The copyright and rights in the nature of copyright worldwide for the images of this manuscript are reserved to King's College, Cambridge. These images may be viewed without payment on the understanding that they have been made available by the copyright holder for private study, educational or research purposes only. Please contact the Archivist at <archivist@kings.cam.ac.uk> for permission to use this material in print or any other medium. Please click OK to agree to these terms.
This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Pagination is given as it appears on the manuscript, though this is somewhat misleading, as in some cases only the leaves are numbered and in others the individual sides. SL240 is described in the Sotheby catalogue as seven drafts, c. 10,000 words on 22 pp. folio and 1 p. sm. 4to. Discounting blank pages and considering the nine 'positions' as a draft of the 'irenicum', this is an accurate description of the present manuscript up to p. 34 (though the word-count, as so often, is on the low side); the remainder has presumably been added from another source.
pp. 21-25 (which seem to represent the fullest and most finished version) published (in a somewhat tidied-up format, as Brewster himself points out) in Brewster (1855), 2: 526-31. The nine 'positions' and twenty 'theses', along with various other fragments in what the editor claims is probably their intended sequence, published in McLachlan, Theological Manuscripts, 27-43. The second draft (pp. 5-7), the first sixteen of the 'Theses' (slightly abridged), and pp. 51-2 published in Goldish, Judaism, 167-71.
An important statement of Newton's religious views, in several complete and partial drafts.
pp. 1-3 'Irenicum'.
pp. 5-7 'Irenicum', another draft.
pp. 9-14 'Irenicum', another draft.
pp. 17-18 Nine 'positions'.
pp. 21-25 'Irenicum or Ecclesiastical Polyty tending to peace', consisting of twenty 'Theses' (the first fourteen originally headed 'Positions'), followed by revised versions of theses 8 and 9 and two variant draft paragraphs on fundamental and incidental articles of faith.
pp. 27-30 Another draft, untitled.
pp. 31-34 Another draft, untitled.
pp. 35-38 Variant drafts of several paragraphs of the 'Irenicum'.
pp. 39-44 Another draft, untitled.
pp. 47-49 Another draft, untitled.
pp. 50-52 'Chap. 1 Of the ancient form of Church Government'.
in English
SL 240 was bought at the Sotheby sale by Gabriel Wells for £40 and sold to Keynes on 3 August 1936 for £44. Wells had offered it to Keynes on 22 July for £42 (i.e. 5% commission) but Keynes insisted on paying 10%. See Spargo, '1936 sale', 128.
54 sides, on 13 bifoliums and one half-folio sheet (pp. 25-6), unbound. Page numbers added consecutively on each side (including blank sides) in pencil by a modern hand.
pp. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 26, 45, 46, 53 and 54 blank.
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. t
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, vizt 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 (vizt 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 ch
disciples to teach all nations & which the first Christians were taught
in catechising before baptism & communion, & ch
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
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
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
why & in whose names he was to be washed. t in the name of one God the father & of one Lord Iesus Christ &c.
necessary to communion & salvation then
baptism & admission into communion by laying on of hands.
All this the Apostle Paul calls milk for babes & the
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
lears 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
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 re
ceive the Eucharist in memory of Christs death. And
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
without troubling the Churches with his private sentiments.
The first Principles of the Christian religion are founded, not on
disputable conjectures
& 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
baptism & communion. For the Articles unalter
able
necessary to Communion & Salvation] then that chwas from the beginning] let him be accursed. Gal. 1.8, 9. And since Christ
set on foot the Christian religion by
And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining
to his Apostles the prophesies in Moses
self, & 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 to have recourse to the old Testament, &
so called ch
compare the places interpreted with the interpretations thereof in the
new. As for instance in learning what is to be understood by calling
Iesusabcdefffth
God & by whom all things were made, & gg Dan 10.13, 21 & 21.1.Michael, that is, by inter
pretation, Quis est sicut - Deus.
All nations were originally of the Religion compre
hended in the Precepts of the sons of Noah, the chief of ch
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 anci
ent cities the Iudges usually sat in the Gates of the city & were
called the Elders of the city
elder of the family subordinate to the Elders of the city. This
religion descended to Melchisedec
Isrel
strangers 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
heathens. & the worship of their . ffor Pythagoras one of the many Gods
oldest Philosophers in Europe, after he had travelled into among the
eastern nations for the sake of knowledge 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 ethem 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 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 Commissi
on of Artaxerxes given to Ezra (Ezra 7.25, 26 & 10.14) & in the reign
of the Greeks
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 they had
kings
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
In matters of religion the first & great Commandt
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 neigh
bour 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
vizt 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 Ieru
salem (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 (vizt the Holy Ghost)
whereby they should be endued with power from on high, & that
they should
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 disci
ples & 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 ch
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 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,
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
quick & the dead raised again to life; & who sent the Holy Ghost
to
was to be washed, vizt in the name of one God e
Lord Iesus Christ &c
& salvation then what was taught in those days before baptism & com
munion, & 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]
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
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
Apostles; & we are to hold fast the form of sound words.
