An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

For where hath there been such a sound faith in Fundamentals, circa-fundamentals, and praeter-fundamentals, as that there hath not been any spot or wrinkle in the face of the Church. This prerogative belongs to the Church in Heaven. They therefore suffer for Christ, who are persecuted for his truths, though happily they err in many things not necessary to salvation. But if they deny any Fundamentals (I do not say doubt, and that for a season, as the Apostles did about the nature of Christs Kingdom, and his Resurrection) and that with persevering obstinacy, then though he suffer for one Fundamental, yet because he denieth another, he doth in effect destroy the whole building of Christ. Thus when a Macedonian suffered for holding the Deity of Christ, being put to death by an Arian, the primitive Church never judged him a Martyr, because he denied the Deity of the Holy Ghost. There is therefore required a sound Dogmatical. Faith; for which cause some have doubted, Whether the Church did well in making all those infants, which were killed by Herod, because of Christ, in reckoning them among Martyrs. For they did not know any thing of Christ, neither it may be many of their parents had any true faith about him. Certainly ly they cannot be called Martyrs or Sufferers for Christ in an active fence, but passively only.

For where hath there been such a sound faith in Fundamentals, circa-fundamentals, and praeter-fundamentals, as that there hath not been any spot or wrinkle in the face of the Church. This prerogative belongs to the Church in Heaven. They therefore suffer for Christ, who are persecuted for his truths, though happily they erre in many things not necessary to salvation. But if they deny any Fundamentals (I do not say doubt, and that for a season, as the Apostles did about the nature of Christs Kingdome, and his Resurrection) and that with persevering obstinacy, then though he suffer for one Fundamental, yet because he denieth another, he doth in effect destroy the whole building of Christ. Thus when a Macedonian suffered for holding the Deity of Christ, being put to death by an Arian, the primitive Church never judged him a Martyr, because he denied the Deity of the Holy Ghost. There is therefore required a sound Dogmatical. Faith; for which cause some have doubted, Whether the Church did well in making all those infants, which were killed by Herod, because of Christ, in reckoning them among Martyrs. For they did not know any thing of Christ, neither it may be many of their parents had any true faith about him. Certainly ly they cannot be called Martyrs or Sufferers for Christ in an active fense, but passively only.