With such an example before us we may surely say, that the injunction of the text to prove all things, and the right of private judgment founded upon it, are perfectly consistent with submission to the opinions of a long series of learned men upon mysterious points of faith, and the judgment of our Church upon controverted doctrines, which are in their own nature almost interminable.

Such was the opinion of another most able and learned man, who lived at the period of the Reformation, and who was as well entitled

as any man could be to set up his own judgment in such matters, and to retain it, rather than to surrender it to that of any body of men whatever. I allude to Erasmus, who, in speaking of some of the disputed doctrines of that day, says, "there is nothing wherein I acquiesce more securely than in the assured judgments of the Church. Of reasonings and arguments there is no end." It is true that for this sentiment his admirer and biographer, Dr. Jortin, is disposed to censure him. But I think without sufficient cause. For he ob

1

1 Jortin's Life of Erasmus, vol. i. p. 429.

He says,

"by

jects to it in this manner. He reasoning justly we arrive at truth; and by implicit belief in the decisions of others, without examination, we take the way to fall into error." But it appears to me, that Erasmus is speaking only of matters above reason; and which reason therefore cannot determine: and where our only alternatives are perpetual disputes on the one hand, or, on the other, not a blind submission to, but a justifiable confidence in the judgment of others, and those of great number, learning, and weight, who we may well believe, have made as near an approach to the truth upon the particular subject, as the nature of the case admits; and against whose opinion no individual can oppose his own, without great hazard at least of presumption and error. Except it can be maintained, that there are in religion no doctrines of this description, none upon which we cannot arrive at absolute certainty, by a process of just reasoning, I see not how the conclusion can be avoided, that to live in peace with each other, which is one great end of Christianity itself, we must be content, upon points of faith which transcend the power of

T

the human understanding, to acquiesce in the decision of the great body of the Church to which we belong: remembering always, that that Church does not claim for itself that infallibility, which it denies to every other: conscious that at present we can know only in part those things which hereafter shall be more fully revealed.

From what has been said, the application of the latter part of the text, hold fast that which is good, becomes easy and obvious.— We shall certainly do right to adhere stedfastly to these three things. First, the evidences of Christianity, upon which rests our belief in its truth in general. Secondly, its points of faith as received by our Church, by which we are connected with that particular branch of it established in these kingdoms.And lastly, its rules of practice, by which we should regulate our lives, in order to attain that holiness without which none shall see the Lord.

We should rely upon the evidences of Christianity, because almost the whole of the civilized world has now trusted to them for nearly two thousand years, and it is scarcely

possible to conceive, that had there been any error or defect in them, it would not before this have been detected and exposed. And because if we were to abandon it, its place could be supplied by no system to which any rational man could give any credence, or which could at all promote our happiness either in this world or in the next.

We should continue to receive with reverence those points of faith, which our Church has sanctioned after the most mature deliberation, because it is hopeless to expect that any further light will be shed upon those mysterious subjects, except the Almighty should, in his wisdom and goodness, deign to accord a further Revelation to mankind. Because those points of faith, though confessedly far removed from our comprehension, are not on that account the less likely to be true. Since we are surrounded on all sides, with objects submitted to our senses, whose origin, nature, and secret properties, defy our utmost sagacity to penetrate. The mystery of the Creation is more inconceivable by us, than that of our Redemption. The union of our souls and bodies is as inexplicable by reason, as the doctrine of the Trinity.

But above all, we should persevere in the practice of all those great moral duties, which were commanded and exemplified by our blessed Saviour himself. Without this, vain is our profession of our belief in his religion, either in its evidences or its doctrines. "The greatest heresy in the world (says Archbishop Tillotson) is a wicked life-and God will sooner forgive a man a hundred defects of his understanding, than one fault of his will.". So true is this, that he whose life is at variance with the laws of the Gospel, can hardly be sincere in his profession of its faith; and therefore frequently adds to his other sins, that of hypocrisy, the most odious of all vices, and that which was most frequently and most severely reprehended by its Divine Author.He who treats the Christian morality lightly, in comparison with its mysteries, affords a very suspicious proof of his sincerity; and holds out a doctrine, very encouraging to the weakness and depravity of human nature.-— Let us hold fast therefore that which is really good, the example and the precepts of Jesus Christ. The more constantly we adhere to

1 Works, vol. i. Sermon 34.