Again, we read, Heb. v. 13, of some that were
unskilful in the word of righteousness, who nevertheless are called
babes in Christ, and with whom unity and peace is to be inviolably
kept and maintained.
2. As this unity and peace may consist with the ignorance of many
truths, and with the holding some errors, so it must consist with
(and it cannot consist without) the believing and practising those
things which are necessary to salvation and church-communion; and
they are, 1st, Believing that Christ the Son of God died for the
sins of men. 2d, That whoever believeth ought to be baptized. The
third thing essential to this communion, is a holy and a blameless
conversation.
(1.) That believing that the Son of God died for the sins of men is
necessary to salvation, I prove by these texts, which tell us, that
he that doth not believe shall be damned, Mark xvi. 16; John iii.
36; Rom. x. 9.
That it is also necessary to church-communion appears from Matt.
xvi. 16-18. Peter having confessed that Christ was the Son of the
living God, Christ thereupon assures Peter, that upon this rock,
viz., this profession of faith, or this Christ which Peter had
confessed, he would build his church, and the gates of hell should
not prevail against it. And, 1 Cor. iii. 11, the apostle having
told the Corinthians that they were God's building, presently adds,
that they could not be built upon any foundation but upon that which
was laid, which was Jesus Christ.
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