Section 1: A Short Account of These Difficulties

Concerning the Doctrines and Duties which peculiarly belong to the New Testament, I have generally concluded this to be a good Rule of Judgment, that according to the Degree of their Importance or Necessity to Salvation, such is commonly the Degree of their Evidence; and the Frequency of their Repetition is, for the most part, proportionable to their Usefulness. Those great Truths of our Religion, and those Practices of Christianity, without which we cannot be saved, are described in the Word of God in large and fair Characters, so that he who runs may read them. These Visions and Revelations of the Mind and Will of God our Sovereign, are written and made plain upon the Tables of the Evangelists, or of the Apostles, Hebrews 2:2. They are not mentioned once and briefly, but many Pages explain and repeat them; they stand in a divine and convincing Light, and may easily be understood by those who with a humble and teachable Spirit, inquire what they must believe and do, in order to please God.

This Remark is much confirmed by that Promise which assures us that it should be so in Gospel-times. The High way to Heaven is so plain, that the wayfaring Men, or Strangers, though they be Fools in Understanding, shall not err therein, Isaiah 35:8. A Man that labors in his daily Calling, in the City or the Field, or a Servant in the lowest Rank of Life, may, with due Application in their vacant Moments, be acquainted with the necessary Truths and Duties of our Religion; besides that the Spirit of God is promised to sincere and diligent Seekers, to faithful and humble Inquirers, and shall be bestowed sufficiently to inform them of the sure way to eternal Life, Proverbs 2:1-6. If you cry after Knowledge, and lift up your Voice for Understanding, if you seek her as Silver, and search for her as for hid Treasures, then shall you understand the Fear of the Lord, and find the Knowledge of God. Luke 11:13. Your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. And the Spirit is sent to guide the Faithful into all Truth, John 16:13.

The Wisdom, the Equity and the Goodness of God seem all to concur in fixing Matters of necessary Belief and Practice in this Situation, that is That they should be often and plainly expressed. If there be any particular Doctrine or Duty which I find written but in one single Text of Scripture, or expressed but darkly, I should reasonably conclude the Great God never designed that Doctrine, or that Duty to be of very great Importance in the Christian Life: For a dark Expression is much more easily mistaken, as to the true Sense of it; and a single Text is more liable to be miscopied, or dropped by a Transcriber, or be misconstrued by a Translator, or overseen and neglected by a common Reader or Hearer; and the Great God would not put Matters of high Importance on so doubtful and dangerous a Foot, and leave Things necessary at such Uncertainties, lest honest and humble Inquirers should, after all their Pains, mistake their Way to Heaven.

A sudden Thought of the Form and Order of Baptism, prescribed to us, Matthew 28:18 made me at first suspect, that there must be one Exception made to this Rule, about the frequent Repetition of any Doctrine or Duty necessary to Salvation; but upon a further Consideration and Review of Things it appears evident to me now, that though this Appointment of the Form of Baptism was prescribed to be done in the Name of the Holy Spirit, as well as of the Father and the Son, yet it was by no means necessary to the Salvation of any Man, and therefore there was no necessity of having it often repeated. Let us consider

First, That the Appointment of it is but once expressed, and that by one holy Writer, and there is never an actual Example or Instance of this complete Form of Baptism practiced in any place of Scripture. Observe that remarkable Text, Acts 19:2 where Saint Paul inquired of the young Converts that were baptized at Ephesus, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? and they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. He then inquired, unto what were you baptized? and they said, Unto John's Baptism; and Paul had told them that John taught them, that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus: when they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Whether they were baptized in the Name of the Holy Spirit, or no, is not actually expressed; which is something strange, when that was the chief Point of Inquiry concerning their Baptism into the Holy Ghost.

Here also it may be observed, that those who were here baptized, Acts 19:5, 6 immediately received the Holy Ghost; whence it may be very probably inferred, that some Persons were baptized with the Holy Ghost itself, who were not actually baptized into the Name of the Holy Ghost.