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
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
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
law of Moses, & if an Angel from heaven preach any other Gos
pel then that ch
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 concern
ing 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 explain
ing why Iesus is called the abc
of God, the def
right hand of God, & g
all things were made &
better understood.
And as the prophesies of the old Testament remained in obscu
rity 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
And therefore it is no objection against ch
coming that they remain still in obscurity.
3. The Apostle Paul opposed the imposition
Gentiles, not because this law & called it another Gospel whereby was fals or evill
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
on. And for the same reason the imposing of any Proposition (true or
false) as an Article of Communion ch
nion from the first preaching of the Gospel, is preaching an imposing preaching
Gospel, & the persecuting of any true Christians for not receiving that
Gospel
in making war upon Christ may breaks the second & third great commandments & mays the name of an Antichristian in
a literal sense. A Church guilty of this crime is in a state of Apostasy && ought not to be communicated with.
And for the same reas if any Christian Church is
forsakes her god & 13 &
& 12.10. is no becomes a true Synagogue of Satan
called a Synagogue of Satan.
2 Idolatry is a breach of the first & greatest commandment. It is
giving to Idols the love honour & worship ch
It is forsaking the true God to commit whoredome with other lovers.
It makes a Church guilty of Apostasy from God
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.
In the religion of the Iews, the two
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart & with all thy soul &
with all thy mind & thou shalt love thy neighbour as they self. Vpon
these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets Matt. 22.37.
In The religion of
Melchisedeck Iob & Moses. the two first & great commandments were . For Noah was a just man &
the samewalked with God Gen
generation & walked with God Gen. 6.19. was the Priest of the most had his name from justice
high God
acknowledged such by Abraham who paid tythes to him
after the order of Melchisedick, Gen 14. Heb. 7 not after the order of Aaron
but after the order of the Patriarchs, Gen 14. Heb. 7.
eschewed evil, Heis in his country by the judge. He condemns also
deceipt, adultery, uncharitablenes, covetousnes, pride & rejoycing at the misfortunes
of enemies, as crimes in his country. While mankind lived together in Chaldea
under the government of Noah, they were all of his religion, & in the
days of Peleg when they divided the earth they carried this religion
along with them & kept
The loving God & ris
the religion of Christians. By this we know that we love him God if
his commandments, & the love of r
man can be saved. 1 Cor.13. 1 Iohn 5.3. 1 Cor. 13.
In the primitive Church all things necessary to the remission of sins
& salvation, were taught in catechising
mission of sins & he whose sins are remitted is in a state of salvation.
I do not say that sins are remitted by baptism. They are remitted by a sincere
repentance from dead works, (such s of the flesh, the lust
of the eye & the pride of life & the worship of Dæmons or Ghosts,) & by a
sincere beleif in what was taught in the primitive Creeds. And Baptism was
only a signe of or symbol of the remission of sins by the washing away
of the filth of the body.
In the primitive Church it was not lawfull for to impose any new
besides those which were taught from the beginning in ordeh
when the Ch some Christians of the circumcision would have imposed
circumcision upon the gentiles
tells the Galatians, If we or an Angel from heaven preach any other
Gospel then that ch
Gal. 1.8. It was lawful for the Christians of the circumcision to circumcis
their own children; And & the Apostle Paul himself consented circumcised
Timothy because he
from the religion of Noah to worship
Gospel returned not to the religion of Moses by circumcision but to that ch
abstein from blood the blood of Animals. For this religion obliged men to be
mercifull even to bruit Beasts.
If any men of this religion have been either fals Prophets
or otherwise wicked: it doth not follow from thence that the
religion it self is either false or wicked.
In the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede over
Chaldea, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel, & said to him.
Seventy weeks are allotted upon thy people & upon thy holy city
to finish transgression & to make an end of sins & to make reconciliation
for iniquity & to bring in everlasting righteousness & to seal up the vision
& prophesy & to annoint the most Holy. Dan. 9.24. And the Iew ancient
Iews interpreted these weeks to
that is weeks of years. For they expected the Messiah & for or soon after, that is, of Herod or soon after, that is,
such weeks or 490 years. eFor And some took Herod for the Messiah & were
thence called Herodians, others took Theudas for the Messiah & others Iudas of
Galilee. &
another fals Messiah was slain.
