A second vindication of The reasonableness of Christianity, &c, by the author of The reasonableness of Christinaity, &c.

XX.

That I pretend a design of my Book which was never so much as thought of, till I was sollicited by my Bre∣thren to Vindicate it.

All the rest in this Paragraph being either nothing to this place of the Ro∣mans, or what I have answer'd else∣where, needs no farther Answer.

The next two Paragraphs, p. 46.••49. are meant for an Answer to something I had said concerning the Apostles Creed, upon the occasion of his charge∣ing my Book with Socinianism. They begin thus.

This Author of the New Christianity. Answ. This New Christianity is as old as the Preaching of our Saviour and his Apostles, and a little older than the Unmasker's System. Wisely ob∣jects that the Apostles Creed hath none of those Articles which I mention'd, p. 12, 13. Answ. If that Author wisely objects, the Unmasker would have done well to have replied wisely. But for a Man wisely to reply it is in the first place requisite, that the Objection be truly and fairly set down in its full force, and not represented short, and as will best serve the Answerers turn to reply to. This is neither wise nor honest: And this first part of a wise Reply the Unmasker has failed in. This will ap∣pear from my words and the occasion

of them. The Unmasker had accused my Book of Socinianism, for omitting some Points, which he urged as ne∣cessary Articles of Faith. To which I answer'd, That he had done so only

to give it an ill Name, not because it was Socinian, for he had no more reason to charge it with Socinia∣nism for the Omissions he mentions, than the Apostles Creed

. These are my words, which he should have either set down out of p. 12. which he quotes, or at least given the Obje∣ction as I put it, if he had meant to have clear'd it by a fair Answer. But he, instead thereof, contents himself that I object, that the Apostles Creed hath none of those Articles and Doctrines which the Unmasker mention'd. Answ. This at best is but a part of my Ob∣jection, and not to the purpose. I there meant, without the rest join'd to it; which it has pleased the Unmasker ac∣cording to his laudable way to con∣ceal. My Objection therefore stands thus,

That the same Articles, for the Omission whereof the Unmasker

charges my Book with Soci∣nianism, being also omitted in the Apostles Creed, he has no more reason to Charge my Book with Socinianism, for the Omis∣sions mention'd, than he hath to charge the Apostles Creed with Socinianism.

To this Objection of mine, let us now see how he answers, p. 47.

Nor does any considerate Man wonder at it [i. e. That the Apostles Creed hath none of those Articles and Doctrines which he had mention'd] For the Creed is a form of outward Profession, which is chiefly to be made in the Publick Assemblies, when Prayers are put up in the Church and the Holy Scriptures are read. Then this Abridgment of Faith is properly used, or when there is not generally time or opportunity to make any Enlargement. But we are not to think it expresly contains in it all the necessary and weighty Points, all the important Doctrines of Belief, it being only designed to be an Abstract.

Answ. Another indispensible requi∣quisite in a wise Reply is, that it should be pertinent. Now what can there be more impertinent, than to confess the Matter of Fact upon which the Obje∣ction is grounded, but instead of de∣stroying the Inference drawn from that Matter of Fact, only amuse the Reader with wrong Reasons, why that Matter of Fact was so?

No considerate Man, he says, doth wonder that the Articles and Doctrines he mentioned, are omitted in the Apo∣stles Creed: Because that Creed is a form of outward Profession. Answ. A Pro∣fession! of what I beseech you? Is it a Form to be used for Form's sake? I thought it had been a Profession of something, even of the Christian Faith: And if it be so, any considerate Man may wonder necessary Articles of the Christian Faith should be lest out of it. For how it can be an outward Pro∣fession of the Christian Faith, without containing the Christian Faith, I do not see; unless a Man can outwardly profess the Christian Faith in words, that do not contain or express it, i. e. profess the Christian Faith, when he

