• Ουδε τι πε συνοδοισιν ομόθρονος εσσομ ἔγωγε

Χηνων η γερανων ακριτα μαρναμένων

• Evo' ερις, ενθαμοθος τε, και αιχεα κρυπτα παροιθεν • Εις ενα δυσμενεων χωρον αγειρομενα.

"Nunquam ego fedebo in fynodis anferum aut gruum temere pugnantium. Illic contentio, illic rixa, et probra antra latentia fævorum hominum in unum locum collecta.”—-CLERICUS, Art. Crit. i. page 430.

The later corruptions of the church of Rome have furnished Proteftant divines with a fimilar theme for declamation. But the defence of either of these causes is not neceffary to the fupport of the ground upon which the prefent fubject stands. The infallibility of councils and fynods, and the infallibility of the church of Rome, may be suffered to fall together, without the proper authority of the church of CHRIST, for which alone we plead, being in the leaft affected by the event. For if CHRIST did leave an authority with his church, (and if he did not, every idea of the church as a visible society muft be laid afide) every argument brought against that authority can apply only to the improper exertion of it. Those authors, confequently, who attempt to defend the Reformation upon principles inconfiftent with the external conftitution of a church, by general

and unrestrained affertions in favour of private judg ment, are in fact serving the cause against which they would be thought, perhaps, to be zealously engaged: for if by any mode of arguing, the governors of the church can be deprived of all authority over its members in fpiritual matters, the conftitution of the church is diffolved: in this cafe, all fects ftand upon the fame footing, and are justified in acting upon the fame principle, of gathering as many of the difperfed and feattered Christians into their refpective flocks as they can.

This endless divifion among Chriftians, fo irreconcileable with the unity of the Christian church, (a neceffary confequence of the admiffion of thofe principles, upon which the Reformation has been defended by fome writers) has occafionally proved fuch a stumbling block to undifcriminating perfons, that they have known no other way to get rid of it, than by returning to that ftate of bondage, from which their forefathers were fo happily delivered. And indeed no argument has tended more to confirm the enemies of the Reformation in their prejudices against it, than that which has been drawn from those incautious pofitions, which, if pursued to their confequences, utterly annihilate all order and government in the church.

In fact, the loofe manner of writing, which has of late years' prevailed, feems calculated not fo much to give an idea of the plan upon which the church of CHRIST has been founded, as by a latitude of interpretation to accommodate the language of scripture to the various opinions that have been formed upon it; that the term of church communion may be rendered as comprehenfive as poffible, or mean nothing. A liberality, if fo it may be called, which tends to diffolve all ecclefiaftical government, and to leave us in poffeffion of no determinate idea upon this important fubject. For the unity of the church, upon which fo much ftrefs is laid in the facred writings, is abfolutely incompatible with that dif jointed state, in which Christians (in confequence of mistaken ideas, and a certain indifcriminate application of terms, which originally conveyed a distinct and appropriate meaning) now think themselves at liberty to live. And it is a melancholy confideration, that the writings of fome perfons, who, from their office, were bound to understand the conftitution of the Christian church, and to manifest a due zeal for its preservation, by loofening, as it were, what GOD defigned to confolidate into a regular and well connected form, have thereby contributed to furnish

E E

mankind with the most plaufible reafons for their various deviations from it.

The produce of the feeds of liberty, fown at the revolution, has, we are forry to say, in these days, affumed a wildness of growth, not to be reconciled with any regular mode of cultivation. Nor can we be furprized at the circumftance, when we confider the little influence which the Chriftian religion now poffeffes on the public mind.

The natural man, it is to reftraint of every kind. pendence, as it is called in idol which he worships.

well known, is indifpofed

The facred right of indemodern language, is the Unfortunately for him,

confidered as a moral agent, there have been distinguished characters in every age, whofe talents have stamped a credit upon principles, which tend to favour his natural disposition, by counteracting those modifications of liberty neceffary to its becoming an useful quality in fociety. Forgetting, or not admitting, the actual condition of fallen man, they have proceeded upon the idea, that the chief danger to social happinefs was to be apprehended from the fide of government; and provided man was but left free enough, he was fure to be what his Creator designed he should be. These distinguished characters have, perhaps,

gained the title which they coveted, that of being esteemed liberal men; but they have gained it for the most part at the expence of reafon and revelation; and neither church nor ftate owe them any acknowledgment for their fervices. For he must be very little acquainted with human nature, and very unobfervant of the present progress of licentious opinions, who does not know, that the principles of independence now propagating in the world are abfolutely incompatible with all regular order and government.

It has been urged, in reference to the fubject immediately before us, that in proportion as the human mind has advanced in knowledge by the progreffive discoveries which have from time to time been made in the various branches of science, it has become more qualified to establish a rule of judgment for itself, independent of the authority of former ages. And fo far as this pofition ought to apply, we may reason with LACTANTIUS in fupport of it. "DEUS dedit pro virili portione fapientiam-nec quia nos illi temporibus antecefferunt, fapientiâ quoque antecefferunt, Quæ fi omnibus æqualiter datur, occupari ab antecedentibus non poteft. Sapientiam fibi adimunt qui fine ullo judicio inventa majorum probant, et aliis pecudum more ducuntur. Sed hoc eos fallit, quod ma◄