The Apostle indeed only makes a Supposition , when he says , tho' we , or an Angel from Heaven , preach any other Doctrine unto you ; but by this Supposition he plainly bars any Man , or Company of Men , from adding to the Christian Religion any Article of Faith or Point of Practice , as of necessity to Salvation , which the Gospel hath not made so ; I say any Man , or Company of Men , whatever Authority or Infallibility they may lay claim to , because they cannot pretend to a clearer Commission , and greater Evidence of Infallible Assistance , than an Apostle , or an Angel from Heaven , and yet the Text tells us , that would not be a sufficient warrant to preach another Gospel ; it might indeed bring in question that which they had preached before , but could not give Credit and Authority to any thing plainly contrary to it , and inconsistent with it .

III. Christians may judge and discern when another Gospel is preached , when new Articles of Faith , or Points of Practice , not enjoyned by the Gospel , are imposed upon Christians . This the Apostle supposeth every particular Church , and for ought I know every particular Christian , that is duly Instructed in the Christian Religion , to be a competent Judge of , and to be sufficiently able to discern when another Gospel is preached , and new Terms and Conditions , not declared in the Gospel , are added to the Christian Religion ; for if they be not able to judge of this , the Apostle does in vain caution them against the seduction of those who perverted the Doctrine of Christ , and endeavoured to remove them from him that had called them by the grace of Christ , unto another Gospel .

It may perhaps be said , that there was no need that they should be able to discern and judge of the Doctrines of those false Teachers , it was sufficient for them to believe the Apostle concerning the Doctrines of those Seducers , when he declared to them the falsehood and pernicious consequence of them . But the Apostle speaks to them upon another supposition , which does necessarily imply , that they were able to discern and judge what Doctrines were agreeable to the Gospel , and what not ; for he puts the Case , that if he himself , or any of the Apostles , or an Angel from Heaven , should preach to them another Doctrine , contrary to that of the Gospel , they ought to reject it with detestation ; but this doth necessarily suppose them able to judge , when such Doctrines were preached , and consequently that all things necessary to be believed and practised by all Christians are clearly and plainly declared in the Gospel ; all the Doctrines whereof are now contained in the Holy Scriptures , in which all things necessary to Faith and a good Life are so plainly delivered , that any sober and inquisitive Person may learn them from thence , and the meanest Capacity , by the help and direction of their Guides and Teachers , may be Instructed in them .

And this is not only the Principle of Protestants , but the express and constant Doctrine of the Ancient Fathers of the Church , whatever the Church of Rome , for the maintaining of her usurp'd Authority over the Consciences of Men , pretends to the contrary . And if this were not so , that Men are able to discern and judge which are the Doctrines of the Gospel , and what is contrary to them ; the Doctrine of the Gospel was in vain preached , and the Holy Scriptures containing that Doctrine were written to no purpose .

Some things in Scripture are granted to be obscure and difficult , on purpose to exercise the Study and Enquiries of those who have leisure and capacity for it : but all things necessary are sufficiently plain ; otherwise it would be impossible to judge when another Gospel is preached , which the Apostle here supposeth the Galatians capable of doing . For if the Revelation of the Gospel be not sufficiently plain in all things necessary to be believed and practised , then Christians have no Rule whereby to judge what Doctrines are agreeable to the Gospel , and what not : for an obscure Rule is of no use ; that is , in truth is no Rule to those to whom it is obscure .

I proceed to the IVth Observation , which is plainly consequent from those laid down before ; namely , that since the Declaration of the Gospel , and the Confirmation given to it , there is no Authority in the Christian Church to impose upon Christians any thing , as of necessity to Salvation , which the Gospel hath not made so .

The Commission given by our Lord and Saviour to his Apostles , was to preach the Gospel to all Nations , or ( as St. Matthew expresses it ) to go and teach all Nations , to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them ; and this is that which we call the Gospel , viz. that Doctrine which Christ commanded his Apostles to preach and publish to the World ; and if the Apostles themselves had exceeded their Commission , and added any other points of Faith or Practice to those which our Saviour gave them in charge to teach and publish to the World , they had in so doing been guilty of that which St. Paul here in the Text chargeth the false Apostles with , viz. of preaching another Gospel : And if the Apostles had ●o Authority to add any thing to the Gospel , much less can any pretend to it ; since they have neither so immediate a Commission , nor such a miraculous power to give testimony to them , that they are Teachers come from God .

Now this Doctrine of the Gospel , which the Apostles preached to the World , is that which Christians are so often , and so earnestly by the Apostles in all their Epistles Exhorted to continue in , and not to suffer themselves to be shaken in mind , by every wind of new Doctrine , because that which the Apostles had delivered to them , was the intire Doctrine of the Gospel , which was never to receive any addition or alteration . This is that which St. Peter calls the Holy Commandment which was delivered unto them , 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness , than after they have known it , to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them speaking in all probability of those who were seduced by the errors of the Gnosticks , from the purity of the Christian Doctrine delivered to them by the Apostles . This likewise St. Paul calls the common Faith , Titus 1. 4. and St. Jude ver. 3. the common Salvation ; that is , the Doctrine which contains the common Terms of our Salvation , and the Faith w hich was once delivered to the Saints , that is , by the Apostles of our Lord , who publish'd the Gospel ; once delivered , that is , once for all , so as never afterwards to admit of any change or alteration . This Faith he exhorts Christians earnestly to contend for , against those several Sects of Seducers , which were crept into the Christian Church , and did endeavour by several Arts to pervert the Gospel of Christ , and to deprave the Faith delivered by the Apostles .

