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bers of Christ's body. How little different the faith of the ancient church was, from the faith I have mentioned, may be seen in these words of Tertullian: "Regula fidei una omnino est, sola, immobilis, irreformabilis, credendi, scilicet, in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, & filium ejus Jesum "Christum, natum ex virgine, Maria, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertia die resuscitatum à mortuis, receptum in cœlis, sedentem nunc ad dextram Patris, "venturum judicare vivos & mortuos, per carnis etiam "resurrectionem. Hâc lege fidei manente, cætera jam disciplinæ & conversationis admittunt novitatem cor"rectionis:" Tert. de virg. velan. in principio. This was the faith, that in Tertullian's time sufficed to make a christian. And the church of England, as I have remarked already, only proposed the articles of the apostles creed to the convert to be baptized; and upon his professing a belief of them, asks, Whether he will be baptized in this faith; which (if we will believe the unmasker)" is not the faith of a christian." However, the church, without any more ado, upon the profession of this faith, and no other, baptizes him into it. So that the ancient church, if the unmasker may be believed, baptized converts into that faith, which "is "not the faith of a christian." And the church of England, when she baptizes any one, makes him not a christian. For he that is baptized only into a faith, that is not the faith of a christián," I would fain know how he can thereby be made a christian? So that if the omissions, which he so much blames in my book, make me a socinian, I see not how the church of England will escape that censure; since those omissions are in that very confession of faith which she proposes, and upon a profession whereof, she baptizes those whom she designs to make christians. But it seems that the unmasker (who has made bold to unmask her too) reasons right, that the church of England is mistaken, and makes none but socinians christians; or (as he is pleased now to declare) no christians at all. Which, if true, the unmasker had best look to it, whether he himself be

a christian, or no; for it is to be feared, he was baptized only into that faith, which he himself confesses "is not the faith of a christian."

But he brings himself off, in these following words: "all matters of faith, in some manner, may be reduced "to this brief platform of belief." Answ. If that be enough to make him a true and an orthodox christian, he does not consider whom, in this way, he brings off with him; for I think he cannot deny, that all matters of faith, in some manner, may be reduced to that abstract of faith which I have given, as well as to that brief platform in the apostles creed. So that, for aught I see, by this rule, we are christians or not christians, orthodox or not orthodox, equally together.

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But yet he says, in the next words; when he calls it an abstract, or abbreviature, it is implied, that there are "more truths to be known and assented to by a christian, "in order to making him really so, than what we meet "with here." The quite contrary whereof (as has been shown) is implied, by its being called an abstract. But what is that to the purpose? It is not fit abstracts and abbreviatures should stand in an unmasker's way. They are sounds men have used for what they pleased; and why may not the unmasker do so too, and use them in a sense, that may make the apostles creed be only a broken scrap of the christian faith? However, in great condescension, being willing to do the apostles creed what honour he could, he says, That "all matters of faith, "in some manner, may be reduced to this brief plat"form of belief." But yet, when it is set in competi tion with the creed, which he himself is making, (for it is not yet finished,) it is by no means to be allowed as sufficient to make a man a christian: "There are more "truths to be known and assented to, in order to make "a man really a christian." Which, what they are, the church of England shall know, when this new reformer thinks fit; and then she may be able to propose to those who are not yet so, a collection of articles of belief, and baptize them a-new into a faith, which will really make them christians: but hitherto, if the unmasker may be credited, she has failed in it.

"Yet he craves leave to tell me," in the following words, p. 48, "That the apostles creed hath more in it "than I, or my brethren, will subscribe to." Were it not the undoubted privilege of the unmasker to know me better than I do myself, (for he is always telling me something of myself, which I did not know,) I would, in my turn, crave leave to tell him, that this is the faith I was baptized into, no one tittle whereof I have renounced, that I know; and that I heretofore thought, that gave me title to be a christian. But the unmasker hath otherwise determined: and I know not now where to find a christian. For the belief of the apostles creed will not, it seems, make a man one: and what other belief will, it does not yet please the unmasker to tell us. But yet, as to the subscribing to the apostles creed, I must take leave to say, however the unmasker may be right in the faith, he is out in the morals of a christian ; it being against the charity of one, that is really so, to pronounce, as he does, peremptorily in a thing that he cannot know; and to affirm positively what I know to be a downright falsehood. But what others will do, it is not my talent to determine; that belongs to the unmasker; though, as to all that are my brethren in the christian faith, I may answer for them too, that they will also with me, do that, without which, in that sense, they cannot be my brethren.