does not profess it. But he says, 'tis a Profession chiefly to be made use of in Assemblies. Answ. Do those solemn Assemblies privilege it from containing the necessary Articles of the Christian Religion? This proves not that it does not, or was not designed to con∣tain all Articles necessary to be belie∣ved to make a Man a Christian; un∣less the Unmasker can prove that a From of outward Profession of the Chri∣stian Faith, that contains all such ne∣cessary Articles, cannot be made use of in the Publick Assemblies. In the Publick Assemblies, says he, when Prayers are put up by the Church and the Holy Scriptures are read, then this Abridgment of Faith is properly used; or when there is not generally time or opportunity to make an Enlargement. Answ. But that which contains not what is ab∣solutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian, can no where be properly used as a form of outward Profession of the Christian Faith, and least of all in the solemn Publick As∣semblies. All the sense I can make of this is, That this Abridgment of the Christian Faith, i. e. imperfect Colle∣ction

(as the Unmasker will have it) of some of the Fundamental Articles of Christianity in the Apostles Creed, which omits the greatest part of them, is made use of as a form of outward Profession of but part of the Christian Faith in the Publick Assemblies, when by reason of reading of the Scripture and Prayers, there is not time or op∣portunity for a full and perfect Profes∣sion of it.

'Tis strange the Christian Church should not find time nor opportunity in Sixteen hundred Years to make, in any of her Publick Assemblies, a Profession of so much of her Faith as is neces∣sary to make a Man a Christian. But pray tell me, has the Church any such full and compleat form of Faith, that hath in it all those Propositions, you have given us for necessary Articles (not to say any thing of those which you have reserved to your self in your own Breast, and will not communi∣cate) of which the Apostles Creed is only a scanty form, a brief imperfect abstract, used only to save time in the Croud of other pressing Occasions, that are always in hast to be dispatch'd?

If she has, the Unmasker will do well to produce it. If the Church has no such compleat form, besides the Apostle's Creed, any where, of Fundamental Articles, he will do well to leave talking idlely of this Abstract, as he goes on to do in the following words:

But, says he, we are not to think that it expresly contains in it all the necessary and weighty Points, all the important Doctrines of our Belief, it being only designed to be an Abstract. Answ. Of what, I beseech you, is it an Abstract? For here the Unmasker stops short, and as one that knows not well what to say, speaks not out what it is an Abstract of; But provides himself a Subterfuge in the generality of the preceding terms of necessary and weigh∣ty Points, and Important Doctrines, jumbled together; which can be there of no other use, but to cover his Ig∣norance, or Sophistry. For the Que∣stion being only about necessary Points, to what purpose are weighty and im∣portant Doctrines join'd to them; un∣less he will say, that there is no diffe∣rence between necessary and weighty

Points, Fundamental and important Do∣ctrines? And if so, then the distin∣ction of Points into necessary and not necessary, will be foolish and imper∣tinent; And all the Doctrines con∣tain'd in the Bible will be absolutely necessary to be explicitly believed by every Man to make him a Christian. But taking it for granted, that the di∣ction of Truths contain'd in the Go∣spel into Points absolutely necessary, and not absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian, is good; I desire the Unmasker to tell us, what the Apostles Creed is an Abstract of. He will perhaps answer, that he has told us already in this very Page, where he says it is an Abridgment of Faith, and he has said true in words, but saying those words by rote after others, without understanding them, he has said so in a sense, that is not true. For he supposes it an Abridgment of Faith, by containing only a few of the ne∣cessary Articles of Faith, and leaving out the far greater part of them; And so takes a part of a thing for an Abridg∣ment of it; Whereas an Abridgment, or Abstract of any thing, is the whole

