order of arrangement, but reciting in substance the same articles of belief, as that faith, "which the Catholick Church, to the very ends of the earth, hath received from the Apostles and their disciples;" as "the one only rule of faith, immoveable, unalterable;" "the rule which had descended from the beginning of the Gospel;" "the rule instituted by Christ, and admitting of no questions except those which heresies introduced, and which constitute hereticks." And as none were baptized, according to the testimony of Justin Martyr, “unless they first declared their assent to the doctrine and faith of the Gospel;" so we learn from the testimony of numerous other fathers, that "in common practice, whoever appeared to differ from the common faith, was rejected as an apostate from Christianity, and as unworthy of the communion of other Christians."

IV. In this "congregation of faithful men the pure word of God is preached," as another mark of the Church of Christ: "the pure word of God," as indicated by the before cited passages, which speak of "the Church," as being first formed of those who gladly received "the word" preached unto them; as being "sanctified and cleansed by the word;" as being "the pillar and ground of the truth:""the pure word of God," as further indicated by "the Apostles' doctrine," in which the

new believers "stedfastly continued," and by the "foundation of the Apostles and Prophets," on which "the Church" is said to have been "built."

This pure word of God is comprehended in those writings, which the Holy Spirit hath caused to be composed and perpetuated for the instruction of all ages of the Church; and of which our sixth Article of Religion accordingly affirms, that "holy Scripture containeth," exclusively, "all things

necessary to salvation."

This notion of the holy Scriptures, as containing the pure, the entire, word of God, delivered by Him for the instruction and salvation of his Church, is derived from the declarations of the inspired writers themselves: which teach us that the holy Scriptures, of the Old and New Testaments, in their several parts or collectively, are designed and written "for our learning1;" that they are calculated to fill us with "patience, comfort, and hope;" that they supply us with the lessons of "eternal life";" that they are "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;" that they are calculated to make "the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works*;" that they are able to make those who "know" them "wise unto

39.

2 Tim. iii. 16.

1 Rom. xv. 4.

2 John v.

4 Ver. 17.

salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus1;" that they empower us to "know the certainty of those things, wherein," as Christians, "we are instructed";" that they are "written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name 3"

Now, if all these properties be ascribed to the holy Scriptures, which are the written word of God, as signifying the intention wherewith they were written, and as shewing, in effect, their practical utility, it is by no means reasonable to look for any independent source of religious information, for any other revelation of God's will, for any other word of God, but such as holy Scripture supplieth.

Nor again can any other revelation be required, but upon a supposition prejudicial to the alleged character of holy Scripture itself: upon the supposition, namely, that the written word of God is either erroneous or defective. For, if information, derived from any such source, be at variance with holy Scripture, allowing the purity of that independent source, then must the written word of God be supposed to be erroneous: if it communicate instruction, which holy Scripture doth not impart, then must the written word of God be

2 Tim. iii. 15.

2 Luke i. 4.

3 John xx. 31.

supposed to be defective. To suppose the former of these cases, that is, to suppose the written word of God to be erroneous, were to impeach the truth of God: even to suppose the latter, that is, to suppose the written word of God to be defective, is to suppose a case hardly reconcileable with the divine wisdom, on a consideration of the purposes for which that word is avowedly and most unambiguously alleged to have been written. But, indeed, the word of God, as comprised in the volume of inspiration, is perfect and uncorrupt. It has no mistakes which need to be corrected by a more infallible and paramount authority: no deficiencies which need to be made good by a supplemental and completer code. Go, and make inquiry of that word itself: it admits not the pretensions, it recognises not the existence, of any fellow, to share in its glorious office of leading men forward to salvation. But, like its Divine Author, jealous of its own peculiar attribute, and not content to "give its glory to another," it cries aloud, as it were, with a commanding voice, to those, who would swerve from its guidance, and wander into by-paths of human fabrication, "This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left'."

Agreeable to this was the universal testimony

1 Isa. xlii. 8. Xxx. 21.

of the primitive Christians, both in the apostolical times, and in those which immediately, and afterwards for many ages uninterruptedly succeeded. The Scriptures, which the Apostles had acknowledged or delivered, the Churches constantly received for their own direction, and regularly transmitted to their posterity. Upon these Scriptures they grounded their faith: to these Scriptures they still appealed as the foundation of their doctrines: they still argued from these Scriptures in proof of their doctrines: they still condemned all doctrines which were not contained in these Scriptures and if at any time they brought forward human authorities to justify their opinions or expressions, they did so for the purpose of shewing that they were not chargeable with any innovation, in the doctrine or in the manner of expressing it; still referring for the origin and groundwork of their doctrine to the testimony of the written word of God. In that word the collective body of doctrines, of which all Christians made publick confession, and on which all their hopes of salvation depended, were all contained; and they agreed in no article of faith, which was not plainly laid down in Scripture. "If we inquire," observes Bishop Jeremy Taylor, "upon what grounds the primitive Church did rely for their whole religion, we shall find they knew none else but the Scriptures. 'Where is it written?'