moft Parts of the British King's Dominions: The Hierarchy or Government whereof is Archiepifcopal; and for the Doctrines and Practical Worship therein, they are fufficiently known. All thofe who do not join with this eftablifh'd Church, are call'd Non-conformists or Diffenters. As I. PRESBYTERIANS, who affert the Government of the Church is not by Bishops, but Presbyters, or ruling Elders; and that there is no Order in the Church of divine Institution fuperior to that of a Presbyter; who therefore hath Power to ordain Minifters, which is by Fafting, Prayer, and Impofition of Hands. They have three Courts. (1.) The Minister of each Parish, with his Elders, and the Congregation. (2.) A Court of Presbytery; consisting of a great Number of Ministers and Elders, affociated for governing particular Churches. (3.) The highest Court is a Synod, which they hold may be Provincial, National, or Oecumenical; and allow of Appeals from the leffer to the greater. They Baptize by Sprinkling, as does the Church of England, and their common Worship confifts in extempore Prayer, Preaching, and finging of Pfalms. Diffenters. Presbyterians. II. INDEPENDENTS, fo call'd, because Independents. they hold that every particular Congregation hath a compleat Power of Jurifdiction within itfelf, independent of any Bishop, Synod, or Council; and fo difcard all Superiority or Subordination of particular Churches to one another. In most other Respects they agree with the Presby terians. III. ANABAPTISTS; or (as they call them- Anabaptifts or felves) Baptifts; their main distinguishing Prin- Baptifts. of the Santions of Re wards and Punishments. of the most rectified Reason. They alfo acquaint us much with the metaphyfical Nature of Spirits, and immaterial Beings: As of God himfelf; of the various Orders of Angels, as Seraphims, Cherubims, &c. and the great Defection of fome of them from their firft State of celeftial Glory, and their Condemnation to the perpetual Horrors of the infernal State. We farther learn from thence the Intercourfe and MiniAry of Angels and good Spirits, for the carrying on the State of the moral World, as well as the natural; and confequently of the more immediate and special Providence of God, with refpect to Mankind. The Scriptures Thirdly, The Scripture not only contains the very much ilmoft perfect System of Morality, but refines and luftrate and inforce the illuftrates every moral Virtue, and recommends Practice of all and enforces the Practice thereof, with the admoral Virtues, ditional Motives of temporal and eternal Felicity. with the ad- If then the Heathen could advife to a moral and ditional Force virtuous Life, only because Virtue feem'd its own Reward, with how much more Force and Power doth it stand recommended in Scripture, when, befides its own eligible Qualities and Merits, it has all the Happiness entail'd upon it, which the Nature of Man is capable of, or can defire? Add to this, that though Vice and Wickedness, in every Degree, be in itfelf directly oppofite to the moral Reclitude of Man's Nature, and therefore fuch as a reasonable Man muft naturally abhor and deteft; yet the more effectually to deter Man from defiling his Nature therewith, the Scriptures prohibit every Species thereof with the Penalty of God's Wrath and Vengeance. Thus Virtue is encouraged, and Vice prohibited, with the Sanctions of Rewards and Punishments; and that from the Authority, not of an Heathen Philofopher, but the great Author of Nature, Fourtbly, From the Scriptures we learn the From them we Repeal and Abolition of the Jewish Law of Types, learn the ReCeremonies, and Carnal Ordinances; and the In-peal of the Jewish Law, fitution of a more perfect, rational, and noble and the InftiScheme of Religion and Devotion, by JESUS tution of ChriCHRIST, the promised MESSIAH and Atianity. SAVIOUR of the World, the SON and ANOINTED of God, who delegated and fent him with full Power and Commiffion fo to do. And this is the greatest and most momentous Point of Revelation. tion. THE Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning The ScriptureJefus Chrift is, (1.) That he is the Son of God, Account of and was with God before the World was made. He is the Son Chrift. (2.) That in Time he took upon him a Body of of God. Fefb, was born of a Virgin, and was, to all ap- His Incarnapearance, an buman Perfon. (3.) That he grew to the State of Manhood, and liv'd a perfectly pure and righteous Life, abfolutely free from Sin, Without Sin. or culpable Actions. (4.) That he declared him- The true felf to be the predicted or promised Messiah, or Meffiah. the Ancinted of God, whom the Jews expected from their Writings. (5.) That he came to re- The Revealer