ners; for turning a message of peace into an engine of faction; for employing means inadequate to the end; and so for erasing that character of perfection, which the heavenly donor gave it.

ing to obtain a great end without the use of proper means. To propose a noble end argues a fund of goodness: but not to propose proper means to obtain it, argues a defect of wisdom. Christianity proposes the noble end of assimilating man to God! and it employs proper means of A second character of imperfection is the obtaining this end. God is an intelligent be- employing of great means to obtain no valuable ing, happy in a perfection of wisdom; the gos-end. Whatever end the author of Christianity pel assimilates the felicity of human intelli- had in view, it is beyond a doubt, he hath emgences to that of the Deity, by communicating ployed great means to effect it. To use the the ideas of God on certain articles to men. language of a prophet, he hath "shaken the God is a bountiful being, happy in a perfection heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the of goodness; the gospel assimilates the felicity dry land," Hag. ii. 6, 7. When the desire of of man to that of God, by communicating cer- all nations came, universal nature felt his aptain benevolent dispositions to its disciples, si- proach, and preternatural displays of wisdom, milar to the communicative excellencies of power, and goodness, have ever attended his God. God is an operative being, happy in the steps. The most valuable ends were answered display of exterior works beneficial to his crea- by his coming. Convictions followed his preachtures; the gospel felicitates man by directing ing; and truths, till then shut up in the counsels and enabling him to perform certain works of God, were actually put into the possession beneficent to his fellow-creatures. God con- of finite minds. A general manumission followdescends to propose this noble end, of assimi-ed his meritorious death, and the earth resoundlating man to himself, to the nature of man-ed with the praises of a spiritual deliverer, kind, and not to certain distinctions, foreign who had set the sons of bondage free. The from the nature of man, and appendant on ex- laws of his empire were published, and all his terior circumstances. The boy, who feeds the subjects were happy in obeying them. "In his farmer's meanest animals; the sailor, who days the righteous flourished," and on his plan, spends his days on the ocean; the miner, who," abundance of peace would have continued as secluded from the light of the day, and the society of his fellow-creatures, spends his life in a subterraneous cavern, as well as the renowned heroes of mankind, are all included in this condescending, benevolent, design of God. The gospel proposes to assimilate all to God: but it proposes such an assimilation, or, I may say, such a degree of moral excellence, as the nature of each can bear, and it directs to means so proper to obtain this end, and renders these directions so extremely plain, that the perfection of the designer shines with the utmost glory.

I have sometimes imagined a Pagan ship's crew in a vessel under sail in the wide ocean; I have supposed not one soul aboard ever to have heard one word of Christianity; I have imagined a bird dropping a New Testament written in the language of the mariners on the upper deck; I have imagined a fund of uneducated, unsophisticated good sense in this company, and I have required of this little world answers to two questions; first, what end does this book propose? the answer is, this book was written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name," John xx. 31. I ask secondly, what means does this book authorise a foremast man, who believes, to employ to the rest of the crew to induce them to believe, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that believing, they also with the foremast man, may have eternal felicity through his name? I dare not answer this question: but I dare venture to guess, should this foremast man conceal the book from any of the crew, he would be unlike the God, who gave it to all; or should he oblige the cabin-boy to admit his explication of the book, he would be unlike the God, who requires the boy to explain it to himself; and should he require the captain to enforce his explication by penalties, the captain ought to reprove his folly for counteracting the end of the book, the felicity of all the mari

long as the moon endured," Ps. lxxii. 7. Plenty of instruction, liberty to examine it, and peace in obeying it, these were ends worthy of the great means used to obtain them.

