الله

In this exigency, how did the churches proceed? An inspired apostle directed them not to be contented with a general profession of belief in the religion of Christ, on the part of those who came to them as christian teachers; but to EXAMINE and TRY, and to ascertain whether their teaching was agreeable to 'the form of sound words' which they had been taught by him: and he adds with awful solemnity-If any man bring any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be ACCURSED.' Here was, in EFFECT, an instance, and that by DIVINE WARRANT, of employing A CREed as a test of ORTHODOXY." He goes on to say that these teachers were required to state how they explained the leading doctrines of the gospel; and then admits that the CREED, so employed, was short and simple, as the circumstances of the times, and the no less peculiar administration of the church, rendered such an one entirely sufficient.

There were heresies then in abundance. The leading doctrines of the gospel were the same at that day that they are now. A short creed was enough then, but is not enough now; and the divine warrant for a short one, is a divine warrant for a long one. Thus the whole subject of creeds and confessions of faith, in all forms and sizes, is covered over with the mediatorial mantle, or comes to us with the sign-manual that no saint may question. Now each sect may proceed to act upon ITS OWN PRINCIPLES, without any danger of incurring the reproach of bringing in " other gospel." The question is settled finally and fully, and with most circumstantial detail. And yet after all, Dr. M. says, that the directions, and anathema, and "form of sound words," are only in EFFECT, a di

an

vine warrant. This is all the length he can go, though he seems to be fully informed on the subject. If any one shall take a different view of the matter, as one might easily do, then the call for a DIVINE WARRANT remains unanswered.

Some things look exceedingly beautiful when put together; but when taken apart, and considered separately, one wonders at the ingenuity that so happily blended them. Such seems to be the case in the argument now to be analyzed. How the texts in question establish the doctrine of ecclesiastical creeds is the curiosity. If they can do this thing, CREEDS must have been abundant in apostolic days: and it is very strange that none of them have reached our days. Dr. M. once asked, in his letters on the episcopal controversy "Where were the liturgies of those times? Had forms of prayer been so indispensably necessary, or, at least, so pre-eminently important, as our episcopal brethren tell us they are, and always have been, why did not Paul, or some other of the apostles, furnish the churches with liturgies written by themselves, and under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost?" Changing terms, if creeds have been so indispensably neces sary as, it is said, they always have been, why did not some one of the apostles, under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost, furnish the churches with them? And if they did, as Dr. M. seems to intimate by his quotations they did in three different instances, where are these creeds these forms of sound words? It is a pity that not one of them can be produced. Such a document would settle the dispute, and relieve the church from those various and cumbrous articles, that now distract her members; and which, instead of

silencing, have greatly multiplied heretics. The presumption is, that Dr. M. has been over-zealous in his argument. But let us analyze the texts.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but TRY the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." The first question here is, how this TRIAL was to be conducted? Had the apostle furnished the church he addressed with a creed? or had they met together and framed one for themselves? Not at all. Nothing of the kind appears. No reference, not the most distant, is made to it. As though no rule of the sort had been uttered to, much less written for, them; or as though he would "stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance," he simply remarks-"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world."* Here then is the CREED, if any there was, by which they were to proceed; and lo, it is a part of the scriptures themselves. And cannot christians and teachers be TRIED in the same way now? No objection has been made to such a process. Or does Dr. M. mean to say, that as inspired men wrote the bible, therefore ecclesiastical councils may write a BIBLE now? No divine warrant, in effect, is here given to do any thing else. The puritans seem to have known of no such warrant, when they

*1 John, iv. 1, 3.

fled to the American wilderness; and took up their abode among unsanctified savages, to escape such prescriptions as the following, which they condemned as unrighteous, and as establishing a cruel, unrelenting, and degrading lordship over their consciences:

1. That no preacher, under a bishop or dean, shall make a set discourse, or fall into any common-place of divinity in his sermons, not comprehended in the thirty-nine articles.

2. That no parson, vicar, curate, or lecturer, shall preach any sermon hereafter, on Sundays or holy-days in the afternoon, but expound the catechism, creed, or ten commandments; and that those be most encouraged, who catechise children only."*

A second question arises here:-- Who were those whom the apostle called upon the brethren to reject? Were they believers, who disagreed as to the solution of some philosophical problem? some calvinistic, or arminian reasoners, who might live together in their own voluntary association, and worship God on their own principles ? but with whom the party, at the head of which John places himself, could not hold "church fellowship?" Assuredly not. They were those, who, having denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, had demonstrated that they were not of God. The text then has nothing to do with the subject of ecclesiastical creeds, as they have been defined by Dr. M. himself.

A third question remains : :- Who were those whom the apostle addressed? An ecclesiastical council, of competent powers to arraign, examine, try, and con

*Neale's His. Pur. vol. ii. p. 153.

demn a class of brethren who disagreed with certain ach prescribed ecclesiastical forms? A PRESBYTERY, acting by virtue of a divine warrant, yet on their own emotion and irrespective of the PEOPLE? By no means. By referring to the acts of the apostles, it will be found, that, when any church business was to be transacted, even PETER would not assume the rights be longing to the PEOPLE. Paul refers a case of discipline to the Corinthian church as "gathered together;" sand reproves them for going to "law before the unjust and not before the saints," as though they had forgotten that "the saints shall judge the world," and as if there was not "a wise man among them" — "able to judge between his brethren." Lord King, whose researches into the peculiarities of the primitive church bespeak a man of profound study, and of great candour, tells us, that church censures, in those early ages, were inflicted by the WHOLE CHURCH, or were "the things commanded by the MULTITUDE." For the general facts, belonging to the subject of the people's interest in ecclesiastical matters, he quotes among others, Origen, Clemens Romanus, and Cyprian. Does Dr. M. mean to inform us, that in apostolic times, the PEOPLE assembled. to make ecclesiastical creeds? If he did, he would then have to explain how it is, that the PEOPLE, in the Presbyterian church, have had nothing to do with the formation of their confession of faith? That book never had appeared in our world, if it had been waited for as emanating from that source. It is a tolerably fair presumption, from Dr. M's own account of the matter, that ninetenths of the PEOPLE, even now, know nothing about that heavy volume.