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THE

CHRISTIAN INSTITUTES;

OR, THE

SINCERE WORD Of God.

BEING A

PLAIN AND IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT

OF THE WHOLE

FAITH AND DUTY

OF A

CHRISTIAN.

COLLECTED OUT OF THE WRITINGS OF

The Old and New Testament.

DIGESTED UNDER PROPER HEADS,

AND

DELIVERED IN THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE.

BY THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD,
FRANCIS, LATE LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER,
Gastrell

THE FOURTEENTH EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON,
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD;

By Law and Gilbert, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell.

[merged small][graphic]

TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE

MASTERS OF THE BENCH,

AND THE REST OF THE

MEMBERS

OF THE

HONOURABLE SOCIETY

LINCOLN'S-INN.

GENTLEMEN,

I TAKE this opportunity of expressing the grateful sense I have of the honour that was done me, when I was first appointed your preacher, and of the many proofs you have since given me of a sincere friendship and regard.

THE present I here make you, is not probably such as you might expect, after so many years preaching among you; but your favourable acceptance of my endeavours to serve you in that way, being, as I presume, chiefly

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chiefly owing to the care I have always taken not to depart from the Scripture-principles now laid before you: I did not think I could offer you any thing so justly valuable as this plain draught of the Christian religion, in all its native purity and simplicity.

IT hath been no little satisfaction to me to observe, that there are many persons of piety and virtue in this place: I pray God increase the number of them, that so there may be nothing wanting to render this ancient Society, in all respects, truly great and honourable,

I am,

Your most obliged, and

most humble Servant,

FRANCIS GASTRELL.

THE

PREFACE.

THE Scriptures being written on purpose to acquaint us with the will of God, and to instruct us in all things necessary to our everlasting salvation, there is no doubt to be made, but that in the form we now have them, (which, for divers wise reasons was so contrived by the Holy Spirit) they are sufficient to that end; so that whoever reads them with due care and attention, may, without any further help, be truly and fully informed what he ought to believe and do, in order to be saved. I will add also, that he, whose peculiar business it is to instruct the ignorant, to guard the unwary, and to stop the mouths of gainsayers, may be thoroughly furnished from hence unto all these good works..

Nay, farther, had the scriptures exhibited religion to us in that regular form and method to which other writers have reduced it, there would, to me at least,, have been wanting

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