by those Right Reverend and well-paid witnesses. But here are these same witnesses, continually occupied in giving an attestation of authenticity, to a document, of the spuriousness of which they cannot but be, every one of them, fully conscious. If the religion of Jesus had no better ground to stand upon than this modern evidence, where would be the sort of regard due to it?

To give proofs, or so much as references to proofs, of its being a forgery-a generally exploded forgery-would be a mere waste of labour. Pearson-Bishop Pearsonwhose comment on it is regularly included in the list of works, studied by all Candidates for Church of England Ministry, into whose heads any such idea as that of rendering themselves, in an intellectual point of view, in any degree fit for their office, ever happens to find entrance,— Pearson-in styling it the Creed-knew it too well to venture, either in his title page, or any where else, to style it the Apostles' Creed; or so much as, in the way of insinuation, to give it to be understood, that the Apostles had, any of them, any thing to do with it." The Creed" received in all ages of the Church," (says he in his Epistle dedicatory): and thus far only did he venture to go beyond the truth, in speaking of it, except by this, viz. “it is (says his Preface) generally taken to comprehend all things necessary to be believed:-the Creed-as if he had never heard of more Creeds than this one: as if that Liturgy, of which it forms a part, did not, lest confusion should not be thick enough-force into men's mouths two other Creeds-the Nicene and the Athanasian (yes, the Athanasian!) by the side of it.

For the first time-(pity the edition now on the table, though the tenth, does not enable any one to say exactly what that time was)-for the first time-observing what sort of a thing this tissue of dark allusions, taken in its

own state, was, he formed the generous resolution of rendering it intelligible: and in this endeavour, no fewer than four hundred closely printed folio pages, with more of microscopic notes than text, are employed: "so that 66 every one, when he pronounceth the Creed, may know, 66 (says the good Bishop) what he ought to intend, and ແ what he is understood to profess, when he so pro"nounceth it:" so that now, to all those in whose instance to the labour of studying this Exposition, and the faculty of buying or borrowing it, has been added the felicity of understanding it, the text, in so far as the enterprize undertaken by the comment has been successful, has been rendered intelligible.

Creed and Exposition together, of those who but for it would have been damned, how many will have been saved by it? Of those who, if they had had it, would have been saved, how many will have been damned for want of it? -those included who will not have been rich enough either to buy or borrow it. tions a satisfactory answer has been provided, then it is, that of its worth, a correct estimate, as well as conception, will have been formed.

When to each of these ques

This, together with both the other Creeds, and together with the spirit and so large a portion besides of the substance of her Liturgy, was by the Church of England received from her Holy Mother: among whose histories, that of the pic-nic formation of this Creed by its putative fathers the Apostles, may be found in their proper places. The equally Established Church of Scotland is wiser and honester than to teach any of these Creeds.

G

RECAPITULATION.

On recurring to the Observations contained in the preceding pages, the following are the vices which will, it is believed, be found to have been proved upon this formulary, the peccant matter of which is, with a diligence unhappily so successful, injected, by the hand of power, into the breasts of the great majority of the population, at the very first dawn of the reasoning faculty

I. BAD GRAMMAR. For a passage teaching bad grammar by example, see p. 55.

II. BAD LOGIC; viz.

1. By inculcation of matter plainly useless. See p. 19. to 25.

2. By inculcation of manifest surplusage. See p. 67. 8. 3. By inculcation of matter plainly unintelligible. See p. 6 to 13. 17 to 27. 31. 32.

4. By inculcation of propositions inconsistent with one another. See p. 11. 12. 13.

5. By inculcation of instruction which is either erroneous, or at best useless. See p. 41. 42. 43. 6. By exemplification and consequent inculcation of the art and habit of gratuitous or unfounded assertion, and groundless inference. See p. 28. 29. 30. 38. 39. 40.

7. By inculcation of matter, repugnant to those thirtynine Articles, to which the whole body of the Clergy-Bishops and Archbishops included-together with all other ruling and otherwise influential persons, who become partakers of that course of education which is in highest repute, will, upon entrance into that course, after being thus impregnated with the repugnant matter of this formulary,

be forced to declare their assent and approbation on record. See p. 29, 30.

8. By inculcation of matter savouring of Popery. See p. 66 to 70.

III. Matter, the tendency of which is to operate, in various other ways, to the depravation of the INTELLECTUAL part of man's frame, viz.

1. Matter, by which the principle of vicarious obligation is inculcated: i. e. by which children are commanded to believe, that it is in the power of two or three self-appointed persons, by agreeing together, to oblige a young child, in conscience, to pursue to the end of his life, any course of conduct which, at that time, it may please them to prescribe. See p. 4. 5. 6.

2. Matter, by which the young child is himself forced to utter a rash promise, binding him, during life, to pursue the course of conduct therein and thereby prescribed. See p. 13. 14.

3. Matter, by which the child is initiated in the art and habit of lax interpretation: i. e. of declaring, in relation to the discourse in question, whatever it may be, his persuasion, that such or such was the meaning, intended by the author to be conveyed by it: viz. whatever meaning it may at any time happen to suit the personal purpose of the interpreter so to convey, how wide soever of the import really so intended to be conveyed. See p. 45. 47 to 78.

4. Matter, by which the intellectual part of the child's frame is destined to be debilitated and depraved by groundless and useless terrors. See p. 8 to 11. 53.

IV. Matter, the tendency of which is to operate, in various other ways, to the DEPRAVATION of the MORAL part of man's frame: viz.

1. Matter, in the texture of which Hypocrisy is plainly discernible. See p. 12. 13.

2. Matter, by which lying is inculcated as a duty:—a duty, which the child is forced to declare himself bound to persevere in the performance of. See p. 2. 3. 15. 18. 19. 31. 45. 46. 52.

3. Matter, by which Imposture may be seen to be promoted. See p. 47 to 78.

4. Matter, by which Forgery may be seen to be knowingly uttered. See p. 79. 80.

5. Matter, by which encouragement is given to sin and wickedness in every shape. See p. 75 to 78.

V. Matter, the tendency of which is to operate, in an immediate way, to the injury of the SENSITIVE part of man's frame.

Matter, by which groundless and useless terrors are infused, as above.

Such, on the grounds all along referred to, and plainly brought to view,-is the character and tendency herein imputed to this Church of England formulary, with the matter of which every English breast is, by the government at large, under the guidance of the ruling part of the Clergy, designed and endeavoured to be impregnated : imputed, and with what justice, let any person in whose eyes either the morals or the understanding of the whole people of England are objects worthy of regard, and who at the same time has courage to look in the face truth, however unwelcome, and opposed by prejudices ever so inveterate lay his hand upon his heart and pronounce.