> communion. And nothing more is to be imposed before as necessary to communion & salvation then what was taught (from the beginning of the Gospel) before baptism & admission into communion. Men are afterwards to study the scriptures \to the end of their lives/ & learn as much as they can out of them & live accoding {sic} to what they learn. &|And| these \things/ the Apostle calls strong meats for men of riper years who have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. \And/ The \feeding on these meats/ he calls going on unto perfection. But when we have learnt any of these things we are not to impose them upon o^r neighbours. We may endeavour to instruct our neighbours \teach them to him/ in a friendly manner, but \if he is weak & unable to receive them/ we are not to fall out with the|i|m about them; much less are we to pronounce him damned or tax him with heresy or break communion with him, or to hurt him in his body or goods on that account. But o|O|n the contrary the strong must not despise the weak nor \and/ the weak \must not/ judge & censure the strong: but all men who agree in the fundamental principles of religion [must \continue to/ love one another {illeg} notwithstanding their differences in opinions about the higher m] by the Apostle called milk for babes must \be tender towards one another &/ continue to love one another notwithstanding any differences in opinions concerning the higher points of religion \by him/ called strong meats for them of riper years. Hast thou faith in these higher matters, have it to thy self & do not give offence to thy weak brother for whom Christ died by imposing more upon thy weak brother \him/ then he can bear or then Christ hath imposed, & thereby running him into prejudice \prejudicing him/ against the Christian religion. For this is contrary to y^e second of the two great commandments, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. And from this sort of uncharitableness almost all the warrs & discords which have been among Christians in relation to religion, have had their rise, &

{illeg} Now concerning the faith w^ch Christ taught his disciples after his resurrections & sent them to teach all nations before baptism it is to be observed that he taught it out of the old Moses & the Prophets & Psalms, opening their understandings that they might the Scriptures \understand what was written/ concerning him. And therefore for understanding this faith aright we must have recourse the {sic} prophesies of the old Testament concerning him, & w^ch were fulfilled by his in him. And \the chief of/ these prophesies are pointed at by the several names given to him with relation to them & explain those names. He is called the {illeg} Christ or Messiah to signify that he is that Messiah who was annointed by his death at the end of Daniels 70 weeks of years; the son of Man to signify that he is tha|e|t person whom Daniel saw \like the son of Man/ coming in the clouds of heaven to receive a kingdom that all nation sh people nations & languages should serve him: the son of God to signify that he is the person of whom God said, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee; ask of me & I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance & the ends of the earth uttermost parts of the earth for thine inherit thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron & dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel. Psal. 2. He is called the Lamb of God to in|to| signify that he was typified in the Paschal Lamb instituted by Moses, & said to sit on the right hand of God & to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck to signify that he is the person spoken of the 110^th Psalm. He is \called the/ word of God with a two edged sword coming out of his mouth to signify that he is the person spoken of in Isaiah (ch. 11) whom God should make of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord to judge the poor with righteousness, & who shall smite the earth with the rod \[or, according to the 70, with the word]/ of his mouth & with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked. He is <42> He is called the God who was in the beginning with God to signify that he was that God who walked in Paradise in the cool of the day & sentenced Adam & Eve & the Serpent, & by whom God the father made all things in the beginning & gave the promisses to the Patriarchs. So then for understanding these names of Christ we are to have recourse unto the old Testament & to beware of vain Philosophy. ffor Christ sent his Apostles not to teach Philosophy to the common people & to their wives & children but to teach what he had taught them out of Moses & the Prophets & Psalms concerning himself.

