words of the Apoftles Creed; and confequently judges no explicatory Comment upon it, (however poffibly True or Ufeful,) to be abfolutely neceffary to Salvation.

In the Apostles Creed itself, only the original Articles antiently profeffed at Baptifm, and not the additional explicatory ones, are by the Church. understood to be of abfolute Neceflity to Salvation: As appears evidently, from the Article of Chrifts Defcent into Hell; of which, the Church has thought fit not to determine the Sense; and which all men Now understand, not in the Senfe it was generally taken at the Time of its being put into the Creed, but in That Senfe which is the True Meaning of thofe Texts of Scripture, upon which the Article was originally founded; (See Bp Pearfon on the Creed, pag. 227, Edit. 4th. ) Now if the additional explicatory Articles even of the Apostles Creed itself, are by the Church evidently understood not to be of abfolute neceffity to Salvation; much less can any mans Explication added 600 or 700 years after, (but only the original Articles themselves, of which fuch Explications, however learned and acute, are only fallible Interpretations,) be required to be believed as Neceffary to Salvation.

The learned Dr Hammond has a judicious paffage upon This Subject. As for the Cenfures, faith he, annexed to the Athanafian Creed, I fuppofe they must be interpreted by their oppofition to thofe Herefies that have invaded the Church, and which were acts of Carnality in them that broached and maintained them against the Apoftolick doctrine,

and were therefore to be anathematized Not that it was hereby defined to be a damnable Sin, ta fayle in the understanding or believing the full Ee 3

matter

when it any Fault

matter of any of thefe explications, might more reasonably be deemed not to be of the Will. Tract. of Fundamentals, Ch. 10, Sect. 3.

Creed. Oxford, prin

† A Brief Account And another judicious. † Auof fome expreffions thor: That our Church, faith he, in St Athanafius's doth not require an explicit Faith of ted by Henry Hall all the Articles of Athanafius's Creed, Printer to the Uni- as abfolutely necessary to Salvation; verfity, 1663. And is evident from her forms of baptito have been written by zing both infants and adult perfons. one of the most eminent For fhe there admits Both forts to men in the Church. baptifm (and confequently to the Hopes of Salvation) upon the profeffion of the Apostles Creed, which is not fo explicit as that of Athanafius. And

believed at that time,

as it is certain, that the Apostles Creed is not fo explicit as that of Athanafius; fo is it no less, that no adult person can be a Child of God and an Heir of Heaven, without believing all those things that are abfolutely neceffary to Salvation. pag. 2, 3.

Again: She allows (faith he) of Several Interpretations of fome Articles, and thofe too quite different from one another; and cannot therefore be juppofed to propofe all the Articles as abfolutely neceffary to be believed. For That which is fuch, must bear the fame Senfe to all perfons; because all men have the fame concernments in what is abfolutely necessary to be believed. But thofe Articles which, may be received with different Interpretations, cannot bear the fame Senfe to all perfons, and cannot therefore be thought to be propofed as abfolutely necessary to be be lieved. I inftance in the Article of Chrifts Defcent into Hell; which it is notorious the Church of England allows men to receive in Several SenJes the most confiderable Members thereof, having delivered different Interpretations; and that too,

without

without any Cenfure from the Church for fo doing. pag. 4.

And again: This I fay, that there are fome things in the Creeds, which are not abfolutely neceffary to Salvation; and that our Church is fo tender even in thofe Articles it preffes upon the Clergy, that it doth not diftinguish between Fundamentals and others, but recommends the Creeds in grofs to be received by all her Children, without acknowledging any other neceffity of the Belief of the whole, than what arifeth from the certain warrant they bave in the Word of God, and a due Proposal of them to the Understanding. pag. 8.

And the ingenious Author of the Paraphrafe on the Book of Common Prayer: Ishall show, faith he, that in the Ufe of the Athanafian Creed, we do not declare that the Belief of every Propofi tion thereof is neceffary to Salvation. And this is very plain, if it be confidered that no Mans words ought to be ftrained to an ill Senfe, when they are capable of a good one. - Now I appeal to our Adverfaries, whether the Creed be not fairly ca pable of being fo understood, as that the Belief of Some Propofitions thereof need not to be thought neceffary to Salvation. They have heard of the Diftinction of the Matter of this Creed, into the neceffary Doctrines, and the Explications of thofe Doarines: &c. Bennets Paraphr. pag. 272.

Again: But farther; What is more reasonable, than to admit fuch candid Interpretations of any pu blick impofed Form of words, as have been delivered for true and genuine by the most approved Authors of That Body which uses the Form? especially when thofe Interpretations are fo far from being publickly contradicted and difallowed by our Governors, that the Authors have been held in great Efteem, Ee 4

and

and incouraged for thofe very Books, which contain and infift upon them. Now This is our prefent Cafe. To name no more; what greater Authors has the eftablished Church ever bad, than Arch-Bishop Laud, Dr Hammond, Bishop Pearson, and Bishop Stillingfleet? Now All thefe, (the Firft, in his Conference with Fisher; the fecond, in his Difcourfe of Fundamentals; the third, in his Book on the Creed; and the fourth, in his Rational Account;) have written their Minds fully and clearly as to this Matter. For, with refpect to the Proceffion of the Holy Ghoft in particular, they have express'd themfelves in a moft fatisfactory manner in defense of the Greek Church, and abundantly declared, that the Belief of the Proceffion from the Father and the Son, which is afferted in the Athanafian Creed, is not neceffary to Salvation. Now this demonftrates, that the Belief of every Propofition in the Athanafian Creed, is not thought by our Church to be necessary to Salvation. pag. 273.

Again: When He [the Author of the Creed] fays, He therefore that will be faved, muft thus think of the Trinity; he does not mean, that he that will be faved, muft think Every One of thofe Propofitions concerning the Godhead and the Three Perfons, which he had before laid down, to be True; but he means, that he must think of the Trinity, as he bad juft before faid of it, and as he had proved from his Propofitions concerning it; viz. that ́in all things, as is aforefaid, (viz. in the Beginning of the Creed,) the Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in U. nity, is to be worshipped. pag. 274.

Again: But it may be objected, that the Conclufion of the Athanafian Creed runs thus; This is the Catholick Faith, which except a Man believe faithfully, he cannot be faved: Which words feem

to imply thus much, viz. that this Form of words, and confequently every Propofition thereof, is the Catholick Faith, which except a Man believe faithfully, be cannot be faved. But I answer, that thefe words are not to be extended to every Propofition contained in the Creed: For then the Author must contradit himself: For I have shown, that there is one Propofition at least, which he did not think necessary: Whereas if his Conclufion be fo understood, every Propofition would have been thought neceffary by bim. The word, This, therefore relates to the neceffary Articles, and not to the Proofs or Illuftrations of them. pag. 280.

And again: Nothing is more evident, than that those who added the Defcent into Hell to thofe Creeds which have Chrifts Burial in them, meant fuch a Defcent, as is with the jufteft Reason now generally exploded. And yet both Churchmen and Diffenters do receive and fubfcribe this Creed. But in what Senfe? Not as 'twas intended certainly; but in a Senfe that the Words will bear notwithftanding. If they can vindicate this Practife with refpect to the Apoftles Creed, they may much more eafily do the fame with respect to that Creed

which is attributed to St Athanafius. pag. 292. :

3.

that we worship One God in Tri

nity, and Trinity in Unity:

Neither confounding the Perfons, nor