There is a manifest oversight in these sentences; and it is the only one, of any importance, that we have observed in the whole lecture. We have said the oversight is manifest, because what is here affirmed is not, we think, fairly reconcilable with the following just and important remarks, which we find in another part of the lecture

"It were easy to show that confessions of faith, judiciously drawn, and solemnly adopted by particular churches, are not only invaluable as bonds of union, and fences against error; but that they also serve an important purpose, as accredited manuals of Christian doctrine, well fitted for the instruction of those private members of churches, who have neither leisure, nor habits of thinking sufficiently close, to draw from the sacred writings themselves a consistent system of truth. It is of incalculable use to the individual who has but little time for reading, and but little acquaintance with books, to be furnished with a clear and well arranged compend of religious doctrine, which he is authorized to regard, not merely as the work of a single, enlightened, and pious divine; but as drawn out and adopted by the collected wisdom of the church to which he belongs. There is often a satisfaction, to a plain, unsophisticated mind, not to be described, in going over such a compend, article by article; examining the proofs adduced from the word of God in support of each; and 'searching the scriptures daily to see whether the things which it teaches are 60 or not.'"

We have no doubt that the discrepancy which we have here pointed out, was caused by the writer's mind being engrossed, in penning the first sentences quoted, with the important point which he was about to state and press; and which would allow the admission that, creeds would still be useful and indispensable to societies, even if they were not so to individuals. But the admission should have gone no farther than this, and the professor ultimately shows that he did not really intend to give it a greater latitude. For ourselves, we do verily believe that our Confession of Faith and Catechisms, contain a treasure of religious knowledge

which may be of invaluable use to every individual Christian, whatever knowledge of the Bible he may previously possess. We admit, nay insist, that creeds derive all their value and all their authority, from the Bible. But who can tell the utility of having all the essential truths of the Bible systematized and methodized; so that they may be seen in their connexion, and that their harmony and beauty may be rendered conspicuous. To ministers of the gospel themselves, the advantage of this is not small; and to those who have but little time to read and digest sacred truth, the advantage is greater than can be told. It is by our Catechisms that our people must be indoctrinated in such manner as to hear sermons with the greatest benefit; for without this, or some similar method of instruction, we affirm that we have never yet known an individual that was well indoctrinated.-Divine truth was in his mind, so to speak, in disjointed parts and fragments: whereas, in the minds of those who have received suitable catechetical instruction, it is a well connected and comely fabrick. We know that this is exactly the thing that hereticks and latitudinarians hate. They earnestly desire to have the minds of the people in a state in which truth is not digested and systematized, that they may be the more easily "carried about with every wind of doctrine." This is a

principal reason why we hear such dolorous outcries against the influence of creeds and confessions

Hinc illæ lacrymæ. But for the very reason that they are grievedas they are always grieved at what hinders the success of their pernicious plans-we would urge the importance of teaching and explaining our Catechisms, with the utmost care, to the rising generation. We rejoice in the establishment of Bible classes, and have had our full share both in forming and

and worship him accordingly;-and those who consider all such worship as abominable idolatry :-Those who cordially renounce all dependence on their own works or merit for justification before God, relying entirely on his rich grace, 'through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; and those who pronounce all such reliance fanatical, and man's own righteousness the sole ground of hope: -Can persons who cherish these irreconcilably opposite sentiments and feelings on the most important of all subjects, unite with edification in the same prayers, listen from Sabbath to Sabbath to the same instructions, and sit together in comfort at the same sacramental table? As well might Jews and Christians worship together in the same temple. They must either be perfectly indifferent to the great subjects on which they are thus divided, or all their intercourse must be productive of jarring and distress. Such a discordant assembly might talk about church-fellowship; but that they should really enjoy that fellowship, which the Bible describes as so precious, and which the pious so much delight to cultivate, is impossible;-just as impossible as that righteousness should have fellowship with unrighteousness,' or 'light hold communion with darkness, or Christ maintain concord with Belial.'

"Holding these things to be self-evident, how, I ask, is any church to guard itself from that baleful discord, that perpetual strife of feeling, if not of words and conduct, which must ensue, when it is made up of such heterogeneous materials? Nay, how is a church to avoid the guilt of harbouring in its bosom, and of countenancing by its fellowship the worst heresies that ever disgraced the Christian name? It is not enough for attaining this object, that all who are admitted profess to agree in receiving the Bible, for many who call themselves Christians, and profess to take the Bible for their guide, hold opinions, and speak a language as foreign, nay as opposite, to the opinions and language of many others, who equally claim to be Christians, and equally profess to receive the Bible, as the east is to the west. Of those who agree in this general profession, the greater part acknow. ledge as of divine authority, the whole sacred canon, as we now receive it; while others would throw out whole chapters, and some a number of entire books from the volume of God's revealed will. The orthodox maintain the plenary inspiration of the scriptures; while some who insist that they are Christians, deny their inspiration altogether. In short, there are multitudes who, professing to believe the Bible, and to take it for their guide, re