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The fundamentals of the Christian religion are those \& only those/ things w^ch the primitive Christians were taught in catechising & instructing \them/ in order to baptism. And those were to forsake the Devil, the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life & to beleive in one God, \&/ one Lord & ^[17] in the Holy Ghost. To forsake the Devil is to forsake the worship of Demons or Ghosts & of all fals Gods whatsoever collectively called the Devil. To forsake the lusts of the flesh is to forsake all unlawful desires of weomen. To forsake the lust of the eye & the pride of life is to forsake covetousness & ambition the roots of all evil. \These vices we are to forsake as being contrary to the Duty fundamental Duty of loving o^r neighbours as o^r selves/ To beleive in one God & |in| one Lord \& in the Holy Ghost/ is to beleive in them aright in order to practise \our duty towards them/. In one God the God of the Patriarchs, \the/ Iews & the Christians, the father who hath life in himself & hath given the Son to have life in himself, the author of life to all intelligent beings, the Almighty \or universal dominion \monarch// Παντοκράτωρ, \that is/ the supreme & universal governour of the Vniverse, the maker of heaven & earth & \of/ all things therein visible & invisible. T In one Lord, the Son who hath received life from the father, & was slain for us, & rose again the th from the dead, & ascended into heaven, & \who/ sitteth at the right hand of God to express his being next to the father in dignity & dominion is said to sit at the right hand of God \the father/, & who shall retu come again to judge the & reign over the quick who remain alive in |y^e| flesh, & the dead whom he shall raise again to life & reward according to their works at his coming & his kingdom. \for he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet, the last of w^ch is death, that is till all the dead are raised & judged./ And in the Holy Ghost whom Christ promised to send to confort the elect \to assist & comfort them/ & to shew them things to come. In one God whom we are to worship with praises, thanks-giving & prayer \because he is able to hear & help us/ & with praises & thanks-giving because he created all things & gives us our daily bread \for his pleasure they are & were created/. In one Lord in whose name we are to invoke the fa God the father, & {illeg} \to/ whom we are to worship with give worship by giving him glory & honour & praise & thanks as the Lamb of God who was slain for us & hath redeemed us with his blood. And in the Holy Ghost as the \or/ Spirit of {illeg} truth from whom we are to wish & the father & Son we are to wish for grace & peace & truth \& knowledge/ & comfort. And because of this dependance of the Church upon all three, we are baptized in their all their names & before baptism are taught who they are catechized & taught who they are {illeg} taught who they are in whose name we are to be baptized that we may be baptized in their names. And upon these professions promisses & covenants being baptized & admitted into communion men are not afterwards to be excommunicated without breaking one more of the{illeg} Articles or Covenants upon w^ch they were admitted. By \Chatechizing &/ Baptism men are \made disciples of Christ &/ admitted into the visible body of Christians. {illeg} disco By impositions of |y^e| hands of the Presbytery {illeg} of any particular church they are admitted into the society & communion of that Church. By or corporation ecclesiastick. By communicatory Letters from that Church to other {illeg} p Churches they are admitted into the Communion of other Churches, & by excommunication \for any fact which can be repented of/ they are deprived of Communion expelled that Church or corporation of Christians & return into the state of such wicked men baptized but not yet admitted into communion & therefore upon repentance they are not rebaptized but ony readmitted into communion. But if they relaps into a state of \turn unbelievers and are justly are excommunicated for/ infidelity, they relaps \return/ into the state they were in before baptism, & w^thout new baptism, (w^ch is not allowed,) they are not to be readmitted into the Church. |Se| Heb. VI.4, 5, 6. All this is what the Apostle calls the first p|P|rinciples of the Oracles of God & the Principles of the t|d|octrine of Christ, & the milk w^ch is to be given to babes who are not yet skilled in the word of righteousness. And the foundation of these Principles being once laid we are to \practise what we have been taught & study the scriptures & become teachers of others \&// go on unto perfection & become teachers of others & to study the scriptures that we may become able teach <44> grow|ing| {sic} \in grace &/ in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus X^t & become able teachers & by reason of use |to| havi|e|ng our senses exercised to discern both good & evil. [For if after we have been fed with the milk of the milk of {sic} the first principles we do not go on unto perfection using strong meats w^ch belong to them of riper full age, but by disuse & negligence] not laying again the foundatio not forgetting the first Principles & laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith towards God [& the Lord \& H. Spirit/] & of the resurrection of the dead & eternal judgment & o the doctrine of baptisms [in their name] & of the r laying on of hands, & of that d the resurrection of the dead & eternal judgment [included in that doctrine.] This foundation being once laid we are \to leave these first principles of the Doctrine of Christ & to/ to go on forward if god permit. For if after we have been fed with the milk w^ch belongs to them of full age babes we do not go on unto perfection using strong meats w^ch belong to them of riper years full age but by disuse & negligence grow weak & faint in our duty & & fall away so as to need to be fed with milk anew, our case grows desperate. & we For it is impossible for those who have been were once enlightend & have tasted of the heavenly gift & were made partakers of the Holy Ghost if they shall fall away, to renew them to repentance [by new chatechizing] unto repentance [from dead works in order to a second baptism] seing they [sin against the Holy Ghost] &] crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh & put him to an open shame.

