I.

In the first place, I Confess that the Holy Scriptures are sufficient for Salvatian, and that they are the Supreme Nor­mal Judge of all Controversies. 'Tis very true, that as GOD is the Author of the Scriptures, so he is likewise the Supreme Judge of all Controversies; but none is to be ac­knowledged for the subordinate and Normal Judge of them, but the Scripture only.

Neither is the Heresie of the Papists to be admitted, who make the Church to be the Supreme Judge of Controversies; Which Church (as they call it) whether it consists in the Pope only by himself, or as he is joyned with a Council, or whether it Consists in a Council alone without him, they have a long time doubted, and the Rea­son of that is this; because no Scripture is of any private In­terpretation, but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1.21.

Now he best understands both the Law and the Promises who wrote them both; and if he so understands, then he best knows the sence and meaning of them, and if so, then without doubt he is the Supreme Decider of all Controver­sies; and he has left unto us his Law to be the Rule both of our Lives, of our Manners, and of our Actions.

The Romanists prate against us here, and Object these two things.

First, That every one is a Pretender to the Holy Spi­rit; and,

Secondly, That the Scriptures do Contradict one ano­ther.

[Page 4]But for all that, they are forced to confess these two things. First, That pretence is no Prescription to the Truth; and Secondly, That the Contradictions which they Object, are not Really so much as Apparent: Which also is evidently seen in the many Harmonies and Concordances that are made of the Bible.

Howbeit, there is no doubt, but that the Church hath her share also in this Affair; but yet so as that we still hold, that she only by her Testimony stands us in stead, as the Witness of Truth, not by her Authority as by a Law to bind our Consciences primarily and by her own self. The Power she has is Subordinate, not absolute, she is Gods Servant on­ly; and upon that Account, not to regulate Gods Word, but to be regulated by it.

So that the Pope of Rome proclaims himself Antichrist by this very thing; that he exalts himself above all that which proceeds from GOD, as if he were not (as by Right he ought to be) a Minister of the Divine Command, but a Lawgiver himself.

II.

As to God, and his Attributes or properties, and also as to the Persons of the Deity, there is but little difference be­tween us, and the Romanists, and that also Consists rather in the modes of distinction, than in the formality of the things themselves; although even under this Head that which they build well about Fundamentals, they destroy a­gain by their Contra-fundamentals, not only by ascribing Dulia to Saints and Angels, and Hyperdulia to the blessed Virgin Mary (though that be a frivolous distinction) but al­so by their own Confession, they ascribe Latria, which be­longs to God only, even to the Wood of the Cross.

Now, that man the Deity of GOD himself, who is jea­lous over his own Honour, that ascribes his Glory to any Creature; for God solemnly protesteth that he is such a one as holdeth fast his Magnificence: For he hath said, My Name is Jehovah, and mine Honour I will not give unto another.

[Page 5]Of this Glory, neither Paul, or Barnabas, intimate Wit­nesses of our Saviour, would ever partake, nor yet the Angel in the Revelation; the one professing himself a fellow Servant of S. John, and of the Prophets; the two others protecting themselves with this Buckler, viz. That they were men subject to like Passions with others, and saying, Honour God.

Wherefore seeing this Honour which the Romanists be­stow upon Saints and Angels, could not be a Medium of Ab­negation, (for it could neither be Civil nor Religious) nor yet, a Medium of Participation which admits of both ex­treams, for then it would have constituted a partial Idolatry; therefore I concluded with my self, that the Saints are to be Imitated, as St. Austin speaks, but not adored by Us, as being utterly Ignorant of our Necessities. Abraham knows us not; and as for Israel, he is ignorant of Us, as its Esay— Where 'tis to be noted, that this Expression knows us not, is not to be taken in the same sence, as it is in S. Matthew chap. 7. verse the 23. And then I will say unto them, I know you not. [as a late Jesuit foolishly interprets it] For in S. Matthew 'tis spoken concerning the knowledge of Approbati­on, as appears by opposition of the contrary, Psal. 2. v. ult. GOD knoweth the way of the Righteous, saith David there, that is he approves and allows of it, as he disapproves the way of the Wicked, That shall Perish, as it follows there: But in Isaiah 'tis spoken concerning knowledge of simple Intelli­gence, or of taking notice, barely consider'd in it self as ap­pears plainly by the Text. Now there are not any things in the World hid from the sight of God; before whose eyes even the darkness it self turns to Light. Those things therefore which GOD is said not to know, we must understand in this sence, that he doth not approve of them; but those things which men are said not to know, they are principally to be ascribed unto the defect of the knowledge concerning their Object.

III.

Thirdly, As to the Nature and Office of the Mediator, I believe thus, viz. That he hath two Natures, the Divine, and the Humane, which is taken into the Personality of the Word, it being such as cannot subsist of it self, for want of a suppositality, which appertains to the Person, upon the Account of its assumption to the Quiddity of some other. There are not therefore in CHRIST two Persons, or but one Nature; but in one Person two Natures, yet without either Composition or Confusion.

