religious system deduced by the church from the Bible, which, it is obvious, may be made by tacit convention. The object to secure an agreement of sentiment on points of faith, and an unanimity of order in divine worship, may be effected by a tacit assent to an unwritten, but recognized system; though by a mode less consistent, and less effectual, than by creeds, articles, and rubrics. The church exerts her authority through the medium of a general assembly or council of her ministers; the only question, then, is, whether through the ministerial orders so convened she has a Scriptural right to make a public declaration of her views of revealed truth, and to impose it as the condition of communion with her. The affirmative is established on the following satisfactory grounds.

1. The right to impose creeds, or, in other words, to declare her own interpretation of Scripture, is inherent in the nature and constitution of the church. It is essential to all societies to regulate the behaviour of their members in such things as relate to the object for which they were instituted. No society could subsist without some kind of government, and the legislative power is inseparable from government; which power, therefore, must belong to the governors of the church. The spiritual character of this society makes no other difference than to limit. it to a spiritual power. If it be conceded to earthly rulers under God, why should it be

denied to ecclesiastical rulers under Christ? Both are equally bound to rule according to the divine laws. Without this authority the church would be lifeless, passive, inert, little better than an empty name; she could neither propose tests for candidates to the ministry, nor exclude heretical teachers; she could neither regulate the conduct of her members, nor effect an agreement in faith and worship. Such is the weakness of human nature, that controversies will arise, and Scripture cannot decide, for the dispute is concerning itself; the church, therefore, on her part must decide for herself, and declare what she conceives to be the true sense of it in public formularies, which are to be received by her members, not as the decrees of infallibility, but as the solemnly pronounced judgment of the highest human authority which can interpose between man and his Maker.

2. To every man belongs the unalienable right of private judgment; and therefore every man has a right, by using the best helps he can, to draw his own religious system, his own creed, from the Bible. Other individuals who, by a similar process, have arrived at the same conclusions, may join with him; and thus form a society of persons who adopt corresponding opinions. Such a society cannot be denied the privilege both of avowing openly and publicly their principles, and of announcing their readiness to enrol among their number those who

may adopt the same sentiments. This is a right of which they cannot justly be deprived, provided their tenets are not incompatible with the temporal peace of the community. The right of Christian societies, then, to form articles of faith for their own internal regulation, results from the indefeasible right of private judgment. They must have the same powers and privileges in their collective character, which each individual has in his private capacity. If particular persons are to search the Scriptures, and to form their own exposition of them, which is binding upon their own consciences, the church, which is a congregation of faithful men, may, or rather must, for the same reason declare her exposition, which is binding upon all her members; and this she does by means of creeds, articles, and canons.

3. Every particular church has the same right as other societies to secure its own peace and welfare by whatever lawful means are deemed best fitted for that purpose; and consequently has a right to prescribe such terms of communion as she may judge proper, provided that nothing be required incompatible with the liberty of others. Now, without a general agreement as well in matters of belief as in rituals and modes of worship, a church would soon fall into irretrievable confusion and ruin; to prevent which it is empowered, by the great law of selfpreservation, to impose such regulations upon

the members as are necessary for maintaining peace, order, and safety. Its governors may err in judgment as to these regulations; nor is it now the inquiry whether the promulgation of articles of faith be the best mode of securing that object; but if it is the solemn decision of the church that a code of articles is the most effectual, it has an absolute right to propose them as the common principles upon which an union with it is to be grounded.

If all were at liberty to follow their own fancies and inclinations, no union in religious services could long subsist; torn and lacerated with perpetual commotions, they would sooner or later perish through their own internal dissensions. To obviate such a result every Christian society, every independent congregation has its established creed. It may not be a written one; but each possesses its recognized standard of Gospel truth, which, as opposed to written formularies, may be called a traditionary test ; in conformity with which the ministers are elected; in conformity with which the ministers must preach; in conformity with which the privilege of their church-membership is granted; and woe betide the ill-starred wight who presumes to apostatize from the congregational standard. Some Dissenting chapels are built, and have endowments annexed, on the express condition, that the occupiers of such pulpits inculcate doctrines in accordance with the thirty

nine articles, or with the Westminster confession of faith; and we have not heard that the endowments in these cases have ever been rejected as a violation of Dissenting consciences and Dissenting principles.

4. Scarcely any duty is more strongly pressed upon believers than that of union and concord, Ps. cxxxiii. 1, 2; John xvii. 11, 22; Acts iv. 32; Ephes. iv. 3-5. They are to be of one mind, Rom. xii. 5, 16; xv. 5, 6; 2 Cor. xiii. 11; Phil. i. 27; iii. 16; 1 Pet. iii. 8; and to avoid all divisions, Matt. xii. 25; Rom. xvi. 17; 1 Cor. i. 10; iii. 3, 4; xi. 18; xii. 25. This godly union cannot be secured unless the same doctrines are inculcated, and the same modes of worship enjoined. But a mere general assent to the New Testament, now that the Christian world is so divided in their interpretation of it, would be a nullity; and the only way of preserving unity is for the church to make a public declaration of the sense in which she understands the Bible, and to impose it as the condition of communion with her.

5. An authoritative exposition of the Christian doctrines is included in the commission given to the ministers of the Gospel, who are to teach all nations whatsoever Christ has commanded them, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; to declare all the counsel of God, Acts xx. 27; to speak the Word of God in its integrity, without corrupting it, 2 Cor. ii. 17; iv. 2; Ephes. vi. 21; 1 Tim. ii. 7; without