to the language of the Bible, and are passed as a substitute for the word of God, as bank bills are made a substitute for silver and gold. Is there nothing in this of too near an approach to self-sufficiency and self-exaltation?

4. "The poor have the gospel preached to them" -was a circumstance mentioned by our Lord, as a proof that the gospel day had commenced; because it had been predicted that such should be the case n the days of the Messiah, and that the way of holiness should be so plain as to be easily understood by the illiterate and the way-faring man. But what advantage can the gospel be to the illiterate and to children, if they are to be measured by such standards as have been adopted by many of the creed-making sects? How great a portion of those who give their assent to such creeds, are totally incapable of judging of their truth or correctness. Suppose I should subscribe a creed in a foreign language with which I am unacquainted, to obtain Christian privileges; what would be thought of me? and what should be thought of those who require such a subscription?

5. So far as articles of faith are made a test of character in the New Testament, they are the following:

That Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God and

That God raised him from the dead.

A belief in the first of these articles was the test of discipleship during the ministry of Christ. After his crucifixion, a belief in his resurrection became

necessary to a belief that he was the Messiah. Hence a belief in the second article was required, as added by the Apostles. Accordingly Paul in stating the faith required said, "That is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." John, in stating the object for which he wrote his gospel, said, "These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." To persuade people to believe the two articles which have been named, was the great object of the sermons recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. These, if I mistake not, are the only articles of faith, a belief of which is spoken of in the New Testament as necessary to the Christian character, or as connected with regeneration, pardon, or eternal life.

A cordial belief in these articles naturally led to obedience to the precepts of Christ, and these are the appointed standard or test of moral character. Avowing a belief in Jesus as the Messiah, appears to have given such satisfaction to the Apostles, that, on such a profession, 3000 persons were admitted as converts or believers on the day of pentecost, the very day on which their profession was made. To be a disciple of Christ then meant to be a pupil or learner in his school. For admission to this school or the church of Christ, no articles of faith were proposed as terms, but the two which have been men

tioned. We are not, however, to suppose that nothing was required of disciples but a belief in these articles, nor that Christ instituted no other test of moral character. As the followers of Jesus were then a persecuted people, to acknowledge him as the Messiah under such circumstances, afforded much evidence of integrity of heart; and when a person made this profession, he implicitly professed a desire to come under the guidance of Christ, and a willingness to conform to his precepts and example. Henceforth the precepts of Christ were to be regarded by him as the rule of duty, and the test of Christian character. That this is a correct view of the subject may appear from the following passages :

"Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt. vii. 21. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon a rock." v. 27. "And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." Luke xiv. 27. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." John xiv. 21. "If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love." John xv.

10.

"This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you." v. 12. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." v. 14. "Hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him, and

keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John ii. 3, 4.

Besides these plain declarations, as to the proper standard of Christian character, we are assured both by Christ and his apostles, that works of obedience will be rewarded at the final account, and that works of disobedience will be punished. But where shall we find in the Bible the least evidence that any man will be rewarded or accepted on account of his belief of such doctrines as are at this day made the test of Christian character? I know not; and I suspect that, after due examination, every honest man will be able to say the same.

Before I dismiss the subject of false standards or tests, it may be proper to mention one more, which I deem as dangerous as a party creed. It has been the opinion of many persons of different sects, that the heart of a true Christian, a spiritually-minded man, is a good test of the truth or falsehood of a proposed doctrine-that if the doctrine be true, it will be sweet to his taste-if false, it will be disgusting. Hence a believer in this opinion is prepared to say, "I know that this or that doctrine is true from my own experience," and in the same confident manner he will affirm of another doctrine that he knows it to be false. On this principle too, the same persons often feel at liberty to censure the hearts of their dissenting brethren. This opinion has ever appeared to me delusive and dangerous; and in support of this view of it, I shall suggest the following considerations.

1. Persons of different sects urge the same mode of proof in favor of opposite doctrines, each affirming that he knows his beloved doctrine to be true from his own experience, or its agreement with his own heart. When such opposite results occur from the same mode of proof, there must be gross delusion on one side or the other, and it may be so on both.

2. I believe it to be a fact that a good Christian will receive for truth any doctrine which he believes to have been revealed by God-just as a dutiful and confiding child will receive for truth whatever his pious parent inculcates as true and important. But such is the ambiguity of language, and such the imperfection of the child's understanding, that he may misapprehend the meaning of the words uttered by his father, and imbibe an idea very different from the one the parent meant to impress on his mind. In like manner the humble and confiding child of God may form an incorrect idea from the language used in the Bible. Besides, as children have very fallible guides in their parents, so have adult Christians fallible expositors in their public teachers.

3. There are thousand of cases in which falsehood will afford as great, and even greater delight to a good man than the truth. I will give one exampleA benevolent father hears that his prodigal son, who had been absent for ten years, is now on his return, a penitent and reformed man. The report is accompanied with such circumstancesas precludes all doubt of its correctness. The father's heart leaps for joy. But alas! the report was founded on a mistake, and