Moses, ye cannot be saved." v. 1. This doctrine, false and dangerous, tending to subvert the entire fabric of evangelical truth, Paul and Barnabas promptly and firmly resisted. v. 2. But the erroneous teachers persevering, and being probably supported by Jewish converts, with very little prospect of gaining over the Gentiles; it was judged expedient for the prevention of feuds, to refer the question to the Apostles and Presbyters at Jerusalem. v. 2. They accepted the reference -took the subject into consideration-condemned the doctrine which had raised the ferment in Antioch-prohibited the preaching of it in future -and, with regard to the remaining differences, advised both parties to forbearance and love. v. 22-29. The value of their decision, as a precedent for posterity, lies in its principle. On the one hand, that venerable council would not endure, “no, not for an hour," the least infringement upon that prime essential of Christianity, the justification of a sinner by faith ALONE: nor, on the other, would they countenance the spirit of schism and separa tion, even for the sake of important differences which left both sides in possession of the substantial truth. On these matters they enjoined respect to each others feelings-they enjoined bearing and forbearing-they enjoined "endeavours to . keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"-they did not enjoin, nor abet, nor in any wise encourage, the disruption of communion. Prejudice herself must confess that the variance between the Gentile and Jewish believer on the subject of circumcision' and of the Mosaic law generally, even without the notion of its necessity to salvation, was much wider than the variance between many Christians who will not commune together in the body and blood of their common Lord. The sense of their union with him, according to the Apostolic rule, should absorb their inferior discrepancies of opinion and practice among themselves. But, directly reversing this order, their inferior discrepancies overpower the sense of their union as one in him. O how unlike the spirit and the example of those glorious days of the Son of man! The scriptural details might be prosecuted further; but it is superfluous. They are all of one complexion. Nor is there any hazard in asserting, without qualification, that there is not in all the New Testament, one solitary doctrine or fact which so much as implies, or can be made by any tolerable interpretation to appear to imply, that the Lord Jesus has authorized the exaction of any term whatever for the whole fellowship of his church, other than visible Christianity. Objections will be noticed in their proper place. II. The second class of facts is furnished by the history of the primitive church from the days of the Apostles to the close of the fourth century. It was not more her character, during that period, to profess Christianity, than it was to assert her catholic unity; and to cherish, on all occasions, the most tender solicitude for its preservation. This is so evident, that an attempt to set forth its proofs at large would be altogether impertinent. No man who has only glanced at the writings of the early fathers, will raise a doubt on the subject. It is material, however, to inquire in what she viewed her unity as consisting-by what it was liable to be broken-and how it was to be maintained. Her unity consisted in her common faith, her common institutions-and brotherly love. 1. The chief attribute of her unity was her common faith; i. e. the faith which was common to her members all over the world. In the exposition of her faith, as a rallying point of union, she confined herself to a few great principles-principles which are, every where and at all times, vital to the religion of Jesusand without which it is impossible there should be either Christianity or Christians. Nothing can be more simple, nor summed up with more studious brevity than the early creeds, or, as they were called, symbols of the faith. That little composition, familiarly known by the name of the "Apostles' creed," though probably not their work, may give the reader a correct idea of their general structure. For his further satisfaction, however, I shall translate another specimen from Irenæus, a disciple of Polycarp, and a most strenuous defender of the purity of the faith against various heresies. "The church, although scattered over the whole world, even to the extremities of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples, the FAITH, viz. on one God the FATHER, almighty, that made the heaven and the earth, and the seas, and all things therein and on one CHRIST JESUS, the son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation-and on the HOLY SPIRIT, who, by the prophets, preached the dispensations, and the advents, and the generation from a Virgin, and the suffering, and the resurrection from the dead, and the assumption, in flesh, into heaven, of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; and his coming again from the heavens in the glory of the Father, to sum up all things, and raise all flesh of all mankind; that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the good pleasure of his father who is invisible, every knee may bow of beings in heaven, in earth, and under the earth; and every tongue may confess to him; and that he may exercise righteous judgment upon all; may send spiritual wickednesses, and transgressing and apostate angels, and ungodly, and unjust, and lawless, and blasphemous men, into eternal fire. But on the righteous and holy-on those who have kept his commandments and continued in his love, whether from the beginning or after repentance, may, with the gift of life, bestow incorruption, and put them in possession of eternal glory." * Fidelity rather than elegance has been consulted in this translation. But that the reader may judge for himself, the original is subjoined. Η μεν γαρ Εκκλησία, καίπερ καθ' όλης της οικουμένης ἕως περάτων της γης διεσπαρμένη, παρα δε των Αποςόλων, και των εκείνων μαθητων παραλα βουσα την εις ένα θεον πατέρα παντοκράτορα, τον πεποιηκοτα τον ουρανον, και την γην, και τας θάλασσας, και παντα τα εν αυτοίς, πιστιν· και εις ένα Χρις τον Ιησουν, τον ύιον του Θεου, τον σαρκωθέντα ύπες της ημετέρας σωτηρίας· και εις Πνεύμα άγιον, το δια των προφήτων κεκηρυχος τας οικονομίας, και τας ελευσεις, και την εκ Παρθένου γεννησιν, και το πάθος, και την έγερσιν εκ νεκρών, και την ενσαρκον εις τους ουρανους ανάληψιν του ηγα πημένου Χρίστου Ιησου του Κυρίου ήμων, και την εκ των ουρανων εν τη δόξη του πατρος παρουσίαν αυτού, επι το ανακεφαλαίωσασθαι τα πάντα, και αναστήσαι πάσαν σαρκα πάσης ανθρωπότητος, ἵνα Χριστῳ Ιησου τῳ Κυξεῷ ἡμων, και Θεῷ, και σωτηρί, και βασίλει, κατα την ευδοκιαν του Πα τρος του αοράτου, παν γονυ κάμψη επανουρανίων και επιγείων και καταχ θονίων, και πάσα γλώσσα εξομολογήσηται, και κρισιν δικαίαν εν τοις πάσι ποίησηται τα μεν πνευματικά της πονηρίας, και αγγελους παραβεβηκό τας, και εν αποςασία γεγονοτας, και τους ασέβεις, και αδίκους, και ανο μους, και βλασφημους των ανθρώπων εις το αιώνιον συς πέμψη· τοις δε δι |