in little, and if it be of a Science or Doctrine, the Abridgment consists in the essent••al or necessary Parts of it; contracted into a narrower compass, than where it lies diffus'd in the ordi∣nary way of delivery, amongst a great number of Transitions, Expla∣nations, Illustrations, Proofs, Reason∣ings, Corollaries, &c. All which, though they make a part of the Discourse wherein that Doctrine is deliver'd, are lest out in the Abridgment of it, wherein all the necessary parts of it are drawn together into a less room. But though an Abridgment need to contain none but the essential and necessary parts, yet all those it ought to contain; Or else it will not be an Abridgment or Abstract of that thing, but an Abridg∣ment only of a part of it. I think it could not be said to be an Abridgment of the Law contain'd in an Act of Parliament, wherein any of the things required by that Act were omitted; which yet commonly may be reduced into a very narrow compass, when strip'd of all the Motives, Ends, Ena∣cting Forms, &c. expressed in the Act it self. If this does not satisfie the

Unmasker what is properly an Abridg∣ment; I shall referr him to Mr. Chil∣lingworth, who I think will be allow'd to understand sense, and to speak it properly, at least as well as the Un∣masker. And what he says, happens to be in the very same Question be∣tween Knot the Jesuit, and him; that is here between the Unmasker, and me: 'Tis but putting the Unmasker in the Jesuit's place, and my self (if it may be allow'd me without Vanity) in Mr. Chillingworth's the Protestants, and Mr. Chillingworth's very words, Chap. IV. §. 65. will exactly serve for my Answer.

You trifle affectedly, confounding the Apostles Belief of the whole Religion of Christ, as it comprehends both what we are to do, and what we are to believe, with that part of it which contains not Duties of Obedience, but only the necessary Articles of simple Faith. Now, though the Apostles Belief be in the former sense, a larger thing than that which we call the Apostles Creed; Yet in the latter sense of the word, the Creed (I say) is a full Comprehension of their Belief, which

you your self have formerly con∣fessed, though somewhat fearfully and inconstantly. And here again unwillingness to speak the Truth makes you speak that which is hardly sense, and call it an Abridg∣ment of some Articles of Faith. For I demand those some Articles which you speak of, which are they? Those that are out of the Creed, or those that are in it? Those that are in it, it comprehends at large, and there∣fore it is not an Abridgment of them. Those that are out of it, it com∣prehends not at all, and therefore it is not an Abridgment of them. If you would call it now an Abridg∣ment of Faith, this would be sense; and signifie thus much; That all the necessary Articles of the Christian Faith are comprised in it. For this is the proper Duty of Abridgments, to leave out nothing necessary.

So that in Mr. Chillingworth's judgment of an Abridgment, it is not sense to say as you do, p. 47. That we are not to think that the Apostles Creed expresly contains in it all the necessary Points of our Belief, it being only designed to be

an Abstract, or an Abridgment of Faith. But on the contrary, we must con∣clude it contains in it all the necessary Articles of Faith, for that very reason, because it is an Abridgment of Faith, as the Unmasker calls it. But whether this, that Mr. Chillingworth has given us here, be the nature of an Abridg∣ment, or no; this is certain, that the Apostles Creed cannot be a form of Profession of the Christian Faith, if any part of the Faith necessary to make a Man a Christian be left out of it: And yet such a Profession of Faith would the Unmasker have this Abridg∣ment of Faith to be. For a little lower in the 47. p. he says in express terms, That if a Man believe no more than is in express terms in the Apostles Creed, his Faith will not be the Faith of a Chri∣stian. Wherein he does great Honour to the Primitive Church, and parti∣cularly to the Church of England. The Primitive Church admitted con∣verted Heathens to Baptism, upon the Faith contain'd in the Apostles Creed: A bare Profession of that Faith, and no more, was required of them to be re∣ceived into the Church and made