So that the Doctrine of the Gospel publish'd by the Apostles , is fix'd and unalterable , and there can be no Authority in the Church to make any change in it , either by taking from it , or adding any thing to it , as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation .

V. It follows likewise from the foregoing Observations , that there is no visible Judge ( how much soever ●e may pretend to Infallibility ) to whose determination and decision in matters of Faith and Practice necessary to Salvation , Christians are bound to submit without examination , whether those things be agreeable to the Doctrine of the Gospel , or not .

When our Saviour appeared in the World , tho' he had Authority enough to exact belief from Men , yet because there was a standing Revelation of God made to the Jews , he appeals to that Revelation , as well as to his own Miracles , for the truth of what he said , and offered himself , and his Doctrine , to be tried by the agreeableness of it to the Scriptures of the Old Testament , and the Predictions therein concerning him . And this was but reasonable , it being impossible for any Man to receive two Revelations , as from God , without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to , and consistent with one another . In like manner the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour , tho' they were guided and assisted by an Infallible Spirit , and had an immediate Commission from Christ to preach the Doctrine of the Gospel , did not require from Men absolute submission to their Doctrines and Dictates , without examination of what they delivered , whether it were agreeable to that Divine Revelation which was contained in the ancient Scriptures .

This was St. Paul's constant custom and way of teaching among the Jews , who had received the Revelation of the Old Testament ; he did not dictate to them by vertue of his Infallibility , but reasoned with them out of the Scriptures , and required their belief no further , than what he said , should upon examination appear agreeable to the Scriptures . So we find Acts 17. 2 , 3. And Paul , as his manner was , went in unto them ( speaking of the Jews ) and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures , opening and alledging , that Christ must needs have suffered , and risen again from the dead , and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you , is the Christ . And Chap. 18. 28. he mightily convinced the Jews , and that publickly , shewing by the Script●res , that Jesus was the Christ . And St. Paul was so far from reproving them for examining his Doctrine by the Scriptures , that he commended it , as an argument of a Noble and Generous mind in the Bereans , that they did not give full assent to his Doctrine , 'till upon due search and examination they were satisfied that what he had said was agreeable to the Scriptures . Chap. 17. 11 , 12. Where speaking of the Bereans , it is said , That these were more noble than those in Thessalonica , in that they received the word , with all readiness of mind , and searched the Scriptures daily , whether those things were so ; therefore many of them believed ; that is , because upon search they found what he delivered to be agreeable to the Scriptures ; and it was not a slight , but diligent and deliberate search , they took time to examine things thoroughly ; for it is said they searched the Scriptures daily . And here in the Text St. Paul puts the case , that if he , or any other of the Apostles , concerning whose Divine Commission and Assistance they were so fully satisfied , should deliver any thing to them contrary to the Gospel which they had formerly preached , they were to reject it with the greatest abhorrence and detestation ; and this necessarily supposeth a liberty to examine what was delivered , even by those whom they believed to be Infallibly assisted , and a capacity to discern and judge whether what they said was agreeable to the Gospel at first delivered to them , or not .

And after this , shall any Person or Church ( what Claim soever they may make to Infallibility ) assume to themselves an Authority to dictate in matters of Faith , and that their Dictates ought to be received with an absolute submission , and without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to the Faith once delivered to the Saints ; and tho' they add new Articles to the Christian Faith , and of which there is not the least foot-step or intimation in any of the Ancient Creeds of the Christian Church , and do plainly impose upon Christians the Practice and Belief of several things as necessary to Salvation , which the Gospel never declared to be so , yet no body shall judge of this , but every Man ought without more ado , to believe blindfold , and to resign up his Understanding and Judgment to the directions of this visible Infallible Judge ?

But surely this is not the reasonable Obedience of Faith , but the forc'd submission of Slaves to the Tyranny of their Masters . Christians are expresly forbid to call any Man Father or Master upon Earth , because we have one Father and Master in Heaven . Now to make an absolute submission of our Understandings to any upon Earth , so as without examination to receive their Dictates in Matters of Faith , is surely , if any thing can be so , to call such a Person Father and Master , because a greater submission than this we cannot pay to our Father who is in Heaven , even to God himself . I come now to the

Sixth , and last Observation from the Text ; That whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to Salvation , to be believed or practised , besides what the Gospel of Christ hath made necessary , does fall under the Anathema here in the Text ; because they that do so , do according to the mind of St. Paul , pervert the Gospel of Christ , and Preach another Gospel . For the Reason why he chargeth the false Apostles with Preaching another Gospel , and those that were seduced by them , as being removed from him that called them by the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel , is plainly this ; that they had changed the Terms of the Christian Religion , by adding new Articles to it , which were not contained in the Gospel ; that is , by making it necessary to believe it to be so , because they taught so . Now St. Paul expresly declares this to be Preaching another Gospel , because they plainly alter'd the Terms of Salvation declared in the Gospel , and made that to be necessary to the Salvation of Men , which the Gospel had not made so .