The Iews became The By the Babylonian captivity, the government of the Iews was &when by from the time that Ezra by the commissi
the commission of Artaxerxes Longi
on of Artaxerxes Longimanus united
Magistrates & Iudges to govern, & judge with against the laws of God & the king unto death or banishment or confiscation
of goods or imprisonment. And from that time to the death of
just 70 weeks or 490 years. And because the most holy was to be
annointed at the end of the days, thence Iesus was Called the Messiah &
the Christ, that is the annointed, & thence his followers were called Christi
ans.
The words of David i
this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me & I shal give thee the hea
then for thine inheritance & the ends an heritage thy
possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron & shall dash them
in pieces like a potters vessel. And these words the Apostles & primitive
Christians applied to Iesus Christ as being the son of God by the resurrection
from the dead, & being to come again
with a rod of iron.
The government of the Iewish Church tending b being dissolved by the
Babylonian Captivity, was restored by the Commission of Artaxerxes Longi
manus king of Persia to Ezra
knew the Laws of God &
upon those who did
death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment.
For the forming of this government being left to the discretion of Ezra
it may be presumed that
so far as it [See Act. 15.21 Psal. 74.8. Deut .
20.4.] See Ezra 10.14.
The government then set up
the highest Court being the Sanhedrim first
& the second Court being
Elders of the City not more in number then 23 nor fewer then three. [See Act. 15.21. Mat. 10.17. & 23.34. Luke 12.11, & 21.12]
That The government set up
was then extended over all the Roman Empire, & the Iews by the conn permission or
connivance of the Romans erected Synagogues to
ently numerous to do it. of their Synagogues.
& 21.12
The cities of ews
Elders, who put the Laws of Mose sat in the Gate of the city, & put the laws of
Moses in execution, & had a place of worship in or neare the Gate, & sometimes
a High Place for sacrificing upon a neighbouring Hill. See Deut 19.12 & 21.19, 20,
21 & 22.18, 19 & 25.7, 8. & Ruth 4.2 & Iosh. 20.4. & Psal. 74.8. And in this
sense it is said that the Gates of Hell, that in thof
The same government continued among the converted Iews till
the regions of Phœnicia, Syria &
longer. & the chief Ruler of the Synagogue was called by them the Prince of the
Synagogue.
The
Gentiles, the name of
chief Rulers & Princes of the Synagogues into that of Presidents & Bishops, the
Bishop being the President of the Council of Elders called in the Greek Presbyters.
& the Presbyters of this Council being
made to them out of the revenues of the Church for their attendance.
But e
houses & other places not attended with a board of elders, & collectively to
Churches in a kingdom or nation or in the whole world.
It is therefore the duty of
to the laws of God & the laws of the King & to teach those who do not , & in their Councils to punish
know the laws of Godthe Offenders according
to those the those
but not to make new laws in the name of either God or the King.
The laws of God are unchangeable & the power of the King
extends only free indifferent & undetermined by
the laws of God. And all laws relating to things indifferent are the Kings.
& ought rather to be reputed the laws recconed among the civil laws then
among the laws of God or Church orChurch laws of the Church of Christ
The Church is constituted & her extent & bounds of communion
are defined by the laws of God. And the laws of the King relate only to decence & order in things indifferent, & to her
tranquility, & to decence & order in things indifferent. She has her being
from the laws of God & her well being
The Bishops & Presbyters are under the power of the King
so that he can nominate them to succeed in vacant places & appoint
deprive them whenever they may deserve it. For he is supreme head
& governour of the Church above them.
The King is supreme head & governour of the Church in all things
indifferent, & can nominate new Bishops & Presbyters to succeed in vacant
places & deprive or depose them whenever they may deserve it.
perpetual
succession of Bishops & Presbyters for governing her. ffor this
succession was interrupted in the time of the Babylonian captivity
untill Ezra by the Comission of Artaxerxes restored it appointed new
governours. And therefore if it should be again interrupted, the
by the authority or leave of the King may restore it. The Christian Church
was also in being before there was a Christian Synagogue.
