thanks, and praise, which are meet for God's acceptance. All this is contained in our believing in the Holy Ghost.

Q. 4. If all this be in it, it seemeth a most necessary part of faith?

A. The perfective works of God are used to be ascribed to the Holy Ghost. This is so weighty and necessary a part of faith, that all the rest are insufficient without it. Millions perish that God created, and that Christ, in a general sort, as aforesaid, died for; but those that are sanctified by the Holy Ghost are saved. It is the work of the Holy Ghost to communicate to us the grace of Christ, that the work of creation and redemption may attain their ends.

Q. 5. How is it proved that the Holy Ghost is God?

A. In that we are baptised into the belief of him, as of the Father and the Son; and in that he doth the works proper to God, and hath the attributes of God in Scripture, which also expressly saith, "There are three which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John v. 7.)

Q. 6. I have oft marvelled that the Creed left out, 1. The authority of the apostles. 2. And their miracles and Christ's. 3. And the authority of the Scriptures. And, now, I perceive that all these are contained in our believing in the Holy Ghost.

A. No doubt but it is a practical article of faith, in which we profess to believe in the Holy Ghost, in his relation and works on man; and therefore, as Christ's agent in gathering his church, by the apostolical power, preaching, writings, and miracles; and in the sanctifying and helping all true believers. Q. 7. By this it seems there are many ways of denying the Holy Ghost?

A. Yes; 1. They deny him, who deny his Godhead as the Third Person in the blessed Trinity.

2. They deny him, who deny that the miracles of Christ and his apostles were God's testimony to Christ, being convinced of the truth of the facts.

3. They deny him, who deny the extraordinary qualifications of the apostles, and suppose them to have had but the prudence of ordinary, honest men.

4. They deny the Holy Ghost, who deny the sacred Scriptures to be indited by him, and to be true.

t John xvi. 13.

5. They deny him, who deny him to be the Sanctifier of God's elect, and feign holiness to be but conceit, deceit, or common virtue.

Q. 8. But are all these the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost?

A. The unpardonable sin is called "the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost." (Matt. xii.) And it is when men are convinced that those miracles were done, and those gifts given, which are God's attestation to Christ and his gospel; but they fixedly believe, and say, that they were all done by the power of the devil, by conjuration, and not by God; and therefore, notwithstanding them, Christ was but a deceiver. And this sin is unpardonable, because it rejecteth the only remedy, the Spirit's witness to the truth of Christ. He that will not believe this witness shall have no other.

Q. 9. But how may we know that we are sanctified by the Spirit?

A. By that holiness which he causeth. 1. When our understandings so know and believe the truth and goodness of the gospel and its grace, as that we practically esteem and prefer the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, and the heavenly glory, before all the pleasures, profits, and honours of this world, that stand against them, and before life itself.

2. When our wills do, with habitual inclination and resolution, love and choose the same, before all the said things that stand in competition.

3. When in the course of our lives, we seek them first, and hold them fastest in a time of trial, forsaking the flesh, the world, and the devil, so far as they are against them, and living in sincere, though not perfect, obedience to God."

Q. 10. Is the Spirit, or the Scripture, higher than the rule of faith and life?

A. The Spirit, as the Author of the Scripture, is greater than the Scripture; and the Scripture, as the word of the Spirit, is the rule of our faith and lives, and greater than our spiritual gifts. The Spirit in the apostles was given them to write (when they had preached) that doctrine which is our rule: but the Spirit is not given to us to make a new law, or rule, but to believe, love,

" Acts xxvi. 18; Eph. i. 18; Col. i. 9, 10; 2 Cor. v. 17; Matt. xviii. 3; John iii. 3, 5, 6; Heb. xii. 14; Matt. vi. 33; 2 Thess. ii. 13; 1 Pet. i. 1, 2; 2 Thess. ii. 2; 1 John iv. 1-3.

and obey that already made. As under the law of Moses, God, that made the law, was greater than the law. But when God had made that law their rule, he did not, after that, teach good men to make another law, but to understand and obey that.

Q. 11. There are many that boast of the Spirit and revelations. How shall we try such, whether their spirits be of God? A. 1. If they pretend to do that which is fully done by the Spirit already, that is, to preach or write another gospel, or make a new law for the universal church, seeing this was the prophetical extraordinary office of Christ, and the Spirit in the apostles, such imply an accusation of insufficiency on Christ's and the Spirit's law, or rule, and arrogate a power never given them, and so are false prophets.