Members 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, Cre∣dendi scilicet in unicum deum omnipo∣tentem Mundi conditorem, & filium ejus Iesum Christum, natum ex Virgine Maria, Crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertia die resuscitatum à Mortuis, re∣ceptum in Coelis, Sedentem nunc ad dex∣tram Patris, Venturum judicare vivos & Mortuos per carnis etiam resurrectio∣nem. Hâc lege fidei manente, caetera jam disciplinae & conversationis admit∣tunt novitatem correctionis, Tert. de Virg. Velan, in Principio. This was the Faith that in Tertullian's time suf∣ficed to make a Christian. And the Church of England, as I have remar∣ked already, only proposes the Arti∣cles of the Apostles Creed▪ to the Con∣vert to be baptized, and upon his Professing a Belief of them, asks whe∣ther he will be Baptized in THIS FAITH, which (if we will believe the Unmasker) is not the Faith of a Christian. However the Church, with∣out

any more ado, upon the Profession of THIS FAITH, and no other, Baptizes them 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 Eng∣land, 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 Christian, 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) rea∣sons right, that the Church of Eng∣land is mistaken, and makes none but Socinian Christians, or (as he is pleased now to declare) no Christians at all. Which if true, the Unmasker were best look to it, whether he himself be

a Christian, or no: For 'tis to be fear'd, 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 con∣sider whom in this way he brings off with him: For I think he cannot de∣ny, that all Matters of Faith in some manner may be reduced to that Ab∣stract of Faith which I have given, as well as to that brief Platform in the Apostles Creed. So that for ought I see, by this rule, we are Christians, or not Christians; Orthodox or not Or∣thodox, equally together.

But yet he says in the next words, When he calls it an Abstract or Abbre∣viature, 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 shewn) is implied by its being called an Abstract. But what is that to

the purpose? 'Tis not sit Abstracts and Abbreviatures should stand in Unmas∣ker'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 Condescention, 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 Platform of Be∣lief: But yet when it is set in competition with the Creed, which he himself is making (for it is not yet finish'd) it is by no means to be al∣low'd 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 anew into a Faith, which will really make them Chri∣stians; But hitherto, if the Unmas∣ker

may be credited, she has failed in it.

Yet he craves leave to tell me in the following words, p. 48. That the Apo∣stles Creed hath more in it than I or my Brethren will subscribe to. Were it not the Undoubted Privilege of the Un∣masker to know me better than I do my self, (for he is always telling me something of my self 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 deter∣min'd: 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 False∣hood. But what others will do it is not my talent to determine: That be∣longs to the Unmasker. Though as to all that are my Brethren in the Chri∣stian Faith, I may answer for them too, that they will also with me do that without which in that sense they can∣not be my Brethren.

P. 49. The Unmasker smartly con∣vinces me of no small Blunder in these words. But was it not judiciously said by this Writer, that

it is well for the Compilers of the Creed, that they lived not in my 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 adjoyn'd many years after, far beyond the extent of any Man's Life, and therefore the Compi∣lers of the Creed could not live in my days, nor could I live in theirs. Answ. But it seems that had they liv'd altogether, you could have liv'd in their days. But, says he, I let this

pass, as one of the Blunders of our thoughtful and musing Author. Answ. And I tell you Friend, that unless it were to shew your reading in Usher and Vossius, you had been better let this Blunder of mine alone. Does not the Unmasker give here a clear Proof, that he is no Changeling? Whatever Ar∣gument 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 shew me guilty of an absurdity in saying,

It was well for the Com∣pilers of the Creed, that they lived not in his days

. This he proves to be a Blunder; because they all lived not in one anothers 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 ano∣ther by a Supposition into one time, than it is to bring the Unmasker, and any one of them who lived a Thou∣sand Years distant one from another, by a Supposition to be Contempora∣ries; For 'tis by reason of the Com∣pilers

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 till 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 Com∣pilers days that died before him. The Supposition of their living together is as easie 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 shew'd (which was his Business) that he does not ac∣cuse 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 Arti∣cles (viz. That Christ is the Word of God. That God was incarnate. The eternal and ineffable Generation of the Son of God. That the Son is in the Father, and Father in the Son, which expresses their Unity) for the omis∣sion whereof, the Unmasker laid So∣cinianism to my Charge. So that

it remains still upon his Score to shew,