All persons baptized are members of Christs body called the
Church though even those who are not yet admitted into the commu
nion of the Synagogue or of any City. For all persons circumpr Church
cised were members of the Church of the Iews in the time of the Babylonian
captivity before Ezra restored their polyty. And in the days of Ahab when theire
remained only sev 7000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, these were the
true Church of God
Baal with the Baal Idolaters
a Church of the Synagogue B the God Baal, the Church of a fals God, a false Church,
such a Church as in Scripture is called the Synagogue of Satan & by consequence a
fals Church with regard to their God whom they worshipped. And the three thousand baptized by Peter were a christian Church tho they had not yet a Bishop or Presbyter or Synagogue
or form of government.
By imposition of hands men are admitted into the communion of the
synagogue of a city & by excommunication they are deprived of that com
munion & return into the state they were in by baptism before
hands except the guilt sin for which they were excommunicated. And by new baptism
imposition of hands they may be received into communion again without
new baptism, & therefore by excommunication they do not lose the privilege
Men are not to be excommunicated without breaking the articl one or more
of the Articles upon which they were admitted into communion. For this would
be to alter the bounds of communion setled by the laws of God in the beginning
of the Gospel.
To impose any Article of communion not imposed from the beginning
is a crime of the same nature with that of those Christians Iews who came of the circumcision who
from the Church of Ierusalem & endeav endea
voured to impose circumcision & the observation of the law upon the
converted Gentiles. For the law was good if a man could keep it, but we
were to be saved not by the works of the Law but by faith in Iesus Christ
& therefore to impose those works as articles of communion was to make them
necessary to salvation & thereby to make for that end.
And there is ch
not imposous from the beginning. All such impositions are teaching another
Gospel.
To refuse communion with any Church or Synagogue
of the laws of the King in matters indifferent, unless where those laws
are imposed amounts to schism in relation to the Church
To distinguish Churches from one another by theor
about things otherwise indifferent made by the
about things not enjoyned by the laws of Godby
of God, is improper superstitions:
person insisting upon it as a matter or religion is guilty of the schism.
For the distinction is
authority & ought not to be made by which nor to affect the nature &
The fundamentals or first Principles of religion are the Articles
baptism & imposition of ha admission into communion by imposition of hands
namely that the Catechumen is to be baptised in the na forsake the the fals Gods called the Devil, & to be baptized in the
name of one God the father Almighty, maker of heaven & earth & in
of one Lord Iesus Christ the Son of God & of the Holy Ghost.
& 6.1, 2, 3.
T After baptism men are to r
Iesus Christ, & by practising what they promised before baptism, &
scriptures & teaching one another without imposing [any thing more their private opinions or falling out about them.
was imposed except what was or falling out about
any other opinions]
The commission to teach & baptize was given to the Apostles as the disciples of
Christ & th to their disciples & the disciples of their disciples to e
world, there being no Bishops or Presbyters or Church government yet instituted. But among the Christians. But after the institution of governments the
governours appointed who should
cessity where the original right returned. For Tertullian had told us that
in his days In casu necessitatis quilibet laicus tingit.
The laws of God are unchangeable & the Church
The Church is constituted & her extent & bounds of communion are defined
by the laws of God, & these laws are unchangeable
The laws of the king extend only to things ch
laws of the God, & particularly to the &civil governm c
things e
The first Principles of the Christian religion are founded
conclusions, but on the express words of scripture & we are to hold fast the form
of sound words without varying from them. It is not enough that a Proposition
be true Every truth Proposition sentence in scripture
express words of scripture. Every th truth is nothe Apostles the first teachers. It not enought that it be in the scriptures. Every sentence in the scriptures is not &
a fundamental Article. appear to have been an article taught from the
beginning in order to baptism & communion. And nothing more is to be imposed
as a
preach any other Gospel let him be accursed. And since Christ set on foot.
The first Principles of the Christian religion depend
conclusions, but on the express words of Scripture
form of sound words. It is not enough that a Proposition be true or in the express
words of Scripture: it must appear to have been an article, taught from the least it And since Christ &c.
et
to ch
Son of man Dan 7.13, the son of God Psal. 2.7, 8, 9, the Paschal Lamb Exod.
12.21, 22, 23, 27, & the rod
God who walked in Paradise & appeared to Adam & Eve Gen. 2.16, 17 & 3.8, 9, 10, 11 was Ies signifies Iesus are either names or types of Iesus
chsince the flood viz t To fear & worship one God supreme God to lovechrth
& being merciful even to bruit Beasts. & And the love of our neighbour
obliges ushim by covetousness ambition fornication the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, & the pride of life. This was originally the
religion of Abraham & Melchizedek &went a whoring after false Gods & & called Dead Devils in Scripture,began to give them the worship of the true God &
this religion came the Moral Philosophy of the Heathens.