It behoves us therefore after we have been once cath|e|chized baptized & admitted into communion, to exercise our selves in the practise of those things w^ch we have promised to perform \that we may make them habitual/ & to study the scriptures for improveing our selves in the knowledge of those things which tend to a good life & yet are not necessary to communion, & to instruct & enlighten one another in the knowledge & fear of of {sic} our Lord. And this we are to do in love & charity without beaking {sic} communion or falling out with one another. The strong are not to despise the weak & the weak are not to judge the strong: but where they differ in opinions they are to beare with one another in all meekness humility & love. ffor if the strong impose their opinions as conditions of communion they preach another gospel & become schismaticks, & if the weak set up contrary opinions as conditions of communion, they do the like are become guilty of the like offences. To fall out about these matters is to become carnal & \to/ relaps into the state of b|B|abes, & to need to be catechized anow in the doctri fundamental doctrine of \abandoning the lust of the eye & the pride of life &/ loving our neighbour as our selves. ffor upon such an \the like/ occasion the Apostle tells the Corinthians^[18] that he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual [men] but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you, saith he with milk & not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it,] neither yet now are ye able; For ye are carnal. ffor whereas [there are \is/] among you envying & strife & divisions are ye not carnal & walk as men acc{illeg}ording to [the ways of] men carnal] men. For while one saith, I am of Paul, & another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?

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The first Article of the Creed was the faith of Noah & and his posterity till they corrupted themselves. It was the faith of \which/ Abraham received by a tradition from Noah & for the sake of which he left his native country when they began to worship other Gods & Idols. It was the faith enjoyned by God in the first of the ten Commandments, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.|;| That is, {t} that is, in thy worship Thou shalt have no other Gods in thy worship before me. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God & him only shalt thou serve. Thou shalt not give the to Angels \or Intelligences/ or Ghosts or \or the Sun moon & Stars or to/ any other Gods that or \Beings real or feigned that/ worship w^ch is due to me, but thou shalt give it me alone. We may give the name of Gods to other Beings as is frequently done in scripture. Aaron shall be to thee a mouth [or Prophet \or Λογος/] & thou shalt be to him a God|OD| Exod IV.16. See I have made thee a GOD to Pharaoh & Aaron shall be thy Prophet Exod VII.1. I have said, ye are Gods|ODS|, but ye shall dye like men Psal. LXXXII. {illeg} 6. Is it not written in your law, I said ye are GODS. If he called them Go|O|DS to whom the word of God came & the Scripture cannot be broken &c Iohn X.34, 35. Thou shalt not revile the Gods|ODS| nor speak evil of the ruler of thy people, Exod. XXII.28. Then Manaoh knew that he was an Angel of the Lord & Manaoh said, We shall dye because we have seen God|OD| Iud. XIII.22. There are GODS many & Lords many 1 Cor. VIII.5. The Angel of the Lord appeared to unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush - & said, I am the G|OD| of thy father &c Exod. III.2, 6. They heard the voyce of God walking in the Garden Gen. III.8. There are Gods many & Lords many 1 Cor VIII.5. The Lord your GOD God is God of GODS & Lord of Lords Deut 10.17. The Lord God of Go|O|DS Ios. XXII.22 Psal CXXXVI.2 Dan. XI.36. Angels & Princes who have power & dominion over us we may call Gods but we are to have no other Gods in our worship but him who in the fourth commandment is called said to have made the heaven & earth; which is the character of God the father.