The Church of Rome errs exceedingly in this point, when she affirms, that CHRISTS Body can be in many places at one time; for that Man confounds the Divine Attributes with the Humane, who ascribe multi-presence to a Body made in all things like unto our Body, and upon that account, Finite also as ours are; for a Body, whether it be glorified or whether it be as yet Subject to infirmity, is lyable to Circum­scription, which also Aquinas himself acknowledges, that it savours of a Contradiction in Adjunct, that the same Numeri­cal Body may be in many places at one and the same time.

The Consideration of this prevailed with me so far, that I could not give up my assent to the Doctrine of Transubstan­tiation. For not to speak any thing concerning this, that the very word is not fitly squared, and accomodated to the thing thereby signified; because then it should be called an Annihilation of the Substance rather than a Transubstantiati­on of it; (according to the Nature of their Hypothesis) I say to pass by that, this also is to be consider'd; That it is wholly founded upon the Idol of Multipresence; which being demo­lisht, Transubstantiation it self presently falls to the ground; according to that of the Poet.

Moreover the perverse Interpretation of Christs words as to the Institution of this blessed Sacrament, and also the Mutila­tion [Page 7] of the Institution it self seemed to me to be a great piece of Sacriledge, as well as it did to their own Pope Gelasius; For they do not only interpret those thing in a Carnal sence, which Christ spake to the Capernaits in a Metaphorical; but also they take the Cup from the Laity, as though they were unwor­thy to bear in their Memory the Bloud of Christ that which was shed for the Salvation of their precious, and Immortal Souls.

As concerning the Offices of Christ, I firmly hold, and Believe that he is a King, Prophet, and Priest: As a King he is Head of the Church, which by his Prophetick Office, he leads into all Truths by the Operation of his Holy Spirit, and which by his Priestly Office, he delivers from the Power of Satan, Sin, Death, and Hell, and that by shedding his own precious Bloud. For God redeemed the World by his own Bloud; So the Scripture teacheth us, Act. 20.28.

Now as to these Offices of CHRIST, the Church of Rome errs exceedingly, by adding to this our King a Compa­nion, to wit, a Queen, the Mother of our blessed Saviour who notwithstanding owns him for her Lord, in her Canti­cle. This Church also errs as to the Sacerdotal Office of Christ; when even to this very day the Priests offer him up, in their Idolatrous Mass, a Sacrifice to God, for the Sins both of the quick and Dead. Seeing 'tis not only apparent out of Daniel that Sacrifices, and Oblations were to cease in the Days of the Messiah, and that Christ by one Oblation of himself perfected for ever them that are sanctified, [and that which is but one is indivisible] and not only so, that Christ is the Consummation of all of them, but it points out also the modus or manner of that Consummation, namely that it was accomplished by that one Oblation of himself once for all; But also because none can be Priests of the New Testament according to the order of Melchisedeck but Christ only; be­cause he alone is Eternal, and by that means is contradistin­guished from the Levitical Priests, which were not suffer'd to continue, by reason of Death; As to their distinction of [Page 8] a bloudy and unbloudy Sacrifice, as also of Primary, and Secondary Priests; because not grounded upon the Scriptures, we reject it with the same Facility as they propound it.

To this Office of Christ it appertains, that by his merits he makes us worthy of Divine Justification: For all be it God, Justifies the ungodly, as the Apostles speaks; yet for all that he does not Justifie such a one as is simply unjust, but such a one as is accounted Just in Christ by vertue of that sa­tisfaction of Infinite value performed by him. Which Justi­fication according to the tenor of the Scriptures is not imput­ed unto us for any desert that is in us, but only upon the Account of Christs merits, neither is it obtained by such de­serts, but by faith only in him who is the Propitiation for our sins.

Against this Doctrine, the Romanists early contended, saying that we are justified by works, by which means they confound justification with sanctification: Whereas the A­postle faith, Therefore by the works of the Law, shall no flesh living be justified, and again: That the Righteousness of GOD is manifested to all by Faith: Yea, he directly affirms, that we are justified by Faith only.

True it is, the Romanists themselves grant that we are justi­fied by Faith, but so as that it is by a work; which yet is false, because the Apostle opposeth works to Faith: For this Cause Faith is to be lookt upon, as it is a Relation, or an Hand to apply a Plaister to the sore of sin, which not by any vertue of it's own, but by Efficacy of some vertue apply'd to the thing it self, makes us heirs of Eternal Life.

