thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.' Col. ii. 8. lest any man spoil you through philosophy.' Dan. iii. 16. we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.' Acts iv. 19. whether it be

right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.'

In this treatise then no novelties of doctrine are taught; but for the sake of assisting the memory, what is dispersed throughout the different parts of the Holy Scriptures is conveniently reduced into one compact body as it were, and digested under certain heads. This method might be easily defended on the ground of Christian prudence, but it seems better to rest its authority on the divine command; Matt. xiii. 52. every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.' So also the Apostle says, 2 Tim. i. 13. hold fast the form'-which the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews seems to have determined to adopt as the rule of his own conduct for teaching the heads of Christian doctrine in methodical arrangement: vi. 1-3. of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment; and this will we do, if God permit.' This usage of the Christians was admirably suited for Catechumens when first professing their faith in the Church. Allusion is made to the sae system in Rom. vi. 17. 'ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.' In this passage

μόρφωσις,

the Greek word τυπος, as well as ὑποτύπωσις 2 Tim. i. 13. seems to signify either that part of the evangelical Scriptures which were then written (as in Rom. ii. 20. uógpools, the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law,' signified the law itself) or some systematic course of instruction derived from them or from the whole doctrine of the gospel. Acts xx. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God'—which must mean some entire body of doctrine, formed according to a certain plan, though probably not of great extent, since the whole was gone through, and perhaps even repeated several times during St. Paul's stay at Ephesus, which was about the space of three years.

Christian doctrine is comprehended under two divisions,―Faith, or the knowledge of God,-and Love, or the worship of God. Gen. xvii. 1. walk before me, and be thou perfect.' Psal. xxxvii. 3. trust in Jehovah, and do good.' Luke xi. 28. blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.' Acts xxiv. 14. Acts xxiv. 14. believing all things'herein do I exercise myself.' 2 Tim. i. 13. hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and in love which is in Christ Jesus.' 1 Tim. i. 19. holding faith and a good conscience.' Tit. iii. 8. 'that they which have believed might be careful-.'

and v. 16.

iii. 23. that we should believe and love.'

1 John

These two divisions, though they are distinct in their own nature, and put asunder for the convenience of teaching, cannot be separated in practice. Rom. ii. 13. not the hearers of the law, but the

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doers of the law shall be justified.' James i. 22. be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.' Besides, obedience and love are always the best guides to knowledge, and often lead the way from small beginnings, to a greater and more flourishing degree of proficiency. Psal. xxv. 14. 'the secret of Jehovah is with them that fear him.' John vii. 17. if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.' viii. 31, 32. if ye continue in my word.... ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' 1 John ii. 3. hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.'

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It must be observed, that Faith in this division does not mean the habit of believing, but the things to be habitually believed. So Acts vi. 7. were obedient to the faith.' Gul. i. 23. he Gul. i. 23. he preacheth

the faith.

CHAPTER II.

OF GOD.

THOUGH

HOUGH there be not a few who deny the exist

*

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ence of God, for the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,' Psal. xiv. 1. yet the Deity has imprinted upon the human mind so many unquestionable tokens of himself, and so many traces of him are apparent throughout the whole of nature, that no one in his senses can remain ignorant of the truth. Job xii. 9. who knoweth not in all these that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this?' Psal. xix. 1. the heavens declare the glory of God,' Acts xiv. 17. he left not himself without witness.' xvii. 27, 28. he is not far from every one of us.' Rom. i. 19, 20. that which may be known of God is manifest in them.' and ii. 14, 15. the Gentiles.... shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness.' 1 Cor. i. 21. 'after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.'

Unless there be, who think not God at all:

If any be, they walk obscure;

For of such doctrine never was there school,

But the heart of the fool,

There can

And no man therein doctor but himself.-Samson Agonistes, 295.

be no doubt but that every thing in the world, by the beauty of its order, and the evidence of a determinate and beneficial purpose which pervades it, testifies that some supreme efficient Power must have pre-existed, by which the whole was ordained for a specific end.

There are some who pretend that nature or fate is this supreme power:* but the very name of nature implies that it must owe its birth to some prior agent, or, to speak properly, signifies in itself nothing; but means either the essence of a thing, or that general law which is the origin of every thing, and under which every thing acts,-and fate can be nothing but a divine decree emanating from some almighty

power.

Further, those who attribute the creation of every thing to nature, must necessarily associate chance with nature as a joint divinity; so that they gain nothing by this theory, except that in the place of that one God, whom they cannot tolerate, they are obliged, however reluctantly, to substitute two sovereign rulers of affairs, who must almost always be in opposition to each other. In short, many ocular demonstrations, many true predictions verified, many wonderful works have compelled all nations to be

..... that Power

Which erring men call Chance-. Comus, 588.

In allusion to the doctrines of the Stoicks, &c. Seneca De Beneficiis, iv. 8. 'Sic bunc naturam vocas, fatum, fortunam; omnia ejusdem Dei nomina sunt, varie utentis sua potestate.' Nat. Quæst. ii. 45. Vis illum fatum vocare? non errabis' The next clauses of this sentence contain in the original two of those conceits which are so frequent in Milton's works, and which can scarcely be preserved in a translation. The passage stands thus-' sed natura natam se fatetur, &c. . . . . . . et fatum quid nisi effatum divinum omnipotentis cujuspiam numinis potest esse?'

......