The second Article was added to th of the Creed was added to the first upon the resurrection of Christ from the dead. At that time all power \& authority/ was given him in heaven & in earth Matt. XXVIII.18. A ffrom thence for At that time God made Iesus whom the Iews had crucified both Lord & Christ. Act. II.36. He was annointed by By his death he was annointed to be the Prince of Israel, & from that annointing had the name given him of the Messiah or Christ, & ascending up to heaven he sat down at the right hand of God, being \that is, became/ next in dignity to the father, or as is exprest in the Apocalyps, he sat down in his fathers throne as the saints are to sit down in his throne. And hence forward God |Because he became obedient to death even the deat|therefore| God highly exalted him &| gave him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in heaven & things in earth & things under the earth & that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father. This {illeg} το εἰναι ἰσα Θεω, |t|he|i||s| being worshipped as the Lord, he did not assume tho before his incarnation he was in the form of ἐν μορφὴ Θεου, but humbled himself by his incarnation & laying aside the μορφὴ Θεου took upon himself the μορφὴ δουλου \& was made in fashion as a man/ & being found in fashion as a man humbled him became obedient unto death even the death of the cross & therefore God highly exalted him & gave him the name above every name that he should be worshipped as the Lord by all the creation. And hence forward it became an article of faith to beleive in one Lord Iesus Christ. And tho we are to worship him, yet \we are to do it without we are not to break|ing| the first commandment/ to us there is no |to be| (in our worship) no other God but one. For tho there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be Gods many & Lords many) yet to us (|[|in our worship] there is but one God the father of whom are all things & we in him, & one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things & we by him. 1 Cor. VIII.5. F We are not to <48> not to give the worship of the father to the son nor the worship of the Son to the to the father but to worship each with that worship w^ch is peculi proper & peculiar to him. We are not to invoke the Son in the name of the father but on the contrary to invoke the name of the {sic} father in the name of the Son. We are not to give worship \glory to/ the father because he was slain for us & \nor/ to the son because he created all things, but on the contrary we are to give glory & honour to the father because he created all things & to the son because he was slain for us. worship the father as {the} God {o}        in our worship to observe the dictates to conform our worship to the dictates of our Creed. We are to worship the father as the God of the Patriarchs the one \Lord/ God almighty maker of heaven & earth & the son as the one Lord Iesus Christ who was slain for us & hath redeemed us with his bloo{k}|d|. ‖ For this form of worship is plain \also/ /plainly\ prescribed to us in the Apocalyps where the scene of the visions is in the Temple & God \the father/ is represented sitting there upon his throne that is, above the Ark between the Cherubims, & the son is represented in the form of a Lamb receiving the book of prophesy from him that sitteth upon the throne & the Presbytery & People are represented by four & twenty Elders & four Beasts in the court worshipping in the courts of the Temple. And the four Beasts rest not day & night (or morning & evening) saying Holy, holy holy Lord God almighty w^ch was & is & is to come. And when those Beasts give glory & honour & thanks to him that sitteth upon the throne who liveth for ever & ever, the four & twenty Elders fall down before him that sat upon the throne & worship him that liveth for ever & ever & cast their crowns before throne {sic} saying, Thou art worthy {illeg} o Lord to receive glory & honour & power: for thou hast created all things & for thy pleasure they are & were created. This is the worship of God the father & now follows the worship of the Lord Iesus Christ partly alone & partly in conjunction with the father.

And the Lamb took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when the Lamb had taken the book the four beasts & four & twenty Elders \having golden vialls full of odours w^ch are the prayers of the saints/ fell down before the Lamb - saying Thou art worthy to take the book & open the seales thereof \[that is, to receive from the father the knowledge of things to come]/ for thou wast slain & hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred & tonge & nation people & nation & hast made us unto our God kings & priests & we shall reign on the earth. And the number of them that worshipped was ten thousand times ten thousand & thousands of thousands saying Worthy is the Lamb|AMB| that was slain to receive riches & honou power & rig|c|hes & honour wisdom & strength & honour & glory & blessing. And every creature which is in heaven & on earth & under the earth & such are {sic} in the sea & all that are in them heard I saying, Blessing & honour & glory & power be to unto him that sitteth upon the throne & unto y^e Lamb for ever & ever. And the four beasts said Amen. And the four & twenty Elders fell down & worshipped the Lam him that liveth for ever & ever. This is the worship w^ch is due to y^e father & the son. It beginns & ends with the father: And it is given to the son by the name of the Lamb|AMB| of God to signify that it \all/ relates to him as he is the Lamb of God that was slain for us & hath redeemed us with his blood. And this is all the worship which is necessary to be given to them \Lord/ in order to salvation, & all that we are authorized from heaven to give him, & by consequence all that ought to <49> required of us in order to communion. And by reason of this difference of worship it is that we are taught in o^r Creed to beleive in one God & one Lord.

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Chap. 1.
Of the ancient form of Church Government.

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^[19] The Apostle Paul compares the fundamental principles of the Christian religion to milk for babes, & among these reccons the foun the learning of them he compares to milk for babes calls laying the foundation of repentance from dead works, & of faith towards god [that is forsaking the] \[{illeg}]/ /taught in the primitive Creed\ \[viz^t [by forsaking the world the flesh & the {illeg}/ & of the doctrine of baptisms & of laying on of hands & of resurrection from the dead & of eternal judgment \[now inserted into the Creed/ All this is learnt {illeg} & professed before admissio admission into communion by the laying on of hands. And \the attaining/ all that is to be learnt after admission into communion the Apostle \calls going on to perfection &/ compares |it| to {th} strong meats for \them/ that are of riper years age & by means of exercise \practise use/ have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. And it|ab|out these things men are not to break communion with one another nor to fall out The strong must not despise the weak & the weak must not judge the strong provided where \provided/ they agree in the fundamentals. requisite to communion.