Page 49, The unmasker smartly convinces me of no small blunder, in these words: "But was it not judi"ciously said by this writer, that, "it is well for the "compilers of the creed, that they lived not in my

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days?" P. 12, "I tell you, friend, it was impossible

they should; for the learned Usher and Vossius, and "others have proved, that that symbol was drawn up, "not at once, but that some articles of it were adjoined "many years after, far beyond the extent of any man's "life; and therefore the compilers of the creed could "not live in my days, nor could I live in theirs." Answ. But it seems that, had they lived all together, you could have lived in their days. "But," says he, "I let this

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pass, as one of the blunders of our thoughtful and "musing author." Answ. And I tell you, friend, that

unless it were to show your reading in Usher and Vossius, you had better have let this blunder of mine alone. Does not the unmasker here give a clear proof, that he is no changeling? Whatever argument he takes in hand, weighty or trivial, material or not material to the thing in question, he brings it to the same sort of sense and force. He would show me guilty of an absurdity, in saying, "It is well for the compilers of the creed, that "they lived not in his days." This he proves to be a blunder, because they all lived not in one another's days; therefore it was an absurdity to suppose, they might all live in his days. As if there were any greater absurdity to bring the compilers, who lived, possibly, within a few centuries of one another, by a supposition, into one time; than it is to bring the unmasker, and any one of them who lived a thousand years distant one from another, by a supposition, to be contemporaries; for it is by reason of the compilers living at a distance one from another, that he proves it impossible for him to be their contemporary. As if it were not as impossible in fact, for him who was not born until above a thousand years after, to live in any of their days, as it is for any one of them to live in either of those compilers days, that died before him. The supposition of their living together, is as easy of one as the other, at what distance soever they lived, and how many soever there were of them. This being so, I think it had been better for the unmasker to have let alone the blunder, and showed (which was his business) that he does not accuse the compilers of the creed of being all over socinianized, as well as he does me, since they were as guilty as I, of the omission of those articles, (viz. " that Christ is the "word of God: that Christ was God incarnate: the "eternal and ineffable generation of the Son of God: "that the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son, which expresses their unity;") for the omission whereof, the unmasker laid socinianism to my charge. So that it remains still upon his score to show,

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XXI. "Why these omissions in the apostles creed do "not as well make that abstract, as my abridgment "of faith, to be socinian ?"

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Page 57, The uímasker “ desires the reader to observe, that this lank faith of mine is in a manner no "other than the faith of a Turk." And I desire the reader to observe, that this faith of mine was all that our Saviour and his apostles preached to the unbelieving world. And this our unmasker cannot deny, as I think, will appear to any one, who observes what he says, p. 76, 77, of his Socinianism unmasked. And that they preached nothing but "a faith, that was in a manner no other "than the faith of a Turk," I think none amongst christians, but this bold unmasker, will have the irreverance profanely to say.

He tells us, p. 54, that "the musselmen" (or, as he has, for the information of his reader, very pertinently proved, it should be writ, moslemim; without which, perhaps, we should not have known his skill in Arabic, or, in plain English, the mahometans) "believe that "Christ is a good man, and not above the nature of a

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man, and sent of God to give instruction to the "world: and my faith," he says, "is of the very same "scantling." This I shall desire him to prove; or, which in other words he insinuates in this and the neighbouring pages, viz.

XXII. That that faith, which I have affirmed to be the faith, which is required to make a man a christian, is no other than what Turks believe, and is contained in the alcoran.

Or, as he expresses it himself, p. 55,

"That a Turk, according to me, is a christian; for I "make the same faith serve them both."

And particularly to show where it is I say,

XXIII. That "Christ is not above the nature of a "man," or have made that a necessary article of the christian faith.

And next, where it is,

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