Page images
PDF
EPUB

articles; and would be presently routed, if it had been but a few; and therefore he has mustered up a pretty full band of them, and has a reserve of the Lord knows how many more, which shall be forth-coming upon occasion. But I shall desire to remind this learned divine, who is so afraid of what will become of his religion, if it should propose but one or a few articles, as necessary to be believed to make a man a christian; that the strength and security of our religion lies in the divine authority of those who first promulgated the terms of admittance into the church, and not in the multitude of articles, supposed by some necessary to be believed to make a man a christian: and I would have him remember, when he goes next to make use of this strong argument of "one dwindling into a cypher," that one is as remote as a million from none. And if this be not so, I desire to know whether his way of arguing will not prove pagan polytheism to be more remote from atheism than christianity. He will do well to try the force of his speech in the mouth of an heathen, complaining of the tendency of christianity to atheism, by reducing his great number of gods to but one, which was so near none, and would, therefore, soon be reduced to none.

The unmasker seems to be upon the same topic, where he so pathetically complains of the socinians, p. 66, in these words; "It is enough to rob us of our "God, by denying Christ to be so; but must they spoil 66 us of all the other articles of christian faith but one?" Have a better heart, good sir, for I assure you nobody can rob you of your God, but by your own consent, nor spoil you of any of the articles of your faith. If you look for them, where God has placed them, in the holy scripture, and take them as he has framed and fashioned them there; there you will always find them safe and sound. But if they come out of an artificer's shop, and be of human invention, I cannot answer for them: they may, for aught I know, be nothing but an idol of your own setting up, which may be pulled down, should you cry out ever so much, "Great is Diana of the "Ephesians!"

[blocks in formation]

He, who considers this argument of one and none, as managed by the unmasker, and observes his pathetical way of reasoning all through his book, must confess, that he has got the very philosopher's stone in disputing. That which would be worthless lead in others, he turns into pure gold; his oratory changes its nature, and gives it the noble tincture: so that what, in plain reasoning, would be nonsense, let him but put it into a speech, or an exclamation, and there it becomes strong argument. Whether this be not so, I desire mode and figure may decide. And to those I shall desire he would reduce the proofs, which, p. 73, he says he has given of these following propositions, viz.

XXIX. "That I have corrupted men's minds."

XXX. "That I have depraved the gospel."

XXXI. "That I have abused christianity."

For all these three, p. 73, he affirms of me without proof and without honesty.

Whether it be from confusion of thought, or unfairness of design; either because he has not clear distinct notions of what he would say, or finds it not to his purpose to speak them clearly out, or both together; so it is, that the unmasker very seldom, but when he rails, delivers himself so that one can certainly tell what he would have.

The question is, What is absolutely necessary to be believed by every one to make him a christian? It has been clearly made out, from an exact survey of the history of our Saviour and his apostles, that the whole aim of all their preaching every-where was, to convince the unbelieving world of these two great truths; first, That there was one, eternal, invisible God, maker of heaven and earth: and next, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the promised King and Saviour: and that, upon men's believing these two articles, they were baptized and admitted into the church, i. e. received

as subjects of Christ's kingdom, and pronounced believers. From whence it unavoidably follows, that these two are the only truths necessary to be believed to make a man a christian.

This matter of fact is so evident from the whole tenour of the four Gospels and the Acts; and presses so hard, that the unmasker, who contends for a great number of other points necessary to be believed to make a man a christian, thinks himself concerned to give some answer to it; but, in his usual way, full of uncertainty and confusion. To clear this matter, he lays down four particulars; the first is, p. 74, "That the believing "Jesus to be the promised Messiah, was the first step "to christianity."

The second, p. 76, "That though this one propasi❝tion, (viz. of Jesus the Messiah) be mentioned alone "in some places, yet there is reason to think, and be "persuaded, that at the same time other matters of "faith were proposed."

The third, p. 76, “That though there are several "parts and members of the christian faith, yet they do "not all occur in any one place of scripture."