Consider Secondly, When the Business of Baptism is mentioned in several Places in the Epistles, it is generally declared that Baptism was performed in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Romans 6:3 so many of you as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death, Galatians 3:27. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:13. By one Spirit we are baptized into one Body, that is Christ as in the foregoing Verse, but I can find no mention of the Disciples being baptized into the Holy Ghost.

Thirdly, Though I am ready to believe from many Expressions in the Primitive History of the Church, that the Baptizers did usually keep to this Form of Words, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, yet it is evident from a long Account which Grotius gives us upon this Text, Matthew 28:18 that they used diverse Forms, that is, they sometimes expressed the Father by a Periphrasis, The God of all, or the God of the whole, the God and Father of the whole, sometimes the Son was expressed by the Word, or the only begotten Son of God: Sometimes the Holy Ghost was expressed by the Spirit who inspired the Prophets.

I might add, that upon their Profession of the Christian Religion, sometimes it is called the Profession of the Remission of Sins, or the Catholic Church, or Everlasting Life, but they never made a Scruple of their being rightly baptized into Salvation upon any of these Accounts; and I am persuaded that had the Apostles themselves, or the primitive Christians, thought it necessary to Salvation, the Form of Baptism would have been more express in the History of it, and been more particularly repeated.

I think therefore the Rule may stand good still, that where a Doctrine or a Duty is mentioned but in one single Place of the Scripture, it cannot be of absolute Necessity to Salvation. I hope the Reader will forgive this long Digression, and then proceed.

On the other hand, where particular Truths or Duties are often repeated in Scripture, and very plainly expressed in several Places, it is hardly possible that they should be subject to these Inconveniences. It is not to be supposed that the Transcribers of the New Testament should make the same Mistake in every Place, where these Propositions are mentioned; that they should drop them out of every Chapter; that the Translator should misconstrue them in every Text; or that their Misconstruction should always seem to make good Sense in every Context where they stand; or finally that the Hearer or Reader should always overlook them when they are found in so many passages, and so often occur to his Ear or Eye.

But it is very apparent, and all Men must acknowledge that Matters of less Moment, and things not necessary, are not mentioned so often: And when they are mentioned, the Scripture sometimes gives no Determination or positive Injunctions about them; nor do the Apostles determine the smaller Controversies with that plain, exact and positive Method of Speech, which you find them use in the most substantial Truths and Duties. If we read the 14th Chapter to the Romans, it must convince us of this Assertion. Saint Paul does not there decide the little Controversies about Observations of Meats and Days, but seems to leave them to Charity. Nor are the lesser Points of Christianity half so often mentioned, or urged with half so much Vehemence, as the grand Duties of Faith and Love, Repentance and Holiness. In matters of lower Concernment among the Formalities and Modes of Religion, or even in some higher Articles, whose Circumstances and logical Relations are not necessary to Salvation, the Scripture has its dusnoeta et fere alyta, as Divines call them, that is almost insolvable Difficulties and Things, very hard to be understood by Men in this State, at least by common Readers.

Sometimes the Matter is so sublime, so unlike all mortal Affairs, and so divinely superior to every thing here below, that perhaps it was not possible to describe it fully and plainly in human Words: And the more enlightened the Writer or Speaker was, the deeper and more inexpressible might some of the Truths be which he reveals. Our Saviour has made some such Discoveries at the latter end of his Prayer in the 17th of Saint John's Gospel. Such are the Doctrines of the Union or Oneness of Christ with God his Father, and the Oneness or Union of the Saints with God and Christ. Some things are constrained to be expressed in a human way less suitable to their own Dignity, and yet even then they are not perfectly easy to be understood, for earthly Metaphors will not convey to our Thoughts a full Idea of things divine and heavenly. When Christ had been teaching Nicodemus the Doctrine of Regeneration, John 3:12 he adds, If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? The Apostle Paul, the most enlightened of all mere Men, saw and heard some things among his Visions and Revelations, that were unutterable, 2 Corinthians 12. And some things which he has published for the Use of the Church, according to the Wisdom given to him, are hard to be understood, as Saint Peter himself assures us, 2 Peter 3:16.

