NO sooner did sleep this morning peep out of the door of my Senses, but you opened the door of my Chamber, about the time when the ushering beams of the Sun began to guild our Heavens: my vi­gilant Soul then taking her place to ac­tuate all my faculties, she no sooner darted out a short Ejaculation to her Maker, but what was casually dis­coursed of last night, was presented to my thoughts: I considered how uncouth and strang that very methode of searching after the truths of Religion seem'd to you, which to me hath been the Pool Star to direct my trem­bling mind, and from which no other Arguments (I could yet meet with) could ever entice my Reason to make any variation: which made me again reflect, that God is as much to be admired for the various genius of men, as for their different Physiognomy: that there may be Garments of divers fashions cut out of one peice of Stuff: the same faith may be held upon different Rati­otinations: But since, Sir, by this method I reaped so great satisfaction my self, I could not choose (out of a sence of your zealous enquiery after the same truths, [Page 2] and your seeming Concessions to them) but to offer these, whereby my meaning may be more intelligible, Discoursings being often liable to misapprehensions: My Relative Respect due to you hath been a further en­forcement to acquaint you, with what hath proved so satisfactory to me, though not so methodically, as (per­haps) I might have done, if I had took more time; or so strongly, as if I had had the conveniency of those helps, I have sometimes had: However, upon the aforesaid Considerations, I present you with the fol­lowing Severalls.

(1) I at first considered with my self, that all Super­structures must needs be sandy and weak, whose foun­dation is not surely layed: And he that desires to be satisfied in Religion, ought to begin with searching out, and establishing the grounds on which Religion is built.

(2) There are two things from whence the Existence of Religion is to be concluded, viz. Revelation and Reason; by Reason I understand a natural inbread Prin­ciple of Truth wrought upon the Soul by Revelation, the Mind or Will of God comming immediately from himself, or from those who were divinely inspired by him.

(3.) The Being of a God is to be presupposed to Faith in Revelation: Revelation supposes the being of a God, but cannot prove it: For we can have no security, that the Revelation is true, till we are assured it is from God.

(4.) The Fundamental Proof of the Being of a God, is Right Reason: the Apostle acknowledgeth the Exist­ence of God to be proved by those inbred Notices [Page 3] which God hath naturally planted in the Soules of all mankind, the Heathen not excepted, Rom. 1.19. what matter the Beauty, Order and usefulness of the Crea­tures do afford us, for Religious acknowledgment, is natu­rally rational: And whatsoever Revelation yeilds us for the same, is as truly rational as that: for when we are once convinc'd of the Divine Authority of the Revelation, meer Reason will force us to its assent. Why God is to be believed, when he hath Revealed any thing, is not a Task for a Rational Creature, however for any that owne Christianity.

(5.) So that the first and main thing, that my inqui­sitive Mind sought to be satisfied in, was to assure my self of the Divine Authority of S. Scripture, which was Divine Revelation; what it was, Christ hath taught:

(6.) Though Scripture be Sufficient for its end, yet Reason must be presupposed to it: As I take Reason (which is nothing else but another part of Gods word) to be the foundation of Religion, so I take Tradition (which is the Universal Consent of those Ages imme­diately succeeding the Apostles, before the Emperours turn'd Christian) to be hugely serviceable, if not ab­solutely necessary to inform and rectify my Reason, as being the only means to convince my Reason of the Divine Authority of that Book we call the Bible: and I did not think my self bound to believe what is there declared, till I had Reason to think that God was the Revealer, otherwise it had not been Faith, but vain Credulity.

(7.) Therefore applying my self to the Test of Tra­dition, I became thereby convinc'd and perswaded, that the Books which we call the Bible, were the [Page 4] only-truly-divine Revelation, as they are numbered in the 6th. Article of Religion, set forth by the Church of England, 1562. So that by the care of those that lived at the Fountain-head of Christianity (God by his Pro­vidence so disposing and preserving it through all suc­ceeding Ages) I came to know the Word of God: not knowing of any other way left to yeild me the like satisfaction.

(8.) Now being to be fully perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Bible, my next undertaking was to sa­tisfie my self how I should come to understand the Right Sense, or be assured of the true meaning of the Text. That they are the Words of God, my Reason as­sents; and that which I was next to enquire after, was, how to be assured of their true meaning.

