CH?P. ILl SCRn, TUIt?C. 61 two following renons, lias a better foundation to trust upon, even with- out farther examination, than all the pretensions of the Roman prelates, and all the superstit/ous reveries of the Greeks. The first is, that the minds elcoramon unlettered people are no more subject to be deluded by the inventions of the human understanding than the learned, under the ?pretence of tradition and the decision of the church. The second is, mat salvation is as accessible to the unlearned as to the learned. 7. The truths necessary to 8alvaLion are clearly found in Scripture, in a m?_n__n_er m?apted to the co/mc/t?t oral/. I speak of such a clearness as will convince a sincere person, who does not blind himself by pas- sion or malice, interest or Prejudice, but exercises honestly his reason and conscience. It is not such a clearness as will convince all Per- sons, both ill and well disposed; as thin would be not only impossible in the nature of things, but even an impious requirement. But may we ask, I8 there a clearness in tradition, or the infallible voice of the church, which will convince every person, both well and ill disposed ? Certainly not. The dissent of the Protestant world contradicts this. There is a great difference Setween plain persons who have only a general and indistinct notion of the truth, without going any farther, and those who substitute a false idea in its place. The first may be in a state of salvation, and ought to be received into the church: whereas the second ought not. A plain unlettered man may have correct views of the divinity of Ghrist, without having distinct views of the terms eswenc?, person, ?/]?o?tat?ca/union, ?l;c.; and he will also be ignorant of the subtle and frivolous distinctions of the heretics. Who will not place a great difference between him and a Socinian, who, very well knowing what these propositions mean, "Christ is Cod by his essence; the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three persons and one only divine nature ;" will deny them, and substitute the following: "Christ is God only by the divinity of his office and glory of his exaltation; the Fa- ther, the Son, and IToly Ghost being only so by denomination ?'* 8. The truths exhibited in Scripture are sufficient to form a trUhispm'- suaz-/on in the mind of tile weakest as well as the strongest. T is abundantly v?rified in the earliest converts to (3hristianity, many of whom were plain unlettered persons, some were females, and others )'sung persons: yet they were enabled to believe the truths of the gos- pel with the f]rmest faith. And we cannot suppose that they had better opportunities of forming their faith than those among Protestants who have not only the written word, but have this word preached unto them and are instructed in its holy doctrines and duties from childhood. ?�hatever may be the difficulty with Romaxtist8 who are more accustom- ed to listen to an unintelligible service than plain preaching, and hear more from the missal and trifling books of devotion than the word of God, the case is far different with those who have free access to the Scriptures, and are privileged with faithful preachers and able expositors. 9. The fourth condition is, that the faith should be pure, and .;%, .from evey]t damnaSl? error; that is, such errors as are incompatible with a true and saving faith. Such errors have a natural repugnancy with the truths which are essential to religion; and these truths alone are sufficient to the rejection of injurious errors. For example, the principle of the adoration of one only God is sufficient, among Pro= tentants, to rmike them reject a religious worship paid to creatures, 1 ,Gooc[e
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