Let us for a moment suppose a subversion of the seventy-second psalm, from whence I have borrowed these ideas; let us imagine "the kings of Tarshish and of the isles bringing presents," not to express their homage to Christ: but to purchase that dominion over the consciences of mankind, which belongs to Jesus Christ; let us suppose the boundless wisdom of the gospel, and the innumerable ideas of inspired men concerning it, shrivelled up into the narrow compass of one human creed; let us suppose liberty of thought taken away, and the peace of the world interrupted by the introduction and support of bold usurpations, dry ceremonies, cant phrases, and puerile inventions; in this supposed case, the history of great means remains, the worthy ends to be answered by them are taken away, and they, who should thus deprive mankind of the end of the sacred code, would charge themselves with the necessary obligation of accounting for this character of imperfection. Ye prophets, and apostles! ye ambassadors of Christ! "How do ye say, we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo! certainly in vain made he it, the pen of the scribes is in vain!" Jer. viii. 8. Precarious wisdom that must not be questioned! useless books, which must not be examined! vain legislation, that either cannot be obeyed, or ruins him who obeys it.

All the ends, that can be obtained by human modifications of divine revelation, can never compensate for the loss of that dignity, which the perfection of the system, as God gave it, acquires to him; nor can it indemnify a man for the loss of that spontaniety, which is the essence of every effort, that merits the name of human, and without which virtue itself is nothing but a name. Must we destroy the man to make the Christian! What is there in

a scholastic honour, what in an ecclesiastical | not this injunction destructive of a sentimental emolument, what in an archiepiscopal throne, union? Place ten thousand spectators in seveto indemnify for these losses! Jesus Christ gave ral circles around a statue erected on a spacious his life a ransom for men, not to empower them plain, bid some look at it through magnifying to enjoy these momentary distinctions; these glasses, others through common spectacles, are far inferior to the noble ends of his coming: some with keen naked eyes, others with weak the honour of God and the gospel at large; the diseased eyes, each on a point of each circle disinterested exercise of mental abilities, assi- different from that where another stands, and milating the free-born soul to its benevolent all receiving the picture of the object in the God; a copartnership with Christ in promoting eye by different reflections and refractions of the universal felicity of all mankind; these, these the rays of light, and say, will not a command are ends of religion worthy of the blood of to look destroy the idea of sentimental union; Jesus, and deserving the sacrifice of whatever and, if the establishment of an exact union of is called great among men. sentiment be the end, will not looking, the mean appointed to obtain it, actually destroy it, and would not such a projector of uniformity mark his system with imperfection?

Thirdly, The destruction of the end by the use of the means employed to obtain it, is another character of imperfection. St. Paul calls Christianity unity, Eph. iv. 3, &c. He denominates it the unity of the Spirit, on account of its author, object, and end. God the Supreme Spirit, is the author of it, the spirits, or souls of men are the object, and the spirituality of human souls, that is, the perfection of which finite spirits are capable, is the end of it. The gospel proposes the reunion of men divided by sin, first to God, and then to one another, and, in order to effect it, reveals a religion, which teaches one God, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, one rule of faith, one object of hope, 1 Tim. ii. 5; and, lest we should imagine this revelation to admit of no variety, we are told, Grace is given to every one according to the proportional measure of the gift of Christianity. Each believer is therefore exhorted to speak the truth in love, to walk with all lowliness, meekness, and long suffering, and to forbear another in love. Here is a character of perfection, for these means employed to unite mankind, are productive of union, the end of the means.

Had Jesus Christ formed his Church on the plan of a ceremonial union, or on that of a professional union, it is easy to see, the same reasoning might be applied, the laws of such a legislator would counteract and destroy one another, and a system so unconnected would discover the imperfection of its author, and provide for the ruin of itself.

These principles being allowed, we proceed to examine the doctrines of Christianity, as they are presented to an inquisitive man, entirely at liberty to choose his religion, by our different churches in their several creeds. The church of Rome lays before me the decisions of the council of Trent; the Lutheran church the confession of Augsburg: one nation gives me one account of Christianity, another a different account of it, a third contradicts the other two, and no two creeds agree. The difference of these systems obliges me to allow, they could not all proceed from any one person, and much less could they all proceed from such a person, as all Christians affirm Jesus Christ to be. I am driven, then, to examine his account of his own religion contained in the allowed standard book, to which they all appeal, and here I find, or think I find, a right of reduction, that removes all those suspicions, which variety in human creeds had excited in my mind concerning the truth of Christianity.