veal the Mind of God his Father, and to en- of God's Will. lighten and reform a dark and degenerate World. (6.) That he was the great Antitype defign'd The great Antiand prefigured by the Jewish Law of Types and type. Ceremonies, and that therefore in him their Law was completed and fulfilled; and fo, the End being anfwer'd, was not to fubfift any longer. of God. (7.) That he went about doing Acts of Charity Taught the and Beneficence; that he endeavour'd to bring true Worbip Perfons off from their Corruptions, Superftitions, and Idolatries, to the fpiritual and true Worship of God. (8.) That he foretold his own Death, His Prediand Refurrection, after three Days, from the ions. Grave, D 3 Taught the Re- Grave, and his Afcenfion into Heaven. (9.) That furrection and he was fent to declare to the World, that God future Judg has defign'd, at the final Period of the World, ment. That he bimfelf was ap pointed Judge He wrought Miracles. to raise the dead Bodies of all, both good and bad, from their Grave, and to judge them for the Things done in this Life, and to award and affign every one his Doom, according to the Merit or Demerit of their Lives. (10.) That all who are alive at that great Day fhall be changed; and that He himself was appointed by God his Father to be the awful Judge of Quick and Dead, (11.) That God had made it the indispensable Duty of every Man to believe the Doctrines which he preached; and to confirm the Truth of all his Pretenfions, he wrought divers Miracles in the open View of all Men, by the mighty Power of God his Father. (12.) That he made choice of twelve felect Men, call'd his Difciples, and fent them forth to preach and promulge his Do&trine, and gave them Power to work Miracles His Baptifm. alfo in Confirmation of it. (13.) That being about the thirtieth Year of his Age, he was baptized by his Prodromus, or Fore-runner, Jobn the Baptift; and was in that Action recogniz'd Recogniz'd the the Son of God, by an audible Voice from Heaven; Son of God. Chufes bis twelve Dif ciples. The Jews re jea bim. They confpire, and put him to Death. and confecrated by the Defcent of the Holy Spirit in the Shape of a Dove. (14.) But notwithstanding the invincible Power of heavenly Eloquence, of fupernatural Works and Wonders, of Purity and Perfection of Doctrine, the Jews would not believe him, nor receive him; but remain'd incorrigibly obftinate and inimicable. (15.) That by constantly reproving their Incredulity, Superftition, Hypocrify, and other innumerable Vices, they conceiv'd an Hatred against him; and at laft confpired his Death, which they foon after effected; he being hanged on the Grofs, as a Malefactor to his Prince and Country. (16.) That (16.) That foreseeing his Death near at hand, The Eucharift he inftituted the Sacrament of his Supper, (which or Lord's Supwe call the Eucharift) as a Memorial of his Body per infiituted. broken, and his Blood fhed for the Remiffion of Sins. (17.) That the third Day after his Burial, His Refurrehe arofe from the Grave, and converfed with his tion. Difciples in the open Sight of all, as he had be tuted. fore predicted. (18.) That after his Refurre- Preaching the tion, he called together his Difciples, and com- Gospel inftimanded them to go abroad into the World, and preach the Gospel of Repentance, and Remiffion of Sins, in his Name, to all Perfons in all Nations, beginning at Jerufalem. (19.) That he Baptism inflienjoin'd them to baptize all whom they could tuted. prevail with to repent, and believe the Gospel, and that in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and promised his Prefence with them to His Afcenfion the End of the World. (20.) That immediately af- into Heaven. ter this he afcended up into Heaven in a moft pub- Our Advocate lic Manner; that he there acteth the Part of an and Interceffor Advocate and Interceffor with God the Father for us Sinners here below, who believe in him, and endeavour to conform our Lives to his Laws; and that it is in the Power of every individual Perfon fo to do, if he pleases. THESE Particulars concerning Chrift, make Christianity the Subftance or principal Part of Christianity; defined. which is nothing elfe but our profeffing Jefus Chrift to be the true Meffiab and Son of God, the Saviour of the World, and who hath given us a true Revelation of the Mind and Will of God; which we are obliged to regard as our fole Rule in all the Affairs of Religion, both in Faith and Practice. THE Extent of Christianity in the World, or all those feveral Kingdoms and Countries where the Chriftian Religion is profefs'd and embraced, are, taken together, call'd Christendom; and this Christendom. confifteth of many (fome more general, fome |