Melchis& learnt from some of them taught his disciples to love
one anotherto worship the Gods & love one another. For th taught that all
men should be friends to one another e
by piety & worship.
The next religion was that of the composed of the Moral
law &To
The third was that ch
to preach to all nations, without abrogating eeither
Iews or adding enjo the law of
Gentiles. ffor every man was to remain in the state in ch
If he &become
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 Ierusa
lem under Iames were all zealous of the Law Act. 21.20 & had & weree
Iudæa A.C. 136, when Hadrian banished all the Iews
When Christ rose from the dea
Religion originally of
the heads of chto speake evil of him
from murder, theft, & fornication && as particularl
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 exe
cution.
elders of the cities, were both Priests & Princesboth Prince &
Prieste& therefore was to be honoured as the
Elder of the family was to be honoured by his children]was the & of all nations till the days of Melchizedek &
Abraham
lites & gave occasion to
of the heathenPhilosophers. ffor Pythagoras one of the oldest Philoso
phers & se
sake of knowledge
all men & ee& & his disciples
were celebrated for loving one another. Law of Nations & the Moral Law of all nations
To this religion Moses added many new Precepts
upon the Iews I people of Israel by the covenant of circumcision; but all & who were not withfrom whence
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
On these two hung all the Law & the Prophets (Matt. 22.27,) & therefore the Law of Moses was founded upon the moral Law of the Sons of Noah]
And for putting this Law in execution Moses also commanded both by Ie the Gen
At length the Philistines subduing the
Arks: Samuel in the reign of Saul
recollected the scattered records of Books o[writings Book of the generations of
of Moses composed the Pentateuch the generations of Adam & the gene
rations of the sons of Noah & those of EsauWa book of the wars of the Lord, the
writings of Moses composed & the Patriarchs copiedof it
Author of this Book set down the
there reigned any king over Israel & therefore wrote it when
in Israel & when th ose 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.) & chrubbish of the Temple in the h
of his Son Iosiah, ch
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;of the Iu it appears that e
the books of the Iudges & Ruth were writ presently after the days of e
Iudges when
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 Artaxer
xes given to Ezra (Ezra 7.25, 26) & 10.14) & [these Courts were ]
afterwards called the Sanhedrim & Synagogues of the Iewsthen at that time
ah founding a Library gathered together the scattered
Prophets & of David & the Epistles of the Epistles of the Kings concern
ing the holy gifts. & & out of these ch
captivity,Books Recordsdid Ezra y
& Chronicles, composing the
Iudah & 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 s of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah.things we now extanttranscribed in due order of time of Ezra was originally a part of the book of Chronicles, & this
he reduced also into due order. And in the reign of Antiochus Epipha
nes when the Iudas gathered together those things that were lost by lost
cles cites also the Book of Samuel the Seer, & the Book of Nathan the Pro
phet, & the book of Gad the Seer, & the book & the
Book of Shemajah the Prophet, & the history of Iddo the Seer, &
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
Samuel Kings & Chron Ezra in due cActs extracts together in
due order of time. ffor the Book of Chronicles cites the book of Samuel
the Seer, & the Prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite & the book of She
majah 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& that of the
the book of Chronicles to the return of the captivity under Cyrus
&
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 re
collected by two different hands & reduced into e
extant in the books of Ezra & the first book of Esdras, & the
story of the three young men e
other writing. For if that story be omitted the
same time a part of the Prophesies of Isaiah was scattered from e
rest & added to e
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 &
the
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 cht
of the 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 com
mandments hang all the law & the prophets. Mat. 22.36. For these two comprehend the moral religion of all nations. Law established by Moses & the Prophets & is still in force. And
here spoken of is the God of Noach God of whom Moses heaven & earth who
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. &
Deut 10.17 Ios 22.22. Deu Psal. 136.2 Dan 4.7 & 11.36
Apostle Paul said,
Gods many & Lords many, yet to us there is but one God
are all things & we of [& one Lord Iesus Christ & by whom are all things & we by him.]
primitive Greek Church, I beleive in one God, the father, thegovernour
the maker of heaven and earth &
Christ.] & in] And [this
of fals strangebeing
go a whoring after other Gods a forsaking &Iob Iosh. 24.
Iob 21.38. chimpliesmuch as to say that it ch
When there was
& a Council the Council
Iames the President of the Council or Bishop of the Church of Ierusalem 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
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. about about the Iews observation of
the Law of Moses in the Synagogues of the coverted but as for those who from among the Gentiles are converted unto God & Christ
to
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 bondsman, marriage or or freeman &c]ffor
Church of Ierusalem kept the Law 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
circumcision remained till the days of Irenæus who tells us
The Christian religion therefore among the Gentiles is nothing the ancient religion of the sons of
else then the Religion of the sons o
Noah with this addition that we are to beleive that Iesus is the Christ whom the I the son of God
When Christ rose from the dead, he appeared - - - & communion.
