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overlooked' by those who employ this article against the right use of tradition, occurs, wherever the sufficiency of Holy Scripture is mentioned; so that the compilers of this article must have just meant to exclude the case to which people now so carelessly apply it, of" things, not necessary to salvation." Thus, again, in the engagement required at Ordination and Consecration, this limitation is inserted in each clause; "Are you persuaded that the holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of necessity for "eternal salvation through faith in Christ Jesus? and 66 are you determined out of the said Scriptures to in"struct the people committed to your charge, and to "teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but that which you shall be persuaded, may be "concluded and proved by Holy Scripture 2?" The very word also, "required," shews that the Church had in view some one in authority who had the power to "require." In the preceding articles our Church had embodied the doctrines of the Creeds, which, and which only are Articles of Faith, or "ne"cessary to be believed in order to salvation." Those

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'Thus, one argues that the Apostolical succession is against our Articles, because it cannot be proved by Scripture, and by that Article nothing is to be held [omitting" as necessary to salvation"] which cannot be so proved. There seems to be the same sort of confusion in "Dr. Hook's Call to Union, answered," p. 9. though the instances given are mostly Popish corruptions, and so against "tradition" also.

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2 See further Mr. Keble's Postscript to 3rd ed. of the Sermon, entitled "Primitive tradition recognized in Holy Scripture." p.

12. sqq.

which follow, are Articles of Religion, which she did not receive from the ancient Church, but which she framed herself, not as essential to Communion (for this she requires only the belief in the Articles of the Apostles' Creed) but "for the avoiding of diver"sities of opinions, and for the establishing of con"sent touching true religion." Accordingly, at the very outset of this new range of Articles, she draws limits to her own powers and to those of the Church Universal. She does not, like the Church of Rome, increase the Creed, which no particular Church has the right to do; and she lays down within what limits the Creed may be enlarged by the Church Universal; namely, only as to whatsoever is "read " in Holy Scripture, or may be proved thereby." She lays down that Holy Scripture is the sole source of "all things necessary to salvation ;" and that nothing must be "required to be believed as necessary to "salvation," but what is drawn from that source; but both at the beginning and the end she restrains what she says, to "things necessary to salvation." So then it is probable that our Church means that things may be required to be believed, (provided it be not upon peril of salvation,) which are not proved by Holy Scripture: but certain, that according to her, things not in Holy Scripture may be subjects of belief; and that there is a power, somewhere residing, which may "require" to be "believed as necessary to salvation," whatever can be proved by Holy Scripture. For the limitation were absurd, that things not prove

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able by Holy Scripture, must "not be required to be

believed "as necessary to salvation," unless those which can be so proved, might be required. This very article then, in laying down the "sufficiency of Holy Scripture as "the source of all saving truth," at the same time recognizes the existence of an authority which may" require to be believed as essential to salvation," what it "can prove thereby." And this authority, in the 20th Article she declares, as in the 6th she implies it, to be the Church; for in the 20th Article, there recurs the same language, that, "as it must not “decree any thing contrary to Holy Writ, so besides "the same, ought it not to enforce any thing to be "believed for necessity of salvation." Within this same limit, however, drawn equally by the 6th, and 20th Articles, the 20th Article expressly states, what the 6th implies; "The Church has authority in "controversies of Faith." The Church is subject to Holy Scripture, but set over individuals; she may not (1) "expound one place of Holy Scripture that "it be repugnant to another," nor may she (2) de

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cree any thing against Holy Writ,” nor may she (3) "besides the same, enforce any thing to be believed "for necessity of salvation;" but then the very fixing of these limits of her power, shews that she has power within these limits; that she is the "expositor of Holy Writ," provided she do "not expound one

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place that it be repugnant to another;" she may "decree things," provided they be not "against Holy "Writ;" she may "enforce things to be believed" even "for necessity of salvation," provided they be

neither against, nor besides, Holy Scripture." But the power of " expounding," "decreeing," "ordain

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ing," implies that her children are to receive her expositions, and obey her decrees, and accept her authority in controversies of faith: and the appeal lies not to their "private judgment;" they are not the arbiters, whether she pronounce rightly or no; for what sort of decree or authority were that, of which every one were first to judge, and then if his judgment coincided with the law, to obey? who would not see the absurdity of this in matters of human judgment? "If thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." Jas. iv. 11. "If I be a father, where " is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?" Mal. i. 6.

But our Church in this article further and accurately defines the nature of her authority; the Church is a "keeper and witness of Holy Writ;" she is its guardian; it is from her that we know of what books the Canon of Scripture consists: she is the "witness" to the truths which it contains; not a "judge" over it, not having to determine new truth, or erect new articles of faith; but a witness to the doctrine which she herself received in continued succession from the primitive Church, as being contained in Holy Scripture.

In brief, then, my Lord, the meaning of our Church (as we conceive) in these Articles is, that the Scripture is the sole authoritative source of the Faith, i. e. of "things to be believed in order to salvation;"

the Church is the medium through which that knowledge is conveyed to individuals; she, under her responsibility to GOD, and in subjection to His Scripture, and with the guidance of His Spirit, testifies to her children, what truths are necessary to be believed in order to salvation; expounds Scripture to them; determines, when controversies arise; and this, not in the character of a judge, but as a "witness" to what she herself received.

And in this view of the meaning of our Church, we are further confirmed by the Canon of the Convocation of 1571, to which we have of late often had occasion to appeal; the same Convocation which inforced subscription to the Articles.

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"They [preachers] shall in the first place be careful "never to teach any thing from the pulpit to be religiously held and believed by the people, but what "is agreeable to the doctrine of the Old or New "Testament, and collected out of that very Doctrine by "the Catholic Fathers, and ancient Bishops."

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So have we ever wished to teach, "what is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Old or New Testament," and as the test of its being thus agreeable, we would take, not our own private and individual judgments, but that of the Universal Church, as attested by the "Catholic Fathers and Ancient Bishops."

This, my Lord, were perhaps sufficient; nor need we, we conceive, go into the private opinions of those engaged in our Reformation; seeing that they, in many