Should men take up the gospel in this simplicity; and, accommodating it to their own imaginary superior wisdom, or to their own secular purposes; should they explain this union so as to suit their designs, and employ means to produce it; and should they denominate their system Christianity, it would certainly be, in spite of its name, a Christianity marked with the imperfection of its authors; for in the The doctrines of Christianity, I presume to Christian religion, in the thing itself, and not guess, according to the usual sense of the in its appellation, shines the glorious charac-phrase, are divisible into two classes. The ter of perfection.

The Christian religion unites mankind. By what common bond does it propose to do so? By love. This is a bond of perfectness, a most perfect bond. This is practicable, and productive of every desirable end, and the more we study human nature, the more fully shall we be convinced, that we cannot imagine any religion to do more, nor need we desire more, for this answers every end of being religions. Had Jesus Christ formed his church on a sentimental plan, he must have employed many means, which he has not employed, and he must have omitted many directions, which he has given. One of his means of uniting mankind, is contained in this direction, Search the Scriptures, and call no man your master upon earth; that is to say, exercise your very different abilities, assisted by very different degrees of aid, in periods of very different duration, and form your own notions of the doctrines contained in the scriptures. Is

first contains the principal truths, the pure genuine theology of Jesus Christ, essential to the system, and in which all Christians in our various communities agree. The other class consists of those less important propositions, which are meant to serve as explications of the principal truths. The first is the matter of our holy religion, the last is our conception of the manner of its operation. In the first we all agree, in the last our benevolent religion, constructed by principles of analogy, proportion, and perfection, both enjoins and empowers us to agree to differ. The first is the light of the world, the last our sentiments on its nature, or our distribution of its effects.

In general each church calls its own creed a system of Christianity, a body of Christian doctrine, and perhaps not improperly: but then each divine ought to distinguish that part of his system, which is pure revelation, and so stands confessedly the doctrine of Jesus

will agree in the matter of each proposition, | plays the benefit of government by pardoning they will conjecture very differently concerning the manner of its operation.

others, and royal prerogative both disculpates and elevates the guilty; however, as the governor is a God, he retains and displays his absolute right of dispensing his favours as he pleases. A second says, God and believers are to be considered in the light of parent and children, and Christ is not given to believers according to mere maxims of exact government: but he is bestowed by God, the common Father, impartially on all his children. A third says, God and believers are to be considered in the light of master and servants, and God rewards the imperfect services of his creatures with the rich benefits of Christianity. A fourth considers God and believers in the relation of king and consort, and say, God gave Christianity as an unalienable dowry to his chosen associate. In all these systems, God, Christ, believers, and gift remain, the pure genuine ideas of the text; and the associatior of the idea of relation distinguishes and varie the systems.

One disciple of Christ, whom we call Richard, having read this text, having exercised his thoughts on the meaning of it, and having arranged them in the propositional form now mentioned, if he would convince another disciple, whom we name Robert, of the truth of any one of his propositions, would be obliged to unfold his own train of thinking, which consists of an associated concatenation of ideas, some of which are primary ideas of Jesus Christ, and others secondary notions of his own; additions, perhaps, of his wisdom, perhaps of his folly, perhaps of both: but all, however, intended to explicate his notion of the text, and to facilitate the evidence of his notion to his brother. Robert admits the proposition, but not exactly in Richard's sense. In this case, we assort ideas, we take what both allow to be the original ideas of our common Lord, and we reckon thus; here are nine ideas in this proposition, numbers one, three, six, In general, we form the ideas of the Sunine, genuine, primary ideas of Christ; num-preme Being, and we think, such a Being bers two, four, five, secondary ideas of Rich- ought to act so and so, and therefore we conard; numbers seven, eight, secondary ideas of clude he does act so and so. God gives Christ Robert; the first constitutes a divine doctrine, to believers conditionally, says one; for so it the last a human explication; the first forms one becomes a holy Being to bestow all his gifts. divine object, the last two human notions of God gives Christ unconditionally, says anoits mode of existence, manner of operation, ther; for so it becomes a merciful Being to or something similar: but, be each what it bestow his gifts on the miserable. I repeat it may, it is human explication, and neither again, opposite as those may appear, they both synod nor senate can make it more. retain the notions of the same God, the same Jesus, the same believers, the same giving: but an idea concerning the fittest way of bestowing the gift, distinguishes and varies the systems. I call it the same giving, because all divines, even they who go most into a scheme of conditional salvation, allow, that Christ is a blessing infinitely beyond all that is due to the conditions which they perform in order to their enjoyment of him.

