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good liking to all confessions, but one of their own framing; which Episcopius and his fellows actually composed, subscribed, and published, in this state of exile.

This step was so very extraordinary for men in their condition, whose distresses had been occasioned by enforcing a system drawn up in the same form, that they rightly judged the world would expect some satisfactory account of it, which therefore they attempt to give, in a long Apology prefixed to their Confession; wherein, not contented with alleging such inducements as might well be supposed to oblige men in their situation to explain and avow their principles to the public, they enter into a particular detail of arguments in favour of confessions in general; dropping indeed the point of right to establish them as tests of truth, but insisting largely on their utility and expedience in a variety of cases; and, as they seem to me to have brought together the whole merits of the cause on that head of defence, I shall attend them in the next chapter, with some particular considerations on the several articles of their plea.

CHAP. III.

On the Expedience and Utility of Confessions.

IT had been objected to confessions in general, that "they derogated from the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures; that they encroached upon the liberty of private conscience, and the independency of protestant churches; and that they tended to nothing better than separation and schism."

The Remonstrants reply, that "these objections did not affect confessions themselves, but only the abuse of them." But, however, as the objectors had so many instances to appeal to, where confessions had been, and still were thus abused, and the Remonstrants so few, if any, where they were not, the latter were obliged to set out with very ample concessions.

"Undoubtedly," say they, "those phrases and forms of speaking, in which God and Christ delivered themselves at first, for the instruction of unlearned and ordinary men, must needs be sufficient for the instruction of Christians in all succeeding ages; consequently it is possible that the church of Christ may not only be, but also that it may well be without those human forms and explications, called Confessions.*

*Preface to the Remonstrants' Confession, published in English, at London, 1676, pp. 12, 13.

what the Remonstrants

One would wonder now, could find to say for the support of their side of the question. For, if the phrases and forms of speaking, made use of in the written word, are sufficient for the instruction of unlearned or ordinary men in all things which concern the worship of God, and their own and others' everlasting salvation; and if, as the objectors insisted, and the Remonstrants could not deny, many and great evils were, for the most part, occasioned by such phrases and forms of speaking in confessions, as are not to be found in Scripture, the objectors were fairly authorized to conclude, not barely for the possibility that the church of Christ might well be, but for the certainty that it might better be, without such human forms, than with them.

The Remonstrants, however, attempt to recover their ground as follows. "If prophesyings, or interpretations of Scripture," say these apologists, "are not unprofitable, yea rather, if they be sometimes in certain respects necessary, when proposed by teachers and pastors in universities and churches, or other christian assemblies, for the information of the ignorant, &c. in familiar, clear, and usual expressions, though not in the very words of Scripture; it cannot seem unprofitable, much less unlawful or hurtful, if more ministers of Jesus Christ do, by mutual consent, joint studies and endeavours, for the greater illustration of divine truth, removing of slanders, edifying the christian community, or other

holy and pious purposes, publicly open and declare their judgments upon the meanings of Scripture, and that in certain composed forms.*

It is no easy matter to discover the drift of this argument. Do the Remonstrants mean to insist on the superior influence and authority of more ministers, in the business of expounding the Scriptures, in comparison with single pastors, or professors? By no means. Upon any supposition of this nature, the Belgic Confession had an authority which rendered their revolt from it inexcusable. Would they be understood to say, that Confessions composed by the joint studies of several ministers, are as useful as ordinary sermons and lectures in churches and universities? No, they make no such comparison; they only infer, with much ambiguity, from the premises, that Confessions, with the circumstances mentioned, cannot seem unprofitable.

But, be their meaning what you will, the cases of interpreting Scripture in occasional prophesyings, and in stated confessions, are dissimilar in so many respects, that nothing can be inferred from the utility of the former, in favour of the latter; but rather the contrary.

If prophesyings, or interpretations of Scripture in christian assemblies, are not delivered in familiar, clear, and usual forms of speech, they are neither necessary nor profitable; nor can any thing be infer

* Ibid. pp. 13, 14,

red from the utility of such prophesyings at all. On the other hand, if the Scriptures are opened and explained to the people in easy and familiar expressions, by their ordinary pastors, what possible use can you find for a systematical confessional? unless you think fit to establish it as a necessary supplement to the holy Scripture, and then you once more return the question to the point of right.

Again; what the preacher delivers from the pulpit, or the professor from the chair, they deliver as the sentiments and conclusions of single men, who have no authority to enforce their explications, any farther than their own good sense, integrity, accuracy, and judgment, make way for them. For the rest, their doctrines may be questioned, the men themselves called upon to review them, and, if they see reason, correct, and even retract them, not only without offence, but, in some cases, with advantage to the common faith. But doctrines, opinions, and explications of Scripture, reduced to a fixed form, and avowed by the public act of many subscribing ministers, (who, by the way, are full as likely to be fallible in a body, as in their personal capacity) put on quite another aspect. In that case all examination is precluded. No one subscriber is empowered to explain or correct for the rest. Nor can any of them retract, without standing in the light of a schismatic and a revolter from his brethren.

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