us, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works, verse 16, 17. And if the Old Scriptures were sufficient to make the man of God perfect, and to furnish him throughly unto all good works, one would think that the New and Old together should not be defective. For that the scriptures of the New Testament, as well as of the Old, contain in them all things necessary to eternal life, they themselves do plainly testify of themselves: for thus St. Luke in the beginning of his gospel tells his Theophilus, to whom he writes, that forasmuch as many had set forth a declaration of those things that were surely believed among Christians, it seemed good unto him also, having had a perfect understanding of all things from the first, to write them down in order, that he might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed. From whence I infer, that supposing St. Luke performed what he promised, his gospel must contain a full declaration of the Christian religion: for, first, By promising to give an account of those things which were surely believed among Christians, he engaged himself to give an entire account of Christianity, unless we will suppose that there were some parts of Christianity which the Christians of that time did not surely believe. 2dly, In promising to give an account of those things of which he had a perfect understanding from the first, and in which his Theophilus had been instructed, he also engages himself to give a complete account of the whole religion, unless we will suppose that there were some

parts of this religion which St. Luke did not perfectly understand, and in which Theophilus had not been before instructed. Thus also St. John testifies of his gospel, chap. xx. 31. These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. And if it be objected that by these things the apostle only means the miracles of Christ, which are the motives of our belief, and not his doctrines which are to be believed by us; this is notoriously false, since by these things St. John means his gospel, in which not only the miracles, but the doctrines of Christ are contained; and therefore in his first epistle, chap. v. 13, he saith, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe, or continue to believe, on the name of the Son of God; where by these things it is plain he means only that Christian doctrine which he had been teaching throughout the whole epistle. From which two places I argue, that all things necessary to eternal life are written, because he expressly tells us, that these things were written to this end, that they might beget and nourish in us that faith by which we may obtain eternal life; but if that faith which these written things was designed to beget in us be not sufficient to eternal life, then were these things written in vain, and the end of writing them, which was that we might obtain eternal life, by believing them, was wholly frustrated; but if that faith were sufficient to eternal life, then these written things which begot that faith, and were the object of it, must contain in them all things necessary to eternal life; for how can they beget in us

a faith that is sufficient to eternal life, unless they propose to our faith all things that are necessary thereunto?

And thus I have endeavoured to demonstrate from scripture itself, which all agree is the word of God, and consequently the most concluding authority in the world, that the holy scripture is in itself a sufficient rule of faith and manners to direct men to eternal life. And if this be so, I would fain know by what warrant or authority any man or church can pretend to obtrude upon the faith of Christians any unwritten traditions, or doctrines of faith, and rules of worship, not recorded in scripture, as of equal authority with those recorded in scripture, and equally necessary to the eternal happiness of men. For that there have been such bold imposers in the Christian world, Irenæus assures us in the second chapter of his second book against Heresies; where he tells us of a sort of heretics who taught, "that "the truth could not be found in the scriptures by "those to whom tradition was unknown; forasmuch "as it was not delivered by writing, but by word "of mouth." And these heretics, as Tertullian observes," confessed indeed that the apostles were ig"norant, and that they did not at all differ among "themselves in their preaching, but said they re"vealed not all things unto all men; some things

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they taught openly and to all, some things secretly, "and to a few; which secret things were the un"written traditions which they sought to impose "upon the faith of Christians." And how far the church of Rome itself doth in this matter tread in the footsteps of these ancient heretics, is but too De Præscrip. Hæret. c. 25.

notorious for thus in the preface of their Catechism, it is expressly affirmed by the council of Trent, "that the whole doctrine to be delivered to the "faithful is contained in the word of God, which "word of God is distributed into scripture and tra"dition." And in the council itself they declare, and define," that the books of scripture and unwrit"ten traditions are to be received and honoured "with equal pious affection and reverence." In which words they expressly own another word of God besides the scripture, viz. tradition, which they equalize with the scripture itself. And this is almost verbatim the very assertion which both Irenæus and Tertullian condemn for heresy; and as they are the same, so we find they are grounded on the same authority for those very texts of scripture which those ancient heretics urged for their tradition, are urged by Bellarmine for the tradition of his church. Thus for their tradition, as Irenæus and Tertullian acquaint us, they urged that of St. Paul, We speak wisdom among them that are perfect; and also, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust; and again, That good thing which is committed to thee, keep all which texts are urged by Bellarmine in his fourth and fifth books de Verbo Dei, in behalf of that tradition which the church of Rome contends for: and it is something hard, that that which was damned for heresy in the primitive church should be made an article of faith in the present Roman. Not that we do disallow of traditions universally received in all churches and ages; for we frankly acknowledge that what is now contained in scripture was tradition before it was scripture, as being first delivered by word of mouth before it was collected

into writing; and therefore, whensoever it can be made evident to us that there are any unwritten doctrines bearing the same stamp of divine authority with those that are written, we are ready to receive them with the same veneration as we do the scriptures themselves. For it is not their being written that doth authorize them, but their being from God, and our Saviour, and his apostles; and therefore, when once it is made appear to us that Christ or his apostles taught so and so, that is sufficient to command our assent and submission, whether it be made appear from scripture or tradition. So that the reason why we embrace some doctrines and reject others, is not merely because the one are written and the other not; but because to us, who live at so great a distance from Christ and his apostles, it can never be made so evident, that what is not written was taught by them, as what is. What is written hath been delivered down to us by the unanimous tradition and testimony of the church of Christ in all ages, which I am sure can never be justly pretended of any one of those unwritten traditions which the church of Rome now imposes upon the faith of Christians. Let them but produce the same unanimous testimony, that any one of those twelve articles which they have thought meet to superadd to the ancient creeds was taught by Christ or his apostles, as we do that what is contained in scripture was so, and we will as readily embrace it as any proposition in scripture; but if this article be neither to be found in scripture, nor delivered down to us as taught by Christ or his apostles, by the unanimous testimony of the church of Christ through all ages, we must crave their pardon, if we cannot receive it as part of