ject every fundamental doctrine which it contains. So it was in the beginning as well as now. An inspired apostle declares, that some in his day, who not only professed to believe the scriptures, but even to preach Christ,' did really preach another gospel,' the teachers of which he charges those to whom he wrote to hold accursed;' and he assures them that there are some 'heresies' so deep and radical that they are to be accounted damnable.' Surely those who maintain the true gospel, cannot walk together' in church fellowship' with those who are accursed' for preaching another gospel,' and who espousedamnable heresies,' the advocates of which the disciples of Christ are not permitted even to receive into their houses,' or to bid God speed!' How, then, I ask again, are the members of a church, to take care that they be, according to the divine command, of one mind,' and ‘of one way? They may require all who enter their communion to profess a belief in the Bible; nay they may require this profession to be repeated every day, and yet may be corrupted and divided by every form of the grossest error. Such a profession, it is manifest, ascertains no agreement; is a bond of no real union; a pledge of no spiritual fellowship. It leaves every thing within the range of nominal Christianity, as perfectly undefined, and as much exposed to total discord as before."

"The inference, then, plainly is, that no church can hope to maintain a homogeneous character;-no church can be secure either of purity or peace, for a single year;-nay, no church can effectually guard against the highest degrees of corruption and strife, without some test of truth, explicitly agreed upon, and adopted by her, in her ecclesiastical capacity: something recorded; something publickly known; something capable of being referred to when most needed; which not merely this or that private member supposes to have been received; but to which the church as such has agreed to adhere, as a bond of union. In other words, a church, in order to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and love,' must have a CREED— a WRITTEN CREED-to which she has formally given her assent, and to a conformity to which her ministrations are pledged. As long as such a test is faithfully applied, she cannot fail of being in some good degree united and harmonious; and when nothing of the kind is employed, I see not how she can be expected, without a miracle, to escape all the evils of discord and corruption."

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We cannot refrain from remarking, that the Society of Friends are, at this hour, exhibiting a striking example of the truth of Dr. M.'s conclusion in the last paragraph. Wanting a WRITTEN CREED," large, and in our opinion, the best part of that Society, are obliged to endure, without immediate remedy, the abominable impieties of one of the most audacious infidels that ever insulted publick sentiment.

"2. The necessity and importance of creeds and confessions appear from the consideration, that one great design of establishing a church in our world was, that she might be in all ages, a DEPOSITORY, A GUARDIAN, AND A WITNESS OF THE TRUTH."

"It surely will not be said, by any considerate person, that the church, or any of her individual members, can sufficiently fulfil the duty in question, by simply proclaiming, from time to time, in the midst of surrounding error, her adherence and her attachment to the Bible. Every one must see that this would be, in fact, DOING NOTHING as witnesses of the truth;' because it would be doing nothing peculiar; nothing distinguishing; nothing which every heretick in christendom is not ready to do, or rather is not daily doing, as loudly, and as frequently as the most orthodox church. The very idea of bearing testimony to the truth,' and of separating from those who are so corrupt that Christian communion cannot be maintained with them, necessarily implies some public discriminating act, in which the church agrees upon, and expresses her belief in, the great doctrines of Christianity, in contradistinction from those who believe erroneously. Now to suppose that any thing of this kind can be accomplished, by making a profession, the very same, in every respect, with that which the worst hereticks make, is too palpably absurd to satisfy any sober inquirer.

"Of what value, let me ask, had the Waldenses and Albigenses been, as wIT

NESSES OF THE TRUTH-as LIGHTS IN THE

WORLD, amidst the darkness of surrounding corruption;-especially of what value had they been to the church in succeeding times, and to us at the present day; if they had not formed, and transmitted to posterity those celebrated CoxFESSIONS OF FAITH, as precious as they are memorable, which we read in their history, and which stand as so many monumental testimonies to the true Gospel of the grace of God? Without THESE, how

should we ever have known in what manner they interpreted the Bible; or whereticks, who lived at the same time, and in they differed from the grossest hereprofessed to receive the same Bible? Without these, how should we ever have seen so clearly and satisfactorily as we do, that they maintained the truth and wasting desolations of the man of sin;' and thus fulfilled his promise, that there shall always be a seed to serve him, who shall be accounted to the Lord for a ge

the order of Christ's house, amidst all the

neration?'

"3. The adoption and publication of a creed, is A TRIBUTE TO TRUTH AND CANDOUR, which every Christian church

OWES TO THE OTHER CHURCHES, AND TO THE WORLD AROUND HER.

