9. Fourthly, by this, that that article is the foundation of faith; neither rests it on any other foundation. Matth. xxiv. 23, 24: _If any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or he is there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders_, &c. Whence it follows, that for the faith’s sake which we have in this article, we must not believe any signs and wonders. Gal. i. 8: _Although we or an angel from heaven_, saith the apostle, _should preach to you any other gospel, than what we have preached; let him be accursed_. By reason of this article, therefore, we might not trust the very apostles and angels themselves, and therefore, I conceive, not the Church neither, if they should teach the contrary. 1 John iv. 1-2: _Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God_, &c. That article therefore is the measure of the spirits, whereby the authority of the doctors is either received, or rejected. It cannot be denied, indeed, but that all who at this day are Christians, did learn from the doctors that it was Jesus, who did all those things whereby he might be acknowledged to be the Christ. Yet it follows not, that the same persons believed that article for the doctor’s or the Church’s, but for Jesus’ own sake. For that article was before _the Christian Church_, (Matth. xvi. 18), although all the rest were after it; and the Church was founded upon it, not it upon the Church. Besides, this article, that _Jesus is the Christ_, is so fundamental, that all the rest are by St. Paul (1 Cor. iii. 11-15) said to be built upon it: _For other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid; which is Jesus Christ_; that is to say, that _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; 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._ From whence it plainly appears, that by _foundation_ is understood this article, _that Jesus is the Christ_: for gold, and silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, whereby the doctrines are signified, are not built upon the person of Christ: and also, that false doctrines may be raised upon this foundation; yet not so as they must necessarily be damned who teach them. [Sidenote: By the plain words of Christ and his apostles.]