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Q. 7. Was the injunction given to Timothy only for himself?

A. No; it equally concerns ministers and christians still. What the apostle says to Timothy, he is to be conceived saying to every one of us, Hold fast the form of found words.

Q. 8. What hereupon may be justly obferv'd? A. That 'tis of great use and advantage both for minifters and private christians, to have the great truths of the gospel cloath'd in sound words, collected together and regularly disposed; and fuch compofures are faithfully and affectionately to be kept; or beld fast in faith and love, which is in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 9. What may be inferr'd from bence?

A. That it is a justifiable practice of the churches of Chrift, to have their publick forms of the fundamental articles of the christian faith, drawn up by the joint labour of their learned and godly divines, after much and folemn seeking of God by fafting and prayer, in the folemn profeffion whereof they all consent and agree.

Q. 10. Besides the ancient creeds, what instances of publick confeffions have been pointed out with approbation?

A. Such are the confeffions which most of the reformed churches have drawn up for their own use, comprehending the most necessary and fundamental articles of the christian faith, to be generally owned and afferted by all within their affociations and jurifdictions, whether minifters or people.

Q. 11. Among fuch forms of found words,

which for excellency has been most admired and commended?

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A. The confeffion of faith which was compiled by the reverend and learned divines of the affembly at Westminster, and presented to the two houfes of parliament, as their advice in matters of religion, has, by many capable judges, had the first place affign'd it amongst all the confeffions of the reformed churches, and their longer and shorter catechisms are equally valued.

Q. 12. For what purposes ferve fuch forms of

found words?

A. Such forms of found words are of special

ufe.

1st, For the more easy instruction of the church and people of God in the most concerning and fundamental truths and principles of religion, fet together in their mutual connection and dependance, so as to give light and luftre to each other, and beauty and order to the whole.

2dly, To be a test of truth and error, by which doctrines and * men are to be examined and tried, and so a bank to keep out error, and prevent dissentions amongst pastors and teachers, as well as amongst the private members of the fame church, which cannot be avoided or eafily

* The church of Scotland requires every one admitted into it as a minifter, to subscribe the Affembly's confeffion of faith, as the confeffion of his own, having found its advantage in it as to purity and peace; and the adversaries of that confeffion shall be attended to, when they say what they would have in its room, or shew it inconfiftent with the sacred scriptures, in any of the articles they have a quarrel with. In the mean time, No man having drank old wine, traitway defireth new; for he faith, the old is better.

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stopt,

stopt, where there is no common standard of agreement; but every one takes the liberty of holding, and holding forth, what he pleases.

Q13! Upon what accounts is the form of found words, drawn up by the assembly, in the confeffion of faith and catechisms, a proper test of orthodoxy and error?

A. The form of found words drawn up by the affembly is a proper test of orthodoxy and error, as they affert nothing but what they produce scripture for, and with the greatest strength and clearness prove from thence, appealing all along to the law and to the testimony, the words which the spirit of God teacheth, comparing spiritual things with fpiritual, 1 Cor. ii. 13.

Q. 14. But is not the bible or fcripture, test fufficient, and the fubfcribing this, enough to denominate a man orthodox?

A. 1st, If so, none among the various sects that call themselves christians, could be called or counted erronious, as they all pretend to own the bible, and will not refuse to subscribe it, and yet retain their various and contrary sentiments when they have done: and so a man may be Protestant or Papist, Calvinist, or Arminian, and no discovery made of him.

2dly, The calling any to the affembly's confeffion of faith, we by no means take to be a calling them from the scripture, but a putting them to the trial in what sense they understand the scripture; and when any, whom there is reason to fufpect of different sentiments, refuses to own that confeffion, and this in the important articles between the Orthodox and Arminians, he plainly confirms

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confirms that suspicion: and if the doctrine of the affembly be confonant to the scripture, and so found and orthodox, 'tis obvious what he is who dissents from it, let him call or count himself what he will,

The Names of the Divines in the Assembly, at Westminster, authors of the larger and shorter catechisms and confeffion of faith.

D

R. William Twiss, Prolocutor..

Dr. Cornel. Burgess.

Mr. John White.

Dr. William Gouge.

Mr. Robert Harris, B. D.

Mr. Thomas Gataker, B. D.

Mr. Oliver Bowles, B. D.

Mr. Edward Reynolds.

Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker.

Mr. Anthony Tuckney, B. D.
Mr. John Arrowsmith,

Mr. Simeon Ashe.

Mr. Philip Nye.

Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs.

Mr. John Lightfoot.

Mr. Stanley Gower.

Mr. Richard Heyricke.

Mr. Thomas Cafe.

Dr. Thomas Temple.

Mr. George Gipps.

Mr. Thomas Carter.

Mr. Humphry Chambers, B. D.

Mr. Thomas Micklethwait.

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:

Mr. John Gibbon.

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Mr. Chriftopher Tifdale.

Mr. John Philips.

Mr. George Walker, B. D.
Mr. Edmund Calamy, B. D.

Mr. Jofeph Caryl.

Mr. Lazarus Seaman.

Mr. Henry Wilkinson, fen. B. D.

Mr. Richard Vines.

Mr. Nicholas Proffet.

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Mr. Andrew Pern.

Mr. Samuel de la Place.

Mr. John de la March.

Mr. John Drury.

Mr. Philip Delme.
Mr. Sydrack Sympson.

Mr. John Langley.

Mr. Richard Cleyton.
Mr. Arthur Salwey.
Mr. John Ley.

Mr. Charles Herle.

Mr. Herbert Palmer, B. D.
Mr. Daniel Cawdrey.

Mr.

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