No divine will dispute the truth of this proposition, God gave Jesus Christ to believers; for it is demonstrably in the text. To this, therefore, Beza and Zanchy, Melancthon and Luther, Calvin and Arminius, Baxter and Crisp, agree, all allowing it a Christian doctrine: but each associating with the idea of gift other ideas of time, place, relation, condition, and so on, explains the doctrine so as to contain all his own additional ideas.

One class of expositors take the idea of time, and by it explain the proposition. God and believers, says one, are to be considered contemplatively before the creation in the light of Creator and creatures, abstracted from all moral considerations whatever; then God united Christ to his church in the pure mass of creatureship, without the contemplation of Adam's fall. Another affirms, God gave a Saviour to men in design before the existence of creatures: but in full contemplation, however, of the misery induced by the fall. A third says, God gave Christ to believers, not in purpose before the fall: but in promise immediately after it. A fourth adds, God gives Christ to believers on their believing, by putting them in possession of the benefits of Christianity. In all these systems, the ideas of God, Christ, believers, and gift remain, the pure genuine ideas of the text; and the association of time distinguishes and varies the systems.

A second class of expositors take the idea of relation, and one affirms, God and believers are to be considered in the relative light of governor and subjects, the characters of a perfect government are discernible in the giving of a Saviour, justice vindicates the honour of government by punishing some, mercy disVOL. I.-5

Let us for a moment suppose, that this proposition, God gives Christ to believers, is the whole of revelation on this subject. A divine, who should affirm, that his ideas of time, relation, and condition, were necessarily contained in this Scripture; that his whole thesis was a doctrine of Christianity; and that the belief of it was essential to salvation; would affirm the most palpable absurdities; for, although the proposition does say, Christ is God's gift to believers, yet it does neither say, when God bestowed this gift, nor why he bestowed it, nor that a precise knowledge of the mode of donation is essentially requisite to salvation. That God gave the world a Saviour in the person of Jesus is a fact affirmed by Christ in this proposition, and therefore a Christian doctrine. That he made the donation absolutely or conditionally, before the fall or after it, reversibly or irrevocably, the proposition does not affirm; and therefore every proposition including any of these ideas is an article of belief containing a Christian doctrine and a human explication, and consequently it lies before an examiner in different degrees of evidence and importance.

Suppose a man were required to believe this proposition, God gave Jesus to believers absolutely; or this, God gave Jesus to believers conditionally; it is not impossible, the whole

proposition might be proved original, genuine, | tions, attended with no one good end to reliprimary doctrine of Jesus Christ. Our proposition in this text could not prove it, and were this the whole of our information on this article, conditionally and unconditionally would be human explications: but, if Christ has given us, in any other part of revelation, more instruction on this subject; if he any where affirm, either that he was given on certain conditions to be performed by believers, or that he was not given so, then indeed we may associate the ideas of one text with those of another, and so form of the whole a genuine Christian doctrine.

