confession of Peter (Matth. xvi. 16): _Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God_, our Saviour (verse 18) saith, _Upon this rock will I build my church_. This point therefore is the whole foundation of Christ’s church. St. Paul saith, (Rom. xv. 20) _I so enforced myself to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should have built upon another man’s foundation_. St. Paul, (1 Cor. iii. 10) when he had reprehended the Corinthians for their sects, and curious doctrines and questions, he distinguisheth between _fundamental_ points, and _superstruction_; and saith, _I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereupon; but let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ._ Coloss. ii. 6, 7: _As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded in him, and stablished in the faith_. [Sidenote: That other points not fundamental, are not necessary to salvation as matters of faith; and that no more is required by way of faith to the salvation of one man than to the salvation of another.] 8. Having showed this proposition, _Jesus is the Christ_, to be the only fundamental and necessary point of faith, I shall set down a few places more, to show, that other points, though they may be true, are not so necessary to be believed, as that a man may not be saved, though he believe them not. And first, if a man could not be saved without assent of the heart to the truth of all controversies, which are now in agitation concerning religion, I cannot see, how any man living can be saved; so full of subtilty, and curious knowledge it is to be so great a divine. Why therefore should a man think that our Saviour, who (Matth. xi. 30), saith, that his _yoke is easy_, should require a matter of that difficulty? or how are little children said to believe, (Matth. xviii. 6); or how could the good thief be thought sufficiently catechised upon the cross? or St. Paul so perfect a Christian presently upon his conversion? and though there may be more obedience required in him that hath the fundamental points explicated unto him, than in him that hath received the same but implicitly; yet there is no more faith required for salvation in one man, than another. For if it be true, that _Whosoever shall confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in his heart, that God raised him from the dead, shall be saved_; as it is, Rom. x. 9, and that _Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God_; the belief of that point is sufficient for the salvation of any man whosoever he be, forasmuch as concerneth faith. And seeing he that believeth not that _Jesus is the Christ_, whatsoever he believe else, cannot be saved; it followeth, that there is no more required of the salvation of one man, than another, in matter of faith.