THE EXCELLENCE OF THE ATHANASIAN CREED DEMONSTRATED; BY ITS AGREEMENT WITH HOLY SCRIPTURE, WITH SECTION I. Whosoever will be saved; before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. The indispensable obligation of Faith, as the "one thing needful" in order to salvation, is the great fundamental doctrine of the Gospel and the command of the "Author and Finisher of our faith," that it should be "preached to all nations," most appropriately renders it a Catholic B Faith; a Faith, which is offered to all men who are willing in the day of his power." Holy Scripture testifies, That, "Without Faith it is impossible to please God."-Heb. xi. 6. "The just shall live by Faith."-Rom. i. 17. "A man is justified by Faith."-Rom. iii. 28. "We are the children of God, by Faith in Christ."-Gal. iii. 26. "We are sanctified by Faith in Christ.”— Acts xxvi. 28. "We are purified by Faith.”—Acts. xv. 9. "We have access by Faith, to God's grace, through Christ." - Rom. v. 2. "By Faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness."- Gal. v. 5. "Christ is a propitiation through Faith in his blood."-Rom. iii, 25. "We are made wise unto salvation through Faith."-2 Tim. iii. 15. "The promise of the Spirit is through Faith." Gal. iii. 14. "Through Faith we inherit the promises."Heb. vi. 12. "We are kept by the power of God, through Faith unto salvation."-1 Pet. i. 5. "The end of our Faith is the salvation of our souls."-1 Pet. i. 9. That, "If we believe in Christ we shall be saved." -Acts xvi. 31. "God is pleased by preaching to save them that believe."-1 Cor. i. 21. "We believe to the saving of our souls." Heb. x. 39. "It is God's commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son."-1 John iii. 23. And that, "Those who believe shall never die."1 John xi. 26. Since, therefore, by Faith in Christ the Son of God, we are justified, purified, and sanctified; become the children of God, and have access to his grace; receive the promise of the Spirit, and inherit the promises and the end of our Faith will be, that we shall be kept by the power of God unto salvation. It follows, that "other foundation can no man lay." The necessity and universality of Faith, inculcated in the Athanasian Creed, as the foundation of the Christian religion, thus evidently corresponds with the great first principle of the Gospel. The application of this Faith to the doctrines of the Creed, both as a mental exercise, and a practical principle, will be seen, while we proceed to shew, that its doctrines are also the doctrines of the Gospel. SECTION II. Which Faith, except every one do keep WHOLE and UNDEFILED, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. See sect. 30. As "there is none other Name under heaven, given among men, whereby we can be saved, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" and that "whosoever nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity:" our Faith, to be acceptable before God, must be whole and undefiled. "He that hath this faith or hope in him, will purify himself, even as he is pure." He will "love the Lord his God, and him only will he serve." "He will believe in him, fear him, and love him, with all his heart, with all his mind, with all his soul, and with all his strength." The faithful disciple of Christ cannot serve two masters." He must "be stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord;" in that holiness, which is the fruit of a living faith; and "without which no man shall see the Lord:" "Holding faith with a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck." The Faith of a Christian must be also whole and undefiled; sound and uncorrupted with respect to doctrine: for how can faith be genuine, if the doctrine which is the object of that faith be false? A sincere Christian will "hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering." He will" consent only to wholesome words; even to the words," or such as are sanctioned by the words "of our Lord Jesus Christ:" "to the doctrine that is according to godliness:" not being of the unlearned or unstable, who wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction; "but of them who knowing these things, beware that they be |