the corruptions were gradually detected. False dates, allusions to events of later years, words and phrases unknown to the Fathers, and indicative of a later age, detected many entire forgeries, which, after having been relied upon for centuries, were at length given up by the entire Christian world. In most that remain, we have not the originals; but only fragments, quoted in writers of a later date. To this day, the genuine writings, and the genuine readings of those supposed in the main to be genuine, are unsettled: learned men of all communions still holding them in debate.

Besides this, the early Fathers, in their writings, which are allowed to be genuine, betray gross unsoundness, erring and mistaking in many of the clearest and most indubitable principles of the Word of God. Crudities, errors of judgment and of ignorance, fables, a mingling of Christianity with the various fond tenets of the philosophy prevalent in their respective countries and ages, have greatly marred their expositions of divine truth. They conflicted with each other. Origen, the most learned of the ancient Fathers, adopted principles of interpretation which all denominations in the world reprobate at the present day. He actually mutilated his own body, because the Saviour had said, "Some have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven's sake." It seems as though Christ had intended, not only to warn us against reliance upon the Fathers, by charging us to "call no man master;" but that God by his Providence intended to beat us off from this reliance, by confounding the builders of such a Babel, even in the days of those who had seen the Apostles. Even so early it became a question, on what time they should keep Easter. Both sides pleaded with confidence that their tradition was apostolical. Polycarp pleaded that he had been acquainted with the Apostle John. Anicetus of Rome pleaded that he had his tradition from the Apostle Peter. Here were the Fathers only one remove from the Apostles, on a plain matter of fact. And yet, says Stillingfleet, "So great were the heats, so irreconcilable the controversy, that they proceeded to hurl the thunder of excommunication in each other's faces; and at length Victor, in the spirit of a Pope, excommunicated all the Churches. of Asia, for differing as to this tradition. The small coals of this contention kindled a whole Etna of contention in all the Christian world."

Now what was good in the so called Fathers we readily approve. Let them pass for witnesses of facts which came under their own observation; let them, if they please, testify as to their opinions; but if we must measure the doctrine of "an Apostle or of an angel from Heaven" by the Word of God, how much more must we measure the opinion of the Fathers? We cannot receive as the standard that which we are presently to PROVE

by another measure. This difficulty would remain, even if we could separate what is genuine in the Fathers from that which is spurious.

V. If the standard of faith is to be the Bible as interpreted by the first two centuries, then the Episcopal authorities are as much to be blamed for not fixing upon the authentic writings of these two centuries, establishing their canon, and giving them to the people, as the popish Prelates are for withholding from the people the Bible. Nay, more so; for on this scheme the " Bible alone," as the "only standard faith," is "no sufficient bond of union or stability;" nay, it leads to "error, heresies, disunion, and confusion" without end!" Miserable people that have not the ultimate standard in their hands; without which the Bible is so insufficient and so erring a guide! Unfaithful prelates that give not even a translation; no, nor a poor abstract, or epitome; no, nothing but a poor weak decoction or infusion of the fathers, such as happens to be sprinkled, we know not where, upon the pages of the Prayer-Book! The people should either demand that the Bible shall be accompanied by the Fathers of the first two centu ries, authentic, unmutilated, uninterpolated, so that they may search the standard of faith for themselves, or they should renounce the name of Protestants, and be content with the traditions of the Fathers, as set forth and interpreted second-hand by the traditions of the priests. But what Episcopal layman or clergyman pretends that he can accurately fix the canon of the Fathers of the first two centuries? Has Bishop Brownell himself ever read all those interpretations of the first two centuries, or can he, for his life, draw the line between the spurious and the true? No well informed man on earth will have the impudence to pretend that this can be done. Let us then hear no more about Popish abominations. The extravagance of Romish infallibility is sober reason compared with this specimen of Protestant Episcopal folly touching the standard of faith.*

From this dreary waste of error and absurdity, it is refreshing to turn back to the words of good old Bishop Hooper, who sealed his faith in the flames, in the days of the Popish Mary. "In the Blessed Virgin's time, the Pharisees and Bishops were accounted the TRUE CHURCH; yet by reason their doctrine was corrupt, the true Church rested not with them, but in Simeon, Zachary, the shepherds, and others. So, Paul teaches us that whosoever he be that preaches another doctrine than the Word of God, he is not to be accredited though he were an angel from Heaven. * * The adversaries of truth defend many a false error under the name of HOLY CHURCH * * and when the Church is named, we ought diligently to consider when the Articles they would defend were accepted of the Church, by whom, and who was the author of them, and not leave the matter till it is brought unto the first original and most perfect Church of the Apostles. If you find by their writings that the Church used the thing which the preacher would prove, accept it, or else not. Be not amazed though they speak of ever so many years; or name ever so many doctors. CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES ARE GRANDFATHERS IN AGE TO THE DOCTORS AND MASTERS IN LEARNING. Fear neither the ordinary power or succession of bishops, nor that of the greater part. For if either the authority of Bishops or of the greater part should have power to interpret the Scriptures; the sentence of the

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VI. What say the Scriptures themselves concerning the question in hand? "The law of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord IS SURE, MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE." Thus speaks the Word of God. Oh no! says the man with a surplice and mitre from Rome: not "perfect," nor sure," but mischievous without the infallible interpretations of the Church; the Church can do better by taking the testimony of the Lord away. And thereupon the Protestant Bishop of Connecticut raises his voice. "The Bible alone !" "The Bible without note or comment! "To the exclusion of all tradition and Church authority!" It is no sufficient "bond of union or stability!" And thereupon he rings the changes, "Heresies," "Infidelity," "Fanaticism."

