Thirdly,John,20.31,"These things are written that ye might believe,that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of God,and that believing ye might have life through his name."There,to believe that Jesus is the Christ is faith sufficient to the obtaining of life;and therefore no other article is necessary.Fourthly,I John,4.2,"Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."And I John,5.1,"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."And verse 5,"Who is he that overcometh the world,but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"Fifthly,Acts,8.36,37,"See,"saith the eunuch,"here is water,what doth hinder me to be baptized?And Philip said,If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayst.And he answered and said,I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."Therefore this article believed,Jesus is the Christ,is sufficient to baptism,that is to say,to our reception into the kingdom of God,and,by consequence,only necessary.And generally in all places where our Saviour saith to any man,"Thy faith hath saved thee,"the cause he saith it is some confession which directly,or by consequence,implieth a belief that Jesus is the Christ.
The last argument is from the places where this article is made the foundation of faith:for he that holdeth the foundation shall be saved.Which places are first,Matthew,24.23,"If any man shall say unto you,Lo,here is Christ,or there,believe it not,for there shall arise false Christs,and false prophets,and shall shew great signs,and wonders,"etc.Here,we see,this article,Jesus is the Christ,must be held,though he that shall teach the contrary should do great miracles.The second place is Galatians,1.8,"Though we,or an angel from heaven,preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you,let him be accursed."But the gospel which Paul and the other Apostles preached was only this article,that Jesus is the Christ:therefore for the belief of this article,we are to reject the authority of an angel from heaven;much more of any mortal man,if he teach the contrary.This is therefore the fundamental article of Christian faith.A third place is I John,4.1,"Beloved,believe not every spirit.Hereby ye shall know the Spirit of God;every spirit that confesseth that is come in the flesh is of God."By which it is evident that this article is the measure and rule by which to estimate and examine all other articles,and is therefore only fundamental.A fourth is Matthew,16.18,where,after St.Peter had professed this article,saying to our Saviour,"Thou art Christ the Son of the living God,"our Saviour answered,"Thou art Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church":from whence I infer that this article is that on which all other doctrines of the Church are built,as on their foundation.A fifth is I Corinthians,3.11,12,etc.,"Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid,Jesus is the Christ.Now if any man build upon this foundation,gold,silver,precious stones,wood,hay,stubble;every man's work shall be made manifest;for the day shall declare it,because it shall be revealed by fire,and the fire shall try every man's work,what sort it is.If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,he shall receive a reward.If any man's work shall be burnt,he shall suffer loss;but he himself shall be saved,yet so as by fire."Which words,being partly plain and easy to understand,and partly allegorical and difficult,out of that which is plain may be inferred that pastors that teach this foundation,that Jesus is the Christ,though they draw from it false consequences (which all men are sometimes subject to),they may nevertheless be saved;much more that they may be saved,who,being no pastors,but hearers,believe that which is by their lawful pastors taught them.
Therefore the belief of this article is sufficient;and by consequence,there is no other article of faith necessarily required to salvation.
Now for the part which is allegorical,as that "the fire shall try every man's work,"and that they "shall be saved,but so as by fire,"or "through fire"(for the original is dia puros),it maketh nothing against this conclusion which I have drawn from the other words that are plain.Nevertheless,because upon this place there hath been an argument taken to prove the fire of purgatory,I will also here offer you my conjecture concerning the meaning of this trial of doctrines and saving of men as by fire.The Apostle here seemeth to allude to the words of the Prophet Zechariah,who,speaking of the restoration of the kingdom of God,saith thus,"Two parts therein shall be cut off,and die,but the third shall be left therein;and I will bring the third part through the fire,and will refine them as silver is refined,and will try them as gold is tried;they shall call on the name of the Lord,and I will hear them."The day of judgement is the day of the restoration of the kingdom of God;and at that day it is that St.Peter tells us shall be the conflagration of the world,wherein the wicked shall perish;but the remnant which God will save shall pass through that fire unhurt,and be therein (as silver and gold are refined by the fire from their dross)tried,and refined from their idolatry,and be made to call upon the name of the true God.Alluding whereto,St.Paul here saith that "the day"(that is,the day of judgement,the great day of our Saviour's coming to restore the kingdom of God in Israel)shall try every man's doctrine,by judging which are gold,silver,precious stones,wood,hay,stubble;and then they that have built false consequences on the true foundation shall see their doctrines condemned;nevertheless they themselves shall be saved,and pass unhurt through this universal fire,and live eternally,to call upon the name of the true and only God.In which sense there is nothing that accordeth not with the rest of Holy Scripture,or any glimpse of the fire of purgatory.