(9.) And first I concluded with my selfe Negative­ly, That the Letter alone was not a sufficient means to assure me of the true Sense of the Scripture. Since (not to insist, that if it should be denied in whole or in part (as most of the Books of the new Testament have been by some or other) the Letter could not evidence it self) the experience of so many erring thousands is a lamen­table, but a convincing Proof of it. As to instance, let any unprejudiced Person set himself impartially to ex­amine severally and by themselves, the Interpretations and Glosses, the Independents, Presbyterians, Papists, Socinians, &c. do severally give upon the Letter of the Text. And they shall every one fairly seem to give a likely Sence answerable to their several Hyphothses of their Reli­gion; & perhaps, for ought as some (though uninteressed) can collect from the Letter, only one possibly appears as probable as the other: And the Reason why each particular [Page 5] Perswasion so dearly espouses its own Interpretations, seems to be the primary Tincture, which (at first being imbibed for want of a more Rational Foundation) is uncontroulably retain'd for ever after, containing a pre­judice against all other Senses whatsoever: And it can­not be denied, but every one of these are really per­swaded of the truth of their own meaning, since they profess to reverence Gods-Word as much as any: read it frequently, study it diligently, quote it constantly, and zealously defend the sense which they conceive of it, so far; that many are even ready to die for it, not­withstanding they all contradict one another, and that in Fundamental Points.

(10.) Considering with my self the endless Enthusi­asms, and Popish Phanattismes which are so furiously imitated by some amongst us, I was on the other side fully convinc'd, that the light of the Private Spirit alone was no infallible Director in this case neither, since we see by too too sad experience multitudes of those to dif­fer one from another (as before) in essential points of Religion, as in the Trinity and Godhead of Christ, &c. and yet every one affirming, that they are inspired by that unerring Light, which leads them into all truth: and their Interpretations are all of them from the evi­dence, and Demonstration of the Spirit. Now the cause of all this seemed to me to be nothing else but their fu­rious Rejecting of Reason, with the only means (in this case) to Rectify it, viz. Tradition, and their accepting insteed thereof an inward self-conviction (which is nothing else but a sence or perswasion wrought gradually upon them by the strength of their several Educations) to be a sufficient perswasion to assure them [Page 6] of the Divine Authority of S. Scripture, and of its sense too: which is extreamly groundless and irrational, and the Mahumetans have as much to say for their Alcoran and Religion, as this comes to.

(11.) Neither the Letter of Jeremias his Prophesy, nor that Portion of the Spirit which Daniel had bestow­ed upon him was sufficient to make him understand the Number of the years there mentioned, but we find there was somthing else necessary, Dan. 9.2. So that neither the Letter, nor the Light of the private Spirit a­lone being able to assure me of the true sense of S. Scriptures, there needs but common Reason to discern that the same Rule (which I had for the Authority or Canon of the Word of God it selfe, if it be sincerely followed according to Right-Reason) was the only suf­ficient means to assure me of its true meaning and sense. It appear'd to me greatly rational to receive the sense (as well as the Words) of S. Scriptures from those, that were either contemporary with, or immediately succee­ded, the Apostles: And in all controversial points, this Rule hath proved to me the only satisfactory refuge I could ever yet meet with: It is the only means to con­vince my Judgment what Christ and his Apostles taught and practised, what was the Doctrine and Discipline of the Apostolick and Primitive Church.

(12.) This Rule of Faith (if I may so call the means to know the true sense of S. Scripture) will certainly convey down the true Faith unchang'd to all after A­ges: By which Touchstone is to be tried, which is the true Church: For a Church is a Congregation of the Faithful, and the Faithful are those which have the true Faith; If the true Faith cannot be had without [Page 7] this Rule, then they only that have this Rule are the true Church.

(13.) Having found the Rule of Faith, there re­main'd to find out which body of men in the World do follow this Rule: For those and only those (I concei­ved) could be assured of the true meaning and sense of S. Scripture, could only have the true Faith, could only be the true Church: My Zeal was on fier till I was satisfied that I was a member of that Catholick Church: whereas all the rest of men in the World (since they have but fallible grounds of their Faith) cannot have true Faith, but Opinion only.

(14.) I had a strong presumption, and indeed a firm assurance, that the Church of England doth hold her Doctrine and Discipline by this infallible Tenure, since She alone owns this Rule, and demonstratively proves, that she doth now stick by it; For I satisfied my self, that her Doctrine and Discipline (which she hath not been ashamed to confess, but to evidence to the open veiw of the World in her Articles and Canons) is squared ac­cording to the Testimony of the Primitive Age, and un­muddied Fountain of Christianity, and therefore I con­cluded her to be the true Church, and so to be possest both of the true Letter and sence of S. Scripture. And if any particular Text be ambiguous, and perhaps not cleared by any Primitive Writter, She is in a capacity by the word written in her heart, viz. Right Reason, to assigne a sense agreeable to the Rule of Faith, being assisted by that infallible Guide which leads into all Truth.