But hear again the Word of God: "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation. I have more understanding than the ancients (alas, what a heresy this would be in the eyes of the Tractarians, if it were not in the Bible! But so it reads.) I HAVE more understaNDING THAN THE Ancients, because I keep thy precepts," "THY WORD is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path."

We had supposed that "The Bible alone" was "the Religion of Protestants." We had humbly supposed it a sufficient and perfect guide, "given by inspiration of God,"-that "the man of God may be THOROUGHLY FURNISHED" with that which is "able to make him wise unto salvation." We had supposed that whoever were our teacher, we were still to "search the Scriptures," "to see whether these things are so." We turn to the History of the World; and though some have "wrested the Scriptures to their own destruction," yet the History of the World has not shown for any two hundred years, so real and unwaverPharisees should have been preferred before the sentence of Zacharias, Simeon, Elizabeth, or the Blessed Virgin. * * Remember that the gift of interpretation of Scripture, is the light of the Holy Ghost given unto the humblest penitent persons, that seek it only to honor God; and not unto that person who claims it by title or place, because he is a bishop, or followed by succession, Peter or Paul. Examine their laws by the Scripture, and then perceive that they are the enemies of Christ's Church, and the very Church of Korah. REMEMBER THEREFORE TO EXAMINE ALL KINDS OF DOCTRINE BY THE WORD OF GOD. As touching the ministers of the Church, I BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS BOUND to no SORT of people or ANY ORDINARY SUCCESSION OF BISHOPS, CARDINALS, OR SUCH LIKE, BUT UNTO THE WORD OF GOD ONLY."

The language of Hooper was the common language of the Reformers. Says Jewel, "There is no way so easy to beguile the simple as the name and countenance of the Fathers." "I see plainly," says Chillingworth, "and with mine own eyes, that there are popes against popes, councils against councils, some fathers against others ; a consent of fathers of one age against the consent of the fathers of another age; the Church of one age against the Church of another age; traditive interpretations of Scripture are pretended, but there are few or none to be found. In a word, there is no sufficiency but of the Scripture only, for any considering man to build upon..”

ing a uniformity in the belief of the simple and fundamental doctrines of grace, as has been found among the several denominations who receive the Bible alone as the sole and sufficient standard of faith and duty. With all their conflicts on minor points, there has been in fundamentals, more than anywhere else, One Faith, and one Lord. Freedom of thought, and free discussion, have caused at times sharp controversy; error deserves it; truth is worth it: but in all, the truth has gained. Some have apostatised: but the Bible is before them, and no superior authority binds their consciences to retain the error. Let the vast corruptions of a thousand years; let the corruptions now rising and spreading within the communion paled in and fenced by Church interpretations and Church authority, decide, whether, within such fences, these apostates would have done any better. "There must be heresies," says the Word of God, "that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." The great mass have remained firm: the more firm from the discussions to which these heresies have given rise. "The sword of the Spirit" is not the interpretations of the Church, but "The Word of God." If you would repress heresy, leave that sword unsheathed. A pious prayerful soul may be trusted with that; a wilful heretic will not be put down with a human decree or canon. Bind not up the thoughtful inquirer to believe on the authority of human interpretations and canons, lest his faith rest on the wisdom of man, rather than on the Word of God. Rear up fences of forms, interpretations, and decrees; and you may perpetuate your own folly; you may thrust your wisdom between the soul and the authority of God; you may arrogate to yourself the authority of conservator over the understanding of future generations, as well as of God's Holy Truth;-but you may at the same time perpetuate heresy and darkness, and lay the foundations of a spiritual bondage under which your children's children may groan in hopeless misery. But le a conti nent sink in error; let ten thousand times ten thousand blinded priests conspire to hold them in bondage; yet throw these fences down, and send forth one living man with "the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God;"-and darkness and superstition will flee before him. That sword of the Spirit which is the most powerful to conquer, is most powerful to defend. Give us this, and let error take the field; let Satan come in subtlety or in wrath; and we have wherewithal to quench his fiery darts. But remove the faith of the people one step from the Word of God, and try to fence it round by human decrees and forms, and the incipient apostasy has begun its march; the mystery of iniquity is at work; nothing but the special providence of God can prevent Anti-christ from being, in time, fully developed and revealed.

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XIX.

ON THE ALLEGED RIGHT TO IMPOSE LITURGIES AND CEREMONIES.

Illustrated by the Doctrines of Holy Alliance. Enormities in practice. Necessarily a system of usurpation and persecution. Natural rights of Christian congregations. Plea of uniformity. The question not of the expediency of a Liturgy, but of the right to impose one. Canons of American Episcopacy. Limits of Church power.

ANOTHER fundamental principle which demands discussion, separate from all consideration of Church organization, or modes of discipline and worship, is the alleged right to frame Liturgies and devise ceremonies for the worship of God; to forbid Christians to celebrate public worship in any other mode; and to enforce these Liturgies and ceremonies by penalties, either civil or ecclesiastical.

The importance of this topic will be better appreciated by a reference to some instances of parallel usurpations in civil affairs. Such a reference will show what fundamental principles 're worth; and how many seeds of despotism, mischief, and wo, may be wrapped up in a seemingly innocent line.

Those who are old enough to remember the campaign of Bonaparte Russia, will call to mind the famous HOLY ALLIANCE formed by several of the crowned heads of Europe. Its object was, professedly, the peace and stability of the European nations. "The world," says Daniel Webster, "seems to have received this treaty upon its first promulgation, with general charity. It was commonly understood, as little or nothing more than an expression of thanks for the successful termination of the momentous contest in which these sovereigns had been engaged." "In the name of the Most Holy Trinity," said their manifesto, " their Majesties solemnly declare, that the present act has no other object than to publish in the face of the whole world, their fixed resolution, both in the administration of their respective states, and in their political relations with every other government, to take for

*Speech on the Greek Revolution.