1 Saviour, meaning of the Word among the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, 26 Seleuciani, Heretics, the fame with the Hermiani, Sheol, the meaning of the Word, 180 ΙΟΙ Simon Magus, Ring-leader of Heretics, 69 Sin, its Nature and Definition, 163 Sitting at the right hand of God, how foretold of the Meffias, 116, 117 How accomplish'd in our Lord,118,119 Socinians, Heretics, confuted, 41, &c. 59, &c. 78, &c. 89. 107. 133, &c. 143. 164, &c. 174. 176. 184, &c. Son of God, in what respects our Lord is So ftiled, - Vid. Generation. Suffered, in what refpects our Lord faid to have fuffered, T T. 40 78, &c. He Third Day, meaning of the Phrafe, in Scripture, and in the Creed, 108, Virgi Irgin, the Meffias to be born of a Virgin, Union of the Divine and Human Natures in our Lord's Perfon, Unity, how afcrib'd to God, 73, &c. 69, &c. 8 -The feveral kinds of it that agree to the Church, 151 The W. He Word, the Divine Title of our TH 44 World's Duration, how we are to form an Idea of it, 20 ERRATA, PAge 18 after Prophet add (e), after Priest add (f) after King add (g). P. 29, after God add (h), after Members add (i). P. 62, from Here again, to without an Article, include in a Parenthefis. P. 72, after Mary add (a), after Virginity add (b), after immaculate Virgin add (c). P. 73, after David add (d), after evermore add (e). P. 80, Note (d) for exprefs'd r. implied. P. 101, 102, 103, include in a Parenthefis A A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE Apostles Creed. ARTICLE I. I believe in GOD, the Father Almighty, A I believe. LTHO' these things which I am ready to affirm, be not apparent to my Senfe, (a) so that I cannot say I fee them: Altho' they be not evident to my Understanding of themselves, (b) nor appear unto me true by the vertue of any Natural and Neceffary Caufe (c); fo that I cannot say I have any proper Knowledge, or Science, of them: B them: Yet, fince they are certainly contain'd in the Scriptures, the Writings of the bleffed Apofiles and Prophets; fince thofe Apostles and Prophets were endu'd with Miraculous Power from above, and immediately infpir'd by the Holy Ghoft, and confequently, what they deliver'd was not the Word of Man, but of GOD himself; fince GOD is of that univerfal Knowledge and infinite Wisdom, that 'tis impoffible he fhould be deceiv'd, of that indefectible Holiness, and tranfcendent Rectitude, that it is not imaginable He should intend to deceive any Man; and confequently, what He hath delivered for a Truth muft be neceffarily and infallibly true; I readily and fteadfafly affent to them (d), as most certain Truths, and am as fully and absolutely, and more concerningly, perfwaded of them, than of any thing I fee, or know. And because that GOD, who hath revealed them, hath done it not for my Benefit alone, but for the Advantage of others, nor for that only, but also for the manifeftation of his own Glory; fince, for those Ends, He hath commanded me to profess them (e), and hath promis'd an Eternal Reward upon my Profeffion of them; fince every particular Perfon is to expect the Juftification of himself, and the Salvation of his Soul, upon the condition of of his own Faith; as with a certain and full perfuafion, I affent unto them, fo, with a fix'd and undaunted Refolution, I will profefs them (f); and with this Faith in my Heart, and Confeffion in my Mouth, in refpect of the whole Body of the Creed, and of every Article in it, I fincerely, readily, refolvedly, fay, I be lieve (g). (a) As that Snow is white, &c. (b) As that the Whole is greater than the Part, &c. (c) As the Propofitions in Mathematicks, and the Conclufions in other Sciences. Befides these three kinds of Affent, arifing from fenfible Perception, Intuition, and Demonftration, there is a fourth alfo different from. Faith, when the Evidence of the thing not appearing by any neceflary connexion with its Caufe, or Effects, but by fome external relation to other Truths, ftill leaves a poffibility of Falfhood, and therefore creates in the Mind only a probable Conjecture, or Opinion. (d) Faith, or Belief, in general, is defin'd, an Affent to that which is credible, as credible; i. e. the acknowledging of a thing to be true, not upon the manifeftation, but the atteftation, of the Truth. According as the Credibility of the Objects is different, there muft arife a proportionable diftinction of Affent in the Underftanding, and, confequently, a different kind of Faith. The Credibility of the Objects varies according to the ftrength of the Teftimony on which it is founded. The ftrength of every Teftimony is measured by the Authority of the Teftifier: And this depends upon two Conditions, or Qualities, his Ability, in knowing that which he delivers, and his Integrity, in delivering that which he knows. Human Faith is an Affent unto fomething, as credible, merely upon the Teftimony of Man. By this Human Faith all things proceed in Common Life; all Letters and Sciences are Ba taught, |