Using New-Found Notions and New-Coined Phrases
Those that would learn well, and teach well, in religion, must not affect new-found notions and new-coined phrases, so as to look with contempt upon the knowledge and language of their predecessors; if we must keep to the good old way, why should we scorn the good old words? Jeremiah 6:16. – Matthew Henry commenting on Proverbs 4
You see this same sentiment in the “Letter to the Reader” which accompanied the Second London Baptist Confession:
Also, when we observed that those last mentioned did in their confession (for reasons which seemed of weight both to themselves and others) choose not only to express their mind in words concurrent with the former in sense, concerning all those articles wherein they were agreed but also for the most part without any variation of the terms, we did in like manner conclude it best to follow their example in making use of the very same words with them. This, we did both in these articles (which are very many) wherein our faith and doctrine is the same with theirs. And this we did, the more abundantly to manifest our consent with both, in all the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, as also with many others, whose orthodox confessions have been published to the world on behalf of the Protestants in many nations and cities. Also we did this to convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words, but do readily acquiesce in that form of sound words, which has been, in consent with the Holy Scriptures, used by others before us. We hereby declare before God, angels, & men, our hearty agreement with them, in that wholesome Protestant doctrine, which with so clear evidence of Scriptures they have asserted. Some things indeed, are, by us, in some places added, some terms omitted, and some few changed. But these alterations are of that nature as that we need not doubt any charge or suspicion of unsoundness in the faith from any of our brethren upon the account of them.