Again, I might take Notice that in Matters which are Prophetical, both in the Old Testament and in the New, there are many dark Expressions, many Parables and hard Figures of Speech, which are made use of to express and convey some general and indistinct Ideas of future Events, which were not fit to be more fully revealed in that Day, and which only the Accomplishment was designed to explain the future Days or Ages. When these things are come to pass, then shall you know that I have foretold them, John 13:19 and 14:29 and 16:4.

The Spirit of God, for wise Ends, has expressed some Things in particular Seasons, whether Doctrinal or Prophetical, in obscure Phrases, capable of a double Interpretation. Other things are very briefly hinted, and the holy Writer does but just glance at them in passing, and does not dwell upon them long enough to explain them, that being not his present chief Design.

Some Words are so ambiguous and of various Meaning in the same Chapter, that it is not easy to determine their precise Sense in each Verse; and these Words also transferred into our Language may not have the same different Meanings as the Original, and perhaps too, may be determined to the wrong Sense by the Translators; but the Vulgar can read only their own Language, and their Judgments are determined by the Translators Opinion. The various Meanings put on the Words Nomos the Law, ekklesia the Church, cheirotoneo to ordain, episkopos a Bishop or Overseer, etc. sufficiently prove this.

Besides, the Sense of many a Scripture depends not merely on the literal Construction of the Words, but on the Knowledge of the Context, and on the Consideration of the Scope and Design of the Writer, and perhaps the deeper Design of the Spirit of God that inspired him: It depends on the Character of the Person that writes, and on the Character and Condition of the Persons to whom he writes, into what Errors or evil Practices they were fallen, at what Time, and under what Circumstances these Things fell out: All which it is impossible every Mechanic should know, and but few Scholars are well acquainted with: These Difficulties in Scripture occasion different Opinions among the Readers; and because each would impose his Sense upon all the rest of Christians, a thousand quarreling Folios have sprung.

There is another Difficulty and Shade of Darkness which falls upon many Texts of Scripture, and particularly in the New Testament, from the extraordinary Actions and Modes of Action in the primitive and inspired Times. It is certain that some things recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, and occasionally spoken of in the Epistles, refer only to the extraordinary and inspired Transactions of those miraculous Times, and cannot be imitated by us: Such are the Communication of Gifts by the Imposition of Hands, the healing the Sick by anointing with Oil, the multitude of useful Speakers in one Assembly, the talking various Languages in public Worship if an Interpreter were present, et cetera. It is as certain also, that some things are recorded in some of those Scriptures, as Patterns and Directions for our Imitation in all Ages. Such are the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Choice of Deacons, the Ordination of Overseers or Bishops, the Practice of occasional Communion, et cetera. But there are some Circumstances relating to these Actions, concerning which it is hard to determine how far they belong to the extraordinary Affairs of that Day, and how far they are Rules for our Conduct in ordinary Cases.

Now from all these Differences have arisen many laborious and angry Volumes of Noise and Wrangle about the Mint, the Annise, and the Cummin, about the Dress and the Fringes of Religion, which have vexed the learned World, and disquieted and divided the Church of Christ.

Notwithstanding all these Difficulties in Scripture, and the divided Sentiments of Men about them; yet there is no room for the Popish Doctrine of the Insufficiency of the Holy Scriptures; no need of any living Judge of Controversies, or a Seat of Infallibility on Earth; for the grand Doctrines and Duties which are necessary to Salvation, such as Repentance toward God, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a Prophet, a High-priest and a King, the Necessity of universal Holiness, Pardon of Sin through the Blood of Christ, the Resurrection of the Dead, and eternal Rewards and Punishments in the World to come; all these, I say, are written down in Scripture, in as plain and express a manner as the Nature and Importance of them required; and about these things Persons of a sober, humble and honest Mind cannot well mistake, if they are diligent in their Enquiry, and seek Wisdom of that God who gives liberally, and upbraids us not with our own Folly.

