The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

§. 19. 5. In doing this, it is no doubt but what they required of the Confessors from their mouths was short and plain, or else those multitudes of men and women who were in a short time baptized, would neither have had capacity nor time to do it: But the words of the Teachers and baptizers in explaining the said articles were large, and many: For we find that it was their common preaching work.

§. 19. 5. In doing this, it is no doubt but what they required of the Confessours from their mouths was short and plain, or else those multitudes of men and women who were in a short time baptized, would neither have had capacity nor time to do it: But the words of the Teachers and baptizers in explaining the said articles were large, and many: For we find that it was their common preaching work.

§. 20. 6. It is most probable (by the reason of the thing and the history, Act. 2. and elsewhere) that at the first no form of words was required and used besides the form in baptism, but that the people being instructed in the sense of those words, thereupon professed understanding, belief and consent. (And no more is essentially necessary) But that after a Creed in terms was the common form which was used by Professors in order to baptism: 1. Because so many thousands being baptized, the matter being short, and merely Divine, they could not be supposed to be left to much variety of expression: Divine, great, necessary things must be spoken with so much caution as may avoid error, heresy, corruption and abuse: And if every ignorant man and woman were left to use only words of their own devising to express the Christian faith, it would be of confounding and dishonourable consequence.

§. 20. 6. It is most probable (by the reason of the thing and the history, Act. 2. and elsewhere) that at the first no form of words was required and used besides the form in baptism, but that the people being instructed in the sense of those words, thereupon professed understanding, belief and consent. (And no more is essentially necessary) But that after a Creed in terms was the common form which was used by Professors in order to baptism: 1. Because so many thousands being baptized, the matter being short, and meerly Divine, they could not be supposed to be left to much variety of expression: Divine, great, necessary things must be spoken with so much caution as may avoid errour, heresie, corruption and abuse: And if every ignorant man and woman were left to use only words of their own devising to express the Christian faith, it would be of confounding and dishonourable consequence.