St. James indeed saith, that Men are justified by Works, and not by Faith only: But that I may pass by the Interpreta­tion of some that will have this to be understood of justifica­tion in another World; when the works of all men shall be sifted, and examined: It may be said, that these words, may and ought to be understood of such a Faith, as is destitue of good Works, and which is dead without them; which ve­ry thing we also assert; when we do by no means separate [Page 9] Works from Faith, but always profess that Faith, is to be joyned with good Works, or in short, that an Active, and working Faith, renders us just before Gods Tribunal. There­fore Faith only justifies us; but yet that Faith must not be alone, or separated from good Works, no otherwise then as the Eye only seeth, but not the Eye that is separated from the Body; and the hand only weighs any thing, but not unless it be joyned with the Body.

Moreover, as justification is to be taken in a forinsecal sense, as we have shewn; so 'tis certain, that it is wrought in an Infant, and not by parts. And therefore upon that ac­count, I rejected Purgatory; because the fault being forgiven, the punishment should be remitted also.

Neither does this make any thing against our Proposition, that GOD sometimes sends diverse afflictions even upon just Persons, for these are to be referred to the Category or Pre­dicament of Fatherly Corrections, rather than to that of Punishments. For there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8.1. Neither do those Fears, to which the Faithful are Subject, signifie so much a servile Dread, as a Filial Reverence; because as we ought to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling; So we are sure that nothing can work together for ill to them that Love God.

From hence flows the certainty of our Election, which be­cause it has more Assertions of it in the Church of Rome, then detractors from it, I need not much dispute about it. Neither does the account of brevity require, that I should enumerate the several questions of prescience, prevision and predestina­tion as things formally different among themselves; seeing we have a brief compendium of them, set down by the blessed Apostle Paul from whom any one may take it, Rom. 8.30.

I grant indeed that Prescience in its formal signification differs from Predestination, as a selection out of a Number of Multitude, does from the end, to which the Objects as consi­der'd in themselves, are destined, and design'd: But yet in the [Page 10] mean while I do not admit of any foresight of works, which may in the least belong to those that are foreknown, and the Establishment of their own Salvation. For God chuseth no man upon the account of works foreseen, but that they may perform these good Works after they are chosen.

All which things being well Considered, I perceive a plain distinction to arise betwixt the Church Visible, and Invisible; not so much that the Universal Church is to be called Invisi­ble from its outward non-appearance to Men; but from the internal qualities of it; because though many belong to the outward Communion; yet God only knows who are his. And from hence I concluded, that it was an easie matter for me to give an answer to that famous Objection of the Pa­pists: Where was the Reformed Church before Luthers and Calvins time? Namely that it was disperst over the whole World, in every Nation, and in every Profession of Christi­ans: And although it did not appear outwardly in the sight of men as it did not in Elijahs time, who thought himself the only man alive, that remained of all the Faithful, yet at the same time it was in the world, like Wheat in a good quantity of Chaff, or as the Lilly among the Thorns. For Prote­stants are not of the same Opinon as Donatists were of old, that the Church can be confined to any one Corner of the World, as they said it was to Africa; but that it is diffused every where throughout the whole World; because GOD in e­very Nation, has those that are his.

Neither are we so cruel, as to reject even the Papists them­selves [though not as such] from the Communion of the Church; seeing we know very well, that though their Church is not a Church in moral sence: yet in a Physical, or Natural one it is, that is to say, though she be not a good, yet she is a true Church.

Neither do we deny her a pastoral Office which belongs to Ordination of Ministers, or Administration of the Holy Sacraments: A Wife does not lose the Title and Denom­nation of a true Wife, although she be dishonest. Now the [Page 11] Church in a Mystical sense is compared to a married Wo­man. For this cause, seeing I found the true Church to con­sist only amongst those of the Reformed Religion; and that from those very Notes which are commonly attributed unto such a Church, viz. from the purity of Preaching Gods Word, and a due administration of the Sacraments, although Bellarmine has fifteen other marks more or less; I resolved with my self, as I did intend before to joyn my self to this Body; and have renounced the Romish Conspiracie; to be­take my self to the true Doctrine of Christ.

Which now I do here sincerely, and Faithfully profess be­fore GOD and Jesus Christ; and do most earnestly beseech all my Brethren that they would embrace the same Opinion with me, and believe this my confession and that they would receive me as a living Member of our Saviours Body; and that they would also add some comfort, to one that earnest­ly longeth for the Salvation of his Soul; that they would em­brace me in their Arms, and receive me into their Bosom, who have fervently desired with many Prayers, to enter into the same Covenant with the Faithful.

And now O God who hast been pleased to illuminate me by thine Infinite Grace, be pleased also to continue me in the same; that as I have now made a sincere Profession of thy Truth so I may remain stedfast therein, and never turn away mine Eye from thy truth: Grant that with Holy David in thy Light I may see Light; and at last having finished my Course, (and kept the Faith) I may behold thee in thy Heavenly Kingdom; Even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. To thy self with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all Praise, and Glory, World without End, Amen.