Repentance & remission of sins relate to transgressions against
the compr or moral lawor moral Law of all nations
by Christ in the two great commandments. We are to forsake - - -
- - let him be accursed Gal 1.8, 9. They or Elders
of God in execution, may explain them ignorant peoplee
skill, (Ezra 7.25.) but if they impose their explications as a
other words then those in chch
ed by divine authority, they sit in the throne of God shewing themselves
that they are Gods&matters of religions & the r conjunction with him Godchange times & laws, & by repealing
the laws of God, & by changing times & la become apostates from tho
& magnify ch
Now since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining
to his disciples Apostles the prophesies in Moses the Prophets & the Psalms
himself & sending hisdisciples to teach his interpretations to all nations:
In matters of Religion before untill before
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
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 the beginning of Christianity in chatechizing in order to Baptism & Communion & to be baptized. A
Repentance from dead works before baptism was was upon convention trepentance from the breach of these
To become a christian was to receive what was taught
of Christianity in order to Baptism & Communion in order to Baptism & to be
baptized & admitted into communion
wards upon condition of communion. Other things were to be taught
not imposed as necessary to communion.
One of the things taught in Catechising was repentance from dead works,
that is, from the brets
is called forsaking the World the flesh & the Devil. To forsake the Devil is to
forsake all false Gods, the worship of ch
commandment. To forsake the World [& the Flesh is to fo repent of covetousness & ambition all covetous
ness of riches & honoursso as to relinqui
& unlawful lusts, so as to forsake them, that second commandment & are
called thus
be the law of the world & not of God , &.] is to abandon the love of the
things
the eye & the pride of life, that is, the inordinate desire of weomen riches
& honour, or lust your
fountains of uncharitableness.
Another thing taught in chaWhen Proselytes were to be baptized in the name of the father son & Holy Ghost
we
& in order thereunto they were to be taught who were the father son &
holy Ghost. In And the summa
the Apostle Paul, ffaith in
is by him called Milk for Babes & the first Principles of the doctrine of t
Oracles of God & of the doctrine of Christ. When, saith he, for the time
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
belongeth to them that are of full age even to those who by
the Principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection, not laying
And as for the Christian worship, we may
Christs death. All this is was practised by the Christians in the Apostles days from the
time of their admission into communion,
Christ, & is sufficient to salvation. And if any one contend for any other worsh sort of
worship which he cannot prove to have taught & practised
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 pro
phesies of the old Testament for explaining them: We are
in studying the scriptures to com wherever & explain
the relation they have to one another, [& to beware of [ And by this means old wives
fables & oppositions of science falsly so called & endless genealogies,
phy & & [such as were in the
Cabala of the Pharisees & Metaphysical Theologies of the Egyptians
Chaldeans old wives fables opp endles
falsly so called & endless genealogies: [such as are
Pharisees & Metaphysical Theologies of the ians Chaldeans Persiaans & Greeks & Greece, & w whence arose the old wives fables & pro
phane & vain bablings & perverse disputes of the]
we shall understand that Iesus is called the Christ or Messiah to
signify that he
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. Andwas
son of God & rose was crucified & was sacrificed for us upon the Crossis said to sit on the right hand of God to express his
dignity & dominion, & shall come again to judge
raised again to life, & that upon his resurrection
to comfort his disciples, & assist them in preaching this Gospel to all nations.
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 to be learnt afterwards. & compreh otherwise.
were not to be imposed on all men, but only to be learnt by such as
able to learn them. And by consequence men were not to damn or excommu
nicate one another or treat one another as heretiques & one another or despise or censure one another
study the scriptures, & especially the Prophesies & to learn as
them, & to
for differing in opinion about any thing ch
& admission into communion. For this
imposed upon all men in the second of the two great commandts
All Christians agree that we may ② invoke God the father in the name of
the Lord Iesus tto him & thanks to him hime
who was slain for us & hath redeemed us with his blood, &
peace from God & the Lam Christ & the Holy Ghost, & receive the Eucharist
in memory of Christs death. And all this
the Oracles God
mind to add to this worship, he may do it in his chamb closet without troub
ling 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
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
& the Holy Ghost, & baptize in their name, & receive the Eucharist in
memory of Christs death. And all this worship
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 h
& Philosophy but to e
his disciples to pre& Philoso to e
wives & children, but instructed the expounded to them the scriptures of the
the Prophets
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
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,tson of man to signi
fy that he is the person of whom Daniel writes in saying, I saw 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.
