Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

As the act of faith must needs be both of the Intellect and the Will, so the Object must be answerably, the Truth of the Gospel, and the goodness of the benefits there revealed and offered. The Church is more agreed about the particulars of the Latter, then of the Former: for as the Papists would make us believe that the Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith cannot be known as distinct from the rest, but that all which the Pope saith, is de fide, is of necessity to salvation: so among our selves we are not well agreed, whether Fundamentals (that is, Essentials) can be enumerated. There is no doubt but we may easily enumerate them in General terms; and so our whole Christian Faith is contained in our common Profession at Baptism, [I believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.] If we yet descend to some particulars the case is clear: that to believe in God the Father, is to believe, that he is the most Wise, and Great, and Good, and our Maker and Ruler, and our chiefest Good: to believe in God the Son, is to believe that he is God and man, the Redeemer and Saviour, ransoming us by his blood, and overcoming death by his Death and Resurrection, and procuring us pardon and everlasting life by his Merits: to believe in God the Holy Ghost, is to believe that he is the Sanctifier of the people of God that shall be saved. Thus much is Evidently Essential to the Christian Faith, and nothing but what is contained in this. But then the great difficulty lieth here, whether a more particular belief of some ⟨p. 15⟩truths contained under these comprehensive terms be not Essential to Christianity.

As the act of faith must needs be both of the Intellect and the Will, so the Object must be answerably, the Truth of the Gospel, and the goodness of the benefits there revealed and offered. The Church is more agreed about the particulars of the Latter, then of the Former: for as the Papists would make us believe that the Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith cannot be known as distinct from the rest, but that all which the Pope saith, is de fide, is of neces•ity to salvation: so among our selves we are not well agreed, whether Fundamentals (that is, Essentials) can be enumerated. There is no doubt but we may easily enumerate them in General terms; and so our whole Christian Faith is contained in our common Profession at Baptism, [I believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.] If we yet descend to some particulars the case is clear: that to believe in God the Father, is to believe, that he is the most Wise, and Great, and Good, and our Maker and Ruler, and our chiefest Good: to believe in God the Son, is to believe that he is God and man, the Redeemer and Saviour, ransoming us by his blood, and overcoming death by his Death and Resurrection, and procuring us pardon and everlasting life by his Merits: to believe in God the Holy Ghost, is to believe that he is the Sanctifier of the people of God that shall be saved. Thus much is Evidently Essential to the Christian Faith, and nothing but what is contained in this. But then the great difficulty lyeth here, whether a more particlar belief of some