The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

And accordingly it was the custom of all the Primitive Churches, and ancient Doctors, to teach the people first the Creed and sum of Christianity, and to make them Christians before they taught them so much as to know what Books the Canonical Scriptures did contain: For they had the sum of Christianity it self delivered down collaterally by the two hands of tradition. 1. By the continuation of Baptism, and public Church-professions, was delivered the Creed or Covenant by it self: And 2. By the holy Scriptures, where it was delivered with all the rest; and from whence every novice was not put to gather it of himself; but had it collected to his hand by the Churches.

And accordingly it was the custom of all the Primitive Churches, and ancient Doctors, to teach the people first the Creed and summ of Christianity, and to make them Christians before they taught them so much as to know what Books the Canonical Scriptures did contain: For they had the summ of Christianity it self delivered down collaterally by the two hands of tradition. 1. By the continuation of Baptism, and publick Church-professions, was delivered the Creed or Covenant by it self: And 2. By the holy Scriptures, where it was delivered with all the rest; and from whence every novice was not put to gather it of himself; but had it collected to his hand by the Churches.

And you may see in the writings of all the ancient defenders of Christianity (Justin, Athenagoras, Talianus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Arnobius, Theoph. Antioch. Lactantius, Tertullian, •usebius, Augustine, &c.) that they used the method which I now direct you to.

And if you consider it well, you will find that the miracles of Christ himself, and all those of his Apostles after him, were wrought for the confirmation of Christianity it self immediately, and mostly before the particular Epistles or Books were written; and therefore were only remotely and consequentially for the confirmation of those Books as such: as