He is to signify that ), to signify
to e
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
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 Daniels the He Goat ch
against theis the
But these difficulter points are to be referred 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 chstood up against the magnified it self against e
Princes. Dan. 8. But these difficulter points are to be recconed among the
strong meats
On the contrary we are to bear with one anothers infirmities, & to beware
of offending our weak brethren in ch
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
judge one another. See Rom. XIV & XV & I. Cor. III.
ehave no authority to judge anothe one another
who art thou that judgest another mans servant? t
falleth. The tobe yet but yet
it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor else whereby thy thy weak brother stumbleth or is made weak offended or made weak. Hast thou faith 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.
1 The true religion consists in three principal duties our duty towards God towards
our neigbourrIesus 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 be
leive that there is one everliving omnipresent omnipotent omniscient God whom the creator of heaven & earth & 3 by the n what he
is by the necessity of nature & t
power of his will. He is
& that he knows all that we say or do: for in him we live & move & have r
being. He N
speak of him but with all respect & veneration 4 We are to beleive
void of shape external shape, incorporeall & therefore whom no eye hath seen or can see,
incorporeal fora bein & therefore also
incorporeal. 5 A being immoveable [because necessarily in all places so t
place can be without him]& indivisible
ffor he is necesarily in all places alike so that no place can be
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 6 A being whose wisdom
ted in the frame contrivance & frame of the world & the things therein & particular
ly 10 To this God duty
& glory & thanks
blessings chech11 To this God & to him alone we are to pray
for what we want, even without seeing him without his appearing
because he is always present without ever appearing: to other beings ch
move from place to place & sometimes appear we may 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
ments always have & always will be be the duty of all nations
of Iesus Christ has made no alteration in them. & agve
swerved from them God has made a reformation. When e
the thoughts of their heart became evil continually God selected Noah to people a new
world & when egive 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
anth
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 refor
mation. And in all the reformations
our neighbour is one & the same & ch
All other religions have been set on foot for politi
The heathens out of flattery worshipped the ancestors of their kings & the Mahometans the founder of their Empire
suffered death persecutions even unto death for 300 years together for the sake of theirs.
Now to this ancient religion there was added a new duty upon the death
& resurrection of Iesus Christ a new duty that ch
of ee
dead [& will at length rais exalted him above all men & made him their Iudge
& king] & will at length raise all men from e
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 can might in justice be
punished for their sinns:bas it is Christ has merited by his obedience to God
& particularly by his submitting to God's
death upon the Cross as an example to teach us
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
& therefore he is said to have made an attonement for us & to have
us kings & Priests. For a man to forgive his enemies even
satisfaction
to forgive ras duti & God has d
sins forgiven. And that cha
act in us cannot be injustice in God. If we pray that God would for
give us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us
& the meaning of the prayer is that that God would be merciful to us as we are merciful to others we as God would forgive us as
we forgive others without a legal satisfaction the done to us by way of justice
the meaning
& forgive us as we forgive others without insisting upon justice. Certainly God is as able as we are for 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
more may God forgive malefactors who for when
of all things.
consequence. If a favorite of a king by sev serving hisPrince
has gained his favour, & by interceding with the king
who has deserved death, make a reconciliation &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 attonetthen without paying a debt by way of equity:
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 thr
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
by Christs deathe we are in gratitude to love 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 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
as he loved us, to direct our prayer to god in his to give name &
him glory & honour & thanks because he 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& to to beleive all things that that he is the great Prophet
to whom alone God reveales himself immediately
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
give him glory & honour
Now our duty to Christ in point o to love him as he loved us, to
9 This God is called by several names in several respects, as 2 Iehova, Iah, He that is & was
& is to come, in respect of his ever living: 3 Elohim, El, God & Lord
& power over us who in e called hisffa 1 Creator & ffather in respect
of his being the first & 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
ment that he & he alone is always present with without ever being heard or seen. To other beings
out ever apearingch
& sometimes appear we may safely speak when ever they appear to us. But the wor
ship ch
towards idolatry & atheism. ffor all idolatry tends to atheism. And for the same reason we
are to ascribe nothing to his nat
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
In matters of Religion in all ages the first & great command
ment 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
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
& the Psalms & the Psalms the things concerning himself, vizt how that eeed day & to enter into his
& that repentance & remission of Sins (committed that is against the two great commandts
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 t the Holy
Ghost) whereby they should be endued with power from on high, & should then
go & teach all nations what he had now
name of the father & of the son & of the Holy Ghost, & t
them & their disciples & the disciples of their disciples always unto the end
of the world. from whence he shall come to judge And all this is the Gospel
which Christ taught his disciples after his resurrection, & sent
them to teach all nations, & ch
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 , or as
fleshr the lust c
of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life; that is unlawfull unchastity covetousness & amp
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 who was born of a Virgin
of a Vircrucified, &
again from the dead, sitteth is said to sit sitteth
God, to expr signify his
the quick & the dead sobefore his ascention sen sent the Holy Ghost
to comfort his disciples. and to assist them in teaching allf &
chising
or exclude from communion such men as beleive & practise all this
act of uncharitableness.