Not only are all Matters necessary to Salvation written plain enough for every Reader, but we have also, as I hinted before, the Promise of the Assistance of the Holy Spirit to teach us to understand all such Revelations, that sincere and diligent Men may not be suffered to fall into such a Mistake as to fail of Acceptance with God. Nay, further, we have good Encouragement to hope, that even in some things on which Salvation does not necessarily depend, but are only designed to promote the further Sanctification and Comfort, Peace and Hope of the Church, the Spirit of God will often assist the upright and humble Seeker. Yet still there will remain Difficulties enough to exercise inquisitive Souls, for I find no certain Promise, that God will always satisfy every sincere Inquirer in the full Meaning of all difficult Texts.

I glorify thee, O my God, that thou hast not confined the Knowledge of thyself to the wise and the learned World, but hast written down the Way of Salvation so plain, that a Child may read and attain it. Let the Scribes and Doctors and Critics of the Age wrangle about the Pins of the Tabernacle, and the Seats in the Synagogue, let them contend, even to Blood, about the Ofs, the Ands, and the Moreovers of the Bible, my Soul shall dwell in Peace, and rest on these Pillars of Safety, even the great and evident Doctrines of the Christian Faith. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast revealed thy self and thy Son unto Babes, and hast not made it a Matter of Wit and Criticism to be a Christian. The Foolish and the Base, and the weak Things of this World are chosen to Salvation, and they understand, and believe, and practice all the necessary Articles, while they may differ from each other in some lesser Forms of Worship and Discipline, and are not able to maintain an Argument on either Side.

What is here asserted concerning the Substance of some of the less necessary Articles of our Religion (namely) that they are somewhat obscurely expressed in Scripture; the same may be applied also to the circumstantial Topics, to the Appendices, and the Logical Relations even of the greatest and most necessary Points of Christianity, as I hinted before. Though the Practice of Repentance, and the Promises of Pardon; though Justification by Faith, and the Death of Christ as a Ransom for Sinners, are so often and so plainly affirmed, yet it is not affirmed so often, nor so plain in Scripture; what Logical Relation Faith bears to our Justification; whether it is a Condition as some make it, or a receiving Instrument as others suppose: Nor is it so indisputably and so evidently written in the Word of God, whether Christ died as a conditional Atonement for all Sin, and a Purchaser of Salvation in general for all that are willing to accept it, or whether as a strict Representative only of the Elect, and to procure neither absolute nor conditional Pardon for any Sins but theirs.

It is evident beyond all doubt, that where the Gospel comes, he that believes shall be saved: But whether Faith saves us as it is a mere Dependence on divine Grace, or on the Priesthood of Christ, or whether it saves us rather as a hearty Belief of the Gospel and the Grace of it, even such a Belief as comes to be the Spring of our Repentance and our Holiness, this is not so exceeding evident as to leave no room for Controversy.

It is abundantly revealed in Holy Scripture, that without Repentance of our Sins we can never be saved, nor shall any of our Iniquities be forgiven without a sincere Conversion to God; but to declare with utmost Exactness and full Assurance what Logical Relation our Repentance bears to our Pardon, Scripture has not taught us quite so fully, nor so clearly described it.

It is sufficiently plain to every Reader of the Bible, that Holiness of Heart and Life is of absolute Necessity to our Entrance into Heaven, for without Holiness no Man can see God: But how far, and in what precise Sense this Holiness and Obedience to the Commands of God can give a Right to enter into the Gates of the City is something harder to determine; or what is that sort of Right or Title which our own sincere Obedience gives us to the immediate Possession of Blessedness, though we are fully assured from several Places in the Word of God, it is very different from the Right which we obtain by the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ.

In some Places the sacred Writer seems to mention one Doctrine, while he is pursuing some one Subject with Warmth and Zeal; in other Places of Scripture the contrary seems to be signified or hinted; now both these in the literal Sense, and without Limitation, cannot be true: And which of these two Texts must be reduced to the other, by certain Distinctions and Limitations in order to a Reconciliation, is not so easy always to determine: For in some Instances it may happen, that the Proposition which is but implied in one Text, is nearer the Truth than another Proposition which seems to be expressed in another Place; which can only be decided by a due Survey of the Context, and the different Designs of the Writer, and a Comparison of other Scriptures.

