tuting his understanding and conscience to the doctrines and commandments of men? I say, a knowing and thinking Christian; for he must have considered the case before us very superficially, who does not perceive, that the adherence of such numbers to the peculiar doctrines of the church from which they receive their denomination, and even to some doctrines common to the creeds and confessions of all churches, which call themselves orthodox, is owing to their ignorance, their indolence, their secularity, or the early prejudices of education, which are known to be the unhappy circumstances of the common people, all over the Christian world.

Some zealous men have, indeed, inferred a necessity for confessions, and consequently an authority in the church to establish them, from these very indispositions and incapacities of the people to examine and judge for themselves. But, though this is perhaps the best plea of right which the church has to allege, yet wiser and cooler advocates for confessions choose not to abide by an argument, which would equally vindicate the church of Rome with respect to many of her impositions. Not to mention, that these indispositions and incapacities in the clergy would be but an awkward reason for making their assent and subscription to confessions an indispensable condition of being admitted into the church as teachers.

These prudent gentlemen, therefore, seem inclined to acquit the laity of all concern with established confessions, and to confine their authority to the clergy; insomuch, that, if I understand some of our modern casuists on this subject, a layman, if he can get over his own scruples, may pray, hear the word, and even communicate with what protestant church he pleases. If this be really true, we have reason to be thankful for better times; for undoubtedly some of us have remembered worse.

But, however this matter might turn out upon the experiment, certain it is, that, in so far as the laity are allowed not to be bound by these church confessions, the point of right to establish them as tests of orthodoxy is fairly given up, as well for the clergy as the laity; since whatever rule is sufficient to direct the faith and practice of the layman, must likewise be sufficient to direct the teaching of the clergyman, unless the clergyman may be obliged to teach doctrines, which the layman is not obliged either to believe or to practise.

"But," say some men, "if there be really an expedience and utility in these public formularies, called Confessions of Faith, we may well infer a right to establish them, although concerning such right the Scripture should be silent. Many things, relating to public worship and public edification, must be left to the prudence and discretion of church governors for the time being; and, if confessions are manifestly

useful and expedient for the church, there must be an authority lodged somewhere to prepare and enforce them."

The expediency and utility of confessions will be very particularly considered in the next chapter; for which reason I shall forbear to say any thing farther to this plea at present, save only a word or two concerning this method of arguing from the probable expedience or utility of any thing in religion to a right or authority to employ or introduce it.

No wise man, who hath duly considered the genius and design of the christian religion, will look for much utility or expedience, where the church or church governors go beyond their plain commission. And, whatever may be left to the prudence and discretion of church governors, there is so much more left to the conscience of every Christian in his personal capacity, that it greatly behoves such governors to beware they encroach not on a province, which is without their limits. This consideration has always disposed me to reason in a manner just contrary to these gentlemen, namely, from the authority to the utility of religious measures. My opinion is, that, where the methods of promoting Christianity are matter of scripture precept, or plainly recommended by scripture precedents, there such methods should be strictly followed and adhered to, even though the expedience of them should not be very evident a priori. We can have no pretence of right or authority to alter such

methods for others seemingly more expedient, while so very much of the effect of religion, or, in other words, of its utility, is made by our blessed Master to depend on the inward frame of every man's heart, into which ordinary church governors can have no farther discernment than other men. On this account those means of edification, public or private, will always, in my esteem, bid the fairest for success, which are the truest copies of apostolic originals. Notions of expedience in any thing more than these, when there is nothing to judge by but superficial appearances, have frequently led men to interfere very unseasonably with the dictates of other men's consciences; and no greater mischief has ever been occasioned by any thing in the christian church, than by those very expedients of human prudence, from which the best effects have been expected.

Among other instances, which might be given to verify this observation, we have one at home, in which all those, who are called to the ministry are too nearly concerned not to be capable judges. After some progress had been made in the reformation of the church of England, it was thought to be a great defect, that a public confession of faith and doctrine should still be wanting.* To supply this defect, the Articles of Religion were compiled, published, and enjoined to be subscribed. These Articles, with some alterations, which passed in those days for improvements,

* Burnet's Hist. Reform vol. ii. p. 166; and vol. iii. p. 210.

are still subscribed by, at least, one hundred of our ministers every year. That above one fifth of this number do not subscribe or assent to these Articles, in one uniform sense, we have great reason to believe ; and yet the avowed purpose of this general subscription is to prevent diversity of opinions. And, indeed, considering to what sorts of men this test is madeR indispensable, it is, I think, as much as pected, if another fifth subscribe them in any sense, but the sense they have of wanting preferment in the church, if they should not.

can be ex

It is true, all these persons minister in their several congregations by one common form, framed, for the general, on the model of the confession they have subscribed; and so far all has a fair and honest appearance, and, while they keep their thoughts to themselves, is consistent enough. But no sooner are many of them at liberty to deliver their own or other men's sentiments from the pulpit, but the established system is laid aside, or, perhaps, if it comes in their way, quite overset,* and many things written and uttered with all freedom, by different persons, equally irreconcileable to each other, as well as to the orthodox confession.

"All those who write and preach in this nation are not her [the church of England's] sons, any more than they of Geneva, or Scotland, or New England, are," says Bishop Rust, Defence of Origen, &c. Phænix, vol. i. p. 83. So that this is no new complaint. See, likewise, Dr Hartley's Observations on Man, vol. ii. p. 354; and a remarkable instance in A Defence of the Essay on Spirit, p. 24.