2. If they contradict the written word of God, which is certainly sealed by God's Spirit already, it must needs be by an evil spirit; for God's Spirit doth not contradict itself.x

Q. 12. But had not the priests, under the law, the Spirit of God, as well as Moses, that gave them the law?

A. Moses only, and Aaron under him, had God's revelation to make the law; and the priests only to keep it, teach it, and rule by it. And so it is as to the apostles of Christ, and the succeeding ministry.

Q. 13. But might not kings, then, make religious laws?

A. Yes; to determine such circumstances as God had only given them a general law for, and left to be determined by them, but not to make new laws of the same kind with God's, nor to add to, or alter them.

Q. 14. But were there not prophets, after Moses, that had the Spirit?

A. Yes; but they were not legislators, but sent with particular mandates, reproofs, or consolations, save only David and Solomon, who had directions from God himself, not to make a new law of God, but to order things about the temple and its worship.

So if any man now pretend to a prophetical revelation, it must not be legislative to the catholic church, nor against Scripture, but about particular persons, acts, and events; and it must be proved by miracle, or by success, before another is bound to believe him.

Q. 15. Must I take every motion in me to be by the Holy

* Gal. ii. 7, 8.

Ghost, which is agreeable to the word of God, or for doing what is there commanded?

A. Yes; if it be according to that word, for the matter, end, manner, time, and other circumstances. But Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, and mind us of some text or truth to misapply it, and put us on meditation, prayer, or other duty, at an unseasonable time, when it would do more hurt than good; or in an ill manner, or to ill ends. He can move men to be fervent reprovers, or preachers, or rulers, that were never called to it, but are urged by him, and the passion and pride of their own hearts: and good men, in some mistakes, know not what manner of spirit they are of.

CHAP XVIII.

"The Holy Catholic Church."

Q. How is this article joined to the former?

re

A. This article hath not always been in the Creed, in the same order and words as now. But the belief of a holy church was long before it was called "catholic;" and it is joined as part of our belief of the work of the Holy Ghost, and the demption wrought by Christ. Christ, by his death, purchaseth, and the Holy Ghost gathereth, the "holy catholic church." It were defective to believe Christ's purchase, and the Holy Ghost's sanctification, and not know for whom, and on whom, it is done. To sanctify, is to sanctify some persons; and so to make them the holy society, or christian church.

Q. 2. What is a church?

A. The name is applied to many sorts of assemblies which we need not name to you; but here it signifieth the christian society.

Q. 3. Why is it called catholic?

A. Catholic is a Greek word, and signifieth universal. It is called catholic, because, 1. It is not, as the Jews' church, confined to one nation, but comprehendeth all true Christians in the world: and, 2. Because it consisteth of persons that have everywhere in the world the same essentiating qualifications

y 2 Cor. xi. 14.

summed up, (Eph. iv. 3-6,) one body, one spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, though in various measures of grace. And so the concordant churches of Christ throughout the world, were called the catholic church, as distinct from the sects and heresies that broke from it.

Q. 4. How comes the Pope of Rome to call only his subjects catholics?

A. The greatest part of the church on earth, by far, was long in the Roman empire, and when emperors turned Christians, they gave the churches power for the honour of Christianity, to form the churches much like the civil state and so a general council of all the churches in that empire was their supreme church power. And three patriarchs first, and five after, were in their several provinces, over all the rest of the archbishops and bishops; and so the orthodox party at first were called the catholics, because they were the greater concordant part; but quickly the Arians became far greater, and carried it in councils, and then they called themselves the catholics. After that, the orthodox, under wiser emperors, got up again, and then they were the greater part called catholics. Then the Nestorians a little while, and the Eutychians after, and the Monothelites after them, got the major vote in councils, and called themselves the catholic church: and so, since then, they that had the greatest countenance from princes, and the greatest number of bishops in councils, claimed the name of the catholic church: and the Pope, that was the first patriarch in the empire, first called himself the head of the catholic church in that empire; and when the empire was broke, extended his claim to the whole christian world, partly by the abuse of the word "catholic church," and partly by the abuse of the name "general councils;" falsely pretending to men. that what was called catholic and general, as to the empire, had been so called as to all the world. And thus his church was called catholic.

Q. 5. Why is the catholic church called holy?

A. 1. To notify the work of our Saviour, who came to save us from our sins, and gather a peculiar people, a holy society, who are separated from the unbelieving, ungodly world.

2. To notify the work of the Holy Ghost, who is given to make such a holy people.

3. Yea, to notify the holiness of God the Father, who will be