66

The fourth, p. 78, "That christianity was erected by degrees."

These particulars he tells us, p. 74, "he offers to "clear an objection." To see, therefore, whether they are pertinent or no, we must examine what the objection is, as he puts it. I think it might have been put in a few words this I am sure, it ought to have been put very clear and distinct. But the unmasker has been pleased to give it us, p. 73, as followeth, "Because I "designed these papers for the satisfying of the reader's "doubts, about any thing occurring, concerning the "matter before us, and for the establishing of his

66.

66

wavering mind; I will here (before I pass to the se"cond general head of my discourse) answer a query, or objection, which some, and not without some "show of ground, may be apt to start: how comes it "to pass, they will say, that this article of faith, viz. that Jesus is the Messiah, or Christ, is so often repeated in the New Testament? Why is this sometimes

66

66

66

[ocr errors]

urged, without the mentioning of any other article of "belief? Doth not this plainly show, that this is all "that is required to be believed, as necessary to make a man a christian? May we not infer, from the frequent and sole repetition of this article in several places of the evangelists and the Acts, that there is no "other point of faith of absolute necessity; but that "this alone is sufficient to constitute a man a true "member of Christ? "

66

By which he shows, that he is uncertain which way to put the objection, so as may be easiest to get rid of it and therefore he has turned it several ways, and put several questions about it. As first,

66

Why this article of faith," viz. that Jesus is the Messiah, "is often so repeated in the New Testament?"

His next question is, "Why is this sometimes urged "without the mentioning any other article of belief?" which supposes, that sometimes other articles of belief are mentioned with it.

66

The third question is, " May we not infer, from the frequent and sole repetition of this article, in several "places of the evangelists and Acts?"

Which last question is in effect, Why is this so frequently and alone repeated in the evangelists and the Acts? i. e. in the preachings of our Saviour and his apostles to unbelievers. For of that he must give an account, if he will remove the difficulty. Which three, though put as one, yet are three as distinct questions, and demand a reason for three as distinct matters of fact, as these three are, viz. frequently proposed: sometimes proposed alone; and always proposed alone, in the preachings of our Saviour and his apostles: for so in truth it was all through the Gospels and the Acts, to the unconverted believers of one God alone.

These three questions being thus jumbled together in one objection, let us see how the four particulars, he mentions, will account for them.

The first of them is this: "That believing Jesus to be "the promised Messias," was, says he, "the first step "to christianity." Let it be so: What do you infer

e

from thence? The next words show: "therefore this, " rather than any other article, was propounded to be "believed by all those, whom either our Saviour or "his apostles invited to embrace christianity." Let your premises be ever so true, and your deduction of this proposition be ever so regular from them, it is all lost labour. This conclusion is not the proposition you were to prove. Your questions were, "Why this article " is so often proposed?" And in those frequent repetitions, "Why sometimes urged alone, and why always proposed alone, viz. to those whom either our Saviour or his apostles invited to embrace christianity?" And your answer is, Because the believing "Jesus to be the "Messias, was the first step to christianity." This therefore remains upon you to be proved,

66

66

XXXII. "That, because the believing Jesus to be "the Messias is the first step to christianity, there"fore this article is frequently proposed in the "New Testament, is sometimes proposed without the mentioning any other article, and always "alone to unbelievers."

And when you have proved this, I shall desire you to apply it to our present controversy.

His next answer to those questions is in these words, p. 76, "That though this one proposition, or article, be "mentioned alone in some places, yet there is reason "to think, and be persuaded, that at the same time "other matters of faith were proposed." From whence it lies upon him to make out this reasoning, viz.

66

XXXIII. "That because there is reason to think, "and be persuaded, that at the same time that this one article was mentioned alone, (as it was "sometimes,) other matters of faith were pro"posed therefore this article was often proposed "in the New Testament; sometimes proposed "alone; and always proposed alone, in the preachings of our Saviour and his apostles to unbe "lievers."

66

« PreviousContinue »