This repentance & with
on by imposition of hands, sbes & the
first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. Those things ch
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 T
Egyptian, the son of Libya.before as necessary to commu
nion & salvation then what was taught (from the beginning of the Gospel)
before baptism & admission into communion. Men are afterwards to study the
scriptures
they learn. &
have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil.
unto perfection. But when we have learnt any of these things we are not
to impose them upon rendeavour to instruct our
neighboursthe
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 onor
weak
mental principles of religion [must by the Apostle called milk notwithstanding their
differences in opinions about the higher m]
for babes must
in opinions concerning the higher points of religion
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
Christ hath imposed, & thereby running him into prejudice
Christian religion. For this is contrary to e
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, &
Now concerning the faith ch
after his resurrections & sent them to teach all nations before bap
tism 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
aright we must have recourse
concerning him, & chby his in him. And
phesies are pointed at by the several names given to him with
relation to them & explain those names. He is called the 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 that person whom
Daniel saw
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
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 Melchize
deck to signify that he is the person spoken of the 110th Psalm. He is
fy 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
& with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked. He is
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.
The fundamentals of the Christian religion are those ch
the primitive Christians were taught in catechising & instructing
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,
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 cove
tousness & ambition the roots of all evil. Duty fundamental Duty of loving rr
Lord one God the God
of the Patriarchs, father who hath life in himself
& hath given the Son to have life in himself, the author of life to all intelli
gent beings, the Almighty dominion that is& universal governour
of the Vniverse, the maker of heaven & earth &
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, &
It behoves us therefore after we have been once cath
& admitted into communion, to exercise our selves in the practise of those
things ch
ing 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
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 & bdoctri fundamental doctrine of abandoning the lust of the eye & the pride of life &such an could not speak unto them as unto spiritual [men]
The first Article of the Creed was the faith of Noah & and his posterity
till they corrupted themselves. It was the faith of
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, 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 the Sun moon & Stars or tothat or ch
name of Gods to other Beings as is frequently done in scripture. Aaron shall be to thee a mouth [or Prophet
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 & authorityA 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
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 even the deat
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 e
ped as the Lord, he did not assume tho before his incarnation he
was in the form of
incarnation & laying aside the 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 not to breakto us there is no
(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
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 ch
- saying Thou art worthy to take the book & open the seales thereof 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
ch
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] t [by forsaking the world the flesh & the
tisms & of laying on of hands & of resurrection from the dead & of eternal judgment & professed before admissio admission into communion by the laying
on of hands. And
Apostle strong meats for riper years age & by means
of exercise practise useit
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 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 that is, to renounce idolatry, ambition,
repentance from dead works
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
3 To keep Gods commandments; that is the ten commandments, as is explained in
the Church Catechism. And t
munion in the Church of England. And therefore to excommunicate any man
for any thing else is contrary to the fundamental constitution of this Church.
It is to excommunicate a man who according to the doctrine fundamental consti
tion of this Church & express declaration of this Church became
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 t
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 ch
& 7. v 2 to v 13 & 12 v. 7 to v. 13 & 14. v. 1 to v 6. & 19.
about the meaning of these & many other parts of scripture read in Churches
about them & are allowed to do so, And if 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 th Article orde hath declared that General
Councils ( forasmuch as they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not
governed by with the spirit & word of God) may err &
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 8th Articles she declares that
the three Creeds are to be received because they may be proved by most certain
Warrants of holy scripture. She doth not require us to receive them by only
by authority of Scripture alone
And therefore th
& 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.
The Council of Constantinople Ephesus ch
cils, ordeined that nothing should be added to the Constantinopolitan Creed now
commonly called the Nicene. And yet the Latines had added the
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 Coun
cills. And other things chcontrary 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 sal
vation. And in her eighth Article she 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
that she recommends them to be received. And in her th th
Churches
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