The Nicene and more ancient Greek Creeds, read in One Jefus Chrift ; which was a defigned oppofition to the blafphemous Divifion of Jefus from Chrift, by the Gnofticks and others whofe feveral Herefies are related. By believing in Jefus Chrift, we profefs, that there was fuch a Man as was known by the Name of Jefus of Nazareth, which word Jesus was an ufual Name amongst the Jews; and that this Jefus was the Chrift, or the Meffias, which was conftantly a part of the Creed from the very beginning of the Gospel, it being the Founda tion of all Chriftianity, and that which was most violently affaulted by the Jews: The Word Chrift fignifies Anointed; Unction used amongst the Jews on feveral occafions; in allufion whereunto Jefus is called Christ from bis Confecration to his triple Office of Prophet, Priest, and King: His Unction is to be understood in a Spiritual fenfe; God the Father was the Anointer, and the Holy Ghost the Oil, which was poured upon his Human Nature at his Conception and

Baptifm,

Baptifm. His only Son, wherein are Two things contained; Firft, That He is the Son of the Father; His Son, which was foretold by the Prophets, whence Meffias and the Son of God were convertible terms amongst the Jews at the time of our Saviour's appearance. Chrift was the Son of God in feveral refpects; but in one way peculiarly fo, which is the fecond thing in this Claufe, that he is his only Son. The Scriptures affirm, That God had one Son in a peculiar manner, which is expreffed in the Greek Creeds, to be by Generation, which was perhaps oppofed to the Valentinian Emiffion, or Divifion from the Father; caution to be used in the fearching into this Mystery: Chrift faid in the Greek Creeds, to be the Movogun's, or the only Begotten, in contradiction to the Gnofticks, and others. This Article was coeval with Chriftianity, and denotes Chrift's Divine Nature: The Title Lord denotes the Dominion of Chrift, who is Lord by way of Eminency, being fupreme Lord over all; and particularly, the Chriftian's Lord, our Lord: Two oppofite Parties in the Univerfe; the one under Chrift, the other under the Devil, who have each. their

I

their feparate Kingdoms; the Devil's Intereft among Spirits, is unknown to us, but amongst Mankind be very much prevailed, infomuch that in feveral places be was worshipped as God; but when Chrift came, be deftroyed the Devil's Kingdom, which was but an ufurp'd one, and erected his own Kingdom, the admiffion whereinto was at Baptifm, when the baptized Perfon not only acknowledged Chrift's LordShip, but also exprefly renounced the Devil's Power. This Article coeval with Chriftianity, and denotes a fubmiffion to Chrift as our Lord, in oppofition to the Devil. In the next place, the Creed declares Chrift's Humanity, the neceffity of his being Man: bis Incarnation blafphemed and denied in fundry ways and manners, by various Hereticks, against whom was levelled, whatfoever is mentioned in the Creed from our Saviour's Conception to his Refurrection. The Conception and Nativity are in most Creeds joined together in one Sentence. Ebion, Cerinthus, and others, affirmed Chrift to have been a Man, conceived and born in the ordinary way of Generation; against whom it is declared, that he was conceived

by

by the Holy Ghost, and born of fuch a Woman as was a Virgin. Several Hereticks whofe Names are mentioned, denied that Chrift affumed a Material Body from the fubftance of his Mother, but held that his Body was fram'd in Heaven, and pass'd through the Virgin Mary as Water through a Pipe; their reafon for this Herefy, which is emphatically condemned by this expreffion, cu Magías, or, of Mary: The frange Notion of the Apelleians concerning the making of our Saviour's Body, against whom, with the precedent Hereticks, the Creed directs us to believe, by his being born of the Virgin Mary,that he took from her Flefb the real fubftance of his Body: The Birth of Chrift employed alfo in conjunction with his Paffion, Crucifixion, Death and Burial, to denote the reality of his Body: Thefe last four not all found in one and the fame Creed, till St. Auguftin's Days: The monftrous confequences of an imaginary and fantastical Incarnation, which was maintained by a prodigious : Variety of Hereticks from the Days of St. John, as by the Simonians, Menandrians, &c. Against whom was inferted in the Creed, the Birth of I

Chrift,

Chrift, and his Sufferings; which latter Point was fo convincing a Proof, that to prevent any Cavils, as if it were a doubtful and uncertain thing, The Time thereof is declared to have been under Pontius Pilate who was Procurator of Judea in the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius: To condemn alfo the forementioned Herefies, the Crucifixion of our Saviour follows, that it was not Simon of Cyrene, as -the Bafilidians affirmed, but he himfelf who was crucified; and likewife bis Death which is mentioned, because the certainty thereof is the Foundation of the Gospel: By Death is meant the feparation of Soul and Body; after which, for the fame intent, follows the difpofal of his dead Body, viz. that it was Buried, or laid in the Grave.

HAVING

AVING in the former Chapter spoken concerning our Faith in God the Father; in this I come to confider in part, of that which relates unto the Son: The beginning whereof is, and in Jefus Chrift; wherein the * Eis va xu.first thing obfervable is, That the

ριον Ιησεν

κύ

P Nicene and more ancient Greek Xesov. Socrat. Creeds read, and in one Jefus Christ;

Ec. Hift. lib.x.

e. 8. p. 25.

putting