any more, the Promifes of Salvation are made. But what is this Gofpel? Why, it is plainly that Doctrine which Jefus Chrift himself taught, and which the Apostles from him preached to the World, and which was all in their Times put into Writing, and which is all fully contained in thofe Books that we have at this Day in our Hands, which we call the New Testament. This Gofpel then is the Rule of our Faith. Every Doctrine that is there delivered we muft believe: But as for any Doctrine that is not there delivered, nor can be deduced from thence, we are not bound to believe that as an Article of Faith, let it come never fo well recommended by the Authority of Popes or their Councils, nay, or back'd with the Credit of Miracles wrought for the Atteftation of it. This, I fay, is our Rule of Faith: That Rule, which our Church prefcribes to us as well as the Holy Scriptures; And bleffed be God we do fo ftrictly keep to it. So long as we do fo, it is impoffible but we must be not only a true Church, but also a right and a found Church. We cannot indeed, upon thofe Principles, admit of abundance of Points, which our Neighbours lay fo much Weight upon, as to make all thofe that deny them to be Infidels and Hereticks. We do not believe the Infallibility of the Church, nor the Supremacy of the Church of Rome, nor Tranfubftantiation, nor Purgatory,

gatory, nor Invocation of Saints, nor twenty other fuch Articles, which they make neceffary to Salvation. And the Reason is, because we find none of those Things in the Gofpel, as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures, which we are fure would have been there, if God had made it our Duty to have believ'd them. But we believe all

that the Gospel teacheth, and make use likewife of all the Means that are poffible to understand it in its true Senfe: and this we are fure is all that Chrift hath required of us, as to the Bufinefs of Believing.

But Sixthly, Another Reflection I make upon this Text is this; That this Propofition of our Saviour's, Whofoever believeth, and is baptized, shall be faved; and whofoever believeth not, fhall be damned, doth only respect thofe People to whom the Gofpel of Chrift is preached, but not others to whom it is not preached. This will appear by the Connexion of these Words with the former, Go, faith our Saviour, into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every Creature; and then he immediately fubjoins, Whofoever believeth, and is baptized, hall be faved; but whosoever believeth not, hall be damned. How is that? Shall every one be damned that believeth not, tho' they never heard the Gofpel. No; that cannot be inferr'd from thefe Words, but only this; Thofe that upon the preaching of the Gospel

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Gofpel do embrace it, and enter into the new Covenant it tenders to them, thofe fhall be faved; but thofe that upon the preaching of the Gospel to them do not embrace it, all fuch fhall be damned. But here is not a Word faid of those that never had the Gospel preached to them, either as to their Salvation or Damnation. The Inference I draw from hence is this; That thofe Promifes of Salvation, and those Threatenings of Damnation, which are made in the Gospel, do only concern those that have the Gospel preached to them, and that have Means and Opportunities afforded them for the clofing with the one, and avoiding the other. But what then is to become of thofe People that never had thefe Means and Opportunities put into their Hands? Are they to be faved, or are they to be damned? I anfwer, We can fay nothing to their Cafe, but muft refer them to God. To pronounce pofitively of their Salvation we have no Warrant, because the Promises of Salvation, as the Gospel declares them to us, (and we have no Promifes of Salvation but in the Gospel) are only made to those that believe in Jefus Christ, and enter into his Covenant by Baptifm. On the other Side, to pronounce of their Damnation, feems very harsh and uncharitable; nor do I know that any in the Scripture are threaten'd with Damnation, but fuch as reject the Gospel after it is preached

preached to them, or dishonour their Profeffion after they have embraced it, by a wicked unholy Life; neither of which can be faid of those we are now fpeaking of. We ought therefore, as I faid, to determine nothing about them either way, but to leave them to the uncovenanted Mercies of God, if I may fo fpeak. For what have we to do to judge another Man's Servant, as St. Paul expreffeth it. They are God's Servants, and to him their Master they stand or fall; and if it pleaseth him, he is able to make them ftand. This we are certain of, that the Judge of all the World will do right. Nor will he demand the Tale of Bricks where he hath allow'd no Straw to make them. And this we are likewife certain of, that when the great Day of Retribution fhall come, the Day when all Accounts fhall be caft up, and Rewards and Punishments diftributed to every one according to their Works, God Almighty will then vindicate not only his Juftice and his Truth, but his Goodness and his Mercy alfo, to the Satiffaction of all the World; and a thousand Ways he may have of adjusting those Matters, and fuch like intricate Points, which we now cannot conceive.

But in the Seventh Place: The laft Reflection I make upon thefe Words, is this; That what is here promifed to all Chriftians in my Text, and what is here denounced against

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against all Unbelievers, was defign'd by our Saviour to extend to all Ages of the World. As thofe that then believed and were baptized upon the Apoftles preaching were put into a Condition of Salvation, fo are all People put into the fame Condition that at this Day among us do enter themselves into the Chriftian Covenant. And as thofe that continued Infidels and Unbelievers when the Gospel was preached to them then, were doom'd to Damnation; fo fhall it fare likewife with all thofe that now-adays deny or reject that Gospel that is taught among us. There is the fame Neceffity of believing in Chrift now that there was then; and there is the fame Guilt and Punishment of refusing him; for there is no other Name under Heaven given unto Man, either then or now, by which we can be faved. There is indeed this Difference between the Perfons that were preach'd to then, and those that are preach'd to now; that in those Days People firft believed, and afterwards were baptized; but now (as it must be in Countries where Chriftianity is the National Religion) People are first baptized, and afterwards they believe; or, to speak a fad Truth, fome of them afterwards do not believe. But let not any think that their Baptifm without Faith in Chrift, and owning their Relation to him in all the Inftances that he hath commanded, will fignify any thing: Notwithstanding their Baptifm,

we