When we have thus selected the instructions of our divine Master from the opinions of our fellow pupils, we should suppose these questions would naturally arise, is a belief of all the doctrines of Christ essential to salvation? If not, which are the essential truths? If the parable of the talents be allowed a part of his doctrine, and if the doctrine of proportion taught in that parable be true, it should seem, the belief of Christian doctrines must be proportioned to exterior evidence and interior ability; and on these principles should a congregation of five hundred Christians put these questions, they must receive five hundred different answers. Who is sufficient for these things! Let us renounce our inclinations to damn our fellow-creatures. Let us excite all to faith and repentance, and let us leave the decision of their destiny to Almighty God. "When Christ cometh he will tell us all things," John iv. 25; till then let us wait, lest we should scatter "firebrands, arrows, and death," and "make the hearts of the righteous sad, whom the Lord hath not made sad," Prov. xxvi. 18, 19; Ezek. xii. 23. How many doctrines are essential to salvation, seems to me exactly such a question, as how much food is essential to animal life?

We will venture to go a step further. Were we as capable of determining the exact ratio between any particular mind and a given number of ideas, as we are of determining how many feet of water a vessel of a given burden must draw; and were we able so to determine how much faith in how many doctrines was essential to the holiness, and so to the happiness of such a soul; we shall not then entertain a vain notion of exacting by force these rights of God of his creature. For, first, the same proportion, which renders a certain number of ideas as essential to the happiness of an intelligent mind, renders this number of ideas so clear, that they establish themselves and need no imposition. Secondly, the nature of faith does not admit of imposition; it signifies nothing to say, kings command it; if angels commanded it, they would require an impossibility, and exact that of me, which they themselves could not perform. Thirdly, God has appointed no means to enforce belief, he has nominated no vicegerents to do this, he has expressly forbidden the attempt. Fourthy, the means that one man must employ to impose his creed on another, are all nefarious, and damn a sinner to make a saint. Fifthly, imposition of human creeds has produced so much mischief in the world, so many divisions among Christians, and so many execrable ac

gion, that the repetition of this crime would argue a soul infested with the grossest ignorance, or the most stubborn obstinacy imaginable. Sixthly, dominion over conscience is that part of God's empire, of which he is most jealous. The imposition of a human creed is a third action, and before any man can perform it, he must do two other exploits, he must usurp the throne, and claim the slave. How many more reasons might be added! From a cool examination of the nature of God-the nature of man-the nature of Christianity— the nature of all powers within the compass of human thought to employ-the history of past times-the state of the present-in a word, of every idea that belongs to the imposition of a human creed, we venture to affirm, the attempt is irrational, unscriptural, impracticable, impossible. Creed is belief, and the production of belief by penal sanctions neither is, nor was, nor is to come. The project never entered the mind of a professor of any science except that of theology. It is high time theologists should explode it. The glorious pretence of establishing by force implicit belief, should be left to the little tyrant of a country school; let him lay down dry documents, gird false rules close about other men's sons, lash docility into vanity, stupidity, or madness, and justify his violence by spluttering, Sic volo, sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas.

Were Christians sincere in their professions of moderation, candour, and love, they would settle this preliminary article of IMPOSITION, and, this given up, there would be nothing else to dispute. Our objections lie neither against surplice nor service-book; but against the imposition of them. Let one party of Christians worship God as their consciences direct: but let other parties forfeit nothing for doing the same. It may appear conjectural; but it is sincerely true, theological war is the most futile and expensive contest, theological peace the cheapest acquisition in the world.

Although the distinction of a divine revelation from a human explication is just and necessary, although the principles of analogy, proportion, and perfection, are undeniable, and although, considered as a theory, the nature and necessity of universal toleration will be allowed to be as clear and demonstrative as possible, yet, we are well aware, the allowance of these articles in all their fair, just, necessary consequences, would be so inimical to many dispositions, and so effectually subversive of so many selfish interested systems, that we entertain no hopes of ever seeing the theory generally reduced to practice. Heaven may exhibit a scene of universal love, and it is glorious to Christianity to propose it; it is an idea replete with ecstatic joy, and, thanks be to God, it is more than an idea, it is a law in many Christian churches, alas! little known, and less imitated by the rest of their brethren. There is "a remnant of Jacob in the midst of many people, as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men," Micah v. 7. These may cheerfully adopt the prophet's exultation, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy! If I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in