The fundamentals requisite to communion in the Church of England are 1 To renounce the Devil & all his works, the vain pomp & glory of the world with all the covetous desires of the same, & the carnall desires of the flesh so as not to be l follow nor be led by them. And this the Apostle calls repentance from dead works that is, to renounce idolatry, ambition, \pride/ covetousness, & unchastity. And this the Apostle calls repentance from dead works. 2 To profess the Apo faith set down conteined in the Creed usually called the Apostles Creed. And the profession of faith in the primitive Church the Apostle calls faith towards God |& the resurrection of the dead & eternal judgment.| 3 To keep Gods commandments; that is the ten commandments, as is explained in the Church Catechism. And t|T|hese \& baptism & laying on of hands/ are all the fundamentalls requisite to communion in the Church of England. And therefore to excommunicate any man for any thing else is to {sic} {illeg} contrary to the fundamental constitution of this Church. It is to excommunicate a man who according to the doctrine fundamental consti{tu}tion of this Church & express declaration of this Church became \by baptism & laying on of h{ands}/ a member of Christ a child of God & an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, & may be still so as much as he was at his baptism admission into communion for any thing objected ag^t him.

The Constantinopolitan Creed usually called the Nicene Creed & the Creed usually called the Creed of Athanasius are not therefore any part of the milk for babes in the Church of England but are to be referred to the strong meats for them that are of ripe age, & therefore to fall out about them proceeds from the want of Charity. They are indeed appointed to be rea by the Common prayer book to be read in the Churches. And so are upon certain occasions. And so are many parts of the Scriptures w^ch we do not understand. As Daniel 9. & 10 v. 5. Apoc 1. & 4 & 7. v 2 to v 13 & 12 v. 7 to v. 13 & 14. v. 1 to v 6. & 19. \v.1/ to v. 17. & 22. We dayly dispute: about the meaning of these & many other parts of scripture \read in Churches/ without falling out about them & are allowed to do so, And if {illeg} And so we may about the meaning of the two Creeds where they differ from the Apostles Creed notwithstanding their being read in Churches.

The Church of England in \her/ 21^th Article orde hath declared that General Councils ({illeg} forasmuch as they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed by with the spirit & word of God) may err & \sometimes/ have erred even in things pertaining unto God: & therefore things ordeined by them as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they are taken out of the holy scriptures. And in the 8^th Articles she declares that the three Creeds are to be received because they may be proved by most certain Warrants of {illeg} holy scripture. She doth not require us to receive them by authory {sic} of general Councils & much less by authority of Convocations, but only by authority of Scripture alone but {sic} becaus they are taken out of the scriptures And therefore th {are} we {sic} authorized by the Church to compare them with the scrptures {sic} & see how & in what sence they can be deduced from thence. And where we cannot see the deduction we are not to rely upon the Authority of Councils or Synods, but may endeavour to learn from others how they may be deduced, & those others are not to fall out with us for doing so.

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The Council of Constantinople Ephesus w^ch was one of the four general Councils, ordeined that nothing should be added to the {Ni} Constantinopolitan Creed now commonly called the Nicene. And yet the Latines had added the filioqꝫ to this Creed, & the Church of England has ordered this Creed with the addition to be read in Churches, contrary to the Decree of one of the four general Councills. And other things \w^ch are not in the Constantinopolitan Creed/ are added in the Creed usually attributed to Athanasius contrary w contrary to said Decree of the Council of Ephesus. The Church of England therefore lays no stress upon General Councils but grounds all her religion upon the scriptures.

The Church of England in her sixt Article declares that the Holy Scripture conteins all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any Man that it should be beleived as an Article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. And in her eighth Article she {illeg} saith only of the three Creeds that they ought throughly to be received because they may be proved by certain warrants of Scripture holy Scripture. Tis not upon the authority of General Councills, not upon authority of Convocations or any Chu\r/ch authority but upon that of the holy Scriptures that she recommends them to be received. And in her \19/ 20^th \& 21^th/ Articles that the Churches \as those/ of Ierusalem Alexandria Antioch & Rome \&c/ & even general Councils have erred & may erre even in matters of faith & what they decree as necessary to salvation is of no strength or authority unless they can be shewn to be taken from the \holy/ scriptures.