"Every wise man will wish to be united in religious duty and privilege, with those who most nearly agree with himself in their views of doctrine and order; with those in intercourse with whom he can be most happy, and best edified. Of course, he will be desirous, before he joins any church, to know something of its faith, government, and general character. I will suppose a pious and ingenuous individual about to form his religious connexions for life. He looks round on the churches to which he has most access, and is desirous of deciding with which of them he can be most comfortable. I will suppose that, in this survey, he turns his eyes towards the truly scriptural and primitive church to which it is our happiness to belong. He is anxious to know the doctrine as well as the order which he may expect to find in connexion with our body. How is he to know this? Certainly not by going from church to church throughout our whole bounds, and learning the creed of every individual minister from his own lips. This would be physically impossible, without bestowing on the task a degree of time and toil, which scarcely any man could afford. He could not actually hear for himself the doctrines taught in a twentieth part of our pulpits. And if he could, he would still be unable to decide, from this source alone, how far what he heard might be regarded as the uniform and universal, and especially as the permanent character of the church; and not rather as an accidental exhibition. But when such an inquirer finds that we have a published creed, declaring how we understand the scriptures, and explicitly stating in detail the great truths which we have agreed to unite in maintaining; he can ascertain in a few hours, and without leaving his own dwelling, what we profess to believe and to practise, and how far he may hope to be at

home in our communion. And while HE is enabled thus to understand the system to which we profess to adhere, he enables us to understand his views, by ascer taining how far they accord with our published creed."

"4. Another argument in favour of creeds publickly adopted and maintained, is that THEY ARE FRIENDLY TO THE STUDY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, AND OF COURSE,

TO THE PREVALENCE OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE."

"Look at the loose, vague, undecisive character of the preaching heard in ninetenths of the Unitarian, and other latitudinarian pulpits in the United States, and as I suppose, throughout Christendom. If the occupants of those pulpits had it for their distinct and main object to ren der their hearers indifferent about understanding, and, of course, indifferent about studying, the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, they could scarcely adopt a plan more directly calculated to attain their end, than that which they actually pursue. Their incessant cry is, matters of opinion are between God, and a man's own conscience. No one else has a right to meddle with them.' Hence, in pursuance of this maxim, they do, indeed, take care to meddle very little with the distinguishing doctrines of the gospel. We conjecture what their doctrinal opinions are, in general, not so much from what they say, as from what they do not say. And the truth is, that if this character of preaching was to become universal, all discriminating views of gospel truth would, in thirty years, be banished from the church."

"5. It is an argument of no small weight in favour of creeds, that THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL AGES HAS FOUND THEM INDISPENSABLY NECESSARY.

"Even in the days of the apostles, when all their inspiration and all their miraculous powers, were insufficient to deter hereticks from spreading their poison;-men, calling themselves Christians, and professing to preach the religion of Christ, perverted his truth, and brought another gospel,' which He had not taught. 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 them, and to ascer tain whether their teaching were agreea ble 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: that is, men making a general profession of Christianity, are expressly directed by an inspired apostle, to be BROUGHT TO THE TEST, in WHAT SENSE THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT GOSPEL, of which in general terms, they declared their reception; and how they explained its leading doctrines. It would seem, indeed, that the Confession of Faith then required was very short and simple. This, the peculiar circumstances of the times, and the no less peculiar administration of the church, ren. dered entirely sufficient. Still, whether the confession were long or short; whether it consisted of three articles or of thirty, the principle was the same."

Dr. M. here goes on to trace the history of creeds, in a summary way, to the time of the Protestant reformation, and through the period, after that great and glorious event, in which the most of the creeds of Protestant Christendom were formed. It is an interesting statement, but our space forbids us to extract it.

"6. A further argument in favour of creeds and confessions, may be drawn from the remarkable fact, that THEIR

MOST ZEALOUS OPPOSERS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN LATITUDINARIANS AND HERETICKS.

"I do not affirm that the use of creeds has never been opposed by individuals substantially orthodox, and even by orthodox churches: for it is believed that a few rare cases of this anomaly have occurred, under the influence of strong prejudice, or very peculiar circumstances. Yet, so far as I can recollect, we have no example of it among the ancients. Such cases are the growth of very modern times. Nor, on the other hand, is it my purpose to deny that hereticks have sometimes been extremely zealous in forming and maintaining the most corrupt creeds. For of this the early history of the church abounds with examples, and its later periods have not been wholly without them. But what I venture to assert is, that, as a general fact, the most ardent and noisy opponents of creeds have been those who held corrupt opinions; that none, calling themselves Christians, have been so bitter in reviling them, in modern times, as the friends of Unitarianism, and those who were leaning toward that awful gulf; and that the most consistent and zealous advocates