Therefore if we will dispute about these solemn Subjects, let our warmest Zeal and our sharpest Weapons be engaged against those Adversaries of the Gospel, who attempt to ruin the Foundations of it; let us contend most earnestly for the Defence of what God most obviously and incontestably reveals; but our coolest Debates, our Candor and Charity, rather than Fierceness, should be employed about the Points of more dubious Discovery: At best we should maintain great Moderation so long, till we find the lesser Errors spreading like a secret Gangrene, and drawing along with them dismal Consequences, till they are observed to infect the more substantial parts of Godliness, and endanger the Vitals and very Essence of Christianity.

If our Reverend Fathers and Brethren have shown a fiery Zeal about these lesser Errors, I would persuade myself their chief Motive was a Suspicion of Danger and Ruin to the Gospel itself, in the Liberty, in the Purity, and in the Glory of it, if they should have connived at these lesser Mistakes, or treated them with a cold Indifference: And it is possible that sometimes they might have Reason for their Suspicion and their Zeal, though it may be confessed they were but Men, and their Fervor might sometimes exceed due Bounds.

But, in general, as to these meaner Points, Moderation is our Duty: Whereto we have attained, let us walk by the same Rule, and if any be otherwise minded, God in his most proper Season will reveal it also to them, Philippians 3:15, 16. It is as if the blessed Apostle had said, that those who trust only in Christ and his Righteousness, as the ground of their Acceptance before God, shall be joyfully received to join their right Hand of Fellowship with mine; and if they do but pursue Holiness sincerely from the plainer Motives of Christianity, though they are not well acquainted with those most noble Principles of it (namely) Communion with a suffering, dying and rising Saviour as a Representative, Pledge and Pattern of spiritual dying to Sin, and Resurrection into Holiness, which are contained in verse 10, yet I will not disturb them about it, but hope God will discover it to them in his Time.

Yet further, as the great Doctrines of Christianity and the necessary Duties of it, are very much distinguished from the less necessary Points, and the Circumstantials of those Duties, by their greater Evidence and Clearness of Revelation; so the more substantial Parts of the Worship appointed in the Gospel, may be distinguished from the less Important Modes and Circumstances. Solemn Prayer unto God, preaching of the Word, Administration of the Ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and a due Attendance thereon, are plainly and certainly required of us that assume the Name of Christians in our sacred Assemblies. But whether we may borrow Assistance from composed Forms in preaching, praying and other Administrations; or whether we must renounce all Use of Forms, Books and Notes to aid our Invention, Memory and Expression in Prayers and Sermons, are mere accidental Matters, and not written in Scripture with so express a Pen. So whether the Person baptized must be sprinkled or immersed, and whether the Communicants at the Lord's Table must sit, or lean, stand, or kneel, are less-essential Considerations, and have been the Subjects of dubious Inquiry.

Again, in the Constitution, Order and Government of a Church, the same Distinctions may be made also. That Persons professing the Name of Christ should agree to walk and worship together at stated Seasons in the Fellowship of the Gospel, seems to be a Demand of the Law of Nature, and sufficiently confirmed by many Directions or Examples in positive Expressions of Scripture too; That every such Congregation of faithful People, or voluntary Society of Christians, is a Church of Christ; That they ought to seclude or put away from their Number, the grossly ignorant, the scandalous and the profane, and to withdraw from those that walk disorderly; That there should be Persons appointed to minister to them in holy things, and that the Society should honour and maintain them; All these seem to be plain and undoubted Duty.

But whether this Society may receive and exclude Members without or against the Consent of their Pastor; Whether there must be any Elders in a Church distinct from and inferior to the Pastor or Bishop; Whether the Minister needs the Imposition of the Hands of several Presbyters, or the superior episcopal Consecration; or whether he be sufficiently ordained by the Choice of the Society, his solemn Acceptance, and his own and their devoting him to God in that Office by Fasting and Prayer; these things are not quite so evident in the Writings of the New Testament. And while we are required to have no Fellowship with the openly Wicked, though they are pretended Professors of Religion, yet we are commanded to receive the Weak in the Faith, and to hold Communion with them in Common Christianity, though we may all differ in doubtful Disputations.