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perish everlastingly." And again, "is the Catholic Faith, which except a "Man believe faithfully, He cannot be "faved." Thefe are to be understood, like fome other general Propofitions, with proper Referves, to foften and qualify the seeming Harshness of them. The Neceffity of believing thefe Truths is only a general Neceffity, like that of Baptifm. And fince the Church of England declares Baptism itself to be only generally necessary to Salvation (charitably leaving Room for particular Cafes, such as may reasonably be excepted) She ought to be understood in the fame Senfe, when She pronounces the fame Neceffity, though on another Subject. Our Saviour fays exprefsly, that except a Man be born of Water, and the Spirit, He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. This is a general Propofition, like those in the Creed: Yet no one, except the Papists, ever interpreted it in fo rigid and narrow a Senfe, as that Infants, who died before Baptism could be had, should perish for the Want of it. If Difbelief proceeds from Perverfeness of Will; Perverseness of Will is a great Crime; and all Crimes, without Repentance, are damnable: But if it does not proceed from Perverseness of Will, if it arifes from Incapacity, or Want of the neceffary Means of Inftruction; fuch Want of Faith is involuntary, and what is involuntary

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luntary cannot be finful. But it was SER M. foreign to the Defign of the Creed to take Notice of this Reftriction in this particular Cafe, which is applicable to all Cafes in general, whether of Belief or Practice.

Suppofing any Man fhould affert, that all Perfecutors, if impenitent, should be punished hereafter; the Affertion, I suppose, would fcarce be thought too harsh even by Men of great Moderation; yet even here, a Distinction is to be made between those who offend of malicious Wickedness, and those who do it in the Simplicity of their Hearts, Perfecution may be either the Refult of a wicked Heart; or it may be the Product of an over-heated and diftempered Brain; and in this Cafe may become the Object of God's Mercy. However the Doctrine, that Perfecutors, as well as other Criminals, are obnoxious to the divine Displeasure, may be laid down in general Terms, without clogging it with particular Exceptions. Cafes of unconquerable Prejudices, and unavoidable Ignorance, like Cafes of Neceffity, are always implied; and therefore need not be particularly pointed out. It is thus the Scriptures have inculcated Obedience in general to those that are set over us; without fpecifying thofe extraordinary and critical Cafes, which might warrant Refiftance, and make a Change of Government neceffary: because H 4 fuch

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SER M. fuch a Specification was needlefs. People aggrieved are rather apt to imagine fuch a Crifis, when there is none, than not to find out, when it really is.

Those who condemn the Creed for not excepting Cafes where Unbelief could not be helped, might, with more Justice perhaps, have found Fault with fuch an Exception as a ridiculous, as well as a needless Singularity, without any Precedent to coun¬ tenance it in any Body of Laws: where utter Inability is always understood of Course to be a fufficient Excufe; and, when it can be made to appear, always pardoned, Nay, they might perhaps have objected, that we can scarce make an Overture or Promife, however feemingly abfolute, wherein fome neceffary Conditions, which would be trifling to mention exprefsly, are not of Course fuppofed; upon a Failure of which we are difcharged from the Performance of it. Such is the Nature of Man, ever prone to cavil and find Fault ! We think we have Reafon to be uneafy, unless we have Things exactly our own Way; and when we have them our own Way, we are uneafy ftill, and that not without Reafon. It is likewife to be observed, that the condemning Sentences do not extend to every minute Particular in the Creed; they only are pointed against those, who obftinately deny the Subftance of the Christian

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Chriftian Faith, and particularly that Fa- SER M. ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft, though diftinct, are fo united, fo infeparable, that they may be faid to be One God; juft as God is in Heaven, on Earth, and every where else; yet Being in Heaven, Being on Earth, and Being every where elfe is One Effence, because undivided. Divine Being in Heaven is God, Divine Being on Earth is God, and Divine Being every where else is so too; and yet not Three Gods but One God. The common People have nothing to do with minute Appendages, and Technical Terms, which were defigned as fo many Fences against Metaphyfical Subtilties, and artful Evafions. The Creed is only the common Doctrine of the Trinity and Incarnation guarded: and they who believe those fundamental Articles, virtually believe every Thing elfe, which was put in to fave and fecure thofe fundamental Articles,

Some Medium there ought to be between abfolutely condemning thofe, who differ from us even in concerning Points; and, on the other Hand, representing the most concerning Points fo very doubtful, and fo much to be faid for and against them, that we cannot be morally certain, that we are in the Right; and therefore we ought to be charitable to those who are of another Opinion. Thus fome Men with a Defign, or Pretence of

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moting Charity, are introducing Scepticifm; the worst Kind of Uncharitableness. For it is uncharitable to the last Degree (though they may not design it) to unsettle the Minds of well-meaning People; to beget in them Doubts and Scruples, and (what is the Consequence of thofe Scruples) Uneafinefs, as to Points of the laft Importance. On the contrary it may, I think, be proved, that Men may explain away any Moral Precept, however clearly expreffed, by the fame wretched Subterfuges, and unnatural Conftructions, by which fome have endeavoured to darken the Texts of Scripture relating to the Redemption and the Trinity. And perhaps it would be hard to give an Inftance of any Christian. of found Senfe, who erred fundamentally in these Points, but either He was mifled into His Error by Metaphyfical Abstractions; by flying out into that mighty Void, where Knowledge ends, and Ignorance begins; and reafoning, or rather imagining, on certain Points, where, to reafon rightly, is to fubmit our Reafon to God's Revealed Will or He was an Admirer and implicit Follower of fome Metaphyfical Refiner. If Words are capable of any fixed and determined Meaning, thofe are fo, as much as any other, in which thefe Doctrines are conveyed But if Words are not capable of any fixed Senfe, it is to no Purpose to

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