(15.) Oh! how highly rational did it appear to me to bring the sence of S. Scripture (where it seems du­bious) to the Apostolick Primitive sense and Practice ra­ther [Page 8] then to make it fadg to any preconceived Notion whatsoever. By which very consideration, how easily might the fearful stirs about Controversiall Points be a­voyded, & how strangely short might the large Debates about the meaning of particular Texts become, and in what peace, quiet and Satisfaction might they end? What if the Letter of S. Scripture in the opinion of some doth seem as much to favour some other Doctrine or Discipline, as that of the Church of England: yet since it doth as fairely speak (if not more manifestly, as is un­answerably proved by Judicious Hooker in his Ecclesiasti­call Policy) for that, as for any other among the many that are contended for: Methinks upon this very considera­tion, she might be allow'd to stand (if not upon higher) yet upon as even termes, as any of the other: But when I see the Church of England to write so neerly after the Original Coppy, to teach and practice the same things, which those first and unmuddied times did; this, this very consideration clearly turns the Scale, and so alters the case, that she (if but permitted to be weighed in the ballance of common Reason) would prove too pondrous for any Rival: there was never yet any pretended Church, that ever came in competition with her, but was found too light.

(16.) By the help of these Considerations, I be­came clearly sensible, that the eye of the understand­ing of those, that urge, that nothing ought to be established in the Church of God more then what is positively or interminis commanded in the S. Scriptures, did look through a fallacious Prospective. Besides, the Jewish Church (the Particulars of whose Worship were so exactly particularized in their Revelation, [Page 9] that with far greater reason, they might have pre­tended such an assertion) did not think it self bound up in such strict limits, as not to have power to re­cede from the Letter of their Law, and therefore (as occasion offered) did ordain and practice many things which their Law did not enjoyn, yet had the open approbation of God himself: As for instance (1) their Building of Tabernacles, (2) their hours of Prayer, (3) their sections of the Law and the Prophets, (4) their keeping the Passover, 14 dayes by Hezechias, when as the Law enjoyned but 7 dayes, (5) their feast of Purim by Esther, (6) their Feast of Dedication by the Mac­cabees, (7) their Fast of 4, 5, and 10 months under the Captivity. (8) their use of baptising Proselites, (9) their Washing of feet before the Passover, imitated by our Saviour, &c. These things considered; I knew not why the Christian Church should be deprived of the like Priviledge: Besides, there being many things, for which though there are no indisputably express texts, yet finding them allowed, enjoyned, and prac­tised by the Apostles, or their Immediate Successors, I thought my self obliged to receive them, not know­ing but they might have, nay rationally concluding that they must have, Divine Authority: Such as, the Change of the Sabboth from Saturday to Sunday: the Baptising of Infants: the use of Godfathers and Godmo­thers, as Stipulatores: Confirmation Publick Lythurges (as the Greek Lythurgie composed by St. Paul; the In­dian by St. Thomas: the Ethiopian by S. Mark: the Muscovian by St. Andrew, &c.) the Observation Anni­versary of Christs Nativity, and of other Feasts and Fasts, the Hierarchichall Policy of Church Government, and the like.

[Page 10](17.) As these Considerations have been helpful to build me up to a firm Settlement in Religion, so I have hopes, that they will have the like influence on all, unless it be either on those of Rome, or on others among our selves, who being brought up to a certain Sect, and addicted to a particular Party, have so irresistably espoused certain Opinions, that right or wrong they are resolved not to bring them to this Test: And such persons are in a dangerous condition: Strangers to Christianity, Turks and Infidells may sooner be perswaded to give a Bill of Divorse to their whoring after strang Inven­tions, and be sooner gayn'd to make use of their Reasons (the only Distrimination between men and Bruites) then such as these.

Lastly, To conclude with the Resolution of a Quere, which (it may be, is here as necessary, as it) is likely to be made to the aforesaid Method, viz: If Reason be the Foundation of Religi­on, and Tradition be absolutely necessary to rectify it; how shall illiterate persons be satisfied, whose educations, and sta­tions in the World, do incapacitate them to be informed by such means? The Answer is this, there is no man, though never so illiterate, if he will be true to himself, and lay aside all manner of prejudice of imbibed Principles, and Parties, &c. But will easily confess the aforesaid Hypothesis in general to be consentaneous to his Reason; and though he is not in a capacity himself to search Tradition for the truth of things, yet he must acknow­ledg that the only way left for his satisfaction, is to have re­course to that sort of People in the world (and to only them) that hold that Method▪ And (as I have before hinted) the Church of England are they, and only they, that build upon this Rational foundation. So that, that Faith is to be received from thence, which, being hatched by Gods H. Spirit in mens hearts, brought forth by Reading, cherished by hearing of the Word, sealed by Baptism, and strongly confirmed by their partaking of the Sacraments, will prove the only Saving Faith.