And whatever Person or Church does the same , does in●ur the same guilt , and falls under the Anathema and Censure here in the Text ; yea , tho' he were an Apostle , or an Angel : And I am sure no Bishop or Church in the World can pretend either to an equal Authority or Infallibility with an Apostle , or an Angel from Heaven .

Let us then hear what St. Paul declares in this Case , and consider seriously , with what earnestness and vehemency he declares it ; tho' we ( says he ) or an Angel from Heaven preach any ●her Gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him b● accursed . As we said before , so say I now again , If any man preach any other Gospel unto you , than that ye have received , let him be accursed . St. Paul you see is very earnest in this matter , and very peremptory , and therefore I cannot but think this Declaration of his to be more considerable , and every way more worthy of our regard and dread , than all the Anathema's of the Council of Trent , which in direct affront and contempt of this Anathema of St. Paul , hath presumed to add so many Articles to the Christian Religion , upon the counterfeit warrant of Tradition , for which there is no ground or warrant from the Scripture , or from any Ancient Creed of the Christian Church .

And for the truth of this , I appeal to the Creed of Pope Pius the IV th , compiled out of the Definitions of the Council of Trent ; by which Council the Pope only is Authorised to Interpret the true sense and meaning of the Canons and Decrees of that Council ; and consequently his interpretations must be of equal force and authority with that of the Council it self . So that whatsoever he hath put into ●is new Creed for an Article of Faith , ought to be received with the ●ame pious affection and veneration , as if the Creed had been compiled by the Council it self ; because the Pope , it seems , and no body else understands the true meaning of that Council , at least is thought fit to declare it . And therefore one may justly wonder at the presumption of those , who after this Declaration of the Council , have taken upon them to Expound the Catholick Faith , and to represent that Religion to us , as it is defined in that Council ; because if there be any Controversie about the meaning of its Definitions ( as there have been a great many , even betwixt those who were present at the Council when those Definitions were made ) none but the Pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them .

Now in this Creed of Pope Pius there are added to the Ancient Creed of the Christian Church twelve or thirteen new Articles , as concerning Purgatory , Transubstantiation , the Worship of Images , the Invocation of Saints , the Communion in one kind , and that the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches , and that there is no Salvation to be had out of it ; and several other Points , all which have either no foundation in Scripture , or are plainly contrary to it , and none of them ever esteemed as Articles of Faith in the Ancient Christian Church for the first five hundred years ; and yet they are now obtruded upon Christians , as of equal necessity to Salvation , with the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed , and this under a pretence of Infallibility , which St. Paul tells us would not have justified an Apostle , or an Angel from Heaven , in making such additions to the Christian Religion , and the imposing of any thing as necessary to Salvation , which is not so declared by the Gospel of Christ .

And all that they have to say for this , is , That We do not pretend to be Infallible ; but there is a necessity of an Infallible Judge to decide these Controversies , and to him they are to be referred . Which is just as if in a plain matter of Right , a contentious and confi●●nt Man should desire a reference , and contrive the matter so as to have it refer'd to himself , upon a sleeveless pretence , without any proof or evidence , that he is the only Person in the World that hath Authority and Infallible Skill to decide all such differences . Thus the Church of Rome would deal with us in Things which are as plain as the noon-day ; as Whether God hath forbidden the Worship of Images in the second Commandment ? Whether our Saviour did Institute the Sacrament in both kinds ? Whether the People ought not to read the Scriptures , and to have the publick Service of God in a known Tongue ? These , and the like , they would have us refer to an Infallible Judge ; and when we ask who he is , they tell us that their Church , which hath imposed these things upon Christians , and made these additions to the Gospel of Christ , is that Infallible Judge . But if she were as Infallible as she pretends to be , even as an Apostle , or an Angel from Heaven , St. Paul hath denounced an Anathema against her , for preaching another Gospel , and making those things necessary to the Salvation of Men , which are not contained in the Gospel of Christ .

The Inference from all this Discourse in short , is this ; That we should contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints , and not suffer our selves by the confident pretences of Seducers , to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of Christ unto another Gospel . The necessary Doctrines of the Christian Religion , and the common Terms of Salvation are so plain , that if any Man be ignorant of them , it is his own fault ; and if any go about to impose upon us any thing as of necessity to be believed and practised in order to Salvation , which is not declared to be so in the Holy Scriptures , which contain the true Doctrine of the Gospel , what Authority soever they pretend for it , yea , tho' they assume to themselves to be Insallible ; the Apostle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them ; for he hath put the Case as high as is possible here in the Text , when he says , Tho' We , or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you , than that which we have preached unto you , let him be accursed .

I will conclude all with that Counsel which the Spirit of God gives to the Churches of Asia , Revel. 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard , and hold fast ; and Chap. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : be thou faithful